IHDOE Ch 47
He continued.
[Sharlan] "He picked a fight with one of our knights. I knew you handed him a sword, but I had no idea he was so brazen."
The incident spilling from his lips was a far greater catastrophe than Satina had anticipated.
A mere slave, Katan, picking a fight with a knight of the ducal house?
Given his skill, he certainly wouldn't lose to a knight, but proud knights would never tolerate such insolence.
[Sharlan] "He was shockingly bold. When the knight tried to ignore him, he provoked him, asking if he was afraid of losing."
[Satina] "So a duel broke out?"
[Sharlan] "No. When the knight dismissed him, the slave launched a surprise attack."
Attacking by surprise after a duel request was declined? This was a grave offense.
[Satina] "...So what happened to him?"
[Sharlan] "He is currently in the dungeon. My, don't glare at me with such resentful eyes, Sister. I extended quite a favor just to keep that slave alive."
In truth, Sharlan couldn't care less whether a worthless slave lived or died. In fact, his death would have been preferable. Seeing a slave of unknown origin clinging to Satina's side grated on his nerves. He had contemplated letting him die quietly, but if she learned of it, she would glare at him with eyes far more resentful than now.
Strangely, he had no desire to see that expression on her face.
Why? What is she to me?
After a moment's thought, he realized the reason. Lately, Satina had brought him quite a few benefits.
Maintaining friendly relations with a business partner is basic diplomacy.
Surely, that was the sole reason he cared about her mood.
Katan slowly opened his eyes to the sound of dungeon guards reviling him.
[Guard] "Dammit, that bastard's recovery rate is monstrous. After getting beaten like that, he's already moving around."
[Guard] "I was certain he would die, but the slave's tenacity is stubborn. Orders were just not to kill him, but we should've shattered at least one of his limbs."
The guards spat through the iron bars while hurling curses at him.
Phlegm-laced saliva landed on his leg, but Katan felt nothing. Such treatment was all too familiar to him.
[Guard] "Besides, isn't that bastard completely insane? Learning a little swordplay on his own and suddenly picking a fight with a knight?"
[Guard] "Out of his mind entirely. Why on earth did he do that?"
Katan indifferently let their chatter drift past him. They would never understand why he staged such a spectacle anyway.
Staring toward the dungeon entrance, he waited for the person he longed to see.
Soon, light footsteps echoed alongside a clear, bell-like voice.
[Satina] "Katan."
[Katan] "It has been a while, Master."
At her signal, the guards unlocked the cell door and vacated the area.
Even with the door open, Katan remained motionless inside, silently awaiting her words.
Satina scrutinized his condition. He was a complete mess—his broken arm hung limply, and torn wounds from the beating covered his body.
After healing his arm with her song, she looked down at him.
[Satina] "I heard you challenged a knight to a duel and launched a surprise attack when he refused. Why did you do such a thing?"
She couldn't fathom his actions. She had assigned him homework—to eat well and quietly practice his swordplay to become a knight—yet he had caused such a massive disaster.
Katan knew he had acted foolishly, but he had reached his limit.
Satina was an odd master. Typically, a slave's existence was utterly wretched; barking when ordered to bark and rolling when ordered to roll was daily life. Even a powerless noblewoman couldn't be underestimated, as some indulged in cruel torture.
Yet she was different.
[Satina] "I intend to make you a knight."
She had offered him a dream, showing him a brilliant light in the dark aqueducts. Then, she withdrew her attention. Though she provided books and materials necessary to become a knight, that was all. She never summoned him to her bedchamber, nor did she seem inclined to utilize him.
Yet he couldn't rest easy. He needed Satina. He wanted to feel that intense emotion he experienced the day he first saw her once again. So he took a gamble by provoking a knight.
[Katan] "I believed Master would come looking for me if I did this."
[Satina] "What?"
[Katan] "Because I can't go to see you on my own."
A system window popped up before her eyes.
[Katan feels neglected by the player.]
[Katan enters the 'Anxious' state!]
[Katan begins plotting to murder Wazl.]
[Katan begins plotting to burn down the mansion.]
[If his anxiety is left unaddressed, the 'Katan's Rebellion' event will trigger automatically.]
This is insane.
Satina swallowed a sigh. Currently, Katan needed to win her favor to break the magic strangling his neck. Yet because she had been wandering around outside lately and hadn't seen him, anxiety had taken hold of him.
Even so, attacking a knight? What if he died?
Either way, Katan was clearly unhinged.
And an 'Anxious' state? What is this now?
This was an element she had never encountered while playing the game. She had never seen the 'Katan's Rebellion' event before, but plotting to murder a fellow slave like Wazl and burn down the mansion was an express train straight to a Bad Ending.
She couldn't leave him like this. Suppressing her frustration, she spoke.
[Satina] "So you caused such a disaster just to get my attention."
[Katan] "I was wrong."
[Satina] "Well... it doesn't matter to me. The one in trouble is you."
As she said, this incident caused no harm to her. She was a duke's daughter, and Katan was a slave. Even if the knights held grievances over this, they couldn't complain to Satina, who held solid footing within the family.
[Satina] "Even if I protect you, everyone will do their worst to torment you."
[Katan] "It doesn't matter. If they hurl curses, I will ignore them; if they challenge me, I will defeat them."
He crawled forward slowly and looked up at her.
[Katan] "As long as I can remain by your side, my body doesn't matter."
Satina finally reached out and stroked his hair.
[Satina] "How loyal."
Her hand drifted down, using her index finger to tilt his chin upward.
[Satina] "However, Katan, I will not tolerate such actions in the future. You belong to me, do you not? What if you lost your life acting recklessly?"
He looked up at her with desperate eyes.
[Katan] "My judgment was foolish. I will not act without Master's permission again. So please... don't leave me behind."
Satina let out a faint sigh as she adjusted her plans.
[Satina] "To lower his anxiety level, I'll have no choice but to drag him around with me for a while."
[Liv] "A wise choice. Katan possesses formidable combat strength and remains loyal to the player. Accompanying him will significantly ensure the player's safety."
[Satina] "I know that much. But he'll betray me eventually to gain his freedom."
[Liv] "That is incorrect. I know him well. He will not betray you."
She shot a slight glare at the empty air.
[Satina] "Liv, you're... surprisingly generous with your evaluation of Katan."
[Liv] "Am I?"
[Satina] "Yes."
[Liv] "Liv merely presents the optimal route for the player's safety and target conquest possibilities."
[Satina] "Hmm... Fine. Considering what needs to be done next, having Katan's help might make things easier anyway."
Just then, a notification popped up—one she had seen repeatedly over the past few days.
[Serpens' favorability has increased by 1.]
Ever since their last encounter, his favorability fluctuated up and down several times a day. It seemed he had yet to sort out his feelings.
[Satina] "What is Serpens' favorability right now?"
[Liv] "It is currently at 3."
[Satina] "I think it was at 35 when I last heard it yesterday."
[Liv] "If it troubles you, I recommend turning off favorability notifications."
[Satina] "No, it's fine."
[Serpens' favorability has increased by 5.]
She chuckled as the chime sounded again.
[Satina] "I hope he makes up his mind before the family banquet ends and I leave the capital."
House Bersabet generally cared little for one another's daily lives, but attendance at the bi-monthly family banquet was mandatory.
Seeing Father's face will be a first since he scolded me on my birthday.
With that thought, she arrived in front of the banquet hall, coming face-to-face with her mother and her younger stepsister, Rebecca, approaching from the opposite direction.
Ah, it's been a while since I saw her face.
The moment Rebecca spotted Satina, her face twisted in annoyance as she glared.
Lately, she found Satina utterly intolerable. Satina ought to keep her head down and stay quiet as befitted her place, yet despite Rebecca's efforts to ignore her, whispers about her kept echoing everywhere.
Especially after she was escorted by Sharlan at the imperial party and received dance requests from both the Crown Prince and Sharlan simultaneously, the dress shop she used was reportedly swarmed with customers.
Brother is too cruel! If he was going to escort anyone to the party, he should have escorted me, not her! He's never escorted me even once!
She swept her eyes over Satina from head to toe.
[Rebecca] "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were incredibly busy running around seducing men."
[Satina] "Which man? Ah..."
Satina brought up the name guaranteed to provoke Rebecca the most.
[Satina] "Sharlan?"
Rebecca's forehead furrowed sharply.
[Rebecca] "Who are you to say my brother's name so casually?!"
[Satina] "Sharlan is my younger brother too, so don't be so rigid. Aren't I closer to him than you, considering you've never received an escort from him?"
[Rebecca] "Hey!"
She fumed, her face flushing crimson. She couldn't win against Satina on this topic.
Instead, she decided to play a powerful card guaranteed to defeat her: Duchess Bersabet, Satina's biological mother.
At her subtle signal, Duchess Bersabet stepped forward.
[Duchess] "Satina, your words to your sister are far too harsh. Apologize at once."
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