TSMMT Ch 46

The Slave and Tali

A single beam of light barely entered the dusty storeroom through a small window. The slave carried his master into his own space.

Dianna lay unconscious. Guiscard checked her breathing; she was alive. The realization that she was merely asleep brought relief.

He knew he could return his unconscious master to her own quarters—her magnificent bedroom. He also knew he could seek help from nobles of her status. Yet he didn't do so.

As he prepared to lay her down, he noticed the thick dust covering the floor. He quickly grabbed a wet cloth and wiped clean a spot large enough for her body. Through it all, she didn't wake.

He selected the finest garments Dianna had given him, spread them across the floor, and gently laid his softly breathing master down. Then, he covered her with the thickest blanket in his possession. Simply draping the fabric over her felt like embracing his master.

A square beam of sunlight from the window frame illuminated her cheek and hair. Darkness and filth suited Guiscard, whereas sunlight belonged to his master.

His master, the woman who owned him, slept inside his space upon the cloak he had given her.

Dianna possessed a faint, sparkling light. She was as soft as moonlight, yet she shone with absolute clarity.

Guiscard reached out to touch her moonlight-colored hair. However, remembering how the girl shrank from his touch, he pulled his hand back.

The slave had hated his master. He had weighed the option of harming her.

Ah, what an utterly foolish thought that was.

Guiscard realized that abandonment inspired far greater terror than hatred. The slave had been completely foolish.

He watched his master with a dangerous gleam in his eyes—her long eyelashes, the faint blush warming her pale cheeks, and her red lips.

He stared at those features with curiosity over and over. Deep satisfaction filled him as he saw Dianna was surrounded by his belongings, and he wished for this moment to last forever.

However, that peaceful interlude ended all too quickly.

The moment his master opened her eyes, the slave—no, Guiscard—looked at Dianna with raw greed. The insolent slave desired his master.

Therefore, his choice became inevitable.

---

Dianna stared with wide eyes as Guiscard collapsed. He had looked straight into her eyes without a single moment of hesitation.

Look at this. This is my loyalty. I can sacrifice my life for it. I am your slave. His expression spoke those silent words.

What is wrong with him? Why is he suddenly doing this? Why?

He was never this kind of person. Until recently, he plotted to betray me. There was no need to go this far, was there? Did he really have to do this?

Guiscard could offer no answer. The boy merely looked up at Dianna from the floor. Soon, pain contorted his face. She rushed forward, reaching out to pull the dagger from his chest.

The blade had driven in shallowly, leaving surprisingly little blood on the tip. Yet, he writhed in agony, clutching his neck instead of his chest. The boy grit his teeth to endure the torment.

[Duke] "To put on such a disgraceful display."

He spoke in a low voice. The only person capable of inflicting such pain on Guiscard here was Duke Brienne. He sighed as he addressed the agonizing slave.

[Duke] "Did I need to teach you right here that a slave is forbidden from committing suicide?"

His chilling voice echoed through the room. A heavy silence descended. One boy writhed in agony while bleeding, while the crowd whispered and watched as if enjoying a spectacle. None of this was normal.

Dianna looked around at the onlookers, made her decision, and shouted to the nearby servants.

[Dianna] "Summon a doctor immediately and treat him!"

The Duke remained silent, staring intently at Dianna. In this place, she was the sole person who treated Guiscard like a human being.

As the phantom torment faded, Guiscard lay limply on the floor, looking up at his master.

[Dianna] "Though he is a slave, he risked his life to save me in the Forest of the Abyss."

She spoke while looking straight at her father. Rage consumed her, though she couldn't pinpoint its exact source. She loathed Levian for provoking the slave just to spite her, detested Ferdinand for squawking by the lady's side, and resented her father for suddenly offering to give Guiscard away.

Watching his daughter openly bare her teeth against him, the Duke chuckled softly.

---

Upon entering his private room, the Duke turned to face Dianna, who had followed him inside.

Only a year ago, the girl had been drowning in tears over the loss of her mother, yet she had already grown cold. Had time forged this change, or had recent events shaped her?

[Duke] "Ann."

He called his daughter's name softly. Her expression remained icy.

[Duke] "Haha, you look at your father as if staring at an enemy."

He smiled gently, but his words carried hidden thorns.

Dianna ignored the remark. Alexa was more than enough to fill the role of a smiling, affectionate daughter. Her father always acted entirely as he pleased, so she wanted to have her way for once.

Dianna had never been a rebellious daughter. Although she disliked her father's methods, she always obeyed because she believed a child must defer to a parent. However, possessing the mind of an adult made her realize her father was wrong.

[Dianna] "You claimed he was a precious slave granted by the royal palace."

[Duke] "Indeed."

[Dianna] "And you intend to hand such a slave over to Lady Levian?"

[Duke] "The slave displayed gross insolence toward the lady. Is it not proper to handle the matter this way?"

She bit her lip at his words. Yet regardless of his daughter's anger or sorrow, the Duke held absolute power over the final decision.

[Dianna] "Even though you already bestowed that slave upon me?"

[Duke] "That gift relied on the assumption that you would manage him properly. It was never an excuse for him to commit such arrogant acts."

Dianna trembled with rage. The Duke stared at her.

[Dianna] "Father, Guiscard belongs to me. Don't give him away."

The Duke offered no reply. He merely let out a long sigh and spoke softly, as if murmuring to himself.

[Duke] "Lately, you look completely drained, and your mood is foul."

[Dianna] "……."

[Duke] "It displeases me greatly that a foreign duke's daughter commands the most attention at a grand festival hosted within our own territory. Do you not loathe it as well?"

[Dianna] "……."

[Duke] "Failing to secure your status while hiding away in your room is unacceptable……."

[Dianna] "Are you commanding me to win the Ball of Tali?"

He stopped speaking and stared at Dianna. Her sharp wit was unsettlingly fast. Though she was his daughter, her cold silver-gray eyes sent a chill down his spine.

[Dianna] "If that was your goal, you had no reason to use Guiscard as a wager."

[Duke] "No."

He reached out and stroked her hair. Although a father's touch ought to bring comfort, it felt like a dull blade scraping against her scalp, causing her skin to crawl.

[Duke] "Ann, I want my daughter to shine above everyone else. The moment you were born, I resolved to elevate you to the highest, most noble position in this kingdom."

[Dianna] "……."

[Duke] "A cunning cat attempts to steal your place while testing our limits. What father would not burn with rage? Ann, I am furious."

Confronted by her father's frozen expression, Dianna remained silent. This was his version of love. He always spoke this way whenever she struggled. In her past life, those words had secretly brought her joy. Even though the expectations were exhausting and unwanted, he simply wanted his daughter to reign supreme. Mistaking his ambition for parental love, she had always moved exactly as he desired.

In truth, the same feeling returned even now. Witnessing her family direct their rage toward Levian—the woman she loathed—sparked a profound sense of affection within her. Even throughout her hellish days in the Lodbrog palace, Dianna had frequently wondered how things might have differed if her father were alive.

After her debut into high society, the Duke had despised anyone who threatened Dianna's status. He made a habit of declaring that his daughter was the best and must occupy the highest seat. He had even eliminated her rivals in the past, though Dianna never desired such violence.

Tears spilled from her eyes.

[Dianna] "Father."

[Duke] "……."

[Dianna] "Father, why do you always corner me like this?"

He always took her side in a manner that stripped away her agency, refusing to shield her openly while continuously forcing her forward.

The Duke studied Dianna's tear-streaked face.

[Duke] "My child."

[Dianna] "……."

[Duke] "The world is never kind. It was cruel to me, and it will be cruel to you."

[Dianna] "……."

[Duke] "That is precisely why I intend to push you to the top. Once you are there, no one can look down on you. Your father understands exactly what it means to suffer scorn and exploitation."

Red veins stood out in his eyes.

[Duke] "Do you know how viciously people despise the lowborn and the insignificant? The world is a miserable place."

[Dianna] "……."

[Duke] "Your world must never look like that."

Dianna bit her lip, staring at the Duke. Faced with this display of paternal distortion, she surrendered once again.

[Dianna] "You are right."

[Duke] "……."

[Dianna] "I will do as you wish. In exchange, leave Guiscard alone."

In the past, because even this manipulation counted as a form of love, she had yearned for it with absolute desperation. She had craved a strong pillar at her back rather than standing entirely alone.

The affection was cruel and bred deep resentment, yet Dianna loved her father. For that exact reason, she couldn't let Guiscard go.

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