Tamed A Blackened Slave Man

Chapter 11: Did You Wait For Me To Come?

Sister.

Cassadin called me in a calm voice. His tone was gentle, as if he were soothing a newborn baby. Did he not want to admit that he was surprised?

Sister, I wasnt testing you. I was just

Just?

It was the first time I felt such warmth. I did it because I like you, Sister.

Yet another lie without any hesitation. His head swung slightly, and he looked at me with sad eyes. His performance was convincing enough to deceive anyone.

So you tested me because you like me?

Ive never tested you. Not once.

I made a bitter smile as I heard the words that left his mouth. It was bold of him to say that when he had been constantly testing me since the first day he arrived.

Then why did you steal the book?

The book that disappeared three weeks ago. I know that you stole it and put it back on the bookshelf.

After a moment of silence, Cassadin raised his head to look at me. His lips were curled up in a smile, but his eyes were stone cold. Maybe this was his true self.

But he still continued to lie.

I didnt steal it.

Cassadin, the only person who came into my room that night was you. I even remember what book was on that bookshelf. Did you really think I wouldnt know it was you?

Maybe he really didnt think I would know because his eyes shook noticeably. Then I smiled at Cassadin and added,

At the time, I thought you had a reason for doing so.

The important thing isnt that you stole the book. Its that you lied to me.

I gently stroked Cassadins cheek, as if I were handling a precious possession. Cassadins eyes narrowed for an instant, but he didnt reject my touch.

He simply asked me this,

Why didnt you scold me when you knew everything?

Was he hoping to be scolded? Or maybe he thought my lack of reaction was strange.

His voice trembled slightly, like that of a rebellious child who wanted recognition for the prank he had pulled.

Because youre my precious family.

I pulled my hand away from my unrelated brothers cheek. And upon seeing that, he desperately grabbed my hand again.

But after grabbing my hand, Cassadin didnt utter a single word. And when he let go of my hand after a while, he was back to being a polite younger brother.

To be exact, he was a man wearing the mask of a polite, elegant, and kind younger brother.

Sister, you are the light that shines upon my everything. A ray of light that has saved me from darkness. One so bright that I cant dare look up to. You are that sort of light to me.

I will never lie to you again. I only stole the book because I was curious about what kind of book you read. If I knew this would happen, I wouldve told you the truth.

I can lend you any book you ask for. I can even get books from the imperial palace for you if thats what you want.

Thank you for saying so. Sister, by the way

He asked me with a smiling face. It was a truly fake smile.

Where is the imperial palace?

Its not too far from here. But why do you ask?

The imperial palace was located near our territory. It was because we must be able to go to the imperial palace immediately in case the imperial family is in need of our familys healing ability.

You said the Crown Princes birthday banquet was next week.

Yes.

Im incredibly curious about what the imperial palace looks like. I hope I wont make any mistakes when I go there.

From the etiquette that I saw Cassadin show, there was no reason for him to be concerned about such a thing.

Im more afraid that I might make a mistake than you.

Would I be able to maintain my composure when I meet Damian at the birthday banquet? I still had the image of him stabbing my heart and mocking me etched in my mind.

I would be able to greet the man who killed me without much problem. But even if I pretended to smile, I couldnt erase all of the hatred inside of me for him.

If it was Damian and his sharp senses, he might notice my hostility towards him. He even has mysophobia, after all.

So I decided that for the remaining week, I was going to master the art of hiding my hostility toward Damian. And the one who erased my train of thought was none other than Cassadins voice.

Have you ever been to the imperial palace, Sister?

Of course. I usually attend all events held annually at the imperial palace.

Incredible. But if its the Crown Princes birthday banquet, will it be held in the Crown Princes palace?

No. Its held at the Crystal Hall, not the Crown Princes palace. Its a place thats only used for large events.

I see.

Cassadin nodded.

I hope that day will come soon.

After that, we walked around the square together. Every time I asked him what he wanted, he just shook his head with an enigmatic smile.

I need to know what you want.

Hearing that, Cassadin stopped to stare at the air for a moment, as if lost in thought, then he suddenly turned his gaze toward me.

There is one thing.

What is it?

When our gazes interlocked, he added with a smile,

Its you, Sister.

It was my mistake to expect a proper answer from this guy, and I couldnt help but laugh at the sudden loss of tension. Then we returned to the mansion.

Cassadin used to knock on my room door every time before dawn when nobody was awake. But for some reason, after that day, he didnt come to my room late at night for a while.

---

The Crown Princes birthday was now just a day away. That night, I was reading a newspaper article featuring Damian on the front page.

Year 829 of the Empire, Swordsmanship Tournament Winner-Grand Duke Damian Keane Daeus.

And next to the large print was a small portrait of Damian.

His slanted eyes and straight lips made his already sharp face look even sharper. And it reminded me of a sharp skewer.

Winning a swordsmanship tournament even with heart disease. Hes a monster, alright. Who in the world would think a monster like that would be suffering from heart disease?

When I first fell for Damian in my past life, I didnt think he had such an illness. It was only after he suddenly collapsed in front of me, clutching his heart, a year after following him around, that I realized it existed.

Knock knock.

A sudden knocking sound caused me to throw the newspaper in my hands far away and put out the candle.

Its me, Sister.

Come in.

And the door opened with a creak. My younger brother, now relatively familiar from seeing him so often, came into view.

Why havent you been coming at night recently?

did you wait for me to come?

Asking with a slender smile on his lips, Cassadin looked just like a sly fox.

A little bit.

That makes me happy. To think that Sister was waiting for me.

You said you couldnt sleep at night. Has it gotten better now?

yes, thanks to you, Sister.

He nodded as he climbed onto the bed where I was. And the way he lay down next to me couldnt feel any more natural than this.

When our eyes met, Cassadins eyes curled like a crescent moon.

But I still like it best when Im with you like this.

Youll return to your room in the morning anyway.

Because youll get in trouble if the others find out were doing this. Thats why I return to my room before sunrise.

If you really didnt want me to be in trouble, you wouldnt come visit me at night.

Cassadin laughed softly. His laughter tinkled like a refreshing river as it scattered in the air.

Its because I like you, Sister. I like seeing you during the day, but I also like seeing you at night.

Shining platinum blonde hair and blue eyes that contain their own serene lake. Its always enjoyable to see Sisters beautiful appearance illuminated in the faint moonlight.

His brain must have been made of honeycomb because every single word that spilled out of his mouth was sweeter than honey. If he continued to talk like this, it wouldnt be impossible for him to become a top-tier socialite.

And I responded nonchalantly to Cassadins insincere flattery,

It gets me thinking every time I see your shimmering silver hair and those deep purple eyes. Especially when I can tell from your expression that youre thinking deeply about something.

I wonder what youre thinking about when you stare blankly into space, immersed in your thoughts with eyebrows slightly furrowed. Youre always making me curious.

Despite my thorny remark, Cassadin just smiled as usual and brushed the hair back from my forehead.

Sister, all I think about is you.

someone saw you leaving the mansion in the middle of the night a few days ago.

I thought it was strange that Cassadin didnt come to my room for the past few days, so I had Sasha keep an eye on him.

And Sasha informed me that Cassadin had slipped out of the mansion a few nights ago and only returned before dawn.

Suddenly, the hand that was touching my hair stopped moving completely.

What were you doing outside?

To my question, he slowly blinked a few times, then he soon opened his mouth.

I went out for a moment to get some fresh air.

Did he really call that an excuse?

Is that really true?

Yes.

It seemed like he didnt want me to ask any further. His trip outside was probably related to the past he wanted to hide.

And I already had a vague idea about his past.

Hes either a noble or royalty from a country thats been crushed by the Empire. And Cassadins homeland is most likely

It was most likely related to the Hyran Kingdom, which had been completely erased from existence, even on maps.

Because the only time that darned Cassadin had shown any signs of emotions that included longing and resentment was when I gifted him that dagger.

He said that when he first discovered Cassadin, he was unconscious on the floor, wearing expensive clothing. So he thought that the boy was a son of a noble family.

What Sasha had told me last time also crossed my mind.

Well, that must be true if you say so.

Even knowing the truth, I pretended not to, acting as if I truly trusted Cassadin. There was no need for me to pry when the opponent had no intention of speaking more about the topic.

And Cassadin smiled brighter than he had ever before. It was a dazzlingly bright smile, but it felt nothing more than a smile dipped in a pool of deceit to me.

Thus the false night passed, and finally, the day of the Crown Princes birthday banquet arrived.