Chapter 98: No Secrets Left Unturned (3)

Rustle-!!

Levy turned around and took off her clothes.

Because of the sudden action, Lee Han’s body stiffened.

Although, the reason why he was surprised wasn’t because she took off her clothes out of nowhere, but because on her back…

“Can you see it, Master?”

“…Tattoo, huh? I never knew that noble ladies these days have this kind of hobby.”

“Hehe, you know that it’s not a tattoo, right?”

“Ahem.”

Lee Han let out a loud cough.

Though there was no need for her to elaborate more since Lee Han clearly knew about it, she…

“It’s a slave imprint. And it’s a pretty bad one.”

Still blurted out the terrible truth.

“…”

“I don’t have parents, Master. I’m an orphan.”

She hurriedly put her clothes back on, prompting Lee Han to let out a bitter smile.

“You could’ve just told me. No need to take off your clothes…”

“As you’ve often said, Master, it’s better to show it than to explain it a hundred times.”

“Ha… What an exemplary honor student you are.”

“I’ll think of it as a compliment.”

For some reason, Levy felt that she could talk freely today. It was probably the first time she was able to speak so well in front of others. Her body didn’t shake, and she didn’t hesitate in pronouncing her words.

She was always a shy girl, but after the instructor unveiled all of her secrets, she felt like she could tell him everything without holding back.

And so, she did. She revealed everything bluntly.

“I’m a slave. I was sold to the Fault Family about 5 years ago.”

She revealed her greatest weakness and secret.

“…”

Meanwhile, Lee Han just listened to her words in silence. His gaze was calm, as if her being a slave didn’t matter to him at all. He didn’t see her as a ‘slave’, but as a ‘disciple’ and a ‘girl’.

Drip-!

This person is really…

Kind… Really, really kind…

If it was anyone else, they would’ve been shocked, or worse, felt betrayed, but he…still acts like a teacher to me…

She could feel her tears were about to fall again, but she held it back. Crying could wait after she was done revealing anything. It was never too late to cry, after all.

“…I’m not from Pendragon, I’m from Britain. Although, since I already said that I’m a slave, I don’t think my origin matters much…”

She was a war orphan. Britain had been picking up fights here and there, provoking both the empire and Pendragon for a long time. Because of that, war orphans became even more common than sewer rats in Britain. Levy was one of those war orphans who lost her parents due to the war.

One day, she was captured by a ‘slave trader’.

Slavery wasn’t allowed in most countries, but it was pretty much a well-known fact that slave traders still existed. So, for a child to be kidnapped and turned into a slave wasn’t particularly an uncommon thing to happen. Levy’s case wasn’t special.

…After all, that was what the life of powerless children without parents was like.

“I don’t know if it was a fortunate thing or not, but I was a young girl with a beautiful complexion. My hair was a rare color like that of the nobles. Thanks to that, I was classified as ‘high-quality’, and I received considerable education. Back then, the slave trader said that there were quite—no, he said there were many people who sought high-quality slaves.”

Whether it was a good thing or not, she was pretty. The slave trader told her that pretty women were always ‘in demand’, so he taught her how to write and the etiquette of the nobles.

She always had a good aptitude for learning, and when the trader found out how smart she was, he was elated.

I can raise her price!

That was what the slave trader said to himself as a habit.

“I wasn’t happy at all, though.”

However, while she was being educated to be a high-quality slave… Pendragon and Britain went to start another war. Moreover, the slave trader unfortunately got caught up in the war and died.

Of course, it was unfortunate for the slave trader, but for her, it was the complete opposite. After all, this was the chance for her to run away.

But…

“I was a high-class slave, there was no way that it would be that easy…”

[Imprint of Obedience].

That was the identity of the slave seal engraved on her back. The late slave trader had personally carved that seal into her body by visiting an illegal mage. This seal was a kind of sorcery, a nightmare-like curse that could never be erased no matter what.

It was the result of the slave trader’s efforts to prevent the high-class slaves from running away, and because of that, she was handed over to another trader who had absorbed the previous slave trader’s organization.

And that trader…

“He sold me to Pendragon. Since it was wartime, he sold everything that he could convert into money. Even I was sold for a low price.”

Ten silver coins.

That was her price.

“And the place I was sold to…”

“Was the Fault Family…”

“…Yes.”

“Where did they even get the money to buy you?”

“They probably borrowed it. Maybe they thought that I was some kind of investment. From the beginning, that guy was probably…”

Planning to sell me again…

-From today onwards, you are our daughter. Levy Fault, I’ll give you that name. Haha!

On the day she was sold, the head of the Fault Family gave her a name and a surname, and accepted her as part of their family even though she was nothing more than a slave. This seemingly kind gesture successfully touched Levy’s heartstring.

-Ah, this day has finally come for me! The miraculous luck that always happens in fairy tales has finally come to me!

It went without saying that she was extremely happy because of it.

But…

-Why?! Why is she growing so slowly?! Grow up quickly, I beg you!

The reason Reynold Fault took a slave as his daughter was none other than…

To ‘sell her’.

To marry her off to a high noble, or a wealthy merchant.

Indeed, he bought her because he saw her as an investment.

The Fault Family…

Was in fact, a truly hopeless family. They dreamed of becoming a knight family again, and so, they raised their daughter, who would become the successor one day, with great care. But at the same time, they also prepared a ‘sacrifice’ so that they could get some money.

They were a hopeless family that never tried to revive their family through effort, a family of monsters.

Facing their madness and incompetence, Levy wanted nothing more than to run away. After all, it was obvious what kind of future awaited her.

So, she had been waiting. For a chance to escape from them, or report them. But…

-Don’t even dream of running away.

Because of the seal, the Imprint of Obedience, she couldn’t do either. She was nothing more than their slave, so she couldn’t disobey her master’s orders.

There were three main orders she received.

One. She couldn’t reveal to others that she was a slave.

Two. She couldn’t do anything that would harm the Fault Family.

Three. She had to be obedient to the Fault Family.

These orders were engraved on her, so she…

“No matter how disgusting it is, I have no choice but to obey them.”

Take the guild member who had harassed him the other day. When that guild member threatened her mother and younger sibling, she suddenly became so cooperative. The reason for that wasn’t because she loved them or because they were kind to her.

“Because I have to obey the orders.”

It was like a curse.

Freedom was a foreign concept in her life. She lived an oppressed life, as terrible things always followed her like a plague.

However…

“…But, ironically… I wanted to be recognized as family by them… It was my first time having a family, so… I-I really, really…tried my best…”

Effort.

This was the thing that Lee Han described as blind effort.

Through such efforts, she wanted to prove herself.

She thought that if she tried her best, they’d finally acknowledge her someday.

If she achieved something that could bring honor to the family, maybe… Just maybe…

“I dreamed of that kind of ‘fantasy’, like a naive girl.”

“…”

“Hehe, I’m really, really stupid and foolish, right?”

She asked him.

Hearing her question, his face turned stiff. Thinking that it was because out of disgust at her stupidity, she shut her eyes tightly. She was scared to hear his answer.

“No. If anything, I’m proud of you. I want to hug you and praise you, since you’ve worked so hard.”

“…”

“You’ve done your best, haven’t you? Good job…”

Instead, he just gave her the same unchanging affectionate gaze.

She could tell that he wasn’t saying that out of pity.

He was truly proud of her.

He genuinely thought that she was admirable for overcoming that difficult time.

“…Ah.”

Levy was dazed for a moment.

All this time, she had always lived a life full of anxiety, wondering how people would react if she revealed her secret. Whether they would despise her or not.

But now…

There was someone in front of her who accepted her as she was, and Levy’s whole body trembled.

“Well, I doubt it’d be a pleasant feeling to be hugged by an old man like me. Just think about it as me saying another non—”

Thud-!

“…”

“…Sob…”

“…Yes, you should cry. I’ll lend you my shoulders for as long as you want.”

“Sob! Huuuuuuu!”

“Yes, let it out. You’ll only feel better when you let everything out.”

Levy ran to him with all her might and hugged him. A small feeling of resentment rose in her heart.

Why did he only show up now?

Why hasn’t I met someone like this when I needed him so much?

Nineteen years… For nineteen years, I had to suffer…

Finally meeting a ‘family’ who truly cared for her, Levy poured out all of her tears.

Unlike the other day, this time, she cried loudly.

As if expressing all her sorrow.

“…It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Meanwhile, Lee Han carefully patted her back.

A gesture was filled with warmth.