Chapter 106: Flancia Mansion (2)

[You absolutely must be careful not to splash the sauce when using a knife.]

Elena’s words echoed in my mind. The steak was sliced neatly before my eyes. I let out a wry smile, recalling the dishes I had turned into mush back at the old house. The nobles kept stealing glances at my plate, and the woman sitting across from me smirked as she spoke.

“You handle your knife quite well. You must have practiced a lot at home. Oh, don’t misunderstand me. I mean, since you were a former slave, you probably didn’t have much experience with things like knives or fancy food, right? I’m just asking because it’s a bit curious.”

What was she trying to lead into with this line of talk? I glanced at Isabel, and her expression soured. I wanted to cause a scene right then and there, but there were too many nobles present. I decided to hold back my anger, just for a little while. I was only planning to stay for a day anyway before disappearing like the wind again. Revenge could wait; today just wasn’t the right time.

Humility brings blessings. I smiled and replied to the lady. For this moment, I had to live as an idiot who couldn’t understand the insult.

“Is that so? My wife is a noble, after all, so I’ve been trying my best to adapt. My skills are clumsy, but I appreciate you looking kindly upon them.”

The woman smiled with satisfaction and said,

“Well, for a former slave, it’s decent enough. But… it would be even better if you could try not to scrape the plate so much. You know? That scrrrape-scrrrape sound really ruins my appetite. It’s just like… you know, the sound of those slum kids scraping their bowls… You know how they eat in a way that really puts you off your food.”

Picking up on her words, another male noble chimed in.

“Ah, so you’ve visited the slums too, Madam? I saw beggars scraping their food there as well. They didn’t even have forks or knives, just shoveling food with their hands. It was hilarious, like monkeys in a zoo wearing clothes.”

Another noble nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. You can’t possibly share a meal with those kinds of people. In contrast, our Evan is the symbol of a successful slave, isn’t he? He’s on a completely different level from those low-class types. He knows how to use a knife, washes himself properly, and knows his manners. Right?”

Fucking bitches.

They were absolute fucking bitches. If I stayed here for another ten minutes, I felt like I might start a knife dance. I thought I was used to verbal provocations, but these bitches were masters at using subtle phrasing to poke right at your sore spots. It was fucking infuriating.

Before I could even respond, an elderly noble nodded and suddenly interjected.

“Indeed. Those raised on the streets don’t know their place, making it scary to even dine with them. They’re the type who might suddenly try to stick a knife in your throat one day! They shamelessly and wickedly believe that their master’s position should be theirs. They think they can become nobles just by wearing fancy clothes and eating fancy food. Does that even make sense? If you dress a puppy in human clothes, is it a person? Hohohohoho!”

Laughter erupted from all around. The old man added,

“But our Evan is different. He honestly won the heart of Lady Isabel and earned the right to dine with us like this, didn’t he? He sits so humbly and has learned his manners commendably. Wonderful. Come, let’s give him a round of applause. Everyone! Applause!”

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Wow.

Fuck.

I had to steady myself to avoid getting dizzy. The sound of clapping sounded like a hallucination urging me to kill them all. Each time palms met, I felt like my cheek was stinging. Blinking, I managed to put a piece of meat in my mouth, but I couldn’t properly taste it.

I had to endure. If I lost it here, there was no way to escape. This was the heart of Flancia Mansion, and the estate was crawling with heavily armed guards and knights hidden everywhere.

Dancing with knives might feel good, but there was no guarantee I could get Isabel out safely.

As I forced myself to chew and swallow the meat, Isabel, who had been watching me with pity, turned her head. She then spoke to the old man diagonally across from us.

Her lips trembled slightly, but her face wore a smile.

“Thank you for the applause, Elder. It’s lovely to be welcomed so warmly, having come all the way from the countryside.”

“Hohoho, I’m delighted too, Lady Isabel, that you seem to have found a good husband.”

The old man said this without batting an eye. Judging by how he expressed his own amusement, his profession was undoubtedly either a torturer or a slave trader. Isabel continued,

“Truly, your words are always valuable, Elder. For instance, you mentioned that people from the streets can’t be trusted, didn’t you? That they are rude individuals who are always eyeing their master’s throat.”

“Ah, yes. People raised on the streets are all like that! Ah, of course, our Evan is an exception.”

The old man nodded at Isabel’s words. Isabel nodded as if agreeing and giggled.

I watched silently, unsure of her intentions. Isabel glanced around the table and then nodded, saying,

“Actually, I was hoping to see someone today and was wondering why they weren’t here. Lady Sally of the Flancia family, who married into the hero’s lineage, why isn’t she here? Oh, I see now, that must be why.”

“W-what?”

The old man jumped in surprise, looking around before straightening his back.

“L-Lady Isabel! Watch your words! Who told you such a thing?!”

Isabel replied,

“But Elder, only Lady Sally and her husband are missing from this table. Isn’t it because the hero’s family, who are of lower-class origin, are considered ‘rude individuals who are always eyeing their master’s throat’? Didn’t you just say that? That everyone from the streets is like that, except for our Evan. Besides our family, aren’t the hero’s family the only other lower-class individuals connected to us?”

“L-Lady Isabel! L-let’s stop this conversation!”

The old man stammered, sweat pouring down his face as he waved his hands. Isabel smiled and nodded. The nobles who had been subtly mocking my origins moments ago were now all silent, rolling their eyes. The mood for further jokes was gone. I could breathe a small sigh of relief, and Isabel gave me a wink. I whispered to her,

“I love you.”

She nodded and replied,

“Me too.”

The meal, which seemed like it would end with just my mood being ruined by lighthearted banter, concluded only after creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for everyone except Isabel and me.

The nobles dispersed, scowling or shaking their heads. A stern middle-aged man with a mustache said to Isabel,

“Isabel. I have something to discuss with you.”

Isabel nodded and stood up. I naturally moved to follow her, but the mustachioed man blocked my way.

“You wait in your room for a moment. We have things to discuss ‘just among family’.”

“Yes.”

The emphasis on ‘just among family’ was utterly childish. As I nodded with a silly grin, he frowned, clearly displeased, but didn’t comment on my attitude. He just snorted and turned sharply.

“Show him the way!”

He waved his hand forcefully, and a maid standing nearby bowed her head. I recognized her face. She was a sharp beauty with a composed, stoic demeanor, moving with an assassin-like posture, though she’d stiffen it if she caught herself.

The ribbon swaying alluringly over her hips and the flowing skirt characteristic of a maid’s uniform stirred my desires. Her hair was blue, tied up in a bun, so I couldn’t tell its exact length.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

I said to Isabel, then turned away. Isabel looked back at me one last time with a worried expression. I turned back at the same moment and gave her a smile. We, who had foolishly whispered sweet nothings in front of the head of the family, continued exchanging smiles in the middle of the path until a cough broke the moment.

“Hurry up.”

As the head of the family and Isabel walked away, I faced the maid’s well-shaped back. Her hair was up, exposing her neck, which stirred the lust that had been building from the earlier stress.

“This way.”

She said, matching her pace to mine. Walking a few steps ahead, she kept glancing sideways at my feet whenever I made a loud step. The maids passing by turned their heads or closed their eyes slightly as we went by, while the servants coughed and moved in other directions.

“Hmph!”

The noble from the dinner table earlier deliberately snorted and stepped aside. The maid reached for the doorknob. She said to me,

“Please, come in.”

The room was neat and spacious, as expected of an authoritative noble mansion. It was so large that combining Elena’s and Isabel’s rooms might not equal its size. A bed wide enough to accommodate all my wives and servants lay in the center.

A chandelier adorned with green jewels cast a soft glow from the ceiling, and even the windows were made of luxurious wood, emitting an antique scent.

And then…

“What the…?”

The maid was letting down her hair.

She tossed aside the hairnet she had been wearing and knelt before me.

“What is this?”

Without changing her expression, the maid began to undo my pants. The moment she took my belt in her mouth and pulled. I was certain.

Ah.

This is room service.

“Flancia Mansion is quite the gourmet spot.”

Right now.

I decided to fully enjoy the service prepared just for me.