Beatrice

Chapter 25 – In Deep Slumber

What a display. Once again, Chloe was in a peaceful slumber, leading him to suspect that she was, in fact, trying to avoid him.

The combat tournament had finally begun that day. People across the empire were thrilled by the festivities, and the first night of the tournament promised to be a boisterous and sleepless one. Everyone was talking about the event nonstop.

A weeklong event, the tournament would end with knighting of the newly promoted swordsmen and the army’s departure for the ceremonial expedition. The expedition could last anywhere from six months to a year.

Seeing Howl was actually an excuse—Alexandro was visiting the stables only to escape the commotion of the opening ceremony. Noisy, chaotic places never suited him. Moreover, spotting him at the party, various aristocrats began approaching him, desperate to have a word. Lord Bandorras—the father of Clara, who was now claiming to be engaged to Alexandro—had been chasing him around all day. However, intimidated by the Archduke’s irate energy, Bandorras had not managed to address him.

The stables, compared to the ballroom, were almost peaceful. Most of the grooms seemed to have left work early to celebrate the tournament with their families. Only one man was guarding the enclosures, and save for the occasional noises emitted by the animals, the place was silent. The slave girl was out like a light, tranquil as if totally detached from the festivities in the capital.

Alexandro gazed at Howl. His bright eyes, moist nostrils, and the welcoming sway of his head appeared vigorous and healthy as if the illness had never happened.

He threw a glance at the slave. This girl… She was asleep in the enclosure adjacent to Howl’s, comfortably bedded down on a pile of hay. She was dressed in filthy boys’ clothes, and her hair had been cut carelessly into a short bob. But he noticed at once that her skin, despite the cuts on her hands and face, was bright and radiant.

Although he had guessed that her hair was dark brown like his, at closer inspection, he realized that it was jet black. Her hair and skin colors were not common on the continent, although he had often seen slaves with such appearances during his visits to brothels.

Were her eyes also black? He tried to picture the color of her eyes, but it seemed that with her head bowed down all the time, he had never had a good look at her face.

“Shall I wake her?” The guard inquired, trying to read the Archduke’s face. He was anxious that his anger at the slumbering slave would be redirected to him. Alexandro quietly raised his hand to stop him.

The girl had magically saved the dying horse. He was curious about this slave of exotic appearance, but at the same time, he found her deeply suspicious. No one before had achieved what she had done. In the overseas regions that were populated by those who looked like her, people did not ride horses.

“Does she speak our language?”

“Yes, Your Grace. She seems to have a slight accent, but I can’t quite place it. She doesn’t speak much, so…”

“And she belongs to the infirmary?”

“Yes, sir, she works there, but precisely speaking, she belongs to the Cupihit household. I have relayed messages from her to Lord Aaron Cupihit a few times.”

The slaves at Evan’s household were mostly those captured during wartime. They were assigned there when there was an overflow of slaves allocated to the order of knighthood and sent to work at the order’s facilities when needed.

Familiar with this structure, Alexandro was convinced that the girl had been brought from abroad.

The guard’s continued reply piqued Alexandro’s interest.

“Lord Aaron Cupihit has asked us to return the slave as soon as possible.”

What does she do at the Cupihit Mansion that is so important to Aaron?

“Why is that?”

“I am not so sure, but he has already asked several times. He inquires after her every day.”

Alexandro could not conceal his curiosity. Seriously, why?

The Archduke knew his butler very well. There was no way that he was interested in a slave girl like this. Even if she was the type of slave who served her masters in bed, she was simply not his type. He glanced at the girl once again.

Other than her pale, soft-looking skin, there wasn’t anything special about her. Her breasts were round, but not as noticeable as those of high-class ladies in their dresses. She did not possess any feminine appeal.

She didn’t even look like an adult. While some men preferred young girls, neither the Archduke nor Aaron had a taste for them.

“He really asks about her every single day?” Fascination smoldered in his eyes.

“Yes, Your Grace. He wonders each evening when she is going to be released. He has ordered me to bring her to him as soon as she is done here.”

“And you’re sure that this slave is a girl?”

The guard responded with a guffaw, “Oh, she looks like a boy, sir, but she sure is a girl.”

Alexandro stared at the mysterious slave girl. He could wake her up right then and interrogate her, but somehow he did not want to.

“Mmm…” Her calm breaths suggested that she was deep in sleep. Her black eyelashes were resting peacefully, without a flutter. Her small lips, slightly parted, twitched daintily each time she exhaled.

The sight of a comfortably slumbering slave was nearly surreal to him. It was as if she was from a world entirely severed from the clamorous celebration outside.

This was the only quiet place in the whole capital. Alexandro did not wish to break this silence.

♔♔♔

“Chloe, are you up?”

Chloe had been living in the stables for five days.

“If you’re going to Nalusuwan today, I’ll go fetch Trigger.”

“Yes, thank you, sir.”

She had become comfortable with the guards and grooms at the stables, who had at first treated Chloe as if she had been out of her mind. Even though they were still gruff, they took an interest in discussing horses with her. Howl’s rapid recovery also helped them open their hearts to Chloe.

“Ah, and His Grace came by to see Howl again yesterday. He didn’t say anything, but I think it would be good if you could receive him today.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was inconvenient that the Archduke had come to see Howl while she was asleep.

Does he have nothing better to do? It had happened every day for four days already. He had simply come and checked on the horse and left the stables immediately, without any instructions or comments.

♔♔♔