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The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 26
🕑 Added 2024-12-30 13:34:12 +0000 UTCChapter 26: Evan Feiosha (4)
I couldn't help but be shocked at Sione's words.
Not only was it surprising that she'd suddenly say such a thing in what had been a good atmosphere,
But having the words "break off the engagement" come first from Sione Sianella rather than Evan Feiosha felt like being hit in the head.
Just what face did she have to bring up breaking off the engagement first?
It's not like she'd written him letters.
Nor had she properly responded to his letters in a timely manner.
Yet she was rejecting such a kind-hearted fiancé who had consistently written to her?
My head was spinning trying to understand Sione's actions.
The same seemed true for Diolia, who was staring at Sione with a dumbfounded expression.
"Uh... it seems Lady Sione just requested to break off the engagement with Young Master Evan..."
I could immediately understand Diolia's situation from that stunned voice.
Sione's unexpected declaration about breaking the engagement.
It probably felt like being hit in the back of the head by an ogre with a club.
Diolia sent me a look.
"I'm not seeing and hearing things wrong, am I?"
I quietly nodded at her words.
"It seems she really did request to break it off."
"...But why would Lady Sione...?"
"Lady Sione did often say to me that she would break off the engagement... but for it to happen like this..."
"Hah—"
Sione had only whined about breaking off the engagement when she was with me.
I should have properly stopped her then.
This is all my fault.
Just because her outer appearance had changed from a bear to a human didn't guarantee her inner self had changed along with it.
It seems the training with mugwort and garlic wasn't enough.
I watched Evan's reaction to Sione's words.
"Was this the important matter you wanted to discuss in the garden, my lady?"
Oh, this crazy one.
It seems she had been laying the groundwork for this since the reception room.
Sione's obsession with breaking off the engagement was starting to feel frightening.
Soon after, Sione calmly met Evan Feiosha's cold gaze and nodded.
"That's correct, Young Master."
"...I see."
Before long, Evan's shoulders began to shake.
I had thought he might slap Sione's cheek.
Seeing him trying to hold back laughter after receiving a request to break off the engagement.
At least in my eyes, this Evan fellow wasn't normal either.
"Young Master?"
Sione called to him at his laughter.
Evan composed his breathing at Sione's call and looked at her with deeply settled eyes.
"I was quite certain from our conversation in the reception room that you wanted to break off the engagement."
"..."
"However, even so, shouldn't I be the one in the position to bring up breaking off the engagement first, rather than you, my lady?"
At Evan's words, Sione finally seemed to feel guilty about something as she pressed her lips together and nodded.
Well, if someone was to bring up breaking off the engagement first, it should have been Evan.
Unlike Evan who had tried to get close to Sione, she had locked herself in her room and forgotten and denied their relationship.
Then.
Evan looked around at the surrounding flowers and said:
"...Lady Sione, you were quite knowledgeable about flowers."
"Knowledgeable... you flatter me."
"Then... could you tell me what flower and flower language would represent you?"
"A flower that represents me?"
"Yes, that's right."
Sione showed signs of confusion at Evan's question, asked with upturned lips.
She seemed bewildered by the sudden shift from discussing breaking off the engagement to talking about flowers.
But eventually, after thinking long and hard about what flower resembled her,
She carefully opened her mouth to tell Evan her thoughts.
"I think I'm closest to a garden balsam."
"A garden balsam, you say?"
"Yes, its blooming season will be arriving soon."
"Hmm... could you tell me its flower language as well?"
"Of course."
After a brief pause, Sione spoke:
"Garden balsam has... both positive and negative flower meanings."
"Then please tell me the positive meaning first."
"The positive meaning is... childlike heart."
"Childlike heart..."
Evan quietly gazed at Sione while murmuring the flower language for a moment.
"What's the negative meaning?"
"That's—"
The negative flower meaning began to leave Sione's mouth.
I instinctively felt something quite unpleasant was about to come from that brat's mouth.
"'Don't touch me'... is the meaning."
No, this crazy brat, really.
Unable to read the mood, and not satisfied with the yellow whitlow grass, she pulls this stunt with flowers again.
Even so, to say "don't touch me" to someone who's both a young master of the Feiosha Marquisate and her fiancé.
That emotionless voice struck forcefully in my ears.
Diolia was pressing her temples as if getting a headache from Sione's eccentric behavior.
And Evan, who had just been told not to touch her to his face, just lifted the corners of his mouth and calmly gazed at Sione with a settled atmosphere.
After the commotion about flower language died down,
The conversation continued with Evan.
"Actually, if there had been no reply to this letter either, I was planning to send a letter breaking off the engagement next."
At his words, I noticed Sione's expression darken slightly.
Of course, it definitely wasn't because she was sad.
She was probably thinking she could have just ignored it and stayed in her room as usual if the breakup letter would come anyway.
Reading the expression of Sione, who had fallen into extreme anti-marriage ideology,
Was no longer difficult for me.
"Since I've awakened to holy power... I had planned to break off the engagement with Lady Sione and start anew, and I'd even received my mother's permission."
"Then..."
"I let go of my feelings for you long ago, so if you wish it, the engagement will be broken off."
At Evan's words, Sione's complexion began to brighten.
"However, my lady."
Evan took one step, then another, closing the distance to such a Sione.
Sione stiffened and stared at him at such behavior.
"This is about marriage to a young master of none other than the Feiosha Marquisate. An opportunity that won't come twice."
Evan Feiosha put on the same emotionless composure as his mother Julia Feiosha.
"Are you confident you won't regret breaking off the engagement?"
"...If I thought I would regret it, I wouldn't have brought it up in the first place."
"If Lady Sione says so... the engagement will be broken off."
Sione showed an expression of relief.
But soon after, her expression had no choice but to harden again.
"However, even if the engagement is broken off... you and I might still run into each other quite often."
"Pardon?"
"Sion Sianella."
When her younger brother's name left Evan's mouth, Sione's expression grew infinitely colder.
"The academy I'll be attending is the same one as him. I heard I'll be assigned to the same class as him..."
New colors seeped into Evan's expressionless canvas.
Anticipation. However, it didn't seem that only positive emotions were contained in that anticipation.
"It seems the connection between myself and House Sianella isn't over yet."
Evan extended his hand for a handshake.
"My lady, I look forward to our future interactions."
Sione could only quietly take his hand with a displeased expression.
***
After the conversation with Evan ended, we were assigned separate guest rooms.
Sione immediately hid away in her room as if tired, and Diolia too went to rest in her room, perhaps shocked by the broken engagement.
I naturally followed after Sione who had fled to her room.
I took in the sight of Sione who had already hidden under the blankets.
"Are you really going through with breaking off the engagement?"
"Didn't you hear everything?"
Sione nodded calmly as she spoke.
Unable to grasp the situation, she even yawned—watching this made me feel like my insides were collapsing.
"But still, he's the young master of the Feiosha Marquisate. Perhaps reconsidering once more..."
"Didn't I already tell him the flower language of the garden balsam to his face?"
"But—"
"Moreover, even Young Master Evan seemed to hint at wanting to break it off in the reception room. And didn't he say he was going to send a letter breaking it off?"
"..."
I pressed my lips tightly together.
Well, there's no point saying we should take back breaking off the engagement now.
Why would he want to get engaged again to someone like Sione who had recited the garden balsam flower language?
I could only watch her with a sigh.
"May I sit on the chair?"
"Make yourself comfortable."
"...Thank you."
Thump.
As I sat on the chair, the fatigue that had built up in my legs from standing made all my strength seem to drain away.
In the garden I hadn't noticed properly because I was focused on watching Sione's eccentric behavior.
But now that the tension had eased somewhat, I felt quite tired.
I observed Sione while sitting on the chair.
Sione was subtly watching my reactions while lying on the bed.
She seemed to realize this breaking off of the engagement was quite a big deal even in her own mind.
I just wonder why someone who understood that fact so well had done it.
Looking at such a Sione, I asked one thing.
"...Could you tell me what flower and flower language would represent me as well?"
After hearing about yellow whitlow grass and garden balsam,
I became curious about what flower she saw me as.
When I asked this, Sione poked her face out from under the blanket and stared intently at me.
Unlike when talking with Evan, Sione thought more deeply.
She slowly met my eyes and spoke.
"Fairy herb and plum blossoms would suit you. And..."
Sione completely hid under the blankets again.
"...M-maybe one p-poppy would be f-fine too..."
I stared intently at Sione who had fallen silent after saying this.
Perhaps because she had completely hidden under the blankets, she couldn't feel my gaze.
I let out a small sigh.
What good is just telling me the flowers—you should tell me their meanings too.
"Won't you tell me their flower language as well?"
The blanket containing Sione flinched at my words.
"...Look up the flower language yourself."
"Me?"
"When we return to the county, I'll lend you a book about flower language."
"...Understood."
After roughly answering her words, the conversation cut off.
Talking about breaking off the engagement would obviously just lead to more frustrating answers.
There was nothing else we could do as there weren't any other particular topics of conversation left.
How much time passed like that?
Sione poked her face out from under the blankets again and said:
"We'll look around the Feiosha Marquisate tomorrow, so keep that in mind."
"...Tomorrow?"
"Yes. Didn't you ask? To tell you what I couldn't say before, here at the Feiosha Marquisate."
Sione who said this smiled broadly.
"How about it, aren't you looking forward to it?"
Looking at Sione who was excessively bright for someone who had just finished discussing breaking off an engagement, I ended up letting out a small laugh.
"...This time I'll request Lady Diolia's protection in advance."
I'm already worried about what will happen tomorrow with this garden balsam-like master.
