You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 42

Elona hesitated and glanced at Kazan. Under the veil of the afternoon sunlight, his shadowed face appeared colder than usual. She shook her head.

“No, not at all. I didn’t even know his name until today. This is the first time we’ve met.”

“He seemed to act as though he knew you well,” Kazan remarked.

“Well, that’s because seven years ago, I was supposed to…”

…marry the King of Bahalen. She had nearly crossed over to their country to spend the rest of her life there.

But Elona couldn’t bring herself to say the word “marry.” She trailed off, unable to meet Kazan’s eyes. Speaking of that time felt humiliating, especially in front of him.

Kazan glanced at her, noting her sudden silence, but refrained from asking further. The two continued walking in silence and arrived at the Blue Sand Palace right on time.

“Your Majesty, this way, please. Everyone is waiting,” Harnuk said, having arrived earlier to prepare, as he led them to the inner garden.

The Blue Sand Palace, designed to host foreign guests, featured a garden filled with plants and flowers unique to Ashatra. Prince Adrian, who had been admiring the exotic flora, turned to greet them.

“It’s a beautiful palace. I never imagined such flowers could bloom in the middle of the desert,” he remarked.

Adrian’s words of praise were directed toward King Sindar, but his gaze lingered on Elona. He continued to scrutinize her, his eyes sharp and unyielding, as though trying to unravel her.

“…This is uncomfortable. I need to stay as invisible and quiet as possible,” Elona thought, lowering her eyes as she followed Kazan to her seat.

With everyone seated, the meeting began in earnest. Facing the representatives of Ashatra, Adrian was the first to speak.

“Before delving into trade negotiations, allow me to provide an overview of Bahalen’s current circumstances. As you may know, Bahalen serves as a key hub for intermediary trade, connecting various continents. Recently, we’ve expanded our trade routes to reach even more distant archipelagos. However, the war Your Majesty waged has caused significant disruptions to our trade.”

Kazan listened attentively, his demeanor calm and unhurried. He responded with a question, his tone laced with subtle curiosity.

“Which war are you referring to?”

“The war with Parsion,” Adrian replied smoothly. “Of course, that conflict was solely between two nations. Bahalen neither supported nor opposed Ashatra’s decision to engage in it. However…”

At Adrian’s signal, one of his delegates unfurled a map of the former Parsion territories. Pointing to several locations on the map, Adrian continued.

“The resources produced in the former Parsion region are essential to our intermediary trade, particularly iron ore. Unfortunately, the recent war has completely disrupted our iron ore imports.”

“So, what you’re saying is, you want Parsion to resume iron ore production and sell it to you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Would that be possible?”

“Ah, well… that would be difficult, Prince Adrian.”

At that moment, Harnuk, who had been unable to find an opening to speak, quickly jumped in.

“The former Parsion region is still under reconstruction, and tensions among the people remain high after the war. Furthermore, iron ore is a strategic resource, and we must first assess how much of it remains in those mines—”

“There’s not much left.”

Elona’s calm voice cut through the discussion, silencing everyone. Kazan, who had been focused on Adrian, turned to her with a brief pause. In truth, everyone in the room now had their eyes on her.

Elona hesitated under the weight of their gazes, but Adrian, his tone suspicious and pointed, questioned her statement.

“Elona, while you were once a princess, weren’t you confined for many years? How could you possibly know such details?”

His words carried an almost accusatory edge, but Elona wasn’t about to let herself be branded a liar. She chose to push back against the prince’s doubts.

“What I said is true. My late brother, King Antonio of Parsion, often visited me and shared such matters with me.”

“But…”

Adrian was about to press further when King Sindar, who had been quietly observing the exchange, intervened.

“Prince Adrian, that’s enough.”

His low voice effectively silenced Adrian. Turning to Elona, Kazan gave her a clear directive.

“Explain what happened with Parsion’s iron ore. We’ll judge after hearing your account.”

Adrian frowned slightly at the implicit support Kazan was showing Elona. Before the prince could voice any further objections, Elona spoke.

“To my knowledge, Parsion’s iron ore mines were already reaching their limits as of last year. Years ago, the King of Parsion had already been trying to discover other valuable resources. As a result, many of the existing mines were shut down, and the miners were redirected toward developing new ones.”

Elona recalled how Antonio had boasted about striking gold, and how the maids had bitterly complained about the casualties his reckless commands had caused.

The information she shared was undeniably significant, leaving everyone silent for a moment. Adrian pressed his lips together, visibly displeased, while Kazan commented with an air of nonchalance.

“If that’s true, we nearly sold Bahalen iron ore that no longer exists. Perhaps that would have been to our advantage, though.”

Kazan’s gaze shifted toward Adrian, his expression subtly inviting the prince’s thoughts. Adrian, his earlier assertiveness diminished, addressed Elona with a reluctant question.

“So, in the end, was the development of new mines successful? What resources does Parsion currently have?”

“In its current state…”

Elona hesitated, glancing briefly at Kazan. He watched her closely, his expression calm, as though encouraging her to speak. Even Harnuk seemed to hold his breath, waiting for her answer.

Elona took a deep breath and responded steadily.

“There are no properly developed mines. Importing underground resources from Parsion is impossible.”

While it was true that the iron ore had nearly been depleted, the claim that there were no functioning mines at all was a lie. Elona forced herself to maintain a composed expression as she raised her head.

“…Nothing at all? In such a vast land?”

Adrian’s disappointment was evident as he pressed her further. But without hesitation, Elona nodded firmly.

“If I were to reveal the existence of new mines now, Bahalen would immediately rush to Parsion and start operations. The people in that region would be exploited for next to nothing. This isn’t the right time. It’s better for such work to proceed after they’ve regained stability in their lives.”

Elona’s nation had been lost, but she still wanted to protect its people. Though she had deceived everyone, her resolve didn’t waver. Her gaze met Kazan’s, and she wondered if he had seen through her lie. Her hands tensed, betraying her nerves, but Kazan simply turned to Adrian and made a proposal.

“In that case, Ashatra can supply the iron ore Bahalen needs instead of Parsion. What do you think, Prince?”

The Bahalen delegation looked startled, and even Adrian appeared taken aback as he murmured, “But, Your Majesty… Ashatra’s iron ore…”

“…is of the highest quality,” Kazan interrupted smoothly. “We have abundant reserves and exceptional smelting techniques.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that. But I had thought Ashatra prohibited iron exports…”

“Naturally, we had to. During the Civil War, we needed it for ourselves. But now the war is over, and we have surplus iron.”

Adrian stared at him, still processing the sudden shift, when Kazan added casually, “The export ban from ages past is mine to lift, isn’t it?”

Harnuk, mentally calculating the potential profits, quickly nodded in agreement. If Elona’s claim about Parsion was true, then Ashatra was now Bahalen’s nearest source of iron ore. Knowing how desperate Bahalen was for iron—even considering mining Parsion—meant Ashatra could demand a premium.

“I fully support the idea, Your Majesty! Shall we discuss the specifics of the trade arrangements?”

Thus began a serious diplomatic negotiation. One by one, both Ashatra and Bahalen laid their cards on the table.

Elona sipped her tea quietly, listening intently to the discussions. Occasionally, Adrian would direct sharp questions at her, but they no longer required lengthy answers. Each time she responded, she met Kazan’s eyes.

The man who had once reduced her to a slave now seemed to value her words more than anyone else in the room.

“Strangely… I feel like I’m actually helping.”

Elona had succeeded in protecting Parsion’s resources. She had also contributed to setting the terms for Ashatra and Bahalen’s first trade agreement. Kazan, Harnuk, and even the maids serving tea looked at her differently now.

A faint smile graced her lips. For this moment, at least, she felt not like a slave, but like the princess she had once been.

*

The banquet welcoming the Bahalen delegation drew a significant number of Ashatran nobles. For many, the prospect of trading with Bahalen was the first real opportunity in years to expand their family businesses after the long war.

It was no surprise, then, that Prince Adrian was surrounded by a throng of nobles eager to court his attention.

“Your Highness, have you tried any of Ashatra’s fruits yet? As it happens, our orchard produces the finest…”
“Are you only interested in trade goods from the royal agreements? Our family oversees artisan workshops spanning entire villages, producing exquisite crafts…”

The questions came relentlessly, leaving Adrian looking visibly fatigued. Yet the competition among the nobles, desperate to seize the rare chance to align themselves with Bahalen, was fierce.

“Prince Adrian is quite the center of attention, isn’t he?”

T/N: I apologize for not updating any of the novels. I was caught with a high fever and couldn’t do anything else except sleep. TT