You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 52

However, Kazan’s expression remained as composed as ever.

“It seems the award ceremony will have to be postponed. The champion needs treatment first.”

Irid had no choice but to escort Batum off the stage. As she did, grinding her teeth in frustration, Kazan addressed Zahhak.

“Raise your head, Zahhak Omar.”

Zahhak obediently followed the king’s command, his demeanor now fitting that of a general. He knelt on one knee before the great King of Shindar and spoke in a formal tone.

“Your Majesty, Zahhak of the Omar family humbly greets you. I’ve ensured that every source of unrest in Parsion has been eradicated. Rest assured, the aftermath of the war has been fully resolved.”

During the invasion of Parsion, Zahhak had distinguished himself more than anyone else. He had even volunteered to remain behind to manage the post-war clean-up, staying in the region until recently. Hearing of the war again, the people in the hall felt a renewed sense of patriotism and solemn admiration for the young general.

“You’ve done well, Zahhak Omar. Such matters should have been discussed during a victory banquet, but your extended efforts delayed this moment,” Kazan said, gazing down at the once-reckless Zahhak, now kneeling with humility.

Recognizing the need to lighten the tense atmosphere, Kazan decided to bestow a grand reward upon Zahhak.

“Indeed, you alone have yet to receive the spoils of war. Considering your contributions during the recent conflict, tell me what you desire. Ashatra will reward you as you see fit.”

At Kazan’s softened tone, Zahhak raised his head, a faint, troubled smile playing on his lips.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I seek neither gold nor jewels, nor invisible honors, nor power, which I already have in abundance. There is only one thing Your Majesty can give me.”

“And what is that?” Kazan inquired.

Zahhak paused, as if lost in thought, then turned his gaze toward Elona. When their eyes met, she froze. In that fleeting moment, Zahhak’s lips curled into a wicked grin.

“Her.”

Zahhak’s violet eyes glinted with an unsettling intensity, a barely restrained madness flickering within. His gaze bore into Elona as though he intended to devour her whole. His voice rang out clearly.

“Give me that Parsion woman. I want nothing else.”

End of Part 1: Shindar: God of Wind and Death

Part 2 – Lu: God of Water and Life
Water flows, touching everything, until the flames of karma are extinguished.

Prologue

It happened when we were seventeen.

That day, Kazan wasn’t dragged off anywhere and spent the entire day with me—a rare occurrence. It was because Antonio, my older brother, was out for the day. The training grounds, where Kazan was usually beaten and thrown to the dirt by the knights, were empty.

We went to the lakeside on the outskirts of the royal palace and secretly enjoyed a picnic.

“Kazan, did you practice swordsmanship again last night? With Sir Xerox?”

“Yeah.”

“How is it? Are you learning a lot?”

“It’s… fun.”

That was the first time Kazan ever described something as “fun.” His face was impassive as he bit into an apple. But soon enough, he began to speak eagerly about how skilled Sir Xerox was and what new things he was learning.

“He realized right away that I’m ambidextrous. For someone like me, it’s advantageous no matter what style of swordplay I use, but he said I need more training with my right hand. So last night, we focused on…”

Whenever Kazan became engrossed in something, my heart would race. I loved the way his eyes lit up with passion and the way his voice, calm yet tinged with faint excitement, carried his enthusiasm. Watching him like that made me feel good, too.

It gave me hope that one day, he might achieve something great.

It made me believe—though perhaps foolishly—that he could become more than just a slave.

“Let’s head back. The sun’s about to set.”

“Elona.”

Just as I stood up, Kazan lightly grabbed my hand. He remained seated, looking up at me intently as he asked,

“Lately… has Antonio been hitting you again?”

The unexpected question left me momentarily speechless. Kazan’s brow furrowed in suspicion, prompting me to answer hastily.

“No. He doesn’t hit me. Not since… that time you stepped in.”

When I was very young, my brother used to kick me. As I grew older, he switched to punches, and later, he confined himself to slapping my face. But his violence stopped altogether after Kazan began staying by my side.

“Hey, you crazy bastard… Let go of me!”

The last time my brother tried to strike me in a deserted hallway, Kazan appeared out of nowhere, catching his hand and blocking the blow. It was a response I could never have imagined.

“You little brat. Are you saying you’re a slave too? Or are you just volunteering to take her punishment instead of her?”

My brother had wrenched his hand free from Kazan’s grip and turned his attention away from me. Instead, he grabbed Kazan by the collar and dragged him to the training grounds.

From that day on, Kazan became the knights’ punching bag, enduring daily beatings. He had taken my brother’s wrath upon himself. He had suffered because he wanted to protect me.

“If Antonio ever tries anything again, tell me.”

“Why…? What would you do?”

“Something. Anything,” he said resolutely.

With that, Kazan got up and walked past me. He carried the picnic basket, his hands covered in scars that hadn’t yet healed. I had no idea what he intended to do, but the thought filled me with dread.

“Kazan, please don’t. Don’t do it because of me. If you provoke him, my brother might actually kill you.”

“I know. But I could kill him just as easily.”

“What? You can’t mean that—!”

“Why not?”

He stopped and turned to face me, his expression as calm and serious as always.

“Why shouldn’t I kill Antonio? He can kill me, can’t he?”

I was at a loss for words. I could have recited all the proper phrases, told him that killing was wrong, that it was a sin. But I couldn’t bring myself to say those things. Kazan looked like someone abandoned by God, someone beyond the reach of divine care.

At the same time, I couldn’t tell him to do as he pleased. Something terrible would surely happen if I did.

In the end, I said nothing.

Sensing that his question had troubled me, Kazan offered a faint smile, as though to apologize.

“I want to protect you, Elona. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“…Thank you.”

I was truly grateful for his kindness. Yet, deep down, I fervently hoped that nothing so extreme would ever come to pass.

However, upon returning to the castle, we stumbled upon a commotion by the smithy near the training grounds.

“Hey! Bring a bigger one! You can’t even see the mark properly with this!”

A group of six or seven knights had gathered around the forge, forming a tight circle as though shielding something from view. From the middle of the group came my brother Antonio’s excited voice, brimming with a disturbing glee.

The sound of a sizzling brand reached my ears with a sickening hiss.

“AAARGH!”

The agonized scream of a woman froze me in my tracks. The object of their cruel amusement—the victim Antonio toyed with—was a living, breathing woman.

“Antonio bought a slave,” Kazan muttered under his breath beside me.

I already knew. Antonio’s trips outside the castle often ended with him returning with a new slave.

“He’s branding her,” Kazan added, his voice low but laced with cold anger.

Kazan couldn’t tear his gaze away from the smithy, and neither could I when the second scream tore through the air.

Through the gap between the knights’ armor, I caught sight of the woman. Her clothing had been stripped away, exposing her dark, smooth skin. On that flawless flesh, Antonio pressed a red-hot brand with sadistic glee.

“This time, let’s use this one. It’ll be visible even from far away. Now, hold still….”

“Stop it! Stop this right now, Antonio!”

The shout erupted from my throat before I could even think. Everyone froze and turned to look at me. Even I was startled by how loud and forceful my voice had been.

Kazan’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at me, his expression mirroring the shock of the knights who had never seen me angry before.

For a moment, they hesitated, stepping back instinctively. That’s when it hit me: while I didn’t have the power to sentence them to death, I did have the authority to ruin their lives. I could have them expelled from the knights or make their futures unbearably difficult.