Tamed A Blackened Slave Man - Chapter 48: He Ran Away, So I Better Go Catch Him

Cassadin is no longer here.

Though what that statement meant was clear, I asked once again to Father regardless.

“…Did you really exile him?”

“I refused and told him that it was pointless after all this time. But he already made up his mind. Just like you had said when you first brought him here, Cassadin only seemed to be wanting to help our family, much less harm it.”

“…”

“I told him that I could sort through the matter myself, but he profusely declined and said he was going to take responsibility and leave the family since this happened because of him. That’s the kind of man he is.”

My expression must have scared Father because he tenderly grasped my hands.

“Aren.”

“…Yes, Father.”

Father pointed to the tree that the white bird had been sitting on before it flew away.

“The white bird that flew away just now may seem like it left that tree after taking a short rest, but once the seasons change, it will return to that tree once more.”

When I tilted my head in confusion at Father’s sudden explanation about the white bird, he smiled gently and added on.

“While I’m doing paperwork in this very office, that white bird would come back to the tree from time to time and chirp enthusiastically. Though I don’t know the bird’s name, it was cute enough that I found myself taking a liking to it.”

“…”

Ah.

“Thinking about it now, that Cassadin is just like that bird to me. Believe me, at first, I thought he was just an arrogant slave. He must have known that I didn’t like him because he only called me Father in front of you and never when it was just the two of us.”

‘I was so concentrated on dealing with Damian and building a sturdy relationship with Cassadin that I didn’t take the time to look around at anything else. Who knew something like this was happening while I wasn’t looking.’

Although Father had begrudgingly registered Cassadin into the family because of my stubborn attitude, to him, Cassadin was a mere gladiator slave that his daughter had happened to take a liking.

But Cassadin had never once mentioned this to me.

Did he think it wasn’t even worth mentioning? Or did he not bother to tell me so that I didn’t worry?

“One time, I lost my temper and said to him, ‘How dare you, a mere slave with a decent face, seduce my daughter?! You cursed bastard!’ But do you know what he said in response?”

“What did Cassadin say?”

“He said, ‘Thank you’. Not even sorry, but thank you.”

As Father recalled the past, his face held a lonesome, and slightly sad expression. Pausing for a moment, Father’s gaze turned to the scenery outside the window.

It was morning, but the cloudy skies remained dark. It was as if the entire world was blooming with mold, all sodden and humid.

“When I asked why he was thanking me, he said he was thankful that I spoke to a lowborn like him first.”

“…”

“I yelled at him again, asking if he had no pride, that I just insulted him, and he said that he was in no position to consider such a thing. That he was already more than happy being allowed to stay next to you, while smiling like the happiest man in the world.”

Then, memories of Cassadin speaking to me with a hurt expression clawed through my mind.

‘Do you hate me?’

I thought back to the times when it hadn’t been long since I brought him here.

Was what Cassadin said to me really all lies?

‘That’s why blue roses symbolize the impossible. I’ve heard they’re that hard to bloom. Just like you, Sister.’

‘Shining platinum blonde hair and blue eyes that contain their own serene lake. It’s always enjoyable to see Sister’s beautiful appearance illuminated in the faint moonlight.’

What I believed to have been Cassadin’s lies, were they actually lies when he said them?

‘From the moment we first met, the moment I met eyes with you in that damned arena… I’ve wanted you.’

The truth that couldn’t be contained any longer.

Before confessing his heart to me, Cassadin had been secretly sending me messages.

Maybe he wanted to tell me implicitly that he was the one who poisoned the Crown Prince, and that the amount of poison wasn’t enough to be lethal.

What if, all this time, he just wanted me to understand him?

“Aren.”

Where is Cassadin right now?

“Aren!”

Slowly raising my head to the loud voice calling to me, I found Father looking at me with a devastated expression.

Father, who had at some point completely turned away from the window to stare at me worryingly, let out a deep sigh and patted my back.

“Though I did expel Cassadin from the family under his insistent request, he promised me that he would return once this is all over, so don’t make such a sad expression, Aren.”

…Was I making a sad expression?

“Let’s put trust in him.”

But I don’t want that idiot to get his hands dirty anymore, so…

“Father, where did you say Cassadin was going?”

“…Aren. Don’t tell me.”

Father stared at me, stunned. I smiled brightly, determination etched into my face. It was the brightest smile I could muster, feeling out of place in this gloomy weather.

“He dared to run away without telling me, so I better go catch him.”

After gazing at me with disbelief for some time, Father must have realized that he couldn’t persuade me, and handed me a neatly folded piece of paper.

“He left without telling even me where he was going. But he told me to give you this in case you look for him.”

“Did you read it?”

“No.”

Would it be wise to read the paper in front of Father? After some contemplation, I requested permission from my father and returned to my room.

As soon as I unfolded the paper in the solitude of my room, neat handwriting greeted me.

[My Beloved Sister,]

[May you forgive me for leaving without notice. I will return once everything is over.]

The paper didn’t disclose information about Cassadin’s whereabouts. Nor did it tell me when this said duty would be over.

Only Cassadin’s excuses danced gracefully across the paper.

‘Wait? When I don’t even know when you’re coming back?’

I rang the bell and called for Sasha. Not long after, Sasha immediately arrived at my room.

“Did you call Miss?”

“What happened to the errand I asked you to run?”

“Ah, yes. There shouldn’t be a single person within the empire who doesn’t know the rumor by now. They’re talking all about the person who couldn’t only heal uncurable diseases but even regenerate a severed tongue.”

The word should have spread to Damian by now.

“Sasha. Make preparations to go out.”

“Where do you plan to go?”

“To the north. To Grand Duke Damian’s home.”

Sasha’s eyes widened in surprise. Her already large, round eyes widened to the point that it wouldn’t have been unusual for them to pop out.

Her mouth dropped agape before she nodded and answered.

“This is something important, right? As you wish, Miss.”

“Ah, right. I want you and one more person.”

“Who is it?”

“Tuule.”

I smiled at Sasha and added.

“Before we leave, can you cut his hair a bit?”

Just before we departed the mansion after finishing all preparations, I told Father that I was going to go capture my irresponsible younger brother with my own two hands.

He fell silent for a few minutes before he sighed deeply, then told me to slap Cassadin a couple of times in his stead once I found him.

And I told him I would do so.

“Giddy-up!”

As soon as the three people, including myself, boarded the carriage, it immediately started towards its destination in the north. Tuule smiled innocently as he stared out of the window in wonder.

His long hair, which used to reach his lower back, was now cut neatly into a more proper length by Sasha.

“I feel so happy right now.”

Tuule blushed shyly as he smiled. It was only his body that was threatening, his personality being no meaner than a baby doe. Watching Tuule while seated on the other side of the carriage, Sasha, who was sitting beside me, whispered into my ear.

“Miss, if it isn’t rude to ask, why did you bring that man?”

I gave a small smile to Sasha and whispered the answer into her ear.

“People won’t be able to approach us rashly just by having him with us.”

“…Ah!”

That wasn’t the actual reason, but Sasha nodded her head enthusiastically as if she had come to an important realization.

“Just as I expected of Miss.”

She was even looking at me with a slightly respectful face as she gave me a thumbs-up.

I let out an airy laugh at Sasha’s reaction, and turned my gaze to the window.

I had already expected it from the hazy morning skies, but the dark gray skies decided to spill the rain from their clouds.

Once the droplets started to splatter on the surface, people entered their nearest building to get out of the rain.

About a month ago, on the day I went outside to find the disappeared Cassadin, it had been a rainy day just like this one.

I could still clearly remember him, standing in front of the plaza fountain, looking up at the night sky.

What were you thinking about when you looked up at that sky?

‘It seems I’ve only been trying to learn about your past, not your true inner feelings.’

Maybe it was because Cassadin’s pain had been delivered to me as well. My normal, healthy heart stung with pain.

Just as I was massaging the phantom pain out of my heart, the shocking realization suddenly hit me.

‘Did I ever consider him my family before?’

Why did I fall into a false sense of security when he showed me the smile that he didn’t give to others? Why did I think that it was cute when he cornered Ively against the wall?

Why was it that when I could have merely returned the heated gazes that Cassadin threw at me, I bothered to avoid them at all costs?

‘…Don’t tell me. I also…’