Chapter 2
—
I looked at Mom with confusion.
“Mom… you shouldn’t call a person *‘a real product.’* That’s weird.”
While I was still amazed by her strange choice of words, her warm hand gently landed on my head.
“And this boy will be the one who makes you Empress.”
She kissed my forehead quickly, then stepped back.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you yesterday. Don’t call this boy by his name.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because he doesn’t know he’s the Emperor’s hidden son. That secret is just between you and me. Understand?”
A secret? Where did Mom even learn that?
“Later, when the right time comes, he’ll know. Until then, you must hide it. Secrets always make things look more special, right?”
“Mom…”
Before I could say more, Mom’s eyes widened.
“Oh! He’s waking up.”
I quickly turned my head. On the bed, the boy frowned and slowly opened his eyes. Golden amber-like eyes appeared, bright and sharp. Mom gave my shoulder a small tap.
“Alright. I’ll leave you two alone now.”
“Leave us? What for?”
She smiled and kissed my forehead again.
“To let you start training your future husband.”
“What?!”
I shouted, but Mom only waved cheerfully and walked out of the room. The door closed with a heavy *thump.*
What was that supposed to mean?!
“Oh!”
I suddenly remembered the boy. I turned back toward him. He blinked, confused, staring at the ceiling before shifting his eyes toward me.
“H-hi?”
I waved nervously.
But instead of answering, his lips only moved slowly.
“…Mom?”
Mom?
He must be talking about *my* mom, but she had already left the room.
Then his voice grew stronger, edged with suspicion.
“Where is this place…? Who are you?”
He pressed his hand against his temple and groaned in pain. When he tried to sit up, his body wobbled and he collapsed against the bedside table, breathing hard.
“Are you okay?!”
I rushed closer. But as I stretched out my hand to help, his arm shot forward. He grabbed my wrist and snatched the fountain pen from the table, pressing it right under my chin.
“Where am I? Who—ugh!”
His voice turned into a scream. The fountain pen slipped from his hand as he clutched his shoulder. A faint glow spread across his skin—it was his slave mark.
“Too much… it hurts too much!”
The pain was so strong that he twisted on the bed, sweat dripping down his face. At first I hesitated, wondering if he was just pretending, but his suffering looked real.
Slowly, I touched his shoulder.
“C-Claud—uh, Mom’s here!”
At my touch, he froze. His body stopped trembling, though his half-open eyes looked dazed.
What was happening? Was the slave mark hurting him? I remembered reading in a book: a slave mark not only showed ownership, but also forced obedience.
“Are you alright now?”
He rolled his eyes toward me but didn’t speak. Only after a long silence did his weak voice return.
“Where… is this place?”
“This is the Kalstadt family’s house.”
“…Kalstadt…”
“But are you really okay? You looked like you were dying.”
He nodded faintly and sat up with effort. His lips pressed together in frustration.
“Ha…”
I sighed quietly, watching him. I hadn’t expected him to threaten me like that. But his pain from the mark left me more shocked than scared.
Then, his voice came out low and bitter.
“…So I was sold.”
That single word—*sold*—stabbed me strangely. He wasn’t just saying he was kidnapped. He knew he had been *sold like an object.* Suddenly my anger faded into pity. Of course he had been scared and defensive when he woke up in a strange place. I might have done the same.
So I tried again.
“Um… hi.”
“….”
“How old are you?”
The words slipped out before I could stop myself. Asking his age in this situation felt ridiculous, but he actually answered.
“…Twelve.”
“You’re two years older than me.”
He didn’t look proud of it though. He just stared at me sharply before asking:
“…Were you the one who bought me?”
I quickly shook my head.
“No. My mom bought you.”
“…Your mother?”
He bit his lip and thought hard, then gave a quiet sigh.
“Then you must be my master.”
“Master?”
“They told us… a slave will see their master the moment they wake up. The first person they see becomes their master. I saw you first, so… you are mine.”
He said it like a curse.
“Then… are you the one who gives me a name too?”
“A name?”
“I don’t have one. Or maybe… I forgot. I don’t know who I was before or where I came from. Nothing.”
So his mark had even erased his memories? But wait, earlier he had called out for “Mom.” Did he remember something after all?
He looked at me with an empty face. “So what’s my name?”
I froze. Mom had said not to reveal his real name yet. Why? I didn’t understand, but I decided not to tell him until I asked her properly.
“You’re Rigel.”
“…Rigel?”
“Yes. That’s the name Mom gave you when she brought you here. That’s all I know. You’ll hear more from her later.”
“…I see.”
He closed his eyes slowly, as if trying to accept the truth. I felt guilty lying, but it couldn’t be helped. I would explain someday.
But then his body trembled again. He groaned, clutching his shoulder.
“What’s wrong?!”
“…The mark!”
The faint light spread from his shoulder up to his neck, glowing brighter. His face twisted with pain.
“It hurts… so much!”
He collapsed onto his knees, sweating, gasping. I panicked, not knowing what to do.
“Wait here! I’ll get Mom and a doctor—”
But before I could leave, he grabbed my hand.
“…I… ahhh!”
His voice cracked in agony. His body shook like he was fighting something invisible. Then his bloodshot eyes turned toward me.
“…I… swear…”
“What?”
“I swear… to serve you as my master. From now on… I am your slave.”
With that last word, his body went limp. Rigel collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
