TYPV l CH 07

Chapter 7- The Slave With Attitude (2)

“That was close.”

Avalkin let out a shaky breath, quietly relieved.

He had been the one to provoke the yeti. He’d killed the woodcutter without thinking about how the smell of blood would excite the creature.

So, saving Belaxina Outbayan now felt like his duty.

That’s why he had rushed over, even using his beast transformation to do it.

“Wow. A real unicorn! Did you save me?”

 Belaxina, seeing the mysterious and magical-looking creature chase off the yeti, assumed it was on her side. She walked up naturally and reached out a hand.

Startled by the sudden contact, Avalkin shrank back and took a step away.

“Shhh… It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”

 Her voice was so soft and gentle, Avalkin couldn’t bring himself to resist—especially not from someone usually so fierce.

As she petted Avalkin’s back like she’d done it a thousand times, she smiled.

“No saddle, no reins… So you must be wild. I guess a unicorn wouldn’t be tamed by people, huh?”
She then added with a sigh, sounding a bit regretful:
“Actually… I hurt my leg. It would be really nice if you could take me to the nearest village.”

Avalkin didn’t know what to do.

He couldn’t just leave her in the Blackwood forest—she would die.

 But if he brought her to Yeshken in this beast form, the townspeople might recognize him and whisper rumors.

While Avalkin was deep in thought, Belaxina realized her wish was a little ridiculous and chuckled to herself.

“What am I even saying? Still… Thank you. I would’ve died if it weren’t for you.”

So, she doesn’t want to die anymore.

Avalkin stared at her with his clear blue eyes, as if he could see right through her.

That’s the look I saw in the slave market.

That stubborn red glint that refuses to give up, even in a hopeless fight.
She was covered in dirt, her clothes were torn to shreds, and there wasn’t a single clean spot on her—
and yet, she gave off a strangely trustworthy aura.

One thing was clear: Belaxina no longer had death in her heart.

Prrr.
Avalkin neighed softly, like a real horse, and suddenly lowered his head, offering her the transparent horn between his forehead and crown.

“Huh? You want me to touch this?”

Prrrrrr.
His soft snort almost sounded like a yes.

Carefully, Belaxina reached out and touched the tip of his horn with her fingertips.

Suddenly, what had looked like a glassy, see-through horn began to sparkle with white light inside.
Then—FLASH!—a brilliant white light burst out.

“Ah!”
Belaxina’s vision turned completely white.
It felt like someone had blown out a candle—her eyes fluttered shut, and her body went limp as she collapsed.

Avalkin instantly returned to his human form and caught her before she hit the ground.

“You’re a handful, aren’t you?”
He grumbled, sounding annoyed. But there was more than just irritation in his voice—
a mix of emotions he couldn’t even understand himself.

Still, he:

• Healed her injured leg with magic 
• Gave her a coat to cover her ripped, dirty clothes 
• And carried her to a forest just outside the gates of Yeshken 

Strangely, none of it felt like a hassle.

****

The sparkle of sunlight rippling like waves on the sea danced over her eyelids.

Belaxina slowly opened her eyes to the warm sensation.

 It had been a long time since she’d woken up feeling this well-rested.

“……”

She blinked once, twice—her vision cleared, and she sat up.

Her body felt oddly light.

 “I feel refreshed?”

She moved around, testing herself, and gently rotated the ankle she’d been limping on.

No pain at all.

“…I thought it was broken.”

 She had jumped from a moving carriage, after all. How did she come out of it fine?

Still not believing it, Belaxina jumped to her feet and stomped hard enough to break the heel of her shoe.

The already cracked porcelain heel shattered, sending pieces flying—
but her ankle?

Not even a hint of pain.

“It’s really all better!”

Belaxina moved her ankle again. It turned out she had only twisted it slightly and had just overreacted.

 Now that she thought of it, she felt much lighter—at least she wouldn’t have to spend money on treatment.

“Ow!”
A man’s painful cry suddenly rang out nearby.

He had neat reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes, with a kind and gentle appearance. He was rubbing his forehead.

“Please be careful!”

On the ground near his feet was a piece of Belaxina’s broken heel—it had flown off and hit him.

A “normal” woman would probably say, “Oh no! I’m so sorry—I didn’t see you there. Are you alright?”

But Belaxina wasn’t just any woman. She was a noble lady from a powerful family who’d barely ever been told “no” in her life.

“What luck. Just the person I need. Take me to the nearest village.”

“Huh?”
The man blinked, confused.

“Unless you’re hard of hearing, don’t make me repeat myself. I’m very tired.”

Not only had this man just been hit in the head by a flying shoe heel, now he was being ordered around by a stranger who was clearly looking down on him.

Redek stood there, stunned, trying to figure out how to react.

“Isn’t this woman supposed to be a slave? But she’s acting all high and mighty…”

Technically, a slave shouldn’t be speaking like this—even to a commoner. Let alone to someone like Redek, the son of a viscount.

But Redek couldn’t say anything. If everything went according to plan, Belaxina would soon become the wife of the Northern Duke.

Even if it was just for show.

“Why are you just standing there?”

 Velaxina snapped at him.

 “I told you to take me to the village—now!”

Her attitude was so commanding, Redek almost instinctively replied, “Yes, my lady!”—
if it weren’t for the fact that he was currently on an important mission.

“Sorry, but I’m here on an assignment.”

“And you think that’s more important than my order?”

You’re a slave! Why are you giving orders?

 Redek really wanted to say that, but he held back and just nodded.

“A lumberjack’s body was found deeper in Blackwood. I was sent to handle it…”

But before he could finish, Belaxina’s face turned pale.

“Why is he dead? I didn’t kill him!”

She fought to keep her reaction calm and said:

“T-That’s terrible! I see… In that case, I understand. Just point me in the direction of the village. I’ll walk there by myself.”

She hoped she looked like a concerned noble lady, not someone guilty of murder.

But unfortunately, she absolutely looked like she was hiding something.

Redek thought it was suspicious.

Avalkin had said the lumberjack was executed for illegal hunting. But in Yeshken, executions without trial were unheard of.

 Especially since harvesting black ironwood—wood that held dark magic—sometimes allowed for hunting in dangerous areas as a safety bonus.

Still, because it was Avalkin, Redek had assumed there was a good reason.

“So she really is the empire’s most notorious villainess.”

Redek swallowed nervously.

She looked like a fragile woman on the outside, but what if she was strong enough to kill a big lumberjack with her bare hands?

Could someone like her really be allowed to become the duchess of the North?

“Just tell me which way to go.”

“You can’t even do that?”

“No, that’s not it…” Redek scratched his head.

“We’re already right outside the village. Just walk a little that way and you’ll find the road.”

“What?”

Belaxina looked in the direction he pointed. It wasn’t a clear path, but the trees looked less dense, and there was a brighter feel to that area.

“Wait a second. I was deep in Blackwood just yesterday…”

She didn’t know exactly where she had been on a map, but based on the thick roots and animal-dug caves she’d seen, she was certain it had been deep, wild forest.

“Especially the yeti…”

Villages were never built near areas where yetis appeared. So that must mean where she was now… was far from where she had passed out.

Then a memory popped into her head:

“I hurt my leg. I wish you could take me to the nearest village.”

“No way… the unicorn?”

It was a ridiculous thought.

Even if unicorns were magical, they were still animals.
The idea that one had understood her and carried her to safety was way too much like a fairytale.

“And animals helping people is never villainess’s role in stories…”

In those stories, animals punish the wicked—like the crows that pecked out the stepsisters’ eyes in that glass slipper tale.

“A unicorn, you said?”
Redek asked.

Belaxina shook the idea from her head.
“Never mind. I’m going to the village now. Thanks.”

“Wait a second.”

Belaxina narrowed her eyes.

 “Did you just stop me?”

“Yes. Even if the village is close, you shouldn’t go alone. In the north, there are beastmen—monsters that look like people. If someone’s identity isn’t verified, the guards won’t let them into the city. I’ll take you—it won’t take long.”

It was a kind gesture.

Belaxina had jumped to conclusions and felt a little embarrassed. She cleared her throat and replied:

“You’re a good man. What’s your name?”

“Seriously? We’ve been traveling together for a whole month, and you don’t even know my name?”

“…A month?”

“You don’t even recognize my face, do you?”

Redek shook his head in disbelief.

“She really is a villainess. Doesn’t even see her servants as people.”

Why did I agree to bring her back?

Suddenly, Redek found himself worrying about the future of the Duke of Yeshken.