When I Infiltrated the Enemy Nation as a Slave, the Yandere Beauties There Started a Civil War Over Me - Chapter 17: Conviction

Chapter 17: Conviction

I glanced at the clock in the carriage, which showed it was around 4 PM.

There were still three hours left until the 7 PM deadline Cecifelia had set. 

Since the only thing left was to receive the payment, it seemed like I would easily make it in time without any issues… but there was one concern.

“How long will it take to reach the estate?”

If it were to take two hours to reach the Celestine estate, even though I wouldn’t need to go back and forth from the Owen estate, I might not make it by the 7 PM deadline.

That’s why I asked, just to be sure.

“From here, it should take no more than an hour at the longest.”

No more than an hour, even at the longest… In that case, even if we did make a round trip, it wouldn’t take three hours.

“I see.”

With my only concern now resolved, I allowed myself to relax a bit. Just then, Celestine, sitting next to me, spoke in a bright tone.

“Even so, Sir Luke, you really surprised me… Not only were your table manners impeccable, but you also excel in both intellect and martial skills.”

“Thank you… But despite saying you were surprised, you seemed quite calm during the contest.”

“…I’ve always had confidence in my ability to read people, so I could tell that you were highly capable. However, I was genuinely surprised to see just how exceptional you are in both intellect and combat.”

She had a keen sense of observation, and while she had an idea of my abilities, actually seeing them in action had surprised her.

It was a reasonable explanation, but as someone who has infiltrated this country, I have to consider another possibility.

—The possibility that Celestine might know I’m the prince of the Sandrotheim Kingdom.

If she knew I was a prince, it would make sense for her to expect that I’d be skilled in both intellect and combat.

With that in mind, I decided to ask her something I hadn’t had the chance to ask before.

“Earlier today, in the carriage on the way to the Owen estate, you mentioned that there wasn’t a single person in this country that you would want as a fiancé, but you followed up by saying that you’d be fine with me standing beside you as a fiancé candidate. Do you remember that?”

“Yes, I also said it would be an honor.”

“After that, I asked why you felt that way about me, despite us hardly having spoken before. You replied, ‘That’s because—Sir Luke, you’re different from other nobles, commoners, or slaves.’ What exactly did you mean by that?”

At the time, the conversation was cut short when we arrived at the Owen estate, but this is an important point. 

Given my recent thoughts, Celestine’s words could easily be interpreted as her knowing I’m a prince, distinguishing me from others because of that.

In fact, with the suspicion that she might have figured out my true identity, her words seem to confirm it. I asked her this question to clarify, and she responded with a somewhat regretful tone.

“Sir Luke, even though you’ve only lived in this country for a short time, I’m sure you’ve already noticed… The people of this country accept the slave system as something natural.”

She’s right.

As Celestine said, I’ve only been in this country for about half a month, but even in that short time, I’ve come to clearly understand that the slave system is deeply ingrained and accepted here as a natural part of life.

“Not only the nobles and commoners, but even the slaves themselves have come to accept their status.”

“…That might be true.”

“Of course, I don’t blame the slaves. Given their situation, it’s understandable that they’ve come to accept it… But what about the nobles and commoners? They accept a system that dehumanizes others as something normal, and they enjoy their own happiness at the cost of others. Even if it’s temporary, I could never consider such people as candidates for a fiancé.”

I see… So that’s the real reason Celestine said there wasn’t a single man in this country she could stand beside as a fiancé candidate.

It’s understandable, given that they’ve grown up in a country where slavery is the norm. But just because something is the norm doesn’t mean you have to accept it.

As I analyzed her feelings, Celestine looked me in the eyes with her beautiful purple gaze, placed her hand on mine, and spoke in a bright tone.

“But you, Sir Luke, are different! Despite being a slave, you haven’t accepted that status. In fact, I feel an incredibly strong will from you, something beyond my comprehension! Meeting a man like you is a first for me! That’s what I meant when I said you’re different from the others.”

Celestine seems to have a much stronger conviction than I initially thought… After hearing her explanation, I had to consider whether she might be lying to cover up the fact that she’s aware of my true identity. But—that’s impossible.

Her eyes, expression, tone, and the weight behind her words—there’s no hint of deceit or any attempt to hide something. It’s all genuine.

In other words, this confirms that Celestine hasn’t realized my true identity.

“I see… I’m sorry for bringing up the topic again, but it was a very interesting conversation.”

“I’m glad if it was satisfying for you.”

Celestine smiled at me as she said that. 

I couldn’t help but be impressed by how someone so kind-hearted and noble had grown up in a place like the Elenorde Empire. As I thought that, I glanced down at her hand resting on mine and spoke.

“Um… Miss Celestine.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, but could you please let go of my hand?”

“Oh! M-My apologies! How careless of me to touch you without permission, Sir Luke…”

Celestine quickly pulled her hand away from mine, apologizing. I then explained to her:

“It’s not that I disliked you touching me, Miss Celestine. It’s just that, as Miss Cecifelia’s slave, I could get in trouble if she found out someone else touched me without permission.”

“…!”

Even though she’s from an enemy country, I didn’t want to make someone as kind-hearted as her feel bad, so I tried to soften the situation.

Celestine then spoke with concern in her voice.

“That’s right… Sir Luke is Lady Claire’s slave, isn’t he…”

“Yes.”

“…”

As I nodded, acknowledging the reality of the situation, Celestine looked at me with a worried expression and asked:

“Has Lady Claire done anything cruel to you?”

“So far, I’m managing.”

“So far…? Does that mean there have been signs of mistreatment?”

“As a slave, it’s inevitable that there’s some.”

“That’s… terrible…”

To be honest, my chastity is in considerable danger, but there’s no need to mention that. 

While I was thinking about this, Celestine lowered her head and muttered something.

“If it were me, I would never do such a thing to Sir Luke…”

“Sorry, did you say something?”

I couldn’t hear her soft words, so I asked. Celestine quickly looked up, her face bright again, and replied cheerfully.

“No! It’s nothing at all! Anyway, let’s talk about lots of things until we reach the estate!”

“Alright… What would you like to talk about?”

“Let’s see… How about starting with our favorite foods?”

After that, Celestine and I passed the time with light conversation until we arrived at the Celestine estate—several minutes later, the carriage reached the duchy’s mansion.