Volume 6 Chapter 23 Cianie ■■■■■
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After living more than twice the span of a typical life, Cianie had learned to see things differently. At this point, it was clear—Klock harbored resentment toward her, deep and unspoken.
”Should I… turn myself in?” Cianie asked, her voice trembling.
”That depends on your attitude,” Klock replied, his tone measured and deliberate.
Even if she turned herself in, leaving the mansion would only delay the inevitable. By tomorrow night, when Klock fell asleep, they would resume their game from the hideout. This time, she was determined to gain control over his soul.
”What do you mean by attitude? What should I do?” she pressed, desperation lacing her words.
”It means taking responsibility. You understand that, being from a noble family, right?” Klock said, his gaze unwavering.
A fine compensation, perhaps. For theft and trespassing, it seemed fitting. Despite her noble lineage, Cianie had been nothing more than a political pawn in a marriage arrangement. She lacked the elite education that might have prepared her for this moment.
”I understand. Please wait until tomorrow. I’ll figure out the money somehow,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
”But Cianie, you personally don’t have the means to pay, do you? You’re not seriously considering involving your family, are you? If you do, we’ll have no choice but to part ways,” Klock said sharply.
The truth of his words weighed heavily on her. If the matter came to light, it would undoubtedly spark political tension between their families. Cianie couldn’t help but ponder the misaligned outcome, especially since she was already planning to awaken. The fact that Klock still considered marriage was surprising. His talk of responsibility suggested he had already given up on her, his eyes devoid of pretense or humor.
”Then, what should I do?” she asked, her voice heavy with resignation.
”Well, it would make sense for you to act as collateral,” Klock said, his expression hardening.
Collateral—an asset offered in advance to secure a debt. If she failed to pay, their child would be enslaved, a fate all too common for the debt-ridden.
”I’ll be the collateral? …Well…” she murmured, her stomach twisting.
”In simple terms, that’s what it means. Show me your hands,” Klock said, his voice firm.
He opened the wardrobe and retrieved a length of cloth. Approaching her, he held out his hand, and she obediently extended hers. He stretched the cloth like a rope, binding her hands loosely but securely.
”You are detained as a matter of responsibility. Your fate now rests with me, who holds the claim against you,” Klock declared, his tone authoritative.
”It’s not as if I’ve seized you; I’ve merely tied your hands lightly,” he added, a hint of consideration in his voice. The binding was loose, almost playful, yet it carried the weight of his dominance.
”Not an arrest, but confinement at your home in Livorno?” Cianie asked, her voice trembling.
”That’s right. As you have been seized as property, you will be temporarily placed under my management as an asset of Livorno,” Klock said, his words echoing like a sentence.
Property. Under Klock’s management. A strange allure mingled with a chill as she considered her new status. In any case, she was now a captive.
”I’m sorry, Mr. Klock of Livorno. I appreciate your generous treatment,” Cianie said, attempting to mimic noble etiquette, though it felt foreign on her tongue.
Klock chuckled softly, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. “Generous treatment, huh? You really are a bit absent-minded, aren’t you?”
He lifted her bound hands and untied them with deliberate slowness. What was his intention? Was it merely to assert his control? Though freed, the gesture felt more like a taunt.
A mischievous expression crossed his face—the expression of a man who relished the game. “Cianie, take off your clothes,” he ordered, his voice low and commanding.
”Huh?” she stammered, her heart racing.
”It’s an order. Take off your clothes. You are my property, and defiance is not an option,” he said, his gaze intense.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She almost spoke out, but stopped herself. If she were still alive, she would have questioned him, only to become more confused.
”If I take them off, is that okay?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
”Yes. Remove them and hand over every piece,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.
Her heartbeat quickened. Though not yet a slave, she was seized property, and he had no right to force her. Yet, few would adhere to such rules.
She swallowed, her hands trembling as she unfastened her collar. The buttons came undone one by one, the sound muted in the silence. She pulled the dress over her head and let it fall, her face burning.
”Here,” she said, handing the dress to him.
He took it without a word, leaving her in nothing but her undergarments. His silence was unnerving. She knew what he demanded next. Her fingers shook as she unfastened her shorts, letting them slide to the floor.
She unhooked her bra straps and let it slip down, her cheeks flaming.
”I’m done,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.
”Then hand them over,” he said, his tone neutral.
She picked up the discarded garments, folded them hastily, and handed them to him. Her skin prickled under his gaze as he examined her, his eyes lingering on every inch of her exposed body.
”You did well, Cianie. Very obedient,” he said, a hint of approval in his voice.
She felt like a slave being inspected, despite having shown her body to him countless times before. It was humiliating, yet his words sent a strange warmth through her.
”Will you forgive me now?” she asked, her voice small.
”If you continue to obey, I’ll consider your mistakes nullified under my authority,” he said, a refreshing smile on his face.
It was a cruel kindness, stripping her bare and then offering forgiveness. He took her hand again, binding her once more, this time with her skin exposed.
”Now, Cianie, I’m going to take you. Do you understand?” he said, his voice darkening.
He didn’t wait for her response. His hands moved roughly, grasping her shoulder and pushing her onto the bed. Her heart raced as his words sank in.
”Cianie, spread your legs,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for refusal.
”Yes,” she whispered, her body tense.
He loomed over her, his eyes piercing. In that moment, she saw him not as the boy she thought she knew, but as a man—a beast. The realization sent a shiver through her.
After the rush subsided, Klock lingered close, as though savoring the final traces of intimacy. His breath warmed the hollow of her collarbone, slow and deliberate, as if marking the moment.
Still tense beneath him, Cianie pressed her abdomen ever so slightly, a small, secret provocation. If he noticed, he didn’t comment — only let out a deep, almost reverent sigh before letting his weight settle against her.
”…I like this,” she murmured, voice barely audible.
He pressed closer without hesitation, resting his head between her breasts. His breath brushed against her skin, ticklish yet strangely comforting.
A rare, profound sense of being wanted unfurled in her chest — something she hadn’t felt in years. It was as though the memories of their past had been overwritten in an instant.
”Cianie,” Klock said quietly, “I’m not letting you go back home.”
The words sent a shiver down her spine, a tremor she couldn’t hide.
”…Because you want me here for your own convenience?” she asked, tilting her head to meet his gaze.
”That’s right,” he replied without pause. “Tomorrow, I’ll summon the slavers from town. You’ll be registered as mine alone. You owe a debt you can’t repay, which means you won’t have the right to refuse. From then on, you’ll serve me for life.”
She knew he wouldn’t allow her to contact home. That meant she had no way to defend herself from such a fate — branded, owned, and condemned in the eyes of the law. And yet… for a fleeting moment, the idea didn’t seem unbearable.
If that was what he wanted… if it meant she could remain by his side forever… what did her title matter?
”And my life after that?” she asked softly.
”You’ll simply be Cianie,” Klock said. “The surname you carry now will be forbidden. You’ll never marry. Your only role will be to look after me, every day until the end.”
He added under his breath, “And I won’t have to convince your father, either.”
She wondered if that had been his real aim all along. Convincing her father to annul his engagement and marry her would have been nearly impossible — something she suspected even he knew, no matter how boldly he had once claimed otherwise.
But if she were a slave, no such discussion would be needed.
If only he had known that the fiancée chosen for him was her — Sylvia Croce — taken in by the Croce family and given a new name after leaving the Hartmann household. A secret she had learned only by chance.
”You’re awfully quiet,” Klock remarked suddenly. “When you were hiding out before, you were so lively. Now you’re almost… subdued.”
That word struck her. Subdued. In the shock of being caught earlier, she’d dropped her act entirely. Back then, she had been bright and energetic — a spirited girl who drew people in without effort. But since becoming what she was now, a so-called hero, her light had dimmed.
”Are you sulking?” he teased, a wry smile touching his lips. “Not that I mind. You’re even cuter like this.”
He said it lightly, but something in his tone felt honest. And she realized, perhaps for the first time, that Klock truly preferred girls who followed — quiet, compliant, unresisting.
A sudden warmth brushed her neck — his tongue, tracing lazily along the line of her skin. She startled, breath catching, and before she could exhale, his mouth claimed hers in a deliberate kiss.
He didn’t move away. His presence, solid and unyielding, pressed her into the bedding. His breath mingled with hers, his voice low against her ear.
”Klock…” she whispered, “am I… really going to be your slave?”
”That’s right. You have no say in it,” he answered simply.
She met his gaze, unflinching. “Then tell me… how many children do you want?”
His brows lifted, as if the question had caught him off guard.
”…Ten,” he declared after a pause. “So be ready.”
Her eyes widened. “T-ten?”
He only smiled — and the look in his eyes told her he meant it.
”What would I even do, once I become yours?” she asked quietly.
”Everything I want you to,” he replied, without hesitation.
And in that moment, she understood. For Klock, possession wasn’t just about control — it was about keeping her in his world, where escape was not an option.
”You’re my personal attendant,” Klock said firmly, his gaze leaving no room for doubt. “Don’t misunderstand—no one else’s orders matter to you but mine. First, you’ll wake me in the morning… with a kiss, of course. Breakfast will always be together. During the day, you’ll handle everything I need—no servants involved. You’ll clean my room, manage my clothes. While I’m studying, you’ll bring me water. Dinner is together, and at night… we sleep in the same bed. But don’t expect me to let you fall asleep right away.”
His instructions came in quick succession, so relentless that Cianie almost laughed.
It was a sweetness unlike any married life—an intimacy stripped of polite distance, leaving only the raw closeness of master and servant.
”The Klock I knew always put girls first,” she said softly, testing the man before her.
”That was just a mask,” Klock replied, a shadow of a smirk on his lips. “When we met in secret, I wanted nothing more than to pull you into the shadows and keep you there. I tried to act gentle, but inside, I was restless—wanting to claim you completely. Just like… this.”
He pulled her closer, the sudden motion making her breath catch.
The space between them vanished, her heartbeat matching his quickened rhythm.
She could feel his intent—not merely in words, but in the unyielding way he held her.
His pace was his own, unhurried yet absolute, leaving no room for her to guide it.
This was the way he wanted it—following only the tempo of his desire, not the natural rhythm of her body. It was selfish, and it was utterly him.
—I love him.
She wanted more. Wanted to be taken apart by him.
She looked at his face, so close, so intent. Love swelled painfully in her chest, so strong she thought it might break her. The warmth inside her grew faster than she could contain. She wanted him to fill every part of her life, to leave no space untouched.
If Klock were a prison guard, she thought, she would gladly be the prisoner only he was assigned to. If he were a soldier, she would be the village girl carried away by him alone. If he were a thief, she would be his marked prize, belonging to no one else.
She had been given the title of Hero—a hollow role for a false kind of justice.
What good came from saving strangers? Gratitude on their lips but fear in their eyes. No matter how she fought, other adventurers and knights whispered behind her back, twisting her strength into something to resent.
It was all meaningless.
She would rather spend her life at the side of the one she loved.
Humans always feared the one who stood too far above them. Those who praised her were strangers, knowing only stories and titles. But the moment they saw her as she was, fear crept in and fingers pointed. The only ones who accepted her were her companions.
And the only person who had ever spoken love to her was Klock.
She wanted a life with him—just the two of them, uninterrupted. Adelina had been right. The world didn’t need her to save it. Swordplay, chosen heroes, fate… none of that mattered. All she wanted was to know how to make him happy.
Warm breath brushed her ear as Klock whispered something—an order, most likely.
His possessiveness was no longer hidden; it was laid bare in every word, every touch. The knowledge sent a shiver through her. She wanted him to want her more. To command her to stay at his side forever.
”Aa—” A small gasp escaped her before she could stop it.
He held her close, anchoring her there as if unwilling to let her slip away. She clung to him in turn, a silent vow that she wouldn’t.
They stayed like that, bound together, refusing to loosen their hold. The rhythm of his heartbeat matched her own, strong and steady. It was impossible to tell where one of them ended and the other began.
Her thoughts blurred until all she could feel was him.
Until she wanted nothing more than to remain here—claimed, kept, and loved.
”Today, you’re especially beautiful, Cianie,” Klock murmured against her hair. “I should have locked you away at home much sooner.”
The words were both charming and painfully lonely. They were proof that the Cianie he wanted most was the one here now—submissive, devoted. By contrast, the Cianie of the past must have been nothing but trouble to him. She was happy, yet a little sad, knowing that in the real history, she would have been abandoned—left to die in solitude.
”Ah… giving up already?” he teased, tilting her chin toward him. “No chance. I’m not finished yet. Cianie… turn around.”
Even after everything, his determination hadn’t wavered. She could sense it—his focus, his hunger for more time with her. The playful challenge in his tone made her lips curve faintly.
There was no need for words. She belonged to him.
Obediently, she shifted, presenting herself as he had asked—heart open, ready to meet whatever came next.
”How many times… are you going to…?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
The boy’s hunger seemed endless—an unrelenting force that left her breathless.
Only when the strain on her muscles became unbearable did he finally pause, leaving her to sink limply into the bedding.
It had been far more intense than she’d expected—unyielding, without hesitation, without a trace of restraint. Every time she thought he might stop, his determination only deepened, as though each heartbeat urged him forward. She could read it in his eyes: the will to claim her, to make her his completely.
”You’re… like a beast,” she gasped, her lips curling into something between awe and disbelief.
Sweat clung to her skin, her body trembling with aftershocks. She felt drained, her breathing shallow, her back aching from the strain. Yet his gaze never wavered—drawn to her face, to the rise and fall of her chest, to the place where their bodies joined.
Was her body really that enthralling to him? Was the connection between them really so intoxicating?
If it was… then perhaps it couldn’t be helped.
Because when she met his gaze, she saw something undeniable—an unspoken vow to bind her fate to his, no matter what.
If that was what he wanted, then she would accept it. She was his. That was simply the truth.
This was only for one night. A dream with no continuation.
And when morning came, it would be gone.
Her gaze drifted toward the window, where pale light was beginning to spill through the curtains. He pulled her close again, and the first hints of dawn reached across the floorboards.
Time was running out. Whatever they had built together in these hours would soon dissolve into nothing.
”I’m… just Cianie again, aren’t I?” she murmured, half to herself.
It wasn’t meant to carry weight—just something to break the silence before the fragile moment slipped away. But he paused at her words, as if they had struck somewhere deep. After a breath, he released her and sat up.
”Now that you’re my… exclusive,” he said with a small, crooked smile, “I have a gift for you.”
Exclusive. It was a bold claim for someone not yet the head of his house. In truth, it was nothing more than play-acting—like children pretending to be royalty, or lovers rehearsing a story they could never live out.
Still, he reached for a small box and placed it in her hands.
”What is it?” she asked.
”Just an accessory. I want you to wear it as proof that you belong to me. That’s an order.”
An accessory… maybe a hair ornament, or a necklace. She recalled how, in another life, they had often traded small presents. Once, he hadn’t worn the ribbon she’d given him, and she’d sulked for days.
”…A ring,” she breathed, lifting the lid.
Inside lay a band of silver—, a rare and expensive metal.
She took it in her hand.
”Well… you’re just Cianie now,” he said lightly. “So think of it as nothing more than a present. Don’t read too much into it. And don’t ask questions.”
He turned away with an almost boyish dismissiveness, flopping back onto the bed.
She didn’t understand. Frowning faintly, she picked up the ring—
—and the world stopped.
Her breath caught. Her chest constricted sharply, painfully.
Impossible. It couldn’t be. And yet…
”No… no, no—!” Her voice broke, and tears welled without restraint. Even covering her mouth couldn’t muffle the sobs that forced their way out.
He looked at her evenly. “It’s always been this way. You don’t have to make it so dramatic.”
”But… but—!” Her voice shook.
He didn’t know.
Tomorrow, he would leave her. Cut her off. Discard her as if she had never mattered. She had always believed that—Adelina had even told her so. And so she had embraced the anger of abandonment as her right.
But now… now she couldn’t let go.
She didn’t want to wake from this dream.
The sunlight grew stronger, pressing through the glass. The dawn meant only one thing—reality was approaching. Soon, this dream would burst like a bubble.
The ring would vanish with it. She would never hold it again.
All that would remain was the knowledge that it had once been prepared for her—the name engraved inside, the new surname she had never truly taken.
The world receded. He blurred. Everything slipped back to how it had been.
And yet—
I’m glad I came.
I’m glad I found out.
There was regret. Longing.
But also a quiet, deep satisfaction.
Seventeen years of weight in her heart—gone.
Hero Anna could finally forgive Klock Livorno.
* * *
A spear of sunlight pierced her eyelids. She stirred.
”…Mm.” She stretched with a soft sigh.
The same sluggish feeling as yesterday clung to her—like she hadn’t truly slept.
She was about to drift back into that half-dreaming haze when something soft brushed her lips.
”…Mm?” Her eyes opened halfway.
A kiss—gentle, yet strangely insistent.
Only one person would do that here. Mina. And really, waking a man like that was hardly fair—
”…Eh?” His voice stumbled.
”Klock. Good morning.”
She stood there with hair like spun silver and eyes like blue crystal, so perfect she seemed carved from porcelain. A smile—divine, serene—lit her face.
”What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
”Eh? I—” He faltered.
She tilted her head, studying him… then leaned down to press another kiss to his lips.
”Were you able to wake up?” she asked, her tone almost teasing.
”…Ah… yeah.”
”Good. I’ll make breakfast. Take your time.”
She smiled again before slipping from the room, light-footed as though she were a wife tending to her morning tasks.
Klock lay there in stunned silence.
”…What?”
Notes:
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Sylvia – The hero who accuses Klock of abandoning her in her past life. She was reborn as Anna after dying in a fire and holds a grudge against Klock.
• Adelina – The slave girl.
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
• Mina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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