The Sword and The Dress -
Chapter V41
The Sword and The Dress (Volume 4) – Chapter 1
Translator: Nezu
Editor: Daed
(Links for volumes 1 to 3: The Sword and The Dress – Novel Updates)
***
Soon afterwards, Captain Jullius returned with a wooden basin of water in his hands. I felt excited for some reason as I watched him set the basin down beside the bed and prepare the towel, not even daring to get in his way.
I don’t think washing someone else’s feet is fun, though!
As I sat on my knees on the bed, seemingly hiding my two feet, Captain rolled up his sleeves and looked up at me, his eyes sparkling. I do like that he’s staring at me like that but it’s also a bit of a problem for me because it’s too damn cute!
“…Jullius.”
“Hm?”
“I do appreciate that you want to treat me better, but I’ll feel uncomfortable if I don’t do anything for you in return.”
No, don’t be sad! I hurriedly continued the conversation.
“So it’s fine if you ask me to do something for you! I definitely won’t feel uncomfortable anymore! So come on, tell me!”
“Sta—”
“Except staying by your side!”
His mouth that was just about to open closed again. Captain sank into contemplation, his head tilted slightly to the side. Yeees, go ahead and think about what you want. There must be something that you want me to do for you. There should be. Don’t just keep repeating your words like a parrot. Be greedy for once.
“Umm…”
Minutes of silence passed. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if we stayed up all night.
“Just say it even if you think that I wouldn’t like it. I swear to the goddess that I won’t hate you. Even if you ask me to help you kill the High Priest, I still won’t hate you. I’ll just politely refuse.”
Hearing my reply, Captain Jullius’s eyes narrowed slightly. Then he gradually looked up and spoke.
“I…”
“Yes?”
“…I won’t let you escape if you ever try to leave.”
Huh? Is he, like, for real?
“Of course, that’s a given. Didn’t I tell you that already? Anyway, that’s fine by me.”
Is this any different from… self-defense? Well, if I’m going to confine the Captain, then he can do it to me as well.
“Anything else besides that?”
Tell me something else. I beg you, please.
“Is there really nothing else that you want me to do? Do you want my shoulder? You can bite my neck if you want.”
Sofia’s surely going to nag me a little later but so what. I can put up with that. What else could I offer besides that, I wonder… I’ve told him I don’t want him to wash my feet, and to feed me right? Should I just learn how to cook and make something? I don’t think I can cook something edible, though… I really can’t think of something I could do for him. I think I can kind of understand now why Captain’s distressed. Maybe I could buy him a bouquet and put it by his bed.
“…Roel.”
“Yes?”
“I have never once asked someone… for something.”
Captain Jullius spoke slowly, as if to gather his thoughts.
“Back when I was still a child, I… just tried to survive. No, I think I just struggled to survive unconsciously. When I came to the empire… there was nothing more I could ask for. Ortzen complained that if he was dragged around like this, he’d only be used and thrown away. Even so, it didn’t matter much to me. There is nothing more for me to want. I don’t even know how to be greedy. I don’t want nor need anything.”
This deep, low voice was saying that he didn’t want anything. As I listened to his words, I suddenly felt a lump in my throat.
“…So, even now, you still don’t have anything you want?”
“I…”
The pair of pale gray eyes was filled with the image of me sitting on the bed.
“…I do.”
“What is it?”
I could guess what he was going to say but I still asked. Come on, tell me.
“…Roel, I want you.”
“Then come here,” I said as I got up from bed, standing by Captain’s side. He didn’t come up to me right away, though.
“Why aren’t you moving?”
“But a person is not something one should want.”
“Why not? I’ll allow you to want me, so come here.”
I beckoned him to come closer but Captain didn’t even move a muscle.
“I told you it’s okay.”
“…I don’t want to. I like Roel so much, so I don’t want to confine you or anything.”
It’s a bit vexing to hear him say that but I’ll ignore it for now. I said that it’s okay so why is he saying that he doesn’t want to even after saying that he likes me so much?
“You really don’t want to? You said you want me.”
“Yes, I did but I can’t…”
“…fine. Then let’s do the opposite.”
He spoke with a sigh.
“I want you, Jullius. How about that?”
“That one is good.”
That answer was fast. I’ve already asked him a lot of times to be mine. So I wonder why he couldn’t ask me to be his.
“Come over here. Listen to me.”
Only then did he come closer. I raised my hand to caress Captain’s neck and cheeks.
“Jullius.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re mine.”
“Yeah.”
“So you can ask me to take responsibility for you.”
This time, he didn’t answer. Instead, a question about what my words meant surfaced in his pale gray eyes.
“That’s just the way it is. A superior always has to take responsibility for his subordinates, servants, and slaves. You can complain to me if I neglect you or if I don’t take care of you properly, if I don’t take responsibility for having you.”
“But…”
“It’s only natural to pay the appropriate price to own something whether it’s an object, an animal, or a person. So, in exchange for having you, you’ll be the person closest to me, the person I like the most.”
In short, you’re mine and I’m yours! That’s what I want to say but, since the Captain wouldn’t like that, I won’t. His eyes flitted around, showing his confusion. He looked at me again.
“…then if I belong to you, can I stay by your side?”
“No, you can’t just stay. It means that you can never leave me because you’re mine. If someone asks you to leave me, you can’t leave. Not because you won’t leave but because you can’t. You have to stay with me even if you don’t want to. You’ll never be allowed to leave me for the rest of your life. We’ll be together forever until one of us dies.”
“Forever…”
“Yes. Once you fall into my hands, you’ll never be able to escape. Never.”
I felt a bit guilty because the words I said somehow resembled that of someone signing a slave contract. It was too one-sided.
“So tell me now if you hate it. Do you hate it?”
Even if he tells me that he hates it, I’ll stay with him just like I told him. Captain quickly shook his head at my question.
“No, I like it.”
“Then from now on, you’re mine. Don’t listen to what others tell you. Just do what you want. Stay by my side, look at me and tell me what you want. I’ll allow all of that.”
“…Roel.”
The voice calling out to me trembled, and the corners of Captain’s eyes began to grow moist. What, wait! Which part of that conversation made him cry?! D-did I say something wrong? Was I too selfish? Well, I did say whatever I liked and spoke as I pleased, but he liked it anyway!
“W-why are you crying?”
Don’t cry! Why is he crying?! Uugh, I can no longer stop it, it’s running down his cheeks now! What should I do?
Thud!
I couldn’t decide whether I should hug and comfort him or wipe his tears first. Just then, a sudden loud noise was heard. As I turned my head to look, I saw Clauen standing by the door and a basin of water that had fallen on the ground. Captain must have asked him for more water.
Clauen exclaimed, surprise etched on his face.
“Sir Roel! Why did you make our Captain cry?!”
***
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