Chapter 11- First Night In Yeshken (1)
“Can’t you let me eat just one meal in peace?”
Bellaxina’s fingers clenched tightly on her dress laid across her knees.
When Avalkin said “purpose,” he didn’t mean it in a general sense. It had a very specific meaning—one only the two of them understood.
“Resources are scarce in this land,” he replied.
Meaning: he didn’t even want to feed a slave who wasn’t fulfilling her purpose.
For a Margrave, he was incredibly petty.
“And if I refuse to fulfill that ‘purpose’?” she asked.
“I’d prefer not to kill you… It would be a loss of 10,000 gold.”
Only someone who saw her purely as a possession could say something like that.
It was disgusting—but not surprising.
Avalkin had always been that kind of man, and after a month of living like this, Bellaksina had gotten used to being treated like a thing.
“What if I could pay you back the 10,000 gold?”
Avalkin raised an eyebrow. She had piqued his interest.
“How?”
“The Autvayan family tomb. There are incredibly valuable burial treasures hidden there.”
Bellaxina straightened up, looking serious—as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
“I’ll give you 10% of it in exchange for my freedom. It’s not a bad deal.”
Avalkin thought about it for a moment, then said:
“No.”
“Why not?!”
“I thought we agreed to speak politely,” he said.
True.
As the weaker party tried to negotiate, it was smarter for Bellaxina to be respectful. Plus, as someone who was strict with subordinates, she also upheld proper manners toward those above her—though few ever ranked higher than her.
“…Why not?” she repeated, correcting her tone.
“Two reasons,” he said, raising two fingers.
She could count to two just fine, but something about that gesture made her feel stupid.
“First, I don’t believe you. If you had that kind of money, you would’ve done something before ending up a slave. Bought a fake noble title to escape disgrace, maybe. Or lived comfortably as a rich commoner. Based on what I know of your personality, I’d say you’d have used it for revenge against the Imperial family.”
Correct.
Bellaxina had planned to do exactly that when she discovered the secret vault in the tomb.
If not for the Blood-Bound Shadow Brotherhood waiting outside, she’d probably be leading a rebellion by now.
“I had my reasons,” she admitted.
“I became a slave before I could gather the treasures. But I did see them with my own eyes. If you don’t believe me, you can come check yourself. I’m still only offering 10%, though.”
“…That’s not a good idea,” Avalkin thought.
There’s a saying: Seeing makes you want.
Even people without greed can lose their morals when they see treasure.
And Bellaxina had no way to protect herself. She had nothing.
To bring Avalkin there and expect him to just take his fair share?
“You’re more naïve than you look.”
“Excuse me?”
“Second reason,” he went on without blinking.
Bellaxina bristled at the insult, but he continued.
“It’s not worth it.”
“Hah. Because I didn’t tell you the exact value of the treasures?”
She quickly thought of how to reduce the offer without making it too suspicious.
“There’s at least a million gold worth. Ten percent is 100,000. A tenfold profit—does that sound fair?”
“No.”
Avalkin cut her off without hesitation.
“It’s true I bought you for 10,000 gold. But the actual value I’ve gotten from you is… about 350,000. So 100,000 doesn’t cut it.”
Actual value?
Bellaxina blinked, going over his words in her head.
He spent 10,000 gold and got… her.
“Are you saying… I’m worth 350,000 gold?”
Huh.
She wasn’t even mad about that.
Sure, 350,000 gold wasn’t that impressive by her pre-collapse standards. But considering she started the slave auction at 200 gold, that amount was a huge upgrade.
With a hint of curiosity, she asked sweetly,
“Hmhm… Then if I give you 350,000 gold, will you let me go?”
“No. That brings me no benefit. I’d want at least 500,000 gold to cover the trouble of bringing you here and the cost of finding a replacement of equal value.”
“Five hundred thousand?!”
Any flicker of warmth she felt instantly vanished.
“You’re asking for half the treasure. How is that fair?”
“I never said it was exactly half. And you probably lowballed the value anyway.”
“Let’s not dwell on that!”
Damn it. He’s sharp. How did he know?
Before he caught on further, Bellaxina quickly changed the topic.
“Fine. Just lower the price.”
“No.”
“Why is my price so high, anyway?!”
“You complained it was too low and punched out the slave auction staff a month ago. Now it’s too high?”
That was an exaggeration.
She just… caused a small, cute scene.
“What I meant is, there should be a clear basis for pricing.”
“Hm.”
Avalkin nodded slightly. Maybe he saw some logic in that.
“I need to marry someone from a noble family ranked higher or higher. A typical count’s daughter would have a dowry of about 300,000 gold.”
That actually made sense.
“Then what’s the extra 50,000 for?”
“….”
Avalkin suddenly shut his mouth.
If someone like him wasn’t explaining something, it must be intentional.
“What’s the extra 50,000 for?!”
Bellaxina demanded.
“…It’s for the mother of my heir.”
Bellaxina’s jaw dropped.
I knew it.
Unbelievable.
I figured there was something shady going on… but this?
Avalkin had another woman.
Likely a commoner. The mother of his illegitimate child.
He’s planning to adopt the child of his mistress and name them his heir!
In noble society, where most marriages were political, having a mistress or two—or three or four—wasn’t a big deal.
But after producing a legitimate heir.
To sideline a noble wife and instead raise a child from a woman not even worthy of family registry?
This bastard!
Bellaxina’s fists trembled.
In a society where bloodlines were everything, this was one of the worst insults a husband could throw at his wife.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re filled with hatred and disgust.”
“Because I am.”
Bellaxina shot back with her most venomous glare.
“There is a reason why someone your age still isn’t married.”
“…What?”
Avalkin looked offended, but she didn’t stop.
“Well, lucky you. You bought a 350,000 gold bride for just 10,000. If you’d had to raise a real dowry in your dirt-poor territory, it would’ve broken your back.”
“Are you finished?”
“I could go on, but I won’t. It just dirties my mouth.”
Avalkin glared at her like he wanted to lash out.
But Bellaxina, with nothing to lose, stared him down without flinching.
A frozen tension filled the dining room.
“Looks like you’re not going to fulfill your purpose willingly.”
“Right. I’d rather die. No way I’m walking down the aisle next to trash like you.”
“Here we go again.”
Avalkin stood up, clearly done holding back.
“If you really wanted to die, why come to Yeshken? You could’ve just died in Blackwood.”
“Exactly! I regret it deeply!”
Bellaxina jumped up too, not backing down.
Their sharp gazes clashed across the long table.
“If it were up to me, I’d gladly grant your wish,” Avalkin growled like a beast.
“But since you made such a show of riding in with the carriage door wide open…”
“…!”
Bellaxina froze.
She hadn’t considered that.
By proudly arriving in front of the townsfolk with her unique appearance, she had already made it obvious to everyone that she was the mistress of Yeshken.
“In that case, let me help you better accept your situation.”
“What are you planning?”
“Is there anyone outside?” Avalkin called out.
Bellaxina tensed instinctively, sensing danger.
The dining room door opened, and the head maid Ingrid entered and gave a respectful bow.
Avalkin spoke.
“Ingrid. Prepare Lady Bellaxina’s chambers. The west tower should be appropriate.”
