To My Arrogant Master - Chapter 4

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“Come in.”

A low baritone voice came from behind the deep reddish-brown door.

At the nod of the servant who smoothly opened the door, Flora stepped into the office. It had been three days since she arrived here and was assigned a room.

Finally meeting the duke, Flora walked up to the desk where the man was sitting and stopped. The man’s silver hair, bathed in sunlight, was so dazzling that she slightly furrowed her brow.

Although he must have heard her presence, the duke was focusing all his attention on some documents, like they were something important.

Wearing a light shirt unbuttoned down to below his collarbone instead of his formal uniform adorned with medals, he looked quite different.

When she had seen him in the dark camp, he had exuded a dangerous aura, but now he seemed somewhat relaxed.

Reaffirming this fact, Flora opened her mouth.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

The man’s gaze, which had been fixed on the documents, slowly rose. The duke’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Flora.

The disparity between the soldier who had been covered in mud, whom he had certainly brought, and the woman standing before him now was quite significant.

He examined the woman’s complexion, slightly tanned by the sun, and her lean body for a while.

The woman’s build, with her hair tied back in a single knot, was relatively small. While average compared to noble ladies, her frame was exceedingly delicate compared to female knights.

Moreover, he hadn’t noticed her platinum blonde hair that fell below her chest before. Looking at her now, the smooth neckline visible beneath her collar, her clear features, and her quite graceful body lines were apparent.

He could somewhat understand why some nobles had been tempted to raise their hands against her beauty. Couldn’t she be compared even to Lady Sternbow, who’s famous for her beauty?

However, he soon frowned. It was because of her attire. She’s wearing the ash-colored training uniform instead of the dress Mary had brought her.

“I ordered proper clothes to be given… Did you not receive them?”

“I judged it inappropriate attire for meeting you. And this uniform is worn by all imperial soldiers.”

“That’s right… But the war is over. As soon as you leave, throw away those tattered clothes.”

At his tone that seemed just looking at it was irritating, Flora’s blue eyes were slightly raised.

“Is that an order?”

“An order?”

The duke laughed softly as if he had heard something funny.

“Let’s call it the first instruction from your new master.”

The woman seemed reluctant, but she nodded.

Claude, who had only seen pale skin on noble ladies, found the woman with her skin moderately tanned by the sun, exuding a peculiar atmosphere, interesting to look at.

Suddenly realizing that he couldn’t take his eyes off her, he inwardly mocked himself for being just another man and opened a box on one side of the desk to take out a cigar.

A pungent aroma seeped from the end of the cigar that he lightly chewed between his teeth. In the office that even exuded tranquility, he slightly rolled the cigar body he was holding with his finger and then took a deep breath.

After savoring the aroma that filled his mouth, he exhaled sharply, and the gray smoke spread slowly into the air.

He quietly observed the woman standing motionless in front of him while repeating this series of actions.

With that small and seemingly fragile body, she had reportedly cut down so many enemies. Having been involved in the war himself, he had heard the rumors about the 12th Division that had spread to the south.

But looking at her now, it was hard to believe that this docile woman standing there was the same person as the soldier with that terrifying reputation.

Only after the end of the cigar had turned to ash did the duke move his lips.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Flora.”

“I heard you have no memories from before becoming a soldier… Who gave you that name?”

“I lived without a name when I was young, and after becoming a soldier, I came to be called Flora.”

Flora answered without hesitation.

Having heard that she was frustratingly taciturn, but seeing her respond quite well, he lazily propped his chin and took a more comfortable position.

“What have you been doing until now?”

“I annihilated enemies on the battlefield.”

Was she someone who burns with loyalty? Unconsciously, Claude’s lips twisted.

“Apart from knowing how to kill people, what are you good at?”

“I have good stamina.”

Finding it a bit boring that all her responses were so brief, Claude languidly narrowed his eyes and asked again.

“Does that mean you endure well in bed too? I mean, that body of yours.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Flora frowned slightly and answered immediately.

No matter how long she had been on the battlefield, she wasn’t so innocent as to not understand those words. Soldiers always said vulgar things when they gathered.

It should have been embarrassing, but her immediate response without even a change in facial color made Claude stretch his lips.

It seemed the question was quite displeasing to her. For the first time since entering this room, a slight expression clouded the woman’s face, which had been as emotionless as a sculpture.

Even that was a subtle change in expression that would be difficult to notice unless closely observed, but it was much more human-like than talking to an unresponsive wooden block.

The duke crushed the cigar he was holding and asked.

“If I, your master, wanted to confirm… Would you refuse?”

And then he completely removed the faint smile he had been wearing.

However, there was no trace of desire in his voice. It was more like curiosity about how this stiff woman would react.

But contrary to his expectations, the woman remained silent. It looked more like a silent protest of defiance rather than hesitation.

The duke straightened his back, which had been lazily leaning, and placed both elbows on the table. At this moment, the dignity of the head of the Heinst ducal family, known as the shield of the empire, flowed from him.

“By now… you must be quite curious about why I brought you here.”

“Do you have a reason?”

The woman asked back with sharp eyes, as if she had thought it was just a common whim of nobles from the beginning. Claude’s lips drew a deep curve as he read the woman’s vague temperament.

In fact, he too was reconsidering the cause of his own actions.

He could well imagine the emperor’s intentions, who had asked for the noble houses to take in the soldiers called demons, even while placating the Verseum Alliance, which would be on high alert.

‘He probably thought it was too wasteful to just throw them away. Thanks to them, the western front had been doing well.’

The young emperor, though foolish, was quite ambitious and would never forget the humiliation of defeat.

Wanting to plan for the future, he’s putting on an act of sending them to noble houses under the pretext of rehabilitation, so that he can bring them back and use them whenever he wants, but doesn’t want to keep them under his own command.

But he intended to just pretend to follow that order by making various excuses, and had no intention of bringing anyone.

Yet, it was quite impulsive of him, who had been so determined, to choose Flora, who was rumored to be the least human-like among all the soldiers.

It was just out of a small curiosity when he saw the woman.

Those eyes that shone the bluest even in that dark place. Her clear face, which made it impossible to recall the vicious rumors, was quite impressive.

He had heard a lot, but not having witnessed it directly, he was curious. What exactly had this woman done?

Perhaps it was because he was disgusted by the imperial family’s behavior of using people’s abilities to the fullest and then pretending to be noble by slipping away when they were no longer needed.

He wanted to see the arrogant emperor’s face when it would be flattened after seeing her act like a proper person.

‘When he sees that the rumored skilled person has turned into an unremarkable woman no different from ordinary people… That dumbfounded expression would be quite a sight to see.’

Imagining the expression of the emperor, who would undoubtedly summon that woman before long, interest quickly bloomed on his relaxed face.

“I favor people based on their abilities. If you show your usefulness, I promise treatment befitting that.”

“You mean, like a human being?”

Even after hearing her stiff response, Claude continued to the main point while closely observing the woman’s face.

“I don’t need to tell you about people’s perception of the 12th Division on the western front.”

“…I’m well aware.”

Although they had annihilated the enemy at the forefront for the empire, the 12th Division’s reputation was the worst.

This was due to rumors that spread among the allies, who shuddered at the cruel actions of some soldiers.

While the formal knights who had taken the knight’s oath maintained some level of decency, those belonging to the 12th Division never had such boundaries to begin with.

They indiscriminately killed anyone they perceived as an obstacle in their path.

If they had just ended it by thrusting in their swords, there wouldn’t have been any rumors leaking out, but some collected ears as trophies and butchered the enemy in unspeakably cruel ways.

Even their allies were appalled by this brutality. After all, it was a place formed by gathering criminals, so there was no one who would follow the spirit of chivalry or the laws of war.

Of course, Flora preferred to cleanly cut off breath rather than engage in such messy acts.

However, as she had become widely known as the top performer within that group, she ended up becoming the protagonist of the rumors of being the most cruel and terrible.

Flora could easily understand that what the duke was asking now was all about that.

“I intend to give you a new opportunity. To be reborn as my person and live like a human being.”

“……”

But unlike before, Flora hesitated to answer.

Judging by her expressionless face, it was impossible to read what she was thinking, but the slight movement of her red lips suggested she had something she wanted to ask.

“If there’s something you want to ask me, I’ll allow the question.”

“…If I refuse your order, will you kill me?”