The Slave Is Too Handsome!
001.
The youngest, most brilliant, and most beautiful emperor in the history of the great Finistra Empire remembered the day he first met Eloise with perfect clarity.
Bang! Bang! Swoosh—
It was a day when a gloomy downpour poured relentlessly from the sky. Although the sun had not yet set, the sky and the air were so dark that the entire world seemed to have fallen into night, silent and still.
Amidst that darkness, in one of the most powerful ducal territories of the Finistra Empire, the private annex where the only daughter of the ducal family—Lady Eloise Bell La Croix—resided was bustling with activity.
The reason was simple: an order had been given to dress her more extravagantly than ever before.
“Where is she going?”
“There’s a ball at the count’s estate, isn’t there? She’s going there!”
“Oh, I heard the Second Prince will be attending this time too.”
The maids’ chatter continued even inside the lady’s room. They had just finished preparing the young lady for her outing.
“My lady, you are absolutely stunning. You are always beautiful, but today… you are so breathtaking that even the sun hidden behind the darkness would come out just to see you.”
The maids all praised Eloise in unison. Not a single word of it was a lie.
In fact, the maids serving Eloise were incredibly proud. They took great pride in serving the most beautiful, noble, and elegant young lady in the entire empire.
“Hmm.”
The subject of all that praise, however, merely glanced at her reflection in the mirror.
Not bad.
The face of the duchess’s daughter reflected in the mirror showed no emotion whatsoever.
“Good work, everyone.”
“You must tell us how everyone reacts when you arrive!”
“I heard Prince Camilo will be there today too. What if he goes blind after seeing you?”
How adorable.
Eloise quietly listened to the maids’ excited chatter as she picked up the mask prepared for her and began walking.
On the first floor, the knight responsible for guarding the young lady, Frederick, was waiting for his master. One of the maids whispered to him.
“She’s coming out.”
The moment Frederick raised his head, he saw Eloise slowly descending the wide central staircase connecting the first and second floors. The pure white hem of her dress fluttered lightly around her feet.
Frederick was startled.
For a moment, he almost wondered if his lady’s true destination was not the count’s ball at all.
He stood there, staring blankly at his master as if time had stopped. Eloise soon approached him and spoke indifferently.
“Let’s go.”
Eloise put on an extravagant mask that covered her eyes. Frederick escorted her.
The ducal carriage carrying the two of them began cutting through the darkness. Contrary to the wishes of the maids, the carriage was not headed toward the count’s estate where the ball was being held.
After traveling for quite some time, the carriage stopped in a dark and gloomy back alley.
An old doorknob covered in rust hung on a worn-down wall. When Frederick opened the door, Eloise stepped into the pitch-black interior.
A noble lady would have been frightened and unable to take even a single step inside, but Eloise walked forward with absolute confidence.
The air inside was damp and filled with the stench of mold and various unknown odors. There was even a faint smell of blood lingering somewhere. The place was humid and terribly dark.
Even though she had been searching places like this for several days, she could never become accustomed to this atmosphere.
Iron cages lined both sides of the narrow corridor, and male slaves clung to the bars. The cages rattled violently.
“A woman! She smells like bad luck!”
“Is she ugly? She’s wearing a mask, hahahaha!”
Whenever Eloise’s thin, luxurious dress brushed past the cages, the men howled like dogs.
They begged for her attention, desperate for even a single glance. They shouted filthy remarks without hesitation.
Yet Eloise’s proud gaze never wavered.
Escorted by her knight, she continued deeper and deeper inside until the path split into two directions.
Loud noises came from the left. A slave auction seemed to be underway, but that was not where Eloise’s interest lay.
“This way.”
Eloise chose the right path and walked farther inside.
At the end of the corridor stood a middle-aged man with a large belly.
He was the slave trader she had arranged to meet today.
“I have been waiting for you, Lady.”
At the slave trader’s words, Frederick glared at him.
It was a warning not to openly reveal her identity here. They were fortunate that no one else had heard. If a third party had overheard him, that person would already have been on their way to hell.
The slave trader lowered his eyes.
“My apologies. I was simply overwhelmed by the honor of meeting the young lady herself…”
“It doesn’t matter. More importantly, is the thing I asked for ready?”
“Of course. Please come this way.”
The slave trader guided Eloise deeper inside. A quiet and dark hallway appeared. Visibility was poor. Frederick extended a hand toward his master.
“That’s unnecessary.”
The proud young lady rejected his kindness sharply. Then, she passed him and walked gracefully forward.
The three of them arrived at the innermost reception room.
Perhaps it was soundproofed, because the noisy sounds from moments ago disappeared instantly.
This reception room had been prepared for occasional VIP—no, VVIP—customers like Eloise.
In the center of the dark room was a soft velvet sofa.
Eloise sat down and crossed her legs. The slave trader spoke.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
Eloise merely gave a slight nod.
The slave trader bowed deeply and quickly left the room.
Indeed.
She truly was the daughter of the powerful La Croix ducal family, one of the most influential houses in the great Finistra Empire.
Even with half her face covered by a mask, her beauty was undeniable. And beyond that, there was an aura that made her impossible to approach.
Although she was just a young girl smaller than himself, the slave trader found himself overwhelmed by the presence of the duchess’s daughter.
“Ahem, my lady.”
At her knight’s call, Eloise glanced at him.
Frederick spoke.
“Would it not be better to return now? No matter how much I think about it, this is not a place suitable for you to visit.”
“Frederick.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“When have you ever seen me make a mistake? Has there ever been a time when my decision was wrong?”
Her emerald eyes shone fiercely through the gaps in her mask.
When their gazes met, Frederick flinched.
Before those eyes, he always felt insignificant.
Yet that was also the very reason he admired his master.
“I apologize. My thoughts were shallow.”
Frederick lowered his head, and Eloise turned her gaze forward once more.
The waiting felt endless.
It had already been a week.
For an entire week, Eloise had searched every corner of this area, examining countless slaves.
The strange behavior of the elegant young duchess was all because of one rumor.
A rumor that a beautiful blond man had been brought in as a slave.
If I come up empty-handed again…
No. Don’t think negatively.
Even if I fail to find the one I want, I can find another method. I can do this, Eloise.
As she encouraged herself, the slave trader appeared before her.
“You have waited a long time.”
When the slave trader pulled on the chain around his neck, a blond man hidden in the darkness crawled out on all fours into the light.
His messy hair covered his face. He had pale skin and a lean, muscular body.
Judging by his broad shoulders, he was likely quite tall as well.
The man seemed displeased with something and kept his gaze fixed on the floor.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and greet her properly.”
“Ugh!”
The slave trader pulled the chain upward, shortening it.
He treated the man like a dog he owned without any affection.
The man struggled in pain.
Yet his head remained lowered toward the floor.
It was clear he did not want to obey the slave trader’s orders. There was defiance in his expression.
He has some spirit.
Eloise watched him calmly before slowly rising from her seat.
Her face remained composed, but inside, her heart was racing.
The anticipation of finally obtaining what she wanted filled her with excitement. It was a pleasant tension.
“My lady!”
Despite Frederick’s attempt to stop her, Eloise slowly approached the disheveled man.
From the man’s lowered perspective, he saw a pure white, slender ankle.
Then a clear, elegant voice followed.
“Show me your face.”
A noble really was a noble.
The slave trader sneered inwardly at Eloise’s gentle tone.
Did she really think he would listen just because she asked nicely?
The man he had brought was strange.
Even as a slave, he had an unusually strong pride. He was not someone who would immediately submit to a noble’s words like the others.
The more he was beaten, the stronger the murderous intent in his eyes became. He had become a person of concern the moment he entered this place.
“!”
Contrary to the slave trader’s arrogant thoughts, the man who had been resisting moments ago slowly raised his head.
Eloise bent her knees and lowered herself to meet his eye level.
The distance between them quickly closed.
Their eyes met.
Between his disheveled hair were clear blue eyes.
A high nose, sharp gaze, and a refined jawline completely unlike that of a slave.
His upper body was uncovered, revealing various scratches and wounds.
Yet even with those injuries, his skin remained incredibly fair. It was almost surprising.
“Can you stand?”
The moment Eloise finished speaking, the slave trader pulled the chain again.
The man frowned but this time obediently straightened his knees and stood.
As expected, he was tall and well-built.
After washing him and putting him in proper clothes, he’ll be quite impressive.
A faint smile appeared on Eloise’s lips.
“How beautiful.”
The slave flinched at her words.
Soon, a mocking smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
It was amusing to him that this sheltered noble girl, who knew nothing of the world, was saying such things.
“Would you like to come with me?”
The slave trader’s face brightened.
He expected the duchess’s daughter would pay an extremely high price.
But the slave who heard those words only raised his fierce eyes and reached out toward Eloise.
“!”
“My lady!”
“This bastard!”
Eloise stepped back slightly in surprise, but the mask covering her face had already fallen to the ground because of the man’s hand.
Her hidden face was revealed completely.
Frederick quickly picked up the mask and stepped in front of his master.
In a situation that could have become dangerous, Eloise instead smiled with satisfaction.
“I like it. Even this boldness.”
