I’ve Become a S*ave Bride - Chapter 56
The next morning, Lenette sought out Sabia as soon as dawn broke. Fortunately, Sabia did not refuse the meeting.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Lenette, stepping into the room, offered the first greeting. At that, the woman sitting at a corner table stood up hesitantly and approached.
“Hello…”
The small, petite woman was a beauty with large, striking eyes.
‘She has a charming face.’
However, as if unaware of her own charm, she looked completely shrunken, drawing her shoulders inward.
‘She doesn’t look bold enough to participate in Rahim’s plan.’
Lenette couldn’t find a trace of the woman who had deliberately tried to seduce Kazen in the dining hall.
‘What is this? This sense of disconnect.’
“This is the first time the two of us have spoken like this.”
“T-true…”
Suddenly, Sabia squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. Then, snapping her eyes open, she began to explain herself out of the blue.
“I—I’m truly not greedy for the position by Lord Kazen’s side…!”
At Sabia’s timid outburst, silence descended upon the room.
Both Lenette, who sat opposite Sabia, and Sabia’s maid, who had been serving tea beside them, went completely still.
In that state where time seemed to have stopped and no one moved, only Sabia was breathing heavily, her face flushed bright red.
Lenette folded her hands demurely on her lap and gazed at Sabia.
“Then what is it?”
Sabia lowered her head deeply.
“T-that’s… because it’s what Rahim wants…”
Lenette asked back in a calm voice.
“Do you perhaps like Rahim?”
As if the question was entirely unexpected, Sabia’s eyes flew wide in shock. Lenette, finding the reaction cuter than anticipated, spoke in a gentle tone.
“It’s alright. I won’t tell anyone.”
Only then did she offer a timid confession.
“…Yes.”
The conversation was flowing more easily than expected.
‘This makes things simple.’
Lenette let the corners of her mouth curl up into a smile as she addressed Sabia.
“I heard from Rahim. That you two made a sort of contract regarding the position of Kazen’s wife.”
“Yes…! I would never covet Lord Kazen—”
“I know. I understand, so just listen to me for a moment.”
Sabia timidly raised her head and met Lenette’s eyes. Lenette looked into those round, dark eyes and spoke.
“Sabia. Kazen only wants me. And I, too, have no intention of becoming anyone else’s wife but his.”
“……!”
“Rahim eventually agreed to this yesterday. So, from now on, there will be no more plans regarding you becoming Kazen’s wife or anything of the sort.”
A look of brightness spread across Sabia’s face.
However, it didn’t last long.
She seemed to realize that if the goal involving Kazen disappeared, she would also lose her excuse to remain by Rahim’s side.
“Do you want to continue staying by Rahim’s side, Sabia?”
After biting her lip hesitantly for a moment, she admitted in a small voice.
“……Yes.”
That was enough.
Lenette turned her gaze toward the middle-aged maid attending to them.
“I have something important to discuss.”
It was a request for privacy. Sabia let out a soft “Ah” and fidgeted with her fingertips.
—
“She is the nanny who has looked after me since I was a child…. She is like a mother to me…….”
“Then I understand. But what I am about to say must not leak out.”
As the atmosphere turned serious, Sabia gulped and nodded her head.
“I made a request to Rahim yesterday.”
“A… request?”
“Yes. A request to protect Kazen.”
“To protect him…?”
“The Sarman Merchant Guild. Have you ever heard of them?”
“Yes.”
“They are acting with malice, trying to destroy Kazen and those around him.”
At Lenette’s confident words, both Sabia and the middle-aged woman standing beside her widened their eyes.
“The Sarman Merchant Guild is… targeting Lord Kazen?”
“That’s right. And yesterday, I asked Rahim to investigate them.”
Lenette spoke, her voice dropping lower.
“However, for Rahim to deal with Sarman, he needs your strength, Sabia.”
“My… strength?”
The middle-aged woman, who had been listening to the conversation from the side, spoke up for the first time.
“You want him to investigate the Sarman Merchant Guild through the Kasabi Merchant Guild.”
“Exactly.”
Sabia stared at Lenette with a blank expression. Lenette met her gaze with a firm look.
“Sabia, Rahim is going to ask you for help. Whether you take the hand he holds out or not is your choice.”
“He’s going to… ask me for help?”
“Yes. He might even ask for your hand in marriage.”
“……!”
Sabia’s face lit up instantly.
“W-will Rahim and I… become husband and wife?”
‘She’s going to agree to help without asking any questions.’
“But… Rahim sees me… only as a friend….”
There was no need to explain every detail of Rahim’s inner thoughts.
“I don’t know about that for certain. However, after accepting the relationship between Kazen and me, Rahim told me this: if Sabia doesn’t become Kazen’s wife, she will have to marry an old local noble. He was worried about you.”
At that, Sabia’s eyes began to waver with emotion.
“Really…?”
“Truly.”
That worry might not have been a romantic feeling, but there was no need to explain that much.
“I… I would love to!”
As expected, the conversation was resolved easily. It was because Sabia’s feelings were directed toward Rahim, not Kazen.
“However, Sabia. I’m not sure if Rahim will reach out first. Rahim believes the only reason you are staying by his side is solely because of ‘Kazen.’”
“That’s not true at all…!”
“Have you ever once revealed the fact that you like Rahim?”
“…….”
Apparently not.
Lenette spoke as if to soothe Sabia.
“If he is someone who is quite clumsy when it comes to romance, wouldn’t there be a high possibility that he hasn’t noticed your feelings?”
“…….”
Lenette locked eyes with the maid standing beside Sabia. For some reason, the maid’s eyes were shining even brighter than Sabia’s.
It felt like a signal to persuade her young lady more proactively.
After exchanging a brief look with her, Lenette spoke to Sabia.
“Sabia. Reach out to Rahim first. If you do, you will be able to stay by his side forever.”
“D-do you really think so…?”
“Yes.”
Lenette smiled brightly and looked at the middle-aged nanny. At that, the woman explained to her young lady.
“Besides, Miss. There are very few people who can investigate the Sarman Merchant Guild without being noticed. Unless it is someone in a rival position, like the Kasabi Merchant Guild.”
“Ah…!”
As Sabia let out a small gasp, Lenette whispered to her.
“Let me give you one piece of advice. Do not let yourself be dragged around by Rahim like before.”
“Not be dragged around…?”
“Sabia, you now hold the power that he needs in your hands.”
Lenette leaned in a little closer to Sabia’s ear.
“Remember this well. If you want to make Rahim your man, from now on, you shouldn’t be following him; you have to lead him. You can do that, right?”
—
After that morning conversation with Sabia, Lenette did not cross paths with her again.
Since Lenette and Kazen’s schedule was tight and they had to leave the Sugar Palace just two days later, they were busy preparing.
However, good news reached them.
“They’re moving into the same room.”
“So that’s why the palace is so busy?”
“Yes.”
It seemed that immediately after her meeting with Lenette, Sabia had gone to see Rahim and settled the matter.
‘She has more initiative than she looks.’
For a woman who had been shrunken and merely followed Rahim’s orders, her actions were quite swift—but as they say, all’s well that ends well.
‘Anyway, it worked out.’
Watching the servants repack the luggage they had just unpacked, Kazen glanced at Lenette and asked.
“What kind of conversation did you have with Sabia?”
“I didn’t say much.”
She didn’t mention that Sabia had been in love with Rahim for a very long time.
That was a secret she wanted to keep, woman to woman.
“For someone who didn’t say much, the changes happening here are quite significant.”
Kazen gestured with his chin toward the servants moving furniture, presumably Sabia’s belongings, into the building where Rahim stayed.
Lenette gave a small laugh and spoke.
“Did you hear the news that Rahim is going to accept Sabia as his formal wife?”
“What? Is that true?”
“Probably.”
Since Kazen knew well that Lenette was not one to make empty claims, he wore a dazed expression but did not ask again if it was true.
“How on earth did you do it?”
“We just had a bit of a girls’ talk.”
Just then, Nazan came running from afar.
“Lord Kazen, you need to come for a moment.”
“Why?”
“Kuz is…”
“Is he refusing to go back into the cage?”
“……Yes.”
Having roamed around freely, it seemed he hated the idea of going back into a cramped cage.
Exhaling a sigh, Kazen turned toward Lenette and gave her a warning.
“Just in case, don’t move around alone.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes.”
With that, Kazen disappeared.
—
Lenette laughed softly and headed toward the shade. Since the packing was in its final stages, they would be departing soon.
“I should get some rest until then.”
Thinking back, she had come to the Sugar Palace to relax, yet even here, she felt like she had done nothing but run around working.
“It’s not like I’m some messenger bird of love.”
She let out a chuckle, swinging her legs and playing with the grass on the ground.
Just then, someone approached her.
“Lady Lenetts.”
When she turned toward the voice, Sabia’s nanny was standing there.
“Hello.”
As Lenette stood up with a bright greeting, the woman bowed her head.
“My introduction is late. I am Tamira, Lady Sabia’s maid.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Lenette.”
“The reason I have sought you out is to give you this.”
What Tamira handed over was a wooden plaque engraved with a drawing and characters.
“What is this?”
“If you go to the Kasabi Merchant Guild in the capital and show them this, telling them that I sent you, they will assist you, Lady Lenette”
