The Slave Is Too Handsome - Chapter 84

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The slave is far too handsome!
084.
As if time itself had stopped, Grand Duke Dominic froze motionless where he stood.
Camilo, who had been watching him with a fixed gaze, suddenly burst out laughing.
“Hahahaha!”
The Grand Duke grew even more flustered, his expression betraying complete bewilderment as he stared at Camilo.
Camilo’s laughter, which had begun with his hand pressed to his belly, gradually subsided. Once he’d wiped away the tears clinging to his eyelids, he chuckled playfully.
“Your Grace. It was a jest, merely a jest.”
Camilo gripped the Grand Duke’s shoulder firmly, urging him to relax. Only then did the Grand Duke manage an awkward smile, though no sound of laughter escaped him.
“I confess, Your Majesty, I lack a gift for humor—my temperament is rather dry. Your wit is truly remarkable.”
“Remarkable? What use is a joke that doesn’t even amuse anyone?”
……
“But I understand your proposal well enough. The Nobadin Exclusive Trading Rights, you say? I shall give the matter due consideration.”
Camilo moved toward the door with an air of magnanimity.
“For now, do focus your efforts on preparing for the hunt that approaches. It shall prove a most pleasurable occasion for you.”
Opening the door himself, Camilo cast a subtle glance toward the Grand Duke—a silent, pointed dismissal.
Grand Duke Dominic reluctantly rose to his feet.
“May you have a peaceful evening, Your Majesty.”
With those words, he was ushered from the office as though banished.
The door shut with a bang, and the Grand Duke’s face drained of color as if he’d swallowed spoiled food.
“Did the negotiations not go well?”
The moment Dominic left Camilo’s chambers, his aide approached him with quick steps.
……
Without answering, the Grand Duke trudged toward his quarters, his mind consumed by Camilo’s words.
‘Bring me Valensio’s head at this hunt.’
Dominic bit his lip.
‘A jest. Frozen over.’
No fool could mistake Camilo’s words for anything but deadly earnest.
Camilo had tested him, and Dominic had heard something he should never have heard.
Would there be any consequence if he refused to comply?
The thought sent a chill through him—a sinking certainty that he’d fallen into a trap. Consumed by this unease, he returned to his quarters, where he suddenly remembered something he’d forgotten.
……
He had an appointment. The Reception Room was filled with a child’s laughter.
“Is this fun?”
Lucian was playing with Aden, putting his whole body into it. The scene struck Dominic as so natural that he watched the two of them for a long while.
When Lucian felt his presence and turned, still cradling Aden, their eyes met—the Grand Duke’s worry-worn face meeting Lucian’s gaze.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Lucian’s greeting was curt, and Dominic stepped inside.
“An urgent matter came to mind. My apologies for the delay.”
An awkward silence settled between them.
Dominic opened his arms wide to Aden, who was nestled in Lucian’s embrace.
“Aden, come here.”
Aden merely blinked, reluctant to move. But when Lucian stepped toward the Grand Duke, the boy finally returned to his father’s arms.
Once Aden had been sent away and the two were alone, they settled into their chairs with less formality. Their tones, too, became more at ease.
“You’ve met with Camilo, it seems.”
It was Lucian who spoke first, striking straight to the heart of the matter. Dominic maintained an utterly composed expression to conceal what he felt.
“I saw Camilo this morning already. But have you given thought to my proposal?”
Dominic subtly steered the conversation away.
‘So that’s it, then.’
Lucian’s gaze wasn’t fixed on the Grand Duke’s face—which was straining to appear indifferent—but on his hands.
The Grand Duke’s hand, resting on his lap, was tapping lightly against his thigh. It was an unconscious habit that emerged whenever Dominic lied—something he himself didn’t notice, but which Lucian had long since learned to recognize.
“Am I not better than Camilo? You’ve watched me for years—you know me well. I’m not ruled by emotion like that man, and I can discuss matters rationally.”
……
Dominic had fallen silent several times today. Already shaken after his encounter with Camilo, he couldn’t muster his usual quick wit.
Still, he clung to an air of composure, unwilling to surrender the upper hand in this conversation.
“Spare me the pleasantries. Will you accept my proposal or not?”
“You’ve doubtless gathered some intelligence, but allow me to remind you directly.”
……
“I hold my father’s—the Emperor’s—trust absolutely. I will become Crown Prince without needing to address any controversy. So wouldn’t it be wise for you to grasp my hand now?”
“Confidence runs deep, it seems.”
Dominic gave a derisive laugh, but Lucian pressed on undeterred.
“I still dislike you. But I acknowledge your caliber and ability. Promise me the Nobadin Exclusive Trading Rights, and the Empire will become a steadfast ally to Essen. Far more profitable than allying with some petty foreign power.”
Lucian’s face was grave as he spoke. Though Dominic showed nothing, he couldn’t help but feel a measure of trust in Lucian’s words—a man he himself had once commanded.
“Camilo changes terms whenever his mood shifts. Would you stake the Grand Duchy’s future on such a man? To burden Aden with such instability……”
“Enough, enough!”
Dominic cut him off with a raised voice, unwilling to hear more. Truth, however accurate, isn’t always pleasant to hear.
‘Has something shocking come from his meeting with Camilo?’
Lucian sensed the possibility of victory in the Grand Duke’s flushed face. He was pretending otherwise, but his resolve was wavering toward Lucian’s side.
“For old times’ sake, I’ll grant you time to consider. Decide by evening of the hunt. After that, it’s final.”
Lucian rose with a faint smile, and his footsteps toward the door were decidedly light.
“Do you know what your problem is?”
As Lucian passed the Grand Duke, a low voice caught him like a snare around his ankle.
He turned to see Dominic rise quietly, his eyes fixed squarely on Lucian’s face. Something complex flickered across the Grand Duke’s expression.
He’d been wrestling with whether to relay Camilo’s words, but now he’d made his decision.
“You’re too soft. People may follow you for it, but because of that very softness… you’ll lose everything in the end.”
“Is that a warning?”
“Call it advice.”
“I’m not worried.”
Lucian gave a slight shrug and left the Reception Room.
***
“You’ve returned?”
When he entered the Bedroom, Mary greeted him—she’d been wiping Eloïse with a damp cloth. Exhaustion was plainly written across her face.
“She took her medicine and fell asleep a short while ago.”
“You’ve done well, Mary. Go rest now. From here on, I’ll stay at her side.”
Mary stared at Lucian with frank disapproval, showing no sign of leaving.
And sure enough, her scolding began at once.
“You’re going to stay up all night again, aren’t you? If Your Majesty collapses……!”
“What do you take me for? I’m a strong man.”
“All the same!”
“I’ll rest my eyes here and there.”
Against Lucian’s stubbornness, Mary finally surrendered. She took one last look at Eloïse’s face before quietly leaving the Bedroom.
“Eloïse. When will you wake up, hmm?”
Lucian’s voice was soft as he sat on the edge of the bed. As expected, there came no answer.
At least there was this small mercy: color was gradually returning to the sleeping Eloïse’s face.
“Mmm……”
Lucian was moving to his chair when he paused. Eloïse whimpered as if caught in a nightmare, her closed eyes furrowed in distress.
“……Lucian.”
Alarmed at being called, Lucian gripped her hand firmly.
“I’m here, Eloïse.”
Her expression smoothed at his words.
Through the night, Lucian kept vigil at Eloïse’s side. Their joined hands did not part until morning broke.
***
Morning came on the day of the Hunting Festival.
The entrance to the largest Hunting Ground within the Imperial Palace was crowded with nobility from the early hours. Grand Duke Dominic stood among them, his face rigidly composed.
“Your Majesty has arrived!”
At someone’s cry, everyone turned their gaze to the same point.
The Empire’s First Prince and Second Prince appeared side by side. The two men, conscious of each other, exchanged a single sharp look before turning their heads away.
Camilo watched Lucian’s departing back as he approached familiar nobles, his expression sinister.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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