Heroine Hunter

I took Eve out for lunch.

We went to a noodle shop near the plaza, knowing she had been craving noodles. 

‘Come to think of it, I usually avoid ordering noodles because they get soggy quickly.’

Eve looked around the restaurant in awe, as if she had never seen a place like this before. 

At first, I thought she was just surprised to be in a place where commoners ate, but when I checked her thoughts, I realized.

[I’m outside. Finally, I’m outside!!!]  

It appeared she was just excited to be out of the shop for once.

Thankfully, Eve had changed her outfit before we left. 

Instead of her usual underboob-exposing outfit, she wore a cropped top that only revealed her navel and a long skirt that reached her ankles. 

Compared to the clothes she usually wore in the shop, she looked almost ladylike today. 

Still, she had chosen an outfit that left her lower stomach exposed. 

Her large chest caused the bottom of her shirt to float away from her body like a curtain.  

Sitting across from her, I said, “You don’t have to expose your belly when we’re outside, Eve.”  

“Ahaha. It’s just that today’s a bit hot…” 

she replied awkwardly, rubbing her lower stomach.  

“It feels cool today, though.”

Leaning forward and resting her chest on the table, Eve whispered, “The chest you like so much, Boss… With this kind of weather, I sweat underneath.”  

“Oh.”  

The thought of Eve’s chest covered in sweat made me want to lick her right then and there.  

The men in the restaurant were all glancing at Eve. 

Even on our way here, she had drawn quite a bit of attention. 

It made sense—she was an incredibly beautiful woman with large breasts, and the imperial symbol of a sex slave, the womb tattoo, was visible on her stomach.  

After seeing her, everyone would look at me too, each one with an expression that seemed to say, “Who are you, and what’s your deal?”

Eve was deliberately showing off the slave tattoo, trying to send the message, “I’m definitely not a princess!” with her entire appearance.  

[No one could possibly think I’m Evangeline Lorelein.]  

Knowing this, I decided to tease her a bit.  

“Earlier, you said you didn’t want to show it in the shop.”  

“Well, I’ve gotten used to it now.”  

“At this rate, after just a few more days, there won’t be anyone who doesn’t know you’re my slave.”  

“Are you embarrassed by me or something, Boss?”  

“Hmm. Not at all. In fact, I’m proud of it. But, if people start spreading rumors that you’re my slave when you’re not, it might affect your chances for marriage.”  

“I’m not really concerned about that.”  

It seemed she was determined to make sure people saw her as a slave, so no one would suspect she was the princess.  

Our noodles were served.  

“Eat up.”  

“Enjoy your meal too, Boss.”  

While we ate, I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation from a nearby table.  

“Did you hear the news? Looks like the war is about to end soon.”  

“Really?”  

“They say that a young adventurer with red hair, Zeke, took down one of the demon army’s major leaders. It turned the tide of the entire war.”  

“With a contribution like that, his life is set now.”  

“Wouldn’t that be a bit unfortunate, though?”  

“Huh? Why?”  

“Think about it. With that kind of achievement, in different circumstances, there might’ve been talk of him marrying the princess.”  

“Hmm. That’s true.” 

“Sigh, ‘The Blue Jewel of the Empire,’ they say. It’s more like the Empire’s traitor, the demon’s lackey.”  

Eve’s chopsticks paused.  

“Seems like even the military police have given up trying to catch her.”  

“Can you even catch someone who uses dark magic? She probably fled the capital long ago.”  

“They say His Majesty cherished her a lot. Dark magic must be terrifying. Imagine doing something that could threaten her position as a princess.”  

This was also in the novel.  

Evangeline had once been highly favored by the Emperor. 

But after being falsely accused, she didn’t even get the chance to plead her innocence before being forced to flee.  

It made sense—both the Empress and the First Prince had meticulously trapped her, leaving no escape.  

They had gifted her cookies, and after consuming them, she woke up to find herself standing in a dark magic circle drenched in blood, surrounded by dozens of corpses.  

To make matters worse, she was caught in the act by a high-ranking royal mage. 

Even though she protested her innocence—  

“So, the rumors that you can’t control your mana and have fallen into dark magic… were true then.”  

Realizing that even the royal mage was siding with the Empress and the First Prince, Evangeline had no choice but to flee. 

Better that than being burned at the stake for a crime she didn’t commit.

[Can I ever clear my name? I have nothing. I can’t even use mana, let alone dark magic. Right now, I’m only free because I’m pretending to be the boss’s slave. Am I going to have to live as Eve forever?]

I waved my hand in front of Eve’s eyes, where a faint sheen of tears had appeared as she absentmindedly held her noodles.  

“Eve?”  

“Yes?”  

Her large eyes shimmered as if tears were about to fall.  

“Do you not like it here? I thought you’d enjoy the food.”  

“Huh? No, it’s really good!”  

“Yeah? Well, that’s a relief.”  

After finishing our meal, we decided to go shopping along the main street.  

“Thank you for the meal…”  

As I paid, Eve quietly mumbled to me in a small voice.  

When people think of a princess, they probably imagine someone proud, arrogant, and ignorant of the world’s realities.  

‘But why is she so cute?’

“Please come again.”  

I wrapped my arm around Eve’s shoulders and, for show, grabbed one of her breasts. 

She flinched in surprise.  

“If you’re a slave, don’t just say thanks—repay me with your body.”  

Caught off guard, Eve quickly replied, conscious of the other patrons’ gazes in the restaurant.  

“… Yes, Master.”

As we left the restaurant, I could faintly hear the voices of those guys who had been talking about Eve earlier.  

“I envy that guy more than that red-haired Zeke or whatever his name is.”  

“I wholeheartedly agree.”  

Even after we left the restaurant, I kept fondling Eve’s chest as we walked. 

I could feel the glances of people passing by, noticing what I was doing. 

Eve’s face turned bright red, and though she fidgeted with her hands, she didn’t say a word to me. 

After all, a slave couldn’t tell her master to stop touching her.  

As we reached the main street, I finally let go of her chest. 

Eve whispered to me, her voice a mix of surprise and embarrassment.  

“Master… What was that all of a sudden? You really startled me.”  

“Master?”  

I responded with a serious tone and wrapped my arm around her slim waist.  

“Ah…”  

I leaned closer and whispered into her ear.  

“Eve, from now on, act like you’re my slave when we’re outside. If we spread the word, it’ll be good publicity for the shop and should keep the troublemakers away too.”  

For Eve, who wanted to establish herself as my slave in the public eye, it was an appealing offer.  

“Should… I?”  

Blushing, she responded shyly.  

“Master?”  

We visited various shops along the street, and I bought Eve clothes, cosmetics, hair dye, and books.  

“You’re really buying all this for me? You’re not deducting it from my paycheck, right?”  

“It’s because you’ve been working so well. The paycheck won’t be much, but you can expect a nice bonus for all the sales you’ve brought in.”  

“Hehe. Thank you, M—Master.”  

Eve walked even closer to me as if she wanted me to wrap my arm around her waist again just like earlier. 

[Ian Castoloni. If I had met you when I was still a princess, we never would’ve ended up in a relationship like this, right? No, we probably wouldn’t have even met at all. You may have a rough side, but you’re a good person.]  

Oh. Success.  

I embraced my arm around Eve’s waist, and now she accepted my touch as if it were natural.  

We crossed the square in front of the cathedral, where worshippers were entering for mass.  

‘Rose.’  

Today was the day I was supposed to meet Rose.  

‘Finally, after a week. I said I’d figure out a way for us to meet more often, but I still haven’t come up with a good solution.’  

Off to one side of the square, a crowd was gathering.  

It was near the bulletin board.  

“What’s going on?”  

Eve and I made our way through the crowd.  

A large announcement was posted.  

[Notice of the Tournament Hosted by His Glorious Majesty, the Great Emperor of the Lorelein Empire.]

“They’re saying the winner gets the title of Count and will be appointed an Imperial Knight?”

“Should I give it a shot?”  

“It really feels like the war is coming to an end.”  

The onlookers were murmuring among themselves.  

Wait a minute.  

This…  

It was in the novel.

Zeke entered this tournament. 

He didn’t win, but he caught the Emperor’s eye and joined the Imperial Knights.  

After that, he goes to the battlefield, makes a name for himself, and officially becomes an Imperial Knight.  

Imperial Knights.  

They weren’t like those nobles who gathered around, playfully clashed swords, and laugh, pretending to be knights.  

Those were real fighters, recognized by the Empire as warriors who knew how to wield a sword.  

It was like an official certification for fighters endorsed by the Empire.  

‘Not a bad idea.’  

Being an Imperial Knight doesn’t mean you’re automatically forced to go to war.  

If you want wealth and fame, you work for it. 

It’s kind of like being a freelancer.  

You get social recognition.  

Most importantly, if Rose accepted me as her knight, I could see her anytime I want.  

In the novel, Zeke became an Imperial Knight, pledged his loyalty to Rose, and became her knight.  

Hmm.  

The tournament, huh?  

“It’s worth a shot.”  

Eve looked at me curiously from the side.  

“Boss—no, I mean, master.”  

“Yeah?”  

“You’re not seriously thinking about entering, are you?”  

We started walking back to the shop.  

“Why not? Something wrong with that?”  

“There’s nothing wrong with it, but I’m worried you might get hurt if you enter.”  

“I guess all the top swordsmen in the Empire would show up, huh?”  

“Of course. Have you ever trained in swordsmanship, boss?”  

“Nope.”  

“Then are you just entering for the count’s title?”

“Well, it’s more like…  Who knows? If I make it to the semifinals or finals, I might get a glimpse of His Majesty, the Emperor. And maybe, if I’m lucky, I could even talk to him.”  

We arrived in front of the shop.  

Eve looked at me seriously.  

“If that’s the reason, then you definitely shouldn’t go. I’m really worried about you.”  

[If something happens to you, and you die, I’ll just be a masterless slave, after all.]

“I didn’t realize you’d be this concerned about me, Eve.”  

Eve smiled slightly.  

“Don’t you think you’ve got a great employee? You’re lucky to have me.”  

As I unlocked the door to the shop, I said, “Since you’re worrying about me so much, I’m already hard.”  

“?”  

I grabbed her bottom under her skirt.  

“Eve, you can get me hard just by talking now.”  

“How is that my fault…” 

Eve replied. 

She sounded both baffled and exasperated.