The temptation of power was more than enough for them to forgo any hesitation they had about being tied down. Besides, most nobles wouldn't do anything that would harm their Ardents.
After all, an Ardent was akin to a symbol of power. Losing even one would be a severe blow—one no one would want to bear. So even though Ardents were no different from slaves, no one in their right mind would treat them as such.
Most of the time, they were treated like special guests, with their every whim catered to.
Though Gareth was excited, he didn't let it cloud his judgment. He was wary of the enslavement method she would employ on him. If he had more time, he would have liked to find ways to break it or circumvent it, but alas, he was given none.
He also didn't want to outright refuse her. If he did, the image he had worked hard to cultivate in front of her would crumble, and he could even end up drawing her ire. No one in his position would have refused her offer, which could make her suspicious of his intentions and start monitoring him closely.
Sensing his hesitation, the countess let out a soft chuckle before speaking.
"Fufufu, why are you thinking so much? Aren't you already a slave?" she asked.
Her question, though rhetorical, caused an explosion in Gareth's mind.
While he was indeed a slave, he hadn't been branded with a slave seal. Usually, when someone becomes a slave, they are branded with a seal to make sure they aren't able to escape.
The seal is connected to a contract that the slave owner can use to control them. Since she purchased him, the countess had already received his contract from the slave trader.
However, there was a twist no one expected.
Gareth was never enslaved.
The slaver was a sleazy scumbag who was very stingy with his resources. In his mind, since Gareth's parents were already slaves, there was no need to waste resources to enslave a baby. The child wouldn't be able to survive without his parents anyway, so he wouldn't be able to leave.
Without any knowledge of the world, the child would be too reliant on his parents to have any thoughts of escaping.
And that worked—up until the death of his parents.
After that, Gareth simply continued working as a slave, believing he was the same as everyone else. Several years passed, and the slaver had already forgotten about him.
That was until the visit of the countess.
When a subordinate of the countess came to purchase Gareth, the slaver realized he didn't have a slave contract. Panicking, he quickly scribbled Gareth's name onto a piece of special parchment—the same kind used for slave contracts.
Unable to tell the difference, the subordinate took it, believing everything was in order. The parchment was then passed on to the countess, who now believed that Gareth was enslaved.
Which meant that Gareth—who everyone thought was a slave—was actually a free man.
And now, the countess, believing she had control over his life, was giving him one of the most valuable items in the kingdom without any way to ensure his loyalty.
Gareth couldn't believe his astronomical luck.
He almost thought it was a joke, half expecting the countess to burst out laughing and tell him it was a prank. However, she did no such thing.
Without hesitation, he received the book with both hands, bowing deeply.
"Thank you very much, my Lady. I won't disappoint your expectations," he said, bowing at nearly a ninety-degree angle.
Seeing his display, the countess merely let out a chuckle and waved him off.
"Alright, you can leave now. Tell the maid to come inside on your way out."
Without wasting any more time, he left the office, passing the message to the maid stationed outside. He walked briskly back to his room, having already memorized the way.
As soon as he entered, he made himself comfortable on his bed, eager to begin reading. He stared at the book, carefully inspecting it. There was no name on the cover, making it appear completely ordinary.
He opened it and began reading.
However, before he could even finish the first line, a soft knocking sounded on his door.
Annoyed at the interruption, he stood up and opened it. As soon as he saw who it was, his irritation vanished.
It was Miria, carrying a tray of food.
The moment he saw it, it was as if a switch flipped in his mind. His stomach, which had been silent earlier, began growling loudly.
Only now did he realize he hadn't eaten anything all day.
Well, who could blame him?
Today had been far too eventful.
He had arrived at the countess's manor, bathed with two maids, received a makeover, met the countess, and eaten her out.
Hah. Truly an eventful day, he mused.
"I brought you your meal," Miria said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He stepped aside to let her enter, watching as she placed the tray on the table. As she did, her gaze drifted to the bed.
And froze.
Her eyes widened when she saw the Ardent cultivation technique resting there.
She hadn't expected the countess to give something that valuable to Gareth. She had assumed he was just another man used to pass the time.
Clearly, the countess valued him far more than that.
She didn't know what the countess saw in him, but since she was an Ardent herself, perhaps there was something she had noticed.
That realization stirred something within Miria.
The shock on her face slowly morphed into desire as she stared at the technique.
Gareth noticed it immediately.
It seems she wants to be an Ardent, he thought.
There wasn't anyone in the kingdom who didn't.
But the look in her eyes went beyond simple desire.
It was closer to… greed.
Heh. It seems I've found an in.
A smirk crept onto Gareth's face as he stepped closer. When he was right behind her, he spoke softly.
"Thank you for your help, Miria."
His body was almost pressed against her slightly hunched frame.
Hearing his voice so close, Miria flinched before spinning around in surprise.