The Dialectic of Master and Slave - Chapter 48
Cedric’s voice snapped Jaha back to reality.
“No. It’s nothing.”
“That’s a relief. Just wait a moment.”
Cedric pulled a cloth pouch from his pocket. When he opened the loosely tied end, out came a small loaf of bread.
“I know someone in the kitchen who gave this to me. Would you like to try it?”
The tempting aroma of butter wafted up, making Jaha’s throat twitch.
How long has it been since I’ve seen real food?
Others might assume that since Jaha was frequently summoned by the Emperor, she must be living in luxury. But her quality of life hadn’t changed since her time at the Langjev Palace library. In fact, it had worsened. Back then, Ranya had provided her with food in exchange for teaching math, but since being brought to the main palace, even that was gone.
Even during the Joseon Dynasty, a courtesan who shared the king’s bed even once would be elevated to a higher status and treated differently. But in this world, perhaps due to a different system, Jaha’s treatment remained that of a mere slave.
She had never expected rewards. But being exploited without gaining anything in return was its own kind of bitter pill to swallow.
In any case, given her situation, while she often lay on expensive beds, it had been a long time since she’d seen bread like this. Saliva pooled in her mouth, but Jaha hesitated to accept it. Even if it sounded like paranoia, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was safe to eat without suspicion.
They always say not to eat food from strangers, don’t they? While Cedric wasn’t exactly a stranger, their relationship wasn’t one of implicit trust either. Regardless of the comfort she found in him, there was no harm in being cautious. At least until she made it safely back to Earth.
As Jaha hesitated, Cedric spoke first.
“Um, if you’re uncomfortable eating alone, how about we share? You can give me half.”
Realizing he had completely read her mind, Jaha felt incredibly embarrassed.
His offer to share and let her choose which half to take was his subtle way of assuring her that the food was safe.
Since she’d already been caught, Jaha decided to act carefully. She split the bread in half and handed him a piece. Cedric made a show of eating his portion first.
Jaha waited until Cedric had chewed and swallowed before bringing the bread to her own mouth. Despite her guilt toward Cedric, her heart fluttered with anticipation.
Bread. Not the dry, hard, cold bread that seemed inedible, but soft, warm bread with a mouthwatering buttery aroma.
Wanting to savor this rare luxury, Jaha took a small bite. Her eyes widened. It was indescribably delicious. She hadn’t even tasted bread this good back on Earth.
“The imperial kitchen’s skills are impressive, aren’t they? They’re some of the best chefs on the continent, after all.”
“But why…?”
Jaha almost asked why the food they ate daily was so terrible but stopped herself.
Even if the imperial chefs used only a fraction of their skills, the food could be decent. But there was no reason for them to go to such lengths for slaves. As long as they boiled leftover ingredients and served them, that was enough.
An indescribable sense of deprivation swept through Jaha. In any case, the nameless bread was delicious. After finishing her portion, she thanked Cedric.
“Thank you. It was really good. But there wasn’t much—you should’ve eaten it yourself.”
“I wanted to give it to you.”
Jaha, who had been fidgeting with her legs, froze.
What does this mean?
When she stared at him, Cedric smiled.
“You remind me of my younger sibling.”
The tension that had been building inside Jaha deflated like a punctured balloon.
“Sibling?”
“Yeah. You don’t look much alike, but for some reason, I think of them.”
“I’m not from here. Aren’t people who look like me pretty rare?”
“Their mother was also from a distant foreign land.”
“Ah.”
She had unintentionally stumbled into a complicated family story. So, they were half-siblings.
Seeing Jaha’s discomfort, Cedric responded casually.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s a natural thing.”
She wondered what kind of environment would make that a natural thing, but Jaha decided not to pry and changed the subject.
“Was your sister’s hair black like mine?”
“Well, yes… but I never said it was a sister, did I?”
“What? So, you’re saying I look like your brother?”
Few women would be pleased to hear they resembled a man. Seeing Jaha’s visibly shocked expression, Cedric shrugged and laughed.
“Actually, it is a sister.”
Realizing she’d been teased, Jaha glared at Cedric in disbelief. Cedric, meeting her gaze, shamelessly raised an eyebrow.
