CHAPTER 35: THE MARK(PART-1)

Lena stood before Dapper, with Roy positioned between them. Then, Roy suddenly began moving his fingers in the air, making strange gestures like a choir master orchestrating a silent song.

In the next moment, Dapper saw it—runes appeared in the air, glowing faintly. Simultaneously, a collar manifested around Lena’s neck. It hadn’t been there before, which left Dapper stunned. The collar shimmered briefly before the glow faded, and Roy finally stopped his hand movements.

’What the hell was that?’

"Well, I’ve just revoked my ownership over her. All you need to do now is drop a bit of your blood on her collar. Cost me a fortune getting that invisible collar," Roy said with a wink, grabbing Dapper’s hand before he could even react. With a swift swipe across his index finger, blood began to drip.

’He’s fast. How did he cut me without even using a blade?’ Dapper’s eyes widened in surprise.

Before he could blink again, Roy had already smeared the blood onto Lena’s collar. It glowed faintly, then began to vanish right before his eyes.

[You have contracted a slave through blood ritual. A connection has been formed between you two. You have absolute control over your slave.]

The notification glowed brightly before Dapper, but he sighed in relief knowing only he could see his system interface.

Suddenly, Lena stepped forward and stopped just in front of him.

"Take care of me, master," she said, bowing respectfully. With the angle, Dapper now saw her full face—she was beautiful. She looked about the same age as him, and out of curiosity, he asked,

"How old are you?"

"I am eighteen, master," she answered with another bow. Instantly, the bond between them resonated, and Dapper could feel she wasn’t lying.

"Fufu, good girl. You’re already recognizing your master. If she messes up, you can even punish her," Roy chuckled with a grin.

"Uncle, don’t give my husband bad advice!" Ruth snapped, stepping in front of Dapper protectively.

"Oi, oi, you really love your man, huh? Take care of my niece, Dapper. I’ve taken a liking to you. I see it in your eyes... we’ve got something in common," Roy said, pointing at Dapper’s eyes with two fingers, smiling knowingly.

’This man... he really is strange. Belinda wasn’t wrong.’

"Well, what about my gift, Uncle?" Belinda asked, stepping forward.

Roy stroked his beard and glanced at her, then finally spoke. "Isn’t your wedding coming up soon? Still set on marrying that bastard, huh?"

Belinda’s expression changed instantly—her face fell into sadness. This was the first time Dapper had ever seen her look like that.

She didn’t say anything. Instead, she simply lowered her head in silence.

"I see... that’s your choice. Still, I’ve brought gifts for you and Ruth," Roy said, gesturing to his bodyguard.

The guard nodded, opened the vehicle, and brought out three stacks of cash. Roy handed one to Belinda, one to Ruth, and the last to Dapper.

"That’s a hundred thousand Yexen each. Consider it my gift," Roy said. Then he glanced back at Belinda. "If you ever change your mind... let me know," he added before stepping into his vehicle.

"Goodbye, Uncle!" Ruth shouted as the fleet of cars pulled away from the Freeman estate. Belinda stood frozen, holding the cash bundle in hand, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"Belinda, is everything okay?" Dapper asked, walking up to her.

"I’ll go inside," Belinda muttered, brushing past him as she walked back toward the house without another word.

"What’s wrong with her?" Dapper asked as Ruth came beside him.

"Sigh... it’s a long story, Darling. Everyone in the family is against her marrying that scumbag, but Belinda is dead set on it for some reason," Ruth explained with a tired sigh.

’I’ve heard about her fiance... but I didn’t know the entire family was against it.’

Suddenly, a light tap on his shoulder brought Dapper back to the present. He turned to see Lena standing beside him.

"Master, what would you like me to help with?"

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Days went by, and everything seemed to be running smoothly. Dapper had managed to complete the second task with Belinda, but he still hadn’t fulfilled the third task—which required him to have sex with her and cum inside.

Over the past few days, he had also grown more accustomed to Lena and learned more about her. She was diligent, hardworking, and mostly quiet, always finishing all the housework before he and Ruth even woke up. She was near flawless in her duties, and even Ruth was gradually warming up to her presence without constantly whining about not needing a slave.

Ruth had also renovated Lena’s room and updated her wardrobe, but she insisted on wearing the traditional maid uniform for some unknown reason, only occasionally wearing the clothes Ruth had bought her. To Dapper, it was clear the issue wasn’t a lack of clothing as Lena owned nearly fifty identical maid outfits that she brought with her.

However, there was a problem—Dapper barely had any private time to talk to Lena. Ruth was always around, and her growing obsession made things even more difficult. It was also a struggle linking up with Elena, but Elena somehow always found a way to sneak around and meet him regardless.

After spending several days at home, Dapper and Ruth finally left for their honeymoon, which lasted a few weeks. They did a lot together during that time and even attended marriage counseling to address Ruth’s deepening obsession. (Their honeymoon and its events will be featured in a side story.)

Still, Dapper hadn’t revealed the truth about his system to Ruth. He was yet to find the right moment.

Now, they were finally returning from their honeymoon. Fred came to pick them up, driving them back to the estate.

As the car pulled into the garage, Dapper spotted Belinda and Lena waiting for them with anticipation.

The moment Dapper stepped out, Lena ran into his arms, hugging him tightly and pressing her breasts against his chest. "Welcome back, Master! I missed you. Please don’t ever leave me for that long again," she said sweetly.

Ruth clenched her jaw at how intimate Lena was being, but thanks to the counseling, she kept her feelings in check.

Dapper turned his gaze to Belinda. She stood smiling, wearing a full-length gown and a cap, something completely outside her usual style. Then he saw it. A black mark just beneath her left eye.

"Who did this to you?" Dapper asked, pointing at the bruised spot.

"Oh, that... it’s nothing. I accidentally hit the wall," Belinda stammered, instinctively trying to cover the mark. It seemed like she forgot to blend the makeup properly.

Ruth noticed the bruise as well and began to walk toward Belinda, but Belinda stepped back, clearly not wanting her to get too close.

Dapper glanced at Lena and immediately noticed something strange—his connection with her was fluctuating. That could only mean one thing. She knew something.

"Lena, tell me everything that happened," Dapper said firmly, his voice cold and commanding.

"Okay, Master."

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[A/N: I know things might feel a bit rushed, but it’s time to move into the next arc. The honeymoon scenes and how Dapper and Elena kept meeting will be included as side stories.]