The Dialectic of Master and Slave - Chapter 189

Volumes 1-4 + Side Stories of DMS are available uncensored on ko-fi! ※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

“Stand up.”

At her gentle tone, the servant hesitantly lifted her head. Jaha forced her kindest smile.

“Actually… I like these kinds of novels too.”

“Ah…?”

“I’d love to read this. Can I borrow it? If you let me, this’ll stay just between us.”

The servant—Ena—nodded dumbly, her face a mix of shock and relief. She’d clearly expected punishment, not… this.

And just like that, Jaha secured a secret supply of outside books through Ena, who, as a romance novel enthusiast, naturally only provided those.

“I really enjoyed it. The ending was tragic, but I understood the male lead’s choice.”

“Right?! I sobbed reading it!”

To keep Ena’s guard down, Jaha dutifully reviewed each book like she was leaving ratings on an e-book site—playing the part of an eager reader.

At first, Ena had been awkward, but now she naturally shared her thoughts and even eagerly recommended new books.

“Miss, you should read this one next! It’s connected to ‘The Duchess’ Garden.’”

“Thank you.”

As she took the book, Jaha studied Ena’s expression. There wasn’t a trace of suspicion.

‘I’ll ask her after I finish this.’

If she could find books other than romance novels.

Sipping her tea, Jaha read ‘Knight Rain.’

In the novel’s setting, the imperial family were all powerful spirit mages—but the male lead, the crown prince, was hailed as the reincarnation of the founding emperor, Henryke, the first and strongest spirit mage of all. Of course, his incredible power came with a flaw: his personality.

Sure, he had his tragic backstory, but that didn’t change the fact he was arrogant, cruel, and endlessly hurt the female lead—racking up regret points like a mileage card.

‘The whole appeal is watching a guy like this grovel at the heroine’s feet later.’

A bit cliché, but tropes were tropes for a reason. Classics were eternal.

Easily predicting the prince’s downfall, Jaha flipped through the pages. Sure enough, karma arrived, and the male lead began rolling downhill like a loose wheel.

After trials and tribulations, the two finally confessed their feelings and got together. The prince proposed, gifting the heroine Henryke’s Necklace.

A sacred heirloom only direct descendants of the imperial family could possess—one per person, given only to their most cherished loved one. The tradition came from Emperor Henryke himself, who offered it to his empress when proposing.

A hugely symbolic item… which the knight-heroine rarely wore because it “got in the way.” Then, at a critical banquet, she finally dressed up, swapped her uniform for finery, and wore the necklace—and, of course, the plain-Jane-turned-stunning-beauty trope struck.

“Wow, some things really are universal.”

Different world, same storytelling tricks.

The characters gasped at her beauty, then had a second shock seeing the necklace—proof of the prince’s devotion.

Jaha smirked. Predictable, but satisfying.

She turned the page, ready for the grand finale.

“No, that’s ‘Henryke’s Necklace’!”

The men who had been fawning over the female lead’s beauty instantly changed their attitudes, politely tucking their tails between their legs as they scrambled away.

From then on, whenever characters encountered “Henryke’s Necklace,” they reacted with a variety of astonished expressions. In one instance, the female lead’s maid even puffed up with pride, acting as if she were the necklace’s owner, straining her neck with exaggerated arrogance.

“Look! This lady owns ‘Henryke’s Necklace’!”

“It’s not some secret inspector’s badge…”

Jaha chuckled softly and was about to turn the page when her hand froze.

A sudden sense of déjà vu washed over her.

“A doctor! Call a doctor, now! This lady is wearing the ‘Ring of Abrixa’…!”

“I, too, was surprised to see one of the imperial family’s lost treasures, something I’d only heard of in rumors. But I hadn’t expected you to be troubled by it.”

The imperial treasure “Henryke’s Necklace,” bearing the name of Henryke – the first spirit mage and founding emperor of the empire.

The imperial treasure “Abrixa’s Ring,” bearing the name of Abrixa – the first magician and founding emperor of the empire.

In the novel, the direct imperial descendants, all exceptional spirit mages, were Henryke’s heirs.

In reality, the direct imperial descendants, all exceptional magicians, were Abrixa’s heirs.

Characters in the novel who became reverent upon seeing “Henryke’s Necklace.”

Madame Marie who became deferential upon seeing “Abrixa’s Ring.”

Could this really just be coincidence?

If not… if the “Henryke’s Necklace” appearing in this novel was actually an homage to a real existing object… and if that object was “Abrixa’s Ring”…

A chilling sensation ran down her spine, making her shiver violently, when suddenly a knock came at the door. Jaha quickly hid the book in a drawer and opened another.

“Come in.”

The door opened to reveal a familiar figure – really, the only person who would come looking for her.

“Rikanan.”

“I see you’ve been reading.”

“Yes. Madame Marie assigned so much work – I have plenty to study.”

Jaha feigned exhaustion by rubbing her forehead. Having perfected the art of pretending to study while actually slacking off since her school days, her acting came naturally.

‘If by any chance Henryke’s Necklace was modeled directly after Abrixa’s Ring… then Rikanan’s true identity would be…’