novelraw Chapter 120 : Chapter 120
Chapter 120 : Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Haitry, who had been looking at the man with frantically trembling eyes, smiled slightly.
‘As expected, Sara was right.’
The man in front of him was definitely the same type as him.
A person who felt as uncomfortable with nobles as he did with the formal wear he was wearing now.
The Viscount had been meeting other nobles following his father since he was young, but it was clear that this person didn't even have such experience.
Judging by the fact that he didn't even know speaking informally to a stranger was rude upon their first meeting.
‘It must be dangerous alone…….’
If it were the usual Haitry, he wouldn't have worried about another noble.
But now it was different.
The moment he faced the man in front of him, he unknowingly felt a sense of camaraderie.
‘Okay. I should help him.’
Sara would be disappointed, but it couldn't be helped.
‘He looks much younger than me.’
Haitry knew better than anyone.
That a young noble was no different from prey for other nobles.
Because inheriting a peerage at a young age meant there were no parents to protect him.
It was a sense of camaraderie he felt because he had gone through the same period, because he had faced nobles who rushed in for a handful of assets.
“H-H-Hello... there.”
Although the answer that squeezed through his lips was infinitely shabby compared to his firm resolve.
* * *
Ian suppressed the corners of his mouth that were twitching and watched Haitry, who had fallen into serious contemplation.
“I-I am Viscount Haitry... sir.”
Even though he spoke informally with confidence, the moment their eyes met, it changed to honorifics.
‘They said he was innocent in the past.’
This was beyond the scope of innocence.
“Y-You are... sir?”
Forcing down the laughter that was about to burst out at the pupils trembling as if an earthquake had occurred, I said.
“Secret.”
Greeting informally from the beginning was a hint.
Because the only ones who could show rudeness to a noble they met for the first time were nobles of a higher rank.
Since Haitry revealed that he was a Viscount, if I answer like this now, he would be able to guess my identity.
I could just reveal my identity, but watching Haitry's face change moment by moment was also fun.
“Ah... th-th-then…….”
Haitry knows no nobles.
After the former Viscount died, the young Viscount chose to cut off contact with the outside world while experiencing numerous betrayals and nobles approaching to target his domain and assets.
‘What will he mistake me for?’
Count? Marquess? Duke?
What came back was an answer that exceeded my expectations.
“…Then you can't do that... sir.”
Haitry, closing his eyes tightly, continued with a trembling voice.
“T-Then you can't do that... sir. Because other nobles might think it's rude... sir. Ah, it's not that I think that way, but o-other people might really get very angry…….”
His trembling voice grew smaller and smaller, until it was hard to hear at the end.
“It's not that it's absolutely forbidden, but always be careful of the situation and environment, and observe the formalities befitting the peerage…….”
Haitry, who had been rambling for a while, suddenly shook his head and abruptly grabbed my hand.
“B-By any chance, may I introduce you to someone else?”
It seemed he finally gave up on informal speech, as honorifics flowed out.
“She is a really smart person, so she will be very helpful…….”
Glancing at the banquet hall, I saw other nobles gathered around the Marquess.
‘It seems the preparations aren't finished yet.’
It was troublesome to have my identity discovered by other nobles right now, but I was more curious about the person Haitry wanted to introduce.
The isolated island of the South.
A person Haitry wanted to introduce, who was said to have received no help from anyone until the moment his family perished.
When I glanced at Calua, Calua flinched and stopped.
— N-No! I never tried to climb on top of this human! I was on the floor!
This rascal, she targeted Haitry because I didn't hug her.
‘If we get caught, I'm really going to leave you behind.’
— No can do! There is snake meat left!
I chuckled watching Calua shaking her head with her wings fluttering.
‘Is one more person okay?’
— One more person?
Calua is using a spell called Veil of Darkness.
Contrary to its grand name, it merely reduces the presence of the target.
After eating only Serpent King for three meals a day, she finally became able to use magic.
— I can do it! Because I am a great dragon!
After seeing Calua proudly lifting the bridge of her nose, I answered naturally.
“Okay, let's go.”
“Uh, okay!”
Haitry, nodding with a face that looked like a tail would be visible from how happy he was, turned around and walked almost skippingly.
“……?”
Towards Sara.
* * *
“Please, please, please…….”
Watching Haitry return, Sara's face hardened in real-time as she chewed on her thumb.
“Don't come this way. Don't come this way…….”
It was a familiar pattern.
That Haitry introduces her to someone he likes.
Like other nobles boasting about their cherished collections, Haitry often boasted about her to other nobles.
Of course, the ending was never good each time.
‘It can't be. How old is Haitry now.’
Haitry is no longer a ten-year-old child boasting about his treasure.
It has been a long time since he learned that the more precious something is, the more it should be hidden, and that a noble carrying around a commoner woman might be seen unfavorably.
‘Right. The conversation went well, so he intends to go to the banquet hall together.’
The moment she thought so, Haitry's eyes, meeting hers, curved beautifully.
With a smile full of infinite pride on his face.
‘No…….’
Simultaneously, Sara's face turned the color of earth.
Because Sara is not a ‘treasure’.
This is a big problem.
Nobles put meaning into every action.
Just as showing a precious collection is an act of acknowledging the other person's discernment while showing off one's ability.
If a noble picks up a stone from the roadside and shows it as a collection, the other party will take it as an insult.
Because that action itself would mean ‘This is all someone like you can understand.’
Ultimately, bringing a commoner woman who isn't even beautiful and introducing her means...
‘What did he introduce me as this time? If he said I was pretty this time too, I will really pluck his eyes out.’
It is an insult to the noble.
The position or role she held in the Viscount's household didn't matter.
Her ability, outstanding enough to lead the isolated Viscount family, didn't matter either.
A commoner woman.
A nanny's daughter.
A plain-looking face, not even pretty.
What mattered to nobles were bloodline and appearance.
Because there were only those two things.
‘It's okay. Seeing that he mixed words with that idiot, his heart must be kind.’
Seeing that he looks young, he must be a young lord of a Viscount or Baron family.
Suddenly, Haitry, who approached before the man following behind, whispered quickly.
“Sara, it seems he's a young lord of a noble family who lost his parents like me. He greeted me informally as soon as he saw me. When I asked for his name, he said that was a secret too.”
Behind Haitry's voice filled with worry, a man wrapped in a robe appeared.
‘A face like a prince transferred from a fairy tale, pitch-black dark eyes, and anxiety wriggling the moment I saw him.’
Unlike Haitry, she, who had memorized every portrait of the southern noble families, had also looked into the three Count families and the Ducal family before coming here.
‘That is the Young Lord of Moner!’
The information she found out by scraping together non-existent money was full of unbelievable things.
That he is conducting biological experiments for dark magic.
That he is a dark wizard no different from a devil.
That he made a contract with a devil.
That he is actually an incarnation of a devil.
The only useful information was that most people who faced him felt ‘unknown fear and anxiety.’
However, she was certain.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Because her heart, beating like crazy, was shouting that that man was the culprit.
* * *
“Ah, this is Sara. She is my person.”
Haitry, smiling broadly, said proudly.
With a smile full of pride on his face, to the extent that it was unbelievable he was the timid man who couldn't even speak informally properly just a moment ago.
“M-My Lord…….”
“Ah, by my person, I mean, that is…….”
At Sara's call, he, whose face turned bright red, continued hurriedly.
“The most precious person in my domain, no, I mean someone indispensable…….”
It seems he wants to say she is essential manpower for running the domain.
Of course, I have no intention of missing the opportunity to tease a villain.
“Is it a confession?”
“Hiiiek? Yes?!”
“I see. Since the presence of a noble is required to propose.”
As I nodded as if I understood, the faces of Sara and Haitry hardened simultaneously.
“N-No. How could I dare…….”
Surprisingly, the one who said this was Haitry, not Sara.
‘That’s why he couldn’t marry until the end. Tsk.’
Because Sara believed that she, a commoner, could not become a noble's wife.
Because Haitry thought he was not good enough for Sara.
The two did not acknowledge each other's feelings until the end.
They suppressed the feelings they couldn't give up even in death, lest they be discovered.
“Ah... The Lord sometimes jokes too much. Please forgive him.”
Sara, regaining her senses, bowed her waist almost to the ground.
‘Did she recognize me?’
It was an excessive apology even with Haitry right next to her.
“S-Sara?”
Even though the flustered Haitry grabbed her shoulders, Sara did not straighten her bowed waist.
‘Is Haitry frail, or is Sara strong…….’
Probably both.
“Straighten your back.”
Looking at Haitry's face, which was on the verge of crying, I told Sara to straighten her back, and she answered with a firm voice.
“If you forgive us, I will.”
Even while doing so, she didn't forget to glance slightly toward the banquet hall.
‘Does she know I’m hiding?’
Meaning, if I don't want this commotion to be discovered, let it slide moderately.
‘She was a cooler person than I thought.’
She turned an incident started by Haitry's mistake into her own problem.
Because if it were a truly angry noble, they would have seen Sara turning her head just now and started cursing at Sara.
‘Unfortunately, I have Calua though.’
Calua, who had already cast a veil on Sara, was lying on her back watching the bowing Sara.
— Human woman is cursing without sound! Bad!
Seeing her giggling even while saying that, it seems she finds this situation enjoyable.
— Stupid human! Human with a sponge in the head! How can a commoner marry a noble!
Ah.
The moment I heard the grinning Calua's commentary, an interesting plan came to mind.
‘Hmm... It seems there is still a long way to go to be ready.’
Since I intended to help Haitry anyway.
“Good, I forgive you.”
Shall I meddle a bit instead of charging a fee?
“However, only if you grant me one favor.”
Sara's body, which was straightening her bowed waist, stopped like a broken machine.
“Thank y... Pardon?”
“You seem to know who I am.”
“…….”
I don't know how she knew, but if she looked into me, she would have heard the rumors surrounding me as well.
“I like both pranks and talented people.”
As I giggled playfully, her face turned pale.
‘As expected.’
There are countless rumors surrounding me, but the gist was simple.
‘That I am the scoundrel of scoundrels.’
Grin, with a smiling face, I said to her.
“Want to come with me?”
Seeing Sara's serious face, Haitry, who had kept silent until now, shouted as if having a seizure.
“Absolutely not!”