“Heh… hehik!”
Why is he so shocked as if he saw a ghost?
The merchant who had been annoying until then seemed to be frightened when the noble’s son, who he served, recognized me. Although he tried to slip away unnoticed, I didn’t pay attention. Instead, I was more concerned about the noble’s son.
“I-I wasn’t following you…!”
He stammered, looking around nervously. He was feeling terrified.
Despite the urgency of the situation, it was necessary to figure this out. I approached him.
“Hey, do you know me?”
“Hehik!”
Can’t he stop making that weird sound? When I frowned, the noble’s son collapsed awkwardly. There were gasps around us.
“I-I’ve forgotten Narcissus now! Please just let me go!”
“What are you talking about?”
I sternly asked. The noble’s son, though wealthy, was of common birth. Since he knew who I was, he must also be aware of my noble status. In a society with a class system, wielding the power of status led to quick resolutions to problems. Well, not that it made much of a difference here.
As I laughed bitterly, he misunderstood my expression and slammed his forehead on the ground.
“I used to be a follower who followed young master Narcissus in the past! I repeatedly offered him extravagant gifts he never wanted, intruding like a pest into Narcissus’s daily life! I wandered around cluelessly at the parties Narcissus attended, sat in his favorite clothing stores, jewelry shops, shoe stores, etc.! I committed unforgivable sins in my quest to receive even a single glance from Narcissus!”
His words of reflection flowed as if someone had made him memorize them. Listening to it, it may have been annoying but it wasn’t a big crime. However, the man’s reflection was not over yet.
“I gathered followers who admired Narcissus and created the ‘Daffodil Fan Club,’ serving as the vice president. The fan club sent dozens of petitions to Count Narcissus’s Estate every day, hoping that Narcissus would be abandoned by his family and become a loner. I shared Narcissus’s schedule, creating an environment where obsessed followers could follow him every moment.”
The more I heard, the more shocking it became. Is this guy a completely evil stalker?
Not only me but also the faces of the surrounding merchants turned pale. It seemed they had no idea that the son of the lord they served was engaging in such pathetic actions.
“When the fan club president was imprisoned, I was there with him, but I paid bail and got released! However, I am undoubtedly a criminal! Therefore, I will quietly live to never fall into the Narcissus path again!”
After he finished reflecting, he uncomfortably touched his chest and took a deep breath as if he had recited it like a machine. Everyone remained stunned in silence, but the son of the noble, once again looked at the people around him nervously and shouted.
“This time, I really didn’t follow anyone!”
“Who are you talking to?”
“What? Oh, no… no one, really!”
He answered with military-like stiffness of a soldier and trembled as if his body was shaking. Clearly, what was controlling him was fear.
“Why did the fan club president end up in prison?”
“He was reported for continuous stalking!”
Then he added,
“Oh. But don’t worry! The president died in prison!”
“…What?”
Suddenly, I recalled the maidservant from the northern region who stabbed my foot with a knife. Her name was Miriam. Her brother had said that he died by suicide in prison.
“Could it be that the fan club president was from the northern region?”
“Ah, yes! You knew! The president didn’t reflect until the end and faced that outcome. But I’m different! I am sincerely reflecting!”
It seemed so.
But the fan club president didn’t reflect and chose suicide? The context was strange.
I scrutinized the son of the merchant standing upright in a military stance. He was constanting glance around, as if someone was watching him. The reflective statement seemed like it was heavily influenced by intense mental training. Miriam’s brother, who seemed to have been murdered instead of committing suicide. I felt a certain that there was a hidden reason behind all of this.
I clenched my fist and lifted my chin. Then deliberately, I spoke in a haughty tone.
“…Was it really a coincidence that we met? How should I interpret this meeting?”
“I-it really is a coincidence! I swear!”
“Would that person also think so?”
I didn’t know who ‘that person’ was. It was a guess, pretending to know everything, having control over their secrets like the palm of my hand. I pretended to be a noble young master and it worked well. The man’s complexion turned pale.
“Please…! It really was a coincidence! Since the day I was tortured, just seeing someone with blond hair, like Narcissus, makes my nerves go haywire!”
He was genuinely sweating and trembling. He even started banging his forehead on the ground again. Despite the blood flowing from the harsh impact, he didn’t seem to care.
“How can I make you believe! Please! I swear to Cruel that’s it’s true!”
…Cruel?
I momentarily held my breath. Was “that person” Andrea?
“Now’s not the time for this! Hey! Everyone, listen up!”
The son of the noble stood up abruptly and shouted. Then, he bowed towards me.
“I’ll leave right away, so please don’t say anything. I really, sincerely have no personal feelings for Narcissus anymore!”
After that, as if the blockade that had been keeping me at bay until now disappeared like it was a lie, he quickly moved away.
I stood there blankly, staring at the narrow path covered in dust. My mind was in turmoil. Since when did Andrea have feelings for Del Narcissus? Despite the considerable time that had passed since Del cunningly got rid of those who bothered and annoyed him, the original Del Narcissus seemed oblivious to Andrea’s existence.
A love that didn’t even expect to be reciprocated.
Wasn’t that something only seen in dramas or movies? Seems like you’ve been in love for a thousand years.
I sarcastically mocked Andrea in my mind, but somehow my mood calmed down. I stood there for a long time. If the horse hadn’t approached and gently nudged my back, I might have spent even more time lost in thought on the road.
“Oh, right, we should go. Thanks.”
I hastily climbed up the horse’s back, as if ascending a mountain. Too much time had already been wasted. Returning now was the most important thing. Thoughts about Andrea could be dealt with after returning.
“Huh? Why should I even think about Andrea in the first place?”
I gritted my teeth and grabbed the reins.
“Hyah!”
***
Fortunately, there were no obstacles blocking my path after that. I arrived at the magician’s village a little past 11 PM. Despite being a rural village, it seemed surprisingly bright and bustling at the village square, perhaps due to magical street lamps.
“Let’s go over there. I’ll really let you rest now.”
I headed towards the square, soothing the tired horse. But as I got closer to what I thought was the square, something felt off. The lively noise I had expected for a rural village at night was mixed with screams and lights. The air started to carry a pungent smell, and a hazy gray smoke filled the atmosphere.
“Bring more water!”
“This person fainted!”
“Is there a doctor around?”
“We ran out of water!”
It wasn’t magical street lamps; it was a house that had caught fire.
“Ugh!”
I quickly rushed towards the burning house. From a distance, I thought of the scene as a tragedy and I felt guilty for thinking the fire was a party in the square.
If only I could use water magic. However, in the past few weeks, all I’ve done was chopping, slicing, or trimming magic plants.
“That’s why it’s uneasy when a magician comes our village!”
A middle-aged man near me shouted.
A magician?
The man was pointing at a man covered in ash lying on the floor. A middle-aged woman sat beside the man, raising her head abruptly.
“Why talk about that now? Put out the fire quickly!”
When the middle-aged woman scolded louder, the middle-age stumbled and ran somewhere. It seemed like he was trying to fetch water from a well.
The woman who sent the man off slapped the man’s cheek.
“Get up! Don’t lose consciousness, you idiot!”
I approached the woman, cautiously and politely asking,
“Excuse me, is he the only magician living in this village?”
“Who?”
“I was supposed to meet the magician who lives in this village today.”
“That’s right. He’s the only magician living in this small village. I don’t know what kind of experiment he was conducting, but he accidentally burned down his house. We all panicked when we heard the loud bang…”
Damn it. I finally arrived, and now the magician who was supposed to draw the magic circle not only set his house on fire but also fainted.
I can still go back, right?
“Heh… hehik!”
Why is he so shocked as if he saw a ghost?
The merchant who had been annoying until then seemed to be frightened when the noble’s son, who he served, recognized me. Although he tried to slip away unnoticed, I didn’t pay attention. Instead, I was more concerned about the noble’s son.
“I-I wasn’t following you…!”
He stammered, looking around nervously. He was feeling terrified.
Despite the urgency of the situation, it was necessary to figure this out. I approached him.
“Hey, do you know me?”
“Hehik!”
Can’t he stop making that weird sound? When I frowned, the noble’s son collapsed awkwardly. There were gasps around us.
“I-I’ve forgotten Narcissus now! Please just let me go!”
“What are you talking about?”
I sternly asked. The noble’s son, though wealthy, was of common birth. Since he knew who I was, he must also be aware of my noble status. In a society with a class system, wielding the power of status led to quick resolutions to problems. Well, not that it made much of a difference here.
As I laughed bitterly, he misunderstood my expression and slammed his forehead on the ground.
“I used to be a follower who followed young master Narcissus in the past! I repeatedly offered him extravagant gifts he never wanted, intruding like a pest into Narcissus’s daily life! I wandered around cluelessly at the parties Narcissus attended, sat in his favorite clothing stores, jewelry shops, shoe stores, etc.! I committed unforgivable sins in my quest to receive even a single glance from Narcissus!”
His words of reflection flowed as if someone had made him memorize them. Listening to it, it may have been annoying but it wasn’t a big crime. However, the man’s reflection was not over yet.
“I gathered followers who admired Narcissus and created the ‘Daffodil Fan Club,’ serving as the vice president. The fan club sent dozens of petitions to Count Narcissus’s Estate every day, hoping that Narcissus would be abandoned by his family and become a loner. I shared Narcissus’s schedule, creating an environment where obsessed followers could follow him every moment.”
The more I heard, the more shocking it became. Is this guy a completely evil stalker?
Not only me but also the faces of the surrounding merchants turned pale. It seemed they had no idea that the son of the lord they served was engaging in such pathetic actions.
“When the fan club president was imprisoned, I was there with him, but I paid bail and got released! However, I am undoubtedly a criminal! Therefore, I will quietly live to never fall into the Narcissus path again!”
After he finished reflecting, he uncomfortably touched his chest and took a deep breath as if he had recited it like a machine. Everyone remained stunned in silence, but the son of the noble, once again looked at the people around him nervously and shouted.
“This time, I really didn’t follow anyone!”
“Who are you talking to?”
“What? Oh, no… no one, really!”
He answered with military-like stiffness of a soldier and trembled as if his body was shaking. Clearly, what was controlling him was fear.
“Why did the fan club president end up in prison?”
“He was reported for continuous stalking!”
Then he added,
“Oh. But don’t worry! The president died in prison!”
“…What?”
Suddenly, I recalled the maidservant from the northern region who stabbed my foot with a knife. Her name was Miriam. Her brother had said that he died by suicide in prison.
“Could it be that the fan club president was from the northern region?”
“Ah, yes! You knew! The president didn’t reflect until the end and faced that outcome. But I’m different! I am sincerely reflecting!”
It seemed so.
But the fan club president didn’t reflect and chose suicide? The context was strange.
I scrutinized the son of the merchant standing upright in a military stance. He was constanting glance around, as if someone was watching him. The reflective statement seemed like it was heavily influenced by intense mental training. Miriam’s brother, who seemed to have been murdered instead of committing suicide. I felt a certain that there was a hidden reason behind all of this.
I clenched my fist and lifted my chin. Then deliberately, I spoke in a haughty tone.
“…Was it really a coincidence that we met? How should I interpret this meeting?”
“I-it really is a coincidence! I swear!”
“Would that person also think so?”
I didn’t know who ‘that person’ was. It was a guess, pretending to know everything, having control over their secrets like the palm of my hand. I pretended to be a noble young master and it worked well. The man’s complexion turned pale.
“Please…! It really was a coincidence! Since the day I was tortured, just seeing someone with blond hair, like Narcissus, makes my nerves go haywire!”
He was genuinely sweating and trembling. He even started banging his forehead on the ground again. Despite the blood flowing from the harsh impact, he didn’t seem to care.
“How can I make you believe! Please! I swear to Cruel that’s it’s true!”
…Cruel?
I momentarily held my breath. Was “that person” Andrea?
“Now’s not the time for this! Hey! Everyone, listen up!”
The son of the noble stood up abruptly and shouted. Then, he bowed towards me.
“I’ll leave right away, so please don’t say anything. I really, sincerely have no personal feelings for Narcissus anymore!”
After that, as if the blockade that had been keeping me at bay until now disappeared like it was a lie, he quickly moved away.
I stood there blankly, staring at the narrow path covered in dust. My mind was in turmoil. Since when did Andrea have feelings for Del Narcissus? Despite the considerable time that had passed since Del cunningly got rid of those who bothered and annoyed him, the original Del Narcissus seemed oblivious to Andrea’s existence.
A love that didn’t even expect to be reciprocated.
Wasn’t that something only seen in dramas or movies? Seems like you’ve been in love for a thousand years.
I sarcastically mocked Andrea in my mind, but somehow my mood calmed down. I stood there for a long time. If the horse hadn’t approached and gently nudged my back, I might have spent even more time lost in thought on the road.
“Oh, right, we should go. Thanks.”
I hastily climbed up the horse’s back, as if ascending a mountain. Too much time had already been wasted. Returning now was the most important thing. Thoughts about Andrea could be dealt with after returning.
“Huh? Why should I even think about Andrea in the first place?”
I gritted my teeth and grabbed the reins.
“Hyah!”
***
Fortunately, there were no obstacles blocking my path after that. I arrived at the magician’s village a little past 11 PM. Despite being a rural village, it seemed surprisingly bright and bustling at the village square, perhaps due to magical street lamps.
“Let’s go over there. I’ll really let you rest now.”
I headed towards the square, soothing the tired horse. But as I got closer to what I thought was the square, something felt off. The lively noise I had expected for a rural village at night was mixed with screams and lights. The air started to carry a pungent smell, and a hazy gray smoke filled the atmosphere.
“Bring more water!”
“This person fainted!”
“Is there a doctor around?”
“We ran out of water!”
It wasn’t magical street lamps; it was a house that had caught fire.
“Ugh!”
I quickly rushed towards the burning house. From a distance, I thought of the scene as a tragedy and I felt guilty for thinking the fire was a party in the square.
If only I could use water magic. However, in the past few weeks, all I’ve done was chopping, slicing, or trimming magic plants.
“That’s why it’s uneasy when a magician comes our village!”
A middle-aged man near me shouted.
A magician?
The man was pointing at a man covered in ash lying on the floor. A middle-aged woman sat beside the man, raising her head abruptly.
“Why talk about that now? Put out the fire quickly!”
When the middle-aged woman scolded louder, the middle-age stumbled and ran somewhere. It seemed like he was trying to fetch water from a well.
The woman who sent the man off slapped the man’s cheek.
“Get up! Don’t lose consciousness, you idiot!”
I approached the woman, cautiously and politely asking,
“Excuse me, is he the only magician living in this village?”
“Who?”
“I was supposed to meet the magician who lives in this village today.”
“That’s right. He’s the only magician living in this small village. I don’t know what kind of experiment he was conducting, but he accidentally burned down his house. We all panicked when we heard the loud bang…”
Damn it. I finally arrived, and now the magician who was supposed to draw the magic circle not only set his house on fire but also fainted.
I can still go back, right?
