Translated by Appleot
Edited by Appleot
Chapter 13
Train travel with the Duke (5)
Serpence ruffled his fingers through his hair that was pressed under the mask.
“Where…have you been?”
Instead of answering, he strode towards me. Serpence, who had narrowed the distance to only three or four steps, halted and looked straight at me.
“I’ll keep on observing you.”
“Yes? What do you mean…?”
Who are you going to observe? You mean you’ll wait and watch what I do by myself?
“No, wait a minute. That outfit…”
“If you want to know, you should watch too.”
Serpence just said those words and didn’t talk more. He chewed on all my questions that followed, took a few pieces of his clothes from his luggage bag and slipped into the shower.
“What the hell are you going to do?”
There was no one to answer my questions, I was left alone in the room. As I looked around, I saw the food, it looked too cold and difficult to eat.
“Do you want to eat first?”
Serpence pondered for a while whether eating or sleeping should come first, but he decided to get a new meal. It was early in the morning, so I felt a little sorry for the staff. But they must have ate well and slept well. I’m more worried about people who are starving outside in the cold wind.
‘Yes, even if you want to sleep, you should eat first! You wouldn’t be able to sleep well when you’re hungry, right?’
In spite of such thoughts, Serpence, who had washed up, headed to the sofa instead of the bed. His wet hair was roughly wrapped in a towel and was being squeezed as if it’s some kind of mop. Then he laid it loosely over one of his shoulders and picked up the documents on his table.
“Aren’t you gonna sleep?”
“I have to do as much as I did yesterday, don’t I?”
He doesn’t look tired, but isn’t this too much? No matter how energetic his body may be thanks to his divine power, his mind will be weary., I know that because I received Serpence’s divine power on the first day of work. Although there was a brief mental stabilization effect on me, it did not wash away my mental fatigue.
“Didn’t you say you were going to rest yesterday?”
“I just said that.”
“·········”.
He really leaves people speechless. Deliberately for Serpence to listen, I let out a big sigh.
‘Is that how it’s going to turn out?’
He said he wouldn’t take care of himself, so I have no choice but to take care of him. I went behind him and held the towel to separate his hair, he tilted his head back and looked up at me.
“What are you doing now?”
“Taking care of a child?”
Serpence furrowed his brow as if this situation was absurd. It’s a look I’ve never seen before. It’s kinda fresh?
“Oh, did you learn how to make this expression? I didn’t know you could do this.”
“Stop it.”
As if Serpence had to cast out a fly, he waved his hand to sweep me away.
“My boss is working, his subordinate can’t be idle. But he said there’s nothing to help with work. I have to do something like this, don’t I?”
“Just go and rest.”
“I also ordered a new meal, so do you want to eat when it arrives?”
The wrinkles engraved on his forehead got deeper, but compared to the expressionless face I saw yesterday, it’s not scary at all. Rather, it’s a gentle impression with the corners of the eyes drooping, and it looks like nothing but a shriveled look.
“Somehow, I should say that your tone of voice is light, it seems to be very disrespectful.”
“If I speak comfortably, do you think the Duke will be able to speak comfortably, too? Since all of our true natures have been discovered anyway, let’s go comfortably without acting.”
“…well.”
“And where would you find a person who uses the highest honorific title for his or her aide? It shouldn’t be like this. The Duke is probably the only one who uses the most honorable title for everyone in the world.”
“············”.
“That’s how we’ll know each other. If each of us is busy building walls and hiding ourselves, what’s the use of observing?”
Serpence shut his mouth and lowered his head, moving his gaze to the documents.
“If It’s about watching. If I look at you and you need help, it sounded like it’s okay for me to judge and help. Is that right?”
Serpence didn’t answer. It may be a wrong interpretation, but somehow his silence sounded positive. Because he got so many rejections, he’s afraid to even ask for help. Wouldn’t it be okay if he told me to watch over him instead?
“The Duke is neither a perfect good nor a bad person. He’s just an ordinary person. It’s okay to honestly express your thoughts and feelings.”
I placed a towel on Serpence’s head, gently wiping the water away with my fingers so as not to splatter him with water.
“Didn’t I say I have good eyes? Trust me.”
“…an ordinary person.”
I waited for the following words that popped out from him, but he kept his mouth shut. I want him to understand that ‘ being an ordinary person is good enough.’
“That’s enough.”
Humanus, too, was not a perfect human being without flaws. He sometimes made mistakes, felt bad, and left behind regrets. No matter what happened to him, he overcame all the trials and took things one step at a time.
“One perfect superman doesn’t have to sacrifice everything. We all have to work together. It’s the world we live in, but to leave everything to one person. Isn’t that too irresponsible?”
All I can see is the back of his head, so I don’t know what expression he’s making.
“So you don’t have to be perfect. No one in this world can be perfect, and you too don’t have to be.
“What we lack is enough to help each other. There will be people who turn away from time to time, but there will be many people who want to help. From now on, I will help the Duke…”
“Stop…, it’s over.”
He quietly put his head down and listened, he said that in a low voice and pushed my hand away. I guess it’s not because he doesn’t want to hear, but because of the confusion that comes from this new unfamiliarity.
‘He grew up in a different environment, who would pat him on the head and tell him it’s okay?’
It is understandable that he is bewildered. As I was about to stand haphazardly with a damp towel, the meal I ordered for Serpence arrived. It is still early in the morning, though it must have taken time to prepare.
Translated by Appleot
Edited by Appleot
Chapter 13.2:
Thanks to the meal that arrived at an amazing time, we shook off the awkwardness and focused on the food as if nothing had happened. Also, food is the best eaten when things like this happen. This is always right!
“…why did you get this tomato risotto?”
Serpence broke the silence as he was eating so quietly that I wouldn’t even realize he was eating something if I hadn’t seen him in front of me.
“To be precise, it’s ‘Meatball’ tomato risotto. I tried it yesterday and it was delicious. It’s my recommendation!”
I deliberately answered cheerfully, and Serpence looked at me with a ‘what the hell is this guy talking about?’ expression.
“I’ve learned everything. Bread and soup and some seasonal fruits. It’s not like you’re living in a monastery, isn’t it too much?”
I ordered dinner yesterday, and asked, ‘What should I feed Serpence to make him feel good?’ I was thinking about something like that. The staff said that the Duke always had a menu, so I nodded without thinking. And that’s how I came up with the menu I just talked about.
‘Is there a nobleman in the world who lives his life like this?’
For some reason, whenever I go up to the office after lunch, he always arrives first, so I wonder if he always eats like that. I wanted to order it as a course meal, but the menu he usually orders is not like that, so the ingredients aren’t ready, so it’s impossible. In fact, the meatball tomato risotto I made this time was also prepared for the general audience.
“…the food is good.”
Serpence raised a spoon, scooped out a sip of risotto, and put it in his mouth. Not only in words, but in facial expressions, there was no emotion.
‘No, is this delicious? Did you like the meat?’
Mixed with the sour sauce, the grains of rice that melt in your mouth are impressive. Memories of mixing rice with ketchup came to mind. If you take a large bite of meatballs as a side dish and bite into them, this is paradise on earth. After all, people must eat rice and meat together to live.
“Is there really no food you like?”
“Do I need something like that?”
“Of course! The Duke needs to know his likes and understand them.”
What I found out yesterday was that he was a block of defense mechanisms.
Forced by his parents as a child. It attributed to his inability to understand the crooked moral ideas that were tailored to their taste because of the contradiction in his own nature. As he played an adult gentleman, he had to suppress his personal desires and emotions.
He had to consciously invent false feelings.
‘That’s why he can’t face his true feelings. Also, he must have lost the way to express himself.’
Now, I’m slowly starting to get a sense of the human being called Serpence.
“For now, I know very well that Lord Rivelon’s greatest desire is ‘appetite’.”
“Why are you analyzing me…?”
“I said I’ll observe you, didn’t I?”
. . . he has a long way to go. Far, too far away.
“Listen now, Duke. Showing desire is never a bad thing. It’s proof that you’re alive. If you keep suppressing it, you never know when or how it will explode.”
It actually exploded. It exploded very badly, and the continent was rolled up and eaten.
“So, let’s start with the small things. It is one of the three human needs, and it is common to the three basic elements of human life. In other words, food!”
“…be it small or large, let’s please do at least one thing.”
I muttered as much as I could, and the words didn’t seem like words. Serpence looked at me with eyes that said I’m acting weirdly.
“Anyway, I ask for your cooperation.”
“Then let’s make this tomato at later times… ‘Meatball’ tomato risotto.”
··What? A favorite food?
Did you say you liked what you ate, or did you just choose what you can see?
I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but no matter how much I think about it, this is just the latter. In the meantime, why is he emphasizing on those meatballs? Is he sarcastic?
“At least be sincere…”
“Lord Rivelon.”
Serpence cut off my words, calling me with a more determined voice than ever before.
“I certainly gave you permission to watch me, but that doesn’t mean I gave you control over my actions.”
“I wasn’t trying to control you…, no. I’m sorry.”
I must have been too proud that he showed a little bit of himself. Anyway, if he felt that way, it’s my fault.
‘Rather, if we recall the past…’
It’s a great achievement just to have gone this far.
Translated by Appleot
Edited by Appleot
Chapter 13
Train travel with the Duke (5)
Serpence ruffled his fingers through his hair that was pressed under the mask.
“Where…have you been?”
Instead of answering, he strode towards me. Serpence, who had narrowed the distance to only three or four steps, halted and looked straight at me.
“I’ll keep on observing you.”
“Yes? What do you mean…?”
Who are you going to observe? You mean you’ll wait and watch what I do by myself?
“No, wait a minute. That outfit…”
“If you want to know, you should watch too.”
Serpence just said those words and didn’t talk more. He chewed on all my questions that followed, took a few pieces of his clothes from his luggage bag and slipped into the shower.
“What the hell are you going to do?”
There was no one to answer my questions, I was left alone in the room. As I looked around, I saw the food, it looked too cold and difficult to eat.
“Do you want to eat first?”
Serpence pondered for a while whether eating or sleeping should come first, but he decided to get a new meal. It was early in the morning, so I felt a little sorry for the staff. But they must have ate well and slept well. I’m more worried about people who are starving outside in the cold wind.
‘Yes, even if you want to sleep, you should eat first! You wouldn’t be able to sleep well when you’re hungry, right?’
In spite of such thoughts, Serpence, who had washed up, headed to the sofa instead of the bed. His wet hair was roughly wrapped in a towel and was being squeezed as if it’s some kind of mop. Then he laid it loosely over one of his shoulders and picked up the documents on his table.
“Aren’t you gonna sleep?”
“I have to do as much as I did yesterday, don’t I?”
He doesn’t look tired, but isn’t this too much? No matter how energetic his body may be thanks to his divine power, his mind will be weary., I know that because I received Serpence’s divine power on the first day of work. Although there was a brief mental stabilization effect on me, it did not wash away my mental fatigue.
“Didn’t you say you were going to rest yesterday?”
“I just said that.”
“·········”.
He really leaves people speechless. Deliberately for Serpence to listen, I let out a big sigh.
‘Is that how it’s going to turn out?’
He said he wouldn’t take care of himself, so I have no choice but to take care of him. I went behind him and held the towel to separate his hair, he tilted his head back and looked up at me.
“What are you doing now?”
“Taking care of a child?”
Serpence furrowed his brow as if this situation was absurd. It’s a look I’ve never seen before. It’s kinda fresh?
“Oh, did you learn how to make this expression? I didn’t know you could do this.”
“Stop it.”
As if Serpence had to cast out a fly, he waved his hand to sweep me away.
“My boss is working, his subordinate can’t be idle. But he said there’s nothing to help with work. I have to do something like this, don’t I?”
“Just go and rest.”
“I also ordered a new meal, so do you want to eat when it arrives?”
The wrinkles engraved on his forehead got deeper, but compared to the expressionless face I saw yesterday, it’s not scary at all. Rather, it’s a gentle impression with the corners of the eyes drooping, and it looks like nothing but a shriveled look.
“Somehow, I should say that your tone of voice is light, it seems to be very disrespectful.”
“If I speak comfortably, do you think the Duke will be able to speak comfortably, too? Since all of our true natures have been discovered anyway, let’s go comfortably without acting.”
“…well.”
“And where would you find a person who uses the highest honorific title for his or her aide? It shouldn’t be like this. The Duke is probably the only one who uses the most honorable title for everyone in the world.”
“············”.
“That’s how we’ll know each other. If each of us is busy building walls and hiding ourselves, what’s the use of observing?”
Serpence shut his mouth and lowered his head, moving his gaze to the documents.
“If It’s about watching. If I look at you and you need help, it sounded like it’s okay for me to judge and help. Is that right?”
Serpence didn’t answer. It may be a wrong interpretation, but somehow his silence sounded positive. Because he got so many rejections, he’s afraid to even ask for help. Wouldn’t it be okay if he told me to watch over him instead?
“The Duke is neither a perfect good nor a bad person. He’s just an ordinary person. It’s okay to honestly express your thoughts and feelings.”
I placed a towel on Serpence’s head, gently wiping the water away with my fingers so as not to splatter him with water.
“Didn’t I say I have good eyes? Trust me.”
“…an ordinary person.”
I waited for the following words that popped out from him, but he kept his mouth shut. I want him to understand that ‘ being an ordinary person is good enough.’
“That’s enough.”
Humanus, too, was not a perfect human being without flaws. He sometimes made mistakes, felt bad, and left behind regrets. No matter what happened to him, he overcame all the trials and took things one step at a time.
“One perfect superman doesn’t have to sacrifice everything. We all have to work together. It’s the world we live in, but to leave everything to one person. Isn’t that too irresponsible?”
All I can see is the back of his head, so I don’t know what expression he’s making.
“So you don’t have to be perfect. No one in this world can be perfect, and you too don’t have to be.
“What we lack is enough to help each other. There will be people who turn away from time to time, but there will be many people who want to help. From now on, I will help the Duke…”
“Stop…, it’s over.”
He quietly put his head down and listened, he said that in a low voice and pushed my hand away. I guess it’s not because he doesn’t want to hear, but because of the confusion that comes from this new unfamiliarity.
‘He grew up in a different environment, who would pat him on the head and tell him it’s okay?’
It is understandable that he is bewildered. As I was about to stand haphazardly with a damp towel, the meal I ordered for Serpence arrived. It is still early in the morning, though it must have taken time to prepare.
Translated by Appleot
Edited by Appleot
Chapter 13.2:
Thanks to the meal that arrived at an amazing time, we shook off the awkwardness and focused on the food as if nothing had happened. Also, food is the best eaten when things like this happen. This is always right!
“…why did you get this tomato risotto?”
Serpence broke the silence as he was eating so quietly that I wouldn’t even realize he was eating something if I hadn’t seen him in front of me.
“To be precise, it’s ‘Meatball’ tomato risotto. I tried it yesterday and it was delicious. It’s my recommendation!”
I deliberately answered cheerfully, and Serpence looked at me with a ‘what the hell is this guy talking about?’ expression.
“I’ve learned everything. Bread and soup and some seasonal fruits. It’s not like you’re living in a monastery, isn’t it too much?”
I ordered dinner yesterday, and asked, ‘What should I feed Serpence to make him feel good?’ I was thinking about something like that. The staff said that the Duke always had a menu, so I nodded without thinking. And that’s how I came up with the menu I just talked about.
‘Is there a nobleman in the world who lives his life like this?’
For some reason, whenever I go up to the office after lunch, he always arrives first, so I wonder if he always eats like that. I wanted to order it as a course meal, but the menu he usually orders is not like that, so the ingredients aren’t ready, so it’s impossible. In fact, the meatball tomato risotto I made this time was also prepared for the general audience.
“…the food is good.”
Serpence raised a spoon, scooped out a sip of risotto, and put it in his mouth. Not only in words, but in facial expressions, there was no emotion.
‘No, is this delicious? Did you like the meat?’
Mixed with the sour sauce, the grains of rice that melt in your mouth are impressive. Memories of mixing rice with ketchup came to mind. If you take a large bite of meatballs as a side dish and bite into them, this is paradise on earth. After all, people must eat rice and meat together to live.
“Is there really no food you like?”
“Do I need something like that?”
“Of course! The Duke needs to know his likes and understand them.”
What I found out yesterday was that he was a block of defense mechanisms.
Forced by his parents as a child. It attributed to his inability to understand the crooked moral ideas that were tailored to their taste because of the contradiction in his own nature. As he played an adult gentleman, he had to suppress his personal desires and emotions.
He had to consciously invent false feelings.
‘That’s why he can’t face his true feelings. Also, he must have lost the way to express himself.’
Now, I’m slowly starting to get a sense of the human being called Serpence.
“For now, I know very well that Lord Rivelon’s greatest desire is ‘appetite’.”
“Why are you analyzing me…?”
“I said I’ll observe you, didn’t I?”
. . . he has a long way to go. Far, too far away.
“Listen now, Duke. Showing desire is never a bad thing. It’s proof that you’re alive. If you keep suppressing it, you never know when or how it will explode.”
It actually exploded. It exploded very badly, and the continent was rolled up and eaten.
“So, let’s start with the small things. It is one of the three human needs, and it is common to the three basic elements of human life. In other words, food!”
“…be it small or large, let’s please do at least one thing.”
I muttered as much as I could, and the words didn’t seem like words. Serpence looked at me with eyes that said I’m acting weirdly.
“Anyway, I ask for your cooperation.”
“Then let’s make this tomato at later times… ‘Meatball’ tomato risotto.”
··What? A favorite food?
Did you say you liked what you ate, or did you just choose what you can see?
I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but no matter how much I think about it, this is just the latter. In the meantime, why is he emphasizing on those meatballs? Is he sarcastic?
“At least be sincere…”
“Lord Rivelon.”
Serpence cut off my words, calling me with a more determined voice than ever before.
“I certainly gave you permission to watch me, but that doesn’t mean I gave you control over my actions.”
“I wasn’t trying to control you…, no. I’m sorry.”
I must have been too proud that he showed a little bit of himself. Anyway, if he felt that way, it’s my fault.
‘Rather, if we recall the past…’
It’s a great achievement just to have gone this far.
