Chapter 8
The Duke’s Aide (5)
‘What the hell is he talking about!?’
Surely he doesn’t think I’m the type of person who enjoys being treated harshly and despised?
It was so ridiculous that it took me a while to interpret his words. Because of that, I couldn’t react immediately. But Serpence seemed to have judged me not to deny it.
“It’s okay. I’ve heard that everyone has tastes that they want to hide. So, umm, It must have been difficult to say, but thank you for telling me.”
Saying that, Serpence had a big smile on his face. But that smile made me even more annoyed.
‘Don’t look at me with such warm eyes! Rather with a judging gaze.’
Oh. Had these words came out of my mouth, it would have been really irreversible.
“It’s not like that! You’re mistaken!”
That misunderstanding couldn’t be cleared up until it was almost time to get off work. I told him several times until the moment I left work just in case. In the end, I was able to leave work without hesitation after hearing an apology from him that he was sorry for the misunderstanding.
‘But wouldn’t it have been possible to bring out the true nature of Serpence if I just admitted it as a lie that’s he’s mistaken and asked for him to treat me like that? If I did, I think he would get more friendly.’
No. What do I mean a Serpence who treats me like that?
I know what’s going to happen and said that. Scary things are scary, but let’s cherish my dignity more than that.
‘Come to think of it, Hans said he’d give me the location of my room, didn’t he?’
This morning, I remembered what Serpence had told me in the wagon. I should meet up with the butler for a while and get to know the location of the room before heading back.
“Aide!”
Less than ten steps after I left the office, someone called me. He’s one of the servants I saw in the restaurant before.
Was his name Jack Ferdante? He praised Serpence very enthusiastically before, so I remembered him even in the midst of the restaurant frenzy.
“Yes, what are you doing here?”
“The butler told me to show the aide the room.”
It seemed that the servant was sent up just in time after my work hours. It would have been better if it had been an older servant, but it turned out well. I’ll have to ask about Serpence on the way.
“By the way, Jack knows a lot about the Duke. You must have been working for him for a long time?”
“It’s been six years since I came in.”
He’s now 21 years old, his father is retired, and it appears that he worked for the Duke of Prasidus. So he must’ve heard a lot from his father? Nice!
“I’ll have to serve the Duke in the future, is there anything I should be particularly careful about?”
“Yes, you don’t.”
As soon as the my words are finished, his answer came right back. The reason is that the Duke was very merciful and it’s said that he would forgive without trouble, unless someone was very rude.
‘If I make a big mistake, even if the Duke forgives me, the butler won’t forgive me?’
It was a misunderstanding, but Serpence apologized for not being able to respond to my strange tastes, it felt natural for him.
“Anything he like or dislike? Books, food, hobbies, whatever!”
“He doesn’t have any.”
Is that really human?
I stared at him, wondering if he’s serious, and he laughed at what he’s saying, haha.
“But he’s the duke. I heard that he wasn’t attached to anything from a young age. If I had to say what he likes…”
“If so?”
“I can say that he loves all things equally.”
Is that human?
‘Oh, I can’t do this. It is clear that the perfect image of Serpence is already completed in this person’s mind!’
Look at the expression on his face that he doesn’t know what to do with how amazing Serpence is. That idealism is also shown when Serpence is on the side of the devils.
“Because the humans of today have rotted, he has abandoned mankind! We must humbly accept the destruction of the continent as it is!!”
They said that, and they must have founded a new religion.
“Then he probably doesn’t have close friends.”
“that’s···.”
“Is there?!”
No, was there anyone close to Serpence? What the hell happened?
“He’s close with the Crown Prince.”
“Oh.”
That one-sided relationship? I know, I’ve seen it all in the novel. Serpence hated Humanus, thinking he was just a troublesome guy. But Humanus regarded Serpence as his best friend. The reason is that the two are of the same age and that Serpence’s title is not worthy of bowing down to the Crown Prince himself. In addition to that, there was a great sense of unity from the weight it carried, but there is another main reason.
‘The fact that Serpence treated everyone the same.’
Everyone treated him differently from others because of the fact that he was the Crown Prince, but Serpence was different.
So he wanted to be closer to Serpence than anyone else. But the more he tried, the more he felt the undiminished sense of distance. Even on the day that he aimed at Serpence’s heart and pierced through it.
“Sepi!! Why, why are you…?”
Humanus clenched his teeth.
His sword was now aiming at the guy that was once his friend. No, he aimed at the heart of someone he believed was a friend.
“What are you going to do now?”
Serpence, who had fallen to the floor, so bloodied that he could no longer move, laughed at him. The clear bluish silver hair, which once shone brilliantly than anyone else’s hair color, was reduced to a dull and dirty gray color by absorbing the power of the Demon King. What used to be soft in the wind, and embroidered in the air, is covered in dark red blood and is scattered randomly on the floor.
Obviously, it was Serpence that fell on this day. Yet, why is it that Humanus is the one who appeared so miserable and desperate?
“Perhaps…Yeah, you’re afraid that the continent might be ravaged by the Demon King. Did you block it instead? Is that so?”
Serpence’s darkened eyes looked up at Humanus coldly. With a dry face that seemed to have no emotions. With a terrifyingly expressionless face.
“Come on, tell me that! Why, why? You, Sepi, you loved the continent! The Duke of Prasidus! The Empire too! You loved everything!”
“············”.
“Are we friends? No, do you think of me as a friend?”
“············”.
No answer.
Serpence just kept watching, just waiting quietly.
“I’d rather you beg for your life! If that’s not the case…! If you can’t make up your mind, go ahead and ask me to kill you!! If I let you go like this, threaten to destroy the continent!!
“Choose.”
His own close friend, his true feelings until the very end. He said nothing.
Not even a single piece was revealed.
Humanus doubted whether ‘this man’ was really the guy he knew. Perhaps he was a stranger from the beginning.
【No, ‘this man’ is someone I don’t know.】
“Sepi. No, Serpence. Who are you?”
“············”.
Humanus slowly applied force to the hand holding the sword.
Chapter 8
The Duke’s Aide (5)
‘What the hell is he talking about!?’
Surely he doesn’t think I’m the type of person who enjoys being treated harshly and despised?
It was so ridiculous that it took me a while to interpret his words. Because of that, I couldn’t react immediately. But Serpence seemed to have judged me not to deny it.
“It’s okay. I’ve heard that everyone has tastes that they want to hide. So, umm, It must have been difficult to say, but thank you for telling me.”
Saying that, Serpence had a big smile on his face. But that smile made me even more annoyed.
‘Don’t look at me with such warm eyes! Rather with a judging gaze.’
Oh. Had these words came out of my mouth, it would have been really irreversible.
“It’s not like that! You’re mistaken!”
That misunderstanding couldn’t be cleared up until it was almost time to get off work. I told him several times until the moment I left work just in case. In the end, I was able to leave work without hesitation after hearing an apology from him that he was sorry for the misunderstanding.
‘But wouldn’t it have been possible to bring out the true nature of Serpence if I just admitted it as a lie that’s he’s mistaken and asked for him to treat me like that? If I did, I think he would get more friendly.’
No. What do I mean a Serpence who treats me like that?
I know what’s going to happen and said that. Scary things are scary, but let’s cherish my dignity more than that.
‘Come to think of it, Hans said he’d give me the location of my room, didn’t he?’
This morning, I remembered what Serpence had told me in the wagon. I should meet up with the butler for a while and get to know the location of the room before heading back.
“Aide!”
Less than ten steps after I left the office, someone called me. He’s one of the servants I saw in the restaurant before.
Was his name Jack Ferdante? He praised Serpence very enthusiastically before, so I remembered him even in the midst of the restaurant frenzy.
“Yes, what are you doing here?”
“The butler told me to show the aide the room.”
It seemed that the servant was sent up just in time after my work hours. It would have been better if it had been an older servant, but it turned out well. I’ll have to ask about Serpence on the way.
“By the way, Jack knows a lot about the Duke. You must have been working for him for a long time?”
“It’s been six years since I came in.”
He’s now 21 years old, his father is retired, and it appears that he worked for the Duke of Prasidus. So he must’ve heard a lot from his father? Nice!
“I’ll have to serve the Duke in the future, is there anything I should be particularly careful about?”
“Yes, you don’t.”
As soon as the my words are finished, his answer came right back. The reason is that the Duke was very merciful and it’s said that he would forgive without trouble, unless someone was very rude.
‘If I make a big mistake, even if the Duke forgives me, the butler won’t forgive me?’
It was a misunderstanding, but Serpence apologized for not being able to respond to my strange tastes, it felt natural for him.
“Anything he like or dislike? Books, food, hobbies, whatever!”
“He doesn’t have any.”
Is that really human?
I stared at him, wondering if he’s serious, and he laughed at what he’s saying, haha.
“But he’s the duke. I heard that he wasn’t attached to anything from a young age. If I had to say what he likes…”
“If so?”
“I can say that he loves all things equally.”
Is that human?
‘Oh, I can’t do this. It is clear that the perfect image of Serpence is already completed in this person’s mind!’
Look at the expression on his face that he doesn’t know what to do with how amazing Serpence is. That idealism is also shown when Serpence is on the side of the devils.
“Because the humans of today have rotted, he has abandoned mankind! We must humbly accept the destruction of the continent as it is!!”
They said that, and they must have founded a new religion.
“Then he probably doesn’t have close friends.”
“that’s···.”
“Is there?!”
No, was there anyone close to Serpence? What the hell happened?
“He’s close with the Crown Prince.”
“Oh.”
That one-sided relationship? I know, I’ve seen it all in the novel. Serpence hated Humanus, thinking he was just a troublesome guy. But Humanus regarded Serpence as his best friend. The reason is that the two are of the same age and that Serpence’s title is not worthy of bowing down to the Crown Prince himself. In addition to that, there was a great sense of unity from the weight it carried, but there is another main reason.
‘The fact that Serpence treated everyone the same.’
Everyone treated him differently from others because of the fact that he was the Crown Prince, but Serpence was different.
So he wanted to be closer to Serpence than anyone else. But the more he tried, the more he felt the undiminished sense of distance. Even on the day that he aimed at Serpence’s heart and pierced through it.
“Sepi!! Why, why are you…?”
Humanus clenched his teeth.
His sword was now aiming at the guy that was once his friend. No, he aimed at the heart of someone he believed was a friend.
“What are you going to do now?”
Serpence, who had fallen to the floor, so bloodied that he could no longer move, laughed at him. The clear bluish silver hair, which once shone brilliantly than anyone else’s hair color, was reduced to a dull and dirty gray color by absorbing the power of the Demon King. What used to be soft in the wind, and embroidered in the air, is covered in dark red blood and is scattered randomly on the floor.
Obviously, it was Serpence that fell on this day. Yet, why is it that Humanus is the one who appeared so miserable and desperate?
“Perhaps…Yeah, you’re afraid that the continent might be ravaged by the Demon King. Did you block it instead? Is that so?”
Serpence’s darkened eyes looked up at Humanus coldly. With a dry face that seemed to have no emotions. With a terrifyingly expressionless face.
“Come on, tell me that! Why, why? You, Sepi, you loved the continent! The Duke of Prasidus! The Empire too! You loved everything!”
“············”.
“Are we friends? No, do you think of me as a friend?”
“············”.
No answer.
Serpence just kept watching, just waiting quietly.
“I’d rather you beg for your life! If that’s not the case…! If you can’t make up your mind, go ahead and ask me to kill you!! If I let you go like this, threaten to destroy the continent!!
“Choose.”
His own close friend, his true feelings until the very end. He said nothing.
Not even a single piece was revealed.
Humanus doubted whether ‘this man’ was really the guy he knew. Perhaps he was a stranger from the beginning.
【No, ‘this man’ is someone I don’t know.】
“Sepi. No, Serpence. Who are you?”
“············”.
Humanus slowly applied force to the hand holding the sword.
