* * *
Zavad had been holed up in the tower for years.
The servants had never seen the second young master in person and only knew of him through vague rumors.
This was the first time so many people were seeing him out in the open.
Up until now, gossip about him had just been idle talk to kill time during shifts.
There was never any real proof.
They probably enjoyed the thrill of mocking a noble, layering on scandal after scandal.
But now, feeling guilty about their past behavior, they’d rush to clear up the rumors more actively.
Zavad wouldn’t let it slide.
He’d remember it all.
And he’d get revenge, down to the last detail.
The more meticulous he was, the better it was for Ranshel.
Let him remember everything they experienced together, vividly.
Zavad scanned the surroundings and crossed his arms.
“I hope that useless guard detail at least proves themselves when they get back to the estate. Dragging around a bunch of lowborn strays is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“…But they were dispatched to protect you, young master. Isn’t that a little harsh?”
Ha. Zavad let out a short laugh.
“You really are… pure white. I wonder what the hell your employer was thinking, sending someone like you to be assigned to me.”
“What?”
“…Not that I mean anything by it. It’s just… you’re…”
Zavad trailed off, unusually hesitant.
He opened his mouth, closed it, ruffled his hair.
He looked genuinely troubled, like it was hard for him to find the right words.
‘Is he seriously still hung up about what happened earlier?’
Ranshel was dumbfounded.
This was absurd.
Why was he worrying about the feelings of a mere servant?
His chest ached again, so he let out a pointed sigh.
“Why are you acting so weird? It doesn’t suit you. Just be your usual self. You’re the kind of guy who can’t have a proper conversation without throwing in some cutting remarks.”
“…Tell your employer to send me an invitation later. I’m dying to know why the hell they’d send someone like you to work as my servant.”
“To my employer? If you do that, they’ll probably just say, ‘We’ll send someone new—please return that one.’”
There were surely plenty of replacements for Ranshel in Nameless.
If a product had a defect, they’d probably offer an exchange.
Of course, what truly mattered was not Zavad’s opinion, but that of the client who’d ordered Zavad killed.
“…Then that’s enough. I already have a mountain of things more annoying than you. Why bother? Honestly, being clueless like you might be better.”
“What is it that I don’t know?”
“You don’t even realize there’s a problem with the makeup of the escort team.”
Zavad gestured toward the direction where the guards stood in the distance.
“Commoner, commoner, commoner. All foot soldiers. Do you think it makes sense that not even one proper knight is guarding a noble?”
“Ah…”
“It means I’m not worth it. It’s the ultimate form of disdain, but you didn’t even pick up on that. That’s why you’re so damn clueless. How can you not see such an obvious setup? It’s frustrating…”
“If it’s so frustrating, you could always return me. Just make sure the severance pay is generous.”
Zavad, who had been grumbling, suddenly fell silent.
Ranshel rolled his eyes toward him to get a read on his expression.
‘He won’t.’
They didn’t even have enough funds to pay that severance.
No way he’d throw Ranshel out now.
Even so, Ranshel tensed slightly.
If Zavad really did let him go, the quest was as good as failed.
Still, they’d long since boarded the same boat.
As the guards had said, Zavad had brought him all the way to the capital.
It wouldn’t be easy to cast him aside now.
‘But there’s always the “what if”…’
The truth was, Ranshel was objectively unfit to serve a high-ranking noble.
Nameless had only sent him because they assumed the client was a sheltered young lord locked in a tower.
No one expected he’d end up traveling outside the estate with a sharp-witted, cunning noble like Zavad.
A servant who couldn’t even pick proper clothes—there was no reason to keep someone like that close by.
If Zavad weren’t under this unusual pressure from the duke, he’d have plenty of options.
So for now, Zavad would choose Ranshel.
Only because he was still powerless.
He’d likely be discarded later, but he just had to hold on until the revenge plot began.
‘So why the hell am I nervous?’
He knew all of this.
And yet… ridiculously, he was sweating from the tension.
Ranshel wanted to squeeze his heart to make it stop pounding.
The thudding was setting all his nerves on edge.
Zavad simply stared at him.
His unreadable gaze slowly drifted across Ranshel’s face.
“…Who else would use someone like you, if not me? Return you, my ass.”
Muttering low, Zavad pulled a handkerchief from his coat and dabbed the sweat beading on Ranshel’s forehead.
His touch was rough, pressing Ranshel’s head back over and over again.
Feeling bizarre, Ranshel muttered awkwardly.
“Sir, I’m filthy right now. I rolled on the ground earlier, and I’m covered in dust.”
“I know. Don’t come into my room until you’ve scrubbed yourself clean.”
“Don’t dirty your handkerchief.”
“You’re going to wash it anyway. What does it matter if you’re the one who dirtied it?”
Zavad said it like it was nothing.
“……”
His heart, which had been beating so loudly, suddenly went quiet.
What was Zavad even thinking?
He was just the guy who did Zavad’s laundry.
‘He could replace me anytime.’
Ranshel bit the inside of his cheek hard.
He just wanted to focus on surviving, to stay within his bounds.
‘Enough with the pointless thoughts…’
The reality wasn’t so forgiving.
Capturing the unknown villain had gone well, but now he was stuck in a wheelchair for the time being.
To make it worse, he’d ended up borrowing Frey’s equipment.
“…It actually worked out well, sir.”
“What did?”
“Lady Frey seems to be taking the exam on the same day. Since I’m borrowing her things, we’re bound to cross paths again. That’ll give you a chance to build rapport with someone useful outside the estate.”
Given the situation, Ranshel decided to play cupid for the two of them.
Either way, if Zavad wanted to pull off the main event, the game had to proceed along its intended route.
Besides, there was an added bonus to getting close to Frey.
‘He could receive the Saintess’s blessing.’
Plenty of villains still had their eyes on Zavad.
The protection Frey granted would be a huge help in keeping him safe.
If an early meeting meant early blessings, all the better.
It was certainly preferable to the current nerve-wracking state of not knowing when danger might strike.
They had to make use of this unexpected development.
‘I’ll have to make sure they become very sociable in a week.’
* * *
I’m looking forward to the next update!