* * *
“……?”
The thought of why he wasn’t eating it with his own hands crossed my mind for a moment, but I quickly remembered he had been riding a horse.
His hands were likely dirty from holding the reins for so long.
Accepting the situation, I readily popped the candy into his mouth.
But for some reason, Aiden playfully nipped my index finger.
“It’s delicious. Or maybe it’s because Cedric fed it to me—”
“Are you planning to kill a perfectly healthy tree?!”
A shout from not far away cut Aiden off mid-sentence.
We both turned our heads toward the noise simultaneously.
“You stupid brat!”
Locke, holding a large pair of garden shears in his left hand, was being harshly scolded by the gardener.
Even as he was being struck on the arms and back, he caught my eye and gave a short, respectful bow.
‘Wait.’
At that moment, a chilling memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
‘This… this is that scenario!’
In the past, Aiden had visited the Count’s estate early in the morning for a hunting trip scheduled with Cassian.
The family and servants had gathered in the central hall to greet the guest.
And back then, without fail, the system window had appeared.
[Mission: Boldly push your servant, Locke, in front of the gathered crowd. As if to instill a sense of humiliation, rub the dirt off your shoes onto his thigh while he is collapsed on the floor. Select one of the lines below:]
1. “I was trying to wipe off the dirt. Why does it feel like I’m just getting more filthy filth on me?”
2. “Keep in mind that your place is flat on the ground, serving as a rag to wipe the mud off my boots.”
Missions that physically hurt Locke or put him in trouble were bad enough, but the most vicious ones were those that trampled his pride in front of others.
It was the perfect way to break someone’s spirit.
I only had one heart left. If a mission popped up now, I couldn’t avoid it.
Just as I decided it was best to head back inside, Aiden—oblivious to my internal panic—started walking straight toward them!
“This brat looks away while someone is talking to him! Where the hell are you looking—!”
As Locke turned his gaze, the gardener, who had been shouting at the top of his lungs, flinched and fell silent.
I understood that feeling all too well. Locke’s eyes were intense enough to make anyone feel a sense of overwhelming pressure just by looking at them.
Perhaps embarrassed that he had been momentarily cowed by Locke’s gaze, the gardener began swinging his sickle around wildly.
“Where do you think you are, staring like that?! What are you going to do, glare at me?”
There were many people in the estate, including this gardener, who didn’t care for Locke.
Even though he hadn’t manifested, he displayed the temperament of an Alpha, making him a thorn in their side.
Most ‘Manifested’ individuals were born with extraordinary talents, and in this world, manifestation was a factor that influenced the very structure of power.
It seemed to make them uncomfortable that a beggar who used to bow at their feet might one day become a symbol of power.
Idiots. The more he’s like that, the more you should be kind to him and earn points.
Especially if you consider the retribution that will come one day.
“You cut a healthy tree! What are you staring for, acting like you did something right?!”
Whether intentional or accidental, the sickle the gardener swung headed toward Locke’s arm.
Startled, my feet moved toward them instinctively.
Was it a coincidence?
In that split second, Locke shifted his body so slightly it was almost imperceptible.
The tip of the sickle sliced through the air, narrowly missing him.
With his mouth shut tight and one eye narrowed, he looked exactly like the Emperor Barzeron.
Ah, right. They were the same person.
My feet, which had taken a couple of steps forward, returned to their place.
‘At this rate, the gardener’s neck is going to get cut before the tree branches.’
I wanted to step in and mediate, but I didn’t dare.
If I got closer and the window popped up, I—with my single heart—would be forced to carry out the mission.
And that, too, in front of the gardener who was currently mistreating him.
I stayed at a distance and shouted at the gardener instead.
“You there! Are you going to keep making such a racket when a guest is here?”
“Y-Young Master, you were out?”
Only then did the gardener notice me, his face turning pale as he hurriedly bowed his head.
“So what if I was inside? Were you planning to overwork my personal servant even more? That’s enough. If I catch you bullying him again, you’re in trouble!”
If he ignored my warning, his head really would fly off by Locke’s hand eventually, so following my words wasn’t exactly a bad thing for him.
“Cedric, they have their own rules. Why are you meddling so much? It’s not like you.”
Aiden, who had been fanning himself with his hand, slipped his hand into mine.
“The weather is getting hotter; it’s not good for you to get so worked up. I heard you almost collapsed last time. Let’s go inside quickly.”
I gripped Aiden’s hand tightly as he tried to lead me toward the mansion.
I quickly scanned our surroundings.
The fastest way to the mansion was the path right next to Locke.
But the ground there was muddy and soaked, likely from watering the trees.
Aiden, visiting Cassian for a hunt.
A crowd of people.
Muddy ground that would ruin shoes.
And Locke.
My instincts were screaming that we absolutely could not walk through there.
When I pulled back, Aiden paused and looked at me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Going this way is much closer.”
“……Hmm. What kind of prank is it this time, Cedric? Are you saying that what’s in front of my eyes right now isn’t the mansion, but a shack?”
Aiden looked at me with confusion, wondering why I was trying to take a long detour when the destination was right in front of us.
“It’s not that. I just wanted to show you the daffodils blooming by the pond. They’re really beautiful!”
“Haha, Cedric, daffodils are flowers that bloom in March. Are you trying to show me the daffodil bulbs?”
I had no idea why a man who didn’t even seem interested in flowers knew their blooming season, but that wasn’t important right now.
Locke’s gaze had been stinging my right cheek for a while now.
At this rate, the system window really was going to appear.
Growing desperate, I quickly linked my arm with Aiden’s, as he showed no intention of moving.
“Yes, the bulbs. Let’s go see the bulbs. If you like them, take a few and plant them at the Viscount’s estate.”
“We have daffodils in our garden too.”
“Then look at the carp in the pond or something!”
“Haha, you’re showing off the strangest things.”
I had to see something to leave that spot, so I ended up shouting and dragging Aiden toward the pond, the opposite direction of the mansion.
I returned to the mansion with Aiden, carrying a single daffodil bulb in a glass vase I’d ordered a servant to bring.
I checked the surroundings several times just in case, but Locke was nowhere to be seen.
‘Thank goodness…….’
Just as I was starting to relax and catch my breath, Aiden called over an aide who had arrived earlier and handed me something.
It was a dagger so ornate it wouldn’t have looked out of place at a formal ceremony.
It suited his taste perfectly—dressing up as flashy as a peacock even just to visit a friend’s house.
But why a sword?
My expression must have given me away, because Aiden chuckled and explained in a gentle voice.
“See this sparkling blue stone? This is a mana stone. It’s a magic tool I had specially made for you.”
The novel ‘The Emperor’s Consort’ featured a world where monsters appeared.
Ordinary attacks didn’t work on those creatures; they could only be killed with magic or weapons embedded with mana stones.
My eyes widened at the unexpected gift, and I quickly pretended to be overjoyed.
“Wow, it’s really cool! I’ll cherish it!”
To be honest, as someone who spent all my time cooped up in my room, it wasn’t exactly a gift I loved.
But since the giver had put effort into it, I at least made a show of liking it.
That should be enough.
I was about to head back to my room when Aiden caught me again.
“Take that and let’s go hunting together, Cedric. It’ll be fun!”
What is this guy proposing to a sickly civilian right now?
Aiden was an academy student who used fire magic.
Because of that, he might not be afraid of monsters, but I certainly was.
After living as a part-timer in a normal world only to end up as a terminally ill person in a bedroom, I was the person most afraid of leaving the house—second only to being afraid of Locke.
“I appreciate the offer, but…… you know. I can’t ride a horse for long, and I can’t draw a bow. I’ll only be a hindrance.”
So just go by yourselves. Don’t bother a sick person.
But Aiden didn’t back down easily.
“You can ride with me, and Cassian and I will catch the monsters. I just want you to get some fresh air. You’ve been stuck inside all this time.”
“I haven’t been feeling well lately. I’m sorry.”
“Cassie said he found one more person to go hunting, so I thought it would be perfect if you came along too, Cedric…….”
“My brother will be taking an archer with him. I heard he’s a famous marksman. So, you should take a skilled person instead of me if you want to win.”
Despite my words, Aiden still looked disappointed.
I could roughly guess what he was thinking.
He probably felt sorry for me being cooped up, and since the ‘Allure Territory’ where they hunted only contained monsters Cassian had already rounded up, he likely thought it wasn’t very dangerous.
Of course, that was coming from someone familiar with monsters.
‘I am absolutely not going.’
But I was different. I was already struggling just to stay alive; why would I go out and risk my life on purpose?
I wasn’t a dopamine addict.
Dealing with Locke and the system window was already more than enough.
I told the grumbling Aiden to get some rest and returned to my room.
Feeling suddenly drained—though I hadn’t even done much—I threw my limp body straight onto the bed.
“You guys go catch the monsters. If you’re going to possess me into a terminally ill body, at least let me rest in peace.”
Knock, knock.
A slow, deliberate knocking sound. I knew exactly who it was.
I quickly kicked off my shoes and changed into the new slippers that were sitting neatly by the bed.
I hurriedly pulled the covers over my head and squeezed my eyes shut.
The door opened immediately.
* * *
