Chapter 8

Knock, knock.

There was a knocking sound that felt restrained. Now I can even recognize a person by the sound of a knock.

It was a new fact.

Well, I couldn’t know because I took the attendance that much.

“Come in, Sir Lucas.”

The doorknob opened, and Lucas entered with an unexpected face.

“How did you know that it was me?”

I looked back at Lucas using the mirror with a natural smile.

Should I laugh a little today? What should I do to laugh like that?

It was awkward even when I pulled up the tail of my mouth with my fingers. It’s awkward, it’s a little weird….

Shall I get tutoring from Lucas?

“You’ve been knocking so hard that I’ve been sick and tired of it. I can tell from the sound.”

“It’s an honor.”

I looked at my shoulders. It meant just go to the point.

“I will be in charge of the escort today. I think you haven’t heard it yet.”

“Yes. You tell me quickly. Why would you do that? Where’s Aiden?”

Lucas replied, closing his eyes without saying anything.

“Princess. He is a servant. Even if he is close to the princess, for the noble’s eye, it is not good to see the princess is being escorted by a servant.”

“Ah… that’s right.”

Nobles’ eyes? Maybe someone will complain if a commoner intervenes at a party held by a senior class.

“A beggar.”

Lucas didn’t frown, but he looked at me with a subtle expression.

“Oh, not Sir Lucas. Nobles.”

“Neither princess nor me are nobles?”

“Then we’re like beggars too.”

Soon the tail of his mouth dried up. He’s a male protagonist, but he smiles like a villain.

He’s smile was pretty good before. I shouldn’t learn how to laugh from him. He replied with a louder tone than usual with a villain-like laughter.

“I guess so.”

As we faced each other, a moment of strange silence followed.

What are you looking at? When you’re done talking, go out.

It was another familiar knock sound that broke this strange silence.

“This is Aiden.”

***

“I will be in charge of the escort today. I think you haven’t heard it yet.”

“Yes. You tell me quickly. Why would you do that? Where’s Aiden?”

Lucas was reminded of the old Selina, who had doubts for him.

In the past, she wanted to hold his hand and be escorted even if she died soon, but now she wanted to be escorted by Aiden, her exclusive servant.

This is getting more interesting.

“Princess. He is a servant. Even if he is close to the princess, for the noble’s eye, it is not good to see the princess is being escorted by a servant.”

“Ah… that’s right.”

Selina said up to there, closed her mouth, and turned her eyes into the air on his side.

She has an expressionless face, and she kept silent for a while to see if she was imagining something.

Lucas looked at her quietly, wondering what she was thinking about.

Soon, a calm voice came out from a still expressionless face. Although the content was not calming at all.

“A beggar.”

Lucas laughed unbearably at this moment. It’s so funny.

He couldn’t shake his eyes from Selina’s face, who was spitting out the thoughts she always had in her mind.

His family was a poor, Korean-American baron, so he suffered a lot of discrimination among the nobles.

His father went out to subdue monsters in the past because of the nobles who tried to turn to the lower nobility.

Well, the Duke and his father, who participated there, had a good relationship, and in exchange for some kind of work, the son was able to receive the support of the Duke.

How funny it was to see them changing their attitudes when they were sponsored by the Duke.

In the front, they become wanted to be friends to them, and in the back, they whisper words that are not in envy.

The only thing that changed to him was the title of being supported by a duke.

‘It feels like shit.”

The thoughts of his childhood continued to grow up. No, it was disgusting when he grew up more.

Pretentious people.

He likes to divide classes, and he likes to flatter himself. He want to let the weak do what is dangerous, and it hurts when others get the ball.

All they have is a noble name and money, but they know they are still rookies.

But in those disgusting characters, he treated them with the same smile.

He didn’t want to be a nuisance to the Duke, and this life was easier than before.

He really didn’t want to go down when he got to this high position.

The conclusion was that he was just a beggar noble.

So, he did my best to act like a beggar.

With such a contempt.

He wears a good mask, deceives people, and speaks sweet words, but he is like a poisonous viper. So unpleasant.

Lucas was overwhelmed by an irresistible, hot feeling that boiled inside him.

The day is coming when the heart that was held alone will pop out in someone’s mouth and hear it with his ears.

He always tried to act and talk with sincerity to the members of the Dukedom, but because he wanted to be loved, pretended appearances often popped out without his knowledge.

Even to Aaron, a friend who he ever had.

What kind of face does it look like to smile sincerely? What does it feel like?

Now he doesn’t even know what he is doing, but a few days ago Selina saw himself and said so.

‘Stop acting now. It’s all obvious and uncomfortable.’

“I guess so.”

Recalling his own face, which could not come to mind in the distant memories of his childhood, Lucas tail of his mouth rising by itself.

Is it a sense of closeness to the same person or the joy of the person who sees through oneself whom he cannot even know?

Whatever. What now is crazy fun.

***

Meanwhile, Aiden stood at the door and hesitated. The situation was not good enough to enter.

Why does he always seem to be in this situation? He can’t go in or do something.

He couldn’t take a few steps and leaned against the wall of the room.

The conversation that flowed inside the room filled his mind.

‘A beggar.’

Aiden sometimes thought himself that way. No, he was actually a beggar.

The princess saved him from being beaten up like a dog while parrotting on the street. He thought her reaching out was like a fantasy.

Young Aiden, who was rescued by Selina, recalled his childhood when he picked up a torn fairy tale and read it.

The story of a poor woman meeting a rich prince, eating well and living well.

Oh, he wonders if that kind of story unfolds right in front of him.

He may be treated  and live well in the house of this beautiful woman who takes her away.

He had such a foolish hope.

His fantasy broke up in an instant. In that prestigious mansion, his role was the exclusive servant of the princess. That is also in charge of resentment.

The lady of a noble family of similar age, beautiful like a princess. And the servant.

Beauty and character are not necessarily proportional. Fantasy book are just fantasy because the reality is cruel.

Daily verbal abuse and violence.

It was shameful and unbearable.

Even though his resentful days continued, as he looked at the window swaying in the harsh winter breeze, the days when he was filled with gratitude for saving her from the street were repeated.

He held it that way.

At least here, he has his own space to lie down on his body. He doesn’t have to avoid having to face this winter breeze.

If he left this place, it seemed that the terrible past would become the future and torment him.

However, at the age of 17, that’s what he thought.

What is the difference between the time when he used to be angry and now? Looking at the glances, groaning, being beaten, and cursed.

Yet, looking at the incoming money, he endured everything. It’s been a long time since pride was sold for money.

What’s the meaning of living in this life?

If someone hears this thought, it’s an honor to know that a long street orphan beggar just enters the Duke’s house and may spit out saying that he’s pretense.

The days of sleeping at night with confusion and self-destruction continued.

Then one day, when he heard the news that Confucius was graduating from the Academy as the top of his class.

The lady turned her room upside down.

Even Aiden, who stood there like furniture.

‘Get out of here. I hate to see you! A beggar like you is not helping! I’m angry. I’m angry!’

He knew that the anger wasn’t directed at him, but he couldn’t say anything.

Throwing stones in high places. It is like a hobby from them.

‘You… You useless bastard!’

A small jewelry box piled up his forehead and fell to the floor.

The red liquid fell to the floor, and the princess’s body, looking at herself across from him, trembled.

‘Blood. Blood…”

Isn’t she so vicious yet she’s afraid of blood? Aiden pulled up his mouth.

They have been living together as the princess and the servant.

‘Are you alright, Miss?”

‘You… You’re bleeding… Blood…’

‘I’m fine. However, if I keep standing like this, you will be surprised, so I’d better get out of here. I will let others in soon.’

Aiden smiled until the end, then closed the door and clenched and opened a fist in his trembling hand.

When he roughly wiped his forehead, there was a bright red on his hand. It seemed to be bleeding a lot. Considerably more than he thought

His jaw trembled at the clench teeth.

He came back to his room and looked in the mirror and cried out a silent cry, and then he realized it.

The silent cry he made became magic and floated around. Black flames circling around him.

As if he will always burn everything black.

And what was the resolution that day.

Will you kill the princess? Will you take revenge? …he don’t remember well.

The only thing that is certain is that he did not reveal that he could set the flame quietly. Put it in and use magic on anyone.

Even after that, he kept bowing and bowing again. To become a beggar attached to this Dukedom. In order not to go back to those days of worrying about freezing and dying in the cold wind.

But…

‘Then we must be like beggars.’

The insensitive face of the princess who woke up was good in front of her. She must have spit out that dull face.

Laughter came out.

She’s never been a beggar, but it seems like a beggar.

He felt strange. Neither bad nor bad feelings.

It feels like Selina isn’t Selina.

Aiden knocked on the door, deciding to think about what this sense was for a little longer.