CH 29

Duke, Please Repent! chapter 29

7. The Duke's Butler (5)

Just to say thank you, you probably didn't use that expensive scroll... Do you have anything to say?

At my words, Serpens blinked with a slightly dazed expression.

What, is that really all?

"Ah you did well earlier."

Yes? What?

On the subject of reconciliation, he came only provocatively.

I was nervous that I might get scolded, but I was very startled when I suddenly received a compliment.

'It's like you listened to me... .'

Have you ever felt refreshed by seeing Hans cry?

Considering what Serpence had been through, it was understandable enough.

...nausea?

Yes?

I never imagined that the day would come when I would be praised for being a bit nauseous.

I don't know how to react,

I'm not so embarrassed by the unexpected answer.

Looking at his face to see if he was joking now, there was no reason to be serious.

"It's not no, no. Yes, nothing."

Yes?

Why do you say the word 'no' three times? What were you trying to talk about?

Is it necessary? That's not it... If not, if not.

'If it were E-Ni... ?'

What was the word behind it?

I then remembered Serpense's past. And it must have been the same for Serpens.

If I hadn't done anything then, would he have run away again?

It's nothing. Then I...

Again?

Serpens, who was about to get up, stopped.

He seems to have understood the meaning of those two short words that I uttered.

I'll bring you a new cup of tea, so why don't you go drink it? The scroll effect is a waste.

As if in a conflict, Serpens, who was sitting awkwardly on the edge of the chair, changed his posture and sat down to see if he had made up his mind.

"Oh, but how about water "

Before the words 'Did you boil it?', he took out a small carton the size of a palm from his pocket and threw it at me.

Unexpectedly, when I received it and opened it, there were several red stones the size of a new fingernail inside.

"A fever stone? Right?"

Serpens nodded at my question.

To be precise, a heat-emitting stone is a mass-produced artificial manastone that contains the magic of fire, and unlike naturally generated manastones, it is a disposable item that cannot be recharged.

'There is also Shin Sung-seok as a sister product... .'

Water was poured into a kettle from a drinking fountain placed on one side of the room, and a heating stone was placed in it and shaken, and the kettle quickly became warm.

Gently open the lid, put the right amount of tea leaves in the steaming water, wait for the tea to come out, and place the kettle on the table.

placed on top

'But why are you carrying something like this?'

According to my memory, there was a description of Liena using divine power to create a sacred fire.

It's blasphemy to use a sacred fire just to heat tea, but the serpent inside me is an image that doesn't even care... ?

"Can't you do this with your divine power?"

The only thing the torch can burn is

It's just unclean.

A pure white flame rose from Serpens' palm.

Even if you bring your hand closer, you can only feel the warm energy as he said. There was no feeling of heat.

Even if you have the courage to put your hand in the white flame and stir it, not a single collar will be scorched.

"Would it be really useful in winter?"

As he gently shakes his hand, the flame flows and disappears without burning anything.

What did you mean earlier? If not, then.

What are you talking about...

As I continue to stare without a word, Serpens's gaze, who at first looked at me as if he knew nothing, slowly shifted to the side of the gold.

Eventually he reached the edge of the carpet on the floor, and then he spoke again.

I don't know either."

Yes?''

Somewhere in my head, the floor

I'm shaking and dizzy... .

Are you okay now!?

Yeah, I think so. He said he would help... well, in this way...

With a confused and dizzy look on his face, he murmured a little. He doesn't seem to understand the change in his emotions.

"You often look at me with that look, is that compassion?"

Oh, I'm sorry! If you feel bad...

,,Yes?

Yes?

Usually, after a question like, 'Is that expression sympathizing with you?', isn't it natural to say, 'If you're going to sympathize, give me money!'

No. Serpens have a lot of money, so if you're going to give them money, you'd better pay them with sympathy... .

Isn't this too?

I'm just asking. I've never seen the end of those gazes on me.

The sound that would normally only be heard as a brag of a handsome man came out of Serpens's mouth, and the meaning changed.

"Everyone must have been busy protecting themselves."

"From what?"

"Isn't it a feeling of guilt about being neglectful?"

Serpence tilted her head slightly, with a look of still ignorance.

"By a kind of self-deception by rationalizing that it was for the sake of the continent that it was silent about the immoral things that happened in the Prasidus family at that time. You deceive and deceive your own conscience."

Only self-deception...

Like a student memorizing a new English word, Serpens repeated the word over and over again.

I'm not an expert in this field, so I'm not sure, so don't think too deeply about it! It's just that there was such a thing, so everyone turned away, and I just want you to know that the situation was absolutely not normal.

" what is your major?"

Oh, well? What is it?

He smiled awkwardly and avoided his gaze.

Serpence, as always, thought it might be one of my strange behaviors.

Or is it that they just pretend they don't know?

I brought up another question.

"To be sure, did you want to meet the servant who was working at the time?"

Well, that's it.

Serpens, who seemed to sit quietly and listen to me, seemed uneasy, and couldn't keep his eyes on one place.

' Since when?'

I was worried that he might be trying to run away again.

Why are you doing that? Because I am the one who will become the master of the Holy Sword...?

No, it's not like that...!

Not?

It was a little similar, but let's put the details aside.

He tries to face his weaknesses without running away, but is it okay for me to hide it like this?

Sometimes, I just wanted to tell everything out of my frustration.

But it's so absurd

Because of this, I fear that even the little bit of faith that connects little by little will disappear.

He is too weak to accept the things he might do in the future.

If a person who doesn't value himself becomes aware of the future.

'Worst case...

It was so harsh that I couldn't even put it down.

Of course, there were some reasons for that in the beginning. But these days, it's often forgotten.

" you can't say things that you can hide.

Poetry is.

It's because I don't want to treat the Duke with lies. No excuses, really. For now, I just want you to smile and be happy just like everyone else.

"I am a human being who can receive such goodwill "

When I said that I looked anxious for some reason, I left my seat with a blank expression somewhere and stood up.

Yes?! Ji, calm down! The Duke

This child is really a repeat offender.

Instead of running away for some reason, he sat quietly and continued the conversation.

'What was the problem this time?'

I sat down by myself and calmly reviewed the conversation.

Why was he nervous again?

It's the same from the time I asked if I would go to the servant who worked at the time, and if I think about it a little more, the look in my eyes when reciting 'self-deception' is a little... .

Oh, damn it!

Because of that.

,guilty. self-deception. immoral conduct

rationalization for.'

Serpens killed his parents in the past. As I learned from them, I hailed it as a necessary evil.

And he faced what he had been neglecting all along.

'To me, they were just cruel criminals who abused children, but .'

So, rather than their death, the situation of Serpens who had to kill them was more pitiful.

But he didn't seem to take it that way.

Those things are called parents...!

I feel so guilty and in pain. If you felt pity for yourself, even a speck of pity, you shouldn't have done that.

At first....

The saying that the savior who must save the world must not die before disaster strikes is bullshit.

That's... if you weren't the savior, what's the difference from saying that it doesn't matter if you die!!

Serpence himself was among those who failed to give him a pitying glance. For him, 'self-pity

there was no such thing as

'Self-pity.'

It's usually a negative word, but I don't think that's necessarily the case.

If you don't take pity on yourself, so you don't want to take care of yourself.

Eventually, it will rot and rot.

Serpens had no narcissism.

If you cherish and love, everyone will feel pity for your partner. Worrying about even a small wound and trying to empathize

not looking sensibly

Even if I got hurt, I didn't know it was a wound, so I didn't think to heal it.

Even in the midst of suffering, you can't think of yourself as pitiful, so instead of blaming others, did you blame yourself, which naturally led to self-hatred...?

The cool night air rushes into the empty room.

He closed the window where Serpens had escaped, and looked back at the seat he was sitting on.

After brewing tea on the table

And, without even being able to pour out a single cup, the forgotten kettle caught my eye.

The tea I was going to drink together, I ended up drinking it alone.

The 'it' that had been neglected for a long time was very bittersweet.

For some reason, I felt like I had to do that, so I drank all the tea that was astringent enough to serve.

It was an impulsive act, and as a result

I got so nauseous that I had no choice but to skip breakfast.

Lord Rivelon. Take good care of the Duke today too, and please visit... heh heh heh...

As I stood in front of the carriage waiting to go to the advisory meeting today, Hans greeted me.

Just by looking at your eyes, you are about to take out a dagger from your arms and stab me to death, but the mouth is smiling and it gives me goosebumps.

'Is it because of what Serpence said yesterday?'

Thanks to this, the quarrel between me and Hans could be turned into a brief clash.

There were still people who looked at me with distasteful eyes, but most returned to the same attitude as before.

And in the wagon.

Serpens didn't say anything. He held the book open as usual, but the pages did not turn over.

Should I speak up first?

If he brings up the topic again, he'll run away again.

'But, if you change the topic... .'

The bitter tea I drank alone last night kept hovering on the tip of my tongue. I couldn't just cover it up.

He seemed to keep thinking about something.

I hope his thoughts are cleared up. I confided in the problem and waited for help. So we looked into each other's eyes.

In the midst of all this, the time was Holler, and the day became the day when Serpens went out without much conversation.

Go carefully, I'll be waiting for you.

Yeah, then I'll go.

Serpence still greeted me with an external smile.

'I'm in that state, can I send it to a place full of monsters?'

It's not that I can't go just because I don't send it.

I'm worried that I might get hurt by Amon's attack after being distracted for nothing.

Or 'kill.'

If you feel a sense of embarrassment and stop, even if you get reversed by a monster... .

" Worried?"

You're going to a dangerous place, isn't it obvious?

I am strong.

What do you do when you have strong military power, your mental endurance is like Kukudas.

So, looking at it with the eyes of what to do, the smile that pretended to be relaxed gave me a sense of sorrow at first glance.

Hmmm... .

An uncomfortable cough from somewhere

A sound was heard.

The expressions of the knights standing behind Serpens had become harsh. He seems to think that I doubt his skills.

I believe in Duke's skills! But I'm a little worried... I don't know what people do. Don't get hurt and come back.

The knights' expressions loosened.