CH 224

Duke, Please Repent! chapter 224

42. The Duke's Year-end Settlement (4)

Serpense's hand, who would normally be teasing the pen without a break, kept quivering. It's a sign that you can't concentrate on your work.

There is only one reason for him to do that.

Serpens, you asked me to go somewhere last night. It was semi-impulsive.

did you say?"

...I was thinking of telling you to go with me someday.

He objected to my words, but he did not completely deny it.

It seems that he is aware that he is unable to hide his impatience.

"So, I was just thinking about it, and it just popped out."

But I don't regret it or do it.

I know, I guess it's just because I'm nervous.

uh... .

Serpens let out a low sigh.

Where the hell did he get so nervous and anxious? Even when I saw it, it made me nervous.

Even if I ask you where you are going anyway, I don't think you'll get an answer.

"When are you going to leave?"

that .

With a hesitant expression on his face, Serpens clouded the end of his speech and lowered his head.

Naturally, his gaze stayed on the papers on the desk.

The guy blinked his eyes slowly, and there was no way that the contents of the papers he had been unable to concentrate on for so long were stuck in his mind.

Serpen...

He was about to call his name once more. He put the fountain pen he was holding in his hand on the desk with a loud clicking sound.

By that action, he knew that he had made a decision.

now.

Yes ?

When I asked the question, he looked at me with his eyes, wondering why he had such a stupid face.

"Can I go now?"

Did I tell you. It's very close.

I didn't know anything about being crushed here and now.

His concentration had long since departed, his heart was far away.

As it is, it's just a waste of time, and he seems to think it's better to get rid of it quickly.

The boy got up and looked at me.

Ugh, if it's like this, it would have been better to just have breakfast and leave right away? I just went up the stairs for nothing.

He got up from his seat, grunting his complaints in a light joke tone.

The guy looked like he was worried for a moment, then he raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth.

It is inevitable that it has already risen, but going down can be omitted.

"That means that Serpens will pick me up and jump out the window.

Does it sound like that?"

I shot him with a suspicious look, and he gave me a playful smile.

Unfortunately, however, that smile was not at all natural, and it was somehow awkwardly fixed. It appears to be an attempt to relieve tension.

If you wish.

Put it away!

Isn't this the first time?

Well, it is, but...

The pursuit of convenience makes the world progress

It is also the driving force behind making people, but sometimes it makes people lazy.

As I got used to using the servators, I imagined myself riding the serpenes when going up and down the main building every day.

Even in a world without elevators, using people as substitutes for elevators is not a good idea.

"Are you supposed to sneak out?"

It's not like that.

"Then just go up the stairs.

by!

I stepped forward and opened the normal door connected to the hallway, not the window door to the outside.

Serpens followed me, and we normally went down the stairs to the first floor of the main building.

And, as always, as I was about to head towards the front door, Serpens stopped me.

Huh? Why?

Not that one.

In answering that, Serpens looked in the direction opposite the front door.

There was a back door that is not normally used.

Follow me.

This time, Serpens took the lead.

The place he followed was a warehouse located in a remote area behind the main building of the mansion.

Serpens stopped in front of him and took out the key, holding the heavy barrel lock on the door with his other hand.

"You said it was close, wasn't it really close?"

I was able to get a feel for the place I wanted him to go with me.

Oh, give it to me. I'll open it for you.

I took the key from the guy who was scratching around the keyhole, who was constantly messing around and pushing him aside.

Without even questioning whether it was the wrong key, the lock made a squeaking sound and was easily released.

I threw a heavy piece of iron from the clasp and set it down on the floor.

When I opened the door, calming my anxiously beating heart, the landscape revealed was that of an ordinary warehouse.

Contrary to what I had expected, the tension was almost relieved by the neat and well-organized appearance.

However, Serifence's face was hardened.

Not here.

"Yes? No?"

under.

The guy spit out a single word and went into the warehouse.

Without going too deep, Serpens immediately turned right and walked along the wall.

He cleared away the miscellaneous items piled up in the corner and pressed somewhere on the wall.

- Click.

The brick right next to the one he pressed popped out. Carefully taking it out, another keyhole appeared inside.

And he got up without a word and handed me another key.

'The secluded building within the mansion site and the secret space below it... .'

Really, it was too obvious.

I swapped seats with him, slid the key into the keyhole and turned it. There was a faint creaking sound from beyond the wall.

Serpens, next time...

I turned around to ask, but Serpens approached me and pressed my hand against the wall.

all.

- That's right... .

Following the zigzag shape of the bricks, a part of the wall went inside.

The guy grabbed the place where the brick was missing and pushed it to the side like a handle on a sliding door, revealing a space hidden inside the wall.

When I put my head inside and looked to the left, I could see the stairs hidden in the narrow space between the wall and the wall.

there was.

The stairs belonged to a shallow axis compared to the basement we saw in the Lucleton estate, as the subject was secretly hidden.

'Because this is the capital?'

It would have been better if even half of the law-abiding spirit to be used for this had been invested in morality.

Well, if it's a building built before the previous dukes, there's nothing to say... .

'Wait a minute. Does this guy have no fear of the basement itself?'

I turned my head slightly and looked up at the face of the guy standing behind me.

all.

Even at the time of the last Recluton Manor, he went in and out of the underground passage several times in order to use the hidden path even in the dark area.

And it must have been before I came.

'At first, the dark house itself was underground.'

I don't dare to ask if I was okay.

Because the answer that will come back is obvious.

To endure him, who had no choice but to collapse if he did not become blunt, was

It was very familiar.

Now you can go down.

Serpens explained what he knew by just looking at the topic, skipping the parts that needed explanation.

I didn't thank you in the slightest.

I know when I see it.

The problem is that you have to solve it.

Whether he fears only the basement here or not. It is enough to help us not to be afraid anymore after today.

Serpens made of divine power

I didn't have to worry about tripping because the sphere was floated to light up my feet.

However, due to the certain pressure I felt from the dead stairs along the narrow passage, I carefully went down one step at a time, pushing the walls on both sides.

It's incredibly bland, but it's brutally brutal.

The basement seemed to be about the same as the size of the above-ground warehouse, but it looked much wider and flatter because there were no miscellaneous items piled up.

A musty smell stung his nostrils.

The wall looked like it had been washed away, but it was stained with something black here and there.

It was left unattended and the floor was full of dust.

Perhaps if you take off all that dust, more than the wall will add more, but not less

Those stains...

"Most of them belong to demons."

Ah .

All of the things that penetrate deep into the wall and can't be wiped off are all on Serpens' body.

Even though I was told that it wasn't from me, it was difficult to be genuinely relieved.

Here, besides the torture of Serpens, it must have been the treatment of the captured beasts.

'Rather than that, the Serpens at the place where the beasts were killed... .'

I shook my head to shake the thought away.

Even so, Serpens was afraid. Even I shouldn't feel fear here.

Isn't that inside? A strange chair and

The iron balls are rolling around.

okay.

The answer came back one home late.

It wasn't that hard to figure out the emotion in that voice.

I took hold of his weakly drooping hand and proceeded cautiously, step by step.

The chair I saw right in front of me was very small.

From an adult's point of view, a child was so small that even the place he stayed.

When I rubbed the floor around it with my foot, I could easily find the black stain.

I burst out in anger and my hands got stronger.

Sunwoo.

If you're worried about me, stop. I'm not the one to be worried about now.

He squatted down on the floor and looked at the pieces of iron. No attention was paid to the detailed tools.

the biggest of them all. Perhaps the two legs of the young Serpence were bound.

A lump of iron believed to have been found.

"What does that mean?"

"Will this be enough for my wrist?"

"Why are you asking such a thing?"

"You want to fill Serpens?"

The guy took a step back.

It is ironic that I did not let go of my hand holding on to such a subject.

This joke was not very pleasant.

Because I'm not joking.

To prove that I was really serious, I put it on the wrist of the Serpens who was holding it.

Even though his wrists aren't thick, he barely got in. Judging by the pressure on the skin, I think it should be finished quickly.

Give me the other hand.

"What is this going to do?"

It's because I'm thinking too. Don't you believe me?

Even with a reluctant expression on his face, he eventually calms down the other wrist as well.

gave it away

"What are you going to do with me now?"

You're not going to do anything?

...Then am I going to be left alone like this?

Serpens' eyes looking at me trembled slightly.

He meekly followed my words, so I thought he understood my meaning to some extent, but apparently he didn't at all.

Please, let's use common sense!

" Sunwoo shouldn't say things like that."

He straightened his face and said strange things.

Don't be bullshit! I know what Serpens has been up to in this place, so how could I do something like that here... No, how many times have I said I don't like that?! Where else did you learn?!

It's very strange.

I never taught him that. Before that, before we got close, he had already had such a misunderstanding once.

And such knowledge was not a subject the former Duke could teach.

That's right, after all, it's a dark place... .

There was such a story in the chatter that the Crown Prince had arbitrarily talked about before.

No! What did that bastard teach our pure Serpence?!

Anyway, this bastard of Humanus doesn't even have the slightest bit of help.

"If it's not like that, then why did you fill me with these things?"

Voices saying Serpence is still questionable, because I'm all alone

asked with

Why would you do that?! You're telling me to get out by myself!

Ah...!

Belatedly, he understood my intentions properly and let out a squeezed exclamation.

I guarantee you], the picture I drew was never like this.

I wanted to make him realize that the things that suppressed him as a child weren't really a big deal.

I wanted to let him know that I don't have to be afraid anymore.

However, it was all ruined because of the ignorant eye mucus humanus.

Hey, you always said that. Please be sure to say it...

Even so, this is not a little!

"Sunwoo often acts outside of common sense, and misunderstandings are bound to arise if it is not accurately explained."

Maybe it was my fault, too.