CH 31

“Hazard, are you going to put him here?”

At that time, an uncomfortable voice could be heard from a little far away.

“Whatever works.”

“…Ha. Wait, let me talk to you for a second.”

The rustling was especially loud. He desperately tried to play dead, but Nathan couldn’t stop his fingertips from wiggling. 

‘Please, I hope Hazard didn’t see it.’ 

At that time, a large hand lifted Nathan’s back head, slightly lifted it, put it on a soft pillow, and carefully escaped. Then, one side of the bed, which had fallen under Hazard’s weight, returns to its original state, and soon the sound of footsteps becomes distant. After a while, there was the sound of the door closing.

Nathan heard a small buzzing sound in front of the door, but he couldn’t understand exactly what it meant. He held his breath with his eyes closed for a while until the sound of words outside the door moved away with the sound of footsteps. That wasn’t enough, so he also counted to 500 and opened his eyes. 

“…”

Nathan tried to push up his glasses out of habit, but he fumbled and lowered his hand. He sat up cautiously. The sheets on the palm of his hand were soft. It looked much better than the Academy’s. So did the room. The interior of the mansion, which was antique even from a distance, was similar. The room with the red sunset through the large window was quiet and clean without dust, but strangely, there was a sense of it being lived in.

Nathan stepped down under the bed. He looked around the room. ‘I could see the sea at a glance through the balcony window.’ Nathan looked away at the red sea. Somehow, at this moment, all this came awkwardly. There are probably several factors. The bed was too big, the sense of life of others in the room, and the smell of the sea from outside the window were awkward as if they were wearing clothes that did not fit. Nathan came out of the room, sweeping down the back of his neck without realizing it.

Clattering

Nathan closed the door gently so that there was no sound, but maybe because it was too quiet. The small click could still be heard loudly. His shoulder flinched at the sound. Letting out a heavy sigh of nervousness before walking.

‘Are they in the drawing room somewhere?’ He hoped so. 

‘I pretended to be asleep and came into the mansion on Hazard’s back because I thought it would be very embarrassing to meet them while being held like that.’

If there was anyone else around, Nathan was carefully walking, even killing the sound of his footsteps to not be heard. He still felt nausea but his dizziness gradually subsided, and now he just had a small headache. 

Nathan rubbed his throbbing temples gently for no reason.

The empty hallway was filled with red sunlight and created a strange atmosphere. The house was very antique, not only in the room but also in the hallway. 

‘In fact, what’s the point of staying in the room as it is, it was good to come out of the room, but I didn’t have a specific plan to go anywhere.’

It was just as he passed in front of the stairs, which were divided into the first and third floors. There was a wind somewhere. The wind was imbued with the salty smell of the sea. Nathan unconsciously turned his head in the direction of the wind. It was a window, but it actually seemed to be used as a door. Originally, a white staircase was placed where the balcony should be. The stairs led out of the house and the end was a sandy beach.

“Oh, I can go straight to the ocean from here, right? That’s amazing.”

The structure was a little strange but of course, it was a good structure to see the ocean. This way would be faster than going round and round to the water. Nathan threw his head back and looked away carelessly.

Nathan then thought of going downstairs but instead went up the stairs to the third floor. It was quiet here as well. In fact, he was a bit worried if he was allowed to walk around freely like this, but the inside of the house was strangely quiet. That’s why Nathan has not yet seen a single employee even though he goes around the mansion freely from the second to third floors.

‘Is it because Hazard is here? I’m not sure, but that’s probably the most likely reason.’ 

When inferred from the original story, the existence of ‘Hazard’ was still in a delicate position externally, “A little prince who was kicked out of a castle at the young age of eight,” this was the story of Hazard, who is now recognized by the public.

Nathan moved his eyes along the edge of the curtain fluttering in the wind as he walked down the blue-carpeted hallway. A lukewarm wind blew through the half-open window. His eyes turned out of the red-colored window. The world where the dusk fell was half-red and half-dark blue. It constantly tickled his view so he went to grab the fluttering curtain.

‘It would be better to organize it.’

As Nathan came close to the window, he could see the wonderful garden below it at a glance. Thanks to the warm weather, the green was in full bloom and the red-colored flowers were colorful. Then Nathan found a familiar blonde in it.

“-I know.”

Nathan’s hand stopped at the voice. He was going to tidy up the blue curtain on the window, but instead, hiding there, Nathan leaned further with one hand on the window. The wind blew through the open window, but the sound of voices was still far away and could not be heard clearly. It would not be difficult to hear if magic was used, but his physical condition and his general conscience that eavesdropping on other people’s stories was not good behavior blocked his magic from being used. But even though he thought so, Nathan couldn’t move from the spot. 

There were not only Hazard but also others in the garden. They’re sitting around a table. One was Remburton and the other two were strangers to Nathan.

But Nathan could tell at a glance who they were.

Nathan’s heart pounded automatically. His mouth almost exclaimed. ‘Looking at the four people gathered like this, I realize that this place is in a novel and that it really came in before the incident. Is the palpitation of my heart that I feel right now the excitement of what’s going to happen, or is it fear?’ Nathan couldn’t easily decide because he felt either way. ‘Probably both.’

While excited at the thought of witnessing the original in person, the fear that something might change due to him shook him simultaneously. There have already been changes. Remburton’s brief transfer to the Department of Magic, his encounter with Hazard, their close friendship, and his departure from the Academy and coming to the Marquis Barcella’s villa, the original was changing subtly from a minor point. So is this a good thing?

‘Is it a good thing for me?’

Nathan couldn’t say for sure that this was a good thing.

When I first learned that I had entered the novel, I thought that being next to the main character’s group was the way to live. I tried to do that. I kept trying because I thought I was far from strong enough.

But what about now?

Nathan’s efforts have not always paid off. The more he tried, the worse it was. Now, Nathan’s self-esteem has been reversed and such negative thoughts have all been the result of accumulation and accumulation of such results.

Still, Nathan couldn’t help but try.

I feel that knowing the future was a loss, not a gain. If I had never known about future events, I would have just given up. However, I couldn’t even try hard. It has reached the present in such a half-baked state. 

As a result, the initial plan to stick to the main character’s group was realized in this way, but it was somewhat different from what Nathan had thought. Nathan was still standing off the stage.

‘I don’t need to think deeply about what was different.’

Only now does Nathan realize that he hasn’t made up his mind yet. Every thought he had so far was just a delusion that came to mind. It’s a delusion that Nathan would have done this because he couldn’t meet Hazard and get involved with his colleagues.

‘But what about now? You’ll be friends with Hazard, you’ll face his colleagues, and you’re with them where the original story takes place.’ 

His position and situation have changed significantly from what he has done so far. So he had to make a decision now. 

Will you clap while looking at the main characters standing on the stage, or will you be on the stage with them?

There is no more time to take a step back and hesitate.

I had to make a decision either way.

“…” 

Nathan shifted his leaning body and began to go back the way he had turned. His pace grew faster and faster and faster. When Nathan, who was running, came down to the second floor and headed to the room where he was lying. Nathan first encountered a person here.

“Oh, are you all right?!”

The maid, the one Nathan was told to call if he was awake, was surprised once in the empty room and twice when Nathan, with his pale face, appeared. She was told Nathan hadn’t been feeling well, but it seemed really bad. The maid hurried up to help Nathan, who was one head taller than her when he suddenly covered his mouth and retched.

Nathan’s knee bent and in the next second, he collapsed on the floor.

***

“You fainted?”

“Yes, yes! The doctor is examining now” said the maid, weeping. The maid, who saw Nathan lying down in front of her eyes, screamed in surprise. It wasn’t just because her apron was dirty with vomit. If a person falls down in front of you, wouldn’t anyone be surprised and scream? It would have been even more overturned from the perspective of an employee if the customer came to this house to relax.

The maid’s scream was quite loud and echoed through the quiet mansion, and through the halls downstairs.

The work was done quickly thanks to several of the employees who worked at the company running to hear the scream. Nathan, who fainted first was left to a strong servant, while another rushed to call the doctor, who was resting in a corner of the house. The remaining people busily moved to clean up the dirty hallway, and the maid, who had been with Nathan first, left her dirty apron and ran to the garden like this.

Remburton felt a throbbing headache at the sudden situation and touched his temple. ‘When Hazard carried Nathan on his back, was he really this sick?’