CH 68

It was when I was applying herbs to Argen’s neck.

“It’s strange. By now, it’s the time for the door to open—” 

Looking out the window where the annex would be, Argen muttered blankly.

“Then why won’t the door open?”

I actively responded as if I had been waiting. 

Argen said that the pain that happens every time the pattern appears had been reduced after using the herb.

I don’t remember if it was before or after he saw the effect, but he called me often after that.

His attitude toward me had also become softened.

“Was there anything wrong when you checked the annex?”

Argen made sure to ask me if something was wrong with the servant.

I don’t know if I can say this worked as planned, but I think I’ve won his favor after putting herbs on Argen.

Seeing that he only has a little doubt about me now. 

“There was nothing strange about it, but the gatekeepers and servants looked pretty bad.”

“Bad?” 

“They made the monster trapped in the room do something weird.”

In the novel, Argen doesn’t care about Richard’s suffering.

Still, I told him what they had done when I had the chance.

Because it would be much more effective to say it when he takes a break and thinks about it as it is now than to report it officially.

If Argen comes forward, I don’t have to bother to think.

Because with Argen’s word, all of this will be sorted out.

Argen also frowned as if he didn’t like their behavior.

I looked forward to it for a while, but—.

“They’re doing something pretty interesting.”

“I think they’re bad people, if you changing them—”

“It doesn’t matter as long as they do their job right. It would be okay to trample on the monster at this point.”

…That’s just what I hope. 

As expected. 

Argen has no reason to worry about other people’s trauma.

Especially when it comes to Richard.

I felt uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to provoke Argen’s suspicions, so I pretended to obey and nodded my head.

“According to the report, they seem to be doing their job faithfully.”

Yeah, that’s the problem.

As I contemplated how to accuse them, I also looked into how they were doing in the annex to catch up on one thing.

But—. Something really unexpected happened.

Surprisingly, they were doing a good job. Especially Eric.

Eric has a few jobs in the annex, and it looks like he is using the knowledge he has gained while working in this mansion wisely.

Here, ‘to the best of my knowledge’ means to deceive the eyes of superiors.

…So it’s even more annoying.

‘It doesn’t matter if you do your job well from the perspective of your superiors…I’m sure it’s the same in my country….’

It’s annoying to have to accept it on its own. 

Contrary to what I thought, Eric was surprisingly good at rolling his head.

It’s amazing how he knows just when to be good to his superiors, act well in front of them, and joke around.

…There’s nothing to complain about.

“But it would be better to send someone to the annex. It’s hard if they do something useless.”

This was unexpected.

“…I’m arrogant, but if I can say one thing, may I recommend someone?”

“Rosie, you?”

Argen asked unexpectedly.

Argen asked as if it was unexpected.

“…As one of the people who repaired the annex, I remembered a person who knew the interior of the annex well and was sincere. So you don’t have to worry about him.” 

“No. It would be nice to hear who he is. Who is it?”

I said with a smile.

“It’s Lucas-ssi.”

Argen seemed to be pondering on something.

“Are you a lover?”

Why is it all of a sudden?

“If it were a lover, I would have kept it secret. I only recommended it because he was sincere, so you don’t have to worry about it, Marquis.”

“Then is your lover locked up somewhere?”

“….?”

Am I you?

I laughed awkwardly at the sudden nonsense.

Is this what a manager’s sense of humor is like? I hardened without laughing or crying.

However, perhaps the interest had gone, Argen immediately called the butler.

“Do you know a servant named Lucas?”

“…Are you talking about Lucas? Of course, I know. He’s a quiet friend, but I remember him for doing his job well, quietly and faithfully.”

The butler added a few words of praise to Lucas.

Then he asks carefully.

“…By any chance, did Lucas do anything wrong to the Marquis?”

“No.” 

The butler’s face was very cautious, probably because of Argen’s expression that he didn’t like something the whole time.

“Send him to the annex.”

Finally, the words I wanted fell from Argen’s mouth.

It’s a success.

I called for joy inside.

*****

“Lucas-ssi, cheer up and tell me if something happens in the annex. Let me help you.”

Lucas, who looked at me with a blunt face, nodded his head without a word.

Okay, reliable!

He’ll do well because he’s Richard’s spy.

I clenched my fist as if to cheer him up.

However, Lucas awkwardly imitates my actions with a shaky face.

“Hey, Rosie…”

Then the maid who was watching Lucas and me called me.

“I don’t know if I can say this, but Dylan-nim is looking for you.”

“What?”

“If you feel uncomfortable, run away in advance—”

“Thanks for letting me know!”

This crazy guy is really—.

I have to decide at some point. But, even as I was thinking about it, my body was already running away.

It makes me think again about whether it was good to bring Dylan in.

It’s tiring to bump into Dylan directly, so I want to avoid it as much as possible.

It was comforting, to say the least, but I felt more comfortable because I had less to worry about Yurtha.

And Lucas will take care of Eric and the gatekeeper, who was a hard problem. 

Wouldn’t that make me a little more comfortable?

So it’s been a few days again.

Strangely, the door didn’t open. I think the time has come for it to come out, but it was really strange.

I heard that the punishment in the room usually ends in three days, and that was the case in the original.

No matter how hard I tried to think about it, I couldn’t guess anything.

I often visited the annex.

When I went to the annex, I met Lucas, who was working quietly, and I saw the gatekeeper and Eric doing their job while watching him.

They had been bothering Richard, so it was strange that they got so quiet.

Well, it looks like the the rank arrangement is over.

There was a silent competition between them and it seemed to end with Lucas’ victory. 

It was a satisfactory ending.

I gave Lucas a thumbs up and Lucas looked at me with a puzzled face.

“Good job, Lucas.” 

“….?” 

His usual expression of indifference turned into a look of confusion, but he did his job quietly.

‘He doesn’t really look like a spy.’

He seems like a sincere servant who silently does his job.

Either way, it’s a good thing.

I waited for Richard to come out safely.

One day in the passing of time. One day Lucas wasn’t around here.

“Rosie.”

Eric, with a grim face, approached me. I almost stepped back for a second.

I managed to avoid taking a step backward despite my shaky footing.

“What’s the matter, Eric?”

“I heard you sent Lucas here.”

Oh, I see now why he’s been looking at me with a frown for days.

“It’s weird. How am I supposed to send Lucas to you? It is beyond my control.”

“I know that you seduced the Marquis and persuaded him to send Lucas here. They say you visit the Marquis every night these days. Do you think I can’t see anything?”

—This crazy guy.

I clicked my tongue coldly.

“If the Marquis heard those words, he would cut off your tongue. So come to your sense, Eric.”

“….”

“The Marquis was thinking about a servant to send to the annex, so I just recommended Lucas-ssi. Don’t think it’s weird.”

“…You’d better not do that. Do you think I don’t know? You sent Lucas here because you didn’t want me to play with a monster there.”

I looked at Eric with a laugh.

“So you knew it.” 

“What?”

“I thought you didn’t know. But, like a child, you didn’t know it was wrong, and I thought you were acting stupidly and having fun crushing the weak.”

Eric looked at me, unable to answer, as if he was speechless.

“If it were the former, I just thought it was stupid. Because a child is a child, but honestly, it’s embarrassing for an adult to do that.” 

“….”

“But you knew it. It’s even worse.”

Eric’s face turned red.

He looks like he’s about to hit me because his hands are shaking. 

Eric’s hand was lifted up when I thought it would be really dangerous to touch more.

Are you really going to hit me?

Eric’s hand stopped in the air without blinking an eye to see what he was doing.

His gaze was already directed elsewhere.

Oh, I get it roughly.

I looked back with a big smile.

“You’re here, Lucas?” 

Lucas looked at me and nodded his head. Then his eyes became sharp as he saw Eric’s hand wandering through the air.

He also seems to have noticed the situation.

“E, ehm.” 

Eric lowered his hand awkwardly and ran away.

He always mumbled the same pathetic words.

“…You’ll regret it.”

How funny. 

I’ve never had any regrets so far.

Even if there was something to regret, it wouldn’t be because I didn’t listen to Eric.

But the next day, problems arose.

I felt that way when I entered the annex today.

A bad feeling from the atmosphere.

As soon as I walked in, it felt like everything, from the oxygen in it, was screaming at me not to come in. 

But, as always, I ignored that feeling and went in. 

And I witnessed a terrible sight.

—The room where Richard was punished was open.

Is the long punishment finally released?

As I approached the door like that, I realized that the situation was serious.

“Hey, close the door.”