RGS Volume 2 Part 18

“Oh, when your respiratory system weakens, you can use lemon thyme.”

During a brief pause in their search to take their meal, Melmond was asking the butler about various things. Perhaps because their worries and tension eased a bit after having a meal, they were discussing common interests. Thanks to the weak young master, the butler had been considered knowledgeable about medicine, but he had never really had a detailed discussion about it until now.

Melmond had been too busy taking care of the young master, who was quite weak, leaving little time for himself. And because he heard that someone else made the young master’s medicine, he didn’t think the butler would know much. However, as they talked, it turned out that the butler had a lot of knowledge about herbs. Moreover, he even mentioned that he grew herbs separately in the mansion.

“Yes, lemon thyme is not difficult to grow. We cultivate it before winter and store the fragrance using oil. When winter comes, the young master’s respiratory system becomes very weak.”

“What kind of oil do you use?”

“Herbal oil. We also use flower oil. We extract the oil ourselves.”

“Hmm, extracting oil must not be easy, right?”

“Yes, it was very difficult at first. But now everyone in the mansion has become an expert. It’s all thanks to the young master. Because he was so weak, we tried every possible method. The doctors said he wouldn’t live long since he was born. He was in so much pain that he could barely endure each day. No one expected him to live until the age of twenty. It was truly a miracle. That’s why from a young age, the young master had everyone cater to his every whim. That’s how he developed a self-centered and stubborn personality.

The butler’s eyes became moist as he reminisced. Then, Nani, who had been listening to their conversation nearby, asked curiously.

“How can someone be so self-centered?”

Ashler, who had not yet heard about the young master’s temperament, turned his head with interest while eating bread. Melmond, who had already heard the story, furrowed his eyebrows. This was partly because he was familiar with the butler’s pride in the young master. Sure enough, the butler’s face was filled with a self-satisfied smile.

“Hoho, I dare say our young master’s self-centeredness, ignorant of anyone but himself can be proudly proclaimed as the best in the world. He lacks even a bit of consideration for others, receiving not only daily criticism but also all sorts of curses. Uh-haha-haha―”

Ashler and Nani, who were hearing about the young master’s achievements for the first time, froze with the bread in their hands.

What is this, it’s outrageous.

The butler’s subsequent boasting only confirmed the extraordinary nature of the young master’s achievements.

“But even our young master, who is like that, has found someone he liked. In other words, it was a miracle. He developed a heart for others! And our young master, who didn’t want to take a single step on his own to meet that person, didn’t hesitate to take a long journey! With such effort and an irresistible fairy-like appearance, it seemed natural he would find love.”

Suddenly, the butler lowered his voice and trailed off at the end of his words. Everyone looked at him with curiosity.

“Why? Was it not love after all?”

Nani asked, and the butler sighed and shook his head.

“Hoo, it wasn’t the young master’s fault. The other person… they just outright rejected our young master!”

“What?! That’s unbelievable!”

Melmond, who knew the young master’s appearance well, gasped for breath in astonishment. To reject someone with such a fairy-like appearance.

“Why on earth did they reject him?”

Nani asked in surprise, and the butler turned his sad eyes away. In a soft voice filled with sorrow, he revealed the heartbreaking reason.

“They said he was too ignorant.”

“……”

“Ugh, they said they can tolerate a bad temper, but they couldn’t stand someone with an empty head. Ahh… Our young master’s ignorance was so formidable that even his fairy-like appearance couldn’t overcome it!”

While the butler shed tears, the three of them remained silent for a while.

Melmond realized once again that there was nothing as useless as the young master’s past actions in the world. Ashler and Nani, who were experiencing this for the first time, were still holding their bread in their hands, looking bewildered.

Melmond felt sorry for the crying butler and started comforting him, for no reason. Then, out of the blue, Ashler asked as he slowly chewed on the remaining bread in his hand.

“Is the young master’s body really that weak? To the extent that surviving each day was a miracle?”

Yes, the butler nodded and Ashler casually replied.

“So, it seems that even the reincarnated Abel also cannot live long.”

Thud.

Melmond’s movement froze like ice. However, Ashler took another bite of bread and added, as if deliberately confirming reality.

“If he were to be reincarnated with such a weak body, wouldn’t it be of no help to His Majesty? It could even become another wound for him.”

“What are you trying to say, Sir Ashler?”

When Melmond asked with a frown, Ashler put the rest of the bread in his mouth and wiped his hands.

“Even I, who only heard the story, think the same way. If he knows that he has a weak body, he would feel it even more. If the young master is really Abel’s reincarnation, he might feel desperate not knowing when he will die. He would probably think of doing anything to help His Majesty before dying.”

“……”

“It seems that what we should be worried about is not His Majesty but the young master. If he still doesn’t fear death like he did twelve years ago, then the results will be the same. He also chose not to live back then.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Glance. Glance.

Glancing back, the youngest thief kept looking over his shoulder as he led the way along the narrow mountain path. Despite claiming to be the guide, there was really only one path, so there was no need for guidance. Therefore, he didn’t know when the fearsome person behind him would slit his throat.

However, the reason the youngest thief kept glancing back wasn’t because he was afraid his sword might come flying at him. It was because he was looking at the fairy. When the two brothers he had grown close to died and as he knelt on the ground begging for mercy, it was truly a moment of desperation. Believing that only the fairy could save him, he had prayed fervently, and it had worked.

It was when Karas lowered his sword at the fairy’s proposal. Of course, he didn’t hear the words that he would be saved, but the beautiful fairy seemed satisfied with just that. He immediately clutched his stomach and ran into the forest. And the fairy who came back after a while looked more fragile.

Even though he already had a delicate body, his body looked even thinner when he staggered. His complexion was pale as if all the energy had drained from his body. The youngest could tell at a glance. It must be a severe diarrhea. But the problem was that whether it was a storm or a typhoon, the fragile appearance of the vulnerable fairy was so enchanting that it made his heart pound.

[T/N: lmao, I just can’t with the description]

Red lips half-opened in exhaustion, emitting shallow faint breath. Gulp, saliva flowed involuntarily, and a tingling sensation spread inside him. It was a breathtakingly stunning beauty that could make anyone faint twice. However, unbelievably, there was someone who showed no response to this beauty at all.

Karas spat coldly at the fairy.

“Information.”

It was only one word, but no one seemed to understand what it meant. Instead of immediately embracing the fairy who was about to collapse, Karas insisted on waiting for the answer, as if he couldn’t do it even if he could.

He now realized that Karas was indeed a ruthless King of Slaughter, the fairy answered with great effort.

“I’ll let you know after seeing this person off.”

Then, with a thud, he fell down.

The youngest finally realized that the fairy had saved him. While shedding tears of gratitude, he heard Karas’ command.

“Pick him up.”

It wasn’t until a long time later that he realized it was a command to pick up the fairy. Despite his annoyed tone, the youngest’s excitement grew even more.

He could pick up the fairy! He sprang to his feet and approached the fairy, unable to contain his own expression. It was only when he reached out his trembling hand toward the fairy that he learned of Karas’ kindness.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes?”

“Why are you smiling?”

“….”

In the end, Karas picked up the fairy. More precisely, he lifted him up on his shoulder like a sack of rice. Because of this, the youngest who was leading the way kept looking back. Although he couldn’t see his face, the beautiful fairy, the savior of his life, had his pale white arms swaying with each step Karas took.

Glimpses of ankles peeked out from beneath the slightly lifted hem of his skirt. Pure white flesh like flower petals. The youngest unknowingly wanted to stifle a smile, but he barely held it back and looked away again. He must be a high noble’s son. And he was caught by Karas, the enemy of their kingdom.

The King of Slaughter demanded that the fairy become his possession because of his beauty, but the pure and clean fairy refused. Due to that, it was clear that’s why Karas treated the fairy so coldly. Inevitably, the fairy decided to give information instead of his heart and became a hostage like this.

When his delusion ended, the youngest’s heart ached.

How cowardly, like a ruthless King of Slaughter!

To torment him so childishly just because he couldn’t have the fairy!

He even dared to wish to monopolize his heart when he couldn’t even touch him?!

Without realizing it, anger surged within him, and at that moment, a cold voice was suddenly heard.

“Hey.”

“Is it true that his body alone is not enough?!”

“….”

The gray eyes that seemed transparent under the sunlight glanced over the contemplative body of the youngest.

“Should I kill you?”

“Ack! Ah, no! Why did you, why did you call me?”

The youngest quickly prostrated himself on the ground and banged his head. When he cautiously looked up because there was no response from above, he met his hazy gray eyes. Startled, the youngest bowed his head again and opened his mouth.

“Hah. P-please speak, sir.”

“Is it here?”

“Yes?”

Startled, the youngest looked up to see Karas gazing down the intersections of the path below. It was then that the youngest realized this was the place he had mentioned before they set off. Along the way, there was a split in the road, and if they took the wrong path, they would encounter the place where soldiers were hiding. It was the spot where he had led the way, guiding and leading the way. The youngest quickly nodded and pointed downwards with his hand.

“Yes, you must not go down this way. If you go down here, the soldiers will be waiting… Huh?!”

The youngest was startled and stood frozen as he spoke. Karas was walking towards the place he had advised him not to go to. The youngest couldn’t move for a while and stayed in place, but there was no voice calling him back. Realizing he had to escape as it was, the youngest steadied his trembling legs and followed the path where Karas had disappeared.

He was worried that the fairy, who was his savior, might be in danger. Unfortunately, that thought turned out to be true. As Karas walked into the middle of the road, he was instantly surrounded by soldiers.

Thud.

He casually threw Abel which he had been carrying on his shoulder like a sack to the ground and drew his sword.

“I can finally kill you.”

It was only then that the youngest realized why Karas had come here. He had come to vent his frustration. Frustration from not being able to kill someone.

That’s always how war is. Death becomes inevitable, and killing others becomes natural. Even when you see someone’s throat being slit and blood spilling on the ground in front of you, the sense of urgency to survive overwhelms any feelings of pity or sadness.

It was the same in his faint childhood memories. People who died every day and were buried in the ground, and the villagers who watched indifferently. Only the families of the deceased cried.

Abel still remembers a story his father told him when he came home after attending a villager’s funeral.

“D*mn it, I already have too few hands, and now I have to finish the fence work of someone’s grave.”

Familiarity towards death only brings complaints to those who have lived through it like this. However, no matter how accustomed one may be, death is undoubtedly a sorrow to someone. When Abel regained consciousness, there was a third set of pitiful corpses in front of him.

Perhaps he had grown somewhat accustomed, as his heart didn’t sink down like before, but his heart couldn’t help but feel heavy. Along with it came a sense of suffocation that he hadn’t felt from fear before. Dozens of corpses covered the unfamiliar road.

He couldn’t understand why he had woken up in the middle of a pile of bodies, but the cause was immediately clear as someone walked towards Abel, who was slowly getting up.

Thud.

As his feet touched the blood-soaked ground, a damp sound echoed. Abel stared blankly at the figure standing in front of him. The one who had taken the lives of over a hundred people in just two days still had the same expressionless gray eyes, as if nothing had happened. There was no sign of emotion on his face.

Why?

Abel couldn’t understand why his chest felt tight and painful as he looked at him. This time, it was so overwhelming that he felt like he needed to clutch his chest with his hand.