TEB Ch 28

Liev broke the silence again.  

“Renard is just one of the many beings I’ve taken care of to return to nature, as I’ve done too many as I’ve been working at the Lobelia Research Institute. I think it’s irresponsible to carelessly give love back to a being that has left my hand without any intention of taking responsibility for the rest of its life.”  

Exhaling, Liev, without hiding his tiredness, took a breath and then said he really wanted to stay.  

“Then, can I go back now?”  

At that moment, Reinhart, with a contemplative expression, immediately shook his head.  

“That’s difficult. We need to have an internal meeting and inform His Majesty the King. So, for now, please wait in the place we provide. We’ll make sure you’re as comfortable as possible during your stay.”  

The man, with a strong appearance, seemed more exhausted after finishing an extremely tough battle. Regardless, there was only one thought that filled Liev’s mind.  

Even during his time at the Animal Rescue Center, he had fallen into swamps and ended up in a mess in the mountains many times, but he had never experienced his entire body being soaked in animal saliva. He wanted to wash quickly!  

With a strong determination, guided by an attendant, Liev burst open the meeting room door. However, Renard blocked his way.  

“Where are you going?”  

At times like this, there was the best way to deal with it. It was by ignoring it. Liev turned away from Renard as if he didn’t see him.  

“I’m talking to you! Why are you ignoring…  

You shouldn’t yield here. If he gave in now, Renard would likely not grow at all and would become obsessed with him. Ignoring the throbbing sensation in his heart, Liev said,  

“Move. I feel uncomfortable and upset because you’ve dirtied my entire body.”  

Then Renard took a step back, surprised by Liev’s indifferent attitude. Even though he had strong strength and physique, it seemed like he was taken aback by Liev’s cold attitude. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Liev passed by Renard and said to the attendant.  

“Can you please guide me quickly? I need to wash up soon because it’s cold outside.”  

“Oh, yes…! I’ll escort you right away!”  

In fact, it wasn’t the topic he wanted to stubbornly bring up with a stiff neck, but with momentum, he was somehow pushing through. They were in a position where they had to ask him for cooperation regarding Renard’s demands, and Liev was refusing that request.  

‘Is this, okay?’  

The reason Liev could show such courage was thanks to their being proven as good people in the novel. If they were normal people, they wouldn’t budge, even if Liev said he refused.  

…Maybe. 

Moreover, he had just mentioned that he was credited with protecting the kingdom’s guardian dragon from the tricks of the Count. Even considering that, they couldn’t treat him lightly. At this point, he could only hope that the main characters had at least a minimum sense of decency.  

“……”  

How far had they walked? The room guided by the servant was far more comfortable than the room at the Research Institute, where researchers stayed. The spacious area, sturdy furniture, and presence of servants who could be summoned at any time made it incomparable. Moreover…  

“There’s a private bath.”  

It was a room that came with a personal bathroom, a luxury Liev had always bid farewell to during his time as a researcher. While not comparable to the facilities of nobles in romantic novels, having a simple wooden bathtub and facilities for draining water was a huge step forward.  

“Well, I’ll prepare the bath right away. Would you also need a bath attendant?”  

If Liev were a descendant of a noble family, he would probably have attached importance to such things without needing to be asked. However, Liev was a commoner, even though he did have a surname. While situations might differ in other regions, in the Airen Kingdom, most commoners had their own surnames that didn’t overlap with noble families’ names. It was common for people to create their surnames. Hearing a surname like Carter, which they had never heard of, Liev guessed that the steward judged him not to be a noble and thus didn’t need a servant. Liev immediately shook his head.  

“No, it’s okay.”  

“Alright, then I’ll go prepare for the bath. If you need anything else, just shake the bell.”  

The attendant, who seemed slightly younger than Liev, left the room after those words. Left alone in the empty room, Liev’s headache started to return. Now, what should he do? Even if the main characters offered him a temporary solution to appease Renard, what could he do? If that happened, Liev would have no more cards to play. Despite trying to lift his head proudly, the truth was that he had nothing. Moreover, it was the era of monarchy. There was no way I would be able to refuse if they pushed me to the topic of commoners.  

“Ha…”  

As he tried to stay still, a sigh escaped involuntarily. Maybe it would be better to let Renard vent his frustration and eventually lose interest in me. After all, Renard wouldn’t kill him. Even if he tried, the protagonists would intervene.  

“But…”  

Even if that happened, would he be okay? It wasn’t just Renard who was left with scars from their parting. It hurt me too. I suffered to the point of lying in bed like a sick person for almost a month, even though I lost my ability to speak. Still, he endured it. Like a hellish nightmare, that lingered. If he had a special ability, if he had the power to be a confident companion by his side, would they have had such a muddy breakup? There was a lot of resentment.  

If he were to possess a character in a novel, he would choose to be a noble character with wealth and power or a character with hidden strength, like a hero. Instead, he became an ordinary person who, with no special abilities and only skills learned from caring for wounded animals since he was Suhyuk, could do nothing but watch Renard move forward. Thanks to that, he could meet Renard at a very young age, but he still had regrets about him.  

He had no ability to take responsibility for Renard in the future. So, it was right to push him away this time as well. Turning around would only lead to growing attachment and resentment.  

The long sigh didn’t stop. Unable to sit anywhere with his whole body a mess, Liev stood waiting for the steward. When the attendant came, he said,  

“I’ll leave the meal right outside.”  

Liev was left alone again.  

“You seem to have been doing well. Perfectly fine with nothing wrong.”  

Ha. A bitter laugh escaped this time. No. You can say that because you don’t know anything. You don’t know how much the fact that I’m weak and unable to stand by your side has pained me.  

“I can’t endure it twice.”  

At first, the pain was so overwhelming that he had no choice but to accept it. If it weren’t for Mr. Lambert becoming his new family member, he might have died a long time ago. However, the second time, he couldn’t handle it. When the moment came to send him away again, realizing his helplessness and feeling once again that I couldn’t be with you, he couldn’t bear it a second time. He didn’t want to do something and regret it twice.  

In an attempt to shake off these thoughts, he decided to wash himself first. As the steward had mentioned, a simple meal was placed outside the door. The meal consisted of bread, soup, a piece of cheese, and a few pieces of well-cooked meat. It was a modest meal, but enough to satisfy his hunger. Barely finishing the meal and placing the emptied plate outside, the expression from that day, which he thought he had forgotten, resurfaced in his mind. Overwhelmed by nausea, Liev vomited what he had eaten.  

“Who would say I seem to be doing well?”  

Only resentment, with no place to go, echoed in the room.