Ch.267EP.60 – How a Knight Deals with Beasts (3)

Four days, while short, was enough time to observe my surroundings and grasp the atmosphere.

During these four days, Ihan had collected four major pieces of information.

First of all:

‘There are… traces!’

He had confirmed that traces of the vampire, that perverted second target, existed within this mansion.

They were traces that even the culprit himself might not be aware of, but they were definitely there.

A putrid, tar-like stench so revolting it made him want to vomit…

Whether it was the vampire’s stench or the result of his rotten life, Ihan couldn’t tell, but this nauseating odor was occasionally detected inside the mansion.

…However, despite finding the stench, actually spotting the target or gathering information about him remained elusive.

Was he hiding well, or was he concealing his identity through some special means?

Whatever the case, it was incredibly irritating.

‘Still, finding traces is what matters.’

Having confirmed the target was here, Ihan felt a sense of accomplishment that his suffering hadn’t been in vain.

And the second piece of information he gathered was crucial.

‘None of the servants in this mansion are vampires.’

There were some unusual maids and gardeners who had learned martial arts, but that wasn’t his concern.

What mattered was that none of them showed traces of the second target, and there appeared to be no one among the servants cooperating with the vampire.

But the reverse implication was:

‘The mansion’s owners might be connected to him…’

The owners of the mansion.

In other words, there was a possibility that the Modred bloodline was hiding the pervert, but this was something he could only confirm by seeing them in person.

But here was the problem:

‘Are these people hibernating or something?’

This led to his third piece of information.

There was a possibility that the Modred bloodline was being confined somewhere other than the mansion.

This wasn’t information he had heard directly from anyone.

Rather:

‘Even the servants show little concern about their masters’ absence… This isn’t normal.’

It was information obtained through deduction.

‘What a strange family.’

It was bizarre. Servants of nobility, especially those of a great noble house, should display loyalty toward their masters, yet these servants showed none.

They simply performed their duties like NPCs guarding a lord’s castle.

It was peculiar and utterly strange.

He wanted to directly inquire about this unusual situation, but…

– “Ah, remember this. Even if you become curious about the lord and the young masters and ladies, don’t show it. If you can’t follow this rule, you’ll never be able to work in this castle.”

This was both advice and warning from the head maid who had interviewed him the day before he started working, and Ihan instinctively knew that if he ignored this advice and asked others, he would certainly be expelled from this place.

While appearance might provide some plausibility, it was organizational nature to remove those who lacked proper understanding.

This made it impossible to gather more information to flesh out his theories, and even if he wanted more information, he would probably need to work here for at least a year to barely obtain it.

…He had absolutely no intention of wasting time like that.

Therefore:

‘The fourth piece of information is crucial.’

Swish.

Ihan’s gaze shifted.

The only member of the Modred bloodline who didn’t hide their presence and toddled around the castle.

Flinch!

“Ah, young lady, do you have something you wish to say?”

“……”

“Young lady?”

“……”

“…Hmm.”

Louise Iphed de Modred.

A direct descendant of the Modred family and the only little lady who might possess some hidden information.

She was the potential fourth piece of information Ihan had found, but there was one major problem…

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

“…She’s quick on her feet too.”

She would run away whenever their eyes met, making it impossible to have a conversation.

“Haah…”

Sitting down in the misty garden, he let out a sigh mixed with fatigue.

* * *

“Don’t speak to Lady Louise at all.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t ask why. Just don’t show any interest if I tell you not to. Just treat her with indifference. Understand?”

“…I understand.”

“Good, that’s an excellent attitude.”

The senior servant nodded with satisfaction at Ihan’s response, which showed quiet agreement without questioning.

‘These days, young people should just not do what their superiors tell them not to do, but why do they keep asking for reasons?’ – the senior servant muttered such authoritarian comments to himself.

Using the skill of letting words go in one ear and out the other, which he had learned during his military days in his previous life, Ihan thought about other things.

‘They treat a noble lady like this?’

Is this normal for noble families?

‘Could she be an illegitimate child rather than a legitimate daughter?’

Ihan recalled several common storylines from romance fantasy novels he had read in his previous life.

‘Could it be one of those? Her mother died giving birth to her, so her father and his siblings ostracize the youngest? Or maybe she was born without any special abilities, so…’

These were the most common stories he had seen, and whenever he encountered them, he thought the parents and siblings were quite pathetic.

Well, a mother dying in childbirth is a tragic event, but how is that the child’s fault?

Lacking ability?

What sin is that?

A child’s potential isn’t determined solely by innate abilities.

In that sense, for a child to be treated so unfairly is truly…!

‘No. Don’t get involved.’

Ihan realized his thoughts had gone too far.

Surely it couldn’t actually be such a terrible storyline, could it?

Besides, even if it were true, it wasn’t his reason to intervene.

He had come here with a purpose, not to take care of a child.

‘Don’t get too immersed.’

He needed to remember his objective above all else.

-Splash!

“…I knew this would happen!”

Without hesitation, Ihan jumped into the water to rescue the little girl who had fallen in.

* * *

“Achoo!”

“Dry yourself with this towel and have some tea. That will prevent you from catching a cold, young lady.”

“…Thank you.”

“Please don’t speak formally to me. I’m just a servant.”

“Yes.”

“……”

“Ah…”

The little girl with disheveled hair, soaking wet like a drenched puppy, opened her eyes wide and closed her mouth.

She had spoken formally despite being told not to.

However, Ihan merely gave a bitter smile without saying anything.

Instead:

‘What am I doing, really.’

Ihan wondered what he was doing here.

Why was he taking care of a child and brewing warm tea?

It was a situation that made him feel self-reproach.

Then:

“…Why are you here?”

“I told you not to speak formally.”

“I, I’m more comfortable this way.”

“……”

“B-but, your answer, please.”

“…I just happened to see it. You going fishing alone.”

“I see!”

The child nodded in understanding.

Even though it wasn’t a sufficient answer, she simply accepted it, which seemed a bit naive, but it wasn’t unusual for a child of her age to be so simple-minded.

‘I didn’t deceive her, I gave an honest answer, so it’s fine.’

No joke, he really had just happened to see her taking a fishing rod.

He had also noticed a light drizzle starting and worried that fishing now might lead to an accident.

That’s why he had followed her to the riverside, and sure enough, the little one had slipped and was helplessly drifting away.

‘What would have happened if I hadn’t saved her?’

Ihan thought this child was like a ticking time bomb.

Like other young children, she didn’t recognize dangerous things as dangerous.

Should he say she had courage because of her ignorance?

An accident would happen the moment he took his eyes off her.

“…Young lady, I’m not asking for a reward for saving you, but may I ask one question?”

“Yes, you may.”

“How long have you been fishing?”

“Since I was six!”

“……”

“Ah, but until last year, the grandfather who used to take care of me went with me!”

“Then, that grandfather…”

“He said he’d come back after sleeping for a thousand nights. Hehe.”

“……”

“Huh? Why are your eyes watery?”

“…It’s because I’m feeling a bit under the weather.”

“Oh!? That’s not good…”

“Haah, sensitivity…”

This is why growing older is frightening.

Aren’t tears becoming too loose?

Ihan barely dried his moistening eyes while pressing his brow.

But no sooner had he dried his eyes than…

“…You know, Santa.”

“Pardon?”

“Um, you know…”

“?”

“C-could you possibly be my friend?”

“……”

“I-if you become my friend, I’ll give you this too. I saved it by selling fish, hehe.”

Jingle…

“W-with this, can you be my friend?”

“……”

“Santa?”

“……”

…This is why growing older is frightening.

* * *

– Grandfather said that money is needed to eat delicious food and buy clothes. S-so if you have money, can’t you buy friends or family too?

Ihan heard the child’s answer and felt that her thinking was both innocently pure and pitiful.

Isn’t that right?

The reason she endured such hardship, withstanding freezing cold that numbed her feet, wasn’t to run away from home but simply to gain “someone on her side”?

Ihan found it deeply saddening and thought how cruel reality could be.

What sin had this child committed to deserve such a life?

“Hehe…”

“……”

Ihan looked at the child who had fallen asleep on his back.

Her face looked truly happy and bright, perhaps because it had been a long time since she had felt someone’s warmth.

Ihan found her happy expression heartwarming and walked even more carefully.

So the child wouldn’t wake up.

“—Have you not heard the order to stay away from the young lady?”

…But unlike his carefulness, there was someone raising his voice without consideration.

“……”

“You should mind your own business. You’ll bring trouble upon yourself with that needless sympathy.”

“…Gardener.”

“Huh, call me Mr. Gardener, you ill-mannered bastard!”

The gardener.

A middle-aged man who appeared to have learned martial arts blocked his path, issuing warnings while exuding an intimidating aura.

“There’s always one like you. Someone who displays pathetic sympathy. Foolish fellow, that sympathy only makes things harder for the young lady. If you had just remained indifferent, the young lady would soon give up on everything. Hah! Enough. Why should I waste more time talking to someone as insignificant as you?”

“……”

“Put the young lady down and get lost. Don’t appear before me again. If you do next time…”

He was about to issue more warnings.

No, not warnings but threats, and he was about to raise his voice and intimidate further.

…However.

“—Hey, shut up. You’ll wake the kid.”

Crack!

…The man’s mouth was forcibly “shut.”

“Mmmmph!!”

“I said shut up, you’ll wake her.”

CRACK!!

“!!!!?”

The middle-aged man struggled.

A hand that had somehow approached without notice roughly covered his mouth and collapsed his cheekbone.

He wanted to scream in pain, but the pressure of the hand covering his mouth only intensified, and no matter how much he struggled with his whole body, he couldn’t shake off the hand.

And what the middle-aged man saw as his consciousness gradually faded was:

“It would be better not to faint. My method of waking people is never gentle.”

“!!?”

“If you’re curious about my method, go ahead and faint.”

“Mmmmph!”

“Shh, I said you’ll wake the kid.”

The man had to struggle with all his might once more after witnessing the menacing gleam in those eyes.

To avoid fainting.

After all, that man’s warning…

—Did not sound like an empty threat at all.