Ch.8Moth (2)

The guest room assigned by Baron Raden’s courtesy indirectly revealed her personality.

It was unusual how various materials were beautifully crafted instead of expensive luxuries. Especially impressive was the decoration of straw rope woven into flower shapes.

I could immediately see how Baron Raden had become wealthy. She must be a frugal person who avoids extravagance despite being nobility.

A wise philosophy. It’s common to see vanity where most of an estate’s income is spent on dresses.

‘Did our mercenary group get our contract terminated because our rates were too high?’

I can’t blame the Baroness for her decision, but I wish she had been more selective about personnel. Especially since the contract directly affected her own safety.

I shook off my thoughts and slowly removed the mask that had been pressing against my face. Immediately, the world became clearer and my breathing felt liberated.

Sitting quietly in the chair, staring intently at my mask, I was reminded of Serin. She who was suspiciously obsessed with my mask.

‘What is she so curious about…’

Until now, only two people knew the face beneath the mask. One was Rodrick, the other was the lady who bore military service. Except for these two, I had always kept it hidden, and few people complained about the inconvenience.

Above all, Serin’s true identity is an Imperial Princess. Having thrown away my mask, I cannot form a normal relationship with her. As Rodrick worried, I was a child of the deposed emperor, and Serin was the current princess.

Even if she’s frustrated now, if she knew my identity, contempt would settle in her eyes. Just like the crowds who hurled insults at me in my childhood.

‘I don’t want that…’

At the very least, I wish for a relationship where I pay friendship dues. I didn’t want to lose the recognition of friendship I had finally received through a moment’s mistake. Even while acknowledging it might be deception.

‘She’s the first person to approach me with pure goodwill.’

Rodrick is an attempted kidnapper, and the members are just a dismantled cartel to me, or merely employees. In these circumstances, I find Serin special. I think she’s amazing for approaching me brightly despite being oppressed in the imperial palace.

Whatever the case, I should be content with this.

I know best that a child of the deposed emperor who only received the world’s hatred is drowning in undeserved kindness. Why am I troubled when I know my place so well?

“Am I tired? Of living this way?”

Perhaps that’s the answer.

I’ve been living a monochrome daily life without joy or sorrow. Then one day, I faced the shocking event of Serin being kidnapped, and for the first time in a very long time, I experienced confusion. Since then, spending time with her has added various emotional sprouts to my barren soil.

For instance.

I felt sympathy for her lonely situation.

I was bewildered by her familiarity with menial tasks.

I was moved by her declaration of intimacy.

I was embarrassed by her vulgar movements disguised as exercise.

The days spent with Serin were stimulating and dynamic, making the world seem colorfully painted. So much that I regretted our impending separation…

“I was unexpectedly greedy… wasn’t I.”

I placed the mask on a nearby table and walked toward the bed. There was a large mirror where I could check my condition after coughing. Somehow, my face, which I hadn’t looked at in a while, seemed unfamiliar. A rigid face without a speck of emotion…

Despite such pessimism.

It didn’t take even a moment for my stone-like face to fill with the emotion of shock.

Clank!

“Rian, I’m here! As expected, this room is also full of aesthetic vibes…”

“Waaaaaah!!!”

My nerves sharpened to make the correct assessment of the situation as Serin suddenly flung open the door.

Without time to choose from countless options, I jumped into the bed right beside me and pulled the blanket tightly over myself.

“Rian? Did you just scream? That’s amazingly interesting!”

Immediately after, Serin exclaimed while looking at me.

“My goodness, jumping into bed like a child… why are you acting like that! Rian… Ah?”

Serin wasn’t one to miss the current situation. She glanced at the mask on the table and let out a meaningful chuckle.

“Oh my~ Oh my~ I really don’t understand why? Oh dear! I should check on Rian because I’m worried about him!”

Serin, who was naturally ignoring the obvious truth, was truly terrifying.

My heart pounds. I squeeze my eyes shut. My hands and feet tremble. Wrapped in the blanket like a burr, I began to be cornered.

“D-don’t do this, Serin.”

“What if you caught a cold? I’d have to put a wet towel on your forehead, wouldn’t I?”

“I, I am in perfectly fine health.”

“That statement is a common line from patients. Look, you’re even trembling like this?”

“Ugh…”

Serin’s presence draws closer. If only it had ended there, but soon after, the sensation of the bed sheet sinking stimulated a kind of fear.

“Hehe, I’ll take good care of you, so just hand over the blanket.”

“This is difficult. No. I don’t want to. Don’t do this, Serin.”

“Who are you taking me for, a criminal?”

“I’ll scream…!”

“That’s cute in its own way… I mean, isn’t it usually the opposite?”

When my desperate threat didn’t work, I felt as if my thinking function was completely broken. Serin, like a predator stalking its prey, steadily closed the distance on all fours.

“Stop now… and hand over the blanket, will you?!”

Swoosh!

Finally, she leaps.

The bed shakes and my balance wavers. A chilling sensation runs up my spine to my cervical vertebrae, making my hair stand on end.

Thud!

The heavy weight that followed rang alarm bells in my head comparable to a life-threatening crisis.

“Oh come on! Rian! Trust me and leave everything to me, it’ll be easier! We’ve become close, haven’t we?”

Squeeze-!

“Perhaps we’re not as intimate as we’ve built enough trust…!!!”

Tap tap tap.

“Then we’ll build it from now on by facing each other!”

“We are actually intimate!”

“If we’re intimate, there shouldn’t be anything to hide!”

“That can’t be…!”

Desperately perfect logic. I was newly impressed by Serin’s intelligence. I instinctively guessed there was no way to win an argument against Serin.

As we each pushed and pulled, the blanket seemed to scream on its own. If we continued a bit more, there was a real possibility of the cotton bursting out.

“Give in, Rian. I’ll take good care of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Anyway, it’s something good, something good. Ha, but I can’t explain it.”

“You do plenty of that, Serin! I’ll pass!”

“Huh, you can say such things too?!”

“This is my first time! Ugh…”

Unable to shake off Serin, I stood up. Then, like a child imitating a ghost, I rushed out of bed with the blanket still over my head.

Serin’s frustrated groan scattered from behind, but I lacked the composure to be considerate.

Somehow breathing became difficult. Even after putting on the mask and putting down the blanket, rough breathing continued.

‘I see… Is this what exhaustion feels like? What it means to be tired?’

Even when I was expelled from the system at age five, or when I followed Rodrick to destroy the cartel. It was a physical state I had never experienced in my life. Thanks to this, I was vividly imprinted with how remarkable a person Serin is.

“You’re too much, Rian. My hair is all disheveled like this, but you grabbed your mask first…”

“If you want, I’ll brush it for you.”

“Oh, really? What a pleasant surprise.”

Contemplation on what “pleasant surprise” meant would come later. For now, I needed to cheer up Serin, who couldn’t help but feel disheartened just by looking at my face.

But at that moment, her eyes flashed like those of a bird of prey.

“Wait a minute, Rian.”

“Yes?”

“You speak quite easily… Have you brushed other women’s hair before?”

Serin exuded a chilling aura. Just hearing her voice made my bones shiver. Not knowing the right answer, I immediately replied with the truth.

“Not at all. Absolutely not.”

“Really? You spoke so readily that I thought you were used to it.”

“I’m not used to it. Just… I thought you just run the brush down like this…”

I explained with a hand motion of moving up and down to make it easier to understand.

Serin seemed to understand clearly, as she smiled with restored brightness.

“Well, that’s fine then.”

“That’s a relief…? I suppose.”

As I was gauging her reaction.

Serin approached me with a satisfied look and took my hands.

“Listen, Rian. Make just one promise with me.”

“I’ll hear you out first.”

Seeming to have heard a satisfactory answer, Serin nodded casually.

“You might not know this, Rian. Touching a woman’s hair is not something that can be done with just ordinary intimacy, you know?”

“I understand.”

“But I’m okay with it. Why? Because we’re as intimate as when you screamed earlier! Do you agree, Rian?”

“I… suppose so?”

“In other words, it’s only possible between people who would raise their voices to that decibel… I mean, to that volume.”

“Yes. I’ve noted that.”

Serin responded to my quick agreement with a smile.

On the other hand, I was happy with the thought that I was gradually finding the right answers.

“But since Rian is gentlemanly and doesn’t shout carelessly… it might not be easy to meet the conditions. Oh, of course, I’m the only exception.”

“Umm, that’s right…?”

“Are you going to shout at other women in the future?”

“I will absolutely never do that.”

“Good!”

Serin, having cheerfully finished her evaluation, led me by the hand. With a dazed mind, I was led to a large dressing table. Soon, she selected a brush and handed it to me.

“Now, let’s brush my hair. I’ll teach you.”

“Understood.”

“Remember what I told you.”

“Of course.”

In short, my simple vision was that I just needed to touch Serin’s hair. There was nothing particularly difficult about it.

Indeed, she seems to have an outstanding talent for teaching common sense.

I diligently followed the example of Serin, who had become my daily teacher, sorting and combing through her soft hair. However, brushing hair wasn’t as simple a task as I thought, so I was slightly anxious.

“Am I brushing correctly, Serin?”

“This is the life of a blessed fan…”

“Pardon?”

“You’re doing wonderfully well, Rian.”

“I think I learned quickly because I have a good teacher.”

When I honestly confessed, Serin in the mirror looked at me with mysteriously mischievous eyes.

“Do you like me?”

“Yes. Very much.”

A sincere statement. However, Serin seemed quite doubtful and wanted assurance.

“Can you swear to it?”

“That’s not difficult.”

“Is it a promise?”

“It’s a promise.”

“Hehe…”

A meaningful chuckle floated in the air and then evaporated.

Somehow, it left a strange lingering echo.

Whatever it was, if Serin was satisfied, so was I. Rodrick was wrong to have once been wary of her.

Knock knock.

As we were having quite a harmonious conversation, a polite knock from outside invaded the room.

After permission was granted, the maid who entered gracefully delivered her master’s message.

“The Baroness has invited both of you to dinner.”

At this unexpected invitation, Serin’s eyes shone challengingly.