episode_0005

* * *

“Here it is.”

The place Luan followed her to was in front of a black door with a golden lion design on the highest floor of the mansion.

‘….The mansion is really amazing.’

I thought the place where I took the test was inside the mansion, but it was just another space outside the mansion, like a garden.

The interior of this mansion was incomparably grand and antique.

There were more than a dozen rooms that I passed by before arriving at the Duke’s room.

Plus, there’s a chandelier on the ceiling….

This place is seriously incredibly rich.

“Please wait a moment in front of this.”

After leaving those words, Luan knocked and went inside.

Now, only Bella and I were left standing in front of the door, looking embarrassed.

Bella looked at me awkwardly, rolling her big eyes here and there, then carefully opened her mouth.

“…..I didn’t know that the two of us would become servants. Let me introduce you formally. My name is Bella. It was fate that we came here together like this, and let’s be close friends from now on!”

“Hello. My name is Jodelle.”

I was about to say Jo Hwan-hee for a moment, but then I answered Jodell because the name that flashed through my mind.

Luckily, Bella didn’t seem to notice anything strange and started mumbling my name, “Jodel, Jodel.”

Jodelle, 15 years old. Orphan. Her father died early and her mother abandoned her.

The only useful thing is that he travels around doing odd jobs to make a living, and then he applies to the Jack family to hire a servant.

It was information that crossed my mind without me knowing.

I was embarrassed because I had never thought of this body before, but I stored the information in my head.

I possessed this body, so it’s only natural that I would remember it.

I didn’t think much of it. The most important thing is…

‘…15 years old.’

The point is that it has been rejuvenated.

The corners of my mouth twitched without me knowing.

He was originally a 35 year old man, so looking younger felt strange, but I didn’t feel too bad about it.

As a young boy with a bright future ahead of him, this was his chance to abandon his unfortunate past life and live a new life.

“Please come in from Bella.”

“Yes, yes!”

Just then the door opened and Luan motioned for Bella to come inside.

Bella hurried through the door with a very nervous look on her face.

Luan came out of the duke’s room and stood silently in front of the door.

Since I didn’t really have anything to say to Luan, I just sat there quietly, looking at the lion-shaped doorknob, lost in thought.

What on earth is going on inside?

I pictured the peacock inside that door.

The Eye of Truth. Those special eyes that only the peacock possesses are a pain in the neck. You have to avoid them as much as possible.

Anyway, it won’t last that long due to the setting. It should last about 10 seconds at most. You just have to tell the truth during those 10 seconds.

So, Luan will also introduce himself. If the introduction is even a little bit false, the Duke will immediately figure out that he is a spy.

Not long after, Bella came staggering out with her face ashen.

The trembling hands and anxious eyes clearly showed how difficult the time in the room was.

You’re making me nervous for no reason.

I gulped at the sight.

“Okay, now Jodell. Come in.”

“Yes.”

It was finally my turn.

I walked past Bella and went inside.

‘…..red eyes.’

My first impression of the Duke’s room was neither here nor there. Nothing caught my eye when I saw the scenery in his room.

All eyes were focused on the peacock sitting inside and revealing its presence.

With pure white hair and a long white beard, he looked like an old man, but his bright red eyes were so intense that they immediately caught my eye.

‘Wow… this is real….’

I knew it the moment our eyes met.

The years he has lived so far… how many people has he killed to get to that position?

The intimidating and concentrated murderous intent that seemed like it could tear a person apart with just a look made me unconsciously tighten my fists.

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this nervous seeing someone. And it was a character from a webtoon…

Well, I guess that level of spirit is what makes someone one of the strongest in this webtoon.

I confronted him without avoiding his gaze that was solely directed at me. I cannot live without losing. I too have been trained since birth and have grown up. The experience and strength I have accumulated over the years have not been pushed back on me either.

How long did they stand off like that?

Suddenly, Bella’s request to introduce herself flashed through my mind.

Can I just say something and come out without asking anything first?

The truth, and nothing but the truth….

“… My name is Jodel. I have recently joined as a servant. Please take care of me for a long time.”

I said this with all my heart, meaning that I would think of it as a lifetime job, so please continue to lead the family well as you have been doing.

At that moment, the peacock’s red eyes seemed to darken a little and then began to turn black.

It was the peacock’s unique eye for discerning truth.

I heard that this ability is only given to the head of this duke’s family, and that it can’t be used often and that it has a big penalty, but to use it to teach a lesson is really… I don’t know if I should call it meticulous or thorough…

‘…I only told the truth.’

I stared confidently into the Duke’s eyes.

The more I stared into his eyes, the more I felt a creepy sensation as if I was being sucked into his gaze, and I bit my lip.

I understand why Bella stumbled out. This is so gross. It feels like everything inside of me is being dug up.

How much fighting went on like that?

The peacock’s mouth, which had been tightly shut, finally opened.

“….Okay. Please take care of it.”

It was just that one word. With that one heavy word, the duke closed his eyes, which had turned red again, as if the story was over.

‘What, is this the end?’

It ended so blandly…

I felt like I should say something more, but seeing the Duke looking tired as if he didn’t want to engage in any more conversation, I ended up hesitating and went outside.

“….It looks like the greetings are all over. Then I will tell you where you will be staying.”

As I came out without any problems, Luan seemed to take a quick look at my complexion and then started walking ahead.

The place Luan took me to was the first floor. She guided me to one of the rooms on the first floor, calling it Bella’s room, and took me to the room next to it.

“You can use this from now on. I will tell you what you will be doing in detail during the training session tomorrow. Thank you for your hard work during the interview. I hope you have a comfortable rest today… The basic rules are written in the book, so you can refer to them.”

After Luan told me what I had to do next, she told me to rest and left.

I looked at the thick book Luan had handed me, then threw it down and climbed onto the soft bed.

“ and it’s so good?”

Is this the room you’ve always been in?

It was twice the size of the room I used to live in, and had a closet, desk, and bed, and it even had a bathroom and a place to wash inside.

It seems like they’re even giving me three meals a day…. Is this the beginning of a life of a servant who sucks up to nothing once I’m assigned an easy job?

I smiled, hoping that I would be assigned to an easy and comfortable job.

* * *

Knock knock

“…..What’s going on?”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty. I have come to give you some documents related to the servant.”

At Luan’s words, the Duke flicked his wrist as if to tell him to bring it.

Luan swallowed hard and handed the Duke the documents containing information about Bella and Jodell.

Even though I’ve been working in this family for a long time, the Duke is still difficult.

Just getting close to it gave me goosebumps all over my body at the sight of those emotionless red eyes, and my hands became sweaty from the tension.

It’s only because she’s Luan that she’s able to hold out like this. If it were any other servant, they would have froze in front of her, trembling and unable to say anything.

“…..This time, we have a pretty interesting newcomer.”

“Yes?”

Luan was taken aback by the Duke’s words that came out of the blue while looking at the documents, but his expression became calm again and he thought.

If we’re talking about new recruits this time, we’re probably talking about Bella and Jodelle.

It seemed like Bella answered really well.

I was worried that I might have said your name correctly because your face was so pale, but luckily it turned out that way.

“I’m also a new recruit with high expectations. I get high scores on tests and my fighting skills are just as strong as those of men. Also….”

“No, not that one….”

If it’s not your job…

“….Huh? Then… Are you talking about Jodell?”

“Yeah. You.”

“If it’s Jodel…. Of course, she got perfect scores on the test, but her skills are terrible. She was just chosen because she’s mysteriously lucky, good at handling beasts, and most importantly, passed the test with the highest score. Bella’s skills are slightly better than Jodel’s.”

Because you couldn’t see any skill in the way he ran away in a panic inside the cave.

It was amazing how he could handle the luck and beasts that came naturally to him, but that was about it.

Luan coldly judged Jodell, whom she had been watching until now.

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see.”

The peacock raised the corners of his lips slightly.

The peacock, who always had an indifferent, annoyed, or tired expression, smiled, even if only slightly.

Luan gulped at the sight.

The Duke couldn’t have been mistaken. It seemed like there was something about Jodelle.

If it was a spy from somewhere else, the Duke would not have reacted so favorably. That would mean there was something about Jodelle that he had not yet figured out.

‘…What the heck is that?’

Determined to wait a little longer to make a decision on Jodell, Luan politely bowed to the Duke and left.