NOVEL NEXT Episode 122
Episode 122
From now on, I’ll put off all the problems I’ve been pondering. Things like the goddamn gaze, why Ryuseong is being so gentle to me.
It just seemed like none of that matters anymore.
‘Wouldn’t it be nice to get drunk on this occasion……’
I even had such a lazy thought.
‘It’s all because of Ryuseong.’
On the third day of the field trip, I thought like that while fanning my flushed cheeks.
I was in the middle of going for a walk alone because I felt like I would get sick of the sweetness while eating with Ryuseong, and the sunshine was quite hot.
Then, Logan Esteban, who had suddenly disappeared, abruptly walked over from the opposite side in hanbok attire.
‘What? Why is he suddenly……?’
Logan Esteban hadn’t been seen for a while yesterday, but the professors made excuses that he had some business, so I didn’t know the details. But I couldn’t not figure out the variables.
‘What if he met the Demillangs in the meantime?’
With the intention of finding out if anything happened in the meantime, I called out to him.
“Logan, over here.”
This was not something one would normally say to someone who had been absent for a day. But Logan would know. At least on the surface, I had no choice but to be his master.
“Ah, did you call for me, Demillang?”
At the master’s call, the servant hurriedly picked up his pace and approached. Logan Esteban, who politely greeted me, soon gentlemanly lifted his long sleeves to block the sunlight pouring on me.
“This is what’s good about hanbok. The sleeves are long.”
The traditional hanbok sleeves, which don’t suit the concept of a gentleman, were casting a shadow and cooling the heat that made sweat drops flow.
However, Logan Esteban, who also clearly seemed to have clung to ‘Demillang’ and sold information, only made me laugh.
To the point where wicked malice crawled out of my heart, besides the fact that I had to dig out information.
“…… Of course, anything would be beautiful if you wore it, Demillang. Not just hanbok……”
Did he sense something ominously chilling in my laughter? Logan Esteban quickly retracted his statement that hanbok was good.
But hanbok is really the best.
Logan Esteban made a bitter smile with a groan sound when my expression didn’t change.
“…… I’m not very good with words. I apologize if I offended you.”
“Is that so? I quite enjoy the time alone with you.”
At that moment, I read a strange emotion in Logan’s expression. Was the word alone and the word enjoy the buttons? The boy who had been acting stiff until a little while ago is nervous. Logan’s nervousness was accompanied by a peculiar fidgety attitude, unlike his usual upright gentleman-like appearance. It’s a gaze that I can’t miss.
I lightly tapped his shin with the tip of my loafer. Minus the strange implications.
“…… Do you perhaps want my mood to improve?”
“Pardon?”
“Do you want to make me feel good?”
I’ll say the tempting words that are difficult to say to my lover anyway, so there’s no need to make even my behavior and attitude suggestive.
My goal was to make this guy spill everything until he couldn’t distinguish between what he could and couldn’t say, not to seduce him with genuine emotions.
Others may not know, but I had a pure heart too.
‘It’s something I got recently. Let’s say it’s roughly similar. I do have it, a pure heart.’
Meanwhile, Logan Esteban, who had been shaking his pupils for a moment, immediately knelt down on one knee.
As if my words were some great ordeal.
“Of course, you are right. Yes. It is I who wish for the young master of Demillang to always be happy. But it would be just that meaning, right? Having a deeper meaning…… I’m too foolish to grasp……”
Ah, you understood. If he understands that I teased him with ‘socially contextual implications that can be interpreted in various ways’, it’s easy to move on to the next stage.
I smiled and said playfully,
“If you want to make me happy, why don’t we all confess together or something?”
“…… Confess what……”
Logan Esteban’s pupils began to vibrate sideways.
He seemed to realize that what I said was a provocation, like let’s see how long you guys who sold my information can hide the truth.
Soon, realization flashed through Logan Esteban’s eyes, and he said,
In a much clearer voice.
“You wanted a confession.”
Yeah, that’s right…… Huh? No? What the hell are you talking about? I was just trying to shake his mind to dig out information, but what realization did you get on your own?
“Kuk, no, I apologize. Please pretend you didn’t hear that. Because this great cause is something we must accomplish ourselves. It is our fault for not realizing that you would have such deep intentions and meaning.”
“…… Hmm, I suppose so.”
I answered indifferently, looked straight ahead, and broke out in a cold sweat.
‘What, what are you saying, you crazy bastard.’
What did you find on your own when it had no meaning to me? Of course, I’m not going to kill the sacrifices, but I’m just saying to bring out the sacrifices because it’s fun to watch you guys fight among yourselves.
‘But looking at that guy muttering, it seems like they’re trying to cooperate……?’
“Wanting us to confess together……”
Oh, damn it, without knowing, I ended up spoon-feeding the answer that even I didn’t know.
If everyone confesses, I’ll probably just give them a proper scolding, discipline them, and end it……
‘Oh, you clever bastard.’
It seems like he interprets me better than I do……
When I looked down at him a little distastefully, he seemed to have noticed that this was the correct answer, and Logan Esteban’s eyes lit up and he ran off.
“I will do as you commanded! I will bring the other bast…… friends!”
Seeing him call them bastards, it seems like those guys really aren’t close with each other. I suddenly felt a slight sense of responsibility.
‘I was going to call them. I couldn’t pay attention because the raid schedule was too busy.’
That’s because the monster colonies that Ryuseong and I killed exceeded thirty-eight. There were only three more named ones in dungeons, but even considering the number of named ones, there was no one who achieved this much just while traveling by train. And that was on the way to a dungeon that was considered impossible for anyone to clear.
Rumors were floating around to the extent that Cassice Demillang was someone who prioritized saving the people over stabilizing his mind and body before a raid.
‘It was too hectic to make time in the meantime.’
However, I still had to do it.
To pull those damn little shits out of the pit of evil.
‘I didn’t have the will to do that at first.’
My thoughts changed after listening to Ryuseong.
‘He said even maggot-like human scum can change if given a chance.’
Now I’m curious.
Do people really change when given a chance?
Then why are opportunities not given equally to people?
If equality was not natural in the first place, why did they give people a chance to change?
Such thoughts kept attacking my mind, so let’s practice starting from the very first question.
To do that, I decided to give the villain trio a chance in my own way.
“……”
But suddenly Logan went crazy and dared not to gather at my command.
Is he out of his mind? Damn it.
***
This is how the incident happened, they say. Diedrich went around the boys’ accommodation, and when Logan wasn’t there, he thought he might have gone outside, so he picked up Capone first and looked around a bit while sending a message, and the content was like this.
―――――――――――――――――
Diedrich: Call 12:23 Read
Diedrich: Hey, answer quickly, where are you 12:23 Read
– Logan: Why 12:34
Diedrich: The young master is looking for you, run over here until your legs fall off, we are now 12:34 Read
– Logan: Are you crazy? 12:35
Diedrich: ? 12:35 Read
Diedrich: Who are you? 12:35 Read
―――――――――――――――――
There was no further response after this. And Diedrich and Capone, who were shocked by this message, came to me and were talking nonsense.
“This is clearly a kidnapping! Demillang!”
“Yes, that’s right! Logan must have been dragged somewhere! We need to decide on a course of action, whether to rescue him right away or bury him……”
‘…… Idiots.’
I became tired in an instant. No, you need to say something that makes sense. Huh?
“Isn’t it just your usual conversation lacking manners?”
It’s just that Logan, who seemed to have encountered Cassice Demillang and gained some realization, backstabbed them. Isn’t it not that awkward for these guys to be docile in front and then betray?
Although it completely ruined my mood.
“Please say something that makes sense!”
“Look, he has no manners.”
When I clicked my tongue irritably, Diedrich grabbed the back of his neck and tried to collapse.
Capone quickly added,
“Demillang, what that guy said is true. Although we sell information about the young master, we are always careful with our words anytime, anywhere.”
“……”
I stopped talking for a moment in absurdity and asked,
“Selling information, how can you so……”
The moment I was about to ask how they could admit it so easily, as if it were less than bubbles, Diedrich exclaimed,
“It’s true! Who knows when and where we’ll be wiretapped, so how can we speak roughly! Selling information and manners are completely different!”
“……”
Next to him, Capone clenched her fist tightly and nodded in agreement.
And I lost a bit of my motivation to give them a chance to become human.
‘Should I give them a chance? Do I have to believe that even these things can become human?’
It was the very moment when I, who had become depressed amidst their noisy explanations, looked up at the sky and received some comfort from the green nature.
“What does that mean? Selling information?”
It was Ryuseong.