The Servant in the Horror Game is Suspicious Chapter 37

“I-I told you, I’m okay!”

Ian flinched, trying to scramble back toward the corner of the cave. But Jade wasn’t about to let go. He carefully held the thin ankles while his expression darkened. The boy’s pale feet were past white and turning a shade of purple. If left like this, he was going to end up with a severe case of frostbite.

“Come over here.”

“I said no…!”

Jade pulled Ian toward him, forcing him to sit in front of the campfire. Then, he wrapped both hands around Ian’s feet. He’d expected them to be cold, but they weren’t just chilly—they felt like blocks of ice. Since Ian had such a small frame, his feet were tiny too; they were almost completely swallowed up in Jade’s grip.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Apparently embarrassed that his feet were being held, Ian struggled with all his might to pull them away. Of course, Jade didn’t budge. Young Ian was no match for Jade in a test of raw strength.

“Let go! It’s… it’s gross.”

“How is a person’s foot gross? Just stay still. The back of my hand hurts.”

“That’s why I’m saying, if you just let go…!”

“Ow, ow, ow! My hand! It’s killing me, my poor hand!”

“…”

As Jade put on a performance of a lifetime with his exaggerated wailing, Ian’s struggling ceased. Jade gave a little grin and began to slowly rub Ian’s feet. Even a snowball would have felt warmer than this. He was particularly worried about the toes, which had turned that alarming purple.

“…”

Ian stared down at Jade’s hands wrapped around his feet. Despite all the fuss he’d made about hating it, the inside of Jade’s palms was incredibly warm. Ian lowered his head deeply.

To have his feet in someone else’s hands… he felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide from the shame. More than anything, he didn’t want it to be obvious that he had rushed out after Jade so frantically that he hadn’t even had time to put on socks.

“How did you bear it with your feet like this?”

Jade asked in a worried tone. Ian rested his chin on his knees and stared fixedly at Jade’s cloth-wrapped hand. You’re bearing it with a hand like that too, aren’t you? He started to ask, but swallowed the words down.

“Feeling a bit better now, aren’t they?”

As time passed, his feet gradually began to warm up. The long massage had paid off. Color returned to the feet that had been turning purple.

“…”

The moment Jade’s grip loosened, Ian yanked his feet back and hid them away. He even turned his face in the opposite direction. Seeing him so embarrassed, Jade let out a chuckle and moved his own hands closer to the campfire.

Gurgle—

A sound came from Ian’s stomach. It made sense. Having refused to come out for breakfast, the only thing Ian had eaten all day was a single potato. If Jade was hungry, how much worse must it be for a child’s body?

Jade smiled and rummaged through the sack. It was awkward since he could only use his right hand, but he soon managed to pull out a few lotus roots. This was the sack he had risked his life for, refusing to let go even while being hunted by Shadow Wolves. It was time for that sack to prove its worth.

“Shall we try roasting these?”

“…”

Jade carefully placed four lotus roots among the firewood. The flames began to crackle and pop as they licked around the roots.

Some time passed. Gradually, the surface of the lotus roots began to turn a golden brown. A savory, toasted aroma filled the cave.

“…Are those actually good?”

“To be honest, I’ve never had them like this either.”

The only lotus root dish Jade knew was a soy-braised version. But then again, isn’t everything delicious when roasted over a campfire?

He flipped the roots over with a twig, and soon the other side was nicely browned. He’d thought they were too thin for lotus roots, but in a situation like this, the fact that they cooked quickly was actually a plus.

“Looks like they’re about done.”

Jade picked up a root with a twig and blew on it to cool it down. Then, he began to peel away the charred outer skin.

Soon, the white flesh of the lotus root appeared. He gave the flesh one more quick sear over the fire before handing it to Ian. He gave the boy the first piece. Then, he peeled one for himself and popped it into his mouth.

A crunching sound echoed as he took a bite. The taste was a bit different from the lotus roots Jade used to know. There was less of that sticky texture, and instead, a subtle sweetness and a nutty flavor filled his mouth.

“It’s good, right?”

“…Yes.”

Ian finished his in no time. With a proud heart, Jade offered him another well-roasted root. Ian looked quite cute, eating without complaint because it clearly suited his palate.

“I thought you were mad at me, Ian.”

“…”

Ian stopped eating and looked up at Jade. At his core, Jade wasn’t the type to hold onto things. If he was curious, he had to ask; solving things directly was his way. For some reason, it felt like this was the right moment.

“You’ve been avoiding me since yesterday.”

Ian’s gaze shifted from Jade to the campfire. Given that he didn’t deny it, it seemed he had been avoiding Jade on purpose.

Jade considered asking why, but decided against it. Well, what did the reason matter? In the end, they were sitting here together, roasting lotus roots.

“Let’s finish up. It’s a waste if you don’t eat.”

“…”

The crackling of the flames filled the silence between the two. However, it was a different kind of silence than before. It was a silence that felt a bit warmer, with less awkwardness.

“…”

Ian blinked his eyes slowly before quickly pushing himself up.

He was sure he had been lying on the cave floor, but at some point, he had ended up using Jade’s lap as a pillow. It seemed Jade had moved him while he drifted off. Jade was also fast asleep.

The campfire had dwindled a bit, and the heat had spread throughout the cave, leaving a cozy warmth lingering in the air.

Jade was asleep while sitting up against the wall, likely because his tension had finally snapped. Outside the cave, Ian could see the sunset beginning to fall. It didn’t seem like he’d been asleep for very long—maybe an hour at most.

Jade had said they could only go out once it got dark. That way, the creatures that avoid the light wouldn’t be able to follow them.

Since there was still a bit of light, it seemed he didn’t need to wake Jade just yet. He wanted to let him sleep a little longer.

Ian looked back and forth between the landscape outside, stained by the sunset, and the sleeping Jade. Suddenly, he found himself wishing the sun would go down even slower. Was it because the inside of this cave felt warmer than their large villa?

‘That’s…’

As Ian was gauging the time until sunset, a round shape caught his eye. it was the pumpkin Jade had dug up earlier. It was lying just outside the cave entrance.

There had been three pumpkins in total, and Jade had thrown two of them at the wolves. It seemed the last one had fallen out of the sack and rolled toward the entrance.

Suddenly, the image of their pitifully meager supplies came to mind. Along with the sight of a discouraged Jade.

Actually, Ian hadn’t just stayed in his room this morning. He had snuck out without anyone knowing to watch what Jade was doing.

This morning, Jade had been sitting with Buster, lamenting that they had to eat potatoes today and potatoes again tomorrow.

Jade always cooked while being extremely frugal with every single ingredient. Almost nothing went to waste, and he always developed a variety of menus, watching Ian eat with a proud smile. If he knew he’d dropped a precious pumpkin, he’d probably be heartbroken.

‘I should go get it.’

Ian stood up and approached the cave entrance. Conveniently, he couldn’t hear the howling of the wolves anymore. They must have given up after hanging around for a while.

“It’s just outside.”

Now that he was at the entrance, he realized he’d have to step out about three paces to reach the pumpkin. The snowfield was soaking up the orange glow of the setting sun. Unlike before, most of the area outside the cave was now draped in shadow. However, there were definitely spots that weren’t.

“…”

Ian hesitated for a moment. Ian was naturally wary and suspicious. Normally, he would have given up on something like a pumpkin without a second thought. But…

Whoa! We found it!

The memory of Jade’s face, so full of joy when they found the food, made it hard to just ignore it. He could pick it up when they left later, but food was scarce for everyone in the North. It would be a disaster if some other wild animal made off with it.

Ian looked back at the sleeping Jade once more. He was still in a deep sleep. It was only natural, after he’d spent the day chopping wood, running from wolves, and looking after Ian.

After a moment of deliberation, Ian finally pulled his boots back onto his feet. Thanks to Jade, the chill in his feet had vanished.

‘I just have to pick it up.’

How sad would Jade be if a wild animal took the pumpkin they’d worked so hard to get? Ian cautiously stepped out of the cave. The cold air immediately bit at his face. The pumpkin was right there. It was just a few steps away.

Crunch, crunch. The sound of small feet on the snow echoed with every step. Having walked two paces out, Ian leaned over and reached out. It was the very moment his fingertips were about to touch the pumpkin.

“Oh…”

Something was wrong. There were teeth marks on the surface of the pumpkin. Marks from a beast.

A dark premonition flashed through his mind. For instance—the feeling that someone had bitten this pumpkin and deliberately left it there as bait.

“Grrrr…”

Just then, a low breathing sound came from right beside him. Ian’s body froze. As he slowly turned his head, a blurry shape emerged from behind a tree. A Shadow Wolf.

The wolf was glaring at Ian with eyes even more venomous than before. It even let out a low growl, baring its sharp teeth.

His breath hitched. Two steps. If he could just take two steps back, he could get back inside the cave. But his feet felt as if they were rooted to the ground.

Ian bit his lip and tried to steady his breathing. Then, he slowly took a single step back.

“…!”

However, his foot sank deep into the snow. In his focus on the wolf, he had failed to see the snow piled up behind him. His body teetered as he lost his balance.

“Grrrr…!”

In that moment, the wolf lunged.