The Servant in the Horror Game is Suspicious Chapter 53

“Meow, yawn.”

Buster let out a wide yawn from inside the backpack.

The latch was an exquisitely crafted fake.

The real dragon claws were actually attached to each of the inner corners of the box itself. The box was even made from dragon hide—the kind of dragon leather that no sword or spear could ever pierce. Though Buster didn’t know for sure, the leather was likely far more precious than the claws.

Stupid human.

Buster licked his front paws and clicked his tongue inside the bag. Humans were so foolish to fall for something like that.

This was why he hated humans. They were stupid and had poor taste. Yet, it was also annoying when they were too smart. For example, that was why he disliked Ian. The only human Buster had ever truly acknowledged was Jade.

“That will be thirty-five Lumens in total.”

“Hmm.”

The merchant, who had been appraising the dragon claw for a long while until their tea was cold, finally set a price. Including the other items, he offered thirty-five Lumens for everything.

He handed over a heavy coin purse. Jade wondered if it was just his imagination, or if the merchant’s hand was actually trembling. For a traveling peddler, this was undoubtedly a massive transaction.

“You said it was so rare, but you’re only giving me this much?”

“‘This much’?! My boy, this amount of money could buy you a house in the capital!”

“Hmph. I think I’ll just hold onto it, then.”

Jade turned around, letting out a heavy, deliberate huff. The merchant desperately grabbed the hem of his clothes.

“Gentleman! Please! You’re far too hasty. Let’s just sit back down and talk, shall we?”

The merchant practically forced Jade back into the chair. Once Jade sat down, acting as if he were yielding against his will, the man whispered as if sharing a profound secret.

“I’ll give you ten more Lumens. Forty-five. That is my absolute limit. You won’t find anywhere else to sell this, you know?”

“Fine. Let’s do it.”

Judging by the way the merchant swallowed hard, Jade suspected he was still being lowballed. However, since they needed to sell quickly, he didn’t have any other options besides this man.

Slipping the forty-five gold Lumens into his tunic, Jade stood up and winked at Ian. Ian looked away, avoiding his gaze. Cold as ever.

Now that they were flush with cash, Jade and Ian began to explore the village in earnest.

Since they had to head back to the villa early tomorrow morning, they needed to see as much as possible today. Jade wanted Ian to experience it all. This might be the last day they could ever come down to town together and spend time so leisurely.

His heart heavy, Jade thought about how he would eventually have to leave Ian behind. Could Ian really survive on his own? According to the setting guide, he was supposed to gain immense strength and power to become someone no one could touch, but still…

“Ian. Do you know the Imperial currency units? One gold Lumen is worth ten silver Pence, and…”

Jade’s worries manifested as a string of trivial anxieties. He planned to leave thirty-five of the forty-five gold Lumens with Ian when he left. But had Ian ever managed money on his own?

“Do you really think I wouldn’t know that?”

“You do? Good, then.”

Ian let out a short, scoffing laugh, as if asking how Jade could even question something so basic. That little laugh oddly put Jade at ease.

Yes, Ian would do just fine. But even so, he couldn’t stop the worries from popping up in his head.

“Oh, did you know? They say if you burn your skin, wrapping it in lavender helps take the heat out. And if you catch a cold, ginger tea is best.”

“Lavender? In the North?”

“They’re selling it right over there.”

As it happened, there was a woman selling flowers nearby. She had tied small, charming bouquets of flowers that were rarely seen in the North. Perhaps because flowers were such a rarity here, a crowd had gathered around her stall.

“These were brought in all the way from the South. You’ll hardly find these anywhere else in the North!”

“I’ll take one.”

Jade bought a bunch of lavender and handed it to Ian. With the boy’s delicate features, holding the flowers made him look like some sort of forest spirit.

“Smells good, doesn’t it?”

“….”

At Jade’s question, Ian buried his face in the lavender and took a breath of its scent. Whenever Jade taught him something, Ian absorbed it immediately. He was like a blank canvas.

“Potatoes taste great with a bit of salt. And you have to keep onions in the shade.”

Jade intended to buy a mountain of potatoes and onions before they left. Onions, in particular, were excellent for long-term storage.

“…Jade. Is something wrong?”

Sensing something was off, Ian stopped walking. Standing dead-center in the middle of the road, Ian looked up at Jade with a sharp, piercing gaze, as if trying to sniff out any suspicious intentions.

“It’s just because I see potatoes right in front of me. Let’s buy a sack.”

“That much?”

“What do you mean, much? We’ll go through these in no time.”

Jade bought a sack of onions, a sack of carrots, and even a sack of cabbage. He didn’t forget dried meat and herbs, which were good for storage, and even bought a few blocks of butter when he spotted them.

This was perhaps the one and only advantage of the North—a place with almost no redeeming qualities. Thanks to the freezing weather, food didn’t spoil easily.

He bought flour by the crate. He also tracked down eggs and baking powder, items he’d always been sad to lack. He planned to teach Ian a few simple baking recipes once they got back to the villa.

Having spent most of his own childhood alone, Jade knew one thing: time passed much faster when you had something to do.

I have to make him a cake before I go.

More than anything, he wanted to bake a cake for Ian at least once. He couldn’t forget Ian saying he had never had a birthday cake. Unfortunately, Ian’s birthday was in May. Since it was still two months away, Jade wouldn’t be there to celebrate it.

“Ian, I’m thinking of making a cake once we’re back at the villa. What kind do you like?”

Since he was still a child, Jade assumed it would be chocolate. Or maybe something new? He wasn’t sure what kinds of cakes were popular in this world. Though, since the game was made by a Korean developer, he figured it wouldn’t be that different.

“…Carrot.”

Ian muttered in a tiny voice. It was so soft that Jade couldn’t hear him clearly even when he leaned down.

“What was that?”

“Carrot cake. You mentioned it before…”

Back when they were making vegetable pancakes with those shaded carrots, Jade had mentioned in passing that he’d make him a carrot cake if they ever got the chance. Ian had acted like he wasn’t interested, but he clearly remembered every word. His hands, still holding the flowers, fidgeted slightly.

“Carrot cake it is. I’ll show you what I can really do.”

“….”

“Meow!”

Ian didn’t answer; he just sniffed the flowers and gave a slight nod. Instead, Buster gave a loud, enthusiastic cry from the bag. He was now poking his head out, enjoying the view.

“I’ll go drop off what we’ve bought so far.”

Their haul had grown massive in an instant. Jade moved the groceries to their inn room first. Once the heavy items were tucked away, they explored the market with even more freedom.

“Let’s buy socks, coats, and winter blankets ahead of time.”

“It’s already spring. Why buy them now?”

“Spring is short here, isn’t it?”

“We can just come back down in the autumn.”

“Who knows how cold the autumn will be? It’ll be winter in the blink of an eye. There’s no harm in being prepared.”

Jade picked out a thick coat and had Ian try it on. The white coat suited Ian’s pale skin perfectly. With this, he wouldn’t be cold even if he rolled around in a snowbank.

After the coat, they bought socks and shoes. While Jade was busy picking out things for him, Ian tugged on his sleeve.

“What about yours, Jade?”

“Oh.”

Since his departure was so close, Jade hadn’t even thought about buying things for himself. Besides, he didn’t need winter gear. His plan was to leave this place and head for the warm South—the furthest point from the North.

“It’s too much to carry all at once, so I’ll get mine next month.”

“….”

After brushing it off with a vague excuse, he bought the blankets. He planned to toss the old blankets they’d brought and replace them with new winter ones. Next, they looked at daily necessities. Knives of various sizes and kitchen tools were added to the list.

All the while, Ian followed Jade around, taking in the market. It was his first time seeing such a bustling scene. It was loud and chaotic, yet fascinating.

“Wait a second.”

Jade stopped in front of a stall where rows of hats were hanging.

He looked through them and picked out a white hat that had caught his eye immediately. Since they’d bought a white coat, he thought it would match perfectly.

“Try this on.”

“No…”

Before Ian could even finish his refusal, Jade plopped the hat onto his head. Golden curls spilled out from the sides of the hat. It fit his small, dainty face perfectly.

“We’ll take this.”

“The lad has good taste!”

The shopkeeper grinned and took the payment. Ian kept reaching up to touch the hat. The fluffy accessory clearly felt foreign to him.

“Now that you’ve got a fancy hat, you should try smiling a bit. They say luck comes to those who smile.”

“I’ve never heard that before.”

“It does. Look at that flower seller; people are flocking to her because she has such a bright smile.”

Jade pointed back toward the stall where they’d bought the lavender. While customers were likely there because flowers were rare in the North, the woman did have a very pleasant expression.

“Is a smiling face… pretty?”

Ian asked, staring blankly at Jade’s fingertips. It was obvious that a smiling face was prettier than a crying one.

“Naturally, wouldn’t you agree?”

“…You really like pretty things.”

Ian mumbled in a voice too low to be heard. Just as Jade was about to ask what he meant, Buster cried out, pointing at something.

“Meow!”

He was pointing at a skewer stall. Various skewers were sizzling on a grill, and the scent of spices and roasting meat made their mouths water.

“Buster, we just ate.”

“Meow—!”

When permission wasn’t immediate, Buster pleaded with his golden eyes shining brightly. He even tucked his front paws under his chin.

“Fine, let’s eat.”

Weak to cuteness, Jade finally gave in. Ian watched the two of them and tilted his head. Then, he tried opening his eyes wide and soft, just like Buster had done.

He simply couldn’t understand why Jade liked these kinds of things so much.