The Servant in the Horror Game is Suspicious Chapter 61

It seemed like the sound was coming from outside the carriage. Jade crawled toward the opening of the moving vehicle and scanned the surroundings.

All he could see was the wilderness. There wasn’t a soul or another carriage in sight.

Was I just imagining things?

Right. There was no way. Jade shrugged and looked up at the night sky.

The sky, which had been pitch black when he left Ian behind, was now beginning to grow grey. The darkness hadn’t fully lifted, but the very edge of the horizon was starting to soften.

A cold dawn breeze brushed against his cheek. Jade tilted his head back and admired the fading stars.

How long had it been since he’d enjoyed a quiet moment to himself like this? It felt like the first time since he’d dropped into this world. From the very first day until now, every single day had been so tumultuous that it was only natural he’d had no room to breathe.

Yet, for some reason, this current silence wasn’t entirely welcome. The stillness that had arrived overnight felt a bit bitter and hollow. He would have to get used to living on his own again, but it looked like that was going to take some time.

“Mya…”

Just as Jade was lost in thought, that familiar cry reached his ears once more. His expression instantly froze.

If he’d heard it three times, it was no longer a hallucination. The cry sounded muffled, much like the noise Buster made when he had something clamped in his mouth.

“Myau…”

Buster cried out once more as if calling for Jade. It was coming from below. Right nearby, in fact—the sound was coming from right under his chin. Jade looked down.

“Bu—Buster!”

Buster was hanging onto the carriage with something in his mouth, swaying back and forth like a deflated balloon. He seemed to be flapping his small wings with all his might, but they kept folding against the wind. His eyes were brimming with resentment.

“What on earth are you doing here!”

Jade lowered his voice for fear the driver might hear and pulled Buster up into his arms. Looking closer, he realized Buster wasn’t alone. Bluey’s leaf was clamped in Buster’s mouth. Bluey was dangling there, flailing his short limbs.

Once safely settled inside the carriage thanks to Jade’s help, Buster spat Bluey out as if he’d had a grueling time.

Just as he thought. That muffled cry hadn’t been an imagination. Buster hadn’t been able to cry out properly because he’d been holding Bluey in his mouth.

“Huaaaang—”

“Mya!”

Bluey, who had tumbled onto Jade’s lap, began to tear up. It would be a disaster if he started wailing here. Jade quickly scooped Bluey up and began to rock him back and forth to soothe him, just as the Mop Ghost used to do.

“Buster! What happened?”

“Myaa! Mya!”

Buster was absolutely furious. His black fur was standing on end like a bristly caterpillar, and his claws were out. He swiped at Jade’s forearm with his front paws, but then, seemingly deciding his strength wasn’t enough, he even used his tail to smack him repeatedly.

The carriage had been moving for over an hour. That meant Buster had been clinging to it for over an hour. And with Bluey in his mouth, no less.

“Seriously, what were you thinking? What if something terrible had happened!”

“Myamyamya—! Myaaang…! Myung, myauuung!”

At Jade’s nagging, Buster’s eyes welled up and he began to sob. He must have been miserable, because tears started pouring from his round golden eyes. His fur was scruffy from the wind and covered in trail dust. Seeing him like that, Jade’s heart softened, and he pulled Buster close to comfort him.

“Don’t cry, Buster. I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry.”

“Myaa…”

After being coaxed for a good while, Buster finally seemed to calm down and retracted his claws. He rubbed his forehead against Jade’s chest. He rubbed so hard that Jade was almost pushed backward.

“How did this even happen? I told you to stay by Ian’s side.”

Buster had been asleep since they were in the carriage heading to the temple. There had been a small basket in the temple guest room; Jade had placed Buster inside it and left a small note in his paws. It was a request to look after Ian. He had tucked it under Buster’s belly so that Ian wouldn’t see it immediately.

He knew Buster was fond of him. However, Buster was a magical beast who was originally meant to be with Ian. Since he was a being who would eventually help Ian take control of the family, Jade had intentionally left him behind.

It wasn’t just Buster. He had left everything behind—Bluey, the Mop Ghost, and the supplies he’d bought in town.

The supplies were things Ian needed, so he left them as they were. The Mop Ghost was good at errands and cleaning, so Jade thought he’d be a help to Ian. Since Bluey was a healing Bluewood, he might provide unexpected strength by soothing Ian’s mind and body later on.

To be honest, Jade didn’t want Ian to feel his absence. That was why he’d left the rest of the family with Ian and slipped out of the temple alone. Above all, if he had tried to take Bluey, Buster, or the Mop Ghost, Ian would have realized immediately that Jade was leaving.

“Didn’t you see the note I left? Hmm?”

“Mya…”

When Jade asked, Buster looked away, feigning ignorance. His round eyes darted around, and then his ears perked up.

“Mya! Mya!”

He then brought his wings forward and tapped them with his front paw. As Buster let out a series of disgruntled cries, Jade clapped his hands together.

“Ah, maybe… you can’t stay in the temple?”

Why hadn’t he thought of that? Buster was a magical beast. In a way, he was the polar opposite of a holy temple.

Right. If he’d been left there, the temple would have likely kicked him out first. Some kind of energy in the temple might even have a negative effect on him. Jade nodded in understanding.

“Myaung.”

He actually bought that excuse.

Watching Jade take his hastily improvised lie so seriously, Buster groomed his front paw as if he knew nothing. The wing excuse was a total lie, but as a magical beast, Buster didn’t know the meaning of a guilty conscience.

“Pueh…”

“But Buster…”

Bluey, who had been fussing, fell asleep facedown on Jade’s hand. Looking down at him, Jade suddenly realized something.

“If I only have Bluey and not the Mop Ghost… does that mean I have to take care of Bluey myself now?”

“Mya…”

“You little rascal! If you were coming, you should have brought all three as a set! Or you should have left Bluey behind!”

“Myaa, mya!”

“Ugh. Fine, whatever.”

Though he nagged Buster, Jade felt a secret sense of relief. Even as he was leaving the temple, he’d regretted not at least bringing Bluey with him.

Bluey would have been fine since he was with the Mop Ghost, but compared to the other hangers-on, Bluey was the high-maintenance type. It was better for Jade to look after him than to leave him with Ian.

“So, the Mop Ghost is with Ian then?”

“Myang!”

“I wonder if it’ll be okay.”

Despite Buster’s confident answer, Jade was a little worried. The Mop Ghost was helpful in many ways, but there was no telling what would happen if he were left alone with Ian.

At least if Buster were there, he could act as a mediator. Jade was worried Ian might just throw the Mop Ghost away.

“Anyway, since it’s turned out like this, you’re staying with me.”

“Myaa, mya.”

Jade hugged Buster. Buster nodded his head against Jade’s chest. It had definitely been worth the struggle to follow him. On the other hand, however, his fur stood on end at the memory of Ian’s chilling voice.

‘Follow Jade.’

Ian had woken the sleeping Buster with a rough grip and said that out of the blue. He had shaken Buster’s body—who was so drowsy he couldn’t even open his eyes—to force him awake.

‘Jade is acting strange. Follow him secretly. And if he leaves the temple, come to me immediately.’

Ian had spoken as if giving an order. He’d even added a threat, saying Buster should “look forward” to what would happen if he had any foolish ideas. His blue eyes, reflecting the moonlight, had glowed with a desolate grey light that made Buster’s knees shake.

But Buster didn’t listen to Ian. And he had found the note Jade left behind.

After reading the note, Buster grabbed Bluey first. Although Buster was always dying to eat Bluey, he figured Jade would only take him along if he brought someone who needed as much care as Bluey.

Most importantly, Ian was the type of person who would throw a crying Bluey out in a heartbeat. Hadn’t Buster himself been tossed aside several times already?

Hmph.

He could never forget the sensation of being buried in the snow. Why should he listen to a human like that?

Buster only liked Jade. So, as soon as he confirmed Jade was leaving the temple, he followed. Once he saw Jade about to board the carriage, he waited for his moment. Since it was night, it was easy to hide his black-furred body.

From the moment Jade stepped onto the freight carriage, Buster followed secretly, waiting until they were a good distance from the temple. He figured that was the only way Jade wouldn’t just take him back.

At first, he flew alongside the carriage, then he sat on the roof. But the weather was just too cold. As it edged toward dawn, the night air grew even chillier. He had tried to get inside the carriage for that reason, but he happened to slip, leading to that disaster. Because he was clinging to a moving carriage, the wind made it impossible to even spread his wings.

“Oh, wait. Buster.”

“Mya?”

Jade called out to the pensive Buster. Jade looked suspicious, rubbing his lips as if he were in a tight spot. Buster nudged Jade with his paw, urging him on.

“Myaa, mya.”

“Your box… I left it at the villa. Is that okay?”

“Mya?!”

What was he talking about? A look of shock flashed across Buster’s face. Now that he thought about it, Buster had been so distracted by the intruder’s appearance that he’d forgotten all about it.

Buster’s box was in Jade’s room. Because Buster had said he didn’t want it sold, Jade had kept it safe in his room.

“I mean, I was in such a rush to leave that I forgot to pack it…”

Jade scratched his head apologetically. That didn’t bring Buster’s box back, though.

“Myaaang! Myaaang, myaang!”

Buster pounded the floor of the carriage with his front paws and wailed in agony.