The Servant in the Horror Game is Suspicious Chapter 64

One month later.

As the carriage moved south, the scenery shifted. The desolate land grew fertile, and thick green foliage began to rush past in place of withered branches. The South, where they had finally arrived, was a world away from the snow-covered lands of the North.

“I won’t even need a coat.”

Unlike the North, which stayed chilly even in the height of spring, the South was warmed by a sun that heated the very earth.

Stepping down from the carriage, Jade looked up at the sky. The sunlight was so dazzling it was hard to look at directly. While the Northern sky was perpetually hazy, the Southern sky was clear without a single cloud.

That sky doesn’t look like Ian’s eyes at all.

Looking at the brilliant blue, he naturally compared it to the pale, grey-streaked skies of the North. Jade had always preferred sunny weather, but he felt a strange, lingering sense of regret. It was likely because of Ian.

“What are you standing there gaping for? Shocked because the weather’s so nice?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“It’s mild here all year round.”

Dan clapped Jade on the back and laughed heartily. Jade laughed along and started walking with him. Perhaps because of the relief of reaching the South safely, his stride had become leisurely.

Spending the entire month together had made him very close with Dan. The wound on his shoulder was almost completely healed. Most of the places where Dan sold herbs were clinics, which made it easy to get ointment and fresh bandages. A scar would remain, but he no longer had trouble moving his shoulder.

Jade had been a diligent worker for Dan. He took charge of all the calculations and didn’t forget to reorganize and rewrite the messy ledgers.

By the time his shoulder was healing, he didn’t shy away from heavy lifting either. After a month of this, Dan had begun to trust Jade quite a bit. At some point, he started sharing the profits and even bought enough food for Jade whenever he went shopping.

“The South is great, isn’t it? Look at that olive grove over there. You don’t see those just anywhere.”

“Wow.”

Dan pointed proudly toward an olive grove stretching out to the south. Turning his head, Jade couldn’t help but let out a soft exclamation of awe.

He could see why Dan’s shoulders were squared with pride. Olive trees with deep green leaves stood in neat rows along the hills. Whenever the wind blew, the leaves rustled, creating a shimmering wave of olive green.

There were vineyards scattered about as well. The vines climbing up the wooden supports looked sturdy; it seemed that by summer, they would be heavy with clusters of plump grapes.

Wildflowers bloomed here and there in the fields. Unlike the North, where it was hard to see even a single flower, the Southern soil was embroidered with blossoms of every color.

“It’s on a whole different level compared to that gloomy North. Oh, definitely.”

“I see that. It’s so bright and cheerful.”

Perhaps because of the excellent sunlight, the buildings were constructed with light-colored bricks that reflected the rays. The roofs were mostly orange or red, giving off a warm feeling. Even the people’s clothing was bright and light.

“Are you from the South?”

Jade asked, watching Dan boast about the region.

Since they had met in the North, Jade had naturally assumed Dan was a Northerner, but it seemed he was wrong. Pride for his hometown practically overflowed from Dan’s posture as he stood with arms crossed and chin held high.

“Can’t you tell just by looking? See this? This clean, tanned skin is only possible if you’re under strong sunlight.”

Dan flexed his burly arms to show off his muscles. Was it because he now knew Dan was a Southerner? Looking at him now, Dan possessed all the typical characteristics of a man from the South.

Of course, Jade wasn’t yet an expert on the Vilheim Empire, so he didn’t know the specific traits of the people here very well.

However, the image that usually came to mind when hearing the word “South” was very similar to Dan’s vibe. His sturdy, muscular build and boisterous personality both matched Southern traits. Even that tanned skin he mentioned wasn’t his natural color, but a glow that could only come from being bronzed by the sun.

“You’re from the South, but you travel all the way to the North?”

“I told you, man. The further away the herbs are, the more money they make. If I bring herbs that grow wild in the North down here, I can sell them for at least five times the price.”

Dan’s family had apparently run an herbalist shop for generations. Dan also dealt in various herbs and traveled around to sell them; he said the herbs that survived the North had a tough vitality that made them highly effective.

If he had known that earlier, he would have gathered herbs when he was at the villa and sold them the day he went to town. Especially when he heard that there were rare herbs in the Elloban Forest—where magical beasts lived—and the mountains behind it, he almost wanted to pull his hair out in regret.

“Sigh…”

No matter how much he thought about it, it was a shame. If he had sold herbs back then, he could have left Ian with much more money.

Shaking off the recurring thoughts, Jade lifted his head bravely.

“But, Dan. Is it really okay for me to stay at your house? I should probably just find an inn…”

“I told you it’s fine. I have a spare room anyway, so why waste your hard-earned cash? This guy… you’ve got no money, yet you’re not even trying to save it.”

After arriving in the South, Jade’s plan had been to find a room and a job first. With the wages he’d received from Dan, he could cover about ten days’ worth of rent and food.

But Dan insisted he stay at his house. Even now, when Jade said he’d find an inn, Dan cut him off.

“It’s just that I feel bad…”

“If you feel bad, then help me with work. I’m short-handed as it is.”

Dan said his herbalist shop was always understaffed. In fact, it wasn’t just the shop. The South, as a whole, had plenty of jobs and not enough workers.

The South was a major tourist destination. Because of the high foot traffic, there were many places that needed help—shops, olive groves, and so on. But since there were more outsiders leaving after a season’s vacation than there were locals, he said finding help was difficult.

For Jade, who was essentially a fugitive, this was good news. The place was bustling, and since more than half the people were outsiders like himself, he wouldn’t stand out. Thanks to the high volume of tourists, there were plenty of inns to hide in if needed.

I wonder if they’re looking for me right now.

If it were the Malderic he’d read about in the setting notes, he would be frantic trying to find Ian and Jade. Although he had reached the land furthest from the North, a sense of unease remained.

I just have to hold out for about thirteen years.

Since the year had turned, Ian was now thirteen years old.

According to the original settings, Ian would sit on the Duke’s throne the year he turned twenty-six, after wiping out all his collateral relatives.

That meant he only had to hold out until Ian was twenty-six. After that, Malderic would be killed by Ian’s hand, so he wouldn’t be able to kill Jade even if he wanted to.

Right. He just had to avoid Malderic’s eyes until then.

Since I don’t have to worry about Ian looking for me.

Malderic would surely want to kill Jade for taking the money without completing the mission, but not Ian.

I didn’t do anything to earn his resentment.

Although he had left after lying to him at the end, that wasn’t a mistake grave enough to earn significant grudge. He felt that during the months spent at the villa, he and Ian had gotten along quite well.

So, if he could just hold out until Ian became the Duke, Jade could escape his life as a fugitive. By then, Ian would have completely forgotten about some attendant he had stayed with for a short time as a child.

However, a period of thirteen years felt truly daunting. Could he really live in hiding for that long?

“You have to hide it well here.”

“W—what?”

Startled by the comment that hit the nail on the head, Jade looked around in a panic. Dan, looking nonplussed, pointed at Buster, who was cradled in Jade’s arms.

“What are you so surprised for? I’m talking about Buster, or ‘Roller’ or whatever you call him.”

“Ah, right. I should.”

Jade nodded lightly at Dan’s words.

He had actually just finished making clothes for Buster. He’d had to find fabric and a sewing kit and stitch away the whole journey, but the result was a garment that fit Buster’s body perfectly.

Thanks to the new clothes, Buster had his four legs free, but his wings were hidden. It was a design inspired by the pet clothes common in Korea.

However, he wasn’t sure if this was a great idea either. Since people who dressed up cats weren’t common in this world, everyone stole a glance at Buster.

“Oh my, look at that cat.”

“Is that cat wearing clothes? Oh my goodness, he’s so cute.”

“Ya… meow.”

Two women passing by giggled at the sight of Buster. Once again, Buster mimicked a cat’s meow with all the naturalness of someone reading from a textbook.

Perhaps because the weather was so nice, the people of the South laughed easily and struck up conversations just as easily. He had hidden the wings specifically to avoid standing out, but at this rate, the effort of making the clothes seemed wasted.

Jade let out a soft click of his tongue as he lifted Buster, but Dan, who had been squinting at him for a while, suddenly spoke up.

“But seriously, man, are you sure you don’t want a girlfriend? My sister’s pretty, you know.”

“I told you, I’m not interested.”

“She can’t cook and she’s got a foul temper, but she really is pretty!”

“No thanks, really. Introduce her to someone better than me.”

Dan had been pestering him to meet his sister for a while now. Even though they weren’t far apart in age, he said he liked that Jade was diligent and honest, unlike most young men these days.

He wasn’t just being polite; he had been treating Jade exceptionally well lately. That seemed to be one of the reasons he wanted to bring Jade to his house.

“You’re gonna regret this!”

“Yeah, I’ll just live with the regret. I don’t have any interest in dating right now.”

In truth, Jade had no experience with dating. Even in his previous life, he had never even held a girl’s hand. While the fast kids started dating in middle school, Jade—who had started working part-time jobs instead—never had the time.

Dating.

Admittedly, before he died, one of his wishes had been to experience a deep relationship, but after dropping into this world, the thought of dating had vanished completely. Was it because he’d been forced into a life of childcare he never asked for?

“You said you were going to look for a job here, right?”

“Yeah, I want to.”

“Why don’t you just work as my assistant and travel around with me?”

After being disappointed by Jade’s lack of interest in dating, Dan offered him a job instead.

In fact, Dan had made this offer several times. He said he traveled between the North and South twice a year, and during the remaining time, he sold herbs in the South. He offered to pay a generous allowance if Jade would act as his assistant.

Perhaps that would be better for a fugitive like Jade. If he didn’t settle in one area and kept moving, it would be easier to escape any pursuit from the House of Linwood.

But Dan was specifically someone who traveled between the South and the North. And in the North, there was Ian.

I can’t.

Every time he went to the North, he would be reminded. He might end up lingering secretly in front of the temple, wondering how he was doing, or wondering what had become of the villa he had spent months sweeping and cleaning.

And above all, there was something Jade actually wanted to do.

“I’m thinking of trying to work at a bakery.”