The Servant in the Horror Game is Suspicious Chapter 67

Dan pulled Jade behind the carriage, staying clear of Callie, who stood by the window glaring with eyes as sharp as blades.

He apologized, admitting that since things had turned out this way, staying in the same house would be difficult. Jade agreed. If anything, he felt sorry toward the man who had shown him such kindness.

“I’ve put you in a tough spot. I’m sorry, Dan.”

“No, well, sigh…”

Dan rubbed his bald head, clearly at a loss. He kept opening and closing his mouth, looking deeply troubled. Yet, it seemed their month together hadn’t been for nothing, as he couldn’t bring himself to simply cast Jade out.

“I don’t peg you for the type to steal from others. There’s a story behind this, isn’t there?”

He asked while glancing at Jade. Despite the unsettling news from Callie, he still seemed to believe Jade was a good man.

“Well…”

Jade was grateful for the question, but there were few things he could actually say. He was worried that he might expose Ian’s location.

In the end, Jade briefly summarized his situation while omitting any mention of Ian. He explained that he had worked as an attendant for the House of Linwood but was now on the run after being framed for theft.

Dan seemed to believe him. He didn’t pry any further.

“Callie might be angry, but she won’t report you. She promised me.”

“Thank you.”

Jade realized that the conversation they had right before coming out must have been for that very purpose.

Callie was likely worried that her brother, having traveled with Jade for a month, would be branded an accomplice for harboring a thief. She was frantic for him to leave quickly, saying she didn’t even want the reward money.

“Where will you go now?”

“I’m not sure… I don’t know yet.”

He was at a loss. He had only vaguely thought that running far away would make his escape easier.

But even after coming to the furthest point from the North, he had heard the news that the House of Linwood was searching for him. Where on earth was he supposed to go now?

“If you’re planning to dodge the House of Linwood, the South is probably your safest bet. They said they’ve commissioned Northern mercenaries.”

“I agree the South is safest, but…”

“Not many people travel between the North and the South. In our village, it’s pretty much just Nina and me.”

Sensing Jade’s anxiety, Dan tried to reassure him.

Jade agreed with his reasoning to some extent. They would start by scouring the North and gradually expand their search area. It would take time for them to reach the South.

Most importantly, Jade wasn’t in a position to leave the Empire immediately. Hadn’t he just resolved a few hours ago to earn the money needed to flee the country?

Rather than running away in a blind panic, staying in the South was the best option. Besides, the South had heavy foot traffic, making it an ideal place to hide.

Perhaps it was a blessing to have learned this now. He had gained the crucial information that Malderic was hunting him from the North.

“But look, wouldn’t they forget someone like you pretty quickly? It’s not like the House of Linwood lacks wealth. And petty thieves are a dime a dozen.”

Dan said with a shrug.

Right. As he said, petty thieves were everywhere. You could even see children picking pockets on the streets.

But Jade clicked his tongue grimly and shook his head.

“They won’t… forget me so soon.”

The House of Linwood wouldn’t stop the pursuit. Jade was the one who knew that Malderic hadn’t hesitated to hire a contract killer to murder Ian.

Above all, their true target wasn’t Jade—it was Ian. They would try to find Jade by any means necessary to track Ian’s movements. Of course, that was all just speculation.

“Hey, don’t worry. How common is black hair? If you wear a hat and go by a different name, no one will know.”

Thinking Jade had grown gloomy out of worry, Dan spoke with an intentional air of bravado.

“I was planning on doing that. Can I buy some hair dye around here?”

“You can. It’s just a bit expensive.”

“H—how much?”

“About the price of ten bowls of stew?”

Ten bowls of stew. It certainly wasn’t cheap. Still, he had been worried that hair dye might not even exist, so he was relieved to hear otherwise.

Jade mentally calculated the wages he had received from Dan. Even if it was pricey, it was a necessary expense.

“Ah! Wait, stay here in the carriage. I think there’s some left over at the house.”

“Left over? You’re bald, man.”

“Hey!”

“Whoops, sorry, sorry.”

Dan, who had been heading back to the house, stopped and mimed giving Jade a noogie. Apparently, Callie had some dye left over from a festival. Jade tried to stop him, feeling he was already in his debt far too much, but Dan headed toward the house with confidence.

“Just wait here.”

“No, it’s okay, I can buy some at the shop.”

“I said wait.”

A short while later, Dan returned with Callie’s hair dye. Dan was wearing a sleeveless shirt, and there was a handprint-shaped bruise on his bicep. He had likely been smacked by Callie.

“Dan, did you get hit? Are you okay?”

“What’s a little smack to a man like me? Just put this on for now.”

Shrugging it off, Dan thrust his red, swollen arm into the carriage to hand over the dye. When Jade hesitated to take it, Dan even stepped in to help apply it. It wasn’t a large amount, but since Jade’s hair was short, it was plenty.

“Meow?”

Buster, intrigued by the dye, poked at Jade’s head with his front paw. A brown spot appeared on his pink jelly toe beans.

“Me-ack?!”

Terrified by the smudge on his precious, soft paw, Buster shook his leg frantically. He then proceeded to rub his paw vigorously against Jade’s clothes to wipe it off. When the stain wouldn’t budge, Buster’s face turned into a pout.

“Pfft.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, Buster managed to make him laugh.

He decided to think of an alias later. For now, there was no place he needed to give a name to anyway.

Dan had told him to stay in this village, but Jade intended to move elsewhere. He felt uneasy about the mercenary Nina who traveled to the North, and he was worried that his presence might sour the relationship between Callie and Dan.

“Sigh…”

He thought he had finally reached the South to settle down, but he was a wanderer once again. Jade closed his eyes as he waited for the dye to set. Whether it was because of the strong chemicals or his unresolved worries, he had a pounding headache.

After spending a night in the carriage, Jade woke at dawn and headed for the port town of Ardel.

Dan drove him to the port. Since selling bread in Ardel had been his ultimate goal anyway, he decided to look at it as simply moving the timeline forward.

“Do you have a room?”

Jade secured a place to stay first. Since Ardel was a port town, it had many inns, but he chose the most dilapidated and secluded one.

“Rooms are the only thing we have too many of.”

“I’ll take one. I’ll stay for a week for now.”

The owner of the old inn in the alleyway didn’t even care about the guests. The first-floor restaurant wasn’t running and was covered in dust; it was the kind of cheap lodging where only transients would stay. It was perfect for Jade.

“Not bad.”

“Meow.”

He took the key and went up to the second floor. Sure enough, matching the exterior, the bed and blankets were worn out, and the wallpaper was frayed in places. The floor creaked with every step. Jade had lived in one-room shacks with mice before. This was nothing.

Jade unpacked his things next to the bed. His luggage consisted only of a few clothes he’d bought on the way and his broom. Though his belongings were sparse, he had his broom, Buster, and Bluey by his side.

“Owah.”

“Meow?”

Once he set Bluey down, the two of them exchanged a brief conversation. It didn’t seem like they were actually speaking a language, but Buster appeared to grasp the gist of Bluey’s intentions.

Originally, Buster had been itching to eat Bluey, but ever since Bluey had developed facial features, he had started indulging the little guy’s whims.

Jade watched them for a moment while toyed with his hair.

“This feels so strange.”

His once black hair had become much lighter. Only the color had changed, but his image had shifted drastically. He looked softer, more approachable.

Regardless, it was certain that he looked different from before, which brought a small sense of relief. Now it was time to find a job. Since he didn’t know when he might have to move again, he intended to find somewhere he could work temporarily.

As he sat still, pondering what kind of work he should do, he felt a pang of hunger. He had been so busy moving that he’d only just remembered he hadn’t eaten.

“…Buster, Bluey, you’re hungry, aren’t you?”

“Meow-ung.”

Buster shook his head as if to say no. He suddenly spread his wings wide and placed his short front paws on his hips, acting for all the world like a majestic magical beast who didn’t know the meaning of hunger.

“Thanks, mate.”

“Myang?”

Jade pulled Buster into his arms and hugged him. It wasn’t just empty words; he was truly grateful to Buster for following him all the way here, even clinging to the carriage. If he had been alone, this life as a wanderer would have felt nothing but lonely.

Why was it that he could never get used to being alone? Even though he was someone who had spent more time alone than anyone else, it always felt unfamiliar and empty.

“…”

Was Ian the same? Naturally, he thought of Ian, who was left all alone. Right now, Jade at least had Buster and Bluey, but Ian had no one.

Since hearing that the House of Linwood had gone so far as to hire mercenaries, his worry had intensified. He had placed Ian in the temple for his safety, but he had no certainty that it had been the right choice.

“Meow-ung, Myang.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Buster nudged Jade’s shoulder as he fell into thought.

Jade shook his head, trying to cast aside his distractions. He didn’t have the luxury for this. He needed to grab a bite to eat and find a job first. Jade stood up with a determined look and began to move.

However, his worry for Ian continued long after. After he finished his meal, while he walked around looking for work, and even as he lay in bed at night waiting for sleep to come.

Rain fell in the North. Ian looked up at the heavy, hanging grey clouds. For rain to fall in the North, where sleet usually flew even in spring, meant that spring was coming to an end.

“…”

In the end, even as the seasons changed, Jade did not appear.