CH 33

“Lobel, are you okay…?”

The Young Master who I carried was restless the whole time.

It seems that he is worried that it will be difficult because I am carrying him.

“Ah… Wait… It’s strange.”

After speaking in a serious tone, the Young Master asked why and what was going on.

“Young Master, are you sure you’re on my back? It’s too light.”

I said slyly and turned my head back. Then my eyes met the Young Master’s, whom I was carrying on my back.

It was the first time he had entrusted himself to anyone other than his mother, and his ears were red, perhaps embarrassed.

I also would have blushed like that.

It’s the first time we’ve ever touched arms, legs, and upper body at the same time, but it felt the best since we’ve been together.

Well, every little blood vessel seems to clear up.

If it weren’t for this situation, I would have enjoyed it more, even with any excuses—Wait. I didn’t need to get slapped on the cheek then, did I?

Why did I insist on only the cheeks?

I’ll have to use a different method from now on, I promised sensibly.

“That’s right. Wasn’t I carrying you on my back? I didn’t know it was so light.”

I smiled at him as he glanced at me.

But, in fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve been boiling inside. Apart from my physical recovery, I was deeply offended.

‘Whoo… Duke. You’re going to come out so cheaply, like this.’

I had expected a scolding or a sarcastic remark, but I didn’t expect it to go this far.

Isn’t that the point of figuring out how to use it before even having a simple greeting with his son?

If the Young Master didn’t pass the skill test, he would kick him out immediately.

‘But he’s still a child, and I can’t believe he treats him like this. He is truly a human without blood or tears.’

No, it is ridiculous to leave a sick child like that in the first place.

When I thought of the old and shabby environment where the Young Master lived, I naturally cursed.

“Lobel. What should I do now?”

The Young Master’s clear voice calmed my anger.

I could see his sparkling eyes clearly without turning my head back.

I’m sure he’s more active than I am in looking at the carriage.

I was proud of it, but I felt sorry for it.

‘You’re not even angry at this situation—’

Even if there were no expectations, it was his first meeting with his father. It can’t possibly be nothing at all.

Still, the person who is having the hardest time now is the Young Master.

I put up with the bitterness and said it brightly.

“As the aide mentioned earlier, we need to distinguish the carriage from the stone slabs first.”

“Ung.”

I heard the sound of breathing sinking into the back of my neck.

He probably thought he had to look at each of those carriages one by one.

Still, the Young Master didn’t ask what to do with all that, nor was he angry.

Rather, he asked aggressively.

“Then what should I do?”

I’m proud.

Then I said, in a softer voice.

“From now on, we will take a look around at all the carriages here. Whenever we pass near the carriage with the stone slabs, the Young Master can tell me. Then I will mark it on the floor separately.”

“You want me to… tell you?”

“Yes.”

“Wait a minute. That’s— How am I supposed to figure it out? How can I check without taking it out—?

“Ah, that, if it’s the Young Master, you can check it without even taking it out.”

My firm answer silenced the Young Master, who had been half-doubting.

Seeing what I said so far, he seemed to think that there must be some reason.

As expected, I was sure.

One of Diff’s abilities was to detect ancient energy.

And the contact of the stone slabs yesterday must have shown part of the Young Master’s Diff’s bloodline’s ability for the first time.

‘If the Young Master wants it, he will be able to use that power more freely than the five senses.’

It was fortunate that the Duke didn’t know about the Young Master’s bloodline.

If he knew it, he would have used it for dangerous purposes—.

I shook off my gloomy imagination and asked brightly.

“Young Master, you remember all the stone slabs you saw yesterday, right?”

Just in case he can’t remember, I was about to tell the aide to bring me even a small fragment, but the Young Master nodded.

This is because I’m the servant to the Young Master. As expected, our Young Master is smart.

“All right. Think of them in your head and look them up.”

“I will try—Huh?”

Before the Young Master could even finish his words properly, he was startled.

As he raised his head, he looked around hurriedly. Just by looking at the reaction, I can tell what’s going on.

To me, it will only look like a carriage, but to him, he can see the form inside.

—But how does it look? I’m curious.

“How does it look?”

“It sparkles inside— Whirl? Something that looks like a fire—”

When I asked out of pure curiosity, the Young Master explained diligently one by one.

From what I’ve heard, it seems that there are even three types of stone slabs in one carriage.

The Duke has really bad taste.

I mean, how do kids like us take them all out and check them one by one?

Besides, just by looking at the face of the aide earlier, it all seems very important, and if we break it, he will take issue with it immediately.

However, there was no time to complain like this. Let’s solve the problem in front of us first.

I followed the Young Master’s instructions and walked among the carriages.

And every time I stopped, he drew a pattern of the attributes of the stone slab on the back of my neck.

Furthermore, the rows and columns of what we were looking for among the stone slabs piled in the carriage were numerically recorded.

The process was very quick.

As we did so, I naturally shrugged my shoulders.

“Aren’t we a match made in heaven? We’re such a good team.”

“….”

The Young Master didn’t agree. But he didn’t deny it.

I said a few more jokes to the Young Master and walked around the carriage.

I think it must have happened, but the Young Master looked around once more and said in a bubbly voice.

“That’s it. I did everything you told me to do.”

The arms that wrapped around my neck were also tightened.

He seemed happy at the thought of seeing his father again.

This made me even more bitter, but now is not the time to be caught up in such sentiments.

“You’re done, aren’t you?”

“Of course.

“Then please put me down.”

“I like it now. Can’t you stay like this a little longer?—Ouch!”

The Young Master pressed my shoulder with the tip of his chin and expressed his dissatisfaction.

Indeed, this posture may be awkward and uncomfortable. I can’t just think about it.

I pretended to be sick and whined but lowered him into the wheelchair. The windswept my broken knees yesterday to the floor.

“Ugh—”

I stood up awkwardly, and the Young Master’s gaze touched my knee. The black pants are already covered with dust.

Still, it’s in better condition compared to yesterday’s bloodstains.

I took a couple of steps back and wiped my dusty knees with my hands.

However, the hardened expression on the Master’s face, sitting comfortably in the wheelchair, couldn’t be relaxed.

‘Are you feeling sorry again?’

There was no change in my approach.

As I considered how to clear the suffocating atmosphere, I pointed to the floor in various places along the carriage line.

“Young Master. Do you see them?”

It was our collaboration.

Four patterns and heights were irregularly marked in various places.

Although it was not large, it was not difficult to see it with the naked eye.

Some were round, whirlwind, pointed like thorns, and spread upward like a blazing flame.

“Didn’t I draw it well even though I drew it with the tip of my toes?”

“Yeah…”

The Young Master gave a low affirmation to my question.

I tried to examine the Young Master’s expression again. But he suddenly lifted his head.

The Young Master’s and the aide’s eyes met as he waited close.

“Now that we found it, just look at the things marked on the floor in front of the carriage.”

“….!”

“Things mixed with other things were distinguished by their shape. Rows and columns are marked with numbers. Check it out based on that.”

…What is this? Did I teach the Young Master too well?

I was embarrassed and proud to see the Young Master explain it clearly.

‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this—’

The aide was also at a loss for words and alternated between looking at the Young Master and under the carriage floor.

The Young Master’s deep and delicate eyes rose.

“What are you doing? Take it out and check it out.”

He looked like a really bad-tempered beauty— It was very much like the Duke.

I wonder if the aide felt the same way—. I felt some kind of pity. I feel bad.

It’s hard to make a living—.

Inwardly, I comforted the aide from time to time.

*****

So, thanks to the Young Master, I came back into the mansion. Did it take about three hours?

We came in as quickly as we were out.

‘It must have entered the Duke’s ears by now.’

I remembered the face of the aide last time.

The aide took out the ancient stone slabs from the marked carriage and realized that the Young Master’s words were true.

He looked at our Master with eyes of astonishment and wonder. He said with a look on his face, “What the hell, how do you do this?”

At that time, my shoulders began to strain themselves. “You see, my Young Master, isn’t he the best?”

However, not all of them were resolved smoothly.

‘—Why did the Duke bring those stone slabs to the mansion?’

I kept wondering why.

The Duke has competent servants, so he could easily do it if he had to deal with it urgently.

And another strange thing.

The stone slabs that the servants took out of the carriage earlier were of the same kind as yesterday’s, but there was a remnant of white powder on the surface.

‘That’s something that needs to be sorted out before sale at the mercenaries—’

At least, it meant that they did not purchase the stone slabs in the usual way.