My Lord Chapter 7

“I did well, didn’t I?”

 

I said as I returned to the room, holding tightly onto Sedian’s hand.

 

I was a bit worried he might find it strange that I pulled the tree trunk out all at once, but it seemed Sedian didn’t question it. Maybe he was just relieved to have gotten out of that situation, or perhaps he was so dumbfounded by my confident question that he forgot all about it.

 

“To be honest, it must have felt great, right? I must’ve looked like a savior.”

 

“It’d be wonderful if you’d just keep your mouth shut.”

 

“So, you mean you like everything about me except when I talk?”

 

“….”

 

Sedian looked at me with a disdainful expression, then brushed my hand off as he approached the bed. I shrugged my shoulders.

 

“I cleaned up the room too. How do you like it? Do you find it satisfactory?”

 

Seated on the bed, Sedian brushed his hand over the freshly laundered linens that were soft and cozy. A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth before quickly disappearing.

 

“…Not bad.”

 

Honestly, it would be nice if he’d just admit it when he likes something. He’s really not straightforward.

 

“By the way, sir.”

 

I approached Sedian.

 

“Look.”

 

I raised my hand, showing off my smooth, unscathed skin.

 

“It’s fine, right?”

 

I could see a flicker of surprise in Sedian’s eyes. I waved my hand closer in front of him, almost as if to show it off further.

 

“….”

 

After a brief silence, Sedian let out a deep sigh and glared at me.

 

“Even if you were to die tomorrow, I wouldn’t mourn. You’re a fool who always goes against what I tell you, inevitably leading to your own demise.”

 

There he goes again. Although I found his lack of trust in me frustrating, I understood. After all, I knew how many scars he bore from the gazes of others and how much pain he must have endured.

 

Determined to make things clearer, I knelt on one knee in front of Sedian and placed my hand over his scarred hand. Of course, I had another intention as well.

 

“I’ll be fine tomorrow, and the day after that.”

 

I felt the tension ease ever so slightly from Sedian’s stiff hand. Concentrating magic into the contact of our skin, I spoke calmly.

 

“So don’t listen to the words of those ignorant and vicious people.”

 

Gently, I felt my magic flow into Sedian. Since I was only channeling it subtly and his body was largely numb from the curse, he probably wouldn’t notice.

 

While there was no visible change on the surface, I had a strong sense that this would eventually break the curse. Grasping Sedian’s hand tighter, I said,

 

“You’ve done nothing wrong, my lord.”

 

Sedian didn’t respond nor did he pull away, so I held his hand for quite a long time before leaving the room.

 

***

 

“Damn it! Who the hell is that guy?”

 

One of the reporters who had come to Sedian’s mansion stomped his foot in frustration and shouted.

 

“What kind of lunatic is he? Does he not know who we are?”

 

“He probably knows and just didn’t care. Just wait—we’ll make him come crawling to apologize. I’ll show him how terrifying my pen can be!”

 

The furious reporters looked visibly enraged.

 

One of them, who seemed to be maintaining a shred of composure, raised his hand timidly and spoke up.

 

“But if we try that, aren’t we all going to end up dead?”

 

He shuddered as he recalled the attendant who had casually pulled out a massive tree trunk and tossed it aside.

 

“His eyes… they looked like those of a mercenary who’s been through countless battles. We’d better not mess with him.”

 

His words made the other reporters gulp nervously.

 

Yeah, he did look pretty scary.

 

If we hadn’t backed down, we probably would’ve all been slaughtered right then and there.

 

As these thoughts crossed their minds, the reporters quickly shook their heads. They couldn’t let fear get the best of them over something like this!

 

“Hey! Why are you so scared? Do you know who’s backing us?”

 

“Yeah! We’ve got powerful connections. We don’t need to be scared of some mere attendant!”

 

“But… what if ‘they’ don’t protect us if we fail to do as they asked?”

 

“That…!”

 

The reporters began to bite their lips.

 

They were reporters chasing after a sensational story, but they had also been hired to write a narrative to suit their clients’ needs.

 

“Damn it. What should we report?”

 

“This time, they wanted us to bring down the lord! But that brutish strong guy…”

 

One of them, who was nervously frowning, suddenly clapped his hands as an idea struck him.

 

“Let’s do this: we’ll say we were assaulted.”

 

He chuckled sinisterly, grasping the pen hanging around his neck.

 

“We’ll make it a fact that Sedian Luciano spreads a curse, and that we, the righteous journalists trying to expose it, were assaulted and chased away… how does that sound?”

 

A scandal would surely erupt from such a story.

 

Though the facts were unverified, people would believe it simply because it was printed in the newspaper, and Sedian would be condemned without a chance. After all, he was a cursed figure.

 

The man who had thought of this devious plan grinned with satisfaction. Just thinking about it lifted his spirits.

 

“What’s wrong? Why’s everyone so quiet?”

 

Oddly, however, his colleagues didn’t respond.

 

Even the ones who had been laughing along with him moments ago.

 

He looked toward them in confusion.

 

“…Huh?”

 

And then, he saw it.

 

“Urgh… ugh…”

 

A masked man was strangling one of his colleagues into unconsciousness.

 

And all around, his other colleagues were already lying on the ground. It looked like they’d all been subdued in the same manner.

 

“What… who are you?”

 

The reporter, stunned, looked the masked man up and down before quickly throwing punches, yelling as he did. He hadn’t realized how outmatched he was.

 

The masked man was slight, not even half his size!

 

“Do you know who we are? Huh? Who sent you? Is it the guys from Gilleshad?”

 

He felt his confidence swell as he spoke, pounding his chest with his fists.

 

“Tell those bastards this! I, Michael, won’t be taken down by just one person—!”

 

But his shout was cut short. Michael gasped, pale, as the masked man landed a blow to his groin.

 

“You… you dirty… scoundrel…”

 

He clutched between his legs, collapsing. Still reeling from the pain, Michael whimpered out a question like a scream.

 

“Who… who… who are you?!”

 

“Me?”

 

The masked man hesitated, then grinned as he slowly removed the mask covering half his face.

 

Under the pale bluish moonlight, his fair skin gleamed.

 

His eyes, a light green that appeared almost lemon-yellow, focused on the reporter. With jet-black hair, a gaze filled with menace, and a twisted sneer on his lips…

 

It was…!

 

“I’m a butler, you bastard.”

 

The lord’s butler—it was him!

 

***

 

I crossed my legs and munched on a cookie I’d snuck from the kitchen.

 

A groan escaped from the man I was sitting on.

 

“Urgh… ugh… so heavy…”

 

With his head planted on the ground and carrying my weight, it was only natural that he’d be struggling.

 

But I didn’t care if he was struggling or not, so I tapped his head lightly with the stick I’d used to beat them earlier.

 

“Hey, your head’s drooping. Get it together.”

 

“I-I will!”

 

In the alley, besides the man I was sitting on, there were four others with their heads bowed. They were all the ones I had beaten.

 

Of course, I’m not usually one to beat or punish people. Before my reincarnation, I was more accustomed to comforting and caring for people. It’s not like a nurse would go around hitting people.

 

The reason I could beat and punish people so easily now was thanks to the “friends” I met right after my reincarnation.

 

When I was struggling with basic survival, those friends taught me how to fight and intimidate others. It seems like Reina Kahn, the body I now inhabit, was naturally good at fighting and picked it up quickly.

 

Because of them, I could now protect myself, and I wasn’t afraid to hit others when needed.

 

“So then.”

 

I popped the last bit of my cookie into my mouth and nodded.

 

“You guys don’t look like regular reporters. Following us all the way from the capital means someone must’ve put you up to this.”

 

Then, the man with graying hair yelled out.

 

“N-no! We’re just righteous reporters trying to reveal Lord Sedian’s shame!”

 

“Yeah, because ‘shame’ and ‘righteous’ go so well together. Do you have a death wish?”

 

“Ack! Have mercy on me please!”

 

I tapped the back of his head a few more times with the wooden stick, then sighed as I clenched my fist.

 

“Who sent you?”

 

Before I even finished speaking, I could see the color drain from their faces.

 

“I’ve heard everything, so stop pretending.”

 

“……”

 

They remained tight-lipped, casting wary glances around as if they’d never uttered a word. I glared at them, resting the wooden stick casually over my shoulder.

 

“Why aren’t you answering? You should know I’m showing mercy here.”

 

“……”

 

“I didn’t spare you because I’m merciful. It’s just that dealing with bodies is a hassle.”

 

I fixed each of them with a pointed stare as I continued.

 

“But, well, if you’re not going to talk, I’ll just have to kill you one by one until someone speaks…”

 

“It’s the Gray Company!”

 

At that moment, the big guy I was sitting on shouted out.

 

“The Gray Company hired our newspaper for the job!”

 

Once he spoke up, the others started chiming in, one after another.

 

“Yes, yes! That’s right! But we don’t… we don’t know the reason! They’re the ones who requested it, we just followed orders!”

 

“Yes! Exactly! We only took the job because they promised us a big payout…!”

 

I let out a hollow laugh.

 

“So, you took it upon yourselves to further torment Sedian, who’s already suffering from a curse?”

 

“Well, um…”

 

“Ahem. You know, life has its ups and downs,” one of them mumbled, trying to sound philosophical.

 

“Right. Life can also end. Want to die?”

 

“…Sorry.”

 

I sighed deeply.

 

Right now, I’m living under the guise of “Mr. Rey,” hiding my identity as the “Great Wizard Reina.” Causing a scene here would only increase the risk of my identity being exposed.

 

“Be grateful that I’m in this current state. If this were before, all of you would be dead by now.”

 

“Yes..…”

 

Rising to my feet, I brushed the shoulders of the ones who were practically groveling and rummaged through their pockets.

 

I destroyed all the recording magic stones except for the ones that had already recorded, and took pictures of their faces with the single camera I had.

 

“This is a one-time mercy. Live quietly, and keep your mouths shut. Unless you want these photos and recordings exposed.”

 

“……”

 

They rose to their feet, looking bewildered, and glanced at me nervously.

 

“Well, um, er, uh, can we… actually go?”

 

“You’re not going to stab me in the back on your way out, are you…?”

 

“When I say you can go, just go.”

 

“Yes, sir!”

 

Before I even finished speaking, they bolted, scrambling to get away, and I waved them off.

 

“Be careful on the streets every night, alright?”

 

The one who never lets them drop their guard, that’s me.

 

Watching them flee with their tails between their legs, I turned my gaze upward toward the sky.

 

“The Gray Company, huh.”

 

It seemed Sedian might have unknowingly made a powerful enemy.