My Lord Chapter 16

When I knocked on Sedian’s door, it didn’t take long to hear a response telling me to come in. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Sedian still lying on the bed.

 

“I thought as much—you’re not asleep.”

 

Sedian looked slightly more haggard than he did in the morning.

 

So I naturally sat by his side, held his hand, and said,

 

“If you don’t sleep by this hour, you won’t grow taller. Don’t children of the new nation need to sleep early?”

 

“You’re quite used to holding my hand now.”

 

“You like it, so stop pretending otherwise.”

 

Sedian shook his head, wearing an exhausted expression. Yet, it was quite endearing how he didn’t push my hand away. I grinned as I infused his hand with magic.

 

“And I’m not a child of the new nation. I’ll be of age next year.”

 

“Oh, really? What? You’re seventeen?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh….”

 

I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

 

“What’s with that reaction? How old did you think I was?”

 

“Thirty. You look old for your age.”

 

“Do you want to leave?”

 

“No.”

 

Fearing I’d actually be kicked out again, I stopped teasing him and straightened my posture. I also made my expression serious to look as solemn as possible.

 

The reason for setting the mood was that what I was about to say might come as a shock to Sedian.

 

“I came here today because I have something to tell you.”

 

“It sounds like you usually come without a reason.”

 

“That’s also true, but what I have to say now is very important.”

 

Sedian stared at me silently before tilting his chin slightly, as if to say, “Let’s hear it.”

 

“No matter what I say, you must trust me entirely. Understood?”

 

“Depends.”

 

“No, I’m serious! This is really important!”

 

“That’s why I said it depends. If it weren’t important, I wouldn’t believe it at all.”

 

“…You’re such a jerk.”

 

“I can hear you.”

 

Sedian glared at me with intense eyes. Hastily, I averted my gaze.

 

“Ahem. So, anyway.”

 

Clearing my throat, I calmly began explaining the recent events: how the reporters managed to get close to the garden, why the holy water disappeared, and why the meals had been so poor.

 

It was all due to a conspiracy between Cordelli and the head chef, so I didn’t need to drag it out.

 

“…That’s the situation.”

 

After finishing, I gauged Sedian’s reaction.

 

Given that he had spent time with the servants, whether he liked them or not, I thought their betrayal might shock him.

 

If he was hurt, I’d comfort him. And in the process, I’d slip in a little magic.

 

But instead—

 

“You came all this way just to tell me that?”

 

Sedian’s response was strange.

 

His attitude was unbothered, almost indifferent.

 

Wait, what? Sedian being this calm? That doesn’t add up…. I had expected him to fly into a rage and demand they be dragged to the execution ground as soon as he heard my story. But this?

 

I blinked in confusion.

 

“Just to tell you that? Their betrayal is a significant issue. It’s not something to brush off with a dismissive comment….”

 

“I already knew.”

 

“…What?”

 

I thought I’d misheard him, so I rubbed my ear. But Sedian’s words didn’t change.

 

“I knew they were up to something.”

 

My jaw dropped involuntarily. Wait, what? How? He shouldn’t know!

 

Even after forcing my mouth shut, all I could do was swallow dryly. I was so taken aback that I couldn’t think of anything to say. Sedian chuckled bitterly, his smile dripping with resignation.

 

“I know how much support the main house allocates to this country estate. Yet all I get are miserable soups for meals, and the holy water runs out every month. Meanwhile, the head chef and Cordelli live lavishly. Did they think I wouldn’t notice? My body may be broken, but my brain isn’t.”

 

“….”

 

I swallowed dryly again. Still gauging Sedian’s reaction, I cautiously asked,

 

“Then shouldn’t you expel them now? After all, they’ve embezzled the duke’s assets and harmed you.”

 

“Just expel them? They should be executed.”

 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was saying….”

 

“But we can’t.”

 

Sedian replied firmly. I quickly looked up at him and saw his desolate, emotionless eyes.

 

Those inscrutable eyes, hiding everything he thought and felt. They resembled a cipher—densely packed with symbols, beautiful on the surface but requiring endless effort to decipher.

 

What could he be thinking? What emotions might he be feeling? I had no answers, so I simply stared at him.

 

“If they leave, there will be a vacancy.”

 

“Then hire someone to replace them—”

 

“No one will come.”

 

“My lord.”

 

“No one will volunteer to serve a cursed noble.”

 

His lifeless eyes brimmed with exhaustion and despair, the kind that no longer hoped for anything. Shadows darkened the sunken areas around his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept for days.

 

“So I’ve tolerated them all this time. Because I had no other choice. Because there’s no solution I can offer.”

 

His tone was deeply rooted in resignation, as if focused solely on enduring the present without dwelling on the past or dreaming of the future.

 

A weight settled in my chest, so heavy it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

 

Watching Sedian, who seemed to carry the world’s burden of helplessness, left me feeling the same.

 

“…My lord.”

 

“Do you feel better now?”

 

Sedian let out another dry laugh. It wasn’t directed at me but at himself.

 

“Do you enjoy exposing my helplessness? My insignificance?”

 

“My lord, why would you say such things?”

 

“Leave.”

 

Lowering his head, Sedian spoke again. I indicated my refusal to leave, but—

 

“…Please, just go.”

 

It felt as though I had wounded him deeply, as though I had torn open the dam of emotions he had been desperately holding back.

 

So, in the end, I had no choice but to leave his side.

 

***

 

Lying on the bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling and muttered to myself.

 

It was something I did for Sedian’s sake, but it ended up touching Sedian’s reverse scale.

 

How foolish of me.

 

I should have asked Sedian before stepping forward.

 

How could I have known if he noticed or not?

 

So I left without even asking about the Gray Company, let alone mentioning it.

 

Groaning, I sat up.

 

At this point, there’s only one thing I can do.

 

Kicking those guys out and finding people to fill the vacancies.

 

But as Sedian said, finding people will be difficult.

 

Especially with the rumors spreading about the curse. If I publicly post a notice looking for new servants in such a situation, even worse rumors are bound to arise.

 

There is a way to secretly find new servants… but—

 

There’s no other choice.

 

I might as well learn more about the Gray Company while I’m at it.

 

With that thought, I fell asleep, and as soon as I woke up in the morning, I left the mansion.

 

***

 

Since the moment I was possessed in this body, the first thing I had to resolve was the basics of food, clothing, and shelter.

 

No matter how great a mage this body was, at the time, I didn’t know how to use magic, nor did I have the strength to protect myself.

 

So I got a job as a receptionist at a mercenary guild to earn money first.

 

As I gradually adapted to this world, I met some helpful friends during that time. Thanks to them, I learned how to pickpocket, how to scam, and even how to use violence when necessary… Were they really helpful friends?

 

In any case, because of them, I became what I am now: a former nurse in my past life and now a skilled mage-swindler-mercenary.

 

“Fresh fish delivered today! Take a look!”

 

“Apples are in season!”

 

Leaving behind the bustling marketplace, I entered an alleyway.

 

After confirming no one was around, I loosened the tie on my tailcoat and took off the vest. I then changed into the clothes I had brought.

 

Although the neckline was a bit loose, revealing the shirt underneath, it should be fine.

 

Next, I tore the centre of the tie to widen the fabric and wrapped it tightly around my neck. Since it was a striped tie, it would surely serve as a distraction.

 

This way, people’s gazes would focus not on my face but on the strange decoration around my neck. Their memory would also likely be clearer of this instead.

 

After finishing my preparations, I approached a newsstand.

 

I looked for a newspaper with an unusual pink stripe and checked the headline.