Save Me

44. The Golden Master And The Beast.

 

It was a strange sense of discomfort.

Alec, who became the butler of Baloch Territory, was from Hetroysen.

The Hetroysen family lived as Baloch’s vassals for generations and made it an honor to serve Baloch.

If they had to hire a butler, it was definitely a Hetroysen.

Silas Baloch was special, and before that, all the dukes had entrusted the management of Baloch to Hetroysen.

“You look like you’re in a good mood.”

At Creta’s words, Alec laughed, smoothing his wind-distressed hair with his fingertips.

“Isn’t this the moment I’ve been waiting for?”

The smile he made by subtly moving the corners of his eyes and lips up slightly without showing any teeth was very wonderful.

Although he express his emotions appropriately, he did not leave a clear impression on the other person.

It was truly a butler-like expression.

If it weren’t for this unpleasant feeling pulling at the back of her head, it would have been a moment when she admired him as Hetroysen.

“Has Viscount Hitroysen passed away?”

“He is alive and well. However, I am the one coming because he is already old and will not be able to serve the Duke for long. After all, changing the butler is something that affects the master.”

“I see.”

Creta nodded and guided Alec to the third floor of the main building.

Creta laughed once again when Alec said, “It looks like the Duke is still staying on the third floor.”

 

***

 

Jillian nodded slightly when he saw Alec.

“You look a lot like Ketrick Hitroysen.”

“Do you know my grandfather?”

“I saw him a long time ago.”

Although it wasn’t often, Alec also had vivid memories of Ketric coming to see him.

Alec bowed happily at Jillian’s words.

“It’s an honor to serve you again.”

“Please talk about work with my aid, Creta, and I hope you will adapt as quickly as possible.”

At the end of the short conversation, Baloch got a butler.

Now, there was no shortage of personnel in Baloch.

All the manpower that was said to be lacking, including gardeners, were hired, and even those who could not come in before due to heavy snow, came today.

 

***

 

“I heard that we hired a butler!”

Julie’s cheeks were flushed as she delivered the news, looking quite happy.

“Are you that happy?”

“Well, Creta is not your average nagger. When I listen to her, I feel like my head is pounding. ‘Julie, can’t you hear it properly? Julie, I have told you before, You shouldn’t take your steps like that! Julie, Julie Julie’. Ugh. I feel motion sick.”

Ah.

Bianca laughed briefly.

I was wondering why this young maid was nagging me so much, and it seemed like she saw and heard it from Creta.

Bianca, who suppressed her laughter with a coughing sound, consoled the excited Julie and was able to hear some news from the castle.

For example, the Duke’s whereabouts.

Things like the reason Jillian left the office.

We had quite a sweet atmosphere, when Creta came rushing in to tell us that the snow had stopped.

‘Duke! The snow has stopped. Please check the materials before bringing them in.’

It was so urgent that I couldn’t get my mouth to say anything.

It was the same for Jillian.

He looked like he had a lot to say, but with a faint sigh, he followed Creta, who was urging him on, and went out.

It had already been three hours since he went out like that.

The short year was already drawing to a close.

Bianca, who had been waiting, thinking that he would come right away because he was checking materials and that they could soon talk about what they couldn’t say previously, was a little frustrated.

But after listening to Julie’s gossip, it was obvious that Jillian couldn’t come.

“The transportation circle can now be activated.”

While the snow was not piling up, the transportation circle was being used quickly.

Materials and reinforcements to repair the broken fortress were coming in one by one, and employees who were once stranded in the snow were also returning home one after another, so naturally Jillian was bound to be busy.

I wanted to give him an answer to the marriage proposal.

I waited the whole time.

However, Bianca calmed her anxious heart.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but now was the time to wait for him.

“As soon as he arrived, there was so much work to do… I don’t know if the duke is overdoing it.”

“When I saw him earlier, he didn’t look so good.”

“They said he came at dawn.”

“It must be tired. It looks like this wave was a bit more difficult than usual.”

“Has he eaten?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he couldn’t? He checked the third transported batch and went to the office, but the butler came from the fourth transported batch.”

Right.

She said he was being greeted by the new butler.

He must have been so busy that he didn’t even have time to take a sip of water.

Unlike myself, who ate on time, drank tea, and waited for him.

Bianca put down the documents she was holding and felt a little sorry.

“Julie, would you please go to the kitchen and get some of the sweetest cookies? I guess I’ll have to go see the duke.”

“Would you like some tea leaves?”

“Tea leaves?”

“I don’t think the duke has any drinks in his office.”

Bianca was dumbfounded by Julie’s words.

The person who came here often and looked after Bianca most carefully was none other than Jillian.

But he didn’t actually take care of himself at all?

This wasn’t something to pass up with the excuse of being busy.

A duke with no tea leaves in his office…

“Bring me all tea utensils.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Julie responded to Bianca’s words with an excited voice.

 

***

 

“The tea is completely cold.”

Izar, who had been lost in his thoughts, was suddenly awakened by a voice.

“Mom, what’s going on?”

Passetra had entered his office.¹I forgot if I wrote her name differently before, so please point it out if I did.

He didn’t hear when she had come in.

Even if he hadn’t heard the shouts from outside, Salvar would have told him.

“The aid was sent by me on a brief errand.”

As expected.

Izar mouth twitched immediately.

“I just wanted to have a chat, just the two of us.”

“Of course. If you had told me, I would have come for you myself.”

“Who would dare tell the owner of Kartan to come and go?”

Passetra added with a smile.

“I am grateful for the kind words, but I think it would be better for this mother come to visit.”

The perfect regent.

Izar remembered Passetra, who meticulously calculated every single meeting.

The visit she made today would not be meaningless.

Boring.

“What’s wrong?”

“Is it always about work? Can’t I see you when nothing happened?”

“……..”

Aha.

She came to urge him about Bianca Termina.

Passetra Karhan had a quick temper and a harsh side.

It was just obscured by the pretty face, soft speech, and always smiling face.

Her nature was not so gentle.

“It’s not even a month yet.”

“It’s already been a month. The princess is already in Baloch territory. As time goes by, our side is at a disadvantage.”

“The procedures are being worked on.”

“In this world, nothing can be achieved by living straight. Sometimes you have to take a path that others don’t take.”

“Please know that it takes time, mother.”

“Do I need to spend time on this?”

The friendly tone of conversation disappeared as if it had evaporated.

Passetra, with her back straight and her hands folded on her knees, had a beauty and nobility that was unapproachable even in her old age.

It wasn’t just because of the name ‘Queen Seon’.

That was the arrogance that comes from the cruelty of someone who wields power.

Now, Passetra was looking at Karhan as the ‘Regent Queen’ and had the eyes of a master who commanded his troops.

Exactly, with those eyes, she was now urging Karhan’s owner.

A hot, suppressed substance rose in him in an instance .

‘Shall I kill her?’

Izar heard someone whispering.

‘How about punishing that arrogant person who still thinks she is the owner of this Karhan in the name of the king?’

‘This is my throne. Mine. My place only for me. But she dares give orders to me, who sits in this noble position?’

The voice that was pounding in his head may have been the king’s crushed pride.

“Answer me. Is this something worth your time?”

Passetra’s harsh voice made it increasingly difficult for him to bear it.

“It is only one woman. Do you need a month or so to get her?”²Aren’t you also a woman (⁠┛⁠❍⁠ᴥ⁠❍⁠)⁠┛⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

‘How dare you discipline me?’

‘The era of the Regent Queen is over.’

It became increasingly difficult for Izar to maintain his composure as Passetra’s voice and the voice ringing in his head became entangled together.

If things continued like this, he really thought that even if something happened today, it would definitely be a big deal.

Izar pressed his temples.

“Stop it.”

“Are you telling me to stop? Aren’t I just telling you to do well?”

Had Passetra forgotten?

What she said now was ‘presumptuous’ to say to the king?

It felt like his head was about to explode at any moment.

“Then, are you saying that we should start a war and plunder?”

“Come to your senses!”

“Mother, come to your senses! If you don’t want to start a war, don’t you think we need to negotiate? To do that, we need to plant people in Baloch…”

“Why plant people?”

“Mother!”

“I’m not asking why you’re wasting your time planting people!”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m asking why you need nagotiation.”

In an instant, everything became quiet.

Passetra twisted her red-painted lips grumpily.

“I told you to bring her. So Bring her to me. I paid the bride price a year ago, and the gold has not been returned yet, so the princess belongs to Karhan.”

“But Baloch….”

“The beasts of Termina are left to Termina to take care of. They killed an obedient dog for no reason, so wouldn’t it be okay for it to bite its owner?”

As he stopped speaking, Passetra suddenly sighed.

It was a sigh so loud that it made her shoulders shake.

“Really, as always, your heart is so upright and so gentle… I stayed and cleaned for you for ten years. Now that I think about it, I wish I had brought the bride with me.”

It was not the tone of the regent queen who had been paying honorifics to the ‘king’ the entire time.

Passetra was now speaking entirely as Izar’s mother.

“Don’t get caught up in procedures or methods. The princess belongs to Karhan, so go and get her.”

“If it’s not by infiltrating Baloch or starting a war, then how?”

“Bring her here first.”

Passetra, who calmly mentioned kidnapping, smiled slightly and whispered to Izar, who was astonished.

“My king. Wouldn’t the princess be more attracted to the golden master than the beast she used to control?”

 

***

 

“Bianca?”

Jillian, who was leaning on a chair, did not hide his surprised expression when she saw Bianca entering the office.

This was her first time visiting his office.

No, it was her first time visiting him.

Jillian, happy and excited, found it difficult to speak smoothly unlike usual.

“I came here to have a cup of tea with you.”

‘We still have things to talk about.’

Jillian’s eyes were fixed on the words she spoke with her lips without a sound so that no one could hear them.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Bianca’s red lips that were touching and parting.

Wasn’t this a bit dangerous?

 

***

 

TL:

I forgot to tell you, dear readers, that I have decided to lock only one chapter at a time as I know it’s too expensive. I really wish I could maintain the previous price, but it can’t be helped.

Remember to only buy or donate if you have really really enough on hand and want to support the translation 💖