Chapter 6
“I had to confirm whether Rachas was truly someone who could kill me and others in the future.’’
My goal was to smoothly read memories when the opportunity arose while working nearby.
“We heard you need an employee.”
“We do, but not just anyone.”
Rachas covered the introduction I handed over without even bothering to read it.
“We don’t need someone so desperate that we’ll hire just anyone.”
An arrogant and self-centered tone.
An attitude that showed no respect for others.
‘’Long legs confidently crossed, chin raised, and those mysterious eyes looking down at me, revealing nothing about what lies within.”
“It felt like someone had taken out my heart and shaken it, the tingling sensation was so intense.’’
“Why choose to work here of all places?”
“Do I need to explain my reasons?”
“If you have a resume, you could choose a more comfortable place rather than the North.”
“I have personal reasons.”
“Do I have to know those personal reasons precisely to decide whether to hire you or not?”
Laches scoffed at him with a mocking tone. At first glance, he didn’t look like a nobleman, more like a ruffian wearing the disguise of a noble, but he was by no means to be underestimated.
Especially with those eyes, devoid of any hint of laughter, resembling the inner thoughts of a beast, as if shrouded in a deep sense of disdain.
“I ran away to the North.”
“Run away? From whom? Why?”
“There’s someone following me, I came to the North to escape.”
I wondered what reaction Laches would have if I were the murderer who had killed him.
Laches didn’t show any particular reaction, his expression unchanged.
“The North is my last choice for escaping within the Empire unless I cross the border.”
“Is the person following you really that malicious? Considering you’ve come all the way to the North, calling it your last choice within the Empire.”
I wondered what he knew to speak so confidently.
“I don’t know, but if someone is following you, you might feel like running away, right? Isn’t that so?”
Laches responded casually, nodding lightly. His face, devoid of any hint of a smile, contradicted his cheerful words.
Fortunately, he seemed oblivious to who I was. If he knew my identity, he wouldn’t be sitting so nonchalantly.
“Heard the brewing spot is empty and came for it?”
“Yes.”
“Brewing is no easy task, Can you handle it?”
Laches’ cold gaze fell on my thin wrists, lacking any strength.
Reducing my food intake more than usual was the source of my weakened body, appearing in pain just before death.
“Human bones don’t break easily, you know.”
“It would be difficult with just ordinary strength.”
“There must be quite a few who came to the north with at least some determination, don’t you think?”
If I just held his hand and read his memories, there wouldn’t be a need to sit face to face like this.
I silently stared at the thick hand tapping on my thigh.
Ice wine produced in the north.
I heard that during this period, they especially hire short-term employees.
I thought it would be easy to get in with an introduction letter, but it seems I was too optimistic.
“I need to find another way.”
After all, what I need is not just a hiding place but the memories of this man. If I rush in recklessly, the chances of defeating him are low.
“Should I pretend it’s a mistake?”
I reached out towards the man without even realizing it.
“Sure, why not.”
With a casual permission, Laches stood up, holding the introduction letter, and pulled the curtain aside.
Watching Laches move away, I folded my hand again.
“Did I pass?”
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
Although his lips were smiling, those eyes seemed to have subtly turned cold and awkward.
Instead of answering, I turned my head slightly. After a while, the butler who was called entered.
“Did you call me, Your Grace?”
“Starting today, the new employee who will be working., You selected, so take them with you.”
Laches pointed arrogantly towards me, sitting on the sofa with his chin. There was no trace of respect in his attitude towards me.
Of course, He was the ruler of Violentus Castle, and I was just a servant. This would likely be our relationship during my stay here.
It was a problem I would have to get used to and endure.
“Tell the maid to guide them to their workplace and living quarters.”
“Don’t we need an interview with the housekeeper?”
“I personally selected them, so no need for that.”
At first glance, it seemed like passing an interview with the housekeeper was a prerequisite for working here.
Perhaps it was because of the introduction letter, or maybe the need for staff was urgent.
Or was it just the whims of this man.
Laches smoothly skipped that process, And in this castle, there was no one who could withstand the unfounded whims of this man.
“…It seems like they might not have the strength for placement in the distillery, Your Grace.”
“I know. So, they won’t be placed there.”
“What?”
The butler exclaimed in confusion. And I, too, lifted my head in surprise.
“There was a worker who wanted to go there because of the high pay for distillery work, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Until now, we haven’t been able to send you because of a shortage of staff, right? Ask that employee if they still want to go and, if they do, let them. Take this opportunity to check if there are any employees who want a change in their duties.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“To ensure smooth workflow, rearrange the new staff appropriately, I don’t need to get involved in where they should be reassigned, right?”
“…Understood.”
“Now, both of you can leave.”
Under Laches’s firm command, the butler could not argue any further and bowed, I thought it would be difficult to work under such pressure, but did I pass the test?
“Follow me.”
The butler gestured towards me, I stood up, bowed to Laches, and then followed the butler out of the room.
“Hmm.”
After the two had closed the door and left, Laches checked the introduction letter once again.
With a frown, he lightly traced the name ‘Niriel’ written on the family name on the introduction letter with his finger.
“Niriel family.”
Laches, intimidatingly holding the introduction letter with the name ‘Niriel,’ went to personally confirm who was coming. Originally, he wouldn’t have had to personally interview anyone, but he wanted to make sure of the person arriving.
And when he entered the waiting room and saw the face, Laches was about to be surprised, looking like he was in pain.
“You seem unwell, Was being on a deadline a fact? It hasn’t been the case until now.”
No, there have been many new things that have happened besides this.
“Is it a variable, or…”
The image of the person who had confidently hidden his identity and lied a little while ago looked intriguing.
“Why did you come to the Violeantus Castle?”
It looked like he could easily fall over and break just by flicking a finger, yet his influence seemed greater than any other man.
Actually facing him and having a conversation felt strange for the first time.
“Why hold a memorial for someone who is still very much alive and live under a different identity?”
You’ll understand who the puppet master is if you observe closely.
“More importantly, this time you’ve managed to survive quite a while.”
Laches laughed as he placed a recommendation letter in the drawer and closed it.
“Indeed, let’s see how long you’ll last this time.”
I became a maid at the Violetus Mansion as planned.
Fortunately, my assigned workplace, rather than the brewery, was the laundry room.
Thinking it would be easier than working in the brewery, I let out a sigh of relief, but it was far from the truth.
Due to the still unsettled weather, the wool blankets to be washed were extremely thick, and the well and stream water were frozen, making my hands and feet numb.
‘Did they send me to a worse place on purpose?’
Considering Laches’ face, which sneered at me, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“You got the job without even having an interview with the master.”
“The person who wrote the recommendation is from the Suho family.”
“With such a prestigious connection, why did you come all the way to the North? There are frequent monster attacks here, and it’s too cold.”
“It’s a bit pitiful… The master intentionally gives more work to that girl.”
“Hush, Keep it down. We might earn unnecessary resentment.”
Perhaps because I got the job without an interview with the master, the gazes directed at me were unpleasant.
The one with power in the field was not Laches but the master. Therefore, the maids naturally had to be cautious.
“When it was time to eat, no one saved a spot for me, and my bed was right by the coldest window.’’
‘Anything is better than dying.’
Staring at the blistered hands after just a few days of work, I gathered strength in my weakening heart.
Late at night, when everyone was asleep.
I carefully moved to avoid waking the sleeping maids, retrieved the medicine given by Pesor from my belongings, swallowed it, and returned to my place.
The reflection of my eyes in the window remained a pale violet.
‘… In places where the sun doesn’t shine well, there are places where the snow melts less.’
Sitting on a somewhat stiff mattress made of straw, rags, and a little sheepskin, I looked out into the dark night beyond the window.
Because there were no curtains, the chilly winter wind seeped in through the window gaps, clinging to my body.
The desolate north.
In this place that seemed almost impossible for anyone to live, I was living more comfortably than usual.
In the world where I knew I had died.
‘Not bad.’
The time of my death was different every time.
Death always started from the date of the wedding, sometimes dying the next day, sometimes a week later.
The longest I survived was only two months.
Anxiety about not knowing when I would die, two months spent in unease.
‘This time, I’ll live longer… for a very, very long time. I won’t go back and repeat it anymore.’
I hugged my knees to keep the warmth from escaping, listening to the quiet sounds of the night insects.
‘’Even in the cold north, there are night insects.”
The gaze that had been looking at the sky lowered.
Then, a man, who knows how long he had been standing there, appeared under the window. The frozen Laches murmured something to himself, moving his small lips.
But, of course, it was impossible to hear.
“What are you doing there?”
That was when it happened. Suddenly, the man raised his head. At that moment, our eyes met. No, it felt like such an illusion.
It was a very brief moment.
Since the bedroom lights were off, the inside of the window below wouldn’t be visible anyway.
Standing still, Laches was silently staring at the bedroom window where I was staying.
“I’ve been watching you for a long time, Repherentia. Why don’t you acknowledge my love? When will you realize it?”
The words of the murderer suddenly echoed in my ears.
Above the image of Laches watching over me.
At that moment, as if being possessed by a monster, I reached out my hand. It was a very impromptu action.
When I pushed away the cold sensation with my palm, the closed window opened wide.
As if asking when it was closed.
“Your Excellency, what are you doing?”
Afraid that the other maids might wake up, I leaned my upper body as much as possible and whispered softly.
Laches, with his hands in his pockets, remained silent. Instead, he lifted his head higher to meet my eyes and responded to my voice.
“Everyone is asleep.”
I extended my upper body, wondering if he could hear me. In response, Laches hastily withdrew the hand he had placed in his pocket and gestured for me to come inside.
“If you fall from there, I won’t pick you up, so come inside.”
“If the Duke doesn’t receive me, I might as well fall and die.”
“It’s not a fatal height if you fall, so it’s fine, You’ll probably lie there for quite a while.”
He spoke quite elegantly.
“Do you remember?”
This was the first time we had met for a conversation since the interview. Laches frowned slightly after a light question.
“…Do you think I’d forget such an introduction?”
So, he remembered me, a relatively new servant among many maids.
As I retracted my upper body, Laches’s hand reached out as if trying to stop me.
“I’ll go down.”
When I put my upper body back inside, Laches’s hand hesitated for a moment.
“Just wait a moment.”
His hand slowly descended.
There was no reply.
After ensuring that the maids in the shared room were still peacefully asleep, I whispered softly.
“I’ll go down.”
Laches’s hand stopped abruptly.
“Just wait a moment.”
His hand slowly descended.
I did not respond.
After making sure that the maids were still peacefully asleep, I closed the window tightly to prevent them from feeling the cold. Then, wearing a thin robe, I stepped outside.
Perhaps because I had been indoors before, with each exhale, my breath turned into white puffs carried away by the wind.
As I exited the separate building, leaning against a large tree with my fists clenched, Laches appeared.
“You didn’t leave?”
“You told me to wait.”
Like a tree standing firm, unyielding even in the fierce wind, Laches was waiting for me.
The strong determination in his stance suddenly frightened me.
Could he be the man who wants to kill me?
“Aren’t you sleeping and taking a stroll?”
I walked towards the spot where Laches was standing.
Then, I discreetly raised my head and checked the window of my bedroom, just as he did.
I was worried if he could see inside the room from outside, but fortunately, all the lights were off, and nothing was visible.
So, why was this man standing here? What was he looking at?
“Just passing the time. It’s bedtime; why are you out here?”
“I couldn’t sleep either.”
Laches no longer raised his head to look at the bedroom window.
It seemed as if he had no concerns about that window anymore.
“Thanks for considering not working in the brewery.”
It was a rare opportunity.
During the few days working at the castle, I hadn’t seen him at all. If not today, there was no guarantee that we would meet like this again, especially alone and in such close proximity.
“I can’t just let you go.”
“You don’t need to thank me since I arranged it efficiently.”
“I could have hired someone else for the brewery job without hiring you. Then there would be no need for complicated work rearrangements.”
Recalling the conversation techniques I learned from a home teacher in my childhood, I continued speaking earnestly.
“There weren’t any applicants for the interview.”
However, my efforts seemed in vain as the conversation abruptly came to a halt.
As someone who was shy and reserved, I noticed that Rachess also lacked skill in conversations.
“Well, thanks to you, I think I can adapt to the northern region.”
“…But it seems like you haven’t adapted to the northern weather yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your clothes., They’re too thin.”
Rachess pointed at my clothes with her finger. I had hastily come out wearing pajamas and threw on a robe I grabbed, so my clothes were indeed thin.
“Wearing only pajamas to come out… I never thought I would do such a thing when I was a noble lady.”
“Even the Marquis’s clothes are thin, Aren’t you cold?”
I felt spontaneously embarrassed and tightly wrapped the thin robe around me as I responded.
“This is nothing to me. I’ve been living here even in the midst of heavy winter snowfall.”
Despite my attempts to brush off the cold, the thin attire made me shiver at the slightest breeze.
“It seems chilly.”
“I’m fine.”
“If you catch a cold, it might affect your work tomorrow.”
“But I’ve gotten used to this level of wind, My bed is by the window. The fireplace and my spot are far apart, and the wind seeps in through the window, so I’ve been forced to get used to it.”
“…Is that so?”
Laches remained silent after my last words, as if deeply engrossed in thought. Not wanting to disturb his contemplation, I didn’t press further.
Now is the time.
If I don’t do it now, I won’t have another chance.
“Your Excellency, what’s this on you?”
I boldly reached out towards Laches, There was no hesitation whatsoever.
For a common maid, this was an action strictly forbidden. It didn’t matter if it lacked propriety.
At this moment, what’s most important is whether this man has any intention of killing me.
Thud.
And finally, my hand touched Laches’ cheek.
“…!!”
In that moment, Laches’s pupils, gazing into the void, turned towards me.
The instant our eyes met, a profound black nightmare seemed to crawl relentlessly into the depths of his own abdomen, swallowing me whole.
Why, exactly, how?
“…Why.”
“Why…?”
Laches slowly chuckled.
“What seems strange?”
A despair-laden word was all I could manage to squeeze out with great effort.
It felt like I was ensnared in an inescapable, intense trap.
A frigid winter wind blew.
I remained frozen, unable to release my hand from Laches’s face.
