Episode 178
- Creeeak...
When the carriage Frey was riding arrived at the Starlight mansion, a frigid atmosphere flowed.
"...Hmm?"
Thanks to that, Frey, who got off the carriage, slightly furrows his brow.
Of course, the Starlight mansion typically had a frigid atmosphere flowing through it, but today something was a little different.
"......"
All the servants of the Starlight mansion were outside, quietly staring at Frey.
Of course, that was a scene that normally unfolded whenever Frey went out and returned home.
"What is this?"
However, there was something different from usual.
Everyone who was out was wearing casual clothes instead of maid uniforms or work clothes.
Also, they were all glaring at Frey coldly.
"Just what is the meaning of this?"
Frey, who looked around at such servants, slowly moves his feet and asks a question.
"I'd like to strike you all right now, but let me at least hear your story first."
When those words ended, someone stepped forward from among the servants.
"Young Master Frey."
She was the sister of Arianne, who was employed as a maid in the Starlight family.
"I'm truly sorry to have to convey such words, but it seems we cannot be with the young master from today on."
"What?"
"We will all quit being servants as of today."
When those words ended, silence flowed.
"...Ha."
Eventually, Frey, who let out a hollow laugh breaking that silence, looks around at the servants and asks.
"Why is that?"
Then, she who stepped forward as the representative of the servants answers in a low voice.
"Ms. Aria left the mansion a few days ago."
At those words, Frey quietly bites his lip, while she continues to speak calmly.
"Therefore, we also no longer have any reason to remain here."
When those words ended, the gazes around became even colder.
Those who were outside glaring at Frey with cold eyes.
They were loyal confidants of Abraham, who had taken them in and educated them, implementing a policy of only employing the immortal and pitiful people as servants.
Also, they were friends and subordinates of Aria, who had treated them more kindly than anyone else.
Therefore, they no longer wanted to serve Frey, who was committing outrageous acts that crossed the line, took away Abraham and Aria, and was real-time disgracing the Starlight family's honor.
"So, do you have somewhere to go if you leave here?"
To them, Frey asks with a calm expression.
Of course, superficially it was a tone of concern, but Frey's words sounded quite different to the servants.
Although most of them had stayed reluctantly out of respect for Aria's face, he knew well that some remained in the mansion because they truly had nowhere to go.
Although they had some skills, they were from the lower class that nobles detested, and with the stigma of contract violation attached to them, it became an atmosphere mocking where exactly they could go.
"Most of the people here must have families to support or sick people. Even if you go out and do odd jobs, can you feed them..."
"Don't worry about that."
When the maid who was always timid before his eyes boldly interrupted, Frey's expression distorts.
"We received contact from the imperial palace."
"...From the imperial palace?"
"I don't know what it's about, but they said they want to scout us."
Saying that, she continues speaking while looking at Frey who was stiffening.
"Of course, there are many who want to go as servants to Lord Isollet's house where Lady Aria is, but he cannot shoulder all of us."
"........"
"Of course, we will all take responsibility for the contract violation. Regarding the penalty fee..."
"...Enough."
Frey, who cut off her words, looks at someone mixed among the servants.
"I said enough."
Looking at Lulu who was holding luggage with a somehow pale expression, Frey, who intuited what reason the imperial palace wanted to scout them, says to them with a calm expression.
"There is no penalty fee."
"Any disadvantage or dishonor due to contract violation will not happen."
Then, the servants start to become flustered.
Because those who stood in this place today had prepared themselves to be beaten to death by Frey.
"And, severance pay will be paid normally."
Frey, who made an even more surprising statement while looking at such servants, says.
"So, don't leave without permission and leave a signature."
With trembling hands, he plants his cane on the ground, and leading his uncomfortable body, slowly begins to head toward the mansion.
"What? Is he really terminal?"
"...No way, it's probably a disguise to gain sympathy since his image has been bad lately."
"But... they say he hasn't even been attending Academy classes recently..."
The servants who were watching such Frey start to murmur about the rumors about his health that have been circulating recently.
Frey, who was already sickly, now looked literally like he was about to collapse.
His lonely figure walking unsteadily toward the mansion with even his usual venom gone was enough to become gossip material.
"That's that. He's still a trash bastard."
"Right, no matter how much he acts nice now, nothing changes."
"Still... he looks a bit pitiful."
"I don't know, it's all acting, I tell you?"
Of course, the conclusion came in the form of karma.
Frey, whose public opinion had worsened several times more over the past few months due to Ruby's machinations, was already at a point where receiving sympathy was a luxury.
".....Ugh."
Only Lulu, who held her luggage in her arms, was reacting intensely to the story about being terminal.
"Hmm."
Thus, Frey, who arrived at the mansion's main gate leaving behind the servants with the same frigid atmosphere as before, says.
"You all."
Glancing back, he says.
"...You've worked hard all this time."
And entered the mansion.
"........"
After that, quite a long time passed, but no one brought up the story again.
Why was that?
Was it because his last words left somehow seemed like the first sincerity shown to all of them?
Was it because in the eyes of those who had stayed in the mansion for a long time, the pure Frey from childhood was visible, if only for a fleeting moment?
Or was it simply because his last appearance looked resigned yet so lonely?
"Let's, let's go."
"...Yes."
But the mansion's door was already closed, and they had already made their choice.
After another long time passed, in the Starlight family's yard, only a chilly silence flowed.
"......."
Except for the girl, Lulu, who had been standing with her head bowed with a pale expression until then.
.
"...Ugh."
Lulu, who had been standing still in the Starlight mansion's yard facing the now considerably chilly wind, suddenly raises her head.
Then, the Starlight mansion, now quite familiar to her, comes into her view.
It was the place where she had stayed for the longest period, except for Sunrise Academy and the home she lived in with her parents as a child, which was now barely a fading memory.
- Swoosh...
Lulu, who was looking at such a place, soon takes something out from her embrace.
"If this is true..."
The imperial seal with magic cast on it, which if forged, not only quite a few high-ranking nobles but even Frey would not be safe.
The first sentence of the letter inside the letter envelope with that seal was content that she still couldn't believe no matter what.
- I officially appoint you as a member of the hero party.
The various benefits and privileges written after that.
And, the message from 'Hero' Ruby, currently known only to a very few.
- ...And, about the cake we ate together last time. It was really delic... oh right, this isn't the time for such stories!
"I am..."
- You are someone our party absolutely needs! So please, please be with us!
"Ugh..."
- To my dear friend Lulu.
She, who was imprinting those contents in her eyes once again, slowly turns her gaze to her shoulder.
"Almost... almost all of it has disappeared though..."
The 'Mark of Misfortune' that had been stained so clearly on her shoulder was now faded to the point where it couldn't be distinguished without looking closely.
To the extent that it no longer brought even trivial misfortunes to her. To the extent that it no longer made her have nightmares at night.
"Huu."
Lulu, who turned her eyes away from the mark that she had stabbed with a knife countless times because it was disgusting just to look at, quietly sighs.
- Whooing...
The still cold wind was swirling around her.
"Still, I should say goodbye..."
Thus, Lulu, who had only been looking at the mansion for quite a long time, slowly moves her feet.
- Thud, thud.
Even though all her footsteps were heading toward the yard's exit, she, who was creating footsteps heading alone toward the mansion's entrance, does so.
- Creeeak...
Slowly opening the firmly closed mansion door, she steps inside.
She passes through the desolate mansion's living room where all the servants who had filled the mansion had disappeared.
She goes up the stairs that seemed to be stretched out even longer today.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Frey's room getting closer and closer.
- Knock knock knock
"F, Frey-nim."
Eventually, Lulu, who knocked in front of Frey's room, whispers in a low voice.
"I, I came to talk for a moment."
But no answer came back.
"...Huh?"
Thanks to that, she makes a puzzled expression and activates her magic eyes, but for some reason, Frey's room couldn't be seen inside as always.
"Hmm...?"
In such a situation, Lulu, who was looking around with a troubled expression, soon opens her eyes wide.
Because for some reason, Frey was in a different room instead of his own.
"Th, there..."
Thus, Lulu, who turned her steps toward that room, does this.
"Huh?"
Soon stops her feet and opens her mouth wide.
".......Ah."
The giant room that had never been opened even once until now.
Frey, who was inside such a giant room, was quietly staring at a photograph hanging in the center of the room.
A photograph where his father and mother, and his younger sister and young self were all gathered together smiling happily.
"......"
The back view of Frey, who was staring blankly at such a photograph while leaning on his cane and standing precariously, looked so miserable and lonely.
"Hmm?"
At that time when Lulu was looking blankly at Frey with her magic eyes.
"...What is it."
Suddenly, Frey looks back with sharp eyes.
- Flutter...!
Frey, who then pulled the cord next to him and lowered a curtain over the photograph, heads toward the room's exit with a cold expression while raising his cane.
"Lulu?"
The door that opened before she could even have a chance to hide her body.
"Weren't you leaving."
Lulu, who was looking at Frey who was asking her with a calm expression, does this.
- Crunch...
Without realizing it, she crumples the letter with the imperial seal that she had been holding in her hand.
Why did she do that?
Wealth and honor, a chance to erase her terrible life, a path to end her abnormal relationship with Frey was right before her eyes.
Why on earth was she acting like this?
"I have no particular interest in a pet that has left home."
When Frey speaks to Lulu in a cold voice while she was thinking such thoughts and becoming confused, her eyes start to tremble.
Because his voice, which had become sickly to the extreme as the rumors said, was shaking her heart for some reason.
"Leave this place."
Thanks to that, Lulu, who was looking blankly at him, when Frey, who was leaving the room leaving her behind, gives a cold order.
"You are no longer..."
"F, Frey-nim!"
She closes her eyes tightly without realizing it.
"P, please..."
".....?"
She speaks with a trembling voice.
"Please pet me..."
"What?"
Thanks to that, looking at Frey who started to make a flustered expression.
"I, I I am..."
Lulu, who started to feel confused emotions and a strange sense of relief at the same time, completely crumples the letter she was holding.
"...am your pet."
She finishes speaking in a low voice.
- Shaaah...
From her shoulder, a faint light was rising.