Episode 14
“Why?”
One of the mercenaries asked, with a twinkle in his eye.
“Aren’t we here to recruit new members anyway?”
“Well, that’s true. But, you don’t mean…”
“That’s right.”
Another mercenary chuckled. His name was Dotta, a member of the twenty-fourth mercenaries who had just hit his fourth year.
“He had some spirit in his eyes.”
“I agree with that. Should we ask the captain where he found this bastard?”
“Just say he cleverly approached us. The captain likes that kind of stuff.”
“Well, he does like those tough guys.”
The mercenaries locked eyes and contemplated, then glanced down at the fallen Khalid.
“What should we do, not lift him up?”
“What? Should I lift him up?”
“Then should I do it?”
Dotta, who suggested it first, quickly went to Khalid’s side as if to say “lift him up” and grabbed his armpits. Another mercenary, Blade, who had been with them for seven years, sighed and eventually offered his back. Khalid was still unconscious, lying limp.
“He looks starved.”
“It’s impressive that he tried to attack us in that state.”
“Yeah, so shouldn’t we make use of him as a mercenary?”
“That’s what I think.”
With that, the two mercenaries lifted Khalid and headed towards the mercenary camp. And when Khalid opened his eyes, he found himself in a corner room of the inn where the mercenaries were staying.
***
It was early dawn. Khalid woke up earlier than anyone else in the mansion. It had been a habit since he was young. Yeah, this damn habit he acquired as Nox’s servant never went away.
As soon as Khalid opened his eyes in bed, his mood turned foul and he scrunched up his nose. On top of that, he had a not-so-pleasant dream. The days when he was discarded by Nox, lost his recommendation letter, and had nothing left while living in despair. If the mercenary unit hadn’t picked him up back then, he might have starved to death.
Khalid wiped his head and looked at his bed. Nox, who fainted yesterday, was lying on the bed. His always neatly arranged hair was messy, and his red eyes were still filled with tears. Khalid coldly looked down at his face and then uncovered the blanket he was covering.
“…Why.”
Nox’s back, turned away from me, was clearly visible. And his back was covered in whip marks. There were old scars that didn’t suit the body of a nobleman like Duke Reynor.
“Why are these marks on your body?”
Khalid wondered. If he had thrown away someone he loved so much, shouldn’t he have lived happily, more than anyone else? He couldn’t understand why there were these wounds that didn’t suit a noble’s son.
“No, it’s not.”
Khalid murmured quietly. If he had been unhappy when Khalid was gone, it was good news to him more than anything else. He didn’t want to know what had happened. No, he thought it was better not to know.
“Don’t pity me.”
Khalid said to himself. But he couldn’t help but be bothered by those scars. The fact that there were scars inflicted by someone else on his own body…. Khalid got up and headed to the bathroom. There is no master who welcomes the morning with a slave.
Khalid called the servants and prepared for his bath, then glanced back at Nox, who still couldn’t come to his senses, and headed into the bathroom.
After some time passed, Khalid finished his bath and came out, changed into his clothes with the help of the servants. Then he went to the hallway and gave orders to the knights following behind him.
“We’re going to the palace.”
“Understood.”
Now accustomed to his position, Khalid gave his command naturally and immediately got on the carriage to the first floor. He sat in the carriage and looked out the window for a moment. Nox, who was still unconscious in his room, came to mind. He unintentionally frowned.
The existence that betrayed him, his enemy. A human who couldn’t even have the slightest influence on his body, which was now his. But still, the existence he had hoped for. Khalid looked at his bedroom window with cold eyes, then closed the curtain of the carriage.
As Khalid’s carriage departed from the mansion, Nox slowly woke up from his sleep.
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