Chapter 5: The Hero’s New Job (4)

　　“Ugh…”

　　Sedian woke up as if a thousand needles were pricking him all over. A glance outside revealed the first light of dawn breaking through the haze. He felt the need for a painkiller and reached for the bell cord, but then drew his hand back. He didn’t want to open his eyes only to be met with the sight of his servants trembling before him.

　　They were always afraid. When summoned, they would scramble for any excuse to leave his presence. If their eyes met his, they would flinch away as if facing death itself, their feet shuffling restlessly.

　　He couldn’t entirely blame them. The previous butler had, after all, died from the curse.

　　But still.

　　Even so, a desperate wish surged within him—a wish that they would see him not as a walking plague, but as a person. He was a pitiful human being. I wish they would genuinely worry about me. I wish they would take care of me.

　　Pathetic bastard.

　　Sedian struck his own cheek and ground his teeth. He hated himself for such weak thoughts. The sole heir to a great ducal house was wallowing in self-pity because he couldn’t earn a shred of acceptance. How utterly pathetic.

　　It’s okay. So don’t act like a child. I’m okay.

　　“A monster, he’s a monster!”

　　“Oh, God. That monster is not my child! Please!”

　　Being called a monster by his own mother.

　　“Get out.”

　　“You can no longer stay at the ducal estate.”

　　And being cast out by his father.

　　“If you want to return, endure it. Endure and survive, and I will make you the Duke.”

　　It’s all okay. It has to be. That’s the only way I can go back. Because I am Sedian Luciano, sole heir to the ducal family that wields the spear guarding the empire’s seas.

　　“Cough!”

　　At that moment, pain struck like a thunderclap. Cough, cough! Sedian curled into himself, his lungs feeling as if they were being torn apart. In his agony, he carelessly slammed his left arm against the nightstand, and the skin peeled away. Ugh! He squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of the rotted, vine-like flesh tearing from his arm. It hurt. It hurt so much that tears refused to fall. The agony was so all-consuming that now…

　　Am I really okay?

　　He didn’t know. He could no longer tell what was okay and what wasn’t. He didn’t even know how to comfort himself anymore. Feeling his entire body tremble with pain, Sedian once again buried his head in the blankets and screamed.

　　At that moment…

　　“My lord!” The door burst open, and someone strode into the room. It was that madman from yesterday, Rei or whatever his name was. “I’ve figured out why the previous butler died! Get up, quickly!”

　　This butler, who possessed not a shred of decency, wasn’t content with merely barging into his master’s room; he even had the audacity to rip away the blankets. Damned scoundrel…!

　　But Sedian was in too much pain to muster any anger. Perhaps noticing, Rei’s eyes widened.

　　“My lord. Are you in pain?”

　　“Can’t… you tell by looking? Cough! Just bring me some medicine!” Sedian shrieked, annoyed that this man, who must have eyes on his feet, was asking the obvious.

　　But Rei was just as formidable. “If you’re in pain, you should have called for someone! Please, lie down. Head up, and try to relax.”

　　“You’re doing it again… Hands off. Now.”

　　“Yes, yes. Just let me help you get comfortable.”

　　Sedian couldn’t understand it. After everything that had happened yesterday, he was touching him again. He must have heard from the servants how the previous butler had died, so why was he doing this? Is he eager to die?

　　“I’ve brought a painkiller. Here, take it with some water.”

　　“To touch me without permission again…”

　　“You’re worried about such trivial things when you’re in agony. Take your medicine,” Rei insisted.

　　His nonchalant reply was enough to extinguish Sedian’s fighting spirit. Giving up, Sedian meekly accepted the medicine. Fine. If you insist on touching me after I’ve warned you, it’s your own damn fault if you die from the curse, he thought.

　　“Are you feeling a bit better?” Rei asked after enough time had passed for the medicine to take effect.

　　The pain had subsided somewhat. Sedian let out a slow breath and glared at him. “If you die, it’s your fault.”

　　“Pardon?”

　　“You’re the one who touched my body without permission, even when I told you not to. So if you get cursed and die, it’s your fault.”

　　“Are you still on about that? Did you not hear me earlier?” I was beyond frustrated. Why on earth won’t these people believe me? I wondered. “The previous butler did not die because of the curse!” I didn’t even realize my own voice had risen.

　　“He was perfectly healthy! For him to die overnight can’t be explained by anything other than the curse!” Rei pleaded, “It can be explained! It can!”

　　When I suddenly shouted, Sedian’s annoyance flared, and he raised his voice in turn.

　　“Then explain it! Why did he die?”

　　“Because it was filthy!”

　　Because it was filthy… because it was filthy…

　　The words echoed in the sudden silence. Sedian thought he must have misheard. But judging by my serious expression, it seemed he hadn’t. His lips tightened into a firm line.

　　“What nonsense are you spouting…”

　　“No, it’s true,” I said quickly. “In a cramped, gloomy room where not a single ray of sunlight enters, using foul blankets that look like they’ve never been properly washed, on a floor that’s never been swept, let alone mopped—the room is a paradise for mites! That’s why he died!”

　　It was the truth, without a single exaggeration. The space they had shown me as the butler’s room was so wretched that calling it an underground dungeon would have been more accurate. Not a single ray of sunlight or wisp of wind could enter the windowless basement, and as a result, the musty smell of mold was overpowering.

　　And that wasn’t all. Whether the previous butler was incompetent or simply couldn’t be bothered with his own well-being, the room was filthy beyond compare. Dust lay thick on the floor, as if it hadn’t been cleaned in ages, and the bedding was deeply ingrained with mottled stains. The moment I saw it, I knew.

　　He died from a mite-borne infection.

　　“If you’re bitten by a mite carrying a virus, you can contract Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome. The symptoms are remarkably similar to what the butler experienced.” It was a fact I knew from my past life as a nurse. I continued my explanation with confidence. “High fever and chills. As for the peeling skin, that was a symptom of his immunity dropping due to a decreased white blood cell count. It just so happened to resemble the symptoms of the curse, leading to the misunderstanding.”

　　No matter how you looked at it, the previous butler died because of mites. Not the curse.

　　“So… you’re saying he died because of mites?” But Sedian, hearing this, didn’t seem to agree. He stared at me with an expression that said he’d never heard such an absurd story in his life.

　　“Yes. I’m certain of it.”

　　“That’s insane.”

　　“Right? To live in such filth, it really is a crazy thing to do, isn’t it?”

　　“No, I’m talking about you! You’re the one who’s insane!” Sedian couldn’t hold back any longer. “Does it make any sense for someone to die from something like that? Dying from mites? I’ve never heard of such a thing! He died because the curse was transferred! Why can’t you accept that?”

　　“An average of thirty people die from mite-related illnesses every year. Why do you underestimate them?”

　　“Says who?”

　　The National Disease Control Agency, I wanted to say, but since I couldn’t, I averted my gaze slightly and replied, “…I do.”

　　“Hahaha.” Sedian clutched his stomach and began to laugh so hard he wondered when he had last laughed like this since being cursed. “Ha, hahaha, ha…” Finally, his laughter subsided into a sigh. He fixed me with a calm gaze and spoke in a slow voice.

　　“Get out.”

　　“Pardon?”

　　“Stop spouting nonsense and get out!” he shrieked.

　　Why does he keep calling it nonsense when I’m telling the truth? I felt truly wronged, but I couldn’t just storm out. So, I decided to deal with the immediate problem first. “I am the butler in your employ, my lord. I must do my best to ensure the stability of this estate.”

　　“What are you planning now— Ack!”

　　Grabbing Sedian’s right arm, I pulled him into a sitting position. “You, my lord, will go out for a walk.”

　　“Let go of me! How many times do I have to tell you not to touch me!”

　　“While you are out, the maids and I will clean this room. Daisy, please guide his lordship to the rear garden.”

　　“Hey!”

　　I took Sedian’s overcoat from Daisy, the maid from yesterday, and continued, “If you don’t want to die from the same illness, you’d best listen to me. We need to clean. Don’t you realize how filthy this room is?”

　　“That’s…!”

　　He had neglected cleaning because the servants had been too afraid to even enter his room. He couldn’t easily deny it was dirty.

　　“Well? Are you not going to leave?” I stared intently at the tight-lipped Sedian. “If you keep dawdling, I might just have to pick you up and carry you…”

　　“I’m going, I’m going.” Sedian shot me a fed-up look as I held out my arms and bent my knees as if to sweep him up princess-style. Then, in a much calmer voice, he said, “I’ll say it again. If you die, it’s your fault. Understand?”

　　“And I’ll say it again, I won’t die. I will stay by your side, so please just get out. We need to clean.”

　　Where on earth did he get such confidence? Sedian simply couldn’t understand me. Just then, the words I had left him with yesterday flashed through his mind.

　　“So it’s alright, my lord. Keep me by your side.”

　　He says it’s alright. What is? I’ve reached a state where I don’t even know what ‘alright’ is anymore, so why do you speak of it so casually? What exactly is alright? And who do you think you are?

　　Sedian silently stared at me with his poor eyesight, and I met his gaze with a bright smile. “I’ll see you later, my lord.”

　　Naturally, his vision was too weak to see it clearly, but the brightness in my voice told him I was smiling. It didn’t sound mocking, so he wasn’t angry. Nor did it mean he was starting to expect something from this strange butler. It was just a placid thought that it might not be so bad to follow my words and go for a walk. Had her nonchalance rubbed off on him?

　　“He might be more venomous than any mite,” Sedian muttered to himself.