When we entered the salon, Lord Henry stood up from his seat and greeted the Young Master. He then waved gently at me. The man was polite, what can I say?
I returned the greeting politely as well.
At that moment, the Young Master sat down on one of the large and extravagant chairs, almost with artistic grace. He grasped his cane with his right hand, and his eyes were still expressionless.
"What is your visit about, Henry?"
The same dull voice. The Young Master's speaking style was like cold water poured over one's mind.
Henry adjusted his glasses slightly and replied without breaking his seriousness:
"My family sent me as an envoy and said they would attend the ceremony tomorrow."
The Young Master took this sentence as if it were the most ordinary news, like "The weather's a bit cloudy today." Without even raising an eyebrow, he replied:
"I see."
Would he say anything else? Nope. He didn't.
Henry, apparently unsatisfied with the short reply, decided to change the subject.
"By the way, Theodore, I see you're still alive. I'm glad for you. We thought you'd quit yesterday."
Ha! I was just about to respond when the Young Master acted first.
"I don't think someone who's willing to take a punch to the eye would quit so easily."
At that moment, my pride skyrocketed. My chest involuntarily swelled. The Young Master didn't speak much, but when he did, his words were as effective as a punch.
Henry smiled, clearly pleased with the response.
"Speaking of the match, you entertained us well yesterday, Theodore. Let's do it together sometime."
So... am I just the entertainment? Go find yourself another monkey.
But nobles don't say "I won't fight you." So, I gave the classic response:
"Of course, sir."
When Henry suddenly looked at the time, his face fell.
"Look at the time, the class is approaching! Lemi, would you like to come with me? My car is waiting outside."
The Young Master looked calmly at Henry's face. He thought for a while.
And he thought...
I mean... why does a person need to think so much just to say "Sure"? Nobles are really weird...
"Sure."
Finally, he agreed.
After sitting for a short while longer, we all headed toward the car.
When we reached Lord Henry's carriage, he had already settled into it without any difficulty. However, when the Young Master arrived at the front of the carriage, he paused. Then, he slowly turned his gaze toward me.
...What is he expecting from me? Does he want me to help him get into the carriage?!
I hesitated for a moment but still extended my hand. He naturally took my hand and elegantly got into the carriage. It was as though I was supposed to do this. Just as I was heading toward the coachman, I was startled by Lord Henry's voice:
"Theodore, you should come with us."
Why is he doing this? What does he mean by bringing a peasant into the special area of nobility? Is he testing me even more, or does he want to take my head early?
"Thank you, my lord, but that place is for nobles like you. Someone like me should sit beside the coachman."
I bowed respectfully. Just as I was slowly stepping back, looking ahead, I heard the Young Master's voice:
"There is no empty spot there."
In fact, if I went up front, I would have to squeeze in with Lord Henry's assistant, the coachman, and myself. It might make it hard for the coachman to drive comfortably, but I wouldn't be very comfortable sitting with the two of them either.
"Does someone like me have the right to sit beside you, my lord?"
"Theodore, get inside. We'll be late for the lesson."
Are you kidding me? You're the son of a Duke. Who will punish you for being late to class?! If anyone, it should be your teacher, who arrived early! Why didn't you just say "get in" straight away?
"Okay, my lord."
Once I got inside and sat down, the carriage started moving. As we bumped along the road, I realized that sitting here was like heaven compared to being outside! Because, outside, the wind would slap my face, and the insects flying around would attack my mouth and nose. Now, I was sitting on a soft seat, with the gentle sound of the breeze hitting the window, filling me with a pleasant sense of peace.
In this rocking carriage, it was impossible not to fall asleep. As my eyes gently closed...
BAM!
The carriage suddenly came to a stop so abruptly that I nearly face-planted! What's going on?! As the coachman slammed the carriage into the wall twice, Lord Henry's eyes instantly widened.
"Bandits."
Bandits?! But wasn't this a safe path? The bandits had been completely cleared from this area three years ago. Did they return? When? How? So quickly?
Just as I was about to jump out of the carriage, the cold voice of the Young Master stopped me.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The others are outside alone. Don't worry, I won't let them harm you."
I might have sounded cool, but the truth was, I had no weapon. What could I do with empty hands against the bandits in front of me?!
And now, I was face-to-face with the bandit gang. There were exactly 15 of them. They wore patched animal pelts and carried large machetes. Their eyes were greedily wide.
"We have nothing. Please let us pass."
The coachman was literally bent in two, begging the bandits. However, the leader of the bandits, a long-faced man with a dirty beard, let out a disgusting laugh. It was so bad that for a moment, I thought I might be deaf.
"Look at this fancy carriage! Are you saying there's nothing inside? Come on, do you think we're idiots?!"
His men started laughing as well. It was the classic "villain" laugh! Because of that cursed laugh, even the birds nearby flew away in fear.
And then, a familiar, eerie but strangely reassuring voice came from behind me.
"Are you scared?"