The Attendant in the Horror Game C24

Chapter 24

When Jade arrived back at the villa, Ian was already standing outside. The moment Jade spotted him from afar, he sprinted forward in alarm.

“Ian! What are you doing out here? It’s freezing!”

He ran straight to the boy and cupped his cheeks with both hands. The moment his palms touched Ian’s icy skin, Jade hastily wiped his hands on his pants so he wouldn’t smear any dirt onto that pale face.

“Your cheeks are ice-cold!”

Ian’s skin was even colder than Jade’s own hands, which had been digging through snow. His white cheeks and ears were flushed red from the cold, and his small fingers were stiff and pink at the joints.

“I was worried… you were late,” Ian murmured softly.

“Let’s get inside first. Quickly.”

Jade tugged at Ian’s arm and guided him back into the villa. The moment they entered, he sat the boy in front of the fireplace and went to wash his hands. Ian’s fragile skin already looked like it might chap and crack from the cold—Jade couldn’t help but worry.

“Myang…”

Watching all this from nearby, Soondol twitched his whiskers in irritation. Jade was gently holding Ian’s small hands, rubbing warmth back into them with the utmost care. Narrowing his golden eyes, Soondol glared at Ian sharply.

“Myamng.”

He had seen it—seen Ian step outside without even bothering to put on a thick coat or grab a blanket.

That human had been sitting comfortably by the fireplace reading, but the moment he spotted Jade returning from the forest’s edge, he’d deliberately walked out into the cold. Not only that—Soondol had also seen him crouch to scoop up snow, intentionally pressing it to his hands and cheeks to make them cold.

“Myang!”

Humans, honestly. Soondol shook his head in disapproval. So manipulative. He could have scratched that smug little face, but he knew better—any attack would surely come back to him twice as hard.

He didn’t fully understand Ian, but his instincts told him clearly: Ian was the stronger one. Everything about him rubbed Soondol the wrong way.

And now, it seemed, there was something else he didn’t like.

“Myang?”

When Soondol saw the bundle hanging from Jade’s shoulder twitch, he flew over curiously.

“Oh—right…”

Jade scratched his head awkwardly. The bundle wiggled again, and Soondol tapped it with his paw a few times.

It didn’t look like Jade had brought back any small animal—he’d only gone out with a hand shovel. So what in the world was moving inside that sack?

“Myang!”

Driven by curiosity, Soondol clawed at the bundle’s opening until it came undone.

“Waaahhhh!”

A leafy sprout suddenly popped out—the Bluewood. Its crying instantly filled the villa.

“MyANG?!”

“Haha…”

Soondol bared his teeth, hissing loudly, and shot Jade a furious glare as if demanding an explanation.

“Well, um… that’s…”

Truthfully, Jade didn’t even know how to explain it himself. All he really knew was the name, and even that wasn’t something he was supposed to know—since, in this world, he was only a servant sent from the capital unfamiliar with the North.

Ian tugged on his sleeve gently.

“Jade, what happened?”

“Well, I found a winter radish, and then, uh…”

“That’s not a radish.”

“WAAAAHHHH!”

When Ian pointed at it, the Bluewood cried even louder, making Soondol’s tail puff straight up.

“It was right next to the radish I was digging. I thought it’d be useful to take another one home, so I pulled on it—and then that popped out.”

“……”

Ian stared at him silently, clearly wondering how pulling it out of the ground had turned into bringing it home.

“I tried to leave it, but it just wouldn’t stop crying. Then it started following me, so I didn’t really have a choice.”

The louder the Bluewood wailed, the longer Jade’s excuses became. Soondol was practically bouncing in midair, furious that Jade had brought this thing inside.

“Myang!”

“I’m sorry, Soondol. Sorry, Ian.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Jade.”

Ian turned his gaze aside as he answered. The plant’s incessant crying annoyed him, but he couldn’t bring himself to scold Jade—especially when the man went out every other day just to bring them food.

Given Jade’s kindhearted nature, there was no way he could have left something that pitiful behind. After two months together, Ian understood him well enough.

Jade was altruistic and gentle, with an easygoing personality yet firm convictions. It was because of that nature that he managed the villa so smoothly, unlike any of the previous attendants who had come before.

“But…”

Tilting his head slightly, Ian spoke in a thoughtful tone.

“This is a Bluewood.”

“You know what it is?”

“I’ve only read about it in books. This is my first time seeing one in person.”

The Ellovan Forest, steeped in the mana of monsters, often birthed strange plants and creatures. The Bluewood was one of those rare life forms—so rare it was almost never found.

“How did you even find it?”

“As I said, it was right beside the radish. I thought it was part of the same plant.”

“It’s a rare species. I knew they grew in the northern forests, but…”

“If it’s rare, then it must be valuable, right?”

Jade’s eyes lit up. He had already been planning to go down to the village once spring came to sell some goods. Now this—what a stroke of luck.

He would leave the villa eventually anyway. If he found a good owner for it before then, it would benefit both him and the Bluewood.

“Kaaah!”

At the mention of “value,” Soondol hissed again, clearly offended for reasons only he understood.

“Well, yes, technically it is valuable, but…”

“Uuuh…”

Ian trailed off, staring at the Bluewood, which promptly hid behind its leaves as if frightened by his gaze. It didn’t even have eyes or a mouth, yet somehow it looked like it was about to cry.

“Does it have any special abilities?”

That question made Jade recall the system message that had called it Bluewood of Healing.

He wasn’t expecting much—it only cried so far—but if it did have abilities, that would be useful for everyone.

While the two spoke, Soondol’s fur stood bristled, and his claws were out. He was ready to leap at the plant at any moment.

“Abilities?” Ian echoed.

“Oh, no, it’s just… interesting. It walks around and seems to communicate a little. I thought maybe it had some kind of power.”

“It probably has minor healing capabilities.”

“Then that’s great! I’ve been worried Ian might catch a cold.”

Jade clapped his hands, looking delighted. Medicine was hard to come by unless one went all the way to the nearest town—so a self-healing plant? That was practically a miracle.

Ian blinked, momentarily speechless, then rubbed at his cheek.

“W-why would you worry about that? Anyway, it’s not that strong. It just helps ease fatigue for people nearby…”

“Fatigue recovery? That’s still incredible!”

Jade examined the Bluewood closely, turning it this way and that in his hand. Hard to believe something so tiny—small enough to fit in his palm—could have that kind of ability. It was like a living vitamin.

Considering he’d been eating nothing but mushrooms lately, this was a godsend.

“Amazing. You’re not just any ordinary plant, are you?”

He smiled warmly, stroking the Bluewood’s leaves.

Apparently pleased, the Bluewood stopped crying and sat quietly in his palm, enjoying his gentle touch. Its leaves trembled slightly under their own weight.

“But…”

Watching the scene, Ian’s expression shifted subtly.

“It only works when it’s in a good mood.”

“You mean… its abilities depend on its emotions?”

“Well… something like that.”

According to the books Ian had read, the Bluewood released healing energy only when content. If its condition worsened or it became upset, it was little more than a decorative plant—though, being finicky and constantly crying, it wasn’t even very good for decoration.

It was high-maintenance, required daily care, and only drank pure morning dew. It had to be taken outside at dawn to feed properly.

“It’s difficult to raise. It only eats fresh dew each morning, so you’ll have to take it out daily.”

“Really?”

“Before it’s touched by someone, it lives underground—rooted deeply, growing slowly.”

“Ah, that explains it! It was calm before, but started crying as soon as I touched it.”

Jade realized he might have been the cause of all this. He’d mistaken it for a radish and pulled it out of the soil. No wonder it got upset.

“And once it’s out of the ground, it needs care until it can root itself again.”

“And if… no one takes care of it?”

“It’ll die.”

Ian blinked innocently, his tone flat, as he delivered the sentence. The hand that had been petting the Bluewood froze midair.

“W-what?!”

“Waaaaaaahhhh—!”

As if confirming his fear, the Bluewood wailed again. So that was why it had followed him home—out of dependence. A heavy sense of guilt and responsibility settled in Jade’s chest. His expression turned grim.

“Uuuhh, aaahhh.”

The moment he stopped petting it, the Bluewood began crying louder. Apparently, its emotional state directly influenced its power—and it was very sensitive.

“Kaaah! Myang!”

Soondol, too, grew agitated, baring his claws and hissing in frustration. His nose twitched, ready to strike.

“Uwaaaahh!”

“MyAAANG!”

The Bluewood clung to Jade’s hand, Soondol latched onto his shoulder, and the two began shrieking at each other, their combined cries piercing the air. Caught in the middle, Jade felt like his eardrums might burst.

“Guys… please, you’re being a little loud…”

Without a word, Ian reached out, grabbed the Bluewood by its leaves, and lifted it cleanly from Jade’s hand. Then, without hesitation, he turned and strode toward the door.

Realizing what he intended, Jade rushed after him in panic.

“Don’t throw it out!”