The Attendant in the Horror Game C31

Chapter 31

Just how much had he been paid? Enough to buy several villas—certainly not a small sum.

If he returned the money, could he cancel the commission? But what had that insane original attendant done with such a fortune? Without the money, how could Jade possibly return it?

As if I ever received that money in the first place!

Dropping the sack, Jade clutched his head.

If the money had ended up in his possession, he wouldn’t even feel wronged. But he had collapsed in the freezing snowfield wearing nothing but a thin shirt.

Thinking about how close he’d come to dying still made him shiver. Even now, he had so little money that he was gathering things to sell off later. He was, quite literally, penniless.

Did the original attendant have a family? Had he sent the money to them?

If that were true, then maybe—maybe—there was hope. He might be able to retrieve the money from them somehow.

Jade’s worst theory was that all the money had been stolen. If the attendant had been robbed on the way to the villa and lost everything, that would explain why he’d been abandoned in the snow with no coat. Considering the circumstances, it was the most plausible explanation.

“…Damn it.”

Just as that man said earlier—if Ian wasn’t killed, Jade would be killed instead. But…

Kill Ian?

Could he really do that? No. It was impossible.

He had grown closer to Ian over the past three months, but that wasn’t the only reason.

Jade was an ordinary modern person—a perfectly average man who had never committed murder or even a serious crime. The worst offense he’d ever committed was jaywalking.

Even if he’d managed to run the household with almost superhuman resilience, Jade was still only eighteen. He had simply tried to live earnestly; he couldn’t even imagine doing something as brutal as killing someone.

And Ian was still just a child. A young boy surviving alone in this remote villa. Just like Jade himself had once endured in a cramped room with no one to rely on.

There’s no way I could kill him.

It was unthinkable. This was the same Jade who couldn’t walk past a stray cat without spending his last few coins on chicken breast for it.

Even if he were physically stronger than a child, even if this world tolerated killing without consequence, he could not kill Ian.

…But if I don’t kill him…

Then Jade’s own life would be in danger. No one would overlook failure after receiving such an enormous payment. That man had made it clear.

And that wouldn’t be the end of it. He had been far too complacent. Too focused on cleaning and cooking.

Jade was obviously not a professional assassin. He’d built some calluses over time, but when he first arrived, his hands were soft and untrained.

His stamina was weak too. In a world like this, he would need far more endurance than he ever did in Korea—yet he had fallen ill after only a little physical labor.

Anyone willing to pay such a massive sum would definitely hire another assassin if Jade failed. Someone would keep coming, again and again, until Ian was dead.

I have to leave.

Originally, Jade planned to stay only until spring. His schedule had been pushed back by a season, but he still intended to plant seedlings in spring, gather enough food, and leave by summer at the latest.

Life was survival of the fittest, and Ian—destined to become the story’s final boss—would undoubtedly survive on his own. Surviving trials was precisely how he became the mastermind in the first place. Jade still believed that.

“Haa…”

His mind was a mess. There was nothing he could do immediately. At least he felt relieved for leaving Soondol back in the room when he changed clothes—this wasn’t something anyone should overhear.

Where’s Ian?

Ian came to mind suddenly. Around this time, he would usually be in the study.

It was fortunate the carriage had come when Ian wasn’t outside. If the knight had seen Ian’s improved health, he wouldn’t have left quietly. He would have plotted something the moment he returned.

And lately, Ian was looking worlds healthier than before. His tangled hair now shone, and his previously grimy cheeks and hands had turned pale and clean.

He must have been starving badly; even the little food Jade had given him put meat back on his thin arms. He’d grown 10 centimeters. His features had always been beautiful, but now he looked like a young noble straight out of a portrait.

But even aside from that—

He would be hurt.

If Ian learned Jade had been sent here to kill him, he would be devastated. Jade didn’t want that.

They had grown close recently. Not deeply confiding in each other, but in a house with just the two of them—sharing meals every day, reading together every night—it was inevitable.

Jade was now the only adult by Ian’s side. The thought made his chest ache.

He kept seeing himself in Ian—his younger self, abandoned by every adult who should have stayed.

“Did the supplies arrive?”

Before he could sort out his complicated emotions, a soft voice sounded behind him. Jade flinched and turned around. Ian stood at the villa entrance. He almost never came out before lunchtime, so this was unusual.

“W-when did you come out?!”

“…Just now.”

Ian’s calm gaze moved between Jade and the sacks at his feet.

“Are those supplies? I heard a carriage.”

“Ahaha, yes. Not much this time. But at least it’s something. I think I saw potatoes—should we make stew later?”

Jade babbled rapidly as he hugged the sacks and carried them inside.

He knew he was acting strangely, but meeting Ian’s calm, lake-like eyes made it impossible to hide his panic.

“I’m going to sort through these—would you like to watch? I wonder what else is in here, haha…”

Scratching his head, Jade slung two sacks over each arm and headed toward the kitchen. He wanted Ian to follow but also desperately hoped he wouldn’t—he couldn’t maintain composure in front of him right now.

“I’ll go to my room.”

Thankfully, Ian headed for the stairs. Jade let out a silent sigh of relief—right before Ian looked back.

“…But Jade.”

“Yes?”

“Your face looks strange.”

Jade froze.

The strange one wasn’t Jade—it was Ian. His expression hadn’t changed at all. His face remained blank, eyes calm and inscrutable as he stared at Jade.

“That’s not true. I’m fine. Just cold, that’s all. You should go in—it’s freezing, young master.”

“……”

Pretending not to care, Jade slapped the sack lightly with his palm. Ian said nothing more and went up to the study. Watching his small figure disappear, Jade finally exhaled.

He was certain Ian hadn’t heard the conversation outside. He had been paying attention the whole time.

Ian climbed the stairs to the study, pulled a chair over to the window, and stood on it. In the north, studies didn’t have tall floor-to-ceiling windows—the cold would damage the books.

Thus, short Ian had to stand on a chair to see outside. He pressed one hand against the cold glass and looked down. The carriage was rounding the snowy path and turning the corner.

“Victor Argen.”

Ian murmured the man’s name. He knew who was in the carriage—the steward of his uncle. He had seen him several times at the main estate in the capital.

A border nobility-born man who always looked down at Ian with a strange curiosity, despite Ian outranking him by far.

“……”

Earlier, when he heard the carriage, he had looked outside—only to see Jade and Victor speaking.

He opened the window, but their voices didn’t reach him. The conversation was long, and something inside Ian churned.

Betrayal? Disappointment? No… not quite. But he did know one thing: he hated what he had seen.

Not that he expected anything from Jade. He always knew Jade was assigned to watch him. He had only kept him around because he needed someone to manage the villa.

There was no reason for him to feel any emotional reaction. If Jade hadn’t read him bedtime stories every night, if he hadn’t handed him mushrooms with freezing hands…

If not for that, Ian might not be feeling like this now. So yes—this was Jade’s fault.

Looking back, all of Jade’s actions had seemed strange.

Why did he smile so gently? Why offer a hand? Why? Why? Everything he did had provoked questions in Ian. Now, those questions felt like they were being answered.

“So this is another method.”

His uncle must have changed tactics. Because gaining a child’s affection was the easiest way to handle them.

He must not grow attached. He must not fall for Jade’s warmth or kindness.

Ian was always alone anyway. The comfort a mere attendant could offer meant nothing. And now that he had seen his true nature with his own eyes, he wouldn’t fall for it again.

Ian was certain—he would not be swayed by Jade’s kindness. He could resist.

And while Ian built up walls, Jade was making a decision of his own.

“This won’t do. We’re definitely short on firewood.”