The Attendant in the Horror Game C67

Chapter 67

Den hurriedly pulled Jade toward the back of the carriage, avoiding Cali’s sharp, furious glare from the window.

He apologized, saying that after everything that had happened, it would be difficult for Jade to continue staying with them. Jade agreed; he only felt sorry for causing trouble to someone who had shown him kindness.

“I’m the one making things complicated. Sorry, Den.”

“Well, uh… tsk…”

Den rubbed his bald head awkwardly. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, clearly at a loss. Still, a month together hadn’t been a short time—he couldn’t bring himself to throw Jade out coldly.

“You don’t seem like the type to steal from someone. I’m assuming there’s a story behind all this?”

He eyed Jade subtly. Even with Cali’s accusations, Den still seemed to believe Jade was a decent person.

“I… well…”

Jade appreciated that Den asked, but there wasn’t much he could say. If he spoke carelessly, Ian’s whereabouts might be exposed.

So Jade briefly explained only his portion of the truth, excluding anything about Ian: he had worked as a servant for the Linwood family, was falsely accused of theft, and was now being hunted.

Den appeared to accept the explanation and didn’t pry further.

“Cali yelled like that, but she won’t go reporting you anywhere. I made her promise.”

“Thank you.”

So that was the conversation they’d had before Jade was pushed out. Cali wasn’t worried about a bounty—she was worried her brother would be treated as an accomplice for sheltering a supposed thief. She wanted Jade gone quickly before they caught any of the fallout.

“So where are you going now?”

“I’m… not sure yet.”

He truly didn’t know. He had always vaguely believed that if he simply kept running far enough, he would eventually escape.

But even after traveling to the furthest region from the North, he’d heard news of the Linwood family searching for him. Where could he possibly go now?

“If you’re trying to avoid the Linwood family, the South is the safest. I heard they hired northern mercenaries.”

“I was thinking the South might be safest too…”

“There aren’t many people who travel between the North and the South. In our village, it’s just me and Nina.”

Den seemed to be trying to reassure him, reading the anxiety in Jade’s expression.

Jade partially agreed. They would search the North first and gradually widen their scope. It would take time for them to reach the South.

And Jade couldn’t leave the empire yet. Only a few hours ago, he had resolved to earn money to do exactly that.

Running blindly would only make things worse. For now, staying in the South was his best option. It was crowded, full of travelers—perfect for hiding.

At the very least, he was relieved he learned this information early. Now he knew Malderic had begun searching for him in the North.

“But honestly, wouldn’t they forget about someone like you pretty fast? The Linwood family isn’t exactly poor. And petty thieves are everywhere.”

Den shrugged.

True—pickpockets and small-time thieves were everywhere. On any street, children could be seen snatching purses.

But Jade only sighed bitterly and shook his head.

“They… won’t forget easily.”

The Linwood family would never stop. Jade knew Malderic had hired assassins to kill Ian, after all.

And more importantly, their true target was not Jade but Ian. If they found Jade, they could trace Ian’s trail. At least, that was his fear.

“Come on, don’t worry. Black hair is super common. Just wear a hat and change your name a bit. No one will notice.”

Assuming Jade was gloomy from all the worrying, Den attempted some light humor.

“I was thinking that too. Can you buy hair dye around here?”

“Sure you can. It’s just a bit pricey.”

“H-how much?”

“About the price of ten bowls of stew?”

Ten bowls. Definitely not cheap—but Jade had been more worried that dyes wouldn’t exist at all in this world. At least they did.

He mentally calculated the wages he’d received from Den. Expensive or not, this was a necessary expense.

“Oh! Wait a second—stay here by the carriage. I think we have leftover dye at home.”

“You have some? But you’re bald.”

“You little—!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Den halted and made a motion as if to flick Jade’s forehead. Apparently, Cali had leftover dye from a festival. Jade worried about burdening Den again, but Den confidently headed home.

“Just wait here.”

“No, it’s fine, I can buy it at a shop.”

“I said we have some!”

A short while later, Den returned with the dye. He wore a sleeveless top that made the red, hand-shaped mark on his arm very visible—clearly Cali had hit him.

“Den, did you get hit? Are you okay?”

“Come on, it’s nothing for a man. Anyway, put this on.”

He shrugged and thrust the dye through the carriage window. When Jade hesitated to take it, Den even applied it for him. There wasn’t much, but Jade’s hair was short, so it was enough.

“Myaa?”

Soondol poked Jade’s hair with a paw, fascinated. A brown smudge appeared on his pink paw pad.

“Mya?!”

Horrified to see his precious, soft little foot stained, Soondol panicked and wiped it furiously on Jade’s clothes. When the stain didn’t vanish, his face crumpled miserably.

“Pfft.”

Despite everything, Jade couldn’t help but laugh.

He could think of an alias later. He had no need to use his real name anytime soon anyway.

Even though Den told him to stay in the village, Jade intended to move. That mercenary named Nina made him uneasy, and he didn’t want to cause trouble between Den and Cali.

“Sigh…”

Just when he thought he finally settled safely in the South, he became a wanderer again. He leaned back and closed his eyes as he waited for his hair to finish dyeing. Whether it was the strong chemicals or his unresolved worries, his head throbbed.

After spending a night in the carriage, Jade woke at dawn and headed to the port town of Ardel.

Den took him there. Since Jade’s final goal was to sell bread in Ardel, he tried to think positively—perhaps his plans had simply been accelerated.

“Do you have rooms available?”

He looked for lodging first. Ardel, being a harbor town, had many inns, and Jade chose the dingiest, least populated one.

“Rooms? We have plenty.”

“I’ll stay for a week.”

The shabby innkeeper barely looked at him. The ground floor dining hall wasn’t even in operation, covered in dust. The place was cheap—perfect for drifters like Jade.

“Not bad.”

“Myaa.”

He took the key and climbed to the second floor. The room matched the exterior: worn bed, frayed wallpaper, creaking floorboards. Jade had once lived in a tiny room with rats; this was luxurious in comparison.

He unpacked his belongings—only a few clothes and his broom. Simple, but he had Soondol and Parang with him.

“Uwaoo.”

“Mya?”

When he set Parang down, the two creatures exchanged short sounds. They weren’t actually conversing, but Soondol seemed capable of roughly interpreting Parang’s intent.

Originally, Soondol had been desperate to eat Parang, but ever since Parang developed facial features, Soondol had begun tolerating the little plant’s antics.

Watching them quietly, Jade ran his fingers through his hair.

“It feels weird.”

His once-black hair was now lighter. A small change in color altered his entire impression, making him look gentler.

At least he no longer looked quite the same—that was reassuring. Now he needed to find work. Something temporary, since he never knew when he would need to flee again.

While contemplating what job to pursue, hunger hit him. He had been too busy traveling to eat properly.

“…Soondol, Parang, you two hungry?”

“Myaong.”

Soondol shook his head firmly as if to say no. Then he spread his wings dramatically, as if to declare that a creature as mighty as himself did not succumb to such trivialities as hunger.

“Thanks.”

“Myang?”

Jade pulled him into a hug. He truly meant it—he was grateful to Soondol for clinging to the carriage and following him. If he had been alone, wandering like this would have felt unbearably lonely.

Why was solitude something he never grew used to, despite having lived most of his life that way?

“….”

Would Ian feel the same? Naturally, his thoughts drifted to Ian, who had been left alone. Jade at least had Soondol and Parang—but Ian did not.

Knowing the Linwood family had hired mercenaries made him even more uneasy. He had entrusted Ian to the temple for safety, but he couldn’t be sure he had made the right choice.

“Myaong, myang.”

“Yes, I know.”

Soondol tapped his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Jade shook his head, trying to clear his mind. There was no time for worry. He needed to eat and then find work. He stood up briskly.

But even after his meal, even after searching for jobs, even after lying in bed that night, his worry for Ian never subsided.

Rain fell in the North. Ian looked up at the heavy, ash-colored clouds. In the North, sleet in spring was common—but rain meant spring was ending.

“……”

And still, even as the seasons changed, Jade did not return.