The Beast's First Step
The thought of Herman's violent and arrogant personality made it highly likely that he had earned grudges, both large and small, from quite a few people. So it was entirely plausible that he would be attacked in broad daylight by an unknown assailant in a crowded public square teeming with people.
However, if someone had the audacity to carry out such an overt assault, there had to be a purpose that matched the extreme risk involved. How many people would go that far just to break a pair of legs?
Last night, Odeliana had been certain that the culprit who attacked Herman was Mathias, but she deliberately chose not to summon him for questioning. She had no desire to cling to someone who was about to leave and torment him late into the night, so she waited until dawn broke.
It wasn’t that she had intentionally stayed awake all night. She simply couldn’t fall asleep. This body was optimized for eating, sleeping, and relieving itself like a cat that roamed the annex all day, and she usually slept a great deal. Yet the closer the sky grew to brightening, the clearer her mind became.
Waking early, she was the one who, for the first time, tidied her own bedding and changed out of her nightclothes. Then, leaning on her cane, she rose from her seat. Since she was already up, she decided to take a short walk in the annex garden.
The moment she opened the door and stepped out, she collided face-first with the chest of someone blocking her path with perfect timing. A pair of strong arms caught her swaying body.
“Where are you headed at this early hour, Master?”
Mathias looked down at her with a wide grin. His face was so innocently pure that it was hard to believe he was the same person who had committed such madness the day before.
“Just to get some fresh air.”
“I will accompany you.”
Leaving the building with Mathias, she headed straight for the small pond in the garden.
The modest pond, nestled against the wall, was her only sanctuary while confined here. Tucked away in a corner, it felt somewhat stifling, yet its location behind the annex building made it an excellent place to avoid prying eyes.
An isolated spot with no one around. It was perfect for a secret conversation.
“Why did you do it?”
At her abrupt question, Mathias tilted his head.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t play innocent.”
Mathias kept his seemingly harmless eyes fixed on her. Odeliana narrowed her gaze sternly and spoke.
“You’re the one who broke my eldest brother’s legs.”
“Why are you so certain it was me?”
“Who else would commit such an outrageous act?”
“It could have been anyone.”
He continued to feign ignorance. His expression now carried a faint trace of unease, quite different from the innocent face he had shown moments ago.
“Are you planning to lie to me?”
Only when her stern glare was paired with a resolute voice did Mathias finally wilt and confess.
“I felt uneasy leaving him be. At the very least, if I made sure he couldn’t use both legs, he would be forced to lie still. That way, he couldn’t harm you while I’m gone.”
The plain, almost casual reason—completely at odds with the madness of the act—left Odeliana stunned.
“So you did something that reckless for that?”
“I simply took precautions against any potential mishaps.”
“……”
“Even in that moment, I hesitated several times. I wondered if I should break his neck instead of his legs.”
“Mathias.”
“Master, that man does not deserve the mercy of merely having his legs broken.”
He spoke as if he had shown great benevolence. The implication was clear: he had wanted to kill Herman, but had refrained for her sake.
Golden eyes flickered with savage intensity between his lazily lowered eyelids. The blatant murderous intent—strong enough that he looked ready to lunge and tear out a throat at any second—made Odeliana’s mouth go dry. She touched her lips.
“I told you to endure it at least while you’re staying here. There’s nothing to gain by getting caught up in troublesome matters. What if someone had seen you? How could you target a person in broad daylight in a bustling square filled with crowds?”
“No one will know it was me. Except for you, Master. Only you.”
“……Where does that confidence come from? Your handsome face stands out far too much even when you’re standing still. Don’t you know that?”
“Did you think I would show my face while handling the matter? Most people wouldn’t have even registered my presence.”
It meant that unless someone had exceptionally sharp eyes, catching his movements would be nearly impossible. Indeed, in his previous life, he had possessed a nimbleness that belied his steel-like physique.
“Even in the midst of this, you’re worrying about your disciple.”
He wore a playful smile. He seemed delighted that she was concerned for him. In response, Odeliana sharply raised her brows.
“What kind of madman in this world would dare attack the eldest son of the Grüsewald family? You’ve done something properly insane—how could I not worry?”
His apparent failure to grasp the gravity of the situation drew a sigh from her. Sometimes he acted so mature, yet in the end he was still just a child. Boys his age were like rubber balls—you never knew which way they would bounce.
“Would your disciple ever put you in a difficult position?”
“……”
“I only did it because I can handle the consequences.”
“You really……”
“It will take at least a month for the bones to mend. Please consider it as me preventing any possible accidents that might occur while I am away.”
She could no longer lecture the boy who would soon be leaving. It was a time when she should be smiling and sending him off with well-wishes, not creating reasons to flush with anger. Moreover, the fact that he had done it solely out of loyalty to her left her speechless.
The deep anxiety of having to leave her side for a long time, and his desire to eliminate any potential threats in advance—she could fully understand that sentiment. Setting aside the rights and wrongs of his methods, his heart alone was admirable.
“How are you going to survive in this harsh world when you’re this kind……”
Odeliana stroked Mathias’s hair. He seemed to enjoy the touch, pressing his head closer and burrowing into her embrace.
Meanwhile, the sun rose.
“It’s time for you to go now.”
“……I suppose so. I really don’t want to leave.”
His uncharacteristic pout made Odeliana pat his back soothingly.
“Still, you must go.”
“……I know.”
Mathias reluctantly pulled away from her arms. Seeing the reluctance dripping from his eyes, he looked like a puppy abandoned by its owner. The clear reluctance on his face nearly weakened her resolve for a moment.
But she quickly steadied her heart. This was the beginning of his brilliant future and her own safety.
Returning to the annex, Mathias went inside to pack the bare minimum of belongings. Malena, who had appeared beside her at the entrance without her noticing, stood ready to see him off.
“You’re seeing him off too?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you disliked Mathias?”
“I do dislike him.”
“Then why bother seeing him off?”
“To watch him being dragged off to the slaughterhouse.”
“You got up at the crack of dawn just for such a petty reason?”
“Petty? This will be one of the most satisfying moments of my life. Besides, I usually wake up early anyway.”
Her strangely excited demeanor made Odeliana smile. It was a shame for Mathias, but Malena’s puffed-up anticipation—as if his misfortune were her happiness—was oddly cute, especially coming from someone of her imposing stature.
At that moment, Mathias emerged after finishing his preparations. The luggage he carried was so modest it bordered on pitiful. All he had was some dried jerky to eat on the road, a water canteen, a flint, and some kindling.
“I’m sorry I can’t even give you a horse.”
“Your disciple is fine. There’s no need to worry.”
“Is that all your luggage?”
“This is enough.”
“……Have a safe journey.”
It was truly time to send him off. A restless feeling wrapped around her. Just then, Mathias stepped close and lowered himself to her eye level. He stared quietly at her somber face, then pressed his forehead against hers. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.
“Please wait just a little while. This disciple will return after properly fastening the first button.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Mathias pulled his forehead away. Though he lingered with visible reluctance, his movements as he turned were decisive. And so he departed at the break of dawn.
Malena, who had been eagerly anticipating a miserable expression on his face, could not hide her disappointment at the pair’s overly affectionate farewell. They could have simply exchanged polite goodbyes—why did they have to act like tragic lovers in some grand parting of the century?
“What exactly is that boy to you, my lady?”
From Malena’s perspective, the question had slipped out rather impulsively. Yet it was also a doubt she had quietly harbored for some time.
The bond between Mathias and Odeliana was somehow different from what was normally understood. It was deeper, more obsessive, and more intense. At times, it felt as if they were the only two people in the world, blinded to everything else by each other.
It was the same now. Though they were merely master and servant, there was something tender between them. For a connection forged on the streets, it seemed fiercely tenacious, as if they had been bound together for hundreds of years.
“Mathias is to me……”
“……”
“The one and only savior who will pull me up from this wretched life.”
Malena blinked, at a loss for words. Seeing her foolish expression, Odeliana gave a small laugh.
“You look utterly ridiculous.”
“Of course I do. I had no idea you harbored such girlish romantic notions, my lady.”
“Romantic notions?”
“A savior? To think such an embarrassingly saccharine word would come from your lips, of all people! Don’t tell me you truly intend to turn him into a knight on a white horse?”
It seemed Malena still remembered the words Odeliana had impulsively shouted at Herman that day.
Instead of answering the serious question, Odeliana simply smiled and turned away. Malena took the smile as affirmation and followed after her.
She thought that the boy with his undeniably unusual aura might indeed bring back a title that was not permitted to those without status.