Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: The Defiant Elf
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“Why on earth are they refusing to become free citizens?”
“I asked out of curiosity myself, and they said living as the Family Head’s slaves is far more prosperous and leisurely than living as free citizens. They also mentioned that you’re the only one who would spend a fortune to buy slaves and then set them free.”
“That’s nonsense on every level. How crucial is freedom in life? You’re not oppressing the slaves who want to become free citizens, are you, Steward?”
Habid furrowed his brows as if deeply wronged.
“I’ve devoted my entire life to the Deharm family. Would I dare defy the Family Head’s orders and treat the slaves like my personal limbs?”
“Well... of course that was a joke. I trust you completely.”
Only then did Habid’s face brighten.
“Those are words far too generous for someone like me.”
Unlike the wastrel Baynan, Habid seemed overly affected by every word I said, to the point where it worried me a little.
Then again, Habid had served the family longer than I’d been alive. He undoubtedly wished for the family’s prosperity as much as I did.
There was no way such a man would lie to me. Realizing that, I felt unnecessarily sorry for having suspected him so carelessly.
I tried to give an awkward smile, but then I gasped and took a step back.
“Master.”
The elf.
The elf who should’ve been asleep in the carriage was rounding the corner of the hallway, approaching me. She carried the box we’d received from the count in both hands.
“You left without waking me, and I had to search for ages.”
Clack, clack. The sound of her shoe heels striking the floor sent chills down my spine. As I watched, breaking out in cold sweat, the elf fixed me with an icy glare.
“You can’t just leave behind the precious box from His Excellency the Count. Right?”
“Th-that’s...”
“Answer properly. Why did you leave the box His Excellency bestowed upon you—”
“You scoundrel!”
Habid bellowed and smacked the elf on the head. She flinched to a halt and turned to look at him, but Habid just flushed red and roared on.
“How dare a mere servant glare like that! Do you think Viscount Theorad, the esteemed Family Head of the noble Deharm family, looks like your friend!”
No, don’t do it, old man. You might end up dead.
“Hah? Getting bolder by the minute, now glaring at me too? I held back on punishing you because of the Family Head’s favor, but you’ve forgotten your place. Looks like you need a proper thrashing to straighten you out!”
Veins bulged on the elf’s forehead in a grid pattern. This was seriously dangerous.
Feeling the crisis, I placed a hand on Habid’s shoulder. Perhaps because my hand was trembling against my will, Habid turned to me with puzzlement.
“What’s wrong, Family Head?”
“Steward, don’t go too far. She’s just an ignorant slave who knows nothing of the world.”
“Even so, this has gone too far. If she doesn’t know the ways of the world, isn’t it normal to teach her? I’ll handle the discipline, so please don’t worry, Family Head.”
Habid’s wrathful gaze turned back to the elf.
“You, who broke an expensive vase worth an entire house, how dare you hold your head so high? There’s no slave as arrogant and clueless as you under heaven. Don’t you realize you’re even alive today only because of the Family Head’s mercy?”
The elf didn’t respond. Whether that provoked him further, Habid rolled up his sleeves and huffed.
“Fine. Let’s see today if you die or I do.”
Hey, old man, you’ll definitely die, so stop.
“You won’t answer no matter what? Good. I did some training in my youth—let me show you what a real beating is—”
Crunch. I gripped Habid’s shoulder hard. If we provoked the elf any further, a bloodbath might sweep through the mansion.
“Steward. I’ll discipline this elf myself, so don’t worry.”
“Pardon? But Family Head...”
“That’s an order.”
At the word “order,” Habid deflated and stepped back. I sighed inwardly in relief and looked down at the elf.
“You impudent wench. I’ll discipline you separately, so go up to the study first and clean it. Hand the box to the steward.”
“Y-yes...”
Fortunately, she didn’t lash out at me. With a much softer expression, the elf handed the box to Habid and scurried past me down the hall.
Watching her retreating figure, Habid clicked his tongue and frowned.
“What a hopelessly rotten wench. If she’d met any other master, she’d have ended her life long ago.”
“...You’re right.”
The master would’ve ended his life, not the elf.
“Anyway, I must carry out the imperial decree that came down...”
A sudden ominous feeling made me shut my mouth.
How long had the elf been at that hallway corner? If she’d been watching from there when I opened the letter, depending on the angle, she might’ve read it too.
‘At that time, I was turned sideways reading the letter.’
As far as I knew, the elf’s hearing wasn’t the only superhuman trait—her eyesight surpassed humans’ too. If she’d read the imperial letter along with me and decided to deliberately ‘mess up’ to get sold off...
‘Shit!’
Finishing the thought, I kicked off the floor and bolted. Habid shouted something behind me, but I had no time to care.
I raced up the stairs two at a time and flung open the study door. Sure enough, the elf was holding my research journal.
Spotting me, the elf jolted her body with an innocent expression.
“Ah.”
Seeing the research journal precariously held over the flickering candle flame, cold sweat poured down like rain.
There was no copy—if that vanished, all my records to report to the imperial court would be gone. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to calm down and murmured.
“Put it down nicely while I’m asking.”
No, I couldn’t calm down at all.
“Put it down, you crazy bitch!”
I yelled with emotion, but of course the elf wouldn’t stop. She’d do anything to create an incident to get sold off—that was the elf before me.
Proof? Even after I told her to stop, she just trembled her hand with a clueless look.
“M-Master. I-I’m l-like...”
It was so infuriating I couldn’t speak. Just move the journal aside—what’s so hard, making excuses!
Still, I couldn’t provoke the elf. With the journal as hostage, any rash move would hurt me.
Taking deep breaths to steady myself again, I glared calmly at the elf.
“Extinguish the candle and move the research journal aside. Now.”
“I w-want to, but I d-drew so many pictures yesterday that my h-hand has no strength...”
Bullshit! If your hand’s weak, how’d you lift it over the candle?
I wanted to scream, but that might give her an excuse to drop it in shock.
If the candle ignited the journal, it’d be a total disaster.
‘...Think.’
How to rescue the research journal from the elf’s clutches.
‘Lie and say there’s a copy?’
Tell her the one she’s holding is a copy and the original’s elsewhere—might kill her motivation.
But that’s too risky. If she thinks, “Oh, copy? Then I can burn this,” it’d be perfect self-sabotage.
‘What if I get even angrier here?’
Emphasize how furious I am even without her burning it. After all, her goal is to get sold off by me, not destroy the journal.
No. Same risk. Realizing how precious it is, she might decide to burn it just to enrage me more.
‘What if I act nice instead?’
Show leniency, like it’s okay to burn, and she might hesitate.
Buy a split second, then snatch it. It’s just a candle, after all.
Burning the whole journal would take time—I just needed to stall her briefly.
‘Yes. Go with the last option.’
No matter how I thought, the final plan was most rational. Whatever happened after didn’t matter. Saving the journal now was priority.
“Good job.”
Changing my expression to a kindly smile, a question mark appeared on the elf’s face.
“Master?”
“I said good job. I was going to take it out and burn it anyway, but you found it first.”
“Huh?”
Eh? Not working? Bewilderment crossed the elf’s face. My sudden shift must’ve thrown her off.
Then push through. I stepped forward leisurely, beaming with benevolence.
“Even a sow like you has a thing or two worth praising. As thanks for saving me the trouble, come here—I’ll pat your head.”
“W-what...”
The elf raised her arms in alarm. I didn’t miss the moment and lunged. She startled back a step.
“Insolent!”
I snatched the journal, shoved the elf aside, and retreated. “Eek,” she stumbled, giving me a meaningful look, but I ignored it.
I hurriedly flipped through the journal, inspecting the first and last pages closely. Fortunately, no scorch marks or damage.
“Haa...”
Tension released, and a weary sigh of relief escaped. At the same time, a certain anger toward the elf seeped into my heart.
‘...You don’t care about me at all, do you?’
This research journal was more precious to me than anything.
When I first started writing it, Father was still alive. I’d conduct experiments, write in this journal, and often get his revisions.
So it wasn’t just mine. It was one of the few items holding memories of Father.
And this elf tried to burn it for her amusement. Like what happened to me didn’t matter.
‘Indeed. I hate you. So much.’
Interfering with Esilly and forcing me to sell her off—I could tolerate that. But trying to burn an item steeped in memories of Father without hesitation? I couldn’t hide the rising disgust.
“M-Master...”