Chapter 4
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Night Outing
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Pzzzt!
Every time Johann lightly kicked off the ground to leap upward, blue sparks bloomed like flowers at the spots where his toes touched down.
Whoosh.
In that instant, his body turned into the wind, slicing swiftly through the forest.
A deer peacefully grazing grass lifted its head, scanning its surroundings as a shadow passed overhead.
But there was only silence to be seen. The shadow had vanished without a trace.
"Y-Young Master!"
As Johann descended the mountain and returned to the villa, Willard came rushing over in a panic, checking him from head to toe.
Unlike his usual pristine attire, Willard's clothes were caked in dirt and soaked through. And it wasn't just him.
The other soldiers and maids were in much the same state.
'They must have been searching all night. I feel bad for making them worry.'
"Young Master! How could you go out alone in the middle of a stormy night without a word? We were all terrified something had happened to you—our hearts were in our throats!"
"Sorry about that. There were unavoidable circumstances."
He hadn't said anything beforehand because Willard would have stopped him at all costs, even risking his life. Still, seeing them like this made Johann feel all the more guilty.
"I don't know what the circumstances were, but next time, please—just give us a heads-up! I beg you, Young Master..."
"Alright, I promise."
"By the way, Young Master, what on earth happened last night? Why did you come back naked? I just can't wrap my head around it..."
Willard hurriedly shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Johann. The maids, stealing glances at Johann's bare form, flushed red.
'Oh my goodness~! Who knew the Young Master's body was that fine?'
'Wow, what a specimen...'
'Eek~ If I'd known, I would've insisted on helping with his bath, even if it meant fighting for it...!'
Lately, Johann had been handling his own changing and bathing, so the maids hadn't had much chance to see him undressed.
"Ahem!"
As the maids' breathing grew heavier, Willard cleared his throat to snap them out of it. Only then did they come to their senses and rush off to fetch clothes for Johann.
After finishing his bath and changing, Johann retreated to his room to pore over a map.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in."
With Johann's permission following the knock, the door opened to reveal Joanna.
A few months prior, after sufficient rest and recovery, Joanna had chosen to resume her duties as a maid at the villa.
"I thought you might be peckish before dinner, so I brought some tea and refreshments."
Joanna carefully set the tray she'd brought on the table beside him, then stole a glance at Johann. The afterimage of his naked body from moments ago still lingered in her mind.
Johann, eyes fixed on the map, spoke up.
"You don't have to peek. Feel free to stare. I enjoy looking in the mirror during my daily routine more than anything, after all."
"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to be rude..."
"It's hardly a blunder. It's only natural to look at someone pretty and handsome of the opposite sex. Frankly, it makes me feel good."
"...!"
Joanna bowed her head, flustered. Johann's expression grew a touch more serious as he asked,
"Are you still afraid of me?"
"W-Well..."
"Be honest. I swear on my family name that I won't punish you or treat you unfairly over it."
Joanna recalled the Johann she'd observed and endured these past few months.
"Compared to you, Young Master Johann, we're just lowly commoners not worth mentioning. So we thought whatever you did to us was just how things were. It was scary, and it hurt a lot. But at some point, you changed, and you told us it wasn't right."
Johann listened quietly to her words.
"At first, it was confusing. We couldn't tell which was the real you. But you, who didn't need to apologize to the likes of us, did so anyway. I was stunned at the time, but looking back, that's what lets me smile while working now. You're still a bit scary, of course... but I like you much more like this!"
Joanna beamed brightly. Realizing what she'd said, she flushed crimson and waved her hands frantically.
"N-No, not like that! I mean..."
"So it's true you prefer me now."
'At least she didn't stammer that time.'
Why had it taken him so long to notice how lovely her smile was? Johann sincerely hoped it would endure.
Flick.
He pulled a small pouch from his pocket and tossed it to her.
"What's this?"
"I heard your birthday's coming up. Take the family out for a nice dinner that day. No need to come to work."
"P-Pardon?! B-But!"
"I'm doing the same for the others. You're not getting special treatment, so no need to feel burdened. Oh, on your way out, could you call Willard for me?"
"Yes, Young Master."
After a polite bow, Joanna stepped out and checked the pouch. She couldn't help but gasp in shock.
It held far more money than needed for a simple dinner out.
Squeeze.
Thump thump...
She clutched the pouch tightly to her chest. The rapid beating of her heart transmitted through her hands.
'Am I going crazy?!'
Honestly, just a year ago, wasn't he the person she hated and resented most in the world?
Yet she'd completely forgotten those thoughts, and she had no idea how to explain this pounding heart.
'No. Stop with the nonsense. I just need to do my job.'
Shaking her head to clear the stray thoughts, Joanna hurried off to fetch Willard.
"You called for me, Young Master?"
"Over here."
When Willard arrived in Johann's room, Johann pointed to the map he'd been studying. Willard approached with a puzzled look.
He'd never seen Johann examining a map in his room before.
"This is... the map of Viscount Domos's territory, isn't it?"
House Domos was a vassal family to House Crimford.
When the founding merit of House Crimford helped establish the kingdom alongside the royal family, House Domos had contributed greatly, earning them a solid position among the earl's retainers.
Though much time had passed and their influence had waned...
In any case, the villa where Johann currently resided was located right here in Viscount Domos's territory.
"Are you aware that the number of bandits in Viscount Domos's territory has surged recently?"
"Yes. After Knight Captain Gellpin assaulted Sazan, the viscount's eldest son and heir, and was exiled, the bandit numbers increased—or so I've heard..."
"Right. That's the story going around now."
"Pardon? What do you mean...?"
As Willard looked baffled by Johann's words, Johann pointed to the map and asked,
"Before you became butler here at the villa, you were a coachman transporting goods for Viscount Domos's territory, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then you must know the lay of the land well. Any guesses on secret spots bandits might use as a hideout?"
"S-Secret spots? Well... Not precisely, but there's grain storehouses here and here that few people know about. They were used by a merchant group in the past, but hardly anyone remembers them now. And also..."
The corner of Johann's mouth twitched upward.
Pretending to be stumped, Willard was effortlessly listing off perfect hideouts for a large bandit group.
"Thanks, Willard. This should be plenty helpful."
"I don't quite understand how potential bandit hideouts help you, Young Master. You're not planning something dangerous again, are you...?"
"You know Viscount Domos has been tearing his hair out over these bandits for a while. If I bring him this info, he'll be thrilled. If not, no harm done. But if it works and the bandits decrease thanks to me, Father will hear about it, and my standing will improve. Right?"
"Brilliant! As expected of you, Young Master! I sincerely hope for great results!"
"Y-Yeah."
Johann couldn't meet Willard's pure, earnest gaze wishing him success from the heart.
That night.
'W-Why did he call me here in the middle of the night?'
Thump thump.
Joanna tried to calm her wildly pounding heart as she headed to Johann's room.
A year ago, he'd summon maids to his bed every night, but this was the first time lately. And for it to be her as the first...
Back then, the path to his room would have felt like the road to hell. But now, for some reason, it was a strange mix of fear and excitement.
Reaching his door, Joanna took a deep breath and knocked lightly.
Knock knock knock.
"You're here?"
Grab.
"...!"
When Johann seized her hand and pulled her toward the bed, Joanna felt her heart might burst.
'Is this really happening—my first time, like this? With Young Master Johann, no less...'
The sculpted naked body she'd glimpsed recently flashed in her mind, turning her face beet red.
However...
"Listen carefully. Lie in bed, pull the covers over your head completely. If Willard comes by, just rustle around without saying a word—he'll leave on his own. If I'm too late getting back, just go to sleep. Got it?"
"Pardon?"
While Joanna reeled from the baffling instructions, Johann swiftly changed into night clothes right before her, then donned a black mask over his nose and mouth to finish preparing to head out.
"Thanks, Joanna. Take care."
"...!"
Caught off guard by him saying her name, she blinked—and Johann had already vanished through the open window.
"H-Have a safe trip..."
'Not the time!'
Joanna quickly shut the window, dove into bed, and pulled the covers over herself.
Pop!
Johann darted through the darkness, checking marked points on his map.
'Not here either.'
Each dud point got an X marked on the map. By now, the X's outnumbered the remaining spots.
His impatience was starting to grow.
'Should've noted the exact hideout back then? Though who could've predicted this...'
All he knew from the future was that the bandits had been wiped out. He hadn't paid much attention at the time.
But now was different.
'I need to contact them before they're exterminated. For my sake... and theirs...'
He rolled up the map, tucked it away, and kicked off the ground.
Pzzzt!
Leaving faint sparks, his figure vanished in an instant, hurtling toward the next point at terrifying speed.
Yet...
'Damn! Another bust. Well, if it were that easy to find, Viscount Domos wouldn't be losing sleep over it.'
The last marked point was a miss too. This one stung especially, as traces of people had been there until recently.
'No way lumberjacks or hunters alone would leave that much evidence. Had to be them...'
Regretting not arriving sooner wouldn't bring back a departed ship.
But then!
'Hm?'
Perched slouched on the rundown roof of the storehouse, Johann spotted faint lights stretching far in the distance.
'A merchant caravan?'
Night caravans were extremely risky, but distant merchants sometimes pushed through to meet deadlines.
'Wait, then the reason those guys here vanished just now...'
The corner of Johann's mouth curled up involuntarily.
Looks like opportunity hadn't slipped away yet.