Chapter 137
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 137
"……Ha."
The look of bewilderment that had been plain on Klaus Rocheva’s face just moments ago vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp expression as if he had stripped off a mask.
His eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
His sharp fangs were instantly bared.
"What did you just spout, woman?"
It seemed my question about whether his eyes were functioning properly had struck a major nerve.
"Are all you lot from the Spring Continent like this? How dare you hurl such an insult at me?"
Seeing him growl like that, it must be true.
Actually, I had expected Klaus to react violently.
I know because I read it in 'The Milk Bread'.
For the Lupinus royalty, losing an eye was equivalent to being stripped of all royal authority and honor.
It also means losing the practical right to the throne.
It was a situation worse than a cashiered knight or an excommunicated priest. In other words, it was essentially social suicide.
Anyway.
Klaus’s aura was murderous, and fearing I might actually get hit, I offered a quick apology.
"I didn't know, so I asked. I didn't realize it would make you so angry. I'm sorry. I'm from the Spring Continent, so I'm not well-versed in the etiquette of the Summer Continent."
"……."
He seemed surprised that I apologized so readily. Klaus, who had been tensing the entire atmosphere with his menacing presence, simply frowned in silence.
After a moment of strained patience, he snapped his head away.
"……The people of the Spring Continent truly know nothing."
"Yeah, yeah. We really don't."
"……."
Good for you, knowing so much.
While glancing at the clearly disgruntled Klaus, I offered a sincere apology in my head.
Hey, I’m really sorry.
In The Milk Bread, Klaus Rocheva appeared after having already lost an eye and suffering through severe torture.
Because of that, he was a Hidden Male Lead who couldn't even trigger a confession route with Corico, despite having half-fallen for her.
The eyeball.
Yes, that damn eyeball was the problem.
No, there was an even bigger problem.
The precious eye of a Lupinus royal.
The crazy lunatic who had ruined that eye and even kidnapped Klaus to sell him off at a secret slave auction house was…
…None other than Tulia Frezier.
Heh…….
Hehehehehe!
In The Milk Bread, Tulia was a villainess who had her hands in every evil deed imaginable.
To Tulia’s eyes, Klaus Rocheva—who was incredibly beautiful and clearly possessed the blood of a different race—was a very expensive 'product.'
Furthermore, at the time, Klaus had been traveling the Brillant Empire alone under the guise of a pleasure trip, without any guards.
Tulia had her underworld lackeys kidnap this 'product' she happened to spot, and in the process, Klaus lost one of his eyes forever.
After finding out he was a prince of the Summer Continent, she got scared and locked him in a tower.
True to her reputation as a beautiful but dim-witted villainess, Tulia didn't even hide Klaus in a dungeon or her own secret hideout.
She just locked him in a tower of the main castle.
And that was how the meeting between Corico and Klaus was orchestrated.
It was Corico who treated the imprisoned Klaus and secretly brought him food.
As expected of The Milk Bread, the difficulty level was incredibly soft when it came to Corico.
But Klaus himself was a Hidden Male Lead with a naturally high difficulty level.
The setting established that his hostility toward the Frezier family was immense because he had lost his eye due to Tulia.
In the end, failing to max out his favorability within the allotted time meant having to choose the option to just let him escape.
Actually, I was already aiming for the harem ending back then.
Anyway, when Klaus disappeared, Tulia went to Corico, slapped her, and trashed her room in a fit of rage. That incident eventually became the catalyst for her later execution.
"……."
Looking back, it’s terrifying.
Regardless.
This is a story he’ll never know, so I’ll keep it buried for now.
I had been worried that his eye might have already been ruined by Jjapddongbyeol’s prank or the recent incident.
I'm glad it's not.
If so, the most urgent matter now was to keep Klaus by my side somehow.
He's a male lead, after all. A Hidden Male Lead.
Because Klaus was a male lead with such low odds, I hadn't included him in my 'Collection of Male Leads Whose Favorability Needs Raising.'
In short, I hadn't even given him a thought.
But whether it was an SSS-rank rare item, a unique item, or a legendary item—whatever it was.
Now that he was in my hands, I had to max out this male lead's favorability.
Ah. Why is the difficulty of this main quest so cruel……?
I shifted my gaze slightly to steal a look at Klaus.
He was still avoiding my gaze, either because he was offended by my comment about his eyes, or because he was in pain—or perhaps both.
As for his subordinates…… it went without saying.
They should just take their master's side, but they're walking on eggshells around me too.
It was likely due to the title of 'Life's Savior' to their master.
Anyway, how could I get that guy to stay by my side for the time being?
My head felt like it was going to explode, but I soon reached a good conclusion.
Right! Let's not use my brain; let's use the brains of my advisors!
People like Grans or Max!
They must be smarter than me!
Just as I was about to take a step back toward the inner part of the cave.
Grab.
My hand was caught.
It happened before I even realized I was being touched.
"……?"
In the blink of an eye, I was held in someone's arms.
It wasn't just a simple hug; it was a crushing, tight embrace.
Yes. So.
"……What's wrong with you?"
I asked Klaus Rocheva—the very Hidden Male Lead who had been ignoring me until just a moment ago.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the Frezier Main Castle.
Clink.
The sound of a teacup being set down echoed loudly in the quiet room.
The servant immediately asked in a flustered tone.
"Master Lisian, what is the matter? Is there a problem with the temperature of the tea?"
"No."
"Then, is there some other discomfort……?"
Lisian Frezier was always so composed and refined that his servant was at a loss. Even when alone, he was the epitome of a perfect noble.
For someone like Lisian, setting down a teacup with such a clatter was unthinkable.
"……Master?"
Without answering, Lisian stared down at the tea shimmering in the cup.
The tea, brewed from leaves Tulia had gifted him in abundance some time ago, was a sweet orange color.
It had already been several days since she had left to inspect her newly gifted territory.
He had naturally been worried when she insisted on going alone, but he had felt somewhat relieved after learning about the forces the Grand Duke and the Marquis had assigned to her.
He certainly had.
Until just a moment ago, that is.
But suddenly.
An unpleasant sensation, as if the crown of his head were being scorched by a bolt of lightning, washed over him.
In other words, his mood had suddenly…
"Become…… unpleasant."
It had hit rock bottom.
At Lisian’s quiet murmur, the servant could only watch him anxiously. Just as the servant was about to cautiously ask if he should ventilate the room.
A bang, then a knock.
"Brother!"
Leon Frezier burst through the door.
The second young master of the Marquis Frezier household, who had clearly thrown noble decorum to the dogs, yet remained the object of affection for countless female students at the Academy.
He looked extremely displeased about something.
"What…… is it, Leon?"
"Let's go find her!"
When Leon said 'her,' there was obviously only one person he could mean.
Tulia.
Mistaking Lisian’s silent stare for a demand for a 'valid reason,' Leon immediately spoke up.
"I don't know, I just suddenly feel terrible!"
It was the exact same timing as Lisian.
Leon Frezier, who had been sitting in his room polishing his sword, had suddenly bolted upright from his sofa.
Regardless of what his equally startled servant asked, Leon Frezier had only spat out one thing.
"Ugh, why do I feel so foul? All of a sudden?"
The extremely unpleasant feeling, as if his head were being scorched by a bolt of lightning from nowhere.
Leon, who relied heavily on his instincts, had come straight to Lisian.
"Tulia?"
"Yeah, Brother!"
"Right…… now?"
"Yes, Brother! She's young as it is; what if she gets lost on the way? No, she's definitely lost already. She's a dim-witted sister, so you and I have no choice but to go help her. What else can we do?"
Speaking like a rapid-fire cannon, Leon was already pulling on his jacket with both hands. It was truly lightning speed.
"If you're not going, I'll go by my—"
"I'm coming with you."
"Oh? Really?"
And so, it took only about ten minutes for Lisian and Leon to depart.
"What is with those twin masters……?"
Only Lisian’s servant stood there with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.