Chapter 815
Chapter 815
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 815
Chapter Title: Reincarnated as the Plum Blossom Sword Master in a Count's Family
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She pulled a spatial teleportation scroll from her bosom. Sung Yu-jin had told her to stay just a week, but she wasn't sure she could endure it. She wanted to go back right now.
But Nepia couldn't tear the scroll. If she returned immediately like this, Sung Yu-jin would surely be disappointed in her. She had her pride as the acting head maid, after all.
'One week... Just hold out for one week. It's not that hard. A week flies by. I'm the acting head maid. I have to carry out the master's orders.'
Nepia glanced toward the door.
Just like the other maids who had left the mansion, perhaps the AM unit maids were watching her. No, there was a high chance they definitely were.
'Nepia. Hang in there. This is your duty as acting head maid.'
Nepia encouraged herself.
Terius returned home just before sunset, his steps light.
"Nepia! I'm back!"
Nepia, who had been sitting blankly in a chair, stood up.
"Welcome home, Terius."
"I brought some pork you like."
Terius grinned and handed her the paper-wrapped meat in his left hand. He didn't have money for meat, so he'd begged a fellow knight and borrowed cash to buy it. Of course, he didn't tell Nepia that. Terius had his pride too.
Nepia's face lit up at the sight of the meat.
"Pork! Thanks, Terius!"
"It's nothing. Shall we start with dinner then?"
"I can handle grilling some meat. Leave it to me."
"I can do it."
"You're tired from work. Sit in the chair."
Terius felt a surge of happiness. These small conversations and peaceful daily life with Nepia were exactly what he'd always dreamed of.
Nepia pulled out a pot from the corner of the house. A frying pan would be better for grilling meat, but there wasn't one. The pot's hygiene was poor too—dead bugs and unidentifiable grime clung to it.
"Terius. When was the last time you used this pot?"
"Uh... It's been here since before I got this house... I don't know."
"......"
Nepia used up their stored water without restraint to wash the pot. No soap, so she scrubbed hard with a cloth in her hand. It got somewhat clean, but the lingering dirt was unavoidable.
'No cooking oil or anything...'
There was no food at all in this house. Terius had never cooked for himself before. He'd mostly bought meals or eaten at the Prukus family's cafeteria. As a soldier, he'd had camp rations.
As Nepia was about to place the pot over the hearth, she belatedly remembered the gifts she'd received from the maids before leaving the mansion.
'Salt and pepper! The meat's not great quality anyway—grilling it plain would taste awful.'
She sprinkled heaps of salt and pepper from her backpack onto the chunk of meat.
"N-Nepia. Is it okay to dump salt and pepper like that?!"
Terius panicked. Salt and pepper were very expensive. Even after the Korea Merchant Guild arrived and commoners could buy good quality at reasonable prices, they were still seen as luxuries to be used sparingly.
"......It's fine. We should eat tasty food when we eat."
She'd be leaving this place in a week anyway. Nepia swallowed the rest. She could easily imagine Terius's despair and couldn't bring herself to say it.
Terius stared blankly at the salt and pepper being lavished onto the meat.
Nepia grilled the meat in the pot. It charred a bit, but it turned out decent enough. No plates, so they had to eat the steaks straight from the pot.
"Delicious! So good!"
Terius devoured the steak, exclaiming nonstop. He was grateful just to eat meat like this.
"Glad it grilled well. It tastes good."
Nepia gave a wry smile. Objectively, the steak was tasty. How could it not be with all that salt and pepper? But compared to the steaks at Yu-jin's mansion, it fell far short. No marbling, no juices—just terrible meat quality.
Did he buy cheap crap on purpose? Or get scammed? Either way, Terius looked incompetent for failing to buy even one decent cut.
After dinner, they sat at the table chatting. Terius led the conversation. Soldiers' lives, today's training... It was boring at best, irritating at worst.
Before bed, Terius called Nepia with a serious face.
"...Nepia."
"Yeah?"
"We're... husband and wife, right?"
"What?"
Nepia widened her eyes. Had she just heard nonsense?
Terius, flustered by her unexpected reaction, rushed on.
"We're going to live together now, so we're like a married couple. Everyone else will think so too. We couldn't have a proper wedding... But when things get better, let's have a grand one. I promise."
Terius extended his left hand. Nepia frowned and swatted away his only hand.
"Terius. We're not a couple. Please don't do this."
"Why not? You promised to marry me."
"......Did I? Don't make stuff up."
"No, you did. Don't you remember? Back by the lake, we promised to marry when we grew up...!"
"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell. And when exactly was this? You're acting weird."
"......"
Terius bowed his head. His iron ring glinted on his left ring finger. At the edge of his vision, Nepia's left ring finger bore a diamond ring, not iron. Terius gritted his teeth and shot to his feet.
"Nepia! I spent 10 million ner to save you! How can you do this to me?!"
"I never asked you to save me! You showed up out of nowhere and dragged me from the mansion! To this dump!"
"Nepia...!!"
Terius shut his mouth before shouting. Tears welled in Nepia's eyes. His shoulders slumped in defeat. He hadn't brought her here to fight.
"......Nepia. I got too emotional. Sorry. Let's... sleep. You take the bed?"
"...No. You take it. I'll sleep in the chair."
"...Okay."
Terius trudged to the bed and lay down. His mind was a mess.
'Nepia's just not used to freedom yet. In a few days, she'll see this free life is way better than slavery.'
No master to serve, freedom to choose. Nepia would come around.
The next day, Nepia skipped breakfast. Commoners ate one meal a day, two if lucky. Terius didn't even give her lunch money. He had none.
They agreed to eat only dinner together.
Nepia, used to three mansion meals plus snacks, clutched her hungry stomach and headed to the well. Staring blankly at home like a parasite wasted time.
At the well, Nepia was shocked. Women lined up long before it. At least fifty ahead of her, all clutching large buckets.
'At the mansion, water just flows from the tap...'
Nepia joined the end of the line. The woman ahead eyed her.
Her clothes were filthy, patched in places.
"Oh, hi? You're that one-armed knight's... er, Sir Terius's wife, right? Stunningly beautiful, just like the rumors. I'm Talia. What's your name?"
"...Nepia. And no, we're not married."
"Not married? Then why live together?"
"...Circumstances."
"I see. Whatever the reason, you look down... Can't be good ones. Living with a one-armed knight wouldn't be fun."
The woman's speech was rough, disrespectful even to a knight. Nepia didn't care. What did it matter if Terius got trashed? She nodded in agreement, lamenting her fate.
"Right. Know what's in the house? Nothing. No food... One pot... Sigh."
"Tough life. Hang in there. Better days ahead. Oh, is that rumor true?"
"Rumor?"
"That the one-armed knight owes a ton of debt."
"...Tell me more?"
"Just hearsay, but 200 million ner? If my husband owed that... Ugh. I'd run. How could you live with a guy like that?"
"......"
Nepia listened stone-faced.
Heading home, Terius froze. Four armed mercenaries approached with menacing auras.
"Sir Terius, right?"
"...That's me. Who are you? Never seen you in the military."
"Not military. From the Korea Merchant Guild."
"......Korea Guild? Why?"
"You know why."
Only one reason for the Korea Guild to send men.
Money.
"...It's been less than a week since I borrowed."
"We know. We're just watchers. Watchers. Don't think of running. We'll visit every time you forget the debt... Got it? Pay up soon."
"......"
Terius's head drooped. A warning. 200 million at 50% annual interest. Thinking of it made his head throb.
'Gotta pay fast. Interest accrues now. In a year, just interest is 100 million.'
If only war broke out. Merit meant money. But Kyle showed no sign of starting one.
Terius clenched his fist. One idea surfaced. Humiliating, but better than more debt.
He steeled himself and went home.
Nepia had half-cleaned and prepared dinner: four boiled potatoes. The whole meal. She was glad for the salt.
"Nepia."
"Hm? Why the serious face?"
"Nepia. Hear me out, no misunderstanding. I owe 200 million ner. Loan from Korea Guild... 50% annual interest."
"......"
Nepia was silent. Terius gauged her reaction. Her blank face pressured him.
"No other way to gather 100 million for your freedom."
"...So?"
"200 million's crushing. Next year, it's 300. Want to pay off fast... Could we sell your dress and dwarf dagger?"
"Are you insane? The dress and dagger are my treasures! How could you even think that?!"
"We'll live together now! Think of the future! Debt triples next year! I'll succeed and repay! Get you better dresses, superior swords! Or sell the diamond ring! At least 100 million! Clear debt first. Please?"
Slap!
Nepia's hand flew. Terius took it full on the cheek, head snapping aside, nose bleeding. Clutching his stinging face, he stared in disbelief.
"...Nepia?"
"Why assume I'll stay? The dress, dagger, ring—they're mine. Don't touch my stuff."
Terius balled his fist, trembling.
"......You don't care about our future? We need it now."
"Why keep saying 'our'? I could leave anytime. Who do you think I'm enduring for... Sigh. Fine."
Nepia grabbed her unpacked backpack—dirty wardrobe her excuse. Terius panicked, truly fearing she'd go. He dropped to his knees.
"Sorry, Nepia! I went crazy for a sec. I'll handle the debt! Forgive me once. Please...!"
Nepia hesitated. Sung Yu-jin's "one week" echoed. She sighed, setting down the bag.
"...This is the last time."
"Thanks! Thanks for trusting me, Nepia!"