Episode 6. So that's what Vas looked like.
Episode 6. So that's what Vas looked like.
"Ian! Are you alive?"
The shabby wooden door opened as if it were about to break, and a familiar, gruff voice echoed inside the cramped room.
The first thing that entered my field of vision was a giant of a man stepping over the threshold.
Broad shoulders, a bushy beard, and the thick scent of iron filings and grease wafting from the tip of his nose.
'So that's what Bas looks like.'
His name was Bas.
He was a friend who had been like a brother to 'Ian', the original owner of this possessed body.
"Oh, you're here? You're gonna break the door, imma."
I immediately bounced my gaze into the air, acting with unfocused eyes.
At that, Bas strode over and shoved a heavy paper bag into my hand.
"If it breaks, I'll hang a new one for you. And take this."
"What is this?"
"What do you mean, what is it? I brought some freshly baked bread and meat from the market. You can't even see, do you even eat properly?"
Bas's job was a weapon manager at the 'House Roswell' training grounds.
It sounded nice to call him a weapon manager, but in reality, it was an extreme job where he had to wipe and oil heavy armor drenched in sweat thrown by knights after training all night long.
'He probably doesn't even make much money...'
I smiled faintly and stroked the bread bag.
For the past month since possessing a body in this novel's world, Bas was the only one who took care of me, a blind man, without asking for anything in return.
He was the only one who came by almost every day to check on me and bring me food.
However, that didn't mean enough trust had been built to immediately reveal the huge secret that my vision had returned.
'The only reason Bas takes care of me like this is because of Ian, the original owner of this body.'
It didn't hurt to be careful.
What if Bas got drunk and accidentally revealed my secret to someone else?
Therefore, for the time being, I had to thoroughly stick to acting blind.
"Thanks. I'll eat well."
"Don't mention it, kid. Have you had many customers lately?"
"Well... so-so."
"Then shall we sit down and talk for a bit?"
"Sure."
Bas grumbled about minor complaints from the training grounds.
It was trivial stories about how the Knight Commander threw a tantrum yesterday, or how he stayed up all night repairing too many broken swords.
"I seriously want to quit."
"Still, you have to bear it. Who would take you in if you quit?"
I chimed in appropriately while tearing off a piece of bread, when suddenly, the shocking event that happened yesterday morning crossed my mind.
Catherine Roswell, who was writhing in pleasure like crazy while squeezing her own voluptuous breasts.
I stopped chewing the bread and casually brought up the topic.
"Ah, right. That Lady Catherine... what kind of person is she usually?"
At my question, Bas burst into a hearty laugh as if it were absurd.
"Haha! What, did you fall for Lady Catherine too?"
"...Huh?"
"Well, even if you can't see, you must have realized from her voice or atmosphere that Lady Catherine is an amazing person."
I realized it very well.
In fact, I even enjoyed Catherine's lewd appearance very vividly live.
"I, is that so...?"
I smiled awkwardly, swallowing the truth that I couldn't possibly utter.
Then, Bas started chattering excitedly as if he were the one receiving the compliment.
"She's literally an angel. Usually, nobles look at guys like us as if we're bugs, right? But Lady Catherine is different. Even when she just passes by, she always uses respectful speech to me."
"...She uses respectful speech to me too."
"Besides, her behavior is so proper and demure... it would be stranger for a man not to fall for her."
".......??"
I felt like the bread I was eating got stuck in my esophagus.
Proper and demure behavior...
Of course, I had thought so too until yesterday morning.
"Is that all? Maybe because her appearance is so dazzlingly beautiful, all kinds of noble families' sons come to House Roswell with gifts just to marry Lady Catherine."
"...I see."
When I showed a rather lukewarm reaction, Bas cleared his throat with a cough and proudly patted his chest.
"So, be grateful to me."
"Why?"
"I'm the one who recommended you to Lady Catherine."
"...You recommended me?"
"Yeah! She said her shoulders were stiff, so I casually let it slip that there was a man with the Hand of God in the back alley of the market."
"So you were the culprit."
"Culprit? Anyway, since then, the young lady has been taking even better care of me."
While I was burning up inside, Bas, who had been grinning, suddenly stiffened his expression.
Then, he glanced out the open window, pulled his chair close, and brought his face to my ear.
"This is a top-secret that you must never tell anyone, but about Lady Chloe."
"Lady Chloe? Lady Catherine's mother?"
Bas looked around once more, fearing someone might overhear, and opened his mouth.
"Right behind the workshop where I repair weapons is Lady Chloe's separate villa, right? There..."
Bas swallowed hard and continued.
"Every night, I hear Lady Chloe's sticky groans and a man's screams."
"Pfft."
A hollow laugh escaped me without my realization.
Since noblewomen didn't hesitate to moan and flirt right in front of me, a blind man, I wondered if it was a big deal for her to spend a hot night with her husband in her own mansion.
"Hey, they must have a good relationship. But if the Baron screamed, he must have lacked stamina."
"No, you crazy bastard!"
Bas grabbed my shoulders tightly and spoke in a slightly excited voice.
"The Baron left for the border to hunt monsters over a month ago! He hasn't returned to the mansion yet!"
"...What?"
Only then did I realize the gravity of the situation and stiffened.
The Baron has been absent for a month, but a man's screams are heard from Chloe's villa every night?
"At first, I thought I misheard too. So for a few days, I secretly watched the villa through the crack in the workshop window."
"And?"
"There are two guys who serve Lady Chloe. Those two guys drag a man into the villa every night."
They say blood doesn't lie...
Was Catherine's lewd nature all inherited from her mother?
"But the men don't go on their own feet, they get dragged in?"
"Yeah! Anyway, once those two push the man into the villa and leave, not long after, Lady Chloe's groans and... the man's screams always echo all night long."
"...?!"
Bas shuddered and rubbed his arms.
"You must never go and blab about what I told you today. If rumors spread that we talked about a noblewoman's shame, both of our heads will fly off without anyone knowing."
"Ha... why did you tell me such a dangerous secret?"
"I'm telling you to be careful. Just in case Lady Chloe comes as your customer through Lady Catherine's recommendation."
If Bas hadn't recommended this place to Catherine in the first place, I wouldn't have needed to be careful...
I let out a short sigh and nodded.
"Ha... yeah, I got it."
As we continued our conversation, the dim evening glow began to settle outside the window.
Bas brushed off the bread crumbs and stood up from his seat.
"It's already getting dark outside. It's about time for me to go to work at the training grounds. Lock the door well and sleep."
"Go safely, thanks for the meat and bread."
Once the old door closed and the sound of Bas's footsteps completely disappeared down the alley, I corrected my gaze that had been unfocused toward the air.
'Is it already the second day?'
Exhaling a short breath, I cracked and stretched my stiff neck.
It was the second day since I miraculously regained my sight.
So far, no one had noticed that my vision had returned.
Which meant I could keep acting blind while saving up money.
'By the way, a man's scream...'
The story Bas left behind began to linger in my head.
If it were a simple secret meeting seeking physical pleasure, there would be no reason for the man to be dragged in, right?
'It doesn't seem like she's just committing adultery...'
Is she doing human experiments or something?
One thing was for sure: she was definitely committing cruel and bizarre acts against kidnapped men in her private villa.
I slowly walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.
"Hoo..."
Even in the dark room, the blonde hair and red eyes that held the moonlight shone breathtakingly brilliantly.
Furthermore, a perfect jawline as if sculpted and fair skin.
To anyone, it was the appearance of a sickly and delicate beautiful boy that could not help but steal their gaze.
'Of course, the body is sturdier than I thought, but still, this face is too dangerous...'
Staring at my face in the mirror, I swallowed hard.
It wasn't something to just be happy about simply because I was handsome.
'What if Chloe happens to visit this place...?'
There was no guarantee that I wouldn't become the target of Chloe's cruel desires.
Gripping my slender shoulders in the mirror tightly, I gritted my teeth.
'To protect myself... now I need power too.'