Chapter 177 - Another Choice
Screeech... As the carriage carrying Frey pulled up to the Starlight Mansion, a chill hung in the air.
"...Hm?"
Frey, stepping down from the carriage, furrowed his brow slightly. The Starlight Mansion was always permeated with a cold atmosphere, but today felt somehow different.
"".......""
All the mansion's servants had come outside and were silently staring at Frey. Of course, this was the usual scene whenever he returned from an outing.
"What's this?"
But there was something off from the norm. Everyone was dressed not in maid uniforms or work clothes, but in everyday attire. And they were all glaring at Frey with icy cold eyes.
"What the hell is this about?"
As Frey slowly scanned the servants and began walking forward, he tossed out the question.
"I want to crack some skulls right now, but let's hear what they have to say first."
At those words, someone stepped forward from the group of servants.
"Young Master Frey."
She was Ariane's older sister, employed as a maid in the Starlight family.
"I'm truly sorry to have to tell you this, but it seems we won't be able to serve you any longer starting today."
"What?"
"We all hereby resign from our positions as servants."
Silence fell after her words.
"...Ha."
Breaking the quiet with a hollow laugh, Frey soon looked around at the servants and asked,
"Why?"
The woman, who had stepped forward as their representative, replied in a low voice.
"A few days ago, Lady Aria left the mansion."
Frey quietly bit his lip at that, while she continued softly.
"And so, we no longer have any reason to stay here."
With that, the gazes around them grew even colder. Those standing outside, glaring at Frey with frigid eyes, had been loyal retainers of Abraham—devoted followers who took in only the eternally pitiful and hired them as servants. They were also Aria's friends and subordinates, who had treated them kinder than anyone else.
Thus, they no longer wished to serve Frey, who committed outrageous villainy, stole away Abraham and Aria, and was actively tarnishing the Starlight family's honor in real time.
"So, do you have somewhere to go after leaving here?"
To them, Frey asked with a calm expression. On the surface, it sounded like concern, but to the servants, his words carried a very different meaning. He knew well that most had stayed only out of regard for Aria's face, but some truly had nowhere else to go and remained for that reason.
Though they had some skills, as lower-class folk despised by nobles—and now branded contract-breakers—where could they possibly go? It came off as mockery.
"Most of you here have families to support or sick loved ones. Even if you go out to the streets and do odd jobs, can you really feed and..."
"Don't worry about that."
As the usually timid maid standing before him boldly cut him off, Frey's expression twisted.
"We've received word from the Imperial Palace."
"...The Imperial Palace?"
"I don't know the details, but they want to scout us."
She gazed at Frey, whose face was stiffening, and continued.
"Of course, many of us want to serve at Lady Isolet's home where Lady Aria resides, but she can't take us all on by herself."
"........"
"Naturally, we'll take responsibility for the contract breach. As for the penalty fee..."
"...Forget it."
Interrupting her, Frey glanced at someone blended in among the servants.
"I said forget it."
Sensing the reason the Imperial Palace wanted to scout them as he looked at Lulu—pale-faced and clutching her belongings—Frey spoke calmly to them.
"No penalty fee."
"There will be no disadvantages or dishonor from the contract breach."
The servants began to falter in confusion. They had come here prepared to be beaten to death by Frey if need be.
"And your severance pay will be disbursed properly."
Gazing at the servants, Frey added one more thing.
"So, don't just leave without permission—sign out properly before you go."
Leaning his trembling hand on his cane and dragging his uncomfortable body, he slowly headed toward the mansion.
"What? Is he really on death's door?"
"...No way. It's probably a ploy to garner sympathy now that his image has tanked."
"But... I heard he hasn't even been attending academy classes lately..."
Watching Frey depart, the servants began murmuring about the recent rumors of his health.
Frey had always been frail, but now he looked on the verge of collapse. His lonely figure shuffling toward the mansion—devoid even of his usual venom—was plenty of fodder for gossip.
"That's beside the point. He's still trash."
"Yeah, pretending to be nice now changes nothing."
"Still... he looks kinda pitiful."
"Pfft, it's all an act, I tell you."
Of course, the conclusion was karmic retribution. Thanks to Ruby's shadowy maneuvers over the past few months, public opinion of Frey had worsened several times over. Eliciting sympathy was already a luxury he couldn't afford.
".....Eek."
Only Lulu, clutching her belongings to her chest, reacted fiercely to the "death's door" talk.
"Hm."
Thus, leaving the servants' frigid atmosphere unchanged from before, Frey reached the mansion's grand entrance.
"You all."
Glancing back briefly, he said,
"...You've worked hard all this time."
Then entered the mansion.
""..........""
Quite some time passed after that, but no one brought up the conversation again.
Why? Perhaps because his final words felt like the first glimpse of his true heart they'd ever seen. Or maybe, to those who had lived in the mansion for so long, they had caught a fleeting glimpse of the pure Frey from his childhood. Or perhaps it was simply that his last departing figure seemed so detached... and utterly lonely.
"L-Let's go."
"...Yes."
But the mansion doors were already closed, and they had already made their choice.
After another long stretch of time, only a chilly silence lingered in the Starlight family's courtyard.
"......."
Everyone except the girl who had been standing there with her head bowed, pale-faced—Lulu.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"...Eek."
Lulu, who had been standing motionless in the now-quite-chilly wind in the Starlight Mansion's courtyard, suddenly lifted her head.
The Starlight Mansion, now quite familiar to her, came into view. Excluding Sunrise Academy and the hazy memory of the home she'd lived in with her parents as a child, it was the place where she'd spent the longest time.
- Swish...
Gazing at the place, Lulu soon pulled something from her bosom.
"If this is real..."
It was an imperial seal enchanted with magic—one that even high nobles, let alone Frey himself, couldn't forge without consequences.
The first line of the letter inside the sealed envelope bore content she still couldn't quite believe.
We hereby officially appoint you as a member of the Hero's Party.
◈ Various benefits and privileges follow.
◈ Message from the current 'Hero' Ruby, known only to a select few:
"...And about that cake we ate together last time. It was really delicious... Oh, this isn't the time for that!"
"You are absolutely essential to our party! So please, join us!"
— To my dear best friend Lulu.
"I..."
- Whoosh...
"...You are someone we absolutely need in our party! So please, join us!"
"Eek..."
Re-reading the contents once more, she slowly turned her gaze to her shoulder.
"It's... almost gone now..."
The Misfortune Mark that had stained her shoulder so vividly was now so faded it was hard to distinguish without close inspection. No longer bringing even trivial misfortunes. No longer haunting her with nightmares.
"Hoo."
Averting her eyes from the mark she'd stabbed with a knife countless times out of loathing, Lulu let out a quiet sigh.
- Whiiiish...
The cold wind still swirled around her.
"Still... I should say goodbye..."
Thus, after staring at the mansion for a long while, Lulu slowly began to walk.
- Step, step.
Though every footprint headed toward the courtyard exit, hers alone created a trail toward the mansion entrance.
- Creeeak...
She slowly opened the firmly shut mansion door and stepped inside.
She passed through the desolate living room of the mansion, now emptied of all its servants.
She climbed the stairs that seemed even longer today.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Frey's room drawing ever closer.
- Knock knock knock.
"F-Frey... sir."
Finally at Frey's door, Lulu knocked and whispered softly.
"I-I've come to talk for a moment."
But no reply came.
"...Huh?"
Confused, she activated her Demon Eyes, but for some reason, she still couldn't peer into Frey's room, just as before.
"Hmm...?"
Looking troubled and glancing around, Lulu suddenly widened her eyes.
For some reason, Frey was not in his own room, but in another.
"O-Over there..."
Thus, turning toward that room, Lulu...
"Eh?"
Suddenly stopped in her tracks, mouth agape.
".......Ah."
A massive room that had never been opened before.
Inside that massive room, Frey quietly gazed at a photo hanging in the center.
A photo of his father and mother, his younger sister, and his child self—all gathered, smiling happily together.
"........."
Frey's back view—leaning unsteadily on his cane, staring blankly at the photo—looked so utterly forlorn and lonely.
"Hm?"
As Lulu blankly watched Frey through her Demon Eyes...
"...What is it."
Frey suddenly turned, eyes sharp.
- Flutter...!
Pulling a cord nearby to drop a curtain over the photo, Frey lifted his cane and headed coldly toward the exit.
"Lulu?"
The door opened before she could hide.
"Weren't you leaving?"
Lulu stared at Frey, who asked nonchalantly.
- Crunch...
Unknowingly, she crumpled the letter bearing the imperial seal in her hand.
Why? Wealth and honor, a chance to erase her horrific past life, a path to end her warped relationship with Frey—all right before her.
Why was she doing this?
"I'm not particularly interested in runaway pets."
As Frey spoke coldly amid her confusion, Lulu's eyes began to tremble.
His voice—frail as the rumors said, weakened to the extreme—shook her heart for some reason.
"Leave this place."
Stunned, watching him, Lulu saw Frey turn his back and command coldly as he exited the room.
"No longer do you have..."
"F-Frey sir!"
Unthinkingly squeezing her eyes shut.
"P-Pet..."
".....?"
She spoke in a trembling voice.
"Pet me..."
"What?"
Gazing at Frey, who began to look flustered.
"I-I, I..."
Feeling a mix of confused emotions and strange relief, Lulu fully crumpled the letter in her hand.
"...I'm your pet, aren't I?"
She finished in a low voice.
- Shaaa...
On her shoulder, a faint light was rising.