Jealousy
“Then how about I confess to the lord first? That'd be fine, right?”
I blinked at Lur's words. It was such an unexpected topic that my mind went blank.
“W-what? What do you mean by...”
“A guy like the lord is the total package, isn't he? Rich, high status, handsome. One of those would be great, but all three? No contest.”
“You... you've fallen for the lord?”
“Oh come on~ You're so good at your job, Tavi, but way too pure sometimes~”
Lur shook her head side to side like she was exasperated.
“What era do you think this is? Nobody marries for love anymore. You snag a good, single guy with great prospects and lock him down.”
“Uh, um. Hmm?”
“Getting a man like the lord with just one pregnancy play? Jackpot. He seems responsible from how he handles work.”
“......”
Tavi's lips twitched, but she held back her words. It wasn't that she had some strong objection to that mindset. Noble arranged marriages worked the same way, after all. She couldn't endorse it as a woman—or as a human being—but...
She had no right to stop Lur from confessing. Who was she to restrict someone else's actions? Getting rejected would be Lur's problem. And Ian would obviously turn her down anyway. He was completely focused on territory affairs. No way he'd give in to a momentary impulse and pick some woman.
'Poor Lur, but it's a lost cause.'
So there was no need for Tavi to step in. She could just flash a sympathetic smile, pretend she hadn't heard, and move on. Whether Lur confessed to the lord or not, it wasn't her business.
“No.”
That was what she thought, but her mouth moved on its own.
“Don't. As his aide, I can't tolerate you trying to use the lord like that.”
“Hng~”
“These are troubled times. With gates throwing the whole country into chaos, a sudden marriage like that would only harm the territory.”
Lur eyed Tavi with narrowed eyes, as if she'd expected that response—or as if it didn't matter anyway.
“Ahh~ You're no fun, as always. I befriended you thinking you'd be useful somewhere, but you're so rigid and by-the-book. Useless.”
“What? You little—ghk?!”
Suddenly, Tavi's legs buckled. A numbing chill started at her toes and crept up her body, melting away all sensation. She grabbed a tree to steady herself, but her body collapsed with a thud.
“Ugh... haa...! What... is this...”
Her breath came in ragged gasps, heat and sweat flooding her. Her head spun like she had motion sickness. Her leg muscles were completely numb, as if she'd been poisoned...
“Phew. Guess the poison's finally spread through your body.”
“Lur...? Kghk!”
Before she could process it, Lur's foot slammed into her stomach. All the air burst from her lungs, and Tavi crumpled to the ground.
“A-ah...”
Pain exploded in her abdomen, folding her body in half. Instinctively, she clutched her belly and writhed.
She knew she had to fight back or run, but her body wouldn't respond.
“Did I dose you just right so you wouldn't die? The effect's coming on way too slow.”
“This... you...?”
Suddenly, Tavi remembered Lur insisting on cooking earlier. She'd bragged about her skills, but what had she done to the food in that moment?
“Why...?”
“What else motivates an adventurer but money?”
Lur grinned down at the fallen Tavi.
“I was gonna take you out at first, but I changed my mind. The territory's got a ton of cash stockpiled, right? Snag that and bolt—sounds perfect.”
“You think... you'll get away with this?”
“Heh heh! Like you said, the world's in chaos because of gates. Who'd investigate a missing safe from some rural backwater?”
“Disgustingly simple and shallow thinking.”
This wasn't just any noble—it was the lord himself. Did she really think she could handle the fallout?
“You don't even know where the safe is.”
“True. But I know someone who does.”
Crack!
“Kyaaaaah!”
Lur's foot crushed Tavi's hand.
“You're smart, so you know what I want. Spill it quick, and there won't be any more pain.”
“Ngh... grrrgh...!”
“Don't expect the lord to come save you. He's probably poisoned and helpless, just like you.”
“Aaaah!”
The foot ground her hand into the dirt.
“Ugh! Grk!”
“Aw, crying already? Didn't think you had tears in you.”
Agonizing pain rang through her brain. Fear made her legs and back tremble. Her hand felt like it would snap any second under the crushing pressure. Terror and torment tore her mind apart.
Even the ever-cool Tavi shed tears and quaked in fear—the brutality of pain was brutally honest.
“Too much for our precious aide? Just tell me the safe's location and be done with it.”
“......”
“Oh? Ignoring me now? You still think I'm some groveling adventurer under you?”
“Aaaah!”
Lur pressed down harder with a venomous smile.
“You'll piss yourself at this rate. You're gonna talk anyway—might as well before it gets worse.”
“Grrrgh! Hng!”
“Just one sentence. Safe location and how to open it. That's all. Save yourself first.”
Lur whispered persuasively. The mind-numbing pain and overwhelming dread were temptations like a serpent's tongue—impossible to shake.
“And I told you—you're poisoned. Without my antidote, you won't last five minutes.”
“!!”
“Not a quick death, either. You'll bleed from your eyes and nose, writhing in agony.”
She dangled the antidote vial tauntingly.
“The lord's just some wastrel from way back. You think he'd go that far for you? Spill it and get relief.”
Tears streamed endlessly from Tavi's eyes. Her terrified gaze flicked between her hand and the antidote.
“Uh, ugh...”
The only way out of this pain. The choice was obvious.
“...No.”
“What...?”
“I won't... tell a bitch like you.”
Sobbing, body shaking like a leaf, but the words came out defiant. Lur laughed in disbelief.
“Ha! Yeah, that's my Tavi. That's why I hate you. Acting all high and mighty! Pure! When you're just sucking up to lords to survive like the rest of us! Same lowly commoner, but you act superior!”
Her face twisted ugly—not cold calculation, but raw, ugly jealousy.
“You think I want to fawn over men? Sell my body to nobles? Trash like us has no choice but to climb that way!”
More precisely, an inferiority complex.
“It should have been like that—I know it was! But suddenly you're the lord's right hand, executing the nobles I was shaking my ass for. Ha! What's the difference? Why am I the crawling adventurer and you're the aide? You that special!?”
To Lur's half-raged rant, Tavi replied in a trembling voice.
“At least I... don't sell out my friends for money.”
Tavi's voice shook, but her eyes pierced Lur's pathetic pride.
Lur's mocking grin vanished, replaced by chilling killing intent. More than the safe or money... she just wanted to crush those noble eyes.
“...Fine. Let's see if you say that after both your fingers break.”
She raised her foot again. Tavi squeezed her eyes shut. If she couldn't take it, she'd bite her tongue...!
Thud!
A dull impact rang in her ears. Had it hit that hard? No pain—maybe in fury, Lur had stomped her head and killed her outright.
“Tavi. You okay?”
“Ah...?”
Tavi cautiously opened her eyes. Lur was gone from her feet. Instead, standing protectively in front of her was the most reliable man in the world—the lord she trusted more than anyone.
“Ian... Lord...”
“Rest easy now. You're safe.”
“How did you...”
Shing!
A dagger flew from afar. Ian caught it effortlessly without even looking.
“What the—you! How are you even here?!”
Lur staggered up, covered in dirt and grass.
“You ate the food! You should still be paralyzed...!”
“I never trust empty-headed types like you.”
“What!?”
Ignoring Lur's shock, Ian handed Tavi a small vial.
“Tavi, take this for now.”
“This is...?”
“Her antidote. Poison users always carry the real deal—they're scared of getting dosed themselves.”
Lur patted herself down in panic.
“W-when did you...!”
“If not for this antidote, you'd be dead from that attack.”
“Urgh...!”
Grinding her teeth, Lur drew her dagger.
“Hmph! Things got messy, but the outcome won't change. I'm a pro adventurer. You were better off poisoned...”
Crack!
Before she finished, Ian's fist sliced the air. It smashed her face dead-on, sending blood spraying as she reeled.
“Uh, ah...?”
For a young master, his punch felt like a boulder. And so fast—she hadn't even seen it coming. The combo made her head spin.
“Hold on... time out...”
Thwack!
She didn't even feel the next hit. When she came to, she was face-down on the ground.
“Guh! Blegh... kerrgh!”
Head trauma? Or just one-shot to near-death? Her body twitched like a dying worm, unable to rise.
'What... what is this? Never heard the lord was a monster...'
She'd heard rumors—he'd slain beasts, wiped out crime syndicates. But Lur figured they were fake, propaganda. Nobles claiming knights' feats as their own.
But this attack was real. Two hits, and she hadn't even drawn her weapon.
“We're already short-staffed, and you dare touch my secretary?”
“Urk!”
Ian grabbed Lur's hair and yanked her up.
'What... is this guy really the lord?'
What rural young master had a face like he'd killed before? Cold enough to murder without blinking. Hard to believe it was the same friendly guy Tavi knew.
“Uh, ugh...”
Lur's teeth chattered. The deathly terror she'd felt as an adventurer crept over her.
'G-gotta survive somehow...'
As she tried to force her trembling mouth to move, Ian drew his sword without hesitation.
“Eek! W-wait! Don't kill me! Please! Mercy!”
“Why should I?”
“Aren't you curious? Who... who sent me to kill you! I'm not just some hire—their clue...”
“Black wings tattoo on your body, right.”
“Huh?”
Lur's body jerked.
“H-how do you know?”
“Why do romance-fantasy villains always tattoo themselves like idiots? Advertising their gang affiliation?”
Lur's eyes shook wildly. Useless as an informant, she was done for.
“I sized you up the second I saw you. You're no pro assassin from them. At best, outsourced scum.”
“W-wait! Please! I beg you!”
“They wouldn't leave clues for freelance adventurers like you.”
The cold blade rose. No hesitation in Ian's hand or face—just annoyance at handling trash.
This man... doesn't even see me as human!
“I'll do anything! Fuck me if you want! I'm good... nobles praised me...!”
Slash!
Ian swung without mercy.
“I don't trust traitors.”
Her signature pink hair rolled across the ground.