“…The warmth of the central regions was not bad, but for me, this icy cold air is more comfortable.”
Luciana stepped out of the carriage, stretching her arms upward.
Before her, a majestic stretch of pitch-black walls contrasted with her snow-white hair.
“It seems you felt suffocated.”
“Not moving my body much, that was inevitable. Unless the dress was comfortable, which is unlikely given the many decorations that hinder movement.”
Indeed.
Luciana, who had been diligently attending knight training in the North, usually wore a dress only when meeting other nobles, and preferred the knightly uniform for its ease of movement.
‘Either way, she looks beautiful.’
The dress accentuated her flowing silver hair and beautiful face, highlighting her elegance.
And the knightly uniform? It showcased her slender figure and exuded the noble aura of a knight, having an advantage in that regard.
“I will prepare a new uniform for you as soon as we arrive in the North.”
But she had seen enough of dresses at banquets.
Above all, there was no reason to force it on her if she did not wish it.
Moreover, the uniform had a kind of destructive power the dress lacked.
The surprise!
The neatly fitted uniform highlighted her figure.
Luciana’s neck, slightly exposed, carried a deeper charm compared to the more revealing dresses.
“Good. Once we return to the castle, perhaps we could spar?”
“I might have some pressing matters to attend to.”
“A joke, surely. Even in the central regions, you were not attending to me but were with your fiancée. Fulfill your duties as my servant this time.”
Her tone, slightly disappointed, pierced my heart.
My heart ached at my favorite’s sulking.
Between tackling dungeons and meeting with the thieves’ guild,
I had indeed been too busy to pay much attention to her during the banquet period.
‘But if it’s Luciana’s request, maybe I could make it work.’
As I was contemplating this,
my shadow suddenly rose and took form.
“Sorry, but Hans has a prior engagement with me.”
Bathory, with her arms crossed, stepped between me and Luciana.
“Behave as a maid should, know your place and do not rudely interrupt.”
“That won’t do. You intend to interfere with the precious time I and my kin will have.”
“What?”
The cold wind of the North brushed against my back.
‘This is bad.’
Though these two were always at odds, the intensity in their eyes today suggested this argument would not end easily.
Ignoring the glares directed at her, Bathory continued.
“Vampirism requires considerable stamina. I doubt Hans would have the stamina left to join your spar.”
“Vampirism? So, this demoness finally shows her true colors. I cannot leave Hans to be harmed by her.”
The atmosphere turned hostile in an instant, with Luciana looking ready to draw her sword at any moment. I had to intervene.
“Lady Luciana, please calm down. It was my suggestion.”
“What?”
“She cannot harm others in the North due to a contract, unless they volunteer, like me.”
Luciana’s eyebrows trembled slightly.
“Why would you do that? Giving your blood to a demon. It’s harmful to your body.”
“Ahaha… It’s because she saved my life. This is how I repay her.”
“That’s…”
Luciana glared at Bathory with disdain.
From her perspective, it seemed like a vampire taking advantage of a servant’s difficult situation.
In reality, though.
Not only was my life truly saved, but after being heavily exploited in the capital, I agreed to give my blood as compensation.
‘Bathory did align well with me in the central regions.’
I had exploited her noble pride, her escort services, even dungeon crawling, and through threats.
To use her like this and then just brush it off?
-I treated you as a valued kin, helped you, yet feel a bit let down…
The image of an offended Bathory involuntarily formed in my mind.
‘Besides, Bathory wouldn’t drain my life.’
If a vampire’s kin dies, the vampire suffers severe, incapacitating injuries.
It’s a safety mechanism.
If a few drops of my blood can motivate Bathory’s labor, it’s a beneficial deal.
“There’s no need for you to take risks unnecessarily. After all, she’s a demon. Just ignore her…”
“Gratitude doubled, vengeance tenfold.”
The furrow in Luciana’s brow vanished in an instant.
-Gratitude doubled, vengeance tenfold, that’s the motto of Speda. Saint, engrave my vengeance deep in your heart and live in regret.
Even in the game, before the final duel, she passionately proclaimed this.
Her family’s honor was of absolute value to her.
I lowered my eyes and calmly spoke.
“I am simply following my duties as a servant.”
Mentioning the spirit of her house, she lost her words and remained silent.
The sparring was canceled. “I have no intention of forcing my loyal subordinate into hardship.”
After a while, she muttered softly, still not softening her harsh gaze toward Bathory.
“If you understand, then leave. I have no time to give you that belongs to Hans.”
“But I’m still concerned. It seems I must oversee this myself.”
‘…Oh dear.’
Just when I thought the issue was resolved, it escalated further.
Bathory’s attempt to dismiss the situation froze immediately.
“Are you talking about the blood-drinking?”
“You might harm my loyal servant. I will supervise. Do you have any objections?”
“You lack manners. Were you taught to stare at someone while they eat?”
With those words, Luciana’s discomfort was palpable, and magic rippled through the air, though its strength was notably weak due to the restrictions in the North.
The ‘do no harm’ clause of the contract was the only reason this display was possible.
The situation was escalating towards conflict, so I stepped between them.
“Bathory, please stop provoking. You can’t even engage in a fair fight now because of the contract.”
“……”
“And even at your best, you never won against the lady.”
“Ugh. Shut it. Whose side are you on, anyway?”
Whose side?
In the game, as here, my favorite has always been one.
“Of course, I’m on Lady Luciana’s side. I am a servant of the Speda family.”
“Truly clueless,” Bathory muttered, clearly disappointed and slumping her shoulders.
Meanwhile, Luciana’s lips curved slightly upwards.
“Don’t worry. I will give you the blood as promised.”
“Do you think that’s what this is about? You really… Go then, see to the descendant of warriors you’re so fond of not refusing.”
With a grimace, Bathory vanished back into my shadow.
I reprimanded her in front of Luciana, making sure she saw.
“When we arrive at the duke’s estate, you must work properly.”
Bathory remained silent within the shadow, and I shrugged my shoulders, turning back to Luciana.
“Let’s go then. The duke is probably waiting.”
“Indeed. But… It seems you’ve grown quite close to a demon without my knowing.”
She looked at my shadow with disdain, then smoothed her expression.
“Don’t get too close to demons. I’m worried you might get caught up in bad rumors.”
Her voice carried a hint of concern for me, suggesting a closeness beyond a mere servant and master relationship.
But what does it matter?
Regardless of her worries,
It might be too late anyway.
After stirring up trouble with Bathory in the central region’s thieves’ guild, even if everyone involved wore robes,
The rumors would have spread far and wide, especially after curing the guild leader’s chronic illness.
‘It would be more disappointing if our antics didn’t spread.’
The rumor of a servant in the North commanding a demon,
And that demon being subdued by the Northern lady.
It was the perfect story to pique the curiosity of the gossipmongers.
But their interest is none of my concern.
“No matter what the world says, my only duty is to serve Lady Luciana.”
Securing a position close to my favorite character. What job could be more satisfying than that?
“Ahem. Is that so?”
After coughing repeatedly, she turned her face away from mine.
“Lady Luciana? Shall I guide you…”
“I need to greet my father first, so go ahead. You report to the chief steward and get some rest.”
“What about the sparring?”
“As I said before, I have no intention of pushing you. So, that’s that.”
Luciana walked away quickly, an urgency in her steps.
I just watched her silver hair recede into the distance, lost in thought.
***
“Suddenly, I find myself with free time.”
Luciana, who had proposed sparring, briefly visited the duke’s room and then entered her own, showing no signs of coming out.
“Bathory? You need to eat. Come out now. You can’t just abandon your maid duties; that would be neglecting your responsibilities.”
Just as sulky, Bathory wouldn’t even come out of the shadow, let alone engage in conversation.
-Growl.
So, all I had was Friede, tugging at my hem, begging for food.
-Whine, whine.
I felt sorry for him scratching endlessly at his owner’s door, so I brought him with me.
He was offloading his greed for food and his moodiness on me simultaneously.
“Let go, you. Can’t tell if you’re a wolf or a pig.”
-Growl!
“I already fed you monster meat. What do you want now?”
Cleverly, he managed to open my door with his front paws.
-Growl!
Then, as if to say “follow me,” he turned his head toward me and barked.
-Oh boy. “To think a wolf’s life could be so grand.”
Not that I had a pet dog… but I enjoyed watching related videos that came up on my algorithm.
Understanding his insistence on leading me outside, I asked, “Want to go for a walk?”
-Bark!
His tail wagging energetically to both sides confirmed my guess, and I followed the eagerly barking Friede.
“Fine, since I’ve got nothing else to do. Let’s go for a walk and patrol a bit.”
-Step.
Following the animal tracks in the snow, we walked slowly.
‘I think I understand how Luciana feels.’
The white snowscape of the North.
And the cold wind blowing against my face.
It was peaceful, far from the bustling and noisy central regions, perfect for clearing my thoughts and walking.
“I really shouldn’t have the time for this.”
Somehow, I had managed to prevent the early union between the saint and the crown prince.
It was merely a temporary measure. The real challenge would start with the academy enrollment that was not far off.
“The Imperial Year 1195… That’s next year when the academy enrollment begins. I need to plan.”
Pairing the saint with another male lead. Separating Luciana from the crown prince. And making the crown prince take the blame first…
All essential conditions to prevent Luciana from facing a bad ending. But…
“Each one is quite demanding.”
Providing the saint with an alternative to the crown prince wasn’t too difficult. After all, despite wearing the guise of an RPG, its essence was a dating sim game. There were plenty of male leads to choose from for her.
The problem was the crown prince.
“Power really is the ultimate law.”
His status alone imposed too many restrictions. Luciana’s family would never dissolve the engagement first, to avoid bringing shame upon themselves.
The issue was that the crown prince, who also cared about dignity, felt the same.
That led to the worst catastrophe. Love for love, engagement for engagement, until an enraged Luciana couldn’t bear ‘an attack on the crown prince’s woman.
“Should I just let that happen?”
No need to rush. I had a rough plan; I could experiment with specific strategies once I enrolled in the academy.
My plan was to stir up enough commotion to make my name known, thereby widening my sphere of influence.
‘The most effective thing was volunteering for a duel of honor on Luciana’s behalf at a social gathering.’
Indeed. Among the nobles of this age, tales of servants or knights willing to risk their lives for their lords were popular.
-Bark! Bark!
Lost in thought, Friede pulled me back to reality.
“What’s up? Since when do you wait for me?”
It was unlike him to just wander around, stirring up places as he pleased.
-Growl…
My hem seemed like it would stretch and tear from his pulling.
“Alright, I get it. Let’s go. You’ll stretch my hem too much.”
Following the lead of the eager guide, I arrived at an unexpected scene.
“…”
A white-haired man lay on the ground, bleeding from his head. His face was all too familiar.
“Leave it to me! I’m confident in tasks requiring strength!”
Of course, he was one of the main male leads in the game, popular among players.
“Why is he here?”
I never expected to find him like this, on the verge of death.
Cliche Novel 