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Chapter 09………………………………………………………………………
“…….”
At Rubelia’s overly confident words, Jerden was momentarily at a loss for words.
She was Rubelia, after all. If one became friends with her, it was only natural that they would become Rubelia’s friend as well.
“……I was just joking for a second. Haha.”
Seeing Jerden’s silence, Rubelia forced an awkward smile.
She needed to come up with a reason by thinking quickly, but her brain felt frozen from the bitter taste of tea she had just experienced.
Wasn’t this the first step in stopping Jerden’s rebellion?
“Hmm, just a moment.”
Rubelia crossed her arms and closed her eyes, lost in thought.
At that sight, Jerden let out a small chuckle. Then he quietly waited for her to finish thinking.
“Alright, I’ve got it now.”
Rubelia opened her eyes brightly and said with a satisfied expression.
“Go on.”
“If you’re with me, you’ll never be bored.”
“That does sound likely.”
Even up until now, when he was with her, there hadn’t been even a moment of boredom or dullness.
Jerden agreed.
“And I’ll buy you lots of delicious food.”
“The ducal house already has plenty of money.”
“But still, it’s different when someone else buys it versus when you buy it yourself.”
With an expression that said he knew nothing, Rubelia wagged her index finger side to side.
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“And I’ll treat you really well.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Treat me well,” huh.
Jerden tilted his head slightly.
“Lastly, if you become my friend, I’ll always be on Your Grace the Grand Duke’s side.”
Rubelia said with a suddenly serious expression.
She had been speaking somewhat casually, but in truth, even she wasn’t sure what would make Jerden agree to become her friend.
So she had thrown out a few reasons that seemed good enough.
But this last reason was different. It was something she had truly wished for until now.
Whether friend or family, Rubelia had always longed for someone who would be on her side—someone she could lean on and rely upon at any time.
Someone in front of whom she wouldn’t have to worry, “What if they think of me like this?”
But finding such a person had not been easy.
Because Rubelia had always been alone, she had longed for it desperately—but had never met even one person like that.
Everyone eventually turned away the moment things became unfavorable for them, or when there was nothing left for them to gain.
At the very moment she needed them most, they would become strangers.
“…Can you be confident in that?”
Jerden, who had been indifferent to everything else, asked in a lowered voice at those last words.
“Yes. I will. That’s what I think a friend is.”
“It’s better not to make such firm declarations so easily.”
Nothing in the world lasted forever, and when one’s own safety was at risk, nothing else mattered. So even if she said she would be on his side, if a situation arose where she would be harmed because of it, she would eventually turn away.
“I’m not saying it lightly. At least, that’s what I think a friend is—and I keep my promises.”
“Is that so.”
Jerden looked at Rubelia quietly. Yet there was a faint ripple in his gaze.
“Of course, if Your Grace does something truly absurdly horrible, or something extremely, extremely evil, then… I might not be able to stay on Your Grace’s side. But I won’t just blindly point fingers like others without knowing anything or turn my back. At the very least, I’ll think about it. Why did Your Grace do it? Why did it have to be done?”
Unlike her usual bright and light demeanor, Rubelia now looked deeply serious. Jerden simply watched her in silence.
“So unless you’re doing something ridiculously, disgustingly awful, I’ll be on your side no matter what you do. Even if you were to dance naked in the city.”
“…That would never happen in the first place.”
“That just shows how strong my resolve is.”
Rubelia smiled brightly, her expression relaxed once more.
Even if she had approached Jerden for her own purpose, she had no intention of treating the word “friend” lightly.
Whatever the reason, since she had decided to become friends with Jerden, she intended to genuinely give it her all and become a true friend to him.
And in truth, the Jerden she had met was different from what she had imagined—not a bad person at all. Even if he acted like he was bothered, he ultimately listened and showed consideration.
“I’ll think about it.”
Jerden, who had been looking only at Rubelia, said.
“Huh? Not ‘I’ll be friends,’ but ‘I’ll think about it’?”
Rubelia looked shocked, as if asking how he could say something like that.
But Jerden said nothing. It was true that her words had shaken him. The sincerity within them was something even a dull person couldn’t help but feel.
So he thought it might be fine to become friends with her. And yet, the reason he didn’t immediately say he would was… he himself wasn’t entirely sure.
He simply wanted to leave a little room open. What direction that “room” would take, even he didn’t know.
“Alright. Then let’s call it provisional friends.”
“That sounds acceptable.”
Jerden nodded readily.
“Then, Your Grace, I look forward to working with you.”
Even if it wasn’t an official friendship yet, just this much was already progress.
“Before that.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t like the title ‘Your Grace the Grand Duke’ between provisional friends.”
“Got it, Jerden!”
Rubelia boldly called his name.
Jerden was instead taken aback by how she called him without even the slightest hesitation. Of course, he had intended to tell her to call him by name. If she felt uncomfortable, she could add an honorific like “-nim,” or even just use his surname.
That’s what most people did.
As expected, Rubelia was a truly peculiar woman.
“Jerden, you can also just call me by my name instead of ‘young lady.’”
“Very well, Rubelia.”
Jerden looked at her with a rare, gentle smile.
Rubelia was enjoying a rather refreshing day for once.
Not only had there been some progress in stopping Jerden’s rebellion yesterday, but today, the bothersome Aria and Hasedian had not come to visit.
Since they had come two days in a row before that, they likely wouldn’t be able to come to the count’s house this week even if they wanted to.
That was the agreement with the count.
“Ah, what a happy day this is.”
It had been a long time since she had felt this relaxed, Rubelia thought in high spirits.
Today, she planned to do absolutely nothing.
She felt like her brain had overheated from all the thinking and worrying lately.
So she had truly done nothing—staring blankly into space, rolling around on her bed, and eating meals when the time came.
Then suddenly, she frowned at an unpleasant feeling.
“What is this?”
It felt like someone was about to jump out from somewhere and hit her on the back of the head.
“No, it’s worse than that.”
Yes, it felt like she would end up marrying Hasedian and giving birth to a daughter like Aria.
In other words, an extremely terrible feeling.
“Tch, I was planning to rest today.”
With that worst possible premonition and the sensation of an alarm going off in her mind, Rubelia slowly got up from her bed.
She didn’t know where she was supposed to go or what she was supposed to do, but she felt she had to go.
The sensation was impossible to ignore.
Jerden was busy tracking a group of dangerous criminals who had entered the capital.
Since they had the audacity to come into the capital itself, their ability to hide was exceptional.
But after a persistent pursuit, Jerden finally discovered their hideout. It was a building at the end of a deserted alley.
“Who’s there!”
As Jerden entered, the men who had been talking among themselves shouted in alert voices. They had already drawn their weapons and assumed combat stances.
“Filthy rats do choose convenient places.”
As soon as he entered, Jerden frowned at the damp smell and dust in the air.
“……”
The men looked enraged at his words, but none of them rushed at him recklessly.
Especially the pressure emanating from Jerden kept them completely immobilized.
“Perfect timing.”
Jerden said coldly, staring at them.
Today, Jerden’s condition was unusually poor. The nightmares that usually tormented him had been even more persistent than usual.
On top of that, he had barely slept more than two hours a day for several days due to those nightmares, and the accumulated fatigue had built up heavily.
Along with that, his irritability had sharpened considerably.
Jerden looked at the men who were unconsciously stepping backward, then drew his sword without hesitation.
There was no reason to talk with criminals anyway.
And no one would question the bloodshed that occurred during arrest.
Jerden swung his sword, and two men collapsed instantly. Another rushed at him, but it was meaningless—like a moth flying into a flame, he fell just as easily.
“Is that all?”
In less than five minutes, Jerden had taken down nearly ten men. He let out a chilling smile.
His gaze on the blood dripping from his blade was utterly calm.
‘Still feels insufficient.’
Every time he saw blood, he felt that inexplicable thirst again, and he frowned.
He wanted to see more blood.
But Jerden forcibly suppressed the urge.
‘Is there more?’
He scanned the building in case anyone remained, but there was no presence left.
Now he just needed to call the guard knights to take them away.
As Jerden walked out of the building and down the alley, a hidden figure behind him moved. It was an accomplice of the men who had just gone out and returned late.
The man drew a poisoned dagger from his coat and lunged at Jerden. But for some reason, Jerden stood still, not even attempting to block the attack.
Overcome by sudden fatigue, he had failed to notice the attack in time.
With a sharp pain in his head, Jerden felt his consciousness blur.
His body was already swaying as if drunk.
In that moment, the assassin had already reached directly behind him. Just as the dagger was about to be plunged into Jerden’s back…
