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Josh wore a complicated expression before speaking.
He remembered what the butler had told him the previous day.
“Lieutenant, it seems the master has been having trouble sleeping lately.”
Since Josh had already noticed a shadow around Calix’s eyes recently, he couldn’t help but be concerned.
“Why is that, Butler?”
“He keeps waking up at night and seems to just stand on the top floor, staring blankly.”
“In that room… again?”
“It seems he’s having nightmares every night.”
“He was fine for a while… since when has this been happening?”
“Well… it seems to have gotten worse recently, but there wasn’t any particular trigger.”
The butler tilted his head and added, just in case:
“Could it possibly be because of that chair?”
“The rocking chair?”
“Yes… It’s not that he’s having worse nightmares because the chair is gone, but I feel guilty anyway. It seems like this poor old man is at fault.”
It seemed the chair was supposed to be a gift from Mari to Calix.
But perhaps because of being busy, it had been forgotten.
If that chair could help even a little with the master’s nightmares, it needed to be returned as soon as possible.
‘Before finding another mansion to destroy.’
“Oh my, I’m sorry. I’ve been postponing it under the excuse of being busy!”
Mari gladly agreed when Josh suggested sending the rocking chair as quickly as possible.
“But… wouldn’t it be better to buy a new chair as a gift?”
Mari asked.
“It feels odd to give secondhand furniture to a duke…”
“No! Absolutely not!”
Only then did Josh realize that Mari and Calix hadn’t discussed the chair at all.
“Actually… on the day we visited the White House for the second time, we came specifically for that rocking chair.”
“What… do you mean?”
“Ah, well…”
He wondered if he was speaking unnecessarily. Perhaps his master didn’t want to have such a direct conversation. That might explain why he hadn’t mentioned the purpose of the visit in the first place.
‘She spent lavishly on clothes and jewels at the dress shop, yet she couldn’t even remind me about a single chair.’
It had been almost six years since he met Calix, just after the fire incident.
Though a noble, Josh had neither a family to carefully manage his inheritance nor one to look after him. His dexterity and intelligence were excellent, but his physical strength was comparatively low. He had been earning money through jobs requested by the Information Guild.
Then one day, when he fell into a trap and faced certain death, Calix saved his life.
At the time, Calix had lost all his possessions except the dukedom due to a fire and a swindle. Hiding his identity, he had become a mercenary and fought in foreign wars to earn money.
“Will you be my man?”
When Calix asked, Josh didn’t hesitate. To him, Calix was like an unshakable old tree in any situation.
With iron-like mental strength and rock-like physical endurance, Calix earned great rewards from war, invested them, and rapidly increased his wealth.
Watching Calix purchase territories and regain wealth and power surpassing the former ducal family had been immensely enjoyable.
‘Then why can’t he even talk properly about a single chair?’
Josh had never seen his master act like this.
‘Since I’ve served him, he hasn’t associated with noble ladies at all.’
He also remembered how Calix hesitated to enter the Ludic store. Only after hearing Josh’s exaggerated encouragement did he reluctantly step inside.
‘Yes, it’s fine to say this much.’
Josh didn’t think the White House lady would underestimate or misunderstand his master over something like this.
“Originally, that chair was from Cliff Castle.”
“Oh my!”
Mari covered her mouth in surprise.
“It was a chair the master treasured, but a new servant accidentally threw it away. Somehow, it ended up in the hands of a secondhand furniture dealer.”
‘Such a simple story… why couldn’t he just say this?’
Josh clicked his tongue to himself, unsure if it was for the servant’s mistake or his master.
“Ah… I see now…”
Mari finally understood why Calix had glanced at the rocking chair during their first meeting. She had once thought he looked like a customer coming to buy it, but perhaps reclaiming the chair had always been his goal.
“I had assumed you two came because of my request…”
And yet, he had gone all that way just for a single chair. The wood was high-quality, though the craftsmanship was not professional.
‘Was the chair really that important?’
The next day.
At the White House entrance.
Feeling perhaps guilty for urging them, Josh returned to the White House the next day.
“Josh, you’re here again?”
“Yes. I’ll escort the chair’s delivery.”
When Josh arrived, Dwayne tied the rocking chair, wrapped in cloth, to the carriage roof.
“Milady! Did you sleep well?”
Tama, short and quick-moving despite her age, ran forward with her pigtails flying.
“Ah, Tama, did you sleep well?”
Mari smiled and greeted her, and Tama laughed heartily.
“Of course! How could I sleep poorly in such a nice house? Please take care of me while I’m here!”
“I’ll take care of you too, Tama. Make yourself comfortable.”
After greeting Mari, Tama immediately scolded Dwayne.
“Oh, your hands are so slow! Tsk, tsk.”
“Uh…”
“Why do you always eat double portions at meals, plus snacks, and still move so slowly?”
“I, I…”
“Even after eating like that, you’re weak? Shall I make a potion to speed up your hands?”
“Tama, stop now. He’s trying his best.”
Whenever Tama saw Dwayne, she fussed over him. Yet, the clumsy Dwayne could not reply.
“Ah, Milady, you’re too kind. Even though his hands are slow, you watch patiently.”
“I’m not patient. Dwayne is honest and diligent.”
“Honest?”
Tama snorted.
“You don’t even know. He steals food from the kitchen every day!”
“What? Was food insufficient?”
“If my portion isn’t enough, he doesn’t tell me! He just sneaks food every night!”
Hearing this, Dwayne looked sullen but continued securing the chair without excuse.
Mari stepped in.
“Don’t be so harsh, Tama. Dwayne is still growing. Let him eat as he likes.”
Dwayne bowed gratefully to Mari.
“Ah, Milady, you’re too gentle with those below you!”
Tama shook her head and went inside.
Shortly after, the chair was secured to the carriage.
“Milady… it’s done…”
“Good work. Let’s depart immediately.”
Mari climbed into the carriage. Dwayne took the escort seat, and the guard rode behind.
“Let’s go.”
Josh rode ahead on his horse.
About an hour later.
The sound of two horses and a carriage echoed through a quiet forest path.
Suddenly, the sound of many more horses clattering reached them, shaking the ground.
“Huh? Who’s coming from behind?”
Josh looked back.
In the distance, white dust rose as a dozen masked attackers rode toward them.
Feeling uneasy, Josh moved closer to the carriage.
“Dwayne, speed up.”
“Eh…?”
“Suspicious people are chasing us.”
“Yes…”
Slap—
Dwayne cracked the whip, urging the horses faster.
Clatter-clatter—
The attackers shouted from behind.
“They’re escaping! Don’t let her get away! Capture the woman!”
“Go!”
“Heah!”
Dozens pursued the carriage, screaming.
Josh drew his sword.
“Dwayne! Full speed!”
“Yes…”
Dwayne whipped the horses again.
He glanced back.
“Bandits? On such a quiet road?”
Though not yet in Bloodstone territory, this area was usually peaceful. Yet so many bandits were hiding here?
“Milady! It’s a bandit group! Hold the side handles tight!”
“Yes, understood!”
The voice of the bandit leader rang out.
“Stop there! You lot!”
“Stop! Where do you think you’re running?”
The followers echoed the command.
‘Their attire is decent… Are they hired by someone?’
The men were well-built, their horses well-fed, like knights of a noble house. Their faces covered with masks and hats, their identities were unrecognizable.
‘Wait… they said to capture the woman!’
That meant they were after the White House lady inside the carriage.
‘Are they connected to the ambush in the Ranid slums?’
Cliff Castle
The sound of polished shoes echoed down the hallway.
“Where’s Josh?”
Calix asked the butler as he left the office.
“Lieutenant has gone to the White House, sir.”
The butler hesitated.
“To the White House… again?”
“Yes… it’s just that…”
Being honest, the butler could not hide what he knew from his master.
Calix raised one eyebrow, sensing something.
“Did something happen?”
“No, master. Lieutenant went to retrieve the rocking chair.”
“The rocking chair?”
Calix stopped walking.
“Yes. He went to find out why the chair delivery was delayed to the White House lady…”
“…a pointless task.”
“My apologies.”
“…Understood. I’ll go out for a while.”
“Yes, sir! Please go, master.”
The butler nodded vigorously, seeing him off.
Calix mounted his black horse and left Cliff Castle without a word.
He let the wind blow through his black hair, enjoying it. As the horse’s speed increased, he crouched low and urged it onward.
‘The rocking chair… so that’s why I had that dream last night…’
Since Josh was not driving the carriage, it would be loaded onto the White House carriage.
He turned his horse toward the White House count’s estate.
