Chapter 459 – Shiba’s First Companion (2)

The day had surrendered to an unusually early night.

“Mr. Wieden?”
“Yes?”
“I wish to discuss matters pertaining to the garden, might you spare me a moment of your time?”

Camellia, the maid who was perpetually in the company of the child, approached me.

“Time? Well…”

I deliberately stretched my words, my gaze, imbued with magical energy, scrutinizing Camellia’s physique. There was no armor visible on her body.

“I fear my assistant won’t be available. There’s an urgent matter at hand.”
“Your presence alone will suffice, Mr. Wieden.”

As Camellia stepped closer, posing her question with an undeniable force, I found myself nodding in acquiescence, given the circumstances. Regardless of Camellia’s decent treatment, rank remains rank. It was necessary to accord time even outside professional engagements.

“Of course.”

What could her intentions be?

Feigning ignorance, I trailed behind her. Camellia, still dressed in her maid’s attire, guided us towards the mansion’s exterior.

“Kindly board here.”
“What exactly is transpiring?”
“We are reviewing your employment conditions and adjusting your wages. From my conversations with other gardeners and maids, it seems you have been offering considerable assistance beyond your job description.”
“Is my salary being reduced?”
“No, strictly speaking, we aim to modify the contract allowing for better terms of service.”

We embarked on a long, black vehicle and steered out of town for approximately twenty minutes.

‘Better terms,’ I pondered.

Could this be a trap?
When only promising words are spoken, suspicion is inevitable, especially when Camellia is involved, considering she had detected my transformation. The identity I assumed was an agent of Flower. After he successfully passed the interview, I infiltrated the mansion in disguise. From our first encounter, Camellia quickly discerned the discrepancies in my appearance before and after the disguise.

‘I’m uncertain whether she’s still harboring doubts or if she’s entirely convinced.’

– Whoo! – Whoo.

The car veered into a rather desolate area, making it more likely that her conviction outweighs any doubts.

“Please disembark.”

– Thud.

“Where are we?”
“This is where the master resides. Given the master’s ill health, I had no choice but to bring you here.”

A blatant lie.

I subtly cast a faint spell, ensuring she wouldn’t detect it, and instantaneously assessed the spatial layout of the building before us.

Where could Camellia be?

‘She’s not here.’

I was convinced right then. There was no necessity to partake in psychological warfare or to discern the truth from the lies. She doubted me.

– Whii-ing.

The door swung open and I ventured inside the edifice.
In the far-right corner, before the door of the conference room, stood Melia, her head bowed in deference as she facilitated my entrance.

“…Is it necessary for a head maid to bow to a mere gardener?”
“Even the master exercises courtesy, why should I not?”
“A rather decent retort.”
“Please, enter.”

Without affording me the chance to grasp the door handle, Melia shoved me into the room.

– Thud.

The instant my footfall resounded against the floor, I perceived a silent, lethal presence looming behind me.
A vague hostility, chillingly quelled, yet too ambiguous to conclusively discern. Given its intensity, she could only be a proficient assassin.

– Whoosh!

A finely honed blade of magic lunged to impale my heart.
Had I been physically frail, I would’ve risked taking the blow then attempted to assuage her suspicions. But such an approach wasn’t feasible with my current constitution.

I raised my hand in retaliation.

– Clang!

Twisting my body, I struck the blade with the back of my hand.
Fragments from the shattered magical blade whirled into the air, disintegrating into dust.

“…Tsk!”

Without an iota of hesitation, I delivered a blow to Melia’s left ribs.

– Boom!

A gust of wind surged along the edge of my hand. The air currents morphed into a white streak.
The fierce assault bore into her torso.

– Thwack!

In the blink of an eye, Melia was hurled against the right wall.

“Just as I- thought-“

She couldn’t complete her sentence,
her body slumped helplessly onto the floor.
Her breathing grew ragged, possibly due to a bone fragment piercing her lung.

“This is truly astonishing. Penetrating such a disguise wouldn’t have been an easy task. How did you manage it?”
“…King Mokryeong!!”
“Answer.”

– Grunt!

I hoisted Melia by her collar.
Her limp form, in stark contrast to her defiant expression, trembled like a terrified puppy.

“Euh… euh, huck.”

Melia’s hand clawed at my wrist. Her grip was weak and frail.

– Thump.

Striking her arm bore no consequences.
I had preemptively neutralized her ability to wield magic.

“…Indeed, it might seem peculiar.”

Lee Se-Young possesses an acuity akin to Melia’s. But circumstances now differ from before.
There’s a distinction between a disguise meant to obscure one’s identity and one designed to mirror a specific individual.

“Enough of that.”

I laid my hand on Melia’s left chest.

– Hum!

A surge of green power welled up.
Melia’s broken bones mended, her mangled flesh regenerated to its original state.

“…Ah, ah.”

Not long after invoking her healing power, Camellia’s spasms ceased. Her tranquil breath puffed out, white as her exhalation.

– Thud.

Upon falling, Camellia knelt, bowing her head. Her maid’s uniform was considerably rumpled.

“What audacity possessed you to enter an uninhabited building without any backup?”

If they wished to kill me, they would need, at the very least, to bring Mugung.

“…”

“Do you intend to continue? Or do you have something you’d like to say?”

“What are you planning to do to my lady?”

“There should be respect. After all, it’s me who holds your life in my hand.”

Camellia’s face contorted, but she seemed to grasp the meaning of my words.

“What are you planning to do?”

Her comprehension is commendably swift. I turned my head, surveying the surroundings before pointing with my thumb at the mangled door.

“Let’s talk inside.”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Camellia.”

The lad, glaring at the torn necklace, gritted his teeth and lowered his head.

“Yes.”

“Let me teach you something beforehand.”

– Thud.

Casually tapping the table, a jaunty yet ominous sound echoed through the room.

“If you choose suicide, or dare mention to anyone that you’ve met me, I won’t hesitate to use any means necessary to seize your life.”

The relationship between Camellia and me appeared as extraordinary as our names. If she’s loyal enough to surrender her life and confront me single-handedly, that says it all.

“I understand…sir.”

Moreover, she’s intelligent.

Why would such a bright nobleman even attempt such a hopeless assassination?

“Speak. Why did you attack without any certainty of success?”

“…”

There’s the simple option of utilizing the power of the crown, but excessive reliance on power could someday steer my destiny in an unfavorable direction. King Mokryeong went down that path, and I planned to exert myself to the utmost before resorting to that.

“I’m still in the stage of doubt.”

“And yet, you attempted to kill?”

“…Yes.”

I appreciate her spirit. I leaned forward to lock eyes with Camellia. Perhaps due to the absence of pain, her pupils were steady. She’s a remarkable talent.

“Since when?”

“I’ve been suspicious of all servants who started working from the moment the prophecy was revealed.”

“And during all this, you recognized my disguise.”

Camellia’s head shook vehemently. She may have claimed it was doubt, but it likely was certainty.

If he had been on guard since then, he would have committed to memory everything from first impressions to height and weight. He was a man of thorough character.

“And. If you fail and are unable to return… the rest is-“
“What could that incompetent World Tree possibly do?”

He would demonstrate with his body.

“Do you comprehend the power of a king when you speak?”
“……”
“Could I not simply seize you here and now, and claim you as mine?”
“Madam would not fail to recognize me, despite my transformation.”
“Such tender affection. What is the nature of it?”
“She is a benefactor to whom I could dedicate a lifetime and still not repay.”

There was no need to probe deeper into the matter. There was no need to understand what had bonded them so tightly.

“King Mokryeong… may I pose a single question?”

Camellia, who submissively lowered her voice. Between the strands of her pink hair, her eyes still retained a spark of resolve.

“Indeed.”
“…What do you intend to do with my lady?”

The disparity of power had been obvious for some time. Camellia was exceptional.
If I demonstrated my full capabilities, she would instantly perceive what the future held for her. Regardless of who maintained the security of the mansion, violation was an inevitable consequence.

Thus, another inquiry comes to light.
Why did I, King Mokryeong, spend months laboring under the pretense of being a mere servant, refraining from exercising my power?

The reason Camellia charged at me was probably less because she perceived me as a king, and more because she thought I was associated with one. She wouldn’t have expected King Mokryeong to be hiding in plain sight, pruning the trees.

“Well.”

I am under no compulsion to respond to her query.
It was to discern how the World Tree and the Flower would be treated.
There was no intent to naively disclose any advantageous information.

However,

“To ascertain if a superior method exists.”

On the other hand, it might prove beneficial to let some honey drip.

“A superior method…?”
“The prophecy is vague. I’m uncertain whether I should copulate with four women or manipulate them in some other manner.”

Intimidation. Inebriation.
While written thus, it could be misinterpreted due to the nature of King Mokryeong’s abilities.

Yet prophecies are invariably abstract.
No one can discern if they hold a different meaning, hence my caution.

“That’s why I was merely an observer.”

This could potentially be a significant opportunity for Camellia.

“Is that… so?”
“But once discovered, there’s only one course of action left, to impose subjugation-“
“Wait…! Not that.”
“What?”

Camellia’s obsequious voice swiftly emerged.

“We… miss, have lived a life of unending sorrow. You’ve committed no crime… Thus, I beseech you, abstain from this course.”

His head tilts forward, eyes locking onto hers.

“Why should I?”

A single phrase.
The body of Camellia freezes.

“If the prophecy holds true, the moment I lose even one thing, I may be cast into ruin.”

Were it days past, her heart might have wavered.

“What makes you believe I shouldn’t?”

I mutter softly, observing Camellia, her body trembling slightly.
To confirm my intent, I pull back her hair to bare her ears.

“Camellia.”
“…Y-Yes. Yes, yes.”

-Swiftly.

The maid’s hair flows over my hand like waves. I whisper in her ear.

“If you fear the events you foresee, don’t reveal this to anyone.”
“…….”
“Arrange for me to have as much contact with him as possible during my working hours.”
“Why… why should I?”
“Doing so. The lifespan of the person you serve could be extended as far as possible.”

If the best plan exists, the answer lies in following that plan.
If the best course is saving both of you, I’ll gladly follow that path.

“Consider carefully who is paving this path.”

The best course seldom follows a smooth process.
Especially when it involves ensnaring the enemy.

I’ve weathered these trials,
And more are to come,
Such is the world’s way.

In any case, I’m simply a creature who has crossed the boundary. There was never a means to hide it.

“Listen to me.”

A touch on her shoulder, and her knees buckle.
Desperation suits her.

Even though I said that you are the one to bring about the best outcome, truthfully, I never intended for that.

It’s only a matter of three years.
Currently, I’m a step ahead of the World Tree and the Flower, if only for a moment.

‘It’s a control I don’t know how I managed to seize, and when it might be wrested away.’

Can I leave it as it is?
I must shape the outcome.