Episode 55. Serun's Identity
Jane pretended not to see Serun and tried to walk past him.
Jane flinched at Serun's words. However, she acted nonchalantly and spoke to Serun boldly.
"Get out of the way."
"Answer me. Did you say anything?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Sir Serun. I'm tired, so could you please step aside?"
Jane turned to pass Serun, but Serun blocked her path again.
"You didn't say anything, did you?"
Serun's slow voice sounded eerie.
Jane turned her head and met Serin's eyes. Serun's cold eyes were utterly chilling.
“I told you not to tell anyone. You... don’t seem to value your life.”
Serun’s low voice was deeply suppressed.
“You must have been tailing Rose and me again.”
“...”
“Why? Are you going to run to your superior and tell everything right now?”
“Jane.”
Jane’s sharp voice made Serun call her over slowly.
“Didn’t I... warn you? Forget about this, I thought I told you.”
Serun approached, his face expressionless.
Perhaps it was because it was dark. Even though she knew his true identity, she couldn’t help feeling unfamiliar and afraid.
The cold air brushed Jane’s face.
The early autumn breeze was chilling.
Rustle.
Jane took a step back. Why was the sound of crunching leaves unusually loud today?
Jane’s heart sank, stiffening at the slightest sound.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
Nervous, she stuttered. All she wanted to do was run away from Serun, who was staring at her silently.
“I didn’t say anything,”
Jane said to Serun, her eyes wavering.
“You really didn’t say anything?”
Jane pretended not to see Serun and tried to walk past him.
"Did you meet Rose?"
There was no need to respond to Serun. Jane ignored him and continued on.
However, thanks to Serun, who had suddenly blocked her path, Jane was forced to stop in her tracks.
"You... said it?"
There was no need to respond to Serun. Jane ignored him and continued on.
However, thanks to Serun, who had suddenly blocked her path, Jane was forced to stop in her tracks.
"You... said it?"
Jane flinched at Serun's words. However, she acted nonchalantly and spoke to Serun boldly.
"Get out of the way."
"Answer me. Did you say anything?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Sir Serun. I'm tired, so could you please step aside?"
Jane turned to pass Serun, but Serun blocked her path again.
"You didn't say anything, did you?"
Serun's slow voice sounded eerie.
Jane turned her head and met Serin's eyes. Serun's cold eyes were utterly chilling.
“I told you not to tell anyone. You... don’t seem to value your life.”
Serun’s low voice was deeply suppressed.
“You must have been tailing Rose and me again.”
“...”
“Why? Are you going to run to your superior and tell everything right now?”
“Jane.”
Jane’s sharp voice made Serun call her over slowly.
“Didn’t I... warn you? Forget about this, I thought I told you.”
Serun approached, his face expressionless.
Perhaps it was because it was dark. Even though she knew his true identity, she couldn’t help feeling unfamiliar and afraid.
The cold air brushed Jane’s face.
The early autumn breeze was chilling.
Rustle.
Jane took a step back. Why was the sound of crunching leaves unusually loud today?
Jane’s heart sank, stiffening at the slightest sound.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
Nervous, she stuttered. All she wanted to do was run away from Serun, who was staring at her silently.
“I didn’t say anything,”
Jane said to Serun, her eyes wavering.
“You really didn’t say anything?”
Did he not believe her? Serun continued to walk toward Jane, his expressionless face still impassive.
For every step Serun took, Jane took three, no, four steps back.
Thump!
“Ah.”
“Be careful.”
Jane banged her back against the tree behind her. She almost hit her head, but Serun covered her head.
For a moment, Serun’s eyes met. Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought that he had helped her.
Serun didn’t avert his gaze.
“Jane, Cedric is truly a terrifying man. More than you can imagine.”
Serun’s whispered voice drifted into Jane’s ear.
“He would kill his son if he got in trouble.”
Killing his son?
Jane couldn’t empathize with Serun’s words. No matter how harshly Cedric treated Eric, everyone in the Wences family knew that he cherished his son.
The opposite was even more apt.
Eric would kill his own father if he were to lose.
Jane's Eric was certainly capable of such a thing.
Everyone kept quiet, but everyone knew that Tercia's hand was a tactic that had arisen when Eric attempted to attack Cedric.
Tercia's maid had spread rumors about this to the servants at the wedding.
Serun read Jane's gaze. He knew she didn't think Cedric was worthy of such a thing.
Serun drew his sword and stared at Jane. A chilling slash cut through the wind, hurtling towards Jane's face. A tingling pain pierced Serun's chest.
His job wasn't to protect Jane, but... to frighten her.
Whoosh!
A chilling sound cut through the air, piercing her ears.
"Whew!!"
Jane closed her eyes and clutched her head at the sudden attack.
Serun's sword pierced the tree directly behind her.
"If you want to live, you'd better heed my words."
Serun looked at the trembling Jane and added,
"Next time, it won't end here."
Serun warned Jane and left.
He only hoped that Jane, whom he loved, wouldn't get entangled with Cedric.
Everything was for Jane's sake.
'... I've told you this much, so you understand, right?'
It was quite a drastic method, but for him, there was no other way.
If I instill fear... She'll never open her mouth again.
Serun turned around bitterly. However, Jane had no intention of letting him go.
"Hey, you annoying brat!"
Serun flinched at Jane's booming voice.
What was he thinking, shouting so suddenly? Was his threat insufficient?
He froze, debating whether he should turn around. He heard Jane running behind him.
Thud!
"Ah..."
Jane punched Serun in the back of the head.
Even though he could have easily dodged, Serun didn't dodge her hand. He turned around, rubbing the back of his head with a half-hearted expression.
Jane was glaring at Serun, her voice aggravated. As Serun stood there dumbfounded, Jane began to spew out words at a rapid pace.
“Why are you acting so awkwardly?”
“...Huh?”
Serun was bewildered by Jane’s furious response to him, who had scared her, but instead rushed at her even more.
“Stop staring at me so vaguely. You’re just cowardly watching from behind, and when our eyes meet, you run away!”
“That’s... You told me not to show up in front of you again. I was just doing what Jane told me to do.”
Serun hesitated, wiggling his fingers as he looked at Jane. His innocent demeanor was a stark contrast to his earlier, ferocious threats.
Jane sighed, watching Serun.
“Which one is real?”
A venomous, murderous look? Or... a dazed look like this? She had no idea who he was.
But one thing was certain: he wouldn’t kill her.
Jane’s expression softened slightly, and she turned to Serun and asked,
“Why are you just letting me go?”
“Huh...?”
“Sir Serun, you heard everything. What I said to Lady Rose.”
“...!”
Serun’s eyes widened at Jane’s unexpected words.
“If you heard everything, why are you letting me go?”
Seeing Serun’s silence, Jane retorted with a much more relaxed expression.
“Today’s events made it clear. You had no intention of harming me. You didn’t kill me after I told Miss Rose everything, but instead threatened me.”
Jane grumbled, saying that even without murderous intent, she was still scared.
“I was so confused all this time. It was hard to believe that you deceived Lady Rose and me.”
“...”
“Where is the truth and where is the lie? What kind of person are you? If you told me everything, would I be able to forgive you...?”
Serun’s pupils dilated noticeably at the mention of the word ‘forgiveness.’ He looked at Jane with eyes filled with anticipation.
“I don’t know everything, but I do know this one thing: You won’t kill me, will you?”
“How could I kill you...?”
As Serun muttered weakly, Jane narrowed her eyes.
“Who threatened me with a weapon?”
“T-That’s all for Jane...! I just scared you a little, worried that if word of your secret reached the Master, you’d be in danger.”
Why was such an innocent child, no different from any other child of his age, protecting Cedric? Jane was curious about his true feelings.
“Would you like to say? Your story. Why did you deceive us?”
Serun couldn’t easily answer Jane. To confess everything, he would have to tell his past, but he didn’t want to bring up his dark past.
However, as he looked at Jane, who was looking at him with warm eyes, his heart grew weaker.
For some reason, he felt as if he could reveal everything about himself.
Serun’s lips moved silently for a long time, but Jane didn’t rush him.
She waited quietly for Serun to open up on his own.
Had Jane’s feelings resonated with him? Serun slowly opened his mouth, his voice trembling.
“...I'll tell you a story.”
The moonlit lake's waves rippled gently, carried by the wind. The lakeside, chilled by the night, was quiet and beautiful.
“I lived alone with my mother until I was twelve. We had nothing, but...we were happy.”
Serun's voice, soft and gentle, sounded like the still waters of a lake.
“My mother was very weak. So, from a young age, I earned money to pay for her medicine. I learned the hard way, treated like less than a human, but...it was okay. As long as I could pay for her medicine, that was all I needed.”
Serun recalled memories of his harsh childhood.
With no skills, it wasn't easy for him to earn money from adults.
Being swindled was commonplace, and he'd even been beaten for no reason. However, he persevered through it all, thinking only of his ailing mother.
"If my mother were on the verge of death, I'd be terrified. I was so scared of being left alone at such a young age. At those times, she'd always call out the name of my father, whose face I'd never even known... I truly resented that man, the father who abandoned us like this."
Serun appeared outwardly indifferent as he recounted his past. But inside, he was terribly torn.
"One day, my mother quietly called out to me."
"Serun."
Serun recalled his mother's figure, beckoning him with her thin, thin arms.
"This... is what your father left you."
She had fumbled and handed Serun a necklace.
"She said my father left me something..."
Serun reached into his shirt and furtively removed the necklace hanging around his neck.
"He gave me this."
"...This is it!"
Jane covered her mouth at the sight of the necklace.
The familiar pattern was instantly recognizable.
It was the emblem of the Count Wence family.
For every step Serun took, Jane took three, no, four steps back.
Thump!
“Ah.”
“Be careful.”
Jane banged her back against the tree behind her. She almost hit her head, but Serun covered her head.
For a moment, Serun’s eyes met. Her heart pounded in her chest at the thought that he had helped her.
Serun didn’t avert his gaze.
“Jane, Cedric is truly a terrifying man. More than you can imagine.”
Serun’s whispered voice drifted into Jane’s ear.
“He would kill his son if he got in trouble.”
Killing his son?
Jane couldn’t empathize with Serun’s words. No matter how harshly Cedric treated Eric, everyone in the Wences family knew that he cherished his son.
The opposite was even more apt.
Eric would kill his own father if he were to lose.
Jane's Eric was certainly capable of such a thing.
Everyone kept quiet, but everyone knew that Tercia's hand was a tactic that had arisen when Eric attempted to attack Cedric.
Tercia's maid had spread rumors about this to the servants at the wedding.
Serun read Jane's gaze. He knew she didn't think Cedric was worthy of such a thing.
Serun drew his sword and stared at Jane. A chilling slash cut through the wind, hurtling towards Jane's face. A tingling pain pierced Serun's chest.
His job wasn't to protect Jane, but... to frighten her.
Whoosh!
A chilling sound cut through the air, piercing her ears.
"Whew!!"
Jane closed her eyes and clutched her head at the sudden attack.
Serun's sword pierced the tree directly behind her.
"If you want to live, you'd better heed my words."
Serun looked at the trembling Jane and added,
"Next time, it won't end here."
Serun warned Jane and left.
He only hoped that Jane, whom he loved, wouldn't get entangled with Cedric.
Everything was for Jane's sake.
'... I've told you this much, so you understand, right?'
It was quite a drastic method, but for him, there was no other way.
If I instill fear... She'll never open her mouth again.
Serun turned around bitterly. However, Jane had no intention of letting him go.
"Hey, you annoying brat!"
Serun flinched at Jane's booming voice.
What was he thinking, shouting so suddenly? Was his threat insufficient?
He froze, debating whether he should turn around. He heard Jane running behind him.
Thud!
"Ah..."
Jane punched Serun in the back of the head.
Even though he could have easily dodged, Serun didn't dodge her hand. He turned around, rubbing the back of his head with a half-hearted expression.
Jane was glaring at Serun, her voice aggravated. As Serun stood there dumbfounded, Jane began to spew out words at a rapid pace.
“Why are you acting so awkwardly?”
“...Huh?”
Serun was bewildered by Jane’s furious response to him, who had scared her, but instead rushed at her even more.
“Stop staring at me so vaguely. You’re just cowardly watching from behind, and when our eyes meet, you run away!”
“That’s... You told me not to show up in front of you again. I was just doing what Jane told me to do.”
Serun hesitated, wiggling his fingers as he looked at Jane. His innocent demeanor was a stark contrast to his earlier, ferocious threats.
Jane sighed, watching Serun.
“Which one is real?”
A venomous, murderous look? Or... a dazed look like this? She had no idea who he was.
But one thing was certain: he wouldn’t kill her.
Jane’s expression softened slightly, and she turned to Serun and asked,
“Why are you just letting me go?”
“Huh...?”
“Sir Serun, you heard everything. What I said to Lady Rose.”
“...!”
Serun’s eyes widened at Jane’s unexpected words.
“If you heard everything, why are you letting me go?”
Seeing Serun’s silence, Jane retorted with a much more relaxed expression.
“Today’s events made it clear. You had no intention of harming me. You didn’t kill me after I told Miss Rose everything, but instead threatened me.”
Jane grumbled, saying that even without murderous intent, she was still scared.
“I was so confused all this time. It was hard to believe that you deceived Lady Rose and me.”
“...”
“Where is the truth and where is the lie? What kind of person are you? If you told me everything, would I be able to forgive you...?”
Serun’s pupils dilated noticeably at the mention of the word ‘forgiveness.’ He looked at Jane with eyes filled with anticipation.
“I don’t know everything, but I do know this one thing: You won’t kill me, will you?”
“How could I kill you...?”
As Serun muttered weakly, Jane narrowed her eyes.
“Who threatened me with a weapon?”
“T-That’s all for Jane...! I just scared you a little, worried that if word of your secret reached the Master, you’d be in danger.”
Why was such an innocent child, no different from any other child of his age, protecting Cedric? Jane was curious about his true feelings.
“Would you like to say? Your story. Why did you deceive us?”
Serun couldn’t easily answer Jane. To confess everything, he would have to tell his past, but he didn’t want to bring up his dark past.
However, as he looked at Jane, who was looking at him with warm eyes, his heart grew weaker.
For some reason, he felt as if he could reveal everything about himself.
Serun’s lips moved silently for a long time, but Jane didn’t rush him.
She waited quietly for Serun to open up on his own.
Had Jane’s feelings resonated with him? Serun slowly opened his mouth, his voice trembling.
“...I'll tell you a story.”
The moonlit lake's waves rippled gently, carried by the wind. The lakeside, chilled by the night, was quiet and beautiful.
“I lived alone with my mother until I was twelve. We had nothing, but...we were happy.”
Serun's voice, soft and gentle, sounded like the still waters of a lake.
“My mother was very weak. So, from a young age, I earned money to pay for her medicine. I learned the hard way, treated like less than a human, but...it was okay. As long as I could pay for her medicine, that was all I needed.”
Serun recalled memories of his harsh childhood.
With no skills, it wasn't easy for him to earn money from adults.
Being swindled was commonplace, and he'd even been beaten for no reason. However, he persevered through it all, thinking only of his ailing mother.
"If my mother were on the verge of death, I'd be terrified. I was so scared of being left alone at such a young age. At those times, she'd always call out the name of my father, whose face I'd never even known... I truly resented that man, the father who abandoned us like this."
Serun appeared outwardly indifferent as he recounted his past. But inside, he was terribly torn.
"One day, my mother quietly called out to me."
"Serun."
Serun recalled his mother's figure, beckoning him with her thin, thin arms.
"This... is what your father left you."
She had fumbled and handed Serun a necklace.
"She said my father left me something..."
Serun reached into his shirt and furtively removed the necklace hanging around his neck.
"He gave me this."
"...This is it!"
Jane covered her mouth at the sight of the necklace.
The familiar pattern was instantly recognizable.
It was the emblem of the Count Wence family.
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