Episode 70. Parasite
“Take this.”
Gwen looked at Cedric’s subordinate, who was casually handing him flowers.
Playing with people is a waste of time... When you kidnapped me, why are you putting a bouquet in my hand now?
Gwen’s eyes blankly shifted to the man, and the moment he saw the bouquet, he couldn’t help but freeze.
It was far more abundant and gorgeous than the flowers he had bought last night.
Black roses, white baby’s breath, muscari, and finally, Veronica. It was a truly gorgeous bouquet of various colors.
“Lord Cedric, you’re so considerate. You insisted on including Veronica, your favorite.”
‘...Lord Cedric. Did you really have to go this far?’
Gwen, having seen the flowers, tightly closed his eyes. The message he was sending him was incredibly clear.
The bouquet the man gave Gwen was the kind of flower you'd expect at a funeral.
Typically, funerals were lavishly decorated with black roses, white baby's breath, and "the deceased's favorite flowers."
In other words, this bouquet could be seen as a foreshadowing of Gwen's death.
"...Enough."
Gwen's eyes began to spin, and his stomach churned. He wanted to get out of this carriage right away.
He shook off the flowers the man offered him and quickly got out of the carriage.
However, the man didn't let him go easily.
"You're truly rude. To treat a gift from Cedric so lightly."
He followed Gwen out of the carriage. Then, with a sharp gaze, he sneered at Gwen.
"For someone who only knew how to write with a fountain pen, you don't know your place."
The man smirked as he looked Gwen up and down. Then, he rudely removed the mask he was wearing and forcibly placed a bouquet of flowers in Gwen's arms.
The unmasked man had a rather ferocious appearance.
The man, with one eye covered, bore a large scar stretching from the corner of his mouth to the corner of his eye, as well as many other minor scars.
"I guess you know now, Cedric. I'm more useful than a bluffer like you."
He was always a man who would carry out Cedric's orders without hesitation. The masked man was always by Cedric's side. He had dedicated himself to Cedric, but his most beloved subordinate was not himself, but Gwen.
That fact always lingered in a corner of his heart. Being pushed aside by the frail Gwen trampled his pride. He placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder, who was looking at him with bewilderment.
"Ugh-!"
Then he began to crush Gwen's shoulder violently. Gwen grimaced at the excruciating pain in his shoulder and groaned in pain.
“Cedric is so kind, he's making me sick. I could have slit your throat right now, but he's sending you home with a bouquet of flowers.”
Seeing Gwen’s pain didn’t seem to ease his anger, so he kicked his shin hard and forced her to his knees. When Gwen fell to the ground, the man lowered himself to meet his eyes. Then, in a chillingly low voice, he muttered,
“Make the most of the time you have left.”
Just then, Gwen’s wife opened the door and came out, hearing a commotion.
She had fallen asleep the night before, waiting for him to come home.
“Are you home?”
She came out, rubbing her eyes, and came to her senses when she saw Gwen lying on the ground.
“Gwen!”
As Gwen’s wife approached, the man tapped the bouquet of flowers off the floor and handed it to her.
“A gift from Cedric.”
She looked up at the man blocking her path as she ran toward Gwen. He forced a bouquet of flowers with a bitter smile and returned to the carriage.
Soon, the carriage drove off, kicking up dust. Gwen, who had woken up late, hurriedly snatched the bouquet from his wife’s hand.
Then, he threw it to the floor with all his might.
“Gwen?”
Gwen grabbed his wife’s wrist, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression, and hurried inside.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Gwen’s wife grabbed his shoulder without understanding the reason. Desperation filled Gwen’s face.
It was as if he had been given a terminal diagnosis.
'How much time do I have left? Three days? Or seven days?'
It was devastating. He had lived long enough, but the thought of his innocent wife and his son with a bright future dying made his vision dark.
Seeing Gwen's pale face and silent expression, his wife began to feel uneasy as well.
Footsteps pierced the silence from the second floor.
"Is Frederick home already?"
At Gwen's feeble voice, his wife shook her head, her face pale.
"Oh, no. Frederick went out, saying he had some business, and he hasn't come back yet."
If there's no son, then who could be up there?
Thump-thump.
The sound of footsteps grew closer.
Gwen hid his wife behind him and watched the second floor with a wary gaze.
An uninvited man came down from the second floor. It was Serun, someone Gwen knew well.
Serin appeared before them like a savior, saying that even if the sky falls, there's a way out.
"I've come to help you, butler."
He had turned to Rose's side and was now acting as a double agent under Cedric.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Duke of Artaeum's mansion, Rose and the Grand Duke were having breakfast together.
"He left early yesterday morning, and only came back in the dark of evening."
He glanced at Rose. Did she enjoy her time with him? The Grand Duke was quite concerned that Rose had come home late last night.
'Aren't you planning on telling me what you did with another man?'
The Grand Duke thought Rose still liked him. And he, too, was developing positive feelings for Rose.
He had no doubt that their feelings were mutual.
Unaware that his feelings were one-sided, he was enjoying his own flirtation with Rose.
'I wouldn't do something that would make her worry, would I?'
A sense of needless resentment washed over him.
Rose, oblivious to the Grand Duke's feelings, hummed and ate cheese on bread.
'Gwen said he'd look into the architect, so I'll just have to worry about meeting the Princess.'
After taking a large bite of bread, Rose slowly raised her head to tell the Grand Duke about yesterday.
She met the Grand Duke's frozen face.
'...Wh-It's scary.'
The Grand Duke's mood felt particularly low today.
Rose blinked awkwardly, staring at the Grand Duke.
"Did I do something wrong?"
She felt the Grand Duke's displeasure was somehow her fault. Rose was slow to notice when it came to romance, but she had a good sense of humor.
Still, Rose forced a crooked smile, determined not to spit in a smiling face.
Did Rose's smile resonate? The Grand Duke slowly opened his tightly shut mouth.
“Take this.”
Gwen looked at Cedric’s subordinate, who was casually handing him flowers.
Playing with people is a waste of time... When you kidnapped me, why are you putting a bouquet in my hand now?
Gwen’s eyes blankly shifted to the man, and the moment he saw the bouquet, he couldn’t help but freeze.
It was far more abundant and gorgeous than the flowers he had bought last night.
Black roses, white baby’s breath, muscari, and finally, Veronica. It was a truly gorgeous bouquet of various colors.
“Lord Cedric, you’re so considerate. You insisted on including Veronica, your favorite.”
‘...Lord Cedric. Did you really have to go this far?’
Gwen, having seen the flowers, tightly closed his eyes. The message he was sending him was incredibly clear.
The bouquet the man gave Gwen was the kind of flower you'd expect at a funeral.
Typically, funerals were lavishly decorated with black roses, white baby's breath, and "the deceased's favorite flowers."
In other words, this bouquet could be seen as a foreshadowing of Gwen's death.
"...Enough."
Gwen's eyes began to spin, and his stomach churned. He wanted to get out of this carriage right away.
He shook off the flowers the man offered him and quickly got out of the carriage.
However, the man didn't let him go easily.
"You're truly rude. To treat a gift from Cedric so lightly."
He followed Gwen out of the carriage. Then, with a sharp gaze, he sneered at Gwen.
"For someone who only knew how to write with a fountain pen, you don't know your place."
The man smirked as he looked Gwen up and down. Then, he rudely removed the mask he was wearing and forcibly placed a bouquet of flowers in Gwen's arms.
The unmasked man had a rather ferocious appearance.
The man, with one eye covered, bore a large scar stretching from the corner of his mouth to the corner of his eye, as well as many other minor scars.
"I guess you know now, Cedric. I'm more useful than a bluffer like you."
He was always a man who would carry out Cedric's orders without hesitation. The masked man was always by Cedric's side. He had dedicated himself to Cedric, but his most beloved subordinate was not himself, but Gwen.
That fact always lingered in a corner of his heart. Being pushed aside by the frail Gwen trampled his pride. He placed a hand on Gwen's shoulder, who was looking at him with bewilderment.
"Ugh-!"
Then he began to crush Gwen's shoulder violently. Gwen grimaced at the excruciating pain in his shoulder and groaned in pain.
“Cedric is so kind, he's making me sick. I could have slit your throat right now, but he's sending you home with a bouquet of flowers.”
Seeing Gwen’s pain didn’t seem to ease his anger, so he kicked his shin hard and forced her to his knees. When Gwen fell to the ground, the man lowered himself to meet his eyes. Then, in a chillingly low voice, he muttered,
“Make the most of the time you have left.”
Just then, Gwen’s wife opened the door and came out, hearing a commotion.
She had fallen asleep the night before, waiting for him to come home.
“Are you home?”
She came out, rubbing her eyes, and came to her senses when she saw Gwen lying on the ground.
“Gwen!”
As Gwen’s wife approached, the man tapped the bouquet of flowers off the floor and handed it to her.
“A gift from Cedric.”
She looked up at the man blocking her path as she ran toward Gwen. He forced a bouquet of flowers with a bitter smile and returned to the carriage.
Soon, the carriage drove off, kicking up dust. Gwen, who had woken up late, hurriedly snatched the bouquet from his wife’s hand.
Then, he threw it to the floor with all his might.
“Gwen?”
Gwen grabbed his wife’s wrist, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression, and hurried inside.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Gwen’s wife grabbed his shoulder without understanding the reason. Desperation filled Gwen’s face.
It was as if he had been given a terminal diagnosis.
'How much time do I have left? Three days? Or seven days?'
It was devastating. He had lived long enough, but the thought of his innocent wife and his son with a bright future dying made his vision dark.
Seeing Gwen's pale face and silent expression, his wife began to feel uneasy as well.
Footsteps pierced the silence from the second floor.
"Is Frederick home already?"
At Gwen's feeble voice, his wife shook her head, her face pale.
"Oh, no. Frederick went out, saying he had some business, and he hasn't come back yet."
If there's no son, then who could be up there?
Thump-thump.
The sound of footsteps grew closer.
Gwen hid his wife behind him and watched the second floor with a wary gaze.
An uninvited man came down from the second floor. It was Serun, someone Gwen knew well.
Serin appeared before them like a savior, saying that even if the sky falls, there's a way out.
"I've come to help you, butler."
He had turned to Rose's side and was now acting as a double agent under Cedric.
***
Meanwhile, in the Grand Duke of Artaeum's mansion, Rose and the Grand Duke were having breakfast together.
"He left early yesterday morning, and only came back in the dark of evening."
He glanced at Rose. Did she enjoy her time with him? The Grand Duke was quite concerned that Rose had come home late last night.
'Aren't you planning on telling me what you did with another man?'
The Grand Duke thought Rose still liked him. And he, too, was developing positive feelings for Rose.
He had no doubt that their feelings were mutual.
Unaware that his feelings were one-sided, he was enjoying his own flirtation with Rose.
'I wouldn't do something that would make her worry, would I?'
A sense of needless resentment washed over him.
Rose, oblivious to the Grand Duke's feelings, hummed and ate cheese on bread.
'Gwen said he'd look into the architect, so I'll just have to worry about meeting the Princess.'
After taking a large bite of bread, Rose slowly raised her head to tell the Grand Duke about yesterday.
She met the Grand Duke's frozen face.
'...Wh-It's scary.'
The Grand Duke's mood felt particularly low today.
Rose blinked awkwardly, staring at the Grand Duke.
"Did I do something wrong?"
She felt the Grand Duke's displeasure was somehow her fault. Rose was slow to notice when it came to romance, but she had a good sense of humor.
Still, Rose forced a crooked smile, determined not to spit in a smiling face.
Did Rose's smile resonate? The Grand Duke slowly opened his tightly shut mouth.
"Did you have fun yesterday? The smile never left your face."
The Grand Duke's voice was sharp.
"Oh, yes."
Rose awkwardly nodded at the Grand Duke's words.
"What? Did you have fun? With that guy?"
He had hoped she would say no, but Rose's answer was simply "I had fun."
The Grand Duke felt a surge of anger inside him. How could she not know his feelings?
The Grand Duke's expression hardened even more than before. The dining room was filled with a chilling chill.
Meeting the Grand Duke's eyes, Rose felt as if she were walking on thin ice, and a chill ran down her spine.
She wiggled her fingers and cautiously opened her mouth.
"I signed a contract for a department store site... in the Arteum Territory."
The Grand Duke's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of "Arteum Territory."
'I thought you were going to buy the land in the capital.'
The Arteum Territory was a small piece of land. Buying such land, the Grand Duke worried about Rose, but also had this thought: "That guy with Rose yesterday might be a con man."
A person with common sense wouldn't have thought of building a massive shopping center in the Arteum Territory.
'If he's conning Rose... I'll gladly wring his neck.'
The Grand Duke's eyes widened, and he clenched his spoon tightly.
With a squeak, the spoon in his hand collapsed limply.
The Grand Duke quickly hid his spoon under the table and used magic to restore it to its original position.
He held the spoon as if nothing had happened and slurped down his soup.
“I wonder what you’re thinking, buying land in the Artaeum domain.”
He asked with concern, but Rose didn’t seem to sense it.
To her, the Grand Duke of Artaeum seemed angry, as if he were saying, “How dare you waste my money!”
Rose calmly told the Grand Duke her opinion.
“I thought the Artaeum domain was the most suitable site. It’s a key transportation and trade hub. Considering its future value, it was a reasonable choice.”
She briefly summarized what she had told Gwen and relayed it to the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke’s expression remained unchanged despite Rose’s words.
“Even so, it’s a risky gamble.”
Rose, seeing the Grand Duke's still-hard expression, decided she needed to offer him something he could also be satisfied with.
There’s a saying: “Go in with boots on, come out with shoes on.” If the Artaeum territory were developed, it wouldn’t just benefit the Grand Duke. Rose would also see a positive return on investment, so it was a win-win situation.
The Arteum Territory was a small piece of land. Buying such land, the Grand Duke worried about Rose, but also had this thought: "That guy with Rose yesterday might be a con man."
A person with common sense wouldn't have thought of building a massive shopping center in the Arteum Territory.
'If he's conning Rose... I'll gladly wring his neck.'
The Grand Duke's eyes widened, and he clenched his spoon tightly.
With a squeak, the spoon in his hand collapsed limply.
The Grand Duke quickly hid his spoon under the table and used magic to restore it to its original position.
He held the spoon as if nothing had happened and slurped down his soup.
“I wonder what you’re thinking, buying land in the Artaeum domain.”
He asked with concern, but Rose didn’t seem to sense it.
To her, the Grand Duke of Artaeum seemed angry, as if he were saying, “How dare you waste my money!”
Rose calmly told the Grand Duke her opinion.
“I thought the Artaeum domain was the most suitable site. It’s a key transportation and trade hub. Considering its future value, it was a reasonable choice.”
She briefly summarized what she had told Gwen and relayed it to the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke’s expression remained unchanged despite Rose’s words.
“Even so, it’s a risky gamble.”
Rose, seeing the Grand Duke's still-hard expression, decided she needed to offer him something he could also be satisfied with.
There’s a saying: “Go in with boots on, come out with shoes on.” If the Artaeum territory were developed, it wouldn’t just benefit the Grand Duke. Rose would also see a positive return on investment, so it was a win-win situation.
“I also thought it would be even better if we could make the Artaeum territory a self-sufficient city. That would benefit the Grand Duke as well.”
Of course, it would benefit Rose herself, too. The Grand Duke's eyes flickered at Rose’s words.
“To help me... You seem to like me quite a bit.”
It was a remark made as part of a negotiation, but it didn’t seem to register as such. The Grand Duke's lips twitched. He forced a smile and replied dryly, 'Yes. You are quite a clever man.' Trying to juggle both business and love at once. 'You are truly an interesting woman.' She liked the way the intelligent and beautiful Rose approached him.
At the Grand Duke's compliment, Rose scratched her cheek, embarrassed.
"It wasn't all my own; I just applied modern knowledge."
It stung, as if all knowledge was being fixed as coming from her own head.
'This is the first time in my life that I've been treated as a genius, so not bad.'
Rose smiled shyly, and his butler, Neruan, who had been watching her, muttered in a cold voice.
"...How can you be so arrogant when you live like a parasite?"
Rose, hearing Neruan's voice, couldn't believe her ears for a moment. Judging by the Grand Duke's expression, he didn't seem to hear Neruan's mumbled words. She turned her head to look at Neruan, who was standing behind her.
"Huh? What did you just say?"
Could it be that Neruan said...to me?
Rose blinked, waiting for his answer. Neruan stared blankly at Rose with his deep, golden eyes. Then, as if nothing had happened, he closed his eyes and spoke kindly.
“Ah. I was just talking to myself. Finn has been suffering quite a bit lately due to a parasite infection. Parasites that suck other people’s nutrients... they should all disappear.”
Neruan’s eyes, folded into crescent moons, were cold, devoid of any trace of life. Neruan’s expression, frowning, was somehow unpleasant. The “parasites” he was talking about seemed to be referring to her.
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