14: Chapter 13: Not Injured?
14: Chapter 13: Not Injured?
Chapter 13: Not Injured?
Gradually.
Night settled in completely, surrounding them in pitch darkness.
She looked up at the sky, surveyed her surroundings, and finally turned to Subaru.
“Subaru, I understand how you feel, and thank you.” “However, it’s getting very late.
It might be dangerous in the slums at night.
Someone will come to clean up the mess here, so let’s leave first.” “Ah, right, let’s get out of here quick!
This place leaves nothing but terrible memories—I don’t want to stay another second!” Subaru rubbed his arms.
He had just taken a step when he froze, his expression instantly becoming flustered.
He had nowhere to go.
In this world, he was just an orphan.
Subaru turned around stiffly to look at Emilia, an embarrassed expression on his face.
“Cough, cough, Emilia…
where should we stay the night?” Noticing his awkwardness, Emilia hesitated for a moment before asking softly: “Subaru, do you…
not have a home?” The question was blunt and a little hurtful.
Yet Subaru knew she meant no malice; it was simply an undeniable fact.
“My, my, saying I don’t have a home is a bit harsh!
But I really don’t have one.
Like I said before, I come from a small island in the East.” Subaru shrugged, then deliberately put on a pitiful act, using an exaggerated tone.
“So, if a beautiful girl doesn’t take me in tonight, I’ll probably have to sleep on the streets.” “If I run into some serial killer again, you might never see me again.” As he spoke, he flailed his hands around, striking a goofy, horrified pose.
“Hehe.” Emilia was amused by him, but she quickly reined in her smile and spoke seriously: “In that case, come back with me to Roswaal’s mansion for tonight.
There are plenty of rooms there, and we can’t have you sleeping on the streets and getting into danger again.” Though she was a Royal Selection candidate temporarily residing in the mansion and didn’t own the property, letting someone stay for a single night shouldn’t be a problem.
Pausing, she stiffened her face and added with deliberate sternness, “Only for tonight, though.
Don’t push your luck, Subaru.” “Awesome!” Subaru’s spirits immediately soared, delight written all over his face.
He certainly didn’t want to sleep on the streets.
For a transmigrator to end up sleeping on the curb would be way too embarrassing.
“By the way, that is Lord Roswaal’s mansion.
I can only decide to keep you for one night; we’ll still need his approval after that.” “Don’t worry!
I can definitely convince him!” Subaru sounded full of confidence, though internally he felt a bit apprehensive.
This Mr.
Roswaal sounded like he was by no means an easy person to deal with.
Chatting and laughing along the way, the two quickly arrived at the mansion’s front gates.
During their walk, Emilia had pulled out two cloaks from who-knows-where, draping them over herself and Subaru.
Subaru looked up to see a simple yet grand noble mansion built of stone, backed by a lush forest.
The warm lights flickered gently in the night, and the courtyard was quiet and pristine.
“So impressive…” Subaru marvelled in a low voice.
Although Emilia had mentioned it on the way, seeing it with his own eyes still made him gasp in awe.
Looking down, he noticed the wet bloodstains on his clothes and suddenly grew uneasy, quietly hiding his hands behind his back.
That was Elsa’s blood.
Diavolo had struck too brutally; even standing three meters away, Subaru hadn’t escaped getting splashed.
As the two reached the entrance, Emilia had barely raised her hand when the heavy wooden doors slid open silently from within.
Warm light poured out.
A pink-haired maid and a blue-haired maid stood one behind the other inside the doorway, both looking over at the same time.
The pink-haired maid had an expressionless face.
Her cold gaze swept over the blood-soaked Subaru, lingering for merely a fraction of a second before she bowed slightly toward Emilia.
“Welcome back, Lady Emilia.” Her tone was flat, devoid of emotion.
The blue-haired maid behind her stepped forward quickly, deftly taking Emilia’s cloak in a clean, swift movement.
Looking at Subaru, she nodded slightly, a standard, faint smile on her face.
Seeing this, Subaru hurriedly took off his cloak as well and handed it to the maid.
The maid paused for a moment before reaching out to accept it.
“Welcome back, Lady Emilia.
May I ask who this is?” Her voice was polite to a fault.
Emilia saw nothing amiss and introduced him naturally: “His name is Natsuki Subaru.
He helped me immensely in the Capital today and is my benefactor.
Since it’s so late, I’d like him to stay here for the night.” Subaru, who had been secretly admiring the two stylish maids before him, immediately scratched the back of his head and waved his hands upon hearing this, putting on a humble front.
“Ah, no, no, I just happened to be there!
Calling me a benefactor is way too much!” Though humble out loud, he was internally overjoyed.
To be called a benefactor by Emilia herself—the sense of achievement was greater than beating the hardest game.
And now two cute maids had popped up too; this was truly fantastic.
After speaking, she turned to Subaru: “Subaru, these two are the mansion’s maids, Ram and Rem.” “My, my, what a rare guest at our door~” Before the two maids could respond, a strange, theatrical voice drifted from deep within the hallway.
A man wearing clown makeup strolled out slowly from the shadows.
His eyes were mismatched in color and slightly narrowed, the face paint gleaming conspicuously under the lights, thoroughly uncanny.
His gaze landed on Subaru, sizing him up with a touch of amusement.
*Wait, what?
Why does a noble house have a clown?* Subaru was instantly bewildered.
And…
The makeup was way too over-the-top.
His face was pale as a corpse, his eye makeup was blue on one side and red on the other, and the corners of his mouth curled up exaggeratedly like an idiot.
Subaru instinctively leaned closer to Emilia and whispered in a hushed tone: “Hey, Emilia…
it’s late at night, does your household hire clowns to liven up the mood?” Though he kept his voice extremely low, everyone present heard it crystal clear.
“Sister, his words are so rude.
I dislike him.” “Yes, so rude.
Rem dislikes him.” Rem and Ram spoke up one after another, their tones laced with displeasure toward Subaru.
“Brat, that is the master of the mansion, Roswaal.” Diavolo’s deep, calm voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Subaru’s heart skipped a beat, his expression freezing instantly as he stood rooted to the spot like a wooden statue.
He didn’t doubt Diavolo’s words.
So he wasn’t a hired performer, but the master of this house?
The Margrave Roswaal?
He looked at Emilia, whose expression confirmed it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
“Lady Emilia~ Thank you for your hard work coming back~ I didn’t expect you to bring along a…
bloody little guest?” Roswaal didn’t seem to mind his rudeness from a moment ago at all, his tone remaining absurdly eccentric.
Subaru’s cheek twitched.
He awkwardly pulled at his blood-stained jacket, letting out a dry chuckle in total embarrassment: “Well…
there was a little accident on the way, haha…” Emilia spoke up at the right moment: “Lord Roswaal, Subaru is my benefactor.
He saved me in the Capital today, and I hope he can stay for the night to rest.
Would that be alright?” Roswaal didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he strolled around Subaru in a slow circle, inspecting him up and down.
“Oh~” “Ho~” Subjected to such scrutiny, Subaru felt completely uncomfortable, as if sitting on pins and needles.
He could only freeze in place like an object being examined.
“My, my~ So you are Lady Emilia’s benefactor, how wonderful~ To save Lady Emilia, you lost so much blood.
You must be gravely injured, please receive treatment quickly.” He stopped in his tracks and grinned at Subaru, revealing an even more bizarre fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Subaru waved his hands hurriedly, thoroughly flustered: “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!
It was just a small favor!
Besides, this blood isn’t mine.
I’m not injured.” *Hm?!* *Not injured?* Roswaal’s expression shifted imperceptibly.
It seemed…
He had still understated him.