Four days. Short, yet enough ti to observe the surroundings and grasp the atmosphere.
And in those four days, Ihan gathered four key pieces of information.
The First Clue
‘There’s... a trace!’
He had confird that traces of that perverted bastard—Vampire No. 2—were present in this household.
The man himself probably wasn’t even aware of the traces he had left behind, but they were there.
A stench so putrid, so vile, like tar rotting in the depths of a sewer...
Whether it was the scent of a vampire or simply the stink of his decayed soul, Ihan wasn’t sure.
But regardless, that repulsive odor lingered in certain areas within the mansion.
...However, unlike discovering the scent, obtaining any concrete information about the bastard himself was nearly impossible.
Was he hiding too well? Or had he concealed his identity through so special ans?
Whatever the case, it was a thorn in Ihan’s side.
‘Still, what matters is that I found a trace of him.’
Knowing for certain that the bastard was here made all the effort worthwhile.
The Second Clue
‘None of the mansion’s servants are vampires.’
So of them had learned unique forms of Aura-based combat, like a few peculiar maids or the head gardener.
But that wasn’t Ihan’s concern.
What mattered was that none of them bore the trace of No. 2, and more importantly, there were no signs of them cooperating with vampires.
However, if this fact was flipped on its head—
‘That ans the owners of this mansion might be harboring him...’
The owners of the mansion.
In other words, Mordred’s bloodline could be the ones sheltering that degenerate.
But this was sothing Ihan could only confirm by seeing them directly.
And that’s where the problem lay.
‘Are they hibernating or sothing?’
The Third Clue
Mordred’s bloodline might not even be in the mansion.
There was a possibility that they were being imprisoned sowhere else.
Ihan hadn’t heard this information from anyone directly.
Rather—
‘The servants themselves don’t seem the least bit concerned about their absent masters. That’s... not normal.’
It was a deduction made through observation.
‘This family is seriously strange.’
It was unnatural.
Servants of noble households—especially those serving a Grand Noble Family—were expected to display unwavering loyalty to their lords.
Yet these people...
They had no sense of devotion whatsoever.
They rely went about their tasks, like NPCs programd to guard a castle.
It was bizarre.
Utterly peculiar.
Under normal circumstances, Ihan would have liked to confront soone about this unsettling reality...
"Rember this: No matter how curious you beco about the lord, the young master, or the young lady, do not show it. If you fail to follow this rule, you will never work in this castle again."
A stern warning from the head maid, given on the day of his employnt.
And Ihan had a gut feeling—if he ignored that warning and started asking questions, he’d be kicked out imdiately.
It made sense.
No matter how capable soone was, if they couldn’t follow the rules, they had no place in an organization.
Because of this restriction, it was impossible to obtain further information to flesh out his deductions.
At best, he’d have to work for over a year just to get so real answers.
...And Ihan had no intention of wasting that much ti.
The Fourth Clue
That’s why—
‘The fourth clue is the most important.’
Swish.
Ihan’s gaze shifted.
The only mber of Mordred’s bloodline who did not remain hidden...
The only one who walked around the mansion...
Louise Aiphera de Mordred.
Flinch!
“Ah... Miss, did you need sothing?”
“......”
“Miss?”
“......”
“...Hmmm.”
The direct heir of the Mordred bloodline.
The only one who might possess hidden knowledge about what was going on.
She could be the key to everything.
However, there was one major problem—
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
“...She sure is fast.”
The mont their eyes t, she bolted.
Making it impossible to hold a conversation.
“Sigh...”
Ihan slumped down in the misty garden, letting out a sigh filled with exhaustion.
"Do not speak with Lady Louise."
“Huh?”
“Don’t ask why. Just don’t interact with her. Ignore her. Got it?”
“...Understood.”
“Good. That’s the proper attitude.”
Seeing Ihan nod in obedience without questioning him, the senior servant seed pleased.
‘Why do modern kids always have to question everything? If your superior tells you not to do sothing, you don’t do it. That’s it.’
Muttering such authoritarian nonsense, the senior servant continued talking to himself.
anwhile, Ihan—relying on his well-practiced ability to let words go in one ear and out the other—let his mind drift elsewhere.
‘They treat a noble lady like this?’
Was this normal in noble households?
‘Maybe she isn’t the real daughter. Could she be an illegitimate child or sothing?’
Ihan recalled a few cliché plots from romance fantasy novels he had read in his past life.
‘Is it one of those stories? Where the mother dies during childbirth, and the father and siblings ostracize the youngest child...?’
Or maybe...
‘Was she born talentless, so they abandoned her?’
That was another common trope.
And every ti Ihan ca across such stories, he found himself irritated by the parents and siblings involved.
Sure, losing a wife during childbirth was tragic, but what cri had the child committed?
Being born without talent?
Since when was that a sin?
A child’s potential wasn’t solely dictated by their innate gifts.
That’s why seeing a child being treated unfairly like this was...!
‘...No. I shouldn’t care.’
Ihan realized he was overthinking things.
There was no way this was one of those ridiculous soap-opera plots.
And even if it was—it wasn’t his problem.
He was here for a mission, not to babysit a kid.
‘Stay focused on the goal.’
He needed to remind himself of his purpose.
Splash!
“...I knew this would happen!”
Without hesitation, Ihan dived into the water to save the drowning child.
***
“Achoo!”
“Dry yourself off with this towel and drink so tea, miss. That way, you won’t catch a cold.”
“...Thank you.”
“No need to be so formal. I’m just a re servant.”
“Nee...”
“......”
“Ah...”
The young girl, with her damp, disheveled hair resembling that of a drenched puppy, blinked her wide eyes before shutting her mouth.
She had been told not to speak formally, yet she had done so instinctively.
But instead of reprimanding her, Ihan only offered a bitter smile.
Instead, he thought—
‘What the hell am I doing?’
Why was he here taking care of a child, brewing warm tea?
It was enough to make him feel a little pathetic.
Just then—
“...Why are you here?”
“I told you, don’t use formal speech.”
“I-I'm more comfortable speaking this way.”
“......”
“M-More importantly, answer .”
“...I just happened to see you. Heading off alone to go fishing.”
“Oh, I see!”
The girl nodded in understanding.
His response wasn’t much of an explanation, yet she seed completely satisfied with it.
Perhaps she was just that innocent—but it wasn’t unusual for kids her age to be so easily convinced.
‘I didn’t even lie. I really did just see her picking up a fishing rod.’
It had simply caught his eye by chance.
Then, he had noticed the drizzle starting—which made him worry she might run into trouble.
That was why he had followed her to the riverbank.
And sure enough—she had slipped and was swept away in the water.
‘What would’ve happened if I hadn’t been there?’
Ihan sighed.
This child was a walking disaster waiting to happen.
Like most kids, she didn’t recognize what was truly dangerous.
Was it innocence, or was it recklessness?
Either way, she was bound to get herself into trouble if soone didn’t keep an eye on her.
“...Miss, I’m not asking for a reward or anything, but can I ask you a question?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“When did you start fishing?”
“When I was six!”
“......”
“Oh, but until last year, the old man who took care of used to co with !”
“And... what about that old man now?”
“He said he’ll be back after a thousand nights of sleep. Hehe.”
“......”
“Hmm? Why do your eyes look all watery?”
“...Just a little cold.”
“Oh!? T-That’s bad....”
“Sigh... So sentintal.”
This was why aging was terrifying.
Had his emotions always been this fragile?
Suppressing the sting in his eyes, Ihan pinched the bridge of his nose to steady himself.
But just as he managed to calm down—
“...Hey, Santa.”
“Yes?”
“Umm, you see....”
“?”
“C-Could you... be my friend?”
“......”
“I-I’ll even give you this. I saved it up from selling fish, hehe.”
Jingle...
“This... Is this enough for you to be my friend?”
“......”
“Santa?”
“......”
...This is why aging is terrifying.
***
“Grandpa once told that you need money to buy delicious food and nice clothes. So... maybe you can buy friends and family too?”
Ihan had heard her words.
And her innocent, yet heartbreaking reasoning struck him deeply.
After all—
She had been struggling, enduring the biting cold, working not to run away, but simply to earn companionship.
To have soone on her side.
That thought alone made Ihan feel a profound sadness.
And at the sa ti—it made him realize how cruel reality was.
What cri had this child committed to deserve a life like this?
“...Heh.”
“......”
Ihan glanced over his shoulder.
The girl had fallen asleep, resting on his back.
Perhaps it had been a long ti since she felt the warmth of another person.
Her face, bathed in the moonlight, looked serene and content.
Ihan found himself ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) smiling softly, unconsciously walking more carefully.
So that she wouldn’t wake up.
“Did you not hear the order to stay away from the young miss?”
A voice cut through the silence.
“......”
“You should mind your own business. That misplaced sympathy of yours will only bring trouble.”
“...The gardener.”
“Hah! Call ‘Sir Gardener,’ you insolent brat!”
A middle-aged man, exuding an aura of battle-hardened experience, blocked Ihan’s path.
He had learned aura combat techniques.
And now, he was issuing a warning.
“There’s always one fool like you. Soone who lets their pity get the better of them. But let tell you sothing—”
“......”
“That sympathy of yours? It’ll only make things worse for the young miss.”
“If you truly care, you’d leave her alone. She’ll give up faster that way.”
“...Haah.”
“Forget it. No point wasting my ti talking to so naive fool. Just put the young miss down and get lost. And if you ever show up in front of again—”
The man was about to raise his voice, to threaten him further.
But he never got the chance.
Because—
“Hey, shut up. You’re gonna wake her up.”
CRACK!
The man's jaw snapped shut.
“Ughh...!!”
“I said shut up, didn’t I? You’ll wake her up.”
CRACK!!
“!!!!?”
The man flailed, his body convulsing.
Sohow—without him even noticing—a hand had reached his face, clamping his mouth shut with crushing force.
His cheekbones cracked, sending waves of pain through his skull.
He wanted to scream, but the grip on his jaw only tightened.
Even as he struggled with all his strength, he couldn’t break free.
And just before his vision faded, the last thing he saw—
Was Ihan’s piercing, rciless gaze.
“You really don’t want to pass out.”
“!!?”
“If you do, I’ll have to wake you up.”
“And my thod of waking people up...?”
A sinister smirk played at the corner of his lips.
“It’s not gentle.”
“U-Urghhh!!”
“Shh. The kid’s sleeping.”
A chill ran down the gardener’s spine.
His instincts scread at him.
He must not pass out.
Because that warning—
—Was not an empty threat.
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