VIP Chapter 257: Interlude: Something’s Wrong x2
“Young Master, something is wrong.”
Amidst the sound of rain, Iaar stood on a dimly lit street in the capital, holding an umbrella. She had purchased a newspaper from a newsboy at the entrance.
She wasn’t particularly fond of reading newspapers, as they seemed like a lot of effort. She only bought it because…
The newspaper featured a picture of “Young Master.”
Moreover, what felt “wrong” was the first thing she noticed when she saw it being waved by the newsboy.
She held the newspaper, lowered her head, and her silver eyes darted across the pages. Raindrops fell from the tip of her umbrella, dripping onto the edge of the newspaper. Large droplets spread, darkening the paper’s color with their circular shapes.
Today was already her third day in the capital.
She gazed at the castle located behind the capital’s mountain in the light rain.
“Today… maybe I shouldn’t go…”
Since arriving in the capital and inquiring everywhere, and after contacting other members of the Hysterm Family, learning through a roundabout channel that he was already by Treya’s side, she had gone to the castle every day, attempting to connect with the Royal Family—especially Treya.
Initially, she was somewhat timid, not daring to knock on the door of the royal castle.
But when she was repeatedly rejected by the guards at the entrance…
She had grown accustomed to it.
Holding the newspaper, Iaar opened the door to a familiar room and entered a small, cozy space.
As a maid responsible for looking after this room, she naturally possessed a key to the Hysterm Family’s capital villa. However…
She looked into the dark room and took off her damp brown boots, their exteriors completely covered in moisture from outside.
She still carefully placed the newspaper on the shoe cabinet.
Her Young Master was not here, and it felt as though this place didn’t truly belong to her either.
How did things turn out this way?
When she arrived and found the “shield” prepared for her placed beside the shoe cabinet, she had felt a little surge of joy.
The first layer of joy…
Was that Young Master was indeed safe, not only alive and well but also having the energy to create a shield for her. It seemed that Shuna, described as “dangerous” by Peflan, had done him no harm.
The second layer of joy…
Was likely that Young Master hadn’t forgotten her; he had prepared a gift for her, placing it so prominently in the room.
But now, she couldn’t see Will. Will—the Young Master she trusted so much—if only she could convey a little of her request, he would certainly not refuse her request to meet.
“So, he… he wouldn’t abandon Iaar, would he?”
Iaar reached out and gently lit the lamp on the table. The warm light illuminated the various ornaments she and Young Master had placed together, making the small room instantly feel cozy.
“Huu…”
Iaar picked up the newspaper and placed it on the table, carefully separating the pages. Because it was damp, it was easy to tear.
Then, she sat in a chair, sensing the air around her. A faint scent of Will always lingered in the air. It was this scent that confirmed Will had been here.
But the scent was fading.
Only then, by the light of the lamp, did she begin to seriously examine the newspaper.
She could roughly understand the text. It seemed to announce the formal engagement between Treya and Young Master, with a wedding to be held in a month.
“Young Master, you seem to have achieved your goal.”
“You have successfully helped Treya fulfill her wish and announced the engagement that had long been planned.”
“He did very well, as expected of Young Master.”
“Only Young Master could enter the Royal Family and become such an important person by Treya’s side, right?”
…
Iaar paused.
She slammed her hand down
“But… something’s wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!”
“Although he has the same face, although he has the same appearance, but… but… but—”
“This is not my Young Master at all!”
“What… what happened?!”
Iaar slammed the table fiercely, and by the time she realized it, she was startled by her own actions.
“What… what’s wrong with me…”
It was as if…
The suppressed, dark, and terrifying emotions that had been building since she was left behind in Nov, since waiting for Young Master’s next reply, since following his footsteps all the way here without ever seeing him…
This dark and terrifying emotion suppressed in her heart had leaked out through a small crack of outburst.
She widened her eyes and looked at the newspaper again.
So…
So the inexplicable unease she had been feeling was because…
The person in this newspaper didn’t resemble Young Master?
She felt her heart reject the recognition of this person who looked identical to him.
Perhaps it was the intuition of a “Half-Beastman” who had always accompanied him as a “pet,” as “Young Master’s dog.” A strange premonition that only a “dog” who had observed his expressions for a long time, sniffed his scent daily, and felt his caresses for extended periods could truly understand…
The Young Master who had truly completed his “plan,” the truly “victorious” Young Master, could never show such a weak expression of relying on others, of being “held in someone’s palm.”
She was the one who knew best.
A long, long time ago, she had truly seen a fleeting look of panic on Will’s face after he examined her burn wound…
He had gripped her arm tightly, showing an expression like that.
But he still said that it was fine, that it was okay, that everything could still be resolved, and that he would definitely find a solution.
Then…
He told Iaar to rest well, calculated for a few pages in his notebook, walked out of the Hysterm Family home alone, and finally posted a request at the Adventurer’s Guild.
Iaar even wondered if, had he not received an answer from the Adventurer’s Guild, Young Master would have been so bold as to grab his equipment and test it himself in actual combat.
“So, a Young Master who would do that wouldn’t be so defenseless now…”
What happened in the meantime?
Young Master…
How is he now?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the news reached a certain witch’s lair—
“This guy’s not right… not right! There’s definitely something wrong with him!”
Liya rolled up her hair, rolled up her sleeves, and slapped the “Entak-wide distribution” newspaper.
“I’m leaving now. I’ve been unhappy with that princess for a long time… This will show her…”
*Bang.*
Before she could finish speaking, a cherry pit, freshly spat by Lis on the opposite side, precisely hit Liya’s forehead.
“First, you need to pay me back the money for your maxed-out credit cards before you can leave.”
“Second, calm down your untamed witch’s blood before speaking.”
“Third, he’s happy playing this game himself, and isn’t it quite amusing to see him mess up… isn’t it nice?”
“But, he’s not right!”
Liya, clutching her forehead, gasped for breath.
Her eyes once again lit up with hearts, but this time, she stared at the photo with a tinge of jealousy.
“I told you, you’re not leaving.”
Lis’s fingertips glowed slightly, aiming at Liya. A violent magic inherited from their mother was ready to be unleashed.
“He… he has a hickey on his collarbone from that woman!!!”
Liya, who had mastered straightforward yandere behavior, declared.
“That’s what you’re concerned about?!”
