I Became the Tyrant's Servant

My heart sank with a thud.

“Devil? What do you mean…”

Count Linoa wept with a frightened face.

“You know that, Duke. His Majesty is not a man of such an infinite temper.”

“Ah…that’s true.”

I pulled my jacket collar as I felt overwhelming discomfort.

“However, thanks to the Duke, various official schedules such as Cabinet meetings have been carried out smoothly. But ever since the Duke has left, everyone is on thin ice these days. The Marquis of Treve is trying hard to fill the Duke’s absence, but he’s complained that his bones and flesh were cold just by His Majesty looking at him.”

“You’re exaggerating a lot. How can he feel that way just by His Majesty looking at him?”

“I don’t know because I’ve never seen him like that when the Duke is present! Whenever I make eye contact with His Majesty, I almost forget how to speak.”

Count Linoa touched his forehead with a wretched face.

“It would be better if His Majesty did not attend the Cabinet meeting at all as before. But he always attends the meeting with a face like a yaksha’s*.”

(t/n: A kind of supernatural being, often depicted as having supernatural power, overwhelming strength, and a frightening appearance; can be a malevolent demon or a beneficent tutelary deity)

I frowned.

“He attended the Cabinet meeting well, so I have no idea what the problem is.”

The reason he attends meetings consistently is because he is no longer threatened by me and he no longer has to pretend to be a tyrant.

It was a positive thing in many ways.

“You don’t even know what the problem is!”

Count Linoa tore his head off.

“His Majesty looks terrible. His clothes are more disorganized than usual, and he looks like he’s about to pull out a knife right away whenever we say something……! Yesterday alone, one person was dragged out and everyone is shaking with fear because they don’t know when their necks will fall!”

I bit my lip.

At first, I thought Count Linoa was making a fuss.

I can’t believe one person was already taken.

Doesn’t he seem like a real tyrant?

“So who was executed?”

“E, executed?”

Count Linoa blinked.

“I heard someone was dragged out yesterday. Didn’t His Majesty order that person to be executed?”

“Ah, it’s not execution, but a particularly weak baron fainted because he made eye contact with His Majesty.”

“……No way, Baron Hanue?”

“Oh, how did the Duke……!”

Count Linoa’s eyes became the size of a lamp.

“As expected, the Duke knows everything…”

“That’s enough. What about the others? Are there people who have been executed or imprisoned for incurring His Majesty’s displeasure?”

“No, it never happened…….”

“Then is everyone getting scared because of the fact that His Majesty looks uncomfortable?”

I realized how trashy I had made Cardan’s image seem to be.

Count Linoa scratched his forehead.

“Strictly speaking, yes.”

“What a fuss.”

When I clicked my tongue, he cried as if he was innocent.

“Someone will be executed at this rate!”

“I’m not going to fall for it.”

There was no time to think about it, so a definite answer came out.

I added in a stronger tone as the count remained silent.

“His Majesty is a righteous man.”

After a moment of hesitation, I opened my mouth again.

“……His Majesty will surely become a righteous warrior. No, he’s a righteous warrior*.”

(t/n: The word “성군” (seong-gun) refers to a warrior who fights for a righteous cause, often with spiritual or religious motivations. The word “이시다” is a polite and formal way of saying “you are” in Korean. It is often used when addressing someone with respect, such as a superior or someone older.)

I meant it.

Cardan must have played a major role in the empire’s prosperity under the tyranny of the Duke of Baloa.

It may be too late to prevent the fall of the empire, but now that he is out of the clutches of the Duke of Baloa, Cardan will certainly not be as depressed as in the original.

Count Linoa glanced at me with a dismal expression.

“Hmm. I know that the Duke is his one and only loyal servant, but… calling him a righteous warrior is a little….”

“……I am a loyal servant.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Count Linoa crouched his neck like a turtle because he was afraid of being taken away for blasphemy.

“No, I mean—”

“I know. I know that the count is also one of the most devoted loyalists of the empire.”

I covered the back of the count’s hand with a hearty laugh.

“Please take proper care of His Majesty.”

I left the count, leaving my unease behind.

Knoxus, who was waiting for me at the entrance, looked at me and carefully opened his mouth.

“Did you have any problems?”

“What problem? Not at all.”

I smiled.

“I succeeded in getting a ship.”

“I’m glad to hear that…”

But while saying that, Knoxus kept looking at my expression carefully.

I tried to make myself smile more naturally.

“The ship leaves in a few days.”

“I see. I’ll prepare accordingly.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“What is there to prepare? All I have to do is prepare my luggage to take to the East. Thanks to me being broke now, it’s enough for me to pack my luggage alone.”

Then I hesitated to add.

“Of course, if you want to cancel going to the East continent with me, you can do so anytime. Originally, I was intending to go to the East continent and prepare a house and leave a seat for you if I set up a business, but now that this has happened, I can’t guarantee my life on the East continent anymore.”

This has been on my mind since then.

I couldn’t confidently suggest for Knoxus to go to the East as I did before when I had a fortune.

Moreover, even if the empire falls, ordinary people’s lives will not change much, even if there is blood and turmoil in aristocratic society.

For Knoxus, it would have been better for him in many ways to settle down with his younger sister in a quiet part of the empire.

For that reason, I was extremely opposed to my servants joining me.

However, only Knoxus could not be persuaded to the end.

“No, I will follow Master to the end.”

“If you’re doing this out of a sense of debt because I took you out of the slave market, don’t worry about it. It’s been a long time since it’s settled.”

Knoxus paused and stared straight at me.

“I don’t want to follow Master simply because of my sense of debt.”

When I bit my lips, Knoxus smiled.

“I also made the decision while weighing all my interests, so don’t worry. You said you couldn’t guarantee my life in the East, but no matter how much I think about it, my life in an empire without you would be more uncertain.”

I was at a loss for words.

“Well……I think His Majesty will do a good job, unexpectedly.”

Knoxus only smiled.

“We don’t need such a lame joke between us.”

For a moment, I had a bitter taste in my mouth. I ended up looking away for no reason with an awkward smile.

“Yes, right.”

But it didn’t fool Knoxus’ eyes.

“Did I say something wrong?”

When Knoxus asked me carefully, I shook my head as I pursed my lips.

“No, let’s go home now.”

No matter how much I swallowed, the fishy taste that lingered in my mouth did not disappear.

***

Time passed quickly and it was the day of my departure.

When I packed my simple luggage and headed to the pier, there was already a long line of people trying to board the ship.

No longer an aristocrat, I naturally joined the line of commoners.

Knoxus was worried about me, so he was closely behind me and wary of his surroundings.

“Be careful. I heard that there are a lot of snatchers here who are aiming at tourists.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Even at my reassurance, Knox glanced anxiously at my luggage.

“Do you want me to carry your luggage?”

Apparently, I didn’t seem to be trustworthy to him.

I hurried back when Knoxus reached for my bag.

“Never mind. Your luggage is a lot. How can you carry mine?”

He was worried about me, while he was holding a backpack back and forth and two large packages on both arms.

“Take care of your luggage.”

The moment I shook my hands and snorted.

Someone snatched my suitcase.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

As soon as the pickpocket grabbed my bag, he screamed and let go of it as his hand felt like it was on fire.

“Argh! My hand!”

The squalid boy sobbed as he held his hand.

“Oh, you’ll have a hard time because it will sting a little. Wash it with water and it will heal quickly.”

I grumbled as I shook my bag. The more I dust it off, the more carefully I spread the poisonous herb powder.

Even if it touches me, it is a little itchy. However, it will be very hot when it touches the skin of a person who has never touched it before.

My bag even carried my candle from the temple, so I applied it very carefully.

People around me who were standing in line also flocked to see.

“What’s going on? Pickpocketing?”

An old man snooped and a friend next to him approached.

“Why is he rolling on the floor?”

The warm-looking woman behind us approached us and began to look around.

“Oh, the skin of the young man’s palm is all peeled off.”

The red-faced pickpocket got angry and pointed at me.

“What have you done to my hand?! What’s with that bag!”

“So why would you steal someone else’s bag?”

I responded with a deep reply.

“Shall I just call the knights?”

The people around me were buzzing.

“Calling the knights, even tourists shouldn’t do that much.”

When an old man stopped me, his friend also responded.

“Yeah, it’s difficult for everyone to make ends meet these days. Look at your spouse.”

“Would it have been like that if that young man wasn’t so hungry?”

The aunt lamented, stealing her eyes with her sleeve.

I snorted.

“What do you feel sorry for? If he’s hungry, he should honestly think about making money.”

However, the meddling around me did not intend to die down.

“You have to have a job.”

The old man sniffed as if he was angry, and his friend chinned at me.

“Aren’t you heading to the East looking for a job?”

“We’re all in the same boat. Just let it slide.”

“What if he loses his hand if he’s taken by the knights?”

The lady slapped me on the shoulder in horror.

“Please go easy on him.”

I frowned.

“Why would he lose his hand?”

“Well, the level of punishment for misdemeanors increased a few years ago due to spending too much tax on prison management? The Prime Minister or something said that.”

While trying to ask back, I closed my mouth because it was something that Duke Baloa would have done.

“Kkkak, twi*. This is all because of His Majesty.”

(t/n: sfx for spitting)

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