WHTVT C6

Chapter 6

As if afraid he’d be thrown out that instant, Chase, unlike his still expressionless face, spilled excuses in a hurried voice.

Facing that pale face and thin shoulders, even the anger that had made Noel want to grab him by the nape and drag him out vanished at once.

It felt like he’d become a shameless thug stealing money from a kid with a runny nose.

Noel scratched the back of his head and finally took a step back.

“Who said when to leave?”

“Thank you……”

As if relieved by Noel’s words, Chase fidgeted with the fingers gripping his hem and whispered small.

The room problem he’d firmly told the butler to handle on his own; they’d give him some other decent place soon. Might as well finish the information gathering that had been the original goal.

“You. What’s your last name?”

“…Last name?”

“I know your name is Chase. What’s the last name.”

“Last name……? I’m just Chase.”

Chase tilted his head as if he knew nothing but his own name. Noel had thought he’d easily learn about the %^@# he’d been most curious about……. At a flow that didn’t go as expected, his brow furrowed.

“Don’t want to tell me. Then were you alone from the start? Your parents?”

“…Don’t know last name, or parents. Just… didn’t have them.”

Was that the truth. Watching Chase’s face closely, Noel went on.

“Before you came here, where did you live and what did you do? Before my father found you.”

“The forest…… I was in the forest.”

The more questions followed, the only one frustrated was Noel. No matter what he asked, no clear answer came back. Did he really not know, or did he not want to tell. He couldn’t tell.

After a Q-and-A that broke off in short answers, Noel gave up asking about his past. Then he threw the most essential question he had to find out today.

About that tremendous talent the butler had fussed over and praised without end.

“Do you know what my father saw in you that he took you into the Winslow duchy? I heard you have enormous magical talent hidden. Do you know? What can you do with that magic?”

“What’s…… magic?”

What does this kid even know.

Noel felt fatigue rush in suddenly. At the stupid answers being spat out, the will to dig into Chase snapped.

So he has to bully a kid like this to blacken him……. At a glance they looked five or six years apart. Noel felt like he’d become a once-in-a-generation piece of trash.

He was looking at Chase with his mouth drawn down in pointless gloom when a hypothesis flashed through his head.

What if a weird status window like his was floating in front of that kid too? If he was receiving some mission from the system and acting ignorant about magic, the front and back fit.

Right! He must have a reason he has to hide it on purpose.

Once the thought went that far, Noel decided to poke him without hesitation.

“Do you also maybe have a sys—”

Before he could even spit the word “system” out of his mouth.

[Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!]

With a bone-chilling alarm—beeeep—a blood-red aura flickered and filled Noel’s vision.

[Warning: A serious deviation from the original route has been detected.]

[Penalty: Hematemesis]

“Fuck……!”

Keugh. Before he could even curse, something hot surged from inside. Noel vomited blood in a rush. Dark clots poured without pause.

Crazy, you’re allowed to make someone cough this much blood? You’ll kill a person. This damned system!

[Directly speaking settings related to the original work is strictly forbidden. If another attempt like this is caught even once more, Young Master Noel’s death will be executed immediately.]

Death! You didn’t even warn me beforehand. Stop this blood first! Crazy system. Noel still coughed blood and hissed inwardly.

Even at that sight the system calmly floated letters in front of him.

[In this world-view, the only one who knows about the original work is Young Master Noel alone. If you really want to die, I recommend you keep running your mouth. Damned Young Master Noel.]

At the system’s eerie, firm warning Noel bit his lower lip hard. Mock what. And what’s “damned Young Master Noel”! A mere system, why is its tone so disrespectful!

It was absurd, but he had no strength to argue. All he was doing now was keep bringing up blood. As his vision spun, he saw Chase’s legs—the boy had come down from the sofa and was standing awkwardly in front of him.

Their eyes met as Chase approached, face gone blue with shock at the blood-soaked sight.

“Are, are you okay……?”

“…Not okay.”

Does this look okay to you.

Leaving behind Chase and his question that wasn’t a question, Noel gasped and staggered to his feet.

Blood drops running from the corner of his mouth wet the floor.

I have to get out of here right now.

What more could he learn from a child he couldn’t even talk to. There was no reason to stay.

He’d learned nothing and spilled a bucket of blood. It felt like he’d coughed up a lifetime’s worth in two days. If he held on any longer in this body it wouldn’t be strange to die right now.

Desperate to lie down against anything, Noel rationalized the thought and headed to a corner. Then he picked up a scrap of cloth dumped there at random and scrubbed the blood running down his chin.

Ha, I’m dying……

At this rate he’d finish his life from blood loss before dying from quest failure.

He’d have to call a physician as soon as he got back to his room. Pour in some good potions and recharge a bit.

[Calling a physician will be useless. You’ll only hear that there’s nothing wrong with your body.]

How kind. Glaring at the nasty system window, Noel turned toward the door. Chase’s gaze watching him stuck in his back, but Noel left the annex without a greeting.

Walking the garden with a body in tatters, cool air brushed his cheek. The cold wind swept his fevered face but didn’t cool his complicated head.

To make it worse, he hadn’t taken a few steps before he sank to the ground. He’d spilled so much blood his head was still spinning. Bloodless fingers caught the sun on the grass and shone pale.

And every time he breathed in, the inside of his chest throbbed. But he couldn’t just sit on the floor like this. He was about to force his dizzy head straight and lift a foot when—

The butler, who had been watching Noel nearby, saw he couldn’t get up and came running.

“Huk! Y-Young Master Noel! Bl-blood……!”

He’d wiped, but the stain left at the corner of his mouth was far too clear in the butler’s eyes. Seeing the dark red gleam in the light, he panicked.

And he worried whether Noel had caused some huge incident. Even when angry, making someone bleed… wasn’t unheard of. But this time harm had come to the young master’s own body.

At first he’d circled because he feared Noel would harm the child the duke had brought. Wasn’t it rather that this Chase had done something to Young Master Noel……?

What if someone asked why he hadn’t served his master properly? The butler’s head tangled with every worst imagination and went distant.

“Don’t make a noisy fuss. My head’s ringing.”

“No, how did this……! Wh-what is all this! Wh-what……!”

The butler’s face was whiter than Noel’s. Noel waved a hand as if annoyed at the butler still shoving his face in.

“Enough. Clean the annex right now. Fine job leaving it that filthy.”

“E-even so……”

At the butler’s trailing voice Noel’s brow tightened.

Why is he catching the end of every sentence! Wasn’t this mess because he’d given Chase the annex in the first place.

Of course it wasn’t.

All the butler had done was give a room. Noel himself had made this situation. Still, irritating was irritating.

“Don’t make me say it twice. Why give that Chase a corner annex when there are decent rooms. A child—”

[Warning]

At the two letters that flashed in front of his eyes, Noel almost bit his tongue mid-sentence.

Why a warning at this timing? What did I even do. He had no grasp of the situation at all. His mouth went dry with confusion.

Fortunate or not, he quickly scanned the phrases that followed.

[Sympathy unbefitting Noel Winslow. Correct it at once.]

[Time limit: 5 seconds]

[If the time limit is exceeded, penalty: hematemesis]

Did it throw a warning because I worried about that kid’s treatment in an un-villain-like way? He disliked a system that interfered even in such small parts, but the pain of the penalty he’d just suffered was far too vivid.

Chapter 6

As if afraid he’d be thrown out that instant, Chase, unlike his still expressionless face, spilled excuses in a hurried voice.

Facing that pale face and thin shoulders, even the anger that had made Noel want to grab him by the nape and drag him out vanished at once.

It felt like he’d become a shameless thug stealing money from a kid with a runny nose.

Noel scratched the back of his head and finally took a step back.

“Who said when to leave?”

“Thank you……”

As if relieved by Noel’s words, Chase fidgeted with the fingers gripping his hem and whispered small.

The room problem he’d firmly told the butler to handle on his own; they’d give him some other decent place soon. Might as well finish the information gathering that had been the original goal.

“You. What’s your last name?”

“…Last name?”

“I know your name is Chase. What’s the last name.”

“Last name……? I’m just Chase.”

Chase tilted his head as if he knew nothing but his own name. Noel had thought he’d easily learn about the %^@# he’d been most curious about……. At a flow that didn’t go as expected, his brow furrowed.

“Don’t want to tell me. Then were you alone from the start? Your parents?”

“…Don’t know last name, or parents. Just… didn’t have them.”

Was that the truth. Watching Chase’s face closely, Noel went on.

“Before you came here, where did you live and what did you do? Before my father found you.”

“The forest…… I was in the forest.”

The more questions followed, the only one frustrated was Noel. No matter what he asked, no clear answer came back. Did he really not know, or did he not want to tell. He couldn’t tell.

After a Q-and-A that broke off in short answers, Noel gave up asking about his past. Then he threw the most essential question he had to find out today.

About that tremendous talent the butler had fussed over and praised without end.

“Do you know what my father saw in you that he took you into the Winslow duchy? I heard you have enormous magical talent hidden. Do you know? What can you do with that magic?”

“What’s…… magic?”

What does this kid even know.

Noel felt fatigue rush in suddenly. At the stupid answers being spat out, the will to dig into Chase snapped.

So he has to bully a kid like this to blacken him……. At a glance they looked five or six years apart. Noel felt like he’d become a once-in-a-generation piece of trash.

He was looking at Chase with his mouth drawn down in pointless gloom when a hypothesis flashed through his head.

What if a weird status window like his was floating in front of that kid too? If he was receiving some mission from the system and acting ignorant about magic, the front and back fit.

Right! He must have a reason he has to hide it on purpose.

Once the thought went that far, Noel decided to poke him without hesitation.

“Do you also maybe have a sys—”

Before he could even spit the word “system” out of his mouth.

[Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!]

With a bone-chilling alarm—beeeep—a blood-red aura flickered and filled Noel’s vision.

[Warning: A serious deviation from the original route has been detected.]

[Penalty: Hematemesis]

“Fuck……!”

Keugh. Before he could even curse, something hot surged from inside. Noel vomited blood in a rush. Dark clots poured without pause.

Crazy, you’re allowed to make someone cough this much blood? You’ll kill a person. This damned system!

[Directly speaking settings related to the original work is strictly forbidden. If another attempt like this is caught even once more, Young Master Noel’s death will be executed immediately.]

Death! You didn’t even warn me beforehand. Stop this blood first! Crazy system. Noel still coughed blood and hissed inwardly.

Even at that sight the system calmly floated letters in front of him.

[In this world-view, the only one who knows about the original work is Young Master Noel alone. If you really want to die, I recommend you keep running your mouth. Damned Young Master Noel.]

At the system’s eerie, firm warning Noel bit his lower lip hard. Mock what. And what’s “damned Young Master Noel”! A mere system, why is its tone so disrespectful!

It was absurd, but he had no strength to argue. All he was doing now was keep bringing up blood. As his vision spun, he saw Chase’s legs—the boy had come down from the sofa and was standing awkwardly in front of him.

Their eyes met as Chase approached, face gone blue with shock at the blood-soaked sight.

“Are, are you okay……?”

“…Not okay.”

Does this look okay to you.

Leaving behind Chase and his question that wasn’t a question, Noel gasped and staggered to his feet.

Blood drops running from the corner of his mouth wet the floor.

I have to get out of here right now.

What more could he learn from a child he couldn’t even talk to. There was no reason to stay.

He’d learned nothing and spilled a bucket of blood. It felt like he’d coughed up a lifetime’s worth in two days. If he held on any longer in this body it wouldn’t be strange to die right now.

Desperate to lie down against anything, Noel rationalized the thought and headed to a corner. Then he picked up a scrap of cloth dumped there at random and scrubbed the blood running down his chin.

Ha, I’m dying……

At this rate he’d finish his life from blood loss before dying from quest failure.

He’d have to call a physician as soon as he got back to his room. Pour in some good potions and recharge a bit.

[Calling a physician will be useless. You’ll only hear that there’s nothing wrong with your body.]

How kind. Glaring at the nasty system window, Noel turned toward the door. Chase’s gaze watching him stuck in his back, but Noel left the annex without a greeting.

Walking the garden with a body in tatters, cool air brushed his cheek. The cold wind swept his fevered face but didn’t cool his complicated head.

To make it worse, he hadn’t taken a few steps before he sank to the ground. He’d spilled so much blood his head was still spinning. Bloodless fingers caught the sun on the grass and shone pale.

And every time he breathed in, the inside of his chest throbbed. But he couldn’t just sit on the floor like this. He was about to force his dizzy head straight and lift a foot when—

The butler, who had been watching Noel nearby, saw he couldn’t get up and came running.

“Huk! Y-Young Master Noel! Bl-blood……!”

He’d wiped, but the stain left at the corner of his mouth was far too clear in the butler’s eyes. Seeing the dark red gleam in the light, he panicked.

And he worried whether Noel had caused some huge incident. Even when angry, making someone bleed… wasn’t unheard of. But this time harm had come to the young master’s own body.

At first he’d circled because he feared Noel would harm the child the duke had brought. Wasn’t it rather that this Chase had done something to Young Master Noel……?

What if someone asked why he hadn’t served his master properly? The butler’s head tangled with every worst imagination and went distant.

“Don’t make a noisy fuss. My head’s ringing.”

“No, how did this……! Wh-what is all this! Wh-what……!”

The butler’s face was whiter than Noel’s. Noel waved a hand as if annoyed at the butler still shoving his face in.

“Enough. Clean the annex right now. Fine job leaving it that filthy.”

“E-even so……”

At the butler’s trailing voice Noel’s brow tightened.

Why is he catching the end of every sentence! Wasn’t this mess because he’d given Chase the annex in the first place.

Of course it wasn’t.

All the butler had done was give a room. Noel himself had made this situation. Still, irritating was irritating.

“Don’t make me say it twice. Why give that Chase a corner annex when there are decent rooms. A child—”

[Warning]

At the two letters that flashed in front of his eyes, Noel almost bit his tongue mid-sentence.

Why a warning at this timing? What did I even do. He had no grasp of the situation at all. His mouth went dry with confusion.

Fortunate or not, he quickly scanned the phrases that followed.

[Sympathy unbefitting Noel Winslow. Correct it at once.]

[Time limit: 5 seconds]

[If the time limit is exceeded, penalty: hematemesis]

Did it throw a warning because I worried about that kid’s treatment in an un-villain-like way? He disliked a system that interfered even in such small parts, but the pain of the penalty he’d just suffered was far too vivid.

[4, 3, 2, 1]