MLVA | Chapter 15

~Chapter 15~

My mouth tasted bitter.

In the original story, the Bessiel cult was just treated like some background thugs for the male lead, so I honestly had no idea what they were really like.

From what I’ve gathered now… they’re just a bunch of crazy cult lunatics?

“Come on, Lady.

Enough worrying—let’s get moving! Your nephew’s probably waiting desperately for you!”

Jin chuckled and patted my shoulder, pushing me forward.

He’d already gotten a carriage ready.

He really did move fast.

I stared blankly at the unnecessarily fancy carriage and mumbled,

“…But wouldn’t riding a carriage every time be over budget?”

I just said it out of curiosity, but Jin’s expression immediately stiffened.

He looked straight at me, tilted his head slightly, and asked,

“Well, even I’m not rude enough to drag a noble lady around without basic decency, you know.

I paid quite a bit for this, are you saying it’s not good enough?”

He scratched his chin with a bored look. I frowned.

“This is my first time escorting a noble lady on a job, after all.”

He stared at me quietly with his icy blue eyes.

Hard to read what he was thinking.

Was he testing me?

But what would he even get from doing that?

“Look, taking a fancy carriage every time is flashy and not cost-efficient.

Let’s skip it next time.

I don’t want to go around screaming ‘a noble lady is here’ everywhere we go.”

Jin gave me another weird look… and then, just like that, switched back to his usual dramatic, cheeky behavior and exaggerated praise.

“Ah! So wise! Still, we already paid for this ride, so let’s enjoy it today.

Come, Lady—this way!”

He bowed a bit and escorted me to the carriage.

For some reason, his manners were spot-on.

Maybe he learned them during some infiltration job as a mercenary?

He acts all silly and carefree, but when you actually look at how he moves, he’s not so simple.

“I mapped out a rough route while you were asleep.

Since finding your nephew is the top priority, we’ll check the orphanages first.”

He said this as he easily lifted me into the carriage.

“To Cheloti estate, please.

Drive safe, yeah?”

Clink.

A few silver coins dropped into the coachman’s hand.

I peeked out and saw a rough-looking middle-aged man holding the reins.

The coachman clicked his tongue and asked bluntly,

“Got it.

But what business do you have out there? That’s a pretty barren place for outsiders.”

Jin grinned and replied playfully,

“Well, yeah, it’s a bit remote for a well-dressed couple like us.

Hahaha!”

He leaned toward the coachman and smirked.

“Nothing big.

We’re visiting an orphanage there.

You could say it’s for an adoption—might make more sense that way, right?”

At that, the coachman grabbed the reins, and the carriage began to move with a rumble.

“Adoption? What do you want with kids who pick cotton? What use are they?”

I tried not to make a face at the typical tone of this world’s conversations.

I knew already, but still—cotton picking?

Then again, it’s not like these orphanages were built out of kindness.

They weren’t real sanctuaries.

Just places that picked up stray kids and squeezed free labor out of them.

Even the ones run by the Reton Church, which are said to be the “better” ones, weren’t much better.

“There’s nothing there but scraggly little beggars,” the coachman grumbled.

Jin rested his arm on the window and casually crossed his long legs.

“Still better than the kids locked up in mines, right?”

“Well, that’s true… Still, it’s sad.

Young couple like you adopting ‘cause you couldn’t have kids.”

I tuned out their conversation and stared out the window.

I’ve learned the hard way that letting every dumb comment like that get to me is just bad for my mental health.

“You seem to know that area pretty well?” Jin asked.

The coachman shrugged and answered,

“I guess so.

I transport more than just people.

Cheloti’s cotton is famous, you know.

So I’ve picked up a thing or two.

Not like I know everything, though.”

He clicked his tongue and just kept talking without being asked.

“But I’ll tell you—since about five years ago, people out there started going a bit… off.

It happens in rural areas, sure, but still…”

Whinny! The horses picked up speed, the clattering of hooves getting louder.

Jin tilted his head and casually asked,

“Five years ago?”

“Yep.

Don’t usually say stuff like this, but that Lord out there?

The local noble?

Rumor has it he’s a bit… off his rocker.”

The coachman looked around cautiously and whispered,

“It’s a pretty famous rumor in that area, so it’s not like I’m revealing anything new.”

He shivered like he got goosebumps.

“Anyway, be careful.

Cross the wrong guy and you’ll regret it.”

Jin nodded while adjusting a fancy ornament on his waist.

“Well, we’re just visiting an orphanage.

Not like we’re gonna run into any lords, right?”

I turned my gaze from the window to Jin.

Yeah, I figured he’d be good at this kind of thing, but damn—he’s casually and naturally collecting intel like a pro.

I seriously don’t have to lift a finger.

“Thanks for the heads-up.

Though I do wonder what made things go so wrong out there.”

“Don’t go getting curious.

You don’t wanna get tangled up with nobles.”

Bump! The carriage jolted after hitting a rock.

Why would you say that right in front of me, the one who is tangled up?

“Hahaha! You’re right, of course.

But hey—knowledge is power, isn’t it? Better to be prepared than to get caught off guard.”

“Hmm, true enough…”

The coachman smacked his lips and looked visibly uncomfortable.

“Well, don’t know if it’s related to the lord, but there’s talk about young women from that area going missing lately.

So be careful.”

I didn’t even know whether to be shocked or not at this point.

“Oh, missing people?

That kind of story?”

Jin scratched his chin and replied nonchalantly.

Honestly, that’s the normal reaction here.

It’s different for me—coming from Earth where stuff like that is serious.

But this world’s way behind, and crimes like that are, sadly, pretty common.

“If they’re only taking young ladies, maybe the lord’s some kind of vampire servant?

Didn’t a similar rumor spread in the capital about ten years ago?”

Jin tilted his head, and the coachman freaked out.

“Hey! Don’t say things like that out loud! You got a wife, right?

You trying to get yourself killed?

A noble hears that and you’ll be dragged off for slander!”

At that, Jin looked at me and grinned brightly—then even winked.

Ugh.

“Ah, it’s fine.

It’s fine! Not all nobles are uptight.

Plus, it’s just us here.

Who’s gonna hear?”

The coachman clicked his tongue and replied,

“Well, maybe, but… if you’re going all that way by carriage, you must be doing well, huh?

You look like a mercenary.

You deal with nobles a lot?”

Jin answered shamelessly,

“Wow, sharp eyes! Hahaha! How’d you know I was a mercenary?”

I stared blankly at Jin.

Like anyone couldn’t tell he’s a mercenary, walking around like that.

Jin, unfazed, proudly flashed a very obviously expensive accessory.

“Well, I am pretty successful, you know! Hahaha! And sure, working in this field, you meet nobles from time to time.”

Then he wrinkled his nose at me in a flirty little grin.

Is he… trying to flirt? Seriously?

I was speechless.