Chapter 22
Words Become Reality
- “He seems to like you a lot. If you ever get the chance, you should visit and catch up with him.”
So they say such things.
Grit. Alexis’s jaw tightened.
“Hey, Alexis!”
“Oh, wow, it’s been a while since we’ve seen such a noble face!”
He went back to the hideout where he used to hang out with his old group. It looked like there had been a storm-like party earlier—the place was a mess. But Alexis didn’t care and sat down anywhere, gesturing to a passing servant.
“Bring me any alcohol. The strongest one you’ve got.”
After the servant left, the people around him looked at him with curious eyes.
“You’ve been missing for a while.”
“There’ve been weird rumors going around lately, Alexis!”
At that, one of Alexis’s eyebrows lifted.
“You know, the rumor that you’ve been getting along well with your wife!”
Someone shouted that, and the group burst into laughter. Ridiculous! one of them said.
“You haven’t shown up to parties lately, so all kinds of nonsense are spreading.”
“We know you, so we don’t believe it. Kkuk.”
Alexis, who had been silently listening, showed a cold smile. Then another person added,
“But there’s no way that’s true. Seems like even Alexis’s wife knows her place.”
At that moment, Alexis tightened his grip on the glass he was holding. Another person asked the speaker,
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when the women who used to obsess over Alexis go to her and threaten her, she apparently just says she has nothing to do with him and tells them to do whatever they want.”
“Oh, really? That woman’s kind of ridiculous.”
Seeing Alexis reappear after a long time, the group grew more excited and noisy. Alexis took the whiskey and crystal glass offered by the servant. He poured it full and drank it in one gulp. His eyes turned cold.
‘Is that so.’
A sneer slipped out.
‘So that’s how it is.’
After that, Alexis’s once-quiet reckless lifestyle began again. The only difference from before was that he no longer played around with women. If a woman approached him, even when drunk, he showed clear disgust—like someone who had been badly burned.
Meanwhile, Roen was steadily saving money. It wasn’t a huge amount, but enough that she wouldn’t immediately end up on the streets and could use it if needed.
“I’m worried about the young master.”
As Alexis’s absence continued, the butler began visiting more often. But unlike before, he now sighed frequently with a troubled expression.
Why are you sighing in front of someone who’s in a good mood? Go do that in your own room. Roen frowned.
“Please take your worries somewhere else instead of here.”
“Well, somehow… this place just feels more comfortable…”
His own residence was the main house, yet he said this separate east annex—practically a cold palace—was more comfortable. What, does he think this is a healing center anyone can just drop into? Well, Roen did consider it her home while she stayed here, even if she expected she might be kicked out anytime.
‘Too many random visitors keep coming.’
For a place called the infamous “cold palace,” too many people were gathering here. Roen reflected on herself again. Maybe I’m just too kind.
“I thought he had stopped wandering for a while.”
the butler said.
“Unfortunately, there’s no one in the main house to hold the young master back.”
While saying this, he looked directly at Roen.
“Why are you looking at me when you say that?”
“Ah, well… I mean…”
He trailed off and avoided her gaze.
“You are the lady of the house…”
Roen let out a hollow laugh.
“What lady? I’m not even treated like one.”
“Ah, please don’t say it like that. I truly serve you as my lady.”
At his lighthearted tone, Roen smirked.
“Why worry so much? You can’t change a person’s habits.”
“Ma’am!”
The butler shouted in panic at her blunt words. He quickly looked around as if worried someone might hear. Roen, sitting with her arms crossed, watched him. There wasn’t a single soul here except regular visitors anyway.
“You may not know this, ma’am…”
he continued.
“The young master is not a bad person by nature.”
Right, sure. There’s no one in the world who’s “bad by nature.” Even serial killers are nice to people they know.
Roen nodded indifferently.
“It’s true. He may wander outside, but he doesn’t harm or hurt others.”
But to Roen, who had seen him fight bloodily with members of the Ideng family and deal with countless screaming women, it didn’t mean much.
‘He seems to do both.’
Seeing that his words weren’t getting through at all, the butler sighed.
“Only now I’m explaining this, but—”
he continued.
“In your first meeting with the young master, he didn’t appear in such a rough state for no reason.”
First meeting… he must be referring to the original Roen’s encounter with Alexis. Roen’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. The original Roen had reportedly fainted after seeing him arrive covered in injuries.
“The young master, although he drinks and wanders outside, does not casually meet women. Strangely enough, he doesn’t seem interested in that kind of thing.”
Huh? Then what about all those women who came to me crying? Roen narrowed her eyes in confusion.
“Really.”
The butler waved his hands.
“Because of his outstanding looks… and the fact that he roams the streets like that, women naturally gather around him. But he has never treated relationships lightly. I can guarantee that. I’ve served him for many years.”
Hmm. Roen tilted her head.
“However, one of the women who clung to him apparently already had a lover. And those men were known as violent street thugs. They didn’t even know who the young master was and attacked him out of jealousy. When they saw him beaten up, you were understandably shocked, but he didn’t actually start the violence.”
Here, the butler cleared his throat.
“Well… he did fight back when attacked.”
‘Not just “fought back”—he probably beat them to a pulp.’
Roen nodded.
“Alright. I understand the situation.”
The butler looked at her with pleading eyes. It was honestly hard to ignore.
“So, ma’am, please don’t keep your distance from the young master… and treat him kindly…”
“What does me treating him kindly have to do with him wandering around?”
That was a genuine question from Roen. The butler’s eyes lit up even more.
“Because… when he is with you, he seems… different.”
“Different? How?”
Like his appetite changes or something? Roen blinked. Well, he did eat very well here.
“No, anyway… I just feel that kind of energy.”
the butler continued.
“So please… if you could just treat him a bit better… I think the young master would improve greatly.”
It was truly an incomprehensible request. However, aside from his recent absence, Roen could clearly feel that he had been visiting this annex more often than expected. Perhaps this place felt more comfortable than the cold, distant main house. And it was also where his beloved aunt had once stayed.
In the end, Roen nodded.
“Alright. Well, he isn’t even coming here right now. But if he does come again, I’ll treat him a bit better.”
“Really, ma’am?”
The butler exclaimed brightly.
“Thank you! I can’t believe you agreed so easily.”
“You’re a very loyal butler.”
Roen chuckled.
“There’s no need to treat guests poorly. Though I doubt he’ll come again anyway, if he does, I’ll take special care of him. Satisfied?”
But at this point, Roen did not yet know—
that words become reality.
And in just a few days, Alexis would return again
