Into the Creations 814

Chapter 814 – 814. The Plum Blossom Sword Master Reincarnated Into The Baek Family

Nephia began to organize her belongings. She left the maid uniform as it was and packed clothes, papers, pens, and other items into her backpack.

“…Hey, Nephia. What’s this fancy dress? Is this yours too?”

Terius asked, pointing to a flashy purple dress adorned with sparkling jewels. It was definitely not something a slave would possess.

Nephia smiled faintly at the dress and nodded.

“It’s mine. About a year ago, Master… no, he’s not my master anymore. Eugene-nim gave it to me as a birthday present.”

“…Eugene-nim gave it to you…? To you?”

A master who celebrates a slave’s birthday? It was something Terius couldn’t comprehend with his common sense. When he was a mercenary’s slave, he had never received a gift, not even on the days when the mercenary was in a good mood. He had received leftovers, but he never thought of them as gifts.

“Not just me, but other maids also receive gifts on their birthdays. Though, it’s rare for someone to receive a dress like this.”

“…That dress. Have you ever worn it?”

A slave wearing a dress was unheard of in Terius’s common sense, unless they were a noble.

Nephia frowned. She openly expressed her displeasure at Terius’s words.

“It’s true that I was a slave. But do you have to say it like that?”

“S-sorry. I was too insensitive.”

“…There are surprisingly many occasions to wear a dress. This mansion holds a banquet every two months, or at least every three months. It’s a banquet that even servants like me can attend. I’ve already worn this dress several times. It’s one of my treasures.”

“I see…”

Nephia carefully folded the dress and put it in her backpack. Other items that Terius didn’t recognize were also neatly piled up.

“…What about that dagger?”

“It’s for self-defense. It’s well-made, right? Eugene-nim gave me this too. It’s a dagger made by a dwarf. This is also one of my treasures.”

“T-that’s an amazing dagger.”

It was a magnificent dagger that took his breath away.

Terius was on the verge of suggesting they sell the dress and the dagger. Selling those would allow them to live comfortably for several years. However, seeing Nephia’s sparkling eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. How could he suggest selling her most cherished treasures?

“This is my most precious treasure.”

“A ring…?”

“I received it from Master recently. I kept it hidden in the drawer because I didn’t want to lose it…”

It was a gold ring with a diamond embedded in it. Nephia put the diamond ring on the ring finger of her left hand.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes, it’s pretty. But that ring… why are you wearing it on the ring finger of your left hand? Do you know the meaning of the left ring finger…?”

“Huh? Ah! I know about the customs of the North. You mean wearing a wedding ring on the ring finger, right? But that’s just a custom of the North. It doesn’t really mean anything.”

“…Right.”

Terius looked at his left hand. He could see the iron ring on his ring finger. He had never thought the iron ring was strange, but today it looked very shabby.

“Nephia. The iron ring I gave you…”

“I’m keeping it safe. It’s a precious item, so I always carry it with me, you know?”

Nephia took out a necklace from her chest. The iron ring hung on the string. He was relieved that she always kept it with her.

“…Since the iron ring is a ring, why don’t you wear it on your finger? It would be safer that way. I… I wish Nephia would wear that ring on her left ring finger. …Like me.”

“Huh? Sorry. My fingers are bigger now than they used to be, so the iron ring doesn’t fit.”

“I’ll resize it to fit Nephia’s finger again.”

“It’s okay. The iron ring is uncomfortable and hurts when I wear it, so I don’t want to wear it. And it’s fine since I’ll keep it as a necklace, right?”

“…You’re right.”

Nephia packed all her belongings. Terius quickly grabbed the backpack with his left hand and lifted it. It was quite heavy, but he didn’t show it.

“Terius. Let me carry it.”

“No, it’s okay. Let me carry it.”

“…Okay. We’ll have dinner at the mansion and then leave. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine. I have the carriage I came in. It’s close to the Pters estate, so we can leave at night.”

Nephia and Terius left the room. They headed to the dining hall. On the way, they bumped into a few maids.

“Nephia? Why are you dressed like that… and who’s the man next to you?”

“…He’s Terius. I told you about him before, right?”

“Ah. Your childhood friend. Right. Are you leaving the mansion?”

“Yes. I’m not a slave anymore.”

“…I don’t know much, but good luck. Take care of yourself there.”

Terius felt something was off. The maids they encountered all wished Nephia well and cheered her on with short greetings. Even if the words were just formalities, their eyes all pitied Nephia.

‘…Is it just my imagination?’

Nephia had gained her freedom, so shouldn’t they be envious? Terius felt uneasy for no reason.

Soon, Terius entered the dining hall and was surprised. It was very spacious and clean. There was also a lot of food to eat. Terius followed Nephia and put food on his plate. Since he only had one arm, he needed Nephia’s help.

After eating the food, he was shocked.

‘It’s delicious!’

Just saying it was delicious was not enough. He had eaten dishes that nobles ate with Kyle’s help before, but even those dishes were lacking compared to this.

Especially the chicken and the drink called cola were revolutionary.

“Is it good? Does it suit your taste?”

“Huh? Yes. It’s incredibly delicious. …Is it okay to eat things like this?”

“It’s fine. We eat this every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you look around, the other maids are doing the same.”

Terius looked around. They were all maids. And they were all beautiful. They approached Nephia, exchanged a few words, and then disappeared. Some maids even gave Nephia farewell gifts.

“Terius. Try this too. It’s carbonara, and it’s popular in the mansion these days.”

“It’s my first time eating it, but it’s incredibly delicious.”

“Try this steak too. Melissa-unni likes steak.”

“This is… more delicious than any meat I’ve ever eaten.”

The meal continued. Terius’s hand, which had been devouring the food, gradually slowed down, and eventually stopped completely. He was full, but there was still a lot of food on the table.

“…Nephia. Sorry, I can’t eat anymore. This food…”

“It’s okay. We can just throw it away.”

“…Throw it away? This much food?”

“It’s not a meal but torture to force yourself to eat when you’re full. Look over there. It’s common to throw away food in this mansion.”

Indeed, the maids were throwing away the leftover food without hesitation. Among the food being thrown away was the steak that Terius had praised, which commoners couldn’t easily get their hands on.

A mere maid was living in luxury like a noble.

“……”

Terius felt dizzy. This mansion was strange.

Nephia and Terius, having thrown away all the leftover food, left the dining hall and headed straight out of the mansion. Nephia’s mood was quiet.

Terius was relieved to know that she hadn’t suffered like him in this mansion. At the same time, he worried if he had done something unnecessary.

‘…No. I did the right thing. If I hadn’t saved Nephia, she would have continued to be violated and humiliated by Baron Prucus.’

He remembered Nephia’s face when she was in Eugene’s arms. It wasn’t the face of a woman being violated.

‘It’s an act. It must be an act to please Baron Prucus.’

They came out of the mansion’s main gate. The soldiers guarding the entrance stared at them with emotionless eyes. The sun was slowly setting. The evening weather was chilly.

“Nephia. This way.”

“Okay.”

They got into the carriage waiting at the stable. The carriage headed towards the Pters estate. It would take half a day, so they would arrive at dawn.

The carriage started moving. Silence fell between Terius and Nephia. Terius, flustered by the awkward atmosphere, hurriedly opened his mouth.

“N-Nephia. How have you been since that day? I… I became a mercenary’s slave…”

“Terius. You must have suffered a lot.”

“You suffered too, not just me. You…”

He couldn’t say that she had been violated by Eugene Prucus.

“Me? I didn’t suffer much. The food was delicious, I learned to read and write, and I had friends my age. There was nothing difficult.”

“R-really? That’s a relief…”

“……”

“…I, I was appointed as a knight this time. The lord I serve is Kyle Prucus-nim, the older brother of Baron Eugene Prucus. Captain Kyle doesn’t have a title yet, but he’s sure to become a great person. I first met Captain Kyle when I was a mercenary’s slave…”

Terius told his story in detail. It was to ease the awkward atmosphere even a little. Nephia listened to him quietly. Their conversation ended in less than two hours.

Clunk, clunk.

Only the sound of the carriage running echoed rhythmically.

•••

They arrived at Terius’s house. His house was only slightly larger than a commoner’s house. Compared to Nephia’s room in Eugene’s mansion, it wasn’t even half the size.

Nephia stared blankly at the house. It was an old house that looked like it was 20 years old.

“…This is the house I received after becoming a knight. Originally, I received a better house, but… I needed money urgently…”

“It’s, it’s because of me. It can’t be helped…”

They went inside the house. There were only two rooms. There were no lights on the ceiling, so they had to light candles. Even with the candles lit, the room was dark.

Nephia’s face turned pale. She could see bugs crawling on the floor. It wouldn’t be strange if a rat jumped out from an unseen corner. The smell coming from the house was also foul.

“There’s a bed in the inner room. If… if it’s okay with you, Nephia, let’s sleep together.”

Terius said, feeling his heart pounding. His face was flushed red.

“…No. You use the bed. I’ll… I’ll sleep on the chair.”

“What?! S-sorry, Nephia. I think I was too inconsiderate. You use the bed! I’ll sleep on the chair!”

“It’s really okay. I’ll sleep on the chair.”

Terius said it several times, but he couldn’t break Nephia’s stubbornness.

The reason Nephia adamantly refused was because the bed was just as dirty.

“Hey, Terius. Is there a refrigerator or a wardrobe?”

“There’s a wardrobe, but… sorry, there’s no refrigerator yet. It’s an expensive item. I’ll definitely buy you one later when I save up money.”

She took her eyes off the wardrobe. The wardrobe, which was so old it was starting to rot, was not a place where she dared to put her clothes.

“…What about water? I don’t see a faucet or an induction stove either?”

“We have to fetch water from the well. There’s some water that’s been fetched in the corner. I don’t know what an induction stove is. What is that?”

“…I mean the fireplace. We have to cook, don’t we?”

“Ah. We can do it there. We’re short on firewood. I’ll wake up early tomorrow morning and get some.”

“Is there a shower room or a bath… of course not, right?”

“Sorry. There isn’t one. I’ll try to get a bathtub somehow.”

“…What about food for tomorrow morning?”

“I’ll get it from the dining hall tomorrow. We don’t usually eat breakfast, but… it seems like you eat breakfast. Ah, are you going to cook?”

“Sorry. I’m okay with other things, but I can’t cook.”

“R-really?”

The next day came.

Nephia stared at the food on the table. Hard bread and warm soup. She took a bite of the soup. It was bland. The bread was too hard and very difficult to eat. It was tasteless, to begin with.

“Nephia. Does the food not suit your taste?”

“…Sorry, Terius. It’s so tasteless that I can’t eat it.”

“Really? It can’t be helped…”

“Terius. I want to eat meat.”

“…Meat? Ah, okay. I’ll bring some tonight. And… take this money. Take care of lunch today.”

What Terius handed over was 8 copper coins and 4 iron coins. 8,400 Ner. It was enough money for a decent meal for a commoner, with some left over.

“Where are you going today?”

“I have to report to Captain Kyle that I’ve returned. And there are things I have to do as a knight. I’ll be back before sunset.”

“…Okay.”

Terius left.

Left alone, Nephia thought of cleaning first. She planned to finish cleaning while the sun was up. However, she couldn’t see a single decent cleaning tool. She went into the bedroom to find cleaning tools.

As she entered the bedroom, she covered her nose with her hand. There was a foul smell. Terius’s clothes and belongings were scattered haphazardly. She went closer to the bed and was horrified. The yellowish blanket was swarming with small bugs.

“Ugh!”

Feeling nauseous, Nephia covered her mouth with her hand and hurriedly went outside. She didn’t want to go back inside the house.

She quietly wandered around the village. She didn’t want to go back inside the house.

Some thugs tried to take advantage of her, but they ran away with their tails between their legs after being defeated by her, who was at the mid-level of an Aura Expert. She was stronger than Terius.

She settled for two skewers for lunch.

Nephia returned home and sat blankly at the table. Tears welled up in Nephia’s eyes. This was hell.

She took out a space-time teleportation scroll from her pocket. Eugene had told her to stay with him for about a week, but she didn’t think she could endure it. She wanted to go back right now.