I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 84
CHAPTER 84
“Uh…”
Even though I only spoke the truth, Leta’s expression subtly changed.
Even Ringo was shaking his head with a disappointed look.
Hey, why?
“Um, well. I see! That’s impressive!”
She’s forcing a smile as she responds.
I know she’s not being genuine.
“So, I’d like to suggest to Ringo that he stay in the hospital for a few days. Is that okay?”
“Yes, of course.”
Leta quickly nodded.
“Our tea house is quite small, so I can manage alone.”
“Oh come on, you almost collapsed last time!”
Ringo grinned as he looked at Leta.
“I’ll ask Jake next door to help out. We’ll only open in the afternoon. We’ll be back soon.”
“But then our sales will…”
“Don’t worry about it, okay? Got it?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
Finally, Leta, who was overshadowed by Ringo, nodded.
She looked at Ringo with both hands clasped.
“Come back safe, Ringo.”
“Don’t worry.”
Ringo chuckled as he ruffled Leta’s hair.
Then he went upstairs, packed a small bag, and came back down.
“Is that everything?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Wait.”
Meanwhile, Leta went into the kitchen and came out with something wrapped.
It was a box of cookies.
“Take care.”
I looked at the small box of cookies and smiled.
“Don’t worry. He’ll probably be better in a day or two.”
“See you soon.”
I left the tea house first, and Ringo followed shortly after, waving his hand.
“Hmm.”
When I glanced at Ringo, he extended his hand.
“Like a granddaughter, just like that. We’re a few hundred years apart anyway. I still see her as a little girl, hey.”
Yeah, that’s true.
I nodded.
“Lady?”
Liena, who seemed to have been watching people or looking down the street, stood up.
‘Oh.’
I forgot about Liena.
“Um, sorry Liena… Did you wait long?”
“No, not at all. It was nice to rest and feel better. But who is this?”
Liena looked at Ringo.
“Oh, he’s a patient.”
Before Ringo could say anything, I quickly cut in.
“It seems like only I can fix it if it’s not me.”
“Haha.”
Ringo chuckled briefly.
But Liena’s expression darkened slightly.
Raven must have been exactly like this.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Well, I have a place to stop by for a moment. Liena, you go back first.”
Liena nodded.
It was a look that wanted to ask something but wouldn’t, and a face that would follow whatever I did.
I smiled with the corners of my mouth raised.
“And could you send a letter to Duke Marcus for me?”
* * *
Liena quickly handled the work.
“I’ll take the carriage I came with originally. It’ll be easier to conceal my identity on a commercial carriage.”
Wherever she went, she called for a commercial carriage and even sent a message to Duke Marcus boldly.
“If you send someone to let me know when you’re coming, I’ll send the carriage.”
Then she left first on the carriage.
Seeing her like that, Ringo shook his head in confusion.
“Hey.”
I looked at Ringo while munching on the cookies Leta had given me.
“Are you a noble? Well, judging by your attire, you look like one.”
“Not really?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah!”
I grinned.
“I’m a princess.”
Ringo glanced at me as if he were tired of my joke, but then he marveled.
“Wow, that’s impressive. How did you end up being born a princess?”
Stretching his arms and yawning inside the small commercial carriage, Ringo laughed as he showed off.
“Oh, I wish I had contacted you when I arrived here.”
“When did you come to the Empire?”
“About 20 years ago?”
I wasn’t even born then, damn it.
Ringo closed his eyes as he reminisced.
“It was tough to settle down. Probably because I’m an elf, you know.”
“Was this person Leta the one who helped you settle down?”
“More accurately, her grandparents took me in.”
Chatty Ringo ended the conversation there.
And there was the worry that person Leta had shown earlier.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
I replied in kind and nodded to end the conversation.
“We’re here.”
In the meantime, the carriage stopped in front of Duke Marcus’ mansion.
“I’ve been managing the top for a while, and I thought I’d seen a lot of noble mansions, but…”
Ringo muttered as he got out of the carriage.
“This mansion is so magnificent.”
Indeed.
It was such a magnificent mansion that even I, who used to live in a palace, was impressed.
But our amazement didn’t stop there.
The person who came out to greet us at the door was none other than Duke Marcus himself.
“Welcome, Wanderer.”
The duke, whom I had seen at the ball, smiled faintly.
“I apologize for the inconvenience, but I came out to serve you myself.”
It was a subtle way of saying that he had personally questioned almost all the servants.
Since it was something he could do, I smiled.
“It would be a breach of etiquette for the duke to guide us. Where is he?”
“He’s inside.”
The duke nodded again and led us into the reception room.
“If you could wait a moment, he’ll be here shortly.”
The duke closed the reception room door himself and left.
With only the two of us left in the grand reception room, Ringo bounced around excitedly.
“What, what is it? You. A princess! Even if you’re a princess, would a duke of a country be so down-to-earth?”
“There are some circumstances.”
I casually answered while contemplating how to protect this guy after the slave mark disappeared.
Right, I heard a knock.
It wasn’t Lionel.
There’s no way that guy would be so down-to-earth.
“Hello, Wanderer.”
The one who entered was a girl with platinum blonde hair just like Duke Marcus’.
“I’m Annette Marcus, of the Marcus Duchy.”
On the silver tray held by Lady Marcus were teacups and a teapot.
“I’ll be accompanying you in society from now on.”
As she set down the teacups and teapot on the reception table, Annette grinned.
“Please take care of me.”
“I’ll be counting on you.”
I smiled back.
As Annette left the room, Ringo grabbed my arm and shook it.
“Hey, what’s the deal? How does an entire noble family know you’re the Wanderer?”
“You figure it out when you see it.”
I gave a vague answer, but honestly, I was surprised too.
For Duke Marcus and Lady Marcus to know I’m the Wanderer.
‘There’s no way I exposed my identity for nothing.’
I expected it, but Duke Marcus seemed to have more influence in Lionel’s grasp than I anticipated.
“Master.”
Lionel entered the reception room and smiled softly at me.
Then he narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ringo sitting beside me.
“What’s this?”
I smiled at Lionel’s question and clenched my fist tightly.
You come here too.
After Arkin, it’s the second time.
* * *
“So.”
Lionel asked slowly.
“Who is that person who came with you, Master?”
“My colleague. More precisely, my colleague from a past life?”
To be more precise, a few more titles should be added.
“His name is Ringo.”
Ringo, who had moved to the chair across from Lionel after avoiding him, extended his hand.
But Lionel didn’t shake the hand Ringo offered.
“Morning Star?”
He muttered as if recalling a memory, then casually spat out a word.
“Why would a well-known head of a mercenary group be here like this? And following my master at that.”
Lionel’s head slowly tilted sideways.
“Ah, I remember now.”
His lips curled into a smirk.
“At some point, his influence started to wane, and soon enough, he became unheard of.”
His blue eyes met Ringo’s.
“This is bad.”
“Hey, you.”
I grabbed a handful of his hair.
“Ouch, Master.”
“You’re saying it hurts.”
I exerted more force and pulled harder. Lionel seemed about to lean over.
“……?”
He leaned his head against my shoulder.
Then, looking into my eyes, he smirked mischievously.
This guy?
Finally getting another good hit, Lionel puffed up his cheeks in annoyance.
“Fascinating.”
As Ringo watched his expression, his face stiffened slightly.
“I thought it was Pendrade, the way you were so confidently dragging me along.”
Ringo’s gaze met Lionel’s.
“But you’re not a dragon wherever you go. Just a fleeting species.”
A fleeting species is a term for intelligent beings like elves or dwarves who have short lifespans.
“Besides, Master? I don’t recall her mentioning a pupil.”
Ringo’s words made Lionel look at me.
Well, of course not.
I hadn’t taken in any disciples since Lionel, nor did I have any intention to.
‘Plus, I thought Lionel was dead.’
There was no reason to bring it up.
Well, still.
‘Is he sulking?’
Lionel had developed a habit of clinging to me after we were reunited.
Perhaps he was worried I might disappear again.
So, it must be like this.
‘Why didn’t you tell my story?’
‘Is it because you’re embarrassed about me, Master?’
-I wonder if he’s going to cry.
I glanced at Lionel. His expression was as expected, not good.
“Master.”
But this guy exceeded my expectations.
“You didn’t accept any disciples after me, Master.”
Lionel’s blue eyes sparkled.
“And you’ve refrained from mentioning it out of respect for me, haven’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
An incredulous sound came out of my and Ringo’s mouths simultaneously.
“I feel terrible just thinking about my name being tossed around by those kinds of people.”
As Lionel said this, tears welled up in his innocent face.
Ringo’s face, with just the ‘L’ from Lionel’s name, looked like it was about to scream.
…Has this guy been alive for too long and half lost his mind?
And Ringo seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he kept glancing at me.
I closed my eyes briefly.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
I quickly affirmed.
Don’t forget.
That crazy guy’s teacher is right here.