The luggage Cheche packed wasn’t much. Just a few books and some clothes, and that was it. Since all those clothes were the garments the Endem family had provided when he joined as Evil’s secretary, if you excluded those, Cheche’s personal belongings essentially fit into one small bag.
Though it was little luggage, carrying it all alone wasn’t easy because of the weight of the clothes. When Evil said, “I’ll send James,” he hadn’t specified a location, so Cheche naturally assumed he’d come to the officetel the Endem family had arranged for him and struggled to head there with his luggage. While Cheche was waiting for the signal on the main road in front of his house, Evil tracked Cheche’s location and sent James.
“Act like you don’t know he lives somewhere other than the officetel. That bastard’s disgustingly suspicious like a skylark, so you just happened to pass by and found him. Got it?”
After hearing Evil’s earnest instructions, James worked hard to act like they’d run into each other by chance. He was on his way to Evil’s mansion, when he coincidentally got lost, coincidentally passed through this area, and coincidentally discovered him. Despite his diligent acting efforts, Cheche showed neither suspicion nor belief and simply got into the car calmly.
James drove Cheche to the mansion himself without a chauffeur.
“When you arrive, you’ll meet the mansion’s head manager first. He adores the young master terribly, so you mustn’t speak ill of the young master even a little. He’ll already be wary of you. He’s probably consumed by jealousy and envy right now toward the person who dares to enjoy the privilege of living with the young master… Anyway, that man likes the young master more than his own son.”
“Are you talking about Butler Hips?”
James looked at Cheche through the rearview mirror.
“You know that gentleman?”
“I met him once when I signed the secretary contract.”
“If that stubborn old man harasses you too much, let me know. He’s the head of the mansion, but I’m also the head of external activities, so I have the power to say something.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“…I don’t need to worry about you, Cheche-ssi.”
James smiled lightly. The always indifferent and expressionless boy would quickly soften Hips’s wariness. Just as he had.
Twenty-one years old, an age to be called a young man, but his appearance was far too boyish. To the eye, he just looked like a pretty doll crafted carefully by an artisan. He had a small build and large eyes that made him look fragile, but James had been so shocked when this boy talked back to Evil, saying whatever he wanted. The thought that the old butler would soon be astonished too already felt satisfying.
“When we first met, I was pretty stubborn too, wasn’t I? I couldn’t help it. There were many people who became arrogant after becoming the young master’s secretary, and many people who spread bad words about the young master outside. I can’t stand people who grovel in front of him but curse him behind his back, calling him a devil or whatever.”
“……”
Cheche closed his mouth and tilted his head. Seeing him look puzzled, James asked.
“Why? What’s strange?”
“It’s not strange. It’s just that when we first met, Secretary-nim seemed to curse the Director the most.”
“…I didn’t.”
“You did. You called him a devil who’s always angry, a crazy bastard who’s taken drugs.”
“……”
“You also called him a psycho.”
“……”
“You also said even Satan would admit defeat.”
“……”
After that, James drove in silence.
***
Evil’s mansion was in the middle of the city center. Behind it was a small mountain, which James described as the backyard. That entire hill was Evil’s privately owned land.
In front of the grand mansion’s main gate, Hips came out to greet them. The elderly man in a suit exchanged eye greetings with James and immediately greeted Cheche.
“Hello, Cheche-nim. We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Yes, I’m wearing the clothes well.”
Cheche knew this because Hips had been the one who purchased the clothing when he signed the secretary contract.
Hips, an old butler with graying hair, had been a butler for the Endem family since before Evil was born, and was also the household member who cherished Evil the most. He had even volunteered first to serve Evil when he became independent.
The other people Hips had brought with him took Cheche’s luggage. Hips took charge of guiding him around the mansion.
“Cheche-ssi.”
James approached and bowed his head toward Cheche.
“Keep being like that from now on. You’ll never be ignored.”
“Like that?”
“Yes, like that.”
James left after saying words whose meaning Cheche couldn’t grasp.
“Please get in.”
The garden was so large they had to take a car to enter. When Cheche sat in the seat, Hips told him to fasten his seatbelt. After handing Cheche a cushion once he’d buckled up, he sat across from him. Hips had almost the same build as Cheche, but he treated Cheche as if he were someone more frail than himself.
“There are three buildings in total. The building on the right is where the mansion’s servants reside, the building on the left is where guests stay, and the central building is where the young master stays. Cheche-nim will also be staying in the same place.”
“Yes, please speak casually.”
“This is the first time the young master has invited someone. To bring them to the central mansion rather than a guest room. Even when family comes, it’s always the guest room.”
Hips smiled faintly. Outwardly he smiled kindly, but his eyes were sharp.
“How did you end up living with Evil Devil? You’re going to suffer so much from now on. You’ll be so stressed because of that crazy demon—shall I introduce you to a professional counselor? Because of that drug-crazed lunatic, you’ll always be taking stomach medicine…”
“Please don’t do that.”
“…Pardon?”
“You don’t need to badmouth someone you like just to test me. I already heard from your son. You like Director Evil very much, don’t you?”
“……”
Hips coughed.
Cheche easily shut Hips’s mouth and turned his head. Cheche’s gaze turned to the garden outside the window.
It was a desolate garden. Though it was the season passing from autumn into winter, there wasn’t a single tree bearing leaves. Like a forest a desert had passed through.
Thinking Cheche was showing interest in the garden, Hips explained that there was a stable over there, and over there was an animal shelter.
“It was a place that protected beasts like leopards and cheetahs. It’s empty now though.”
“Does the Director also ride horses?”
“He used to ride. That place is also empty now.”
“I see.”
“Aren’t you going to ask why? Why it’s empty now.”
At Hips’s question, Cheche took his eyes off the desolate and barren garden and looked at the old man with a faint smile.
“Because it would be noisy.”
“……”
“The sounds of horses neighing. The sounds of animals fighting every night would have been too noisy.”
Hips widened his eyes as if somewhat surprised, then soon smiled bitterly.
“You’re right. To that person, everything sounds like noise. When he was young, the young master, who was clumsier at controlling his abilities than now, couldn’t stand not only the animals’ cries but even the sound of leaves rustling in the wind at night.”
Hips turned his gaze to the dry garden outside the window.
“This desolate scenery is the most peaceful world to that person.”
To someone who didn’t know, they might think it wasn’t managed at all, but it was a place managed more specially than anywhere else.
“I was surprised when the young master suddenly told me to prepare a room.”
His gaze remained directed outside the window.
“He told me to clean a room in the central mansion, not a guest room, on the same floor, and make it spotless. I prepared the same bedding as what the young master uses. I also prepared plenty of Alcity teaching materials. When you go in, you’ll have a meal first. The young master’s personal chef will prepare food with balanced nutrients.”
“Thank you.”
“These are all matters the young master instructed.”
The orders came down just yesterday, and all the servants moved in unison to take all measures in just one day. The place where Cheche would stay was one of only two rooms on the third floor of the central mansion, and the other room on that floor was used by Evil. At this unimaginable command, they moved all night fearing the young master’s mind might change, and reported completion before he left for work this morning.
‘You mean he can move in today? There must be so much dust piled up.’
‘It was always being cleaned, so it was already in a clean state.’
‘I’m bringing him in the afternoon, and that bastard’s a sickly refugee kid with one deaf ear, so if he breathes in dust it might cause problems. Prepare it cleanly.’
‘Yes, Evil-nim.’
All the servants of this mansion were people who remained because they wanted to serve Evil.
