The Terminally Ill Young Master is the Mad Dog of the Underworld. - Chapter 5

It was clear that my attendant was probably running late because he was off taking a nap.

‘Wow! I’m starving.’

After days without food, my stomach was finally waking up, practically demanding to be fed.

‘Even someone this handsome can get hungry, huh?’

People this good-looking probably still have to go to the bathroom, get eye crust, and pick their nose if it’s clogged. Fascinating.

‘Hunger really makes me think about strange things.’

Of course, I could simply call someone to bring me a meal, but my instincts were telling me that wouldn’t be the best idea.

Since the doctor had already been here, it was unlikely that my situation hadn’t been reported. Yet, not a single servant had shown up, which seemed odd.

A few possibilities came to mind. Either I was some sort of outcast as Josef suggested, or very few people were allowed to enter my room. If not that, maybe they treated me like a ticking bomb, something to avoid at all costs.

‘With a face like this, it’d be hard to make people dislike me.’

This face was so strikingly beautiful that even fairies would have a hard time looking like this.

I nearly pricked my finger running it along my nose and marveled at its sharpness.

‘I doubt he was a total jerk.’

From Josef’s comment about Allen Vert being secluded in his room, it didn’t sound like he was the type to bully his subordinates. If anything, he might have been looked down upon.

‘Could it be that even his own attendant doesn’t respect him?’

Hunger was making me feel a bit like my old self. So before I did anything rash, I decided to leave the room. Better to explore, find the dining hall myself, and demand a meal there.

Even if I didn’t find food, walking around and observing would give me plenty of clues.

‘How hard could it be to just walk outside?’

… Had you locked yourself away, Allen Vert?

Walking down the quiet, empty corridor, I eventually found myself outside, looking down at a cobalt-blue sea stretching beneath the castle.

‘Wow! What a view.’

All I could see was the sea and sky. It felt like even the lingering knots of emotion I hadn’t noticed were being swept away.

The sky was clear, the sea even clearer. I found myself entranced by the sight of seagulls gliding through the clouds.

A port town. This place is a port town.

“Breathtaking.”

In the distance, large sailboats were busy docking, while others were setting sail. It was an enormous port.

I could see the contrast between the high, grand buildings in one part of town and the lower, grittier ones in another. Two streets of distinctly different colors and tones.

‘The slums are mostly on the outskirts.’

By nightfall, the underworld denizens would surely roam there—a place I knew well and would return to one day.

‘But I have to admit, this dukedom is impressive.’

It rivaled the capital of any kingdom in scale and prosperity, definitely worthy of being the duchy’s capital.

‘And this must be an annex.’

The towering grandeur of the main building put this annex to shame. Beside it were training grounds, stables, warehouses, armories, and several other outbuildings each serving a different purpose.

The inner fortress, perched on a high hill overlooking the sea, was encircled by walls and sprawling mansions, too expansive to take in all at once.

‘This is Grünewald Duchy.’

A major trading hub of the inland sea, in the heart of a land famed for its merchants, and one of the prime port cities of the kingdom of Lietvaleur.

It was truly strange. Of all places, I had been born as the son of the duke who ruled here.

‘In a foreign land I’d never even visited in my past life.’

However, something about this place reminded me of the small port where I’d spent the latter part of my past life.

The scent of the sea. The salty breeze. The faint aroma of dried fish. And…

Screech?

“Hm?”

A seagull that had been soaring above the sea came down close to me and tilted its head in curiosity.

“Aren’t you bold enough to not fear humans?”

It looked like the kind of bird that had learned to live off scraps thrown by sailors.

‘When I was Karzan, even birds wouldn’t come near me because of the smell of blood.’

Perhaps this noble body of Allen Vert’s had no traces of that bloody scent.

“Or do birds judge by looks too?”

I’d heard somewhere that animals are attracted to good-looking people. 

Thinking back, I’d always been the kind of guy animals kept their distance from. Whether it was the scent or my face, I wasn’t sure.

“I don’t have any food, so off you go.”

The seagull fluttered away, looking a bit sulky. 

Had I gained some ability to read animals’ emotions? Not likely.

Then I heard a voice.

“Oh!”

It was a servant. He seemed utterly shocked to see me outside after so long, almost as if he were looking at a ghost.

“P-Prince Allen Vert?”

His tone didn’t exactly sound warm, but that didn’t surprise me.

Regardless of whatever relationship I’d had with them before, that was none of my business now.

“Yes, it’s me.”

I waved casually like a neighborhood fool, causing the servant to flinch and tremble.

“All well?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

The servant, a simple-looking fellow, glanced around nervously and backed away. His reaction was strangely similar to Josef’s.

‘How odd.’

Did he owe me money or something? He looked at me as if I were a loan shark coming to collect.

“I’ve recovered from the fever. Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.”

But he looked even more nervous, sweating as he stammered, “S-sorry, Young Master. I, uh, have an urgent matter…”

I didn’t bother stopping the fleeing servant.

‘He walks with no strength at all.’

Could he not be getting enough food?

Anyway, compared to the bustling main residence, this place was as quiet as an isolated island.

With the faint sounds of warriors training at the practice grounds drifting over, I wandered the empty annex freely.

“Oh!”

“Young Master?”

“…”

The employees I encountered looked at me with discomfort, offering hesitant greetings or simply avoiding me altogether.

Without saying much, I picked up on the range of emotions they radiated: discomfort, awkwardness, indifference, avoidance, disregard, caution, pity, unfamiliarity, and curiosity.

“… It really is Prince Allen Vert.”

“It’s my first time seeing him.”

“With a face that beautiful, you can’t mistake him for anyone else.”

“So, the rumors about him waking up were true.”

Everywhere I went, people’s stares and murmurs followed me like shadows. It felt as if just my presence outside was an event here.

“Is this the first time he’s been out like this?”

“You’ve been here two years, right?”

“Roughly, yes.”

“Then you wouldn’t have seen him. It’s been even longer…”

I strained to catch bits of their conversation as they moved further away.

‘Can’t hear well.’

The strong wind blowing in from the open sea carried their words away.

‘It would be nice if I could use mana.’

Upon a brief examination, I realized my body was in an odd state. While I appeared to have traces of dissolved mana inside me, very little of it flowed through my blood vessels.

It was as if a drain had been left clogged for years without being cleared.

‘Just how many years did you spend holed up in that room?’

At seventeen, most young nobles would be preparing for their coming-of-age ceremony, doing everything possible to prove their worth. 

Judging from the state of his body and mana, it was clear that Allen Vert had wasted his most crucial years in seclusion.

And that was quite a serious issue.

‘In my previous life, by this age, I was already leading a gang.’

Trying to figure out how this sheltered young noble had withered away wasn’t going to be easy with just bits of overheard gossip.

“But aren’t they supposed to hurry up with…?”

“… They should, but now…”

I stopped when I overheard whispers, as if they were talking about informing someone. 

I turned, but the speakers had already vanished.

‘Wow! They’re not even subtle about it. Isn’t this a bit too much?’

At this point, it was hard to tell if Allen Vert’s isolation was self-imposed or a form of confinement forced upon him.

‘Always assume the worst case.’

No one had explicitly tried to restrain me, so I wasn’t exactly a prisoner, regardless of my circumstances.

‘Whether Allen Vert’s isolation was by choice or not all these years.’

If the atmosphere here in the annex was like this, then it was safe to assume that, in this castle, I had almost no allies.

‘Who is a friend and who is a foe?’

Who do those managing this annex serve? Which sibling would they report to? Allen Vert, just how isolated were you?

‘… And why has my mother, Lusatia Grünewald, not come to visit her son, who just awoke from a deadly fever?’

As the Duke and head of the family, my father might have many children, but a mother usually has only one or two.

‘And what was Josef so afraid of that he kept silent?’

It felt like wandering alone in a fog on a dark night without even the moon for company. 

A sense of loneliness and confusion washed over me, leaving me dizzy.

‘Allen Vert, you were a pitiful soul.’

… But now, I am that fragile boy. 

Karzan died long ago, but Allen Vert has only just awakened. If I, too, abandoned Allen Vert’s self, then this boy’s spirit would be utterly forsaken and forgotten.

‘That won’t do.’

For now, everything is mere speculation. If I keep piecing things together, the hidden picture will eventually emerge.

“What’s with all the fuss? Whether he woke up or stayed down, what difference does it make?”

As I turned around, lost in thought, I caught the grumbling of someone loud and careless.

‘Oh? Interesting.’

Remember, the truth is often closer to gossip than flattery. I hid myself in a shadowy corner, out of sight, like my days spent in the underworld had taught me.

“Hey, stop it. You’re too loud.”

‘Don’t stop him. Let him keep going.’

This was the perfect chance to hear Allen Vert’s real reputation and status firsthand.

“Did I say something I shouldn’t?”

Perfect. Keep talking.

“To be blunt, how many years has he been secluded? It’s been seven years already, hasn’t it? Meanwhile, his older brothers have all found their way, and even the youngest prince has mastered the sword. But him? He’s accomplished nothing, proven nothing.”

So it seemed there were no useless playboys among his siblings? Competent rivals were not good news.

“It’s beyond his reach to become an heir. All he has is his looks, and even that’s flawed enough that they can’t use him in any marriage alliance.”

But why was that? 

With a face like his, surely there had to be at least one lady in this land willing to overlook any flaws?

I held my breath, waiting for more.

“Well, his blood is mixed with that of foreigners, so the noble houses aren’t exactly welcoming.”

‘A foreigner?’

Now, that was an interesting twist. 

What kind of foreign blood could he have? Maybe something exotic, like elven blood, considering how striking he looked.

“Anyway, if it were me, I’d never live like that. He’s just a hot-house flower with no drive, no desperation. He’s just a fool.”

This guy was really letting his mouth run. The more I listened, the more I realized how loose-lipped he was.

“Just stop it, Marco. Someone might hear. Damn it.”

His name was Marco? Good. I’d remember that.

I’m a man who never forgets either favors or grudges. 

Just as I remembered Josef, I etched the name of this insolent man into my mind.

“What do you know about the minds of the nobles? And honestly, if I’d been through what the young master has—”

“You idiot. Who’s worrying about who here? The ones who really have it tough are people like us. We break our backs working and bowing down to them, just to feed our families on scraps that aren’t even worth one of their meals.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong. I, as Karzan, found myself nodding in agreement.

‘But your tongue is reckless and harsh, Marco.’

If he’d been working somewhere else, that mouth of his would have landed him in serious trouble.

‘There’s always someone like him, full of complaints. They have a mouth that can’t stop bad-mouthing others from behind and would itch if he goes a day without gossip.’

In the backstreet taverns, men like him would gather and rant endlessly about the state of the country and the king, indulging in empty talk.

But now was not the time to chastise his reckless mouth. Compared to the insults I’d endured in the underworld, this was nothing.

‘Sometimes, you have to act like you’re deaf and blind.’

Then, the man who had been trying to silence Marco said something that I couldn’t ignore.

“Ease up on him. He’s not expected to live long, anyway, right? If he passes away quietly without causing trouble, that’d be best for us.”

‘… Not expected to live long?’

What was he talking about?

“Exactly. So even if he’s wandering around outside now…”

I left quietly without waiting to hear more.

‘Not expected to live long? Me?’

That’s when a forgotten memory surfaced.

‘A mysterious, incurable illness.’

So this guy was… In a way, terminally ill.

The young master of the Duke’s household waited for death with no cure available despite the Duke’s wealth. That was who Allen Vert Grünewald was.

‘Well, isn’t that just perfect.’

Even in the eyes of Mad Dog Karzan, who had clawed his way up from a street orphan to a big shot in the underworld, this was, in short, utterly absurd.

‘What’s with the difficulty level here? I thought this life would be a bit easier.’

Being born as a duke’s son, I figured I could play behind the scenes like the Shadow King. And I won’t deny that, deep down, I was thrilled at the thought of being reincarnated as a noble young master with looks that went beyond handsome and bordered on the word beautiful.

But as they say, fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. 

The more I learned, the stronger my sense that a thorny path awaited me.

‘It’s fine. There must be a way.’

In this world, there are legends of miracle doctors, saints, and elixirs that can bring the dead back to life. And if they don’t exist, I’ll find or create something. Sitting back and waiting to die isn’t my style.

Just then, a young boy spotted me from afar and sprinted toward me, practically sweating from the effort.

“Oh, Young Master! I’ve been looking all over for you! How could you wander around without saying anything? Especially after you were so sick!”

“Ah.”

It was clear at a glance that this was the attendant Josef had mentioned.

‘He seems a bit… Dumb.’

He looked far more relaxed and easygoing than Josef.

‘Perfect.’

With some luck, I might be able to get some valuable information out of him. 

At that moment, he looked like a golden goblin, one that might just be hiding some precious treasures.