Chapter 9

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The castle I worked at everyday was huge.

To give you an idea of how huge it was, some of the hallways were so long that if you looked from one side, the end was a dot in the distance.

Also, many rooms were unused, so it cost lots of money to clean them, but that wasn’t something they could cheap out on. Putting on a good display to the citizens and other countries was important.

“Get back here,” I said.

Anyway, I was running at full speed down one of the castle’s long hallways. My voice didn’t sound motivated, but I assure you my legs were working hard.

I had to follow the etiquette of shouting at the intruder. Back in my last job, many people shouted, ‘stop right there, intruder!’ at me.

Still, this hallway was too long. Make them shorter! We’ve been running for so long and the distance between us is still the same!

Eyes fixed on the intruder who was dressed in full black, I drew my throwing knife.

With a sharp exhale, I aimed and flung it, still maintaining my speed.

The silver flash caught up to the man in black faster than I could ever run.

I was confident in my throw, but he evaded it by jumping to the side.

“What, how!?”

He lost balance from the sudden jump but quickly resumed running. I upped my speed, taking advantage of that moment.

I didn’t think even an assassin could avoid a throwing knife from the back! Had my skills dulled?

My life had been in danger recently but I was living peacefully, which might be why.

At home, someone did the chores for me while making sarcastic remarks and at the castle, all I did was train while humans came after my life.

Maybe I should train myself from the start again. But for now, I needed to catch the man in black.

I was told the intruder running in front was an assassin aiming for Princess Iris, but to me it sounded like a suicide attempt. The violent princess would just kill them, end of story. Was he underestimating her?

Luckily, the guards found him before he met her Highness so he ran away from them, which is where I came in. I happened to pass by, so I had to chase him too.

To be honest, I pitied this man who was running around this huge castle, but if I let him go, I’d get killed!

Please let me catch you! Think of it as saving my life!

“Stop right there,” I said.

The man in black turned right at the hallway’s corner. A few seconds later, there was the sound of shattering glass.

Around the corner was a large hole in the middle of the wide window. Oh dear. This isn’t my fault, right? Right?

I gazed at the beautiful sky from the fourth floor’s shattered window. And silently threw another knife to my right.

“Whoa! How!?”

“You fool! Anyone would die from jumping out of this window! Also, that’s a dead end!”

I’ve memorised every single escape route in this castle! For personal reasons, of course! Please don’t ask why.

The man in black appeared from the pillar after my triumphant words.

He had a short sword in both hands and his face was hidden by a mask… yikes, is this what I look like!? The mask was crazy suspicious.

No wonder Tina wanted to kill me when we first met! I looked suspicious! Thank you everyone for tolerating my suspiciousness!

The man in black glared at me (probably) as he stepped backwards, until his back was against the door.

He put one hand behind him to try the handle. It didn’t open. The door was locked from the other side.

I rested a hand on my sword as I closed in on him.

I said another common line, still following the etiquette, “I won’t kill you if you surrender now.”

… Her Highness will kill you though! But I’m not telling you that!

The man in black gave up on escaping and poised his swords. But then, a click came from behind him.

“… Huh?”

The door opened from the other side.

A perverted civil official, I mean, Vyro, was standing there. Keys in hand, his eyes wandered between me and the man in black.

Shock overcame the three of us, but only for a moment.

A second later, as I ran towards him, the man in black threw Vyro! Right at me! We had let the intruder slip!

Vyro splayed his limbs out like a flying squirrel as he collided into me. You better take responsibility with me!

“So that’s why you have so many bruises. Your luck is as bad as ever.”

“Don’t need to tell me. Her Highness scolded me so hard too.”

When Tina welcomed me home late at night, she rolled her eyes at the sight of my swollen face.

How bad do I look for you to make that face? Maybe I’ll wear my mask tomorrow…

“I’ll treat the insides,” she said as she healed me.

I began eating dinner; finally feeling like a human again.

Mm. It tastes as good as usual. If she hadn’t healed the inside of my mouth—that was in shreds—I wouldn’t have been able to eat at all.

Facing me in the opposite chair, Tina drank her tea while reading a magic book. Looks like you still don’t know what country you’re in.

I was about to warn her when a knock came from the front door. Tina and I exchanged glances.

“Who could it be?”

“They must be insane to visit this late. Please punch them,” she said.

“We’d be the insane ones then!”

You shouldn’t punch someone for visiting late at night.

I headed to the front door, since Tina definitely wouldn’t. I always had to deal with the visitors.

“Who is it?” I said as I opened the door.

A man in black stood outside.

The masked man raised his hands to show he had no intention of fighting.

He responded in a familiar voice, “Long, long time no see, Uni.”

I punched him.

The man in black who trespassed the castle at day and came to my house at night was a former… well, an acquaintance from my assassin days.

His name was Gyuteh, and he was probably younger than me. This was the first time we saw each other’s faces.

Although, his face was as swollen as mine so we couldn’t make out any features of each other! I accidentally punched him too hard. And I didn’t say sorry.

“But, but… Uni, it’s not fair. You turned a new leaf without us, working at the castle and living with a beautiful girl…”

“Don’t call me Uni. And you don’t understand any of my struggles.”

‘Uni’ was my alias back in my days as an assassin.

It was actually ‘Yuni’ but he had a lisp so he called me ‘Uni’. That’s why I knew who he was.

You’ve got a big misunderstanding on your hands if you think I’m living a happy, fabulous life!

The ‘beautiful girl’ he mentioned ran away with a sour look after he arrived. If only he knew what she was really like. Switch with me for one day, I dare you.

But Gyuteh simply glared at me in silence.

That look meant: ‘I want to quit assassination and live a sunny life too.’

Seems like he’s misunderstanding something. I don’t have a sunny life, I live a life burning away in the sun.

The following morning, when Tina woke up unusually early, I explained the situation to her. I told her I would give Gyuteh a referral to take the army officer exam.

“You’re an idiot,” Tina said in a sleepy voice.

I had to listen to complaints all night long, okay!? I’ve had enough!

But the battle was only beginning! I braced myself to broach a subject with Tina, who was cooking breakfast like a sleepwalker.

“And… Gyuteh wanted to be a freeloader here…”

“I refuse.”

A blunt answer! Even though this is my house! Even though she’s half-asleep!

She might’ve burnt me alive if I asked when she was fully awake. That was a close call.

I faced the man clinging onto the window and gestured with my hand, telling him it was a no go.

The disappointment in his face was too clear… sorry, but if I anger Tina, my life and food will be in danger!

After cleaning up, Tina returned to her room in a bad mood, or maybe because being awake was tiring.

So Gyuteh replaced her. From the window.

You’ll definitely pass the officer exam but they’ll fail you for how suspicious you are… wait but everyone tolerated me though! Ugh, thank you all so much! I finally know how you guys feel!

Gyuteh crouched in the corner of the room for no reason and began muttering away. What do you want? You dissatisfied?

“And look at you with your rosy life with a beautiful girl…” he muttered.

“It’s not rosy. It’s blood red.”

“It’s not fair, Uni.”

“Don’t call me Uni!”

Stop calling me by that name! I’m helping you because you promised not to tell our boss where I am, so you better be careful!

I got an off day to recover from my injuries so we were planning to look for a lodging for him, but any normal landlord would definitely reject him.

As I wondered where we should look from, Tina tottered back in the room.

Ignoring Gyuteh, who wanted to talk to her but instead acted suspiciously, the witch placed a small cloth bag on my hand.

“What is this?” I asked

“You can use it. Since I doubt you have any savings,” she said.

I opened the bag. The inside was packed with large jewels.

Wow, you could buy a house with this much! Can I really use it!?

But before I could thank her, Tina quickly went back with a yawn. This is why you’re the best, o great witch.

Gyuteh nervously approached me after she disappeared.

“What did you get from the beauty? A hand-sewn plush?”

“Stop with your stupid delusions about her!”

And so, I bought a small house nearby that was on sale and pushed it onto Gyuteh.

I hope it’s just my imagination that my problems have increased!

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