The more you stand out, the more people will notice you.
It was an expression I often heard in my old world.
Usually, it referred to people who had something distinct about them—whether it was their physique, their mentality, or their status.
If I had to choose which part described me now, it would be status.
Many people passing by, glanced at me with their mouths covered with their hands. Some of them also, seemed to sharpen their eyes, while avoiding the horse carriage that I was riding.
One of my eyebrows rose, then I looked over my whole body while smelling it.
There was nothing unusual.
... Am I really that disgusting?
I don't know. I don't know if they avoided me because of my status, or something else.
The carriage continued forward. I kept feeling heavy jolts, even though the road ahead looked smooth.
The sound of horses' hooves and wheels that kept spinning, filled the gaps in the commotion of people who were busy offering their goods to buyers. And there were some people, poor people, who looked at me from narrow alleys.
Until before I knew it, I had passed the commercial area. And now, the horse carriage that I was occupying had entered a quiet area.
The quiet area that is meant, is a place with minimal busyness. Because if I remember correctly, in one of the chapters of the novel that I read before—the reason for this area not having any trade, is from the royal order itself that prohibits it.
As for the reason, I don't really know. If I had to guess, it was probably related to aesthetics—or something along those lines.
In the midst of all that, suddenly the horse carriage where I was suddenly stopped. That made me a little shaken, falling to the black iron that was spaced about ten centimeters apart, located right below me.
"Ouch."
One of my eyes opened. I began to lift my body from the position, towards the cell gaps that were at the left end.
There, I thought there was an attack or something that made the horse carriage stop.
But when I saw it directly, my eyes immediately widened, looking from below upwards. "Wow... It's really big."
What I saw was a large building, with a dominant white color and a light blue roof, with a shape like a palace, but even smaller. The black fence that stretched closed, and the circular fountain behind it, made it clear where this was.
... Have I arrived at his residence?
Not long after that, my gaze caught two white-armored guards, complete with helmets that covered their heads. On the chest of the armor was pinned the symbol of a crow, confined in a circle shaped like an orca whale.
In front of the black iron fence, precisely in the middle—someone was waiting. He was dressed in black—a neat suit with a long tie. The white layer beneath it gave an impression of elegance and order, as though every detail had been chosen deliberately.
Clothes like the ones he was wearing also, reminded me of one of the jobs that was in the novel that I read at that time.
My head tilted slightly. A Servant?
That was my speculation about him.
From the physical appearance of the person I called "Servant" also seemed to support my opinion. Sharp brown eyes, long white hair tied back, to the straight mustache on both sides and his pointed chin.
My eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
"..."
Is that him?
Before I had time to gather enough data that "he" was the person I meant—the brown-clothed coachman in front of me got off, a slight jolt, and made my mind immediately disappear.
For a few moments my eyes blinked a few times, before finally my eyeballs followed the coachman who moved towards the "Servant" in front.
From here, I saw them seemed to be talking about something after meeting. Whatever they said, but surely it was related to me.
A few minutes passed. It seemed that they were now finished discussing the topic that was only known by the two of them. The coachman who brought me here, began to come to where I was. His steps were so light, fast, until before I knew it he was in front of the cell door.
I turned my body back.
His hand was slowly inserted into the pocket of his brown pants, rummaging through it gently, then he took out a silver key, quite large, and it could be identified that it was the key given by the "Slave Guard" at that time.
The coachman was now, carefully inserting the key into the padlock that locked this cell. The key was turned, a soft tinkling sound was heard.
Click!
And the padlock that hooked the black chain was released from its place.
The chain that was still wrapped around the cell door, was slowly opened by the coachman. Every twist that was opened, made a distinctive sound—like the sound of iron being fought against each other. Until before I knew it, the twists that bound the door in front of me, had been opened.
The coachman in front of me pulled the cell door, using one of his hands. A torture-to-the-ear creak was heard for a moment, and...
Whoosh!
A gentle gust of wind hit my face. The sun that was far behind the coachman, made a deep black silhouette fall.
What I was feeling now was not ordinary. The wind, the sun, the ground beneath my feet—it all made me realize that this was the meaning of my true freedom in this world.
My body was slowly lifted. My right foot that supported first, I made it as my way to stand upright.
A few moments after my body stood upright, I was silent for a moment. I don't know what I was thinking at that time, but... it could make my eyes sparkle, not exaggerated.
My steps began to move, slowly. Every step my feet took, I felt the wind continue to pamper me with a gust that was like a note.
One, two, to three steps I passed smoothly. My eyes slowly changed downwards when the fourth step—before I knew it I had reached the end. There, there was a height difference between my place and the cobblestone road below.
But after I looked further, the height was not too significant. Maybe just by jumping it would be enough for me to touch the ground.
I swallowed my saliva, both of my feet bent. Then I tried to jump, a thin sound between my feet touching the cobblestone road was heard, and I landed smoothly—without obstacles.
My gaze changed to the back, I saw the cell that I occupied earlier was much larger from here.
I swallowed my saliva. My gaze slowly changed towards the servant who I had been looking at all along.
My eyes narrowed. That's him.
The person behind me, the coachman—began to push me, a little hard. I tilted my head up, his height after I measured with myself, was only around his elbow.
My gaze returned to the front, towards the servant. He now seemed to be looking at me, quite intensely to the point of making me lower my gaze a little.
My steps stepped again, this cobblestone road made my feet feel like they were being massaged with its flatness and the thin holes in between. Until before I knew it the distance between me and him was getting closer, and I had arrived at the person I called, 'Servant'.
The coachman who had brought me here, with quick steps he jumped, and returned to his horse carriage. After arriving at his seat, he immediately played the rope that was connected to his horse, and left with extraordinary speed.
My eyes followed the horse carriage that left, then narrowed, Isn't the way he drives the horse carriage a little different from before?
But that was not important now.
I tried to look at the person next to me, he was now looking sharply at me who was next to him, making me immediately lower my gaze.
... Why is he looking at me like that?
It didn't mean that I was literally afraid of him, it's just that I was nervous when I was looked at like that.
The person next to me seemed to let out a long sigh. The sound of his sigh made me immediately look at him from the corner of my eye.
He seemed to stretch out his hand, and put it right behind my back.
He cleared his throat, twice. "... Come on, let's go in." A heavy voice, as well as as if eaten by age was heard from him.
We turned our bodies at the same time, and behind me there was a little push that made me step forward. We moved a few steps, and stopped right near the iron door.
One of the guards began to approach one side of the iron gate. And in one full-power pull, he pulled it. A short creak was heard softly, before finally—the gate door opened wide.
After the gate was opened wide, a push from behind made me move again. I passed the doorway, looked ahead, and saw many things that I had never seen and read from the novel. Like small gardens on my right and left sides, to various kinds of flowers that adorned them.
I tried to glance back at the person who was next to me.
My eyes widened. Eh?
For some reason the person next to me seemed to cover his nose with his hand. His cheeks puffed out, as if holding his breath.
'What the—.'
Bruk!
A loud sound was heard from behind. We reflexively turned around.
There, there was the guard who had opened the gate door for us passed out on the spot. The person next to him seemed to quickly come, slapping his cheeks a few times.
I tried to want to come to him, but my back was held by the person next to me.
I turned to him, "Why?"
He could only let out a short sigh, while answering,
"You. You are the cause."
After hearing his short answer, I finally understood. From the moment I left until now, the reason people had been avoiding me was because of... my smell.
We turned our bodies back again, trying not to ignore the person behind.
My shoulders dropped a little, with my gaze following him. "How can..."
I started walking again, with the person next to me still covering his nose.
***
Inside the residence, I saw many things that I could never get in my old world. Wide and long corridors, red carpets with gold fringes at the ends stretched everywhere, to flower pots that looked so expensive there were so many.
I narrowed my eyes. 'I doubt I can get all this, even if I work until I die in my old world.'
Our steps continued to step on the red carpet, the servants of various genders also avoided and looked at me already like trash.
I let out a long sigh, my shoulders dropped a little.
"..."
Actually, it's natural that I can't smell my bad smell. Because my sense of smell had died when I was in the 'Slave Cage'.
In the midst of my mind sinking, the push from behind me stopped.
I turned my gaze, and the person who was next to me earlier—was standing still at a large closed brown door, while looking at it for so long.
He looked at me again, both of his hands were already behind his back. "... Here."
I followed his order. I stepped closer, and saw a large door with two handles that were directly close to each other.
The person next to me seemed to look at me, a little longer. "... That's your room from now on. Quickly take a bath, and wear the clothes that have been provided inside. Later we will meet the Duke, so don't take too long."
... Eh? Duke?
After saying those few sentences, he immediately left me—alone.
I swallowed my saliva. His words were already clear in my ear.
I will serve a Duke?
I stared a little longer at the two-leaf brown door in front of me, before finally pushing it—opening that door.