I Became a Sick Nobleman

“Ruel Setiria!”

Kang!

Diagos hit the table hard.

Ruel laughed at that action.

“Are you pissed off because I just called you a dog? Calm down. I still have more to say.”

“Get out now.”

“You must be in trouble.”

“Are you conceited that you have caught my weakness now? Okay. It must be fun now. But later, that pride will make you…”

“Conceit?”

“Cassion.”

Cassion emerged from Ruel’s shadow and aimed a dagger at Diagos’ neck before both of them could blink.

Diagos belatedly noticed Cassion’s presence and took a deep breath.

Even though Diagos doesn’t know anything about fighting, he definitely noticed this one thing.

The person who pointed the dagger at him was an incredibly talented person.

Ruel sneered again as he looked at Diagos, who had stiffened.

“Are you saying I was conceited because I could cut your head off at any time? Diagos. Diagos Shio. You must have been conceited. Didn’t you help Prince Huan with all the various things he did while he was drunk in his position as a prince?”

Ruel relaxed while inhaling Breath.

“Hina.”

Diagos flinched at Ruel’s grave voice.

Hina appeared from Ruel’s shadow and handed him something.

Whack.

What Ruel put on the table was a fan.

Serti’s fan.

“Now, do you know I’ve kept Serti and you alive?”

Diagos suddenly found Ruel’s arrogant smile and relaxed gesture extremely terrifying.

“Diagos.”

Ruel called Diagos again.

Diagos looked at Ruel without saying anything like before.

Scrchh.

Diagos’ teeth gritted together.

When he saw Serti’s fan, a terrible thought came over Diagos.

“Do you know what it feels like to walk between cliffs, relying on a rope thinner than your arms?”

Tuk-tuk.

Ruel started hitting the table slowly.

“You pushed me to that place, watched when I fell, and enjoyed shaking the rope, didn’t you?” 

The sound that rang out in precise rhythm stabbed Diagos fiercely, like a dagger aimed at his throat.

“From now on, it’s me who holds the rope and I’m the one who shakes it.”

Ruel looked at Cassion and motioned for him to lower his dagger.

Only then did Diagos take a long breath.

However, he was unable to make proper eye contact with Ruel, as the time spent soaking in fear had not yet washed away.

“Now, let’s start again.”

Ruel stopped his hand hitting the table.

“Is Serti unharmed?”

Diagos asked cautiously. 

“Yes.” 

“Tell me what your deal was with Serti.”

Ruel shook his head in response to Diagos’ question.

“That might not be the first thing to be asking, is it?” 

“Serti…please at least spare my daughter’s life.”

“Wrong.”

“Well, what do you want?”

“Now we can have a conversation.”

Only then did Ruel smile with satisfaction.

“As Serti requested, I have decided to keep you alive.”

“Serti…?”

Diagos’ eyes turned slightly red.

Even during this time, he seemed to be moved by his daughter’s deep filial heart.

“Only life. Just your life. You haven’t forgotten the crime you committed against me, right?”

Bang!

Ruel hit the table with his palm.

“My father.”

The anger hidden behind a smile.

“My Guardian.”

The ferocious teeth hidden in the youthful face.

“And me.”

All of it was revealed.

“You won’t forget, will you?”

Diagos’ hands on his knees trembled.

He knew it all.

Ruel Setiria knew everything about the past five years ago.

The sins he had committed came back again like the hands of a clock.

But this time, he wasn’t the only one caught.

Even Serti.

No, all of his beloved children, including Serti, were captured.

“Please let me handle it all. It’s my fault, no one else’s.”

“Yes, you are the best. The proud Shio family will be preserved, and your dirty sins will not be buried with your lovely children.”

“Really…?”

“Instead, you should become my teeth to point towards Prince Huan.”

Diagos lowered his head helplessly and then gritted his teeth and asked.

“How… Are you planning to save my family?”

Ruel laughed at the shameless question, but he explained it kindly to make Diagos despair.

“Serti will accuse you directly to the nation, placing you in jail. She will sell you to preserve her family and her life.”

Diagos’ mouth trembled with anger and shame as he gritted his teeth.

“You know that’s the only way, right?”

Hearing Ruel’s next words, Diagos frowned and closed his eyes.

There was only darkness before his eyes.

Ruel said one more hint before inhaling Breath.

“Or why don’t you go to Prince Huan and kneel begging to him? Of course after you die, Serti, no, the entire Shio family will fall into the hands of Prince Huan.”

“What’s the difference between Prince Huan and the actions of you, the head of Setiria, rushing to take over Shio?”

“Difference?”

Ruel laughed lightly after inhaling the Breath.

“Even though I had my enemy right in front of me, I endured. Even when that enemy’s daughter intruded on my territory, I endured. If we compare this to patience, isn’t it akin to a saint? Above all, I prefer a fox to a dog.”

Leo’s ears perked up at the word fox.

He looked at Ruel with sparkling eyes as usual.

“Does that make sense? I, your father…”

Diagos reacted in disbelief to the statement that Ruel would not treat Serti like a dog, but then closed his mouth.

It seemed like he couldn’t bear to talk back.

“Yes, I might look like trash to you because I suffered at the hands of such a dog. But remember, you will become that dog.”

Ruel’s fingers were sharp, as if piercing Diagos’ heart.

Is it Huan Leponia or Ruel Setirria?

Diagos didn’t want to choose either.

He had wanted to revive his family, but now everything had turned dark, and he couldn’t see anything. 

“I…”

“Enough of the private matters, hand over to me evidence of what Huan and yourself have done.”

Ruel didn’t want to hear Diagos’ excuses or regrets.

Only Diagos would hold onto the feelings of guilt.

“I will relay my instructions through Serti. Cassion, hand me the magic contract.”

Cassion took out a magic contract from his pocket and placed it on the table.

“Write that you will become a dog obedient to only me, and that you will eliminate all the Red Ash in Shio, except for youself.” 

Diagos felt as if he was falling off a cliff due to the conditions that Ruel presented for granted.

But as he gazed at Serti’s fan in front of him, the fact that he had killed Trino Setiria was his own fault, not his daughter’s. 

Instead of handing over that heavy fact, it was better for him to bear everything. 

Diagos, holding the pen, asked with a fearful voice as a thought crossed his mind. 

“Serti… Does she know what I did?”

“No.”

“Th-Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Even though Ruel could have said everything, he did not say anything to Serti.

Diagos did not hesitate any longer.

At least Ruel gave him a chance to remain a father.

He wrote down all the demands as Ruel wanted, and at the end, he signed his name.

At that moment, he felt something leaving his body. 

The color of the magic contract turned blue. 

After confirming that it was properly executed, Cassion took the magic contract. 

“Now, what you need to do is find the Red Ash hidden in the Shio family. It should be an easy task for you.”

Ruel said, stroking Leo.

“Okay.”

After hearing Diagos’ answer, Ruel was about to get up and asked briefly.

“How much do you know about Red Ash?”

“As you know, I am Huan’s…dog. Some owners tell his dogs everything.”

Ruel was not disappointed by Diagos’ answer because he had not expected much in the first place.

Ruel stood up and put his cloak back on.

“I need to diligently collect the things you took from me from five years ago.”

Ruel looked at Diagos with disdain and took Cassion outside.

Only after the door closed did Diagos put his hands on the table, holding his hair.

Even now, when he closes my eyes, he vividly remembers what happened 5 years ago.

The small hands of the child trembling in fear behind Trino Setiria, and the green eyes filled with fear reminded him of Serti, and his heart sank.

‘Damn it.’

At that time, he should have killed him no matter what.

Then, those small hands and green eyes filled with fear stood in front of him in a completely different manner.

He was frightened.

He was overwhelmed by those straight eyes.

‘Damn…!’

Serti’s fan was reelected in Diagos’ eyes filled with despair.

‘Serti, Serti.’

He doesn’t know what Serti did to want to have Setiria, but wasn’t she caught by Ruel in the end?

She was just like himself, who was ambitious to revive the Shio family using Prince Huan.

Diagos held Serti’s fan with both trembling hands and lowered his head in silence.

***

Cassion stopped at Lake Prina and carefully lowered Ruel to the ground.

“Aren’t you dizzy?”

“I’m a little dizzy.”

Ruel frowned and answered.

He had been transported twice by Warp, and his body was in a state of disarray when he was brought to the Shio family by Cassion. 

It was impossible for his body to be normal. 

He felt as if he could vomit blood at any moment, the taste of blood lingered in his throat, and his stomach churned. 

He felt dizzy, as if he might tilt over at any moment. 

Cassion supported him and sat him down on a rock. Despite everything, the cool breeze made him feel a little better. 

Ruel looked at Leo, who clung to his shoulder as if for dear life. 

Even though they had come to a lake he loved, Ruel reluctantly removed Leo from his shoulder and placed him on his lap.

When he met Cron, he intentionally didn’t bring Leo along. 

He left him behind for a while, thinking it would be okay to visit Aris, the Magic Knights, and the kitchen. 

Ruel petted Leo and said, “You want to swim? You used to sing that you wanted to swim while I worked.” 

—This body will be with Ruel. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Cassion was very surprised by Ruel’s apology. 

He turned his head to avoid making any sound. 

“I was wrong.” Ruel’s continued apology brought tears to Leo’s eyes. 

Seeing the tears fall, Ruel apologized again, filled with remorse. 

“Next time, I’ll make sure to tell you before leaving.” 

—This body… was so scared when you left, Ruel. 

“I promised not to abandon you.” 

—This body knows. That’s why this body endured it as best as this body could. This body quietly waited for Ruel in Ruel’s empty bed. 

How surprised he must have been to vomit blood as soon as he returned. 

Ruel wiped Leo’s tears. 

—This body was so shocked to see you come back injured and in pain again.

It seemed like he was talking about a time when his stomach was pierced by the Great Man.

“Leo.”

—Speak.

Leo sniffled and looked up at Ruel.

The spirits made gurgling sounds as they patted Leo.

Ruel opened his mouth but suddenly felt too embarrassed and covered his face with his hand again.

How can he get the word ‘precious’ out of his mind?

Who knew that this short-legged, snack-eating fox would occupy a lot of space in his heart from fall to winter?

When Ruel admitted that fact, his face heated up slightly.

Ruel hesitated several times before finally opening his mouth.

“I’ll say it again, I will never abandon you.”

—Everyone is busy, but there is nothing for this body to do. This body also wants to be of help to Ruel. This body feels like he’s becoming a Leo who is only worth eight pennies…

Ruel grabbed Leo’s mouth.

“You are still helping me enough, so don’t say things like that.”

Leo stared at Ruel and wagged his tail.

The round, tear-soaked eyes sparkled beautifully.

Leo immediately asked in disbelief.

—This, this body, is for Ruel… Is it important?

Leo usually felt his emotions well.

He seemed to have noticed this time too.

“Yes.”

—Really?

“Yes.”

—Really? Is it really precious?

Ruel answered Leo’s questions repeatedly.

But as soon as Ruel answered, he couldn’t raise his head as his face grew hotter.

Cassion and the shadows must be listening.

—This body is really, really, really happy now!

Leo was wagging his tail and rubbing his face against Ruel.

—This body can’t believe it! This body! This body! This body is the most precious person to Ruel!

Leo soon got off Ruel’s lap and ran around him.

—Ruel’s most precious being is this body, Leo!

Leo shouted loudly and shouted again for Lake Prina to reverberate.

—This body is now refreshed. This body will have fun swimming!

Ruel belatedly took his hand away after seeing the short legs running from between his fingers.

For some reason, he felt exhausted.

“Hmm.”

Cassion let out an out-of-place cough.

“I didn’t know that the beast was so precious.” 

“Shut up, Cassion.”

“Alright. I will gladly follow your orders.”

Cassion’s voice was excited.

It was a big change after a long time.

Why Leo is so cute?