Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Pat, pat. Even beneath my clumsy caresses, the kittens remained rigid, their eyes fixed solely on me. I recalled the moment beneath the City Wall when I first met Choi Han. Back then, the silver cat had hissed in pain, while the red cat beside it whimpered.

‘So the silver cat must be the older sister with the grayish hair, and the Boy is the red cat, it seems.’

A bright smile bloomed at the corners of my lips. I spoke to the cats.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

The siblings, presumed to be of the feline beastkin race, averted their gaze, while Hans asked with visible reluctance.

“…Are you speaking to them, sir?”
“Not you.”

Hans’s expression grew even more reluctant as he looked between me and the two kittens, cradling them more protectively. It was a gesture to avoid a dangerous human. Yet he soon had to approach me again.

“Are you going out again, sir?”
“Yes.”

I was changing into a fresh coat and preparing to leave once more.

“Where to, sir?”
“I have a promise to keep. And there’s someone I need to meet.”
“…You’re saying you keep your promises, sir?”

Seeing Hans’s expression as if he’d been shocked once more, I asked back.

“Are you running out of things to say?”
“My apologies.”

The sub-butler’s apology came swiftly.
Is this fellow really the most capable among the butler candidates? From how he handled Choi Han’s affairs, he seems competent enough. Yet as I petted the kittens, watching Hans grin foolishly, I couldn’t quite trust him. I smiled wryly to myself.

‘I’m bringing that one to the Capital as well.’

Unaware of my thoughts—or rather, he would have felt sorrowful had he known them even in his dreams—Hans continued his duties, while I asked about someone who had been absent since earlier.

“Where’s Ron?”

At the question, a satisfied smile crossed Hans’s lips.

“The road to the Capital shares the same path for part of the way, so Choi Han will be accompanying the Young Master as one of his escorts during that stretch, or so I heard?”

Hans recalled Choi Han, who had emerged victorious in today’s sparring match against a member of the Earl’s Knight Order. His skills proved more exceptional than anticipated, which allowed him to serve as an escort for Cale at the Count’s request.
Of course, neither Hans nor the knights could have known that Choi Han was concealing his true abilities.

“Ron heard that Choi Han would be traveling with the Young Master, so he went shopping for clothes and travel supplies with him. Ah, and Vicross the head chef went along as well.”
“I see. That’s fortunate.”

They seem to be getting along well. A rare, radiant smile graced Cale’s face—one that suited his brilliant red hair perfectly. Hans observed this with evident approval and opened his mouth to speak.

“It appears that Ron, Choi Han, and Vicross are all quite excited about serving the Young Master.”

Yet in that very moment, Hans caught sight of Cale’s expression growing noticeably dampened. Why had his expression suddenly shifted to one of displeasure? Hans found himself equally unsettled.
With dampened expressions, the two of them exited the Main Residence’s entrance. As Cale climbed into the carriage, he asked Hans, who was seeing him off, almost in passing.

“Ah, but Hans. Don’t the sub-butlers learn basic self-defense techniques?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Aren’t you the strongest butler candidate?”

Hans’s lips twitched upward. Count Derth cherished Hans for his competence and his humanity, qualities the Count valued highly.

“That’s right. I’m proficient in the basics of hand-to-hand combat, dagger techniques, and spear work.”

In preparation for situations where the family might face danger and the bloodline members would need to flee, capable butlers were required to learn at least a few basic martial arts.

“That’s impressive.”
“I do my best.”

Hans shrugged his shoulders with a twitch of his lips, failing to catch the subtle, knowing smile that crossed Cale’s face as he watched. The cats observing the scene could only shake their heads at the sight of Cale grinning so sinisterly.

“Let’s go.”

Cale had decided to bring Hans to the Capital as the person to shoulder all the tedious tasks in his stead. The carriage carrying him now pressed forward through the increasingly heavy rain beyond the mist, advancing toward its destination.

【The Fragrance of Tea and Companionship】

Catching a glimpse of the Tea Shop’s signboard, Cale opened the door. With a cheerful chime of the bell, the quiet interior welcomed him.

“Not many people out because of the rain?”
“Welcome, Young Master.”

Bilos. A bastard of the Flynn Merchant Guild. He greeted me as though we were old acquaintances. I stood before the counter, facing him directly.

“I promised I’d come back. A promise must be kept.”
“Indeed, sir. Shall I prepare the same books and tea as last time?”
“Yes. Three cups of tea, though.”
“Which variety would you prefer?”

I ordered three different types of tea, arranged the time for their arrival, then turned away from Bilos and headed toward the third floor.

Whoooosh—
The rain intensified. I clicked my tongue and settled into the window seat on the third floor where I’d sat before, taking in the view beyond the glass.

“The rain is quite fierce, isn’t it?”

Bilos took the seat across from me and slid a cup of tea forward. I observed him intently.

‘Choi Han, Vicross, Ron. And finally, Bilos.’

Names that appeared continuously from the first volume through the future depicted in the books. Of course, Bilos appears in the first volume as merely the owner of a tea shop that Choi Han passes by—just a line or two. It isn’t until the third volume that he truly reveals himself, pledging loyalty to Choi Han while simultaneously unveiling his ambitions.
‘Unveiling.’ That word was crucial.

‘He’s always been greedy.’

Unlike Hong Gildong, he didn’t grieve over being unable to call his father “father” or his brother “brother.” Instead, he fought relentlessly to seize what he desired.
He wanted to create a situation where he would eventually be acknowledged, where his father would have no choice but to introduce him as a son, where his brother would be forced to call him brother.

‘A tiresome man.’

To me, he was someone who lived exhaustingly. Yet I didn’t dislike him. Rather, that greedy nature of his seemed profoundly human.

To possess the capability yet abandon the world, retreating into seclusion like a hermit saying, “Ah well, I shall renounce it all. What choice do I have?”—that was far more repugnant. Why abandon what one could enjoy? One should savor it all.
In any case, I had to arrange for him to meet Choi Han at least once within the timeline of the first volume. And it had to be a mere brush of fate.

As I was lost in thought, Bilos’s voice reached me.

“I heard you’re heading to the Capital, Young Master.”
“Are you just going to keep sitting there? Aren’t you leaving?”

Bilos made no effort to hide his amusement at the clearly irritated expression. Truly, a most entertaining young master. Yet from Bilos’s perspective, this man possessed a solid foundation of thought beneath the surface.

“I’m heading to the Capital as well. It seems I’ll be following after you, Young Master.”
“So?”

It was already a fact Kale knew. For Bilos and Choi Han to become entangled in the third volume, Bilos would need to head to the Capital soon as well.
Bilos, his expression blank, tossed the question at Kale as he gazed out the window, sipping his tea.

“You seem to have changed, Young Master.”

When Kale turned around, a smile bloomed at the corners of Bilos’s mouth once more. Kale gestured with his chin for him to continue.

“You don’t seem to match your reputation.”
“What? A reckless fool?”

Bilos could see the corners of Kale’s mouth lift. Certainly different. Not the reckless fool he knew. That fool could never wear such an expression. It was a smile tinged with bitterness.

‘I should have drunk some more and broken a chair or two.’

Bilos had no way of knowing Kale’s thoughts.

“Yes, precisely. A reckless fool. Isn’t that what you’ve always been, Young Master?”

Had he lost his fear? Kale pondered as he watched Bilos speak this way to the Count’s son, to the lord’s eldest heir. Had this man been drinking?
Yet Kale had no desire to fight with Bilos, who would come to control the massive Merchant Guild. And Bilos was sincere. He asked without a trace of laughter, his tone utterly serious.

Isn’t that what you’ve always been, Young Master?

Kale answered the question. It wasn’t even a difficult problem to answer. It was easier than wondering how to find money when you had none.

“Bilos.”

Kale, wearing a smile, asked the unsmiling Bilos.

“I cannot call my father ‘father,’ nor can I call my brother ‘brother.'”

Bilos’s eyes sank deeply. He stared at the young nobleman before him, who had so brazenly touched upon his shame—just as he had touched upon Bilos’s rawest wound. Kael held his gaze in silence for a moment.

Whoooosh—
The rain intensified further. Breaking through that downpour, Kael laughed and asked.

“Are you going to keep standing there? Are you satisfied with that position?”

Bilos felt the sharpness in Kael’s gaze.

“No, I’m not.”

Kael leaned back against his chair and opened his mouth, his expression distant as if recalling the past.

“I spent about ten years acting like a fool. Started when I was eight.”

So that’s how it was—this bastard Kael had been acting like a fool since he was eight. Started drinking at fifteen. Quite the character. I smiled as I recalled my own past, which I’d only known through written records.
That smile seemed hollow to Bilos.

Then it happened. A small sound pierced through the rain and reached both their ears.
Creak. Creak. The sound of someone climbing the stairs.

Kael looked past Bilos’s shoulder toward the third-floor entrance. He saw a head of hair. Black hair. It was Choi Han. Ron appeared behind him. Kael had summoned Choi Han to this tea shop through an attendant this morning.
Kael turned his attention away from the two and opened his mouth to conclude his conversation with Bilos. Choi Han and Ron had just come up the stairs and were looking at Kael.

“Bilos.”

Bilos’s unsmiling face was quite cold.

“If you’ve done one thing for about ten years, you can quit now.”

Meanwhile, Kael’s eyes grew increasingly alive with vitality.

“You can’t keep living as a fool forever, can you?”

Of course, even if Kael wasn’t a fool, he would spend money freely, enjoy comfort, and live peacefully as the son of a wealthy lord. Though our paths in life differed, neither of us would continue living as we were now.

“Isn’t that true for you as well?”

The corners of Bilos’s mouth slowly began to rise. He lowered his head and laughed, his shoulders trembling silently. Bilos, chuckling soundlessly, lifted his head and looked at Kael.

“I’m tired of it.”

Bilos laughed as he said he was tired of it.

“See? I told you so.”

Cale shrugged his shoulders and beckoned Choi Han and Ron, who were standing blankly at the entrance to the third floor, to come over with a flick of his index finger. At that moment, Bilos stood up from his seat and opened his mouth.

“Young master.”
“Yes.”
“I will see you again in the Capital.”

Cale’s brow furrowed. It would be troublesome to meet him right away in the Capital.

“What do you mean, see me?”

Cale waved his hand dismissively at Bilos as if to tell him to leave quickly, and Bilos politely bowed before vacating his seat. As Bilos, Choi Han, and Ron descended from the third floor, their eyes met, but they ignored each other.

‘Perfect.’

I welcomed the situation. Choi Han and Bilos had crossed paths just as described in the book. I smiled with satisfaction at the two people sitting across from me.

“I thought you’d follow along too, Ron. According to Hans, Vicross went with you as well. Vicross went straight to the Kitchen, didn’t he? That fellow has a strong sense of responsibility in the Kitchen.”
“Young master, are you close with that person?”

At Ron’s unexpected question, I shrugged my shoulders.

“Not really.”
“…I see.”

I brushed it off as if it were nothing, but Ron clearly heard it. That I couldn’t live as a reckless fool.
I regarded Ron, who answered while trailing off, with displeasure, when my gaze met Choi Han’s.

“Rumors are not to be trusted, it seems.”

What is this bastard saying now? I ignored Choi Han’s words. Just then, Bilos returned carrying two more cups of tea that I had ordered.

“Shall I serve these to these gentlemen?”
“Yes.”

The corners of my mouth lifted into a smile.

“I ordered ahead.”

I picked up the teacups myself and placed one before each of them. Before Choi Han, I set the tea I’d ordered after glancing at the menu, and for Ron—

“You’ve been bringing it every day, so I thought you must like it. I specially ordered it for you.”

I handed him a warm lemon tea. Watching Ron’s expression subtly shift, I felt the most satisfaction I’d experienced all day.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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