STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

40. UBARR SHORES

South remembers the aches like an old stubborn friend.

Even though he never kept any wounds or scars, they ached. His body interpreted them as old wounds, even if there were no marks— and it really never stopped reminding him of all of them when the weather was a little less favourable.

There was no comfortable position to sit, no way to ease the nausea. He just had to breathe carefully until it was over, and sometimes, it never ended.

It was retribution, in a way. For every person he killed, he remembered how they died. Down until every last breath, for every single victim, he reexperiences them in these moments— that's why, when South actually died for real, he had been secretly relieved that it would be the last time.

It wasn't.

Oh well.

Everything had a catch, and this was his price for the powers he wielded. He played around with the bonds of humanity so often, they were always attached to him, even the worst parts.

It was just part of his life. Though, he'll admit, even in the past life he never saw the sea from so close before.

The potion the Young Master gave him was like a dream. Being able to stand so close to the shore that he could hear the waves, smell the tart, salty dryness of the sea— it didn't feel real.

"There's so much water!" Hong exclaimed in fascination from his spot on South's shoulder. They'd already gawked a lot on the carriage, but actually looking at it was unreal.

South stared out, and he let his gaze rest on the enchantingly endless horizon. The world felt so big then, where the sky melded into the ocean in just a slightly different shade of blue. He felt so small.

It was humbling.

"Don't stand there and stare at the ocean like a duck," Leon called out to him, "the mermaids will get you."

"What?" South asked.

"What," Leon returned. "It's a saying, you haven't heard it before? You're standing there like an ideal target, it's like you're challenging anything to jump out of the sea and snatch you in while you're daydreaming."

"...Are mermaids dangerous?" South wondered. His head tilted aside a bit as he only vaguely remembered that mermaids existed. Here was where his memories of the story were the vaguest. It was near the end of the point he'd read until, and it hadn't fully settled into his brain before the earthquake took priority. Something about mermaid blood curing poison?

"Of course, why wouldn't they be?" Leon said. "Now, at least sit somewhere beside a horse if you're going to stare."

"Ah no, it's fine. I'll help with the luggage."

"No you are not. Sit."

"I'm not a dog."

"Sit down, Sou."

"...fine."

It... could make sense, even in his past life there were folklores where mermaids enticed seafarers and then drowned and ate them. There were also cute magical girl depictions, but it seems like this world only wanted the scary reality parts of it.

-

"Horse-hyung! Do you need any help?"

"Horse-oppa, uncle told us to get you for dinner!"

"Horse-hyung, are you supposed to be working?"

South was almost done with his work in the stables when the Beastman children came to the stables, calling out to him from the entryway. He smeared away the sweat dripping down his chin with his shoulder, and turned toward them.

"Don't come in, kids, the smell is really bad in here," he called.

"It's okay, we can help!" one called back, though the boy seemed a little like he was putting on a brave face. "Not all of us do a lot of work in the kitchen so we're free."

"Yeah! Plus it's dinnertime and you're not done with your work yet."

South chuckled at that. Scooping horse dung and cleaning the stalls is work even the lowest servants dread— it's why South is the one always doing them, and he's actually very happy to do it. It's therapeutic, almost. Even if it stinks.

Even here in the Ubarr territory, the stablehands hated the job. Since South slacked off the whole trip here, he volunteered to spend the rest of his energy (not being in pain) actually doing everyone's work. And they were all very happy to oblige.

"Better not," he held back more laughter when the girl wolf took another step back. "You guys have sensitive noses, right? That's why the Young Master didn't tell you to come work with me here. You don't want to get dirty before going to the kitchen again, Vicross-nim will not like that."

"We'll bathe!"

"Horse-hyung, your dinner is getting cold!"

"Oh, really? Vicross-nim won't like that," South said, "you guys better get back and eat it while it's still warm then."

"Horse-oppa!" the girl whined, extremely annoyed. "Just go EAT!"

"In order to drag me out to eat, you first have to come in here and step on horse shit with me."

Three synchronous wails of despair, "nooooo!!"

South grinned victoriously.

Until he saw Vicross looming behind the children, a glare on his face and his arms crossed like a teacher at the end of his patience.

South straightened instinctively, face falling guiltily.

The children turned around. "Oh! Uncle—"

Vicross snarled with a tone that promised hours of staring until he choked down all the healthy food in the world, "stop messing with them and get your ass out here."

South moved immediately, "yes!"