STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

25. PROTECTORS

South cleared out the training grounds as Choi Han and Rosalyn brought Lock down. It was odd to have to explain to the workers here that they had to get out, but once they heard that Cale ordered it, they scurried right off.

That trash reputation is useful sometimes.

"Next time, don't ride the horse into the building," Cale muttered. "You freaked all the servants out."

"I'm sorry," Choi Han seemed genuinely embarrassed, "she wouldn't let me jump off before we got to you."

South sheepishly went to take care of Mama Northford, who looked completely unapologetic about what she did. She scoffed like she was challenging Cale to say something to her too, and Cale decided to be wise and not say anything.

She seemed to want to stay and watch.

"Mama, you can't stay here," he urged. Never separate a mother from her injured babies but come on, Mama, you can't have that one. You can't claim every traumatized baby you find! "Let's go back to the stables, the Young Master has this handled."

She protested.

With a deep sigh, South reached over and picked up the horse, throwing her over his shoulder with both arms— she squawked in protest, but South was already scampering off, taking both of them out of the training grounds.

Unaware of the baffled stares behind them.

"...uhm," Rosalyn began.

"What the hell," Cale blurted out.

Choi Han sympathized with their reactions, "yeah, he can do that."

-

Bandaging Lock's wounds after that was pretty simple. Choi Han and Rosalyn did their best, but Lock did get scratched up a little especially around the palms where he'd definitely tried to grab Choi Han's sword barehanded.

"You're never queasy about anything, huh?" Hans held the med kit while South worked. There was a big gash near his upper arm that needed stitches.

"I do it for horses all the time," South shrugged. "Bandits always aim for horses."

Hans sighed. "At least it's not your own. You know your Hyung here almost had a heart attack when you came home like that... you get hurt so often! Like that one on your cheek, where did you get that one?"

"Just the other day, I was taking care of the horses and something nicked me."

South dismissed it like that and it was clear that Hans only accepted it because he didn't want to chase for answers.

So South amended further, "and that day was actually pretty good, I won against three of them." He sounded very bitter about it. "If I didn't fall asleep again, that last guy wouldn't have escaped."

"Huh?" Hans was now very concerned about what he just heard.

"Nevermind me. This kid should be all fine soon, he's a werewolf after all," South stood up, "I'll carry him to the guest room, Hans-Hyung."

"Ah, right. I'm sure Ron-nim has all of that arranged for us..."

South walked with the werewolf in his arms, but he had a feeling Hans was not about to let the conversation end just like that.

-

By the time South managed to get Lock onto the guest room bed, Hans was whispering to Ron and Ron was frowning, too. South had no idea what Hans just told him, but it was definitely not anything good. Hans looked like he wanted to shove South behind a pillowfort and violently bash a bat at every hostile force that came his way.

...yeah, it's hard to see Hans actually managing to 'protect' South in any way, with their difference in physical prowess.

Wait, is that why he's talking to Ron?

Ron sighed. "Go to the kitchen, horse boy. And ask Vicross to make you some food."

"Whuh? I already ate, sir."

"Go eat some more."

"Whuh??"

-

"I will be leaving for a while."

South spat out his soup when Ron just dropped that news out of nowhere. Vicross is staring at the splash zone, personally offended by the meal South just wasted.

"See to the Young Master while I'm gone," he informed them both, though more to Vicross than South. To the latter he specifically said, "you do understand why I say this to you."

Ah.

Because South was one of the few servants in the Henituse estate, other than the knights, that had no qualms about straight up murder. (And even Hillsman had a moral code.) Ron certainly saw the value in that.

South supposed Ron had already talked to Choi Han.

"I've left the kittens there as well, but do follow up accordingly," Ron said. "I'm inclined to believe you'll keep those gloves on around the Young Master."

South grimaced, but nodded.

He's so overprotective.

"Oh, and Ron-nim," he told the butler before he left the room, "please take care."

Ron scoffed. "You think you're the kind of person that could be worried about me, horse boy? Don't be too proud now."

South chuckled. "You're right."

Vicross put a new bowl of soup on the table, and promptly stared at South until he finished it.

"Uhm. Vicross-nim," he pleaded, "I don't have a doctor's note today, I'm okay—"

"You're finishing the soup."

"Yes, sir."