STABLE BOY ; Trash of the Count's Family

71. HIGH WALLS

"Are you sure you're okay for a trip?" Hans checked his temperature.

South hummed. Maybe because of the way his power messed with his internal nervous system, his sleep attacks always got much worse after he used his powers a lot.

Chronic pain of his level did not mix well with his already-fussed up narcoleptic fainting spells. South's body never understood if it was asleep, awake, dead, alive, or being actively tortured, or if a body part was intact or gone. It made sense his body protested against his self-abuse and went on a work strike.

Being able to rest for a month in Harris Village was good considering how much he had to use his power to the most extreme points during the last year. He staved off the effects with potions for so long, all of it came rebounding back during this one month break and that truly made everyone think he was finally going to die.

Alas, South's still alive.

"It's fine. We're going to a desert, and my temperature is cold again," South said. "Isn't that perfect, I can be everyone's personal ice pack."

"You are going to die at night," Hans retorted, dryly. "Kittens-nim, please keep him warm at night, okay. Ahhh dongsaeng-ya, I am so worried about you..."

"There's nothing to worry about, Seonbae will be with me," South said.

"Leon-nim has to take care of the horses while you accompany the young master," Hans said. "You always go overboard when there's a new place to explore. How long did you spend at the lake last night because you found a new cave under there? We all thought you drowned and got eaten because the lifeline broke. Do you know how heartbroken I would have been? Can you think of my blood pressure sometimes?"

South finally had enough, "what are you, my mother?"

-

"Sou, it's been a while!"

"Seonbae, I missed you. You're the only one that doesn't overwork me on trips."

Leon ignored the ungrateful remark and greeted South with a big and tight hug. South instantly felt locked into the man's arms with how crushing the man was grabbing him, like he was trying to break every bone in South's body.

"You got thinner while I was gone! They're treating you well here, right?"

Wow okay so Coachman Leon apparently became a health inspector while South got restationed to Harris Village? What is with everyone and obsessing over his health? The original South didn't even live this long, it's a great achievement that he's alive at all!

"I'm not dying," South said. "How is Plinko?"

"Growing up very well! When you go back, you'll be forgotten already."

South sulked at that, "oh well. And Mama?"

Leon chuckled, like that question was particularly adorable, "she misses you every day, always whining to the stablehands. Everyone doesn't like it when you're not the one to brush them."

With Leon being permanently stationed at the county while South was assigned to always follow Cale, it might be a long time before South gets to go back to his original stable anymore. But Cale planned to go back to the county in spring, so it's not like South will never go home.

"That's why I said, I should be demoted back to the county already," South puffed up a cheek in protest, "someone else can drive the Young Master's carriage."

"You can't, no one else can keep up with the young master's impulses, and Ron can't drive a carriage anymore," Leon patted him on the head. "It's not like you hate the job, right?"