Something’s Not Right About This Transmigration

He stayed away so often that…….

“I think your spouse must be waiting for you. Are you sure you don’t need to go home……?”

Even the main bottom had once said that much.

Samuel had also made dismissive remarks about ‘Frey’ several times in the story, and had even said there was no need for Leo to concern himself because he would soon be divorced.

Then why in the world was Samuel trying to force this marriage through?

“There’s only one answer.”

His ability.

The ability to cure the epidemic that had driven the Count to abuse and exploit ‘Frey’ so obsessively.

Samuel also had to be marrying him because he wanted that ability.

And from the Count’s perspective, a match with House Norbert would have been quite tempting.

“If he were marrying me because he truly liked me, he would’ve rushed over the moment he heard I was awake.”

Just as Regulus had.

Frey still did not understand what sort of relationship the three supposed childhood friends had shared.

To begin with, he had only read the part where Samuel and Leo began growing close, and not much of Samuel’s background had been revealed by then.

But one thing was certain…….

“I’d prefer that you didn’t marry Duke Norbert.”

“……Why? Because you’re my self-proclaimed lover?”

“What? Ahaha! Well, there’s that. But even setting my personal feelings aside, I suppose it’s because the two of you aren’t on very good terms.”

“Oh…….”

“So if you don’t want to marry and are considering running away…… I’ll help you.”

Frey stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time as he recalled how serious Regulus had sounded.

Then, as though he had finally made up his mind, he abruptly sat up.

“I should run after all.”

If Samuel wanted his ability, Frey had to escape before the marriage. If he ran now, only the Count would pursue him, but once he married, House Norbert might join the chase.

He felt a little guilty because Regulus had been so considerate and told him so many things, but…….

“This isn’t the time to worry about someone else.”

So first, he would run.

* * *

Frey tightened his shoelaces and looked up at the high wall.

He had worried that security might be strict, but fortunately, there was not a single servant wandering nearby.

“It looks like he never even tried to escape before.”

If he had, there would have been people stationed throughout the garden and even the hallways.

Yet there was not even a rat in sight, let alone another person.

“Well, he was extremely obedient in the novel too.”

Frey did not appear often, but whenever he did, he simply nodded at anything he was told, so there was no chance he had ever tried to escape.

That much was obvious.

“But listen, Frey. I died once, and it was really frightening. I truly don’t want to die twice, you know? You’d rather live than die too.”

So let’s stop worrying about things like this and run away. Alright?

As though speaking to the real ‘Frey’, Frey murmured while patting his stomach. Then he adjusted the bag on his shoulder and grabbed the railing set into the top of the wall.

“Mmph, hah!”

After several attempts at climbing the wall by gripping the closely spaced rails, nearly slipping and falling along the way, Frey finally managed to stand atop it.

“Why, hah, is this body so weak……!”

The bastard supposedly collapsed whenever he used his ability. Could it actually have been because there wasn’t a shred of strength in this body to begin with?

Frey frowned and calmed his ragged breathing, then cautiously looked down the other side of the wall. The darkness made it difficult to see the ground, but it should have been about the same height as the side he had just climbed.

“Let’s just not hurt an ankle.”

Frey drew a deep breath, tensed his whole body, and hurled himself down from the wall.

“Ugh!”

Contrary to his expectation that his feet would land on dusty ground, Frey dropped squarely into someone’s solid arms.

At the same time, a heavy, cool scent strong enough to numb the tip of his nose wrapped around his entire body.

“Well, who might this be?”

The instant he heard the voice, his heart plummeted. As Frey instinctively struggled to push the other person away, a firm grip tightened around his waist.

“That’s a rather suspicious route for an evening stroll.”

Frey’s fingertips twitched. He slowly raised his head, and a pair of chillingly beautiful golden eyes curved in the deep darkness.

“Oh, did you perhaps know I was coming and step out to welcome me?”

It was Duke Samuel Norbert.