Chapter Text
“Oh no.”
Kim Dokja felt a chill run down his spine as he looked around his surroundings. The place is familiar, as if he has been there countless of times. The faces of people present at the event were familiar and not at the same time—even the occasion was something he knew like the back of his hand.
Well, that’s because he already knew what this is all about!
He stood up and hurriedly hid behind the thick and tall bushes, effectively hiding his small body as he observed the nobles from afar. They were having fun, tea parties for the noble ladies who decided to not participate in the hunting event as well as several noble men and a few noble women riding their horses in their hunting attire—holding their chosen weapon to hunt beasts.
Right, this is the time he knew all too well. This is the time he chose to ignore and everything went downhill.
How could he not remember when he always recalled this specific memory of his? The regret and guilt he always felt as he grew up never went away when he turned a blind eye on the accident.
As a price for his sin, he died young at the tender age of 15 with his life going horribly wrong in all corners—him being adopted in a lowly noble family who treated him all the same. A garbage, a slave, a dirty commoner disguised as a noble. He suffered and was treated like a ragged doll, nobles who hated him gave all their might to destroy him for pleasures.
He just took it in, too drowned in his guilt and regret. He was the cause of the great fall of the Underworld Duchy, after all.
He slapped both of his dirty cheeks to snap back in reality—his new reality in his second and most probably, last life. He needs to make it right this time, even if it doesn’t benefit him in his way of life, at least he could save the head of the Underworld Duchy in this life. The Duchy is an important piece of the Kingdom, the future of the Kingdom will be ugly if they disappeared.
He knows because he lived that life before.
He took a deep breath and ran deeper in the forest the moment he heard the cheers of the nobles. The hunting was about to start, he needed to set up the stage.
He remembered wandering deep in the forest in an attempt to escape from the Headmaster of the orphanage he was staying in, and he stumbled upon the Duke hunting a big beast. The Duke only failed to kill the beast and died instead because the Duke noticed him.
The Duke protected him instead of protecting himself.
So all he needed to do was to get out of the Duke’s sight. Also, he needed to have an extra weapon for the Duke just in case he dropped his spear again in the middle of the fight. Easy!
The Duke was strong, Dokja doesn’t have a weapon so he just needed to gather some small and big rocks to where the Duke’s position would be later on. Then, he found a vine strong and long enough to trip the beast. He scattered it on the ground on where the beast would stand later, the rest was tied on the trees across each other to trip it if the other trap doesn’t work.
He wiped his forehead and looked at the mess he made, nodding and smiling to himself. These are the lessons he learned from the noble kids who used to bully and prank him with their silly little tricks. Who knew it would be handy someday?
His little play would only buy the Duke a short amount of time to kill the beast, so he hopes for the best. If it doesn’t work out, well…
“Easy, boy. We’re getting nearer.”
He stilled at the sound of a deep voice slowly coming towards his direction. That must be the Duke, he’s early…or was he just so immersed in making his plan alive? It doesn’t matter. At the very least, he was already finished when the Duke came.
He immediately hid behind the tall bushes and watched the Duke hopped down on his horse, his spear in his hand as he looked around his surroundings to find the beast he was supposed to kill.
Dokja could hear his loud beating heart in his ears, the tip of his hands and feet are cold and he’s sweating from nervousness. His anxiousness only intensified when he heard the sound of the beast stomping on the ground, growling lowly at the sight of the Duke standing tall in front of it.
“Found you.” the Duke mumbled under his breath, staring right through its eyes making the beast roar in anger—rushing to where the Duke was to attack.
It made Dokja’s heart drop.
But he stayed silent, his hand stopping the noises that were about to slip out from his lips and watched the fight with horror in his eyes. He knew the Duke could do well but he can’t help remembering the sight of the Duke dying in front of him.
That time, the Duke still told him to run away and not look back even if he was in danger and dying by the beast’s claws.
He doesn’t want that to happen again.
He tightly gripped on his shirt when the vine he securely tied on the bottom trunk of the trees snapped as the beast rushed forward once again to attack the Duke. The man noticed it and used the vines scattered on the ground to distract the beast for a while.
‘Yes! Use your surroundings to your advantage!’ he thought to himself, silently cheering on the man to take down the huge beast.
Though, his relief didn’t last long when the spear finally slipped from the Duke’s hand and landed far away from him. The dagger on his thigh wasn’t enough to injure the beast, it could only defend himself for a short while. He needed to retreat if that was the case.
But the Duke was known for his stubbornness and determination. That was the reason why he got to marry the woman of his dreams even after her Mother was against their relationship.
Dokja ran to the other side to where the rocks he prepared. Unfortunately, the Duke was on the other side so he didn’t see the rocks.
If Dokja doesn't take action right now, the Duke will die.
He picked up a slightly big stone and threw it with his small hands at the head of the huge beast, screaming at the top of his lungs to attract the beast's attention.
Of course, it also attracted the Duke’s attention as well.
“Wha—?!”
“Come here you ugly big fur! I’m much tastier than that man!” he shouted loudly as he successfully put the beast’s attention to himself. The Duke only looked at him dumbfoundedly and confused. Dokja grinned nervously as the beast turned its body to face him.
He gulped as the beast glared down at him, its sharp teeth on full display and red eyes watching his every move. He threw another rock and screamed.
“You’re ugly and weak! Your parents must be ashamed of you!” he said and ran as fast as he could, ignoring the loud roar of the beast running after him.
‘Shit shit shit! Why did I do that?!’ he screamed internally as he tried to run with his short legs. His breath heavy and fear ran through his body. He was going to die as soon as he woke up in this new life. At the very least, he managed to save the Duke this time.
His only regret was that he never got to live his life differently.
A sharp and pained screech entered his ears. The heavy footsteps quickly running after him stopped and a loud thump was heard, followed by several slashes and stabs and a heavy breathing of a man standing on top of the said beast.
Kim Dokja stared at the scene in front of him.
The Duke was alive, the beast was killed, and he managed to survive. Relief surged through his body and his knees buckled, he fell on the ground as he tried to catch his breath.
“You,” the Duke said, walking towards him with an unreadable expression. He loomed at the small child looking up to him catching his breath with wide eyes, “Why did you do that? Who are you?” he asked.
The Duke kneeled in front of him and a stray of sunlight gently touched the Duke’s pale skin, making it easier to see the calm and softened expression of the man.
The sight makes Dokja drowsy, the exhaustion seeping in through his small body as he answers the man slurry.
“If…I didn’t step up… you would die in front of me,” he said in a small voice, bowing his head in exhaustion, “I don’t want to see that again. It’s…scary.” his answer ended and he fell on the Duke’s arms, sleeping soundly as his face was now free from anxiousness and worry.
The Duke watched the child in his arms sleep and sighed. He carried the child and started to walk away. He’ll just let one of his men retrieve the beast’s body, no one would dare to steal it when the Duke’s spear was deep on the beast’s neck.
For now, he needs to attend to the small being on his arms. His wife will surely bombard him with questions the moment he gets back.