As I sat pouting my lips in silence, the old duke clicked his tongue with a tsk.
Suddenly, his sharp gaze turned toward the butler standing behind me.
"Hey, Morris! You said you were done eating! You should have said you were still having a snack! You don't bother someone when they're eating!"
"I... failed to consider Lady Rubian's snack schedule."
Plip, plop. I could almost hear Butler Morris's sweat dropping all the way from here.
"Why are you just standing there!"
I reached my hand toward the creaking fork.
I glanced carefully to the side, but the butler, who had been smoothing his expression, only raised his eyebrows slightly.
'So he's not going to save me.'
I'll get him back.
The more I surveyed the snack table, the more my face twisted into a tearful grimace.
"Why do you make that face?"
Having snapped back fiercely at him all this time, I was now only biting my lip and staring at the floor, causing the old duke to falter for the first time.
"I-is there something you don't like...?"
"The table..."
"Hmm?"
"It's all broken..."
Before my eyes was a solid wood table split clean down the middle.
"Huh? When did this happen?"
"There's nothing left, how am I supposed to eat..."
I felt a bit melancholy.
A mug had fallen through the crack. A pink liquid pooled heavily on the floor.
Truthfully, I liked strawberry milk more than cake. Sweet and refreshing, with pulp to chew...
"...I really like it."
"Mm..."
"And I haven't even had a single drop yet..."
My shoulders slumped involuntarily.
I saw earlier that it had more fresh strawberries than yesterday... What a waste...
'Ha.'
Could this be a Jebert-style mental strength test?
One that tells me not to cling to the past?
* * *
Of course, that wasn't the case.
In the end, the old duke's booming voice resulted in every strawberry in the castle being ground and dropped into milk...
'Who would have known...'
I gazed at the large jar of strawberry milk and composed my complicated feelings.
"Are you done?"
The old duke asked in a growling voice.
Even though he was just sitting plopped down in the middle of the parlor, his presence was overwhelming. It felt like the room was stuffed to the brim...
"Y-yes. Thank you."
I replied, fiddling with the mug.
Honestly, I couldn't tell if it was going into my mouth or my nose.
"Hmph."
Only then did he seem satisfied, his fluffy-looking beard twitching.
I glanced around furtively before asking carefully.
"But what about him?"
"He went to the northern outpost! They say traces of demonic beasts were spotted."
"Gasp."
Did he just dump me with this grumpy old man and run away?
"Are you scared because I said demonic beast? Well, a little thing like you, like a rabbit, would probably be a single bite."
The old duke seemed convinced that I had stiffened because of the demonic beast.
'The demonic beast isn't what's kicking me out of this house!'
He didn't even show up by smashing through the door!
I set down the mug and shouted boldly.
"Yes! I'm a teensy bit scared!"
"..."
"So I can stay here, right?"
As desperately as possible. Sparkle, sparkle.
The shoulders of the old duke, sitting with his back to the window, suddenly stiffened.
His expression was hard to see, but deep furrows formed at the corners of his eyes adorned with graceful wrinkles.
I recalled his voice.
"First, grab on tight and cling. Like you did to me earlier."
It works, right?
He's not going to kick me away for acting weak?
"I-if... I'm scared, I should stay!"
Surprisingly, it worked.
"I'm not such trash that I'd kick out a child who's crying and saying they're scared!"
Not that I had cried like that, though.
'He must be weak to feigned weakness.'
He seemed to have that side to him too. Is that the characteristic of people here?
I decided to drive the wedge in.
I sprang up from my seat and squeezed forcibly into the seat next to the old duke on the large sofa.
It's a two-seater sofa, isn't it too cramped?
"Yeees. So I'll just stay here quietly. Because outside is scary..."
Oops, wait!
An earthquake-like vibration came from beside me.
"Stop squirming, it's tickling me to death!"
"Ah, if it's uncomfortable, I'll just..."
"Nothing to be done!"
"Uwah!"
My nape was grabbed. I landed on a thigh as firm as a rock.
Our eyes met right up close.
Bushy eyebrows rose at various angles. The corners of his eyes held thick wrinkles. Cold, chilling purple pupils. Beneath his well-groomed beard was an old-looking scar.
"...You even look ticklish."
Just as I had observed the old duke, he seemed to have observed me thoroughly.
One eyebrow shot up even more sharply.
"Are you really a boy? Why are you so different from Boyd and Liam?"
Uh... because I'm different?
Of course, I couldn't say that, so I covered it with a vague smile.
"But what in the world are you wearing? A potato sack?"
"It's clothes."
"Tch."
A voice that sounded as if he'd witnessed something unsightly.
The old duke motioned with his chin toward Hazel, who was standing nearby.
"You! Count how many times this kid's sleeves are rolled up!"
Hazel replied calmly.
"Please calm down, Lord Balrock. In any case, Lady Evelyn was already scheduled to come take measurements in three days. She is currently away on a business trip outside the territory."
"Three days? Then this little runt has to live in a potato sack for three days?!"
"It's not that bad. I'm fine!"
I quickly stepped in because it seemed like unnecessary sparks were flying at Hazel. Of course, I was completely ignored.
The length was long and the fit was loose, but it wasn't unwearable.
Besides, I wasn't going to stay in this house forever, so I didn't want to cause that much trouble.
The old duke grumbled for a long while.
Going on about how my no-good son this and that, and if only Rose were here this and that.
"I can't stand it! Morris! When will the new weapon from our smithy be completed?"
"It's been quite a while since you submitted the design... so it should be soon."
"Good. You, follow me tomorrow."
"Huh, why?"
The old duke shouted as he rolled up my already four-times-folded sleeve once more.
"To do something about these potato sack clothes!"
"Are you going to buy me clothes? For me?"
"Do I have another little runt here?"
"But you said at first you were going to kick me out..."
"I should kick you out!"
"What? But you said I could stay if I was scared!"
"Ah, canceled, canceled! It's too ticklish, I can't stand to look!"
Seriously, how can someone be as fickle as boiling porridge?
This fiery old man was really driving me crazy.
Feigning weakness my foot! Forget it!
"Why would you buy me clothes if you're kicking me out!"
"I'll dress you in new clothes! Make you look decent and send you off!"
"Where is there such a thing!"
"Right here!"
"You fickle, stubborn old man!"
"To realize that already, you must be quick-witted and even smart!"
Those around us looked this way with intrigued gazes.
'Damn, like father, like son!'
Either way, I was parched from arguing. As I moved to grab the mug...
Suddenly, my head felt light.
Turning around, I saw a thick palm that had been patting the back of my head hurriedly pulling away.
"..."
A stubborn lion pretending nothing happened and looking away.
Why does he have to be like that...
It was then.
[ ...! ]
A crackling noise rang in my head.
"...What's wrong?"
[ ...bzz! ]
"Little runt!"
I must have staggered slightly. The old duke shot up like lightning and grabbed my shoulder.
[ Ruby. Ruby. Are you there? ]
'Khalid?'
When I pressed near my ear, the noise cleared.
It was Khalid!
"I-I have a bit of a stomachache..."
"What?"
"I need to use the restroom!"
I zipped out of the parlor.
I thought I heard "Child!" being called from behind, but that wasn't important right now.
"Lady Rubian?"
"I, just a moment, I'll be alone!"
Slam.
Leaving behind a surprised Hazel who had followed, I quickly shut the bedroom door.
When I pressed the pattern again, the crackling sound instantly became clear.
'Khalid Riorke! You blocked me like that and now you want to die?'
[ I told you not to use my last name... No, that's not important. Master, you're in Northern Zelrocks right now, aren't you? ]
'Don't change the subject! You didn't tell me.'
[ King Arkan seems to have realized you're alive and in the Babylon Empire. ]
'Huh?'
What?
I froze like ice in the middle of the room.
The Sorcerer King... found my whereabouts?