“Nogong?”
At some point, Nogong was standing behind me.
With eyes blazing fiercely.
“That damned Leviathan brat…….”
All of a sudden?
“Rubian, did His Excellency not give you an allowance?”
Even Count Leon knelt on one knee and asked me.
What the hell?
Not realizing my thoughts had slipped out like a sigh, I looked at the two enraged men with a bewildered expression.
“What do you want! Huh?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking what you want so badly that your ears are drooping! Speak now!”
Nogong thundered, thumping his chest.
S-something I want?
“Hurry and tell me, Rubian. That’s an order from your senior.”
Why is even Count Leon like this?
It was then. The shop door creaked open and a familiar face entered.
“Please lower your voices. They’re ringing all the way outside. How embarrassing.”
“Uncle!”
Overjoyed, I ran over, patter-patter.
Uncle Leviathan placed his hand atop my head.
He had said he was visiting the knights’ order, and today too he looked magnificent in light armor.
“I was nearby and came to check what trouble you’d caused this time.”
“I didn’t cause any trouble!”
I really didn’t. I haven’t yet!
As I smiled brightly, Uncle narrowed his eyes into slits.
“Your Excellency, you have come.”
Count Leon gritted his teeth and greeted him.
For some reason, it had sounded almost like “Yer Exshellency” to my ears…….
“……? Your gaze is rather irreverent, Leon.”
“It is a misunderstanding.”
Uncle tilted his head.
In that instant, a fist like a lump of iron flew in. Uncle naturally and nimbly dodged.
“You bastard!”
“Why are you doing this again.”
“What have you been doing, not giving the child a single coin of allowance!”
Silence befell everyone.
“……I beg your pardon?”
The reply returned one beat late, like a broken doll.
“She said there’s something she wants but has no money, and she’s been stomping her feet because she can’t buy it!”
Thump, thump. It was Nogong who was stomping his feet.
“No, I, no, that’s not it……”
Of course, it’s true that there is something I want!
But how on earth did he know?!
“Ah, my blood pressure……”
Nogong grabbed the back of his neck and swayed.
“Really?”
Uncle abruptly lowered his body and fixed his eyes on me.
“There was something you wanted?”
For some reason, his face looked almost happy. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I hesitated and faltered.
“I… I do want something, but, um, it’s not like I urgently need it right this instant.”
“Tell me. What is it.”
“Uh……”
“Rubi.”
At his pressing voice, I had no choice but to raise my finger.
Six eyes inside the room diligently followed the tip of my finger.
“This, from here……”
I shyly pointed to one side of the shelf.
“—All the way to there?”
My fingertip moved in a loooong line.
Since if someone is going to get them for me, I might as well have all of them…….
“……”
Uncle was silent for a while.
Had I asked for too much?
“No, actually, just this one thing……”
“Call the owner.”
At that moment, Uncle sprang to his feet.
“Yes, sir!” Count Leon moved at lightning speed. Nogong was already scratching his chest, claiming it itched.
Soon after, the owner who had stepped out rushed in, flustered. To his face, Uncle said,
“I’ll buy this shop. Name your price.”
“Y-Your Excellency?”
“I have no hobby of buying cheap things. Price it high.”
He said…… what?
* * *
I had entered as a customer and come out as the owner…….
“……”
Rustle. I blankly stared at the papers tucked inside my bag.
The shop deed that had ultimately been pressed into my hands.
“Is it truly enough to send just one box of purple magic stones to the castle?”
“Uh, yes.”
The shop owner asked me. I replied in a daze.
Having become the shop owner in a fluster, I had earned the right to dispose of the magic stones as I pleased, whenever I wished. Uncle couldn’t even interfere with that…….
“I didn’t know you liked stone ornaments.”
“Ahaha…… They’re pretty……”
‘I said purple magic stones were enough!’
Of course, I had thought it would be nice to have green ones too, and red ones, and since I was getting them anyway, blue ones would be good as well.
‘Sigh, it can’t be helped.’
For it is also bad manners to refuse a gift.
I truly had no other choice but to sign the documents.
Since I had no intention of touching the other magic stones anyway, I asked them to send me just the purple ones stored in the warehouse.
“How small your bucket is!”
Nogong clicked his tongue beside me.
Uncle was giving this and that order to the shop owner.
Select only magic stones free of impurities when sending them to the castle, and take care with the packaging so the child can open them easily…….
Growing somewhat bored, I left Uncle and Count Leon behind and went outside.
“Is there anywhere else you wish to stop by?”
Nogong followed me out and asked.
“Well, actually……”
It was then.
“Hehaha! Grandpa! It tickles!”
A small wagon rolled in accompanied by an innocent laugh.
On the driver’s seat sat a kind-looking merchant and what appeared to be his grandson, side by side.
“Oh my, you scamp. Don’t touch the reins……”
At the same time, the child playing around grabbed the reins with a sharp tug. It was the very moment the straight-running wagon lurched.
“Look out!”
The wagon lost its direction.
Startled, Nogong lunged to grab me.
It was a sudden situation, but I thought it wouldn’t be difficult for Nogong to catch me.
Because…… Nogong was a man larger and more unyielding than a vast mountain range.
Yet contrary to my expectations, that great body staggered powerlessly.
“Nogong!”
“Ugh.”
Thud. In the end, we rolled across the ground.
“Oh dear, are you alright! I’m terribly sorry! Oh, whatever shall I do!”
The merchant, who had hurriedly settled the wagon, came running in a panic.
“Child, child! Are you alright?!”
Nogong, fallen on the dirt ground, hurriedly turned his body to examine me. I had landed on my bottom, but because Nogong had shielded me, I wasn’t badly hurt.
“Ah, you startled me. I’m fine.”
I calmly dusted myself off and stood up.
“More importantly, are you…… Nogong, you……”
“This damned……”
Crunch. His hand clawed into the dirt floor. Veins bulged across his reddened forehead.
“This damned body of mine.”
Nogong’s jaw clenched tightly.
“What happened?”
Uncle came out of the shop.
Nogong fallen to the ground and me standing awkwardly beside him. The wagon merchant sweating profuse cold sweat as he apologized and a frightened child sniffling.
Uncle quickly assessed the situation.
“Leon.”
At that, Count Leon, who had been with Uncle, quickly stepped forward. He began handling the merchant and the surroundings.
“Father, first get up……”
“Worry about your own snot!”
Nogong sprang up from his spot. His panting frame trembled faintly.
“I’m going back!”
The roaring giant walked away. I stood blankly, gazing at his retreating figure.
“Uncle, I think Nogong is angry……”
Thump. A warm hand settled atop my head.
“He’s not angry at you, so don’t worry. More importantly, are you alright?”
“Yeah. My clothes just got a bit dirty.”
“Let’s go. I ordered clothes for you.”
“That’s true, but……”
My gaze kept drifting toward the spot where Nogong had vanished.
‘He wouldn’t meet my eyes.’
“This damned body of mine.”
As if he had become a criminal.
My heart grew heavy.