<Chapter 38>
#4. The Exchange Meeting (10)
Lila sipped from the glass in front of her with an impassive expression. Being shocked out of her wits had its limits, and now fully adjusted to the situation, she glanced sideways at Calix, who was sitting next to her with a rigid expression.
Calix Kuse Padrian had always maintained a strongly cynical image. Not only did he rarely allow anyone to get close to him, but in extreme cases, he would openly display contempt the moment eye contact was made. However, aside from not particularly liking people, he had no notable flaws, which was why she had placed his name at the top of her list of potential spouses.
Getting into Calix’s good graces was incredibly difficult, but once included within the fence of “his people,” the treatment was completely different from others. Lila had been raised preciously within her family and had confidently believed she would become his “special” person. Of course, all of that was now in the past tense.
“So I assume you weren’t able to properly tour the temple.”
“Ye-es. I was disappointed about that… But it’s not like today is the only day.”
Melty grumbled sulkily while fiddling with the teacup he held in his hands. Following that, the soft baritone voice that had been conversing with him let out a light laugh.
The discordant sound in this otherwise peaceful scene came from right beside Lila. Turning her head at the short, harsh creaking sound, Lila looked at Calix with a detached gaze.
His cold, aloof image had long since vanished. Every time Melty’s gaze momentarily passed over him, Calix would force his mouth corners upward to create a strained smile. It was questionable whether the trembling at the corners of his mouth could even be called a smile.
Letting out a hollow laugh, Lila looked at the person occupying the seat on the opposite side of Melty. Johaim Kun Sarvie was a person with an image completely opposite to Calix’s. He also held a stake in the exchange meeting as high as Calix’s, being a marriage meeting place. However, Lila boldly reduced his score just as much as she had reduced Calix’s.
“If you plan to go to the temple again, how about I accompany you? It would also make up for my failure to keep our promise.”
“The temple?”
Melty, blinking his round eyes, smiled brightly and answered, “Yes! That would be nice.” And then Lila could hear an even stronger sound of grinding teeth beside her.
‘I have no idea what’s going on here.’
With her chin propped up, Lila let out a laugh mixed with a sigh. It was well-known that the Padrian family, who grew, managed, and distributed medicinal and poisonous herbs, and the Sarvie family, who dealt with medical arts, were arch-enemies. Though they didn’t openly show it in front of ordinary people, everyone attending the exchange meeting knew very well that the cause of their strained relationship lay with Calix.
Melty also seemed to know that their relationship was not good, as he had checked Calix’s reaction when Johaim first greeted him. And to such a Melty, Calix had clearly answered, “It’s an exchange meeting, so no need to be mindful. Just be comfortable.”
But Lila, sitting next to him, had clearly seen the vein in Calix’s neck as he spoke those words. Despite the relaxed sentence, he had spoken in a manner that was not at all comfortable, which should have been noticeable, yet Melty seemed to have completely failed to grasp his mood.
While observing Melty, who was chatting comfortably with Johaim with a beaming smile, and Calix, who was making solid grinding noises as if he might turn all his teeth into powder, Lila poked him in the side with her hand.
“What.”
Calix glared at her with a sharp voice and a deeply furrowed brow. Not at all intimidated by his attitude, Lila whispered just loud enough for only him to hear, minimizing both the shape of her mouth and the sound.
“That’s what I’m wondering. If you hate it so much, why did you give permission?”
“Why are you still here? If you’ve finished the conversation, you can get up now.”
Like her, Calix also lowered his voice to reply. At the sight of Calix, who so elegantly twisted “get lost” into something more refined, Lila crossed her arms and leaned back against the chair’s backrest.
The soft feel of the backrest improved her mood. Thinking that this was indeed a banquet hall prepared by the wealthy Padrian family, Lila initiated with a grinning face.
“If I leave, won’t you become even more awkward? Those two are ‘enjoying’ their conversation, but you can’t join in at all, can you?”
“I’m not someone who needs concern from the likes of you.”
Calix, who had been clearly showing his disinterest in engaging with her, flashed a bright smile the moment his eyes met Melty’s turned face, as if he were a kind person. At his forced, artificial smile, the smile disappeared from Melty’s lips. After leisurely confirming that Johaim was drinking his tea, Melty leaned toward Calix and whispered.
“Did I do something wrong?”
At the question, asked with blinking, round eyes, Calix once again forcibly pulled up the corners of his mouth. If he were to list everything Melty had done wrong, using all his fingers and toes wouldn’t be enough.
First of all, despite his earnest request, Melty was not sticking close to him but had instead taken a seat at this round table. Having that pest beside him, responding to Johaim’s words, offering him a seat next to him, and making yet another unnecessary promise—all of these were Calix’s grievances. In the past, he might have relieved stress by either pulling on Melty’s soft cheeks or vigorously rubbing his fluffy ears or hair.
But things were different from when he didn’t know what emotions he felt for Melty. Calix now knew that the reason for his boiling insides was “jealousy.” He couldn’t show a near-incarnation of jealousy before definitely seducing Melty.
Calix’s appearance was a weapon that easily won him the favor of countless people. He recalled the sight of people who left with reddened faces at his smile. And so, he forcibly pulled up the corners of his mouth to create a smile.
“You haven’t done anything wrong.”
He thickly coated his usual tone with gentleness. There was a short groan, like someone suppressing laughter, from the right side where Lila was, but he ignored it. Melty, who flinched at Calix’s expression of feigned kindness with a still-smiling face, carefully opened his mouth.
“Don’t threaten me with your expression like that. If you have something to say, just say it.”
“…Threaten…?”
“Pfft. Haha.”
The smile on Calix’s face, like that of a broken doll, cracked. Lila laughed as if she might choke at the sight of Calix creaking from shock and Melty carefully watching his reaction. Calix, who side-eyed her as if she were a strange person, sighed and asked in a calm tone.
“When did I threaten you?”
“You just did. Like this…”
Melty grabbed the ends of his eyebrows with his fingers and pulled them up, then stretched his mouth corners up high. He didn’t forget to bulge his eyes too. At the bizarre appearance, which was unrecognizable as any known expression, Calix asked with a face of disbelief.
“You’re saying I made such a weird expression?”
“You did.”
“Pfuhehe… That’s right. You did.”
At Lila’s voice supporting him, Melty became even more triumphant. At the sight of him raising his nose high and saying “See?”, Calix frowned. He glared at Lila, who was holding her stomach and laughing obliviously beside him, but she wasn’t one to be cowed by such a mere gaze.
“It’s true, isn’t it?”
She, who had spoken boldly, laughed as she set down her teacup with a sound. While Calix was usually a difficult person to approach or speak to, this moment was different. No one was easier to read than someone in love.
At her nonchalant behavior, Calix’s gaze turned cold. Despite a gaze so chilling that it sent shivers down one’s spine, Lila pretended to be unfazed. The atmosphere was instantly broken by Melty’s bright voice.
“That’s right! Lila-ssi saw it too, didn’t she?”
Calix let out a shallow sigh at the sight of Melty speaking triumphantly while letting out puffs of air from his nose. As Calix looked at him, having withdrawn his gaze from Lila, warmth overflowed in his eyes.
“I wonder if it was as weird as you. So how long are you planning to stay? You can get up now if you’re done eating.”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
Melty looked around the banquet hall with wide eyes. In the hall, there were people dancing in the center to the echoing sounds, and others gathered in groups talking. However, there was no one near the door, which was in a clearly visible location.
“Well. It’s not like today is the only day you’ll have to meet other people at the exchange meeting.”
Calix, who replied indifferently, took a drink from a servant who was serving with several glasses on a tray and sipped it.
“Isn’t it too early to leave the banquet?”
Calix rubbed his face with his right hand at the voice that couldn’t help but interject. With a grimace, Calix glared intensely at the person who had objected to his words. Johaim, who had planted himself at the table with the excuse of “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise,” was smiling with a composed face. Thinking he’d like to kick this man who was boldly interfering while smiling, Calix regulated his breathing.
“If you don’t like the banquet, you can go back early. After all, this is a place to celebrate visits, and since I’ve already observed all the proper courtesies, there shouldn’t be any problems, right?”
Despite Calix’s rebuttal, Johaim didn’t even glance at him. As if he had never waited for his answer from the beginning, Johaim turned his gaze to the side and addressed Melty softly.
“You mentioned this is your first banquet, Melty-ssi?”
“Eh? Ah, yes.”
Melty’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Calix and Johaim. They had clearly been conversing until just a moment ago, and his bewilderment at the suddenly returned question was evident. Despite Melty’s reaction, Johaim naturally suggested.
“Then how about trying a dance?”
“Dance? I don’t know how to dance.”
“I’ll teach you. It’s not that difficult.”
At Johaim’s words, Melty couldn’t readily answer. The idea of attempting something he had never done before in a place with so many people was intimidating in itself. The uneasy atmosphere between Calix and him was also a concern.
Melty hesitated, looking back and forth between Calix and Johaim, trying to read the situation. Calix disliked Melty’s discomfort more than Johaim ignoring his words. Calix’s fingers tapped on the table, making sounds.
‘This bastard, making moves here.’
Though he was openly displeased, no matter how much he filtered his thoughts, no kind words came to mind. It wouldn’t be difficult to drive Johaim away as things stood, but moving further away from Melty’s ideal type was another issue.
“Shall I solve this for you?”
Calix turned his head to the side at the small whispered voice. Lila, who had already removed him from her list of potential husbands, was smiling with her chin propped up. At her gaze, Calix pretended not to notice and pulled his glass closer to wet his throat.
“The image management you’re doing. I’m saying I can step in to prevent any mishaps.”
Despite Calix’s lack of response, Lila calmly added more words. Then she rubbed her thumb and index finger together. Recognizing that this indicated a “deal,” Calix lightly nodded his head in agreement.
“I’d prefer if you could get that guy far away.”
It was good for him if she stepped in to remove the annoying and troublesome Johaim. He was willing to tolerate even if some irritating task was passed on to him.
“Johaim-ssi.”
Having obtained Calix’s permission, Lila called Johaim with a leisurely smile on her lips. At her coquettish voice, Johaim’s gaze, which had been focused on Melty, turned to her.
“Won’t you invite me to dance as well?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, it’s not like Cutie is the only one here.”
Lila’s extended hand, showing the back, waved lightly from side to side. At the sight of Lila actively advertising that her hand was empty, a trace of awkwardness passed over Johaim’s face.
Moving his eyes to look to the side, Johaim discovered Melty openly displaying a displeased expression on his face. Melty’s reason for being upset was solely because Lila had called him by a strange designation instead of his name, but Johaim, unaware of this, thought he was upset because of his persistent invitation.
“…I suggested it thinking a new experience might be good for you, but it wasn’t meant to be forcing. I apologize if it was unpleasant.”
“Eh? Ah, that’s not why I…”
“Then it’s your turn to invite me to dance, isn’t it?”
At Lila’s voice, which cut off Melty’s words and interjected as if she had been waiting, Johaim exhaled a shallow breath. Rising to his feet like the well-mannered eldest son of the Sarvie family, he spoke formally in front of her.
“Would you care for a dance?”
“Gladly.”
With an elegant smile on her face, she placed her hand on his. She didn’t forget to wink at Calix. Calix, who had been satisfactorily watching her disappear after snatching away the annoying fellow as she had promised, quickly turned his gaze to Melty.
“Have you seen enough of the banquet now?”
“I suppose so.”
“There’s still quite some time before the banquet ends. Shall I escort you to your room?”
He planned to take Melty elsewhere to avoid another annoying encounter with Johaim. After all, one avoids excrement not out of fear but because it’s dirty.
“I can find my own way to my room by myself.”
“That’s true.”
Seeing Melty’s expression, which looked like he might shout “Don’t treat me like a child!” at any moment, Calix hastily amended his words. Although Melty always strongly insisted he was an adult, to Calix, he lacked the steadfastness of an adult. Wondering how he could phrase it differently, Calix spoke with a playful smile.
“Then how about we stop the boring sightseeing here and go somewhere more fun?”
“Somewhere fun?”
At Melty’s eyes, sparkling with curiosity, Calix lifted the corners of his mouth and grinned.
“Yes. Somewhere fun.”
