<Chapter 67>
#7. Journey (6)
Calix’s face crumpled completely at the elderly woman’s words. Her statements were a feast of nonsense from beginning to end.
“Huh? Did you leave something behind?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Contraception? Where did that suddenly come from?
Even thinking about it again, it was something that didn’t need to be taken seriously at all. Melty laughed out loud as he looked up at Calix, whose face remained crumpled.
“But that was fun, wasn’t it~ What did the grandmother mean though? I don’t have anything particular I’m curious about.”
“Those were all nonsense, just nonsense.”
“That’s~ because she told you that you have a bad personality, right?”
Melty giggled as he recalled the funny scene again. Calix slightly frowned at Melty’s words and tousled his hair forcefully. A cry of “Ah~” burst from Melty’s lips as his hair became a mess while being pushed down.
“You can tell right away when something’s weird. What’s the crystal ball for, anyway? And why did she hold your hand when she wasn’t even going to read it?”
Only after speaking out loud did Calix realize that was the reason he had been so irritated. With a deep sigh, he took Melty’s hand that the elderly woman had caressed, wiped it on his clothes, and then interlocked their fingers.
“What’s this?”
“What kind of date is it if lovers don’t even hold hands?”
Melty’s gaze fell on their firmly clasped hands swinging back and forth. Calix cleared his throat loudly at his stare and continued.
“And where’s my personality bad? I didn’t hold your hand, I didn’t sit across from you, and I didn’t touch the crystal ball. How would she know? It’s all lies, lies.”
“…Calix-ssi’s personality is actually bad though.”
“What?”
At Calix’s cold question, which came as if he had been waiting for it, Melty couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer. It was funny how Calix was clearly saying that the elderly woman’s words were lies, yet he was much more concerned about the content than Melty was.
“And she also said something completely absurd.”
“What absurd thing?”
“Yeah.”
Even thinking about it again, the last remark was outrageous. From the beginning, Calix was someone who had no need for contraception. After all, Melty Crosel, whom he was interested in, was undoubtedly male despite his cute appearance.
Even if by chance things didn’t work out with him and he ended up meeting a woman, it would still be the same. Though the reason was unknown, the Padrian family was traditionally one where children were rare. He, too, was an only son that his parents had barely managed to have after all sorts of efforts. In a family where it was difficult to have children even with hard work, contraception was…
“What was the absurd thing she said?”
At Melty’s upward gaze full of curiosity, Calix lightly shook his head to brush away the useless thoughts lingering in his mind.
“That my personality is bad.”
He didn’t want to bring up such a topic to Melty, who was already fussy about simple relationships. Melty laughed again, asking what was wrong with that, as Calix spoke with a shrug and a light tone. Watching Melty who seemed to be enjoying himself, a small smile also appeared on Calix’s lips.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Hmm… not yet. Are you tired, Calix-ssi?”
At Melty’s question, Calix shook his head without needing to think. For Calix, who had been handling the Padrian family’s affairs for a long time, long-distance travel was so familiar he could do it with his eyes closed. Unlike him, it was fortunate that Melty, who was traveling for a long time in a carriage for the first time, was more lively than expected.
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“Then can we look around a bit more?”
Calix nodded with a smirk at Melty’s excited question. Come to think of it, Melty was always busy moving around here and there within the mansion. It was surprising that he had sat quietly in the carriage.
‘He must have been holding back quite a bit.’
Calix praised himself for deciding to stay here and rest thoroughly instead of rushing the journey. Already, Melty was stamping his feet in place, unable to stay still, waiting for Calix’s permission. Since this schedule was more than just a simple trip, he seemed willing to follow Calix’s words as the person in charge.
“Where else do you want to see?”
When Calix deliberately bent down to whisper in Melty’s ear, Melty smiled with curved eyes as if it tickled. As Melty turned his head saying not to do that, he hesitated at the sight of Calix’s face right in front of him. Their breaths intermingled in the precarious gap that was almost touching.
“T-that, I-I was planning to go there.”
Melty, who regained his senses first, quickly turned his head in the opposite direction. His outstretched hand pointed to somewhere unknown. Amused by his reaction, Calix kissed Melty’s head with a soft smack.
“Eek!”
Melty covered the part of his head where Calix’s lips had touched with his hand that wasn’t holding the model. Seeing the trembling brown eyes, Calix smiled once more and firmly stamped his lips on the back of Melty’s hand covering where he had kissed.
“W-what is this?”
“Hmm? Is there a problem with me kissing my cute lover?”
“It’s too s-sudden…”
Melty’s voice grew smaller as he mumbled. Though it should have gotten better with familiarity, his shyness didn’t seem to diminish at all. With a smile on his lips, Calix gazed at Melty with honey-dripping eyes. He had worried about what would happen if Melty said he didn’t like it, but it seemed he didn’t dislike it.
‘Then there’s plenty of hope.’
Calix tapped Melty’s soft cheek with his index finger and spoke.
“Would you fall for me if I gave you a warning first? I have to be sudden like this sometimes.”
“…You don’t have to do that. I think it’s bad for my heart.”
Hoo-ha, hoo-ha.
Melty said as he repeatedly exhaled deeply. Calix smiled softly as he watched the redness in Melty’s cheeks slowly returning to normal with deep, rapid breaths.
“Eventually, you’re going to do ‘the most important thing in dating’ anyway.”
“I haven’t thought about doing it yet!”
“So you won’t do it?”
“…I might do it someday…”
Melty mumbled with his head bowed low at Calix’s counter-question. Though it wasn’t clearly audible due to his soft voice and mumbling, Calix laughed because his actions were cute. Realizing belatedly that Calix was teasing him greatly, Melty put strength into his toes.
“Ugh.”
After kicking Calix’s shin with a not-so-strong kick, Melty said with a sullen face.
“Stop teasing me!”
“Ahaha. Was it that obvious I was teasing you?”
Calix, who had crouched down from the impact to his shin, asked with a laugh. Melty didn’t answer his question and just stared intensely with a displeased gaze. Calix, shrugging his shoulders lightly, extended his hand instead of making excuses. Melty hesitated momentarily at his hand, which anyone would see was asking to be held, before reaching out.
“I didn’t kick you hard.”
“Yes, I know. But it does hurt.”
“…I’m not going to apologize. Calix-ssi teased me a lot.”
To be honest, it was just that his hands, body, and mouth moved automatically because Melty kept being so cute. Calix, who had no intention of honestly confessing his weakness to him, simply dealt with it with a bright smile. He was gradually getting the easily startled and fearful Melty accustomed to things.
It didn’t take long for their relationship, which had become awkward again after the ‘temporary lover’ declaration, to become one familiar with light skinship. But now, they needed to get one step closer than that. With a bright smile on his lips, Calix asked in a gentle voice.
“Alright. So where did you want to go?”
***
Angel Fryce let out a deep yawn and pounded his tightly bunched shoulders with his rolled-up hand. Despite organizing all day, he shuddered as he recalled the pile of documents still stacked up.
“It would be good if Master Calix returned quickly.”
There was a limit to consoling himself by looking at the tower of gold coins stacked on the desk. Angel preferred seeing new gold coins over old ones. Calix’s absence always felt significant. Especially without his amazing processing speed, it took twice as long to get things done.
But Angel himself was quite capable. Even if Calix was away for a long time, it was also because of Angel that work could be handled without falling behind.
“I should definitely ask for a bigger bonus next time.”
A satisfied smile formed on Angel’s lips as he imagined the small mountain of gold coins. In the midst of the mountain of grueling work, this much imagination was a source of vitality. The corridor was a bit dark, probably because most of the servants had already gone to bed.
Angel, who was proclaiming his departure with light footsteps, soon arrived at the guest room near the office. Just as he was about to enter the room with a long yawn, a cold metal touched his neck.
“Angel Fryce.”
At the cold voice that showed no emotion, Angel felt all his nerves stand on end from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. Recalling that the person who had approached closely behind him had made no sound, Angel frowned.
‘I should have gone on this schedule after all…!’
Even if he screamed inside, it would be something Calix would snort at. His mind was filled entirely with ‘How did they get in?’ Infiltrating the meticulously managed Padrian mansion was by no means an easy or simple task. The cold voice reached Angel’s ear once more as his tongue froze with fear.
“Where is Melty Crosel?”
“M-Melty-ssi?”
Good heavens. Angel’s eyes widened. The burly man behind him seemed to be looking for Melty. It was a situation where Calix’s statement that Melty would be attacked if he stayed here had become reality. Angel’s mind raced quickly.
“This head isn’t grasping the situation at all.”
With a sharp voice full of mockery, the man standing behind grabbed Angel’s arm tightly. In terms of build, strength, and quickness, the man behind was a step ahead. Angel frowned, feeling dismayed. As he pondered how to escape from here, the man whispered in his ear.
“Don’t play games and speak straight.”
“W-well…”
As Angel struggled to explain the situation with stammering, a clear and shocking sentence reached his ear.
“Where is my brother?”
