<Chapter 93>
#10. The Beginning of Change (5)
“Marriage?”
Melty’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected word. Calix smiled brightly as he played with Melty’s questioning cheeks.
“Yes. Marriage.”
After plainly repeating the word he had just uttered, Calix added an explanation for Melty, who still looked bewildered.
“Even if not right now, we will get married eventually, won’t we?”
“Uh, umm… that…”
Melty rolled his eyes around and glanced at Calix cautiously. Though he liked Calix, ‘marriage’ still felt a bit sudden. Keenly perceiving Melty’s feelings, Calix wore a relaxed smile.
“Marriage is something people who like each other do, right?”
Melty nodded lightly at Calix’s words as he brushed Melty’s hair. Watching Melty’s head move faithfully up and down, Calix continued with a deep smile.
“And we like each other, right?”
Once again, Melty’s head nodded up and down. Calix gently played with Melty’s ear with his index finger and concluded:
“Then you should marry me.”
Melty barely managed to stop his head from nodding up and down again at Calix’s statement, which sounded as if it were self-evident. When his head, which had been about to make a large movement, stopped, Calix narrowed his brow.
“Or are you planning to like someone else instead of me?”
“N-no, that’s not it.”
“Then?”
Calix deliberately gave him a sulky look. From the beginning, Melty’s pace had been far too slow. Despite showing plenty of signs that he liked Calix, it had already taken several days for him to realize it. So Calix planned to mention marriage early to reduce his deliberation time.
Now that he had won Melty’s heart, Calix had no intention of letting him go. Unaware of his devious thoughts, Melty reflected on what Calix had said. Though he was surprised at first, there was nothing incorrect in what Calix had said.
“Don’t worry.”
Melty said, clenching his fist as if he had made a firm decision, causing Calix to pause. Looking at him, Melty smiled brightly and said:
“I can persuade my family well!”
“Oh… Can I trust that?”
“Yes!”
Melty nodded confidently. Calix smiled at Melty’s courageous declaration, a stark contrast to his hesitation just moments before. Whatever process had taken place in that small head of his, it was welcome to Calix that he had declared it so boldly.
As Melty turned his head this way and that, laughing softly at the ticklish kisses Calix was planting on his face, a familiar flower caught his eye. Following Melty’s gaze, Calix looked at the medicinal herb he had collected last and spoke.
“Come to think of it, I was too distracted to check at the time. Is that the right one?”
It was something he should have asked earlier, but due to the chaotic situation, he could only ask now. After all, they had climbed that rocky mountain to find this herb. At Calix’s question, Melty smiled awkwardly. Looking at Calix with eyes full of apology, he nodded lightly.
“Yes, it is.”
“That’s a relief. We found the right one… It seemed to still be alive. How about we go together tomorrow?”
Because of the landslide, quite a bit of time had been wasted, and the sick man could have died. But hearing that he was still holding on, Melty’s hands clenched with strength. The mysterious flower that had clearly appeared in his mind when he used his gift on the man was right before his eyes. And with this, he might be able to help the boy who had been crying uncontrollably as his father faced his final moments.
“Is he still okay?”
“Well… I’m not sure about his condition.”
At Calix’s words, Melty let out a sigh of relief. Calix slowly rubbed Melty’s twitching ears with his finger and asked once more.
“So, shall we go together tomorrow?”
“But you’re not feeling well, Calix-ssi. The doctor said that rest is most important.”
Melty’s expression hardened as he recalled what the physician who had examined Calix had said. Despite his soft appearance making his attempt at sternness not the least bit intimidating, Calix faced him calmly, trying to pull down the corners of his mouth that were threatening to rise.
“Moving around that much is fine. And I also heard that I’m not that badly injured.”
“……”
Melty’s eyes filled with intensity. Calix’s eyes drew gentle curves as he read the concern in them.
“Then you’re planning to go out without me? Leaving me here alone? Am I going to be by myself?”
Never in his life had he shown such a face even to his parents. But Calix was willing to show this side of himself to capture his small lover’s attention.
“Are you going to leave me behind as soon as we became lovers? I’m not like a fish that’s already been caught…”
Calix’s dejected face and grumbling voice pricked Melty’s conscience.
“Even though I got hurt trying to help… You’re thinking of abandoning me and going…”
As Calix’s words trailed longer, Melty’s ears showed a slight tremor. Just as Calix was about to open his mouth again, observing this movement clearly visible to the naked eye, Melty knelt on the bed to raise his height and covered Calix’s mouth with both hands.
“Ah, fine.”
A triumphant smile spread across Calix’s lips at finally receiving approval from him. Unaware of his smile hidden by his own hands, Melty looked at Calix’s complexion and spoke.
“But you really, really have to be careful. Understand? We just visit there briefly and then come right back to the mansion.”
“Of course.”
Realizing that Melty was concerned for his wellbeing, Calix grabbed his wrists, pulled them down, and promptly kissed his plump red lips.
***
“What are you talking about?”
Johaim glared at Calix with a hardened expression. Calix, who had willingly become Melty’s stalwart shield against this unexpected adversary, stared back at Johaim with a nonchalant and brazen face.
“I didn’t know the Sarvie family was hard of hearing. Want me to say it again?”
Melty quickly pulled at Calix’s clothes to restrain him from his sarcastic tone. He had done so because he couldn’t grab Calix’s bandaged hand, but pulling at his clothes wasn’t enough to stop him.
“Hah… So you’re saying you want to feed some unknown food to a patient. A patient’s life is not for experimentation.”
Johaim rubbed his eyes with a tired face. Knowing that Calix and Melty had experienced danger due to the landslide, Johaim had initially expressed concern for Melty’s health when he first met them. But as soon as he was relieved to learn that Melty had no major injuries, the tense atmosphere had persisted for quite some time due to the bombshell Calix had dropped.
“You can’t treat him anyway, right?”
“Yes, but even so…”
“It’s my gift!”
Melty was glad they had chosen to discuss this outside where the child couldn’t hear, but he didn’t want the commotion to grow larger. Instead of letting them growl at each other, Melty quickly spoke up. Johaim’s gaze naturally turned to him as his voice, which had been obscured by Calix, became audible.
“It’s not just ‘any food,’ it’s food through my gift.”
Melty’s voice grew progressively smaller as he felt the gaze fixed on him was somewhat burdensome. Johaim had been managing the health of this father and son for the past few days. Though it was awkward to put it this way, he was essentially the family’s attending physician. Therefore, Melty thought his permission was necessary to feed food to the father who couldn’t even swallow thin porridge.
“Melty-ssi, you have a gift? What kind of gift is it?”
At Johaim’s question, Calix clicked his tongue. With a face full of annoyance, he waved his hand dismissively and grabbed Melty’s shoulder to turn him in the opposite direction.
“Don’t worry about him, just go do it.”
“Uh, umm… but…”
“But what? There was no need to persuade that guy in the first place. We already got permission from the guardian, right?”
Melty nodded slightly at Calix’s words. The boy, who had learned that his father had no hope, wanted to find a solution by any means. That’s why he had readily agreed to Melty’s proposal.
“Just a moment.”
“What moment? There’s no reason to disclose your gift to others in the first place. If you don’t like it, pack up and leave. You were planning to go tomorrow anyway, it’s good that your time is shortened.”
Johaim’s expression hardened at Calix’s sneering remarks delivered with a grin. Pretending to give in to Calix’s hand pushing his back, Melty entered the kitchen and busily moved his hands according to the recipe that had come to him when he used his gift.
By the time Melty finished cooking and headed to the room, a chill was flowing between Johaim and Calix. Observing the ominous atmosphere between the two, Melty swallowed dryly. The boy’s father, who was lying on the bed, had deteriorated further in just a few days. His body, which didn’t look healthy to begin with, appeared even more frail with his bony wrists and hollowed cheeks.
“It’ll be alright.”
Calix gently stroked Melty’s back to encourage him. Melty was already holding a liquid prepared according to the recipe that had appeared in his mind. The liquid, made with flowers and several other ingredients, had a low viscosity, making it appear easy for the patient to swallow.
Johaim, who had been glaring at Calix, waited for Melty to act without saying anything more. The child, whose eyes were still swollen and red from crying, was also watching Melty’s movements.
After taking a deep breath, Melty carefully scooped what he had prepared with a spoon and poured it into the mouth of the person lying down.
