Knock knock.
“Master.”
“Mmm?”
Fortunately, Rowy had returned to the room he came back to. Van let out a sigh of relief inwardly and entered the room carrying a tray.
“Where did you go?”
“Mmm, just for a bit. Did you go to the dining room?”
Seeing the tray in Van’s hands, Rowy brightened and approached. Having eaten nothing and thrown it all up the whole time, he must have been hungry after all.
“Yes. Fin took care of it for me. He said you also like the bread Fin’s mother makes.”
“…The head chef? He said that?”
“Your stomach doesn’t hurt, does it? You kept vomiting, so your stomach might be damaged. You should have the soup first.”
Van pulled Rowy over and sat him in a chair. Rowy quickly brought the soup to his mouth.
“He doesn’t even talk to me, but he’s saying all sorts of things to you when he’s meeting you for the first time.”
“Fin? Eat slowly. I’ll cut it for you.”
Van sat close beside him and attentively served him. Handing him bread, then meat, making a fuss, Van spoke up once it seemed Rowy had mostly finished eating.
“But… everyone’s leaving work, they say.”
“The servants here? Mmm, everyone here leaves work before nightfall. On days with bad weather, they leave even earlier. The boats don’t run, apparently.”
“Is that okay?”
“What does it matter?”
Rowy shrugged his shoulders. The butler had been managing this castle even before Rowy came. Originally he seemed to be called an island keeper, but… Rowy had given him the title of butler. Then the butler called a few more people to manage the castle, and those were Head Chef Fin and the twin brothers who did odd jobs. Finding people to work in this remote place was absolutely not an easy task, so Rowy simply gave them generous monthly salaries and accommodated conveniences like leaving work.
“No, then you were alone on the island all night.”
“Is that not okay?”
In the city, it was because there were no magical artifacts, but actually Rowy didn’t really feel inconvenienced alone. He could handle most things with magic. Whether they commuted or not, Rowy didn’t really think about it.
“Even so. Alone at night without even servants….”
However, Van didn’t seem to think that way. Van’s face became serious.
“Why do you live here alone? Perhaps… your family….”
Van asked carefully. Though he thought it might be an overstepping question, he couldn’t understand at all why a child who cried every night was living alone on this remote island.
“Mmm, I was kicked out.”
Crash. Van seemed to hear the sound of his own heart crumbling.
“Kicked, kicked out? Your parents kicked you out?”
“Hm? I don’t have parents though.”
Smash. His heart didn’t just crumble but shattered into pieces.
“Why? For what reason did they kick you out?”
“They forced an engagement on me, and when I said I didn’t want to….”
“Wha, what? They forced an engagement?”
“I got scolded terribly and kicked out.”
Rowy spoke dejectedly, recalling the Crown Prince who had yelled as if he’d devour him. Van firmly grasped Rowy’s hand.
“Such, heaven-cursed… to such a young child.”
“Mmm? I’m not a child though.”
“Forcing an engagement on such a young child!”
“I said I’m not young.”
Van, who hadn’t even pretended to hear Rowy’s words, continued to lament. Just because you’re of age, does that make you an adult? Rowy was definitely a child. Only liking sweet things, crying alone every night! And they what? Engaged him? Without permission, on whose authority? Van got excessively agitated.
“So, that’s how you came to be here? How long have you been here alone?”
“About two years now?”
“Two whole years!”
Van clenched his fists, not knowing what to do. Thinking that if Rowy hadn’t refused the engagement, he would have already been engaged or even married to someone unknown made his chest feel stuffy in its own way, and the situation where he was kicked out to this remote place for refusing and living alone also hurt his heart too much.
“Is living here okay? Don’t you want to go back home?”
“At first it was nice because no one nagged me… but later I got lonely, so that’s why I went to buy you.”
“Oh no.”
In the end, Van couldn’t hold back and pulled Rowy into a full embrace. Not knowing what was going on, Rowy blinked blankly with his face pressed into that firm chest. Van, who had been holding Rowy tightly for a while, only let go when Rowy began to nod off drowsily.
“You should sleep now. Should I help you change clothes?”
“Hm? No.”
“Pardon?”
Van, who hadn’t expected to be refused, was visibly flustered. Why? He’d kept helping him change!
“Why, why? Did I do something to make you uncomfortable….”
“Mmm? No, now I have a magical artifact. Like this.”
Rowy waved his hand roughly. Then his clothes changed instantly. An enormous sense of deprivation came over Van. What’s this, why is this so shocking and why does it feel like something was taken away?
Leaving the dazed Van behind, Rowy burrowed into the bed. He did want to actually bathe rather than washing with magic, but today, sleep took priority over that.
“You found a magical artifact….”
Van spoke halfheartedly and approached Rowy’s side.
“Yeah, look at this.”
Rowy raised his hand to show the ring on his left hand. It was a ring with a blue gem set in the center of a silver band. Van took that hand and examined it closely.
“This is the magical artifact?”
“Yeah.”
“It suits you well.”
It really did. The ring on his pure white, straight hand suited Rowy as if they were one body. Van massaged firmly without letting go of Rowy’s hand. Rowy’s eyes gradually closed.
“Yawn… Van.”
“Yes.”
“Hold my hand until I fall asleep.”
“I’ll stay by your side.”
Mmm. Without even managing to get out a response, Rowy fell asleep like the dead. After finishing the outing, it was finally home.
* * *
The next day, the kitchen was busy from morning. Fin, who had come to work at the castle early in the morning, was cooking with all sorts of things spread out. The reason was to hold a small welcoming party for the newly arrived Van. Beside him, the twin brothers he hadn’t met yesterday were also helping to prepare ingredients.
The twin brothers who introduced themselves as Henry and Hudson were taciturn middle-aged men, and it was peculiar that both grew their hair past their shoulders. The brown hair sticking out every which way absolutely couldn’t be called neat no matter how generously you looked at it. With beards added on top of that, they looked nothing like people who would work in a noble’s castle.
‘These two are the maids in charge of cleaning and laundry.’
These bizarre maids were preparing a large fish, and their skill in draining the blood and dismantling it in an instant didn’t seem like it was their first or second time. The twin brothers didn’t open their mouths except when saying their names, but still the conversation continued without interruption. It was because Fin, seeming to have forgotten all about being terrified yesterday, wondering if he was even human, kept talking.
“Have you ever had the local cuisine here, hyung-nim? Now that I think about it, where are you from?”
“Marzen.”
“Marzen! I’ve only heard stories. I’ve never left here even once.”
“It’s nothing special. Compared to Seraphila, it’s just a bleak country. Seraphila is such a splendid city, isn’t it?”
“Ah, well, that’s only if you go out to the resort island or Seto. This place is totally rural.”
While chatting about this and that, Fin continuously kneaded dough, which quickly turned into thin noodles. Van, seeing noodles made by hand for the first time, watched it with interest.
“Is that the local cuisine here?”
“Yes. It’s actually just simple noodles, but in Soto—ah, that’s the name of the island where I live. Did I mention it? Anyway, in Soto we eat this when there’s something good. Because it’s a new person we’ve met after a long time! You, hyung-nim. It’s a good thing.”
Soto is rural so the people you meet are always the same. It’s an island where you even know how many forks other people’s houses have. While chattering endlessly, the noodles were quickly completed. When clear fish broth was poured over it, it looked quite appetizing. At that sight, Van naturally thought of Rowy.
“Has the master tried this? Would he like it?”
“Ah, the young master? Um, yes. Before… The young master doesn’t really pick at his food much. He just has a small appetite.”
Van nodded at those words. Certainly, unlike his appearance, Rowy was quite easygoing. If there was one thing he was picky about….
“Can you make desserts? He likes sweet things.”
It was dessert. Van smiled faintly, recalling Rowy smiling prettily while eating ice cream.
“You mean the young master? I can’t make ice cream. Actually, I don’t really know cakes either since I grew up not eating them. Still, something like apple pie… But actually I don’t really like sweet things. Isn’t it bad for your health?”
It was unfortunate. Of all things, the cook at Rowy’s castle disliked sweet things.
“It is bad for your health.”
However, from a guardian’s standpoint, it was right to reduce sweet things. Van now thought without even denying that he was Rowy’s guardian.
‘If it’s a household that tried to forcibly engage a child and then kicked him out, it’s right for me to take care of him.’
While even having such unconscionable thoughts.
“Now that I think about it, did you eat well yesterday? What about this morning? Has the young master not woken up yet?”
“He had trouble sleeping at night, so he’ll probably wake up in a bit.”
Van’s expression was clouded as he said this. Rowy tossed and turned all last night. He didn’t seem to know the reason why either. The fortunate thing was that at least he didn’t have a fever.
‘I thought it would be okay once he had a magical artifact.’
However, contrary to expectations, Rowy suffered without being able to sleep properly. Van sighed inwardly in worry about Rowy.
“What do you do if someone gets sick? There’s no doctor here.”
“Pardon? Is someone sick?”
“No. In case the master gets sick.”
“Ah… The butler does know a bit about medicinal herbs. But he’ll probably be fine. I’ve never seen the young master sick.”
He doesn’t seem fine right now though…. No matter how he thought about it, not being able to sleep properly at night definitely meant there was a problem somewhere.
“Does Fin’s island have a doctor then?”
“Yes. That’s right. Is the young master not well somewhere?”
“No. Just checking.”
It would be better to discuss this directly with Rowy. Van held back his words. Meanwhile, Fin brought out noodles and simple side dishes for everyone. The conversation broke off for a moment as they ate noodles.
“……!”
It was really delicious. Van focused on the noodles. While Van ate frantically, the twin brothers emptied their bowls in an instant, bowed to Van, and left abruptly. And Van was demolishing his second bowl.
“Wow, you really eat well.”
“It’s delicious.”
Van quickly emptied his bowl.
“Want more? I can boil more noodles right away.”
“No. I should eat with the master.”
“Ah.”
Fin nodded and cleared the dishes. Even so, he kept glancing at Van. Feeling that gaze, Van spoke first.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Well, hyung-nim is a knight, right? Did you come from the young master’s family?”
“No. I met the master at the slave market.”
“Pardon? A slave?”
Fin’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
