<Chapter 104>
#12. Black Cloud (2)
How could he do this to me?
Biting her perfectly manicured nails, Iel spat out her frustration. A new day had already begun, but the indignation that welled up from the unexpected humiliation she’d suffered kept her from sleeping. Outside the window, the dawn light was already fading, showing signs of retreating.
“Did you have a prior appointment with me?”
“We’re close enough to meet without appointments, aren’t we?”
“That’s right. That’s why we’re meeting now.”
Recalling Calix’s eyes that remained cold despite his upturned lips, Iel moved toward her vanity table. The fragments of objects that had already fallen and broken, unable to withstand her previous bout of anger, were crushed under the heel of Iel’s shoe.
“Now you know who the intruder is, right? If you greedily gobble up everything you covet, you’ll get sick.”
She could clearly recall Melty’s voice snapping at her with a haughty face and raised nose. That made her anger surge even more. She stared at her own face reflected in the round vanity mirror.
Her upturned eyes characteristic of cat beast-people, thin lips forming a curve, and the ears positioned on top of her head—there wasn’t a single part of her that wasn’t attractive. She wasn’t someone who should be treated that way by him, even if he was a Padrian, especially when he wasn’t even the heir.
“And to someone like that, no less.”
Recalling the round-faced Melty, Iel clenched her fist tightly. He had introduced himself as “Melty Crosel,” but Iel was convinced he was an imposter. If he wasn’t an imposter, there’s no way someone from the Crosel family, who rarely showed themselves in public, would proudly reveal their family name like that.
She couldn’t understand why Calix was protecting such a fake, but he and she were on different levels. Iel took a deep breath. Right now, Calix might be under some misunderstanding and failed to recognize her, but their connection was destined to continue through their families. Moreover, she was more necessary to Calix than that small, plain-looking person—she could provide him with an heir position and offspring.
Knock knock.
Having barely managed to calm her rage, Iel turned at the sound of knocking. There was no way employees would visit at this hour. With her eyes turned upward, Iel walked toward the door and opened it.
Before she could even wonder about the figure standing in front of the door, a cloth dampened with drugs covered her nose and mouth. Unable to make a sound, Iel waved her hands wildly to escape. By then, her world had already turned black.
***
Clenching and unclenching his tense hands repeatedly, Melty fidgeted nervously as he stared at the door in front of him. He had asked Angel, who had arrived at the mansion early in the morning, about his brother’s lodging, but faced with the memory of his furiously angry brother, he couldn’t muster the courage.
“I can persuade my family myself!”
The past when he had confidently told Calix those words now held him back. At that time, it seemed possible… surely, it had seemed possible then…
Bang.
“Ow.”
The suddenly opened door caused Melty to headbutt it directly on his forehead, making him lose his balance. Before he could land on his bottom, a hand quickly extended and wrapped around Melty’s body.
“Why are you standing so close to the door?”
“…Hyung?”
Melty looked up at him upon hearing the worried voice. Whether it was because he had hit his forehead hard or for some other reason, Melty’s eyes glistened with moisture. Malek, who let out a short groan at his younger brother’s gaze, quickly helped him stand properly before removing his hand.
“You don’t even listen to me, so what’s with calling me ‘Hyung’? Hyung indeed.”
“…Have you been drinking?”
The smell of alcohol emanating from Malek was intense. Easily inferring that the reason he had been drinking was because of himself, Melty drooped his shoulders and cautiously observed him. At Melty’s question, Malek cleared his throat loudly and put his hand behind his back, fanning vigorously, but such a gesture wouldn’t dispel the alcohol smell that filled the room.
“Can I… come in?”
Malek swallowed what almost became a sigh. The sight of his youngest brother not even looking at him, clinging to Calix, and nodding along as if everything he said was right had been shocking. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t still lovable.
“Come in.”
Seeing Malek move to the side to create a gap, a bright smile spread across Melty’s face. Quietly murmuring, “Excuse me,” Melty looked around the spacious room. Although he’d said it was hastily arranged, the space seemed quite large.
The empty liquor bottles and clothes strewn about seemed to reveal Malek’s state of mind from the previous day, making Melty’s heart heavy. Observing Melty, who hadn’t moved since entering the room, Malek extended his hand first.
“Why do you keep standing there?”
Despite his gruff tone, seeing his brother’s usual kindness, Melty smiled slightly and grabbed his hand. Malek led Melty, who was following right behind him, to the sofa and roughly gathered the clothes occupying it, pushing them to a corner.
“Sit down.”
“Okay.”
Nodding enthusiastically, Melty placed his bottom on the sofa. At the sight of Melty still cautiously observing him, Malek let out a deep sigh and took a seat beside him.
“So? You came because you have something to say, right?”
“…You know, Hyung.”
“Yes. Say it.”
Malek reached out and pushed the messily arranged liquor bottles on the table in front of the sofa to a corner. Having always tried to show only his cool side to his brother, the current situation was a bit embarrassing for him. Giving a reproachful look at Malek, who was cleaning the desk without giving him any attention, Melty tightly clasped his hands resting on his legs. Naru, who had been quiet, pressed its mouth firmly against the back of his hand to give him courage.
“I’m sorry for causing trouble without notifying the family first. But I really thought a lot before making this choice.”
Malek’s busy hands paused at Melty’s mumbling story. Bringing his hand back to its original position, Malek slowly turned his head to look at Melty.
“Why that Padrian of all people? Do you know how many bad rumors there are about that guy?”
“But Hyung, rumors are just rumors. When you meet him in person, he’s really a good person. Despite being a snake beast-person, he’s not that scary.”
Completely erasing the memory of screaming and running away when first meeting him, Melty zealously defended Calix. So kind, so handsome, so caring… At Melty’s stream of compliments and anecdotes about Calix, Malek couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
Watching his brother blink his honey-dripping eyes with an expectant gaze, the irritation that had welled up the previous day had considerably subsided. As much as he hated to admit it, as Calix had said, Melty was now an adult and at an age where he could make choices for himself.
“Ah, so why him? Even that bird guy would be better.”
“Bird? Angel-ssi?”
“Yeah, that guy. At least he’s not lecherous.”
Blinking with a blank expression at the sudden mention of Angel, Melty pushed his lips forward. His relationship with Angel was decent, and he had no particular ill feelings toward him. But he couldn’t agree with Malek’s opinion that Angel was better than Calix.
“But Angel-ssi is a liar.”
“…What?”
“He’s the one who told me to sign the contract.”
Malek’s brow furrowed as he listened to Melty speaking with a solemn expression.
“By the way, are you aware that the penalty is only valid if the contract is terminated within a week of concluding it?”
“Oh dear, but a week has already passed. It seems you’ll have to go home alone.”
The image of Calix’s face, smiling slickly with an annoying grin, flashed through Malek’s mind. Malek’s forcibly upturned lips trembled as his face contorted.
“That bird brought the contract?”
“Yes. He came to our store and gave me the contract directly.”
At the sight of Melty nodding up and down, Angel’s name was added to Malek’s revenge list. After silently setting fire in his eyes, Malek pressed down on Melty’s head with his hand.
“When I told you about making contracts, what did I say?”
“To read it several times…”
“Did you read it several times?”
“…Yes.”
Although he now realized there were many problems with that contract, at the moment of signing, he really had read it thoroughly. As his family had taught him, he had viewed each word with suspicion.
“…Okay. It could happen since it was your first time.”
Seeing Melty’s dejected appearance, Malek offered mild comfort by ruffling his hair. Wrinkling his nose, Melty slyly observed Malek, whose anger seemed to have subsided considerably, and laughed, “Hehe.”
At his laugh, Malek, who had finally surrendered, carefully stroked his hair.
“Stop laughing. Doesn’t the place where you bumped earlier hurt?”
“No, I didn’t really bump that hard.”
Malek rubbed the slightly reddened forehead gently and let out a deep sigh.
“Do you like him that much?”
“Yes!”
“Do you like him knowing how lecherous he is?”
“…He’s really a good person… Ah! He was called the number one groom material!”
At Melty’s words, Malek’s expression contorted as if he’d heard something unpleasant.
“He said that? That he’s the number one groom material?”
“No! Um… A new friend I made told me.”
“Friend? Who?”
“Lila McNeil, she’s a fox beast-person…”
Not sensing Malek’s suspicious gaze at all, Melty chattered away about all the pleasant stories from the Padrian mansion. His eyes sparkled with happiness as he excitedly poured out stories.
“Well, sounds like you’ve been doing well.”
“So, do you give your permission?”
“Permission~?”
Malek’s previously calm expression distorted. At his rapid change of expression, Melty’s chattering mouth was firmly shut again. At the sound of “Shiiik,” Malek looked down and discovered Naru on his wrist, relaxing the tension in his face. Seeing the rare Ollua comfortably settled on Melty’s wrist, Malek let out a small sigh.
“It seems that guy does care for you.”
“Huh?”
“…I’ll watch for now since you say he’s good, but tell me immediately if he does anything funny.”
Though spoken in a reluctant tone, it was permission. Immediately brightening up, Melty stretched his arms left and right to embrace Malek.
“Wow~ My brother is the best!”
“Hmm. Well, I’m only the best at times like this?”
Despite grumbling, he didn’t dislike his brother’s hug. Smiling slightly, Malek hugged Melty back and nuzzled his fluffy hair with the tip of his nose.
“But you said you wanted to run a restaurant so badly, are you okay with giving it up?”
At Malek’s warm, concerned voice, Melty, who was deeply buried in his embrace and enjoying his brother’s warmth after a long time, spoke.
“Yes. They say that’s not my gift.”
“I see…”
As Malek was about to nod at his brother’s words, his thinking suddenly halted. Hastily grabbing Melty’s shoulders and pulling him away from his embrace, Malek raised his voice with a more surprised look than the confused Melty.
“What?!”
