<Chapter 18>
#2. A Hamster in the Snake’s Den (8)
“If you wanted to talk about it being invalid, you should have said so before signing. You’ve already signed right here, haven’t you?”
Calix smiled as he helpfully pointed at the section containing Melty’s signature. Melty’s lips trembled with indignation. It was shocking that despite reading the contract over and over before signing, he hadn’t discovered that the contract period wasn’t specified.
“Besides, it’s already been several weeks since you signed. There’s no point claiming it’s invalid now.”
Melty’s mouth fell open at Calix’s leisurely statement. He felt wronged and dumbfounded, but the other party was behaving so shamelessly that he had nothing to say. Looking at the frozen Melty as if he found him cute, Calix picked up a honey cookie from the tea tray and popped it into his mouth. Then he closed Melty’s jaw, which showed no sign of shutting.
With his mouth full of snacks, Melty could no longer pour out words and quietly chewed his cheeks. Calix happily watched him earnestly chew the honey cookie, then put his hands under Melty’s armpits and lifted him up.
Calix brushed off Melty’s glaring stare and opened his mouth with a bright smile.
“Now that we’ve finished talking about the clothes, shall we move on to our next business?”
It was infuriatingly annoying how he had stuffed food in his mouth to silence him and then acted this way. Melty, who was trembling with his fists clenched, struck Calix’s shoulder with all his might. Though it was an expression of his pent-up anger, to Calix, his gesture was no more than a soft fist giving him a gentle massage.
Zephi, who had been waiting at a distance, watched them with a bewildered face as Calix carried Melty in his arms. Melty, who had been smiling brightly with a cute smile until just a moment ago, was now thoroughly irritated, while Calix, who was holding him in his arms, seemed to be in a very good mood.
‘What on earth is going on here…’
Looking at Zephi, who wore a puzzled expression, Calix opened his mouth with a bright smile.
“How long will it take for all the clothes to be delivered?”
“Ah, well… We can complete the indoor clothes within two days, but for the outdoor clothes, you’ll need to give us a month…”
“I’ll pay double if you deliver everything by next week.”
“Gasp.”
Fireworks exploded in Zephi’s mind. Twice the order amount was an enormous sum. Having received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Zephi’s eyes lit up as he hurriedly bowed.
“I’ll make sure to meet the deadline.”
It was just as Calix nodded and instructed him to send the bill to the mansion that Melty, who had been exhaling sharply in anger, grabbed his hair. When Calix let out a quiet “ow” at the pulling force, instead of putting Melty down, he answered by tightening his grip and lightly slapping his plump bottom.
“Stop tormenting my perfectly fine hair. Do you surrender?”
“Y-You scammer!”
“You’re the one who signed. What kind of scammer buys you clothes, buys you food, and gives you a place to sleep?”
“Th-This…!”
Having nothing more to say, Melty glared at Calix with eyes full of indignation. Despite his piercing gaze, Calix hummed happily as he walked. Zephi, who had been staring at their retreating figures in a daze, blinked slowly.
“To think Padrian would just let such behavior slide…”
Gulp. Dry saliva slid down his throat. The Padrian family was famous not only for their overflowing wealth but also for their heartless and tearless temperament. However, what he had just witnessed was clearly different from what was widely known. Having dealt with many people under the name of sales for a long time, he astutely grasped the situation and gave instructions to his employees.
“Find out about shops in the area that sell sweet desserts or cookies. Also look for things the hamster clan might like.”
“It’s not difficult to find out, but is there a need for that?”
To the employee’s puzzled question, Zephi raised the corners of his mouth. Rumors about the new employee at Padrian’s had not yet spread. In other words, this moment presented an opportunity. Calix’s generous behavior, despite many situations that others would never have overlooked, spoke volumes.
“Of course. To tap into Padrian’s money, we must absolutely capture the heart of that Melty Crosel.”
***
“More of this, please!”
Melty raised his voice as he held out his empty plate. The server, who was about to respond to him with a kind smile, closed her mouth when she looked at the table. There were only two customers seated, but the six-person table was covered with food plates. There was no more room to place additional plates, and some were already stacked on top of others.
“…You want more?”
Melty nodded vigorously at her cautious question, asked in a way to avoid offending the customer. After hesitating briefly, she responded with a sweet smile saying she understood, and then hurriedly walked to the kitchen. Calix, who was sitting opposite Melty and watching the whole situation, forcibly suppressed his laughter.
When they had left the clothing store, Melty had been extremely angry. Insisting that such a fraudulent contract was invalid, he had been huffing and puffing, but his expression softened gradually with each bite of food that entered his mouth. Though the food they had ordered upon entering the restaurant was piled high on the table, judging by the speed at which he was eating, it would likely disappear soon.
His mood seemed to have improved completely, and his voice had become much brighter. Immediately recognizing that ordering the entire menu upon entering the restaurant was Melty’s petty revenge, Calix simply watched him quietly.
This wasn’t some scheme or power struggle, just spite expressed through extravagant food. If it was such trivial and cute sulking, it was always welcome.
‘He would have been better off buying more jewelry earlier.’
At the jewelry store, where the largest sums could have been spent, Melty had maintained an indifferent expression while looking at the beautifully displayed jewels. Now, having untied his waistband, Melty’s cheeks moved busily as he ate in earnest. His puffed cheeks, so full that Calix wanted to see how much more they could stretch, quickly flattened with his chewing movements. There was something strangely addictive about watching it.
Taking a big bite of well-seasoned meat, Melty looked up, feeling a burning gaze on his face. With his mouth full of food, Melty conveyed the question ‘What?’ with his eyes instead of words. Meeting his gaze, Calix smiled and opened his mouth.
“Are you feeling a bit better now?”
“…Not completely. But I’ll let it go this time.”
After swallowing the meat that had filled his mouth, Melty softly added, “Because the food is delicious.” Chuckling, Calix thought he should definitely give the owner of this restaurant an even more generous tip.
“Let me know if you need anything else.”
“I’ll order more after I finish eating.”
Calix snickered at Melty’s words, delivered with clenched fists as if he had a grudge against food. Having finished his meal long ago, Calix diligently moved the dishes Melty frequently picked from closer to him.
“You can have as much as you want.”
“……”
The strength in Melty’s shoulders faded at the sight of Calix, who didn’t even flinch.
“I’ll just eat what we’ve already ordered.”
“Don’t force yourself and get sick. We can take the leftovers back to the mansion.”
“I’m not the type of person who orders more than I can eat, you know? Wasting food is wrong.”
Calix laughed quietly at the sight of Melty snorting and making valid points one by one. He then slowly moved his gaze to scan the table. While some empty plates were visible here and there, quite a few were still piled with food.
“Weren’t you trying to get back at me through food?”
“I was, but… I’m full now.”
Calix suppressed his laughter at Melty’s honest admission of defeat and gazed at him while resting his chin on his hand. As he had noticed during previous meals at the mansion, that round belly that protruded after every meal was tempting. Narrowing his eyes as he imagined the soft, water balloon-like sensation, he finally tore his gaze away when he noticed Melty staring intently at his face.
“I should have something to be embarrassed about first.”
“Going around showing off your money like that… you’ll regret it someday.”
“Who’s going to make me regret it?”
At Calix’s question, Melty boldly pointed his thumb at himself. Unable to hold back his laughter at the audacious hamster’s declaration of war, Calix had to clutch his stomach and sob with laughter for a long time. Melty glared at him with a displeased face and busily stuffed pieces of meat into his mouth.
“Stop laughing.”
“Pfft. Alright, I will.”
Melty stared intently at Calix as he waved his hand to calm his laughter. Since it had been his role to stare at Melty until just a moment ago, Calix could feel the situation had reversed. After stopping his laughter, Calix didn’t back down and stared back at him. As a result, their gazes collided in midair.
“What?”
“…I have something I’m curious about. Can I ask you?”
“By all means.”
Calix agreed with a face full of curiosity. At his response, Melty asked with a much more serious expression.
“What part of you is handsome, Calix-nim?”
“…What…?”
The smile disappeared from Calix’s face at this type of question he had never imagined. Blinking as he recollected what he had just heard, Calix asked again.
“You’re asking what part of me is handsome?”
Melty nodded his head lightly up and down at Calix’s question. Angel and the store clerks had all said that Calix was handsome. Recalling the shop people who had talked with sparkling eyes and the gazes that had fallen on him when they entered the restaurant, Melty scrutinized Calix’s face feature by feature. But he just couldn’t figure out what part was supposed to be handsome.
“…Is that something you can ask the person directly?”
“Well, you would know best, right?”
Calix’s lips moved at the question full of doubt, as if asking who else he should ask if not the person himself. It seemed right, but it felt strange. Despite having dealt with many people until now, Melty was the first to ask him such a direct question.
After being lost in thought for a moment, Calix put his arms on the table and unleashed a smile that many had found fatal.
“What do you think when you look at me?”
“Um… can I be honest?”
“Sure. As much as you want.”
At Calix’s relaxed answer, Melty mumbled with his lips and opened his mouth while checking his reaction.
“Just… you look like a person, but…”
“What…?”
Calix blankly asked again at this shocking evaluation he had never heard before. At his question, Melty let out an awkward laugh and said while fidgeting with the dumpling in his hand.
“No! I-I don’t mean you’re not good-looking. Just… you have two eyes, two ears, one mouth and one nose, so~ e-everyone has different tastes, right?”
After rambling confusedly, Melty checked his reaction again. An extremely awkward smile appeared on his face, perhaps to avoid further interrogation. At his smile, Calix raised the corners of his eyes and asked, trying to appear relaxed.
“Really? Then by your standards, what am I like?”
Melty’s head bowed deeply, not realizing that the smile that had appeared on Calix’s face was threatening. Having observed him carefully throughout the day, Calix knew how to make Melty’s attention return to him. He picked up a warm meat bun that had been properly baked and extended his hand toward Melty.
Melty’s nose twitched at the delicious smell wafting right in front of him. Thanks to the ears that trembled along with the movement of his nose, Calix could easily detect his inner struggle.
“Say ah~”
As if under a spell, Melty slowly raised his head and opened his mouth wide. Satisfied with how easily he moved according to his will, Calix successfully delivered the meat bun into his mouth. By the time Melty, who was holding the bun with both hands and taking a big bite, realized what was happening, the meat bun had already disappeared into his stomach.
“So by your standards, what am I like?”
Calix repeated the question he had asked earlier, as if he had been waiting for this moment. At his question, Melty, who had been hesitating with a miserable expression, finally seemed to make up his mind and carefully said while checking his reaction.
“W-Well… you’re not my type.”
