<Chapter 25>
#3. The Only Ones Who Don’t Know (5)
“Are you also going to the Padrian mansion, Johaim-ssi? Hmm? I hadn’t heard they were looking for new people…?”
Melty tilted his head, blinking his round eyes. During the time he’d been running away from Calix, he’d built relationships with people throughout the mansion and always heard many stories. Among the mansion staff, it was said that while there might be things Calix didn’t know, there couldn’t be anything Melty didn’t know.
“Of course. I’m going there as a guest, not an employee.”
Johaim explained, with a gentle smile lingering on his lips. At his words, Melty belatedly remembered the “exchange meeting” and unconsciously clapped his hands together with a small “pat” sound. With his lips slightly parted and eyes wide open, Melty’s entire face expressed that he’d just remembered something, making Johaim burst into a small laugh.
“Yes, that’s right. It seems you remember.”
“But I heard the exchange meeting starts the day after tomorrow…”
“I arrived a bit early. The other families will probably arrive on time. Honestly, I thought you were also coming for the exchange meeting.”
While the “exchange meeting” was an event held for beast-people to communicate, exchange opinions, and build connections, there was a certain level of prestige to it. The specific conditions were quite strict, making it difficult for ordinary families to attend, but representative families from each region attended without fail.
The “Crosel” family, being a nomadic tribe, didn’t belong to any specific region, but given their reputation and size, they were certainly qualified to participate. Until now, they hadn’t been able to make contact to send an invitation, so Melty had thought the Padrian family had simply succeeded in contacting them this time.
“Actually, I didn’t mention it earlier, but this is my first time meeting someone from the Crosel family. However, I didn’t know you would be working at the Padrian mansion.”
Johaim smiled gently, his eyes crinkling. At his words, Melty awkwardly smiled while fidgeting with his hair. There had been many twists and turns before he started working at Padrian, but the first thing that came to mind was the “fraudulent contract.” Still, he couldn’t possibly share that with someone he’d just met today, so Melty just took a delicious breath of innocent air.
“It hasn’t been… that long.”
“I see. It’s not good to overwork your body.”
His advice, filled with concern, was laced with warmth. Melty, with his hands on his knees fiddling with the hem of his clothes, smiled softly.
“It’s okay! I mostly run errands indoors, so it’s not that difficult.”
“That’s… fortunate.”
Having hidden his confusion and finished his response, Johaim’s mind was swimming with countless question marks. The questions filling his mind had started from the moment he first met Melty.
The Crosel family rarely revealed their family name due to their professional characteristics. They only revealed their family name when receiving assignments, and in exchange for disclosing their family, they hid their names and faces. Contrary to this well-known fact, Melty proudly mentioned his family, which made Johaim think he must be from a branch family.
It was common for beast-people of the same species to impersonate famous families. Even when he briefly looked at Melty’s body, Johaim was confident in his assessment. There seemed to be no connection between Melty and the men of the Crosel family, who were widely known for their exceptional physiques and surprising killing skills, except that they were the same species.
As they conversed, Johaim came to believe that Melty, with his pure and bright demeanor that showed no pretense, must have misunderstood his own family due to some incident. But if the Padrian mansion allowed him to work there, he must truly be from the Crosel family.
However, it was strange to simply accept that none other than “Calix Kuse Padrian” would hire someone from the Crosel family, known for their exceptional physical abilities, only to assign them “office work.” After organizing his thoughts briefly, Johaim looked at Melty and asked seriously.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, so may I ask who is currently the acting head of the Padrian mansion?”
“Acting head…?”
“Yes. The person who makes important decisions within the family right now.”
“Calix Kuse Padrian-ssi is doing that.”
Thinking Johaim’s excuse was plausible, Melty nodded and casually mentioned Calix’s name. When the same name he knew came from Melty’s lips, Johaim muttered with a serious expression.
“So that guy is alive…”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
When Melty, who hadn’t quite caught Johaim’s mumble, asked again, he waved his hands with a gentle smile and cut off the conversation. He had theorized that if an accident had occurred and the mansion owner he knew had died, resulting in a change of leadership, then mistakenly hiring someone from a branch family would have been possible.
But if the person leading the mansion was Calix, though it was hard to believe, Melty must certainly be a direct descendant of the Crosel family. The Calix that Johaim knew was thorough, cold, and calculating.
‘If it’s that guy, he’s definitely planning to first place him in an easy job to reassure him, then force him to do his real job…’
Having reached that conclusion, Johaim felt sorry for Melty, who was brightly beaming with a smile. It was obvious that he was being thoroughly used without knowing anything. Johaim could guess Calix’s intentions with his eyes closed. Without a doubt, that bad guy was planning to roll this innocent hamster around and squeeze every bit out of the Crosel family lurking in the shadows.
“Melty-ssi. Will you be working tomorrow as well?”
“No. I’m off until tomorrow.”
“I see. What are your plans for tomorrow?”
To Johaim’s question, Melty answered with a smile, without any suspicion.
“I’m planning to visit the temple tomorrow. I haven’t been able to go there since I arrived here.”
“I also arrived unexpectedly early, so I happen to be free tomorrow. If it’s alright with you, may I accompany you on your schedule tomorrow?”
At Johaim’s words, Naru threateningly flicked his tongue. The clever snake quickly understood what the man before them was up to, acting on behalf of his naive owner.
Hsssss.
Making a threatening sound, looking as if he would pounce on Johaim at any moment, Naru was blocked by Melty’s other hand.
“Naru, what’s wrong? You shouldn’t get angry like that.”
At Melty’s calm and quiet soothing voice, Naru flicked his tongue in displeasure. Naru’s round black eyes looked up at Melty. Melty smiled brightly at the face staring up at him.
“Our Naru, you’re such a good boy.”
At Melty’s gentle voice, Naru became docile again. Although the threat subsided because Melty had stopped him, the tip of his tail swung from side to side like a weight, expressing his lingering discontent. Melty, who hadn’t noticed his tail, thought Naru had calmed down and stroked his body with his hand.
Johaim’s gaze fell on the snake that was wrapped around Melty’s wrist and staying quietly. He hadn’t seen it clearly earlier, but the snake’s form seemed strangely familiar. As he was pondering what it reminded him of, Melty’s voice reached his ears.
“If Johaim-ssi is okay with it, I’d be happy to. I don’t know the way very well.”
“Then I’ll guide you to the temple.”
“That’s a relief. Thanks to Johaim-ssi, I won’t get lost tomorrow.”
Seeing Melty smile brightly, a gentle smile also spread across Johaim’s lips. It seemed they had almost arrived, as the mansion was now visible through the window. Johaim added without rushing.
“Melty-ssi. If there are any duties you’re being forced to do, or if there’s anything uncomfortable while working, please tell me. I might be able to help you, albeit in a small way.”
“Eh…”
Melty blinked at Johaim’s serious words. There were many issues with the term “uncomfortable things.” First of all, the contract itself was an unfair, fraudulent one. Although he’d felt resentful at first, now he was extremely satisfied with his job.
Where he worked, sweet desserts that Melty loved were always available, and the people in the mansion were kind and warm. Although Calix always teased people mischievously, he didn’t bully them, and Melty had long grown accustomed to him patting his head.
Just as Melty was about to tell him with a smile that “there’s nothing like that,” the tightly closed carriage door suddenly flew open. Melty turned his head to the side as cold air entered through the open door.
Calix, who had flung the carriage door open with one hand, glared at Johaim sitting inside with a fierce look. Then his gaze fell on Melty sitting across from him. The cold wind that had been blowing in Calix’s gaze had somewhat subsided by the time it reached Melty.
“Where have you been?”
“…To the village.”
Having faithfully answered Calix’s question, Melty scratched his cheek with his index finger. Peering out and looking around, Melty spotted Jenny beyond Calix and Angel, who looked 10 years older. And behind them, he could see familiar people lined up.
“I think I told you before I left…?”
Under Calix’s piercing gaze as he kept his mouth firmly shut without answering, Melty was easily intimidated. He was pretty sure he’d told him he was going to the village to send letters to his family, but he couldn’t guess why Calix seemed so upset. Melty, mumbling the end of his words and ending with a question mark, observed his reaction.
“While I appreciate you opening the carriage door, wouldn’t it be polite to move aside after opening it?”
Instead of Melty, who was slightly shifting his bottom to a farther place from Calix, Johaim spoke up. Thanks to him, Calix’s sharp gaze left Melty and landed on Johaim.
“You barge into someone else’s mansion and talk about politeness?”
“Barge in? I have a proper invitation.”
Johaim glanced sideways at him as he took out a letter stamped with the Padrian seal from inside his clothes. At his gaze, a sneer flickered across Calix’s lips. Unlike how he glared at Johaim, one of his hands was extended toward where Melty was.
“You, get out first.”
“Huh? Um…?”
Melty, caught in the tense exchange between the two, couldn’t hide his confusion. He looked alternately at Calix’s hand extended toward him and at Johaim’s face. For Melty, who had become awkwardly stuck in the middle, Johaim smiled brightly and gently said, “Melty-ssi, please get off first.”
Nodding at his words, Melty grabbed Calix’s hand and carefully got off the carriage. Johaim, who turned to get off after Melty, couldn’t help but pause at the sight of Calix’s face smiling brightly with “annoyance” written all over it. As Johaim frowned at Calix’s strange smile, Calix opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.
“Those with invitations should check the dates written on them very~ carefully.”
“What do you…?”
With an ominous feeling, Johaim grimaced as he looked at the invitation in his hand. At his expression, Calix smiled brightly, feeling refreshed as if a 500-year-old indigestion had been relieved.
“Well then, Mr. Uninvited Guest, take care on your way back, and I’ll see you again when you become a proper guest.”
