<Chapter 33>
#4. The Exchange Meeting (5)
“Why?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
At Calix’s question, Melty quickly lowered his gaze and fidgeted with his interlocked fingers. All the while, he secretly rolled his eyes to gauge Calix’s reaction. Calix cleared his throat loudly at the yearning hidden in the burning gaze fixed on his face.
“…Are you interested in the banquet?”
At Calix’s question, Melty’s head moved slightly up and down. To Melty, the banquet was like a “fantasy creature.” It was a scene that often appeared in books, but no one in his family had ever attended such an event. Despite wanting to see it for himself, he couldn’t bring himself to ask if he could go, fearing he might be in the way.
“Then come along. If we start preparing now it’ll be a bit tight, but we should just make it in time.”
“R-really? I can attend too?”
Melty asked with sparkling eyes at Calix’s casually dropped words. As Melty leaned toward him with twinkling eyes, Calix brushed back his hair and turned his head to the side. Facing someone who had “I want to go” written all over his face, there was absolutely no way he could say anything but “yes.”
“Master Calix.”
Turning his head at the sound of Angel calling him, Calix waved his hand dismissively instead of responding. It was obviously because of the welcoming duties for the procession of carriages that were steadily arriving. As always, those attending the exchange meeting were parties accompanied by the family heads or heirs. Therefore, Calix, as the acting family head, had to go out to welcome them.
Calix, who had been standing with an expression like he’d bitten into an unripe fruit, unexpectedly changed his course of action as soon as Melty appeared from the carriage. He had no desire to deal with those annoying people now. If he was going to see these faces throughout the exchange meeting until he was sick of them, he preferred to see them as late as possible. At his gesture, Angel sighed deeply as if he’d expected this.
“You should arrive at the banquet hall on time.”
“I know, so tell Jenny to guide the guests well. Make sure the preparations are done properly.”
“Yes, understood.”
Angel, attempting to escape the feathered zone by using banquet preparations as an excuse, moved toward where Jenny was, recalling his duties as an aide in his mind. Calix, who had been glaring at Angel’s retreating back as he obediently disappeared, turned his gaze back to Melty.
“If you want to see it that badly, just go. There’ll be so many people that no one will notice one or two more. What’s wrong with me, the host of this exchange meeting, bringing someone along?”
“I’ll really be on my best behavior.”
Melty raised his pinky finger, saying he could promise with a pinky swear, making a small circle in the air. Calix wrapped his own finger around it, forcing it down, and then started walking toward Melty’s room.
“Just so you know, it won’t be as fun as you think. Why do you want to go to something like that?”
“It might be fun for me, you know.”
Calix, at a loss for words at Melty’s matter-of-fact question, kept silent. Melty’s words weren’t wrong. With a small laugh, Calix muttered, “I guess that’s true.”
“Fine. I got it. But stay right by my side and behave.”
At Calix’s permission, a bright smile bloomed on Melty’s face. Looking extremely excited, he even opened his mouth to let out a “Wow!” and lightly stamped his feet.
“Are you that happy?”
“Of course! I’m extremely happy. I’ll really behave myself!”
Calix smiled at the sight of Melty hurrying along in excitement and gently shook his head from side to side. Seeing him so happy made him feel he’d made the right decision in allowing it. Following behind Melty, Calix spoke up.
“But don’t talk to people you don’t know.”
“Yes~”
“And don’t just eat any food carelessly. Before eating anything, you must bring it to me for approval.”
Melty, who had been fearlessly bounding up the stairs two at a time, stopped in his tracks. About to habitually respond with a “Yes~,” he swallowed his words and blinked as he asked:
“Why the food?”
“Why? What else would you do, just grab and eat whatever?”
“But it’s food prepared within the mansion.”
At his complaining voice expressing dissatisfaction, Calix smiled lightly and stroked Melty’s hair that was right in front of him.
“Don’t you remember how I told you I was kidnapped when I was 10?”
“Ah…”
Right. That was it. Belatedly, Melty nodded.
While explaining his ill-fated relationship with the Sarvie family, Calix had told him that when he was 10, he had been kidnapped due to a single snack he’d eaten at the exchange meeting.
“Yes. So get my approval before eating.”
Still not removing his hand from stroking Melty’s head, Calix spoke, and Melty, who had been nodding unconsciously, stopped his nodding and narrowed his eyes. Then, lifting his head slightly, he looked up at Calix who was still patting his head.
“Why?”
“…But how far are you going to follow me? I’m going to my room to wash up and get dressed.”
“Do you know what kind of clothes to wear?”
“Well…”
About to respond to Calix’s calm question, Melty was at a loss for words. Though his wardrobe was full of clothes that Calix had dragged him to buy, he didn’t know which ones would be appropriate for a banquet. This time, turning his head to the side, Melty examined Calix’s attire.
“I think I kind of know.”
“You said it’s your first banquet, right? Wouldn’t it be better to have someone to guide you?”
At the hand patting his back, urging him to go up quickly, Melty made a sour expression but obediently moved forward. Knowing full well that he wasn’t normally this compliant, the kindness didn’t feel purely like kindness.
With an uneasy feeling, Melty allowed Calix to enter his room and silently observed him as he stood lost in thought while looking in the closet. Calix, with Melty’s burning gaze on his back, pulled out a reddish-brown outfit.
“This seems good.”
“Isn’t it a bit flashy?”
Though the color was modest, the buttons were gleaming. The first day Melty had seen this outfit, he had unknowingly let out a short groan, “Ugh—” and banished it to the very corner of the closet. He had tucked it away in the corner, but Calix had managed to find it.
“Everyone there will be flashy, so you need to wear at least this much.”
“But you’re not dressed flashily.”
“That’s because my face is flashy enough.”
“…”
Melty stared blankly at Calix, who had shrugged his shoulders and said something utterly disagreeable. Calix, who had already brought the clothes over and was holding them up to Melty’s neck, nodded with a satisfied expression.
“I really did a good job buying clothes.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Melty, who had been staring at Calix with a suspicious expression, closed his mouth instead of questioning further. Calix, who had been preparing an answer for the follow-up question, tilted his head at Melty’s sudden silence.
“Why so quiet? Ah, do I need to help you get dressed too?”
At his mischief-filled statement, Melty snatched the clothes from Calix’s hands with force. Then, with all his might, he pushed Calix’s body toward the door.
“I-I’m an adult too! What do you mean help me get dressed!”
Despite Melty’s grunting as he pushed, there was no way Calix would budge, but this time he willingly moved his feet according to what Melty wanted. Thanks to that, Melty was able to successfully banish Calix to the doorway and looked at him outside with a satisfied expression. Then, with a prim look, he stuck out his tongue.
As if representing the upset Melty, the door closed with a not-too-loud “bang.” Left standing alone in front of the closed door, Calix smiled as he recalled Melty’s triumphant expression and tongue-sticking, not realizing that Calix had let him win.
“He’s just too cute.”
***
Calix Kuse Padrian was one of the most prominent figures at the exchange meeting. His gaze, which looked down on everyone, was arrogant, but his stunning appearance was enough to captivate women’s hearts the moment he appeared.
The pupils beneath his well-groomed navy hair shone with a bright golden hue, as if holding moonlight. His distinct features and tall stature made his appearance even more striking. While he was praised as perfect without any flaws, the only drawback was that one of the important components of a person—his personality—was rotten.
Having started to lead his family in earnest as soon as he completed his coming-of-age ceremony, he had always been successful. His brilliant mind and outstanding appearance had made the Padrian family even wealthier. Naturally, he was the most outstanding groom candidate at this exchange meeting.
As always, numerous gazes were directed at Calix the moment he stepped into the banquet hall. However, this time, the attention that usually focused on him was diverted.
“Who on earth is that person?”
“…I’ve never heard that Master Calix was engaged.”
“If it were someone who had attended the exchange meeting before, I would surely recognize them, but I don’t know who that is at all.”
“No, but Master Calix…”
Those who had been busy keeping tabs on each other were now united with one mind and heart. At the end of their gazes was a single petite man.
Fluffy brown hair with cute animal-like ears protruding from the top, and a plump, fluffy bundle protruding near his tailbone. It was undoubtedly a familiar form, but it wasn’t easy to pinpoint which clan he belonged to.
From the moment he appeared, he stuck close to Calix’s side and wouldn’t separate from him. No, to be precise, he couldn’t separate. When they first spotted him popping out from behind Calix, the women had not thought much of it.
With brightly shining eyes, he looked around and carefully moved his feet sideways, walking with small steps. Despite his slow pace, Calix noticed his movement and quickly wrapped up his conversation to follow him. Some of the women watching them to identify who he was could see Calix grabbing the nape of his neck to pull him back several times.
Perhaps tired of the banquet hall, unlike when he entered, he drooped his shoulders and piled colorful items onto a plate at the snack table prepared on one side. With the tower of food on his plate, he headed to Calix’s side.
His cute fingers poked Calix’s back, and Calix, having finished his conversation, looked at him without even frowning. There was whispering between the two, and a small snack appeared in his hand. Calix, with a very natural motion, took a bite of the snack. With a slight smile and a nod, Calix personally placed the snack he had bitten into the other’s mouth.
“…I hadn’t heard he had a lover.”
“No, but even so, Master Calix’s taste is a bit…”
“Isn’t it too early to make a judgment without certainty?”
The whispers continued for a while. Listening to the conversations from among the women, Lila spoke with fiery red eyes.
“Then let’s just ask directly!”
At her exclamation, those around her, startled, reached out their hands but couldn’t stop Lila. With heavy breathing, Lila moved quickly. Having emptied the plate piled high like a tower, he was now standing to get new desserts. Glancing at him as he contemplated what to pick, Lila, with a grim smile on her lips, said:
“This is the first time I’ve seen you at an exchange meeting.”
