<Chapter 35>
#4. The Exchange Meeting (7)
“Hah…”
Exhaling a long sigh mixed with irritation, Calix swept back his hair with a nervous motion. After glaring at the back of the person who had been spouting nonsense in front of him for quite some time, he pressed his temples firmly to shake off the fatigue. Angel, who had been observing Calix’s changing expressions at his side, carefully opened his mouth.
“It’s still the exchange meeting, you should relax your expression a bit.”
“I need a reason to relax it. They’re just spouting useless nonsense I can’t even make use of.”
At Calix’s sharp voice, Angel offered him a wine glass he had brought in advance. Taking the glass, Calix downed the liquid inside in one gulp without hesitation. Perhaps thanks to the burning liquid going down his throat, his anger seemed to subside somewhat.
“Fools with nothing but shit in their heads. If they can’t handle their territory, they should just give it up.”
Angel quietly agreed with Calix’s muttering. Most of the people who had unexpectedly gathered at the temple were from the southern region. Though the large-scale migration was due to drought, it was suspicious that they had come all the way here rather than to other nearby areas in the south.
“Do you believe they can’t accommodate people because of the drought?”
“Not at all. It’s not even the season for drought, and the fact they dumped this on me is suspicious too.”
Gradually lowering his voice, Calix narrowed his eyes. The image of someone saying “That’s how it is, so I’m counting on you” while smiling nonchalantly was vivid in his mind. The unsettling feeling was hard to shake.
The person who had just finished a brief conversation with Calix didn’t even try to hide his greedy gaze as he visually scoured the Padrian mansion. Watching his behavior, Calix couldn’t help but curse.
“That pig of a man.”
“…If you’re going to curse, you should do it quietly. And he’s not a pig beast-person but a tiger beast-person.”
“What do I care? Does being a tiger beast-person change the fact that he’s being greedy without knowing his place?”
Calix retorted with a sharp click of his tongue. The colors surrounding the people visible to his eyes when using his Gift were all of a similar hue. A dark, useless, and unhelpful color—and the tiger beast-person was no different.
‘In other words, they’re all people who won’t be of any help to me.’
Many people approached him with various purposes at every exchange meeting. Given that people from various families gathered and that it was a place opened to exchange information, perhaps it was natural. But Calix had no intention of becoming close to anyone here.
They were all useless anyway, so giving them attention would just be a waste of time. He attended every exchange meeting to know what was happening on the continent and to secure future business channels, but he had never once found it pleasant.
“I’ve spoken separately with the head of the Botenta family. He says there are too many eyes today, so he’d like to meet tomorrow.”
At Angel’s words, a small smile crept onto Calix’s lips. The Botenta family, located closest to the southern region affected by drought, was a place that produced a lot of food based on fertile land. It was suspicious that people had been guided to come to him, bypassing them in the first place.
To understand the situation in more detail, he needed to hear from others. Looking appreciatively at Angel, who had cleverly arranged a meeting while he was confronting people from other families, Calix continued:
“Then set the time as late as possible. Once formal meetings begin in earnest tomorrow, a private meeting would draw attention.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Angel, nodding his head, brought his palms together with eyes full of anticipation. Then he repeatedly opened and closed his fingers. As his hands moved busily as if hoping for something to be placed inside them, Calix’s expression hardened. The desire to praise him for his quick actions just 30 seconds ago instantly froze.
“Anyone watching would think I don’t pay you and just exploit you.”
“Of course not. But more is always better, isn’t it? I’m competent, after all.”
With a “Haha,” Angel’s hands moved even more eagerly, opening and closing. At the gesture demanding payment as confidently as if he were coming to collect money he had deposited, Calix smiled broadly. In contrast to his curved lips, his eyes didn’t smile at all, sending chills down Angel’s spine and making him shudder. Then a paper was slipped between Angel’s two fingers.
“Eh…?”
“Show off your competence to your heart’s content. Organize this and place it on my desk by the day after tomorrow.”
At the “work” casually tossed to him, Angel’s lips trembled. Easily ignoring Angel, who was sending him a betrayed look as if to say ‘How could you do this to me?’, Calix scanned the hall for someone who hadn’t returned despite considerable time having passed.
Though it was a common color, Melty’s cute brown hair stood out particularly well among the crowded people. Calix’s expression, which had smiled upon spotting him, soon hardened.
“What is that?”
At Calix’s voice muttering with a contorted face, the dejected Angel perked up. Straightening his drooping shoulders, Angel approached his side. After glancing at Calix’s grim face, Angel searched for the only person who could make him wear such an expression.
After taking some time to find Melty among the crowded people, Angel let out an exclamation when he saw the red-haired woman next to him.
“It’s Lila McNeil.”
“You think I don’t know and that’s why I asked? If he went to get food, he should come right back. Why is he sitting at a table?”
Angel, glancing at Calix who was hissing as if about to spew venom, smiled brightly.
“Well~ it’s an exchange meeting, isn’t it possible?”
“What’s possible?”
As Calix turned sharply toward Angel, his eyes were filled with murderous intent. Feeling as if he might be thrown into a den of venomous Ollua snakes at any moment, Angel swallowed hard.
He had planned to play a tiny prank because he was upset about receiving paperwork instead of gold coins. But he hadn’t expected that this prank might cost him his life. Needlessly protecting his neck with both hands, Angel put on an awkward smile.
“J-just conversation, that’s possible.”
“Oh~? Just ‘conversation’? Angel Fryce. Does that look like they’re having a conversation to your eyes?”
“……”
At Calix’s question, Angel couldn’t bring himself to say, “Yes, that’s what it is.” On the table prepared for people’s rest, there were two towering piles of desserts firmly in place.
Lila, who was chattering while looking at Melty with both hands supporting her chin, appeared to anyone’s eyes as if she had taken a liking to him. Though the surrounding noise made it difficult to hear their conversation clearly, Melty was also responding sincerely to the dialogue.
Just as Angel was beginning to wonder what it looked like to Calix if not a conversation, Calix personally satisfied his curiosity.
“Look at what that fox is doing. Anyone can see she’s making a move. That.”
At Calix’s irritated words, Angel once again swallowed the truth that nearly escaped his throat.
‘The moves are what you do to Melty-ssi every morning.’
Valuing his lifeline, Angel tried hard to convey his true feelings through half-opened eyes, but it didn’t get through at all. Seeing Calix staring at Melty and Lila with wide, intense eyes, Angel exhaled a long sigh.
While it was true that Lila’s fox ears and bushy tail were red, the term “fox” that flowed from Calix’s mouth had a completely different connotation. Seeing Calix looking as if he might rush over and toss Lila aside at any moment, Angel hurriedly spoke up.
“What’s wrong with having a conversation, or even with her making a move?”
“What?”
“Melty-ssi is an adult who doesn’t need a guardian, and you’re just his employer. Whoever Melty-ssi builds relationships with isn’t something you should be concerned about or interfere with.”
At Angel’s nonchalant words as he shrugged his shoulders, Calix’s eyes tensed.
“Not interfere? You want me to leave her wagging her tail like that in my castle?”
“Melty-ssi will handle it. You never know. Maybe Melty-ssi likes her too.”
“…Who likes whom?”
At the now eerily dark atmosphere, Angel took a step back to secure a safe distance. Exhaling a long sigh, Angel responded in a sulky tone.
“The important thing is Melty-ssi’s feelings. Since you’re not even dating, isn’t your jealousy a bit excessive?”
“…What? What’s excessive?”
Calix blinked with a blank expression, as if he’d completely forgotten that he had been furious just moments ago. Relieved by the dissipation of the murderous aura, Angel emphasized the word once more.
“Jealousy.”
Calix frowned, opening and closing his mouth in disbelief. Letting out a mocking laugh, he pointed at himself with his index finger.
“Me?”
To Calix’s question, Angel nodded vigorously. And before he could object, Angel hurriedly poured out his words.
“You’ve never cared who Lila-ssi talks to normally. If Lila-ssi was talking to me, would you be this upset?”
“Why would I?”
The answer Angel had anticipated came straight from Calix’s mouth. Sensing that a proper conversation might finally be possible, a bright smile spread across Angel’s face. With a big nod and gestures indicating “that’s exactly it,” Calix stroked his chin and fell into thought.
“When have you ever tended a garden to cheer up an employee? Even though you have more money than you know what to do with, this is the first time you’ve had custom clothes made for an employee by cleaning out Zephi’s design studio, isn’t it?”
Angel’s complaints, beginning with “Do you think that’s all?”, poured out continuously. As his speech progressed, Calix’s expression gradually began to change. When carefully considered, not a single thing Angel said was wrong.
As he had pointed out, many of Calix’s actions were indeed “firsts.” Belatedly retracing his actions, Calix could reach one conclusion.
“Angel Fryce.”
“Yes!”
Having unloaded all the grievances that had been piling up to the point of breathlessness, Angel answered with a refreshed expression. At his loud and energetic exclamation, Calix narrowed his eyes and asked seriously.
“So what you’re saying is that I, that hamster…”
As Calix’s voice trailed off, Angel smiled brightly. While it was amusing to watch his boss struggle like this, he didn’t want to get involved any further. Rather, Angel decided to directly point out the fact that Calix hadn’t recognized.
“You like him.”
