<Chapter 36>
#4. The Exchange Meeting (8)
“……”
Calix’s expression changed moment by moment, as if Angel’s words had complicated his thoughts. Seeing these changes in his expression, Angel was satisfied. The fact that Calix, who had always been good at concealing his emotions, was unable to control his facial muscles meant he was that shocked. Looking at Calix maintaining silence with a serious expression, Angel continued speaking as if doing him a favor.
“You still don’t understand, do you? That’s possible. After all, Master Calix would need to have experienced such emotions.”
“Don’t mock me too much.”
Angel shrugged and laughed at Calix’s retort, delivered with a frown. Calix Kuse Padrian was frightening, but a man in love wasn’t frightening at all.
“Let me give you an example. If, say, Melty-ssi were to marry someone tomorrow…”
“Which worthless bug would do what with whom?”
“…With that reaction, it’s 100%.”
With the sound of grinding teeth and a glare, Angel wiped the expression from his face and nodded vigorously. He had only intended to explain in more detail since Calix seemed deeply lost in thought, but Calix’s fierce expression at the mere mention of the scenario completely erased any possible variables.
Calix furrowed his brow as he hesitated at Angel’s decisive statement. Perhaps because he had heard it so suddenly, he couldn’t accept Angel’s words.
“That’s just because the gift…”
“According to Master Calix’s gift, isn’t someone like me also quite a valuable talent? But you don’t act this way with me, do you?”
With his arms crossed and deep in thought, Calix could quickly and readily agree with Angel’s words. According to his gift, Melty was an extremely precious person, and Angel was someone useful. But the difference couldn’t simply be categorized by those standards.
Calix recalled the example Angel had brought up. In his mind, Melty was smiling brightly while sticking close to some random man. Even though it was just a thought, it made him feel utterly disgusted.
On the other hand, he felt nothing when imagining someone being close to Angel. Come to think of it, if this were a normal employer-employee relationship, it wouldn’t be his concern who his employee was with.
“Yes. That’s right…”
Angel nodded firmly up and down at Calix’s murmur.
“Now that you understand, what are you going to do?”
Angel waited for Calix’s next words with the excitement of someone witnessing the highlight scene of a very interesting performance. Unfortunately, Calix’s next words did not live up to his expectations at all.
“I need to remove that pest sticking to him.”
Feeling like he had just drunk lukewarm beer that had lost its fizz, Angel responded with a sour expression.
“Is that all?”
Calix smirked at his disappointed expression. The heart that had been pounding when Angel first pointed it out had calmed down considerably. What he felt next was an inexplicably warm, fluffy feeling. The warmth that started from his heart slowly spread throughout his body. Calix raised his hand and touched his lips.
“So, by your standards, how do I look?”
“W-well… You’re not my type.”
The next thing that came to mind was the conversation he had with Melty the first day they went down to the village together. Melty had said things like “you look like a person, but…” to him, someone who had never been told he was lacking in any way.
At the time, he thought he felt bad simply because it was the first humiliating comment he’d ever heard, but now he clearly understood why he had been displeased.
Looking at Angel, who was blinking and staring at him, Calix continued with his characteristically arrogant expression.
“It’s not the end, but the beginning. From now on, I’m going to properly seduce him.”
After declaring this boldly to Angel, Calix quickly moved toward where Melty was. Some people were lingering around, trying to find ways to approach and speak with him, but Calix’s gaze was fixed on only one person.
“You like him.”
Calix readily acknowledged his feelings. Unlike the realization, accepting his own emotions happened naturally. As if the word “like” was something he had known but couldn’t express out loud.
‘And I don’t like the current situation either.’
Calix frowned and clicked his tongue briefly. Despite his earnest plea for Melty not to leave his side at all, it was impossible to be pleased with the sight of Melty taking a seat elsewhere. Moreover, some pest was clinging to his side. Not only that, but recalling the memory that had surfaced when he accepted Angel’s theory, that hamster had no interest in him whatsoever.
‘Yes, that’s the main problem.’
Looking back, it was Calix himself who was always sticking close to Melty. It was he who deliberately prepared food that Melty would like, and he who initiated casual skinship. As Calix clenched his fist, determined to level this tilted scale of a relationship, he caught snippets of their conversation.
“So you have absolutely no interest in Master Calix? Why?”
“Why should I be interested?”
At Melty’s sulky response, Lila tapped her chin with her finger. Her words were enough to stiffen Calix’s body, just as he was about to approach Melty and separate him from Lila.
“Because Calix Kuse Padrian is the perfect person. There aren’t many men with both exceptional looks and abilities. Plus, just looking at this hall, you can tell the Padrian family’s wealth is enormous, right?”
Taking in a sharp breath at her response, Calix quickly hid his body behind a large nearby pillar. It was unclear when they had become so close, but Lila was speaking comfortably to Melty.
Moreover, since he had realized that what she was saying was praising him, there was no reason to interrupt. Calix nodded vigorously as if agreeing with Lila’s words. Settling behind the pillar as if it had always been his spot, he focused intently to gauge Melty’s reaction.
Having no idea that Calix had hidden himself behind the pillar just behind him, Melty looked around the banquet hall at Lila’s words. After surveying the surroundings, Melty scratched his cheek. Though the decorations, food, and music were indeed lavish, this being his first banquet, he couldn’t tell specifically which aspects represented wealth.
Under her expectant gaze, Melty nodded obediently. He wasn’t sure about Calix having good abilities and handsome looks, but he could agree with her statement about the Padrian family’s wealth.
“He’s known for being selective about who he keeps close, but he definitely takes care of his own people. Actually, that’s what makes him attractive.”
Melty nodded silently at her words. He might not understand the rest, but he could agree that Calix was good at taking care of his people. Despite what must have been the worst first impression—fainting the moment they met—he had treated Melty very well.
‘Though he plays too many pranks, he does provide food, clothing, and shelter as written in the contract…’
A small smile formed on Melty’s lips as he looked at Naru, who was being affectionate on his wrist, with wide, bright eyes. After gently stroking Naru’s head, Melty looked up at her and asked.
“But is that what makes him attractive?”
“Of course! Think about it. Which is better: someone who’s nice to everyone, or someone who’s only nice to me!”
Melty wore a puzzled expression at her voice, which rose with a strong tone as she clenched her fist.
“Isn’t someone who’s nice to everyone better?”
A truly kind person was supposed to be nice to everyone. At Melty’s words, Lila let out a hollow laugh. She looked at Melty with an expression one might use when viewing an immature younger sibling. She reached out her hand and stroked his hair as if soothing a young child.
“Melty-ssi, it’s because you’re still young.”
“…I’m an adult.”
“You’ve just become an adult. That’s practically the same as being born today.”
“……”
Melty’s expression grew increasingly sulky as she shook her head and continued speaking. It couldn’t feel good to be treated like a child no matter how much he insisted he was an adult. He expressed his displeasure by half-closing his eyes and pushing his lips forward in a pout, but her hand didn’t withdraw.
Calix’s brow also furrowed deeper as he watched Melty’s reaction. Both the fact that none of his positive attributes she listed seemed to appeal to Melty and her hand casually stroking his hair irritated Calix. Just as he took a step forward to immediately swat away her hand while running his own hand through his hair and sighing deeply, Lila spoke.
“Then what kind of person do you like?”
At this single sentence from Lila, Calix withdrew the foot he had stepped forward. Unaware that her words had pushed Calix back into the corner, Lila looked at Melty with sparkling eyes and leaned her upper body closer.
“A good person?”
“Not just a good person, but your preferences, like what type you’re into.”
“I haven’t really thought about that…”
As his voice trailed off, Lila’s eyes brightened, and she moved even closer to him.
“But you must have some standards for people you like.”
“Hmm…”
Melty fell into deep thought at her words. Though he had never considered it before, imagining his ideal type wasn’t particularly difficult. While fidgeting with his hair and lost in thought, Melty cautiously began to talk about his ideal type.
