<Chapter 6>
#1. This Contract Is Somehow Wrong(6)
“Melty-ssi. The master is asking what the problem is.”
“I, I don’t talk to liars.”
Unlike his whispered voice, his tone was resolute. Angel, who felt like he had aged a decade in just half a day, relayed Melty’s words to Calix.
“He says he doesn’t talk to liars. Did you scam him or something?”
“Scam? Can’t you see that I’m the one being scammed here?”
Yes. I don’t see it.
Angel swallowed the words that almost escaped his mouth and lowered his head. In response to Angel’s questioning gaze, Melty answered not with words but with eyes brimming with tears. Although Angel had no special feelings for small animal beast-people, for some reason, he couldn’t ignore those tear-filled eyes.
“Master Calix. You shouldn’t bully a child who just became an adult.”
“…Angel Fryce. Who pays your salary?”
“Melty-ssi. Misunderstandings aren’t good. If you have an issue with your employer, let’s resolve it through conversation.”
Melty looked resentfully at Angel, who changed his attitude as soon as money was mentioned, then turned back to Calix. During their meal earlier, there had been some misunderstandings, but he had still thought the snake beast-person was kind. However, the longer the meal continued, the more Melty’s wariness inevitably increased.
“You said you wouldn’t eat it.”
At Melty’s resentful, small voice, Angel’s head turned back to Calix.
“…Did you take something from him?”
If he had taken food from a child, that would be the worst, even if he was the master. Calix was dumbfounded at suddenly receiving a disgusted look from his aide.
“You were there during the meal.”
“Ah!”
Calix, glaring at Angel who was shouting in belated realization, swept back his hair and sighed. The meaning behind Melty’s “wouldn’t eat” was obvious.
“And you. Didn’t I even swear as you wanted? I don’t understand why this is suddenly coming up again.”
“B-but… throughout the entire meal you kept… kept staring at me.”
When the meal first began, he thought it might be part of snake clan dining culture. He might have overlooked it if Calix had given Angel equal attention. But Calix’s gaze persistently fixed only on him.
It was just like the protagonist in the old tale of the miser. The miser who, not wanting to waste fish, would take a mouthful of plain rice and look at the fish once as a side dish. It was no coincidence that this story flashed through his mind.
Moreover, his gaze somehow reminded him of the snake in his dream. That large snake that had rubbed its cheek against his toe in a cute manner to make him let his guard down, then instantly coiled around his body. He couldn’t help but be reminded of that terrifying snake that had opened its mouth wide toward him as soon as their eyes met.
“Am I not allowed to look, then?”
“Y-you were looking at me while licking your lips, wanting to eat me.”
“…How much of a scumbag do you think I am?”
It was extremely rare for a beast-person to eat another beast-person. Occasionally, those who weren’t in their right mind would commit such crimes, unable to overcome their animal instincts, but that was a serious punishable offense everywhere. If Melty felt threatened when Calix was in his animal form, there wouldn’t be much to say, but right now, Melty was a young, fresh beast-person.
“If you’re going to be this shy just because I looked at your face a few times in the dining room, I have a lot to say.”
“I-I saw it through my Gift too.”
It wasn’t simply because he had swallowed while looking at him that Melty had these suspicions. Thinking he might have seen incorrectly the day before because he was too flustered, he had used his Gift again today as a test without Calix knowing. And once again, what appeared in his mind as what Calix wanted to eat was none other than himself.
“Ha. How on earth can that damn Gift provide such information?”
Calix roughly swept back his hair and frowned deeply. Come to think of it, Melty’s Gift was an ability that hadn’t even gone through a verification process. He felt increasingly aggrieved at receiving such a needless misunderstanding because of an ability he didn’t even know about.
For Calix, who had never experienced being wronged in his life, the current situation was extremely unpleasant. The reason he had looked at Melty during the meal was simply because his eating manner had caught his attention. At first, Melty had just swallowed as he looked at the served dishes with wary eyes, but starting with a piece of meat, he began eating in earnest. It was cute how he chewed diligently with his not-so-large mouth, and this kind of treatment for just looking at him a bit…
“What exactly did you say your Gift was again?”
Melty pressed his lips tightly at Calix’s question, who was pressing his forehead due to a throbbing headache. Angel’s gaze, which had been shuttling back and forth following their conversation, also fell on Melty. Finally, unable to bear the gazes, Melty opened his mouth.
“It’s a Gift that lets me know what food others want.”
After checking their reactions, Melty added in a very small voice, “Probably…” Calix, who had heard even that last word, raised the corners of his eyes.
“Then why aren’t you certain?”
At the sharp tone that seemed to interrogate him, Melty instinctively grabbed Angel’s collar. Calix’s eyes, which were glaring at Melty as he ducked his head behind Angel, shifted to Angel. Angel, who was about to burst at the sides being caught between a hamster and a snake, moved his body sideways with a tearful expression. And Melty, who had been grunting, trying to stick close to him, followed in quick steps. After watching them continuously moving sideways, Calix let out a deep sigh.
“I really can’t understand. I’ve never once had the thought of committing murder, let alone wanting to put someone in my mouth. It doesn’t feel good to be misunderstood because of an inaccurate Gift.”
“…I’ve used my Gift many times, and it’s never been wrong. The Beast God, unlike a certain someone, doesn’t lie.”
Melty, still hiding behind Angel, poked his head out and retorted. Seeing his lower lip pushed forward, it seemed he was quite displeased with the current situation. Calix, who let out a hollow laugh at the complete change in attitude from when Melty was trembling with fear, decided to clear up the situation neatly with a sigh.
“Alright. Then let’s do this.”
“?”
“I’ve decided to employ you, but since I need to see your skills directly, let’s conduct a test.”
Melty blinked at his words as he raised both hands lightly. Soon a suspicious thought crossed his mind, and he narrowed his eyes and glared at Calix.
“…You’re not going to cook me.”
“Haah. I’m telling you, I don’t have that kind of taste.”
He wanted to throw away this false accusation as soon as possible. At Calix’s resolute tone, Melty rolled his eyes and cautiously opened his mouth.
“Then how…?”
“Since it seems I need to properly verify at least your use of the Gift, I’ll designate two people. It’s a very simple test where you make the food that the designated people want.”
Melty nodded obediently at his gaze, which seemed to ask ‘How about it?’ Despite thinking there wouldn’t be any issues, due to an inexplicable uneasy feeling, Melty raised his hand slightly. At this timid expression of having something to say, Calix nodded, giving permission.
“What if… I mean, really hypothetically speaking. What happens if I fail?”
A slight smile formed at the corner of Calix’s mouth at the sight of Melty, who, though trembling like a frightened baby hamster, still said what he wanted to say. He didn’t like how Melty was still holding onto Angel’s clothes, but the way he acted boldly while showing fear was quite appealing. With his chin lazily resting on his hand, mischief clouded in Calix’s eyes as he directly faced Melty. Then, stroking his lower lip with his index finger, he opened his mouth.
“Well. Maybe then I’ll really eat you up.”
Flinch.
With a big tremor in his shoulders, Melty pressed close to Angel and shot Calix a dissatisfied look. He thought there was a good reason why he kept feeling a threat to his life, and he stuck even closer to Angel.
“Then I-I also have something to say.”
“Oho? I’m quite curious what it is.”
“If I successfully make the food those two people want, I want an apology. A formal one, with you kneeling and everything!”
Calix, who had registered in his mind that the ‘formal apology’ in that small head meant kneeling, laughed quietly. He had brought this up because he was annoyed at constantly being misunderstood, but how it was proceeding was quite intriguing.
“Let’s do that. So first, we need to select the two people. First, Jenny, whom we met earlier…”
Melty, recalling the face of Jenny, who was said to be the housekeeper here, nodded quietly. Completely excluded from the two, Angel, who was to witness an exciting bet, was deeply regretful that he didn’t have popcorn in his possession.
It seemed that Calix quite liked Melty, so even if he lost the bet, he probably wouldn’t really eat him. But the sight of proud Calix kneeling before a small hamster who didn’t even reach his chest would also be a very entertaining spectacle.
“And that Angel guy over there will do.”
“Pft! Hack! Kugh! Kuck!”
“Oh, Angel-ssi. Are you alright?”
Despite the gentle patting of a tiny hand on his back, Angel bent over and coughed roughly. Calix, who glanced at him with a ‘What’s with him, why is he like that?’ look, cleanly turned off his concern.
No sooner had he rung the bell placed on the table than a light knock sounded.
“It’s Jenny.”
“Come in.”
With his brief words, the door opened, and Jenny entered with a slight bow. She quickly scanned the interior due to the cold air lingering in the room. Angel was still coughing in a crouched position, as if his severe case was not yet resolved. Melty, attached to his side and fidgeting, was diligently stroking his back, while Calix was wrinkling his face with a displeased expression.
From the brief scan, it was hard to understand what the situation was. However, like a skilled housekeeper, Jenny managed her expression and waited for Calix’s instructions.
“Angel. That’s enough.”
“Kuhup, I, this…! I’m not…kuluk. doing this…because I want to!”
Calix responded to Angel’s cry, which was full of resentment, with a click of his tongue, and looked at Jenny.
“Jenny. I’m about to conduct a simple test. I need you to participate in it.”
“Yes. What should I prepare?”
Jenny asked, recalling the regular tests conducted within the mansion. In response to her question, Calix stood up, walked over, and pulled the back of Angel’s neck, who was crouched under Melty’s busy hands. With a ‘keck’ sound, Angel was dragged out and thrown onto the sofa by Calix. Unlike Calix, whose satisfied expression emerged only after throwing Angel, Melty, who was looking up at him with twitching shoulders, took steps backward. And then, Calix’s hand was placed on top of his head.
“Where are you going again?”
