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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Guest
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“No, kid. What are you saying...? That's not why I brought you here...”
“Sigh.”
As a bewildered Enoch stammered, Lilis let out a deep sigh.
“Fine, have it your way.”
“Lilis?”
“I kept asking you to be my friend, but you refused. So, I guess we have no choice. Forget being a servant—you can be my toy, like I said.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Lilis patted his shoulder magnanimously, and Chessier readily nodded.
Enoch's eyes widened in disbelief.
“Princess, what are you saying? Calling a person a toy?”
“I'm going to give you some very, very tedious and difficult jobs. You'll do them all, won't you? Since you're my toy?”
Ignoring him completely, his daughter flashed a villainous smile, and Enoch's jaw dropped.
“Yes. As long as you feed me and give me a place to sleep.”
“Good. I have a huge task for you as soon as we get home. Are you up for it?”
“Yes. Give me my orders.”
“Princess!”
“We're going to draw a very, very scary jellyfish.”
“A jellyfish?”
“Yep. You're not allowed to sleep until you've drawn ten pictures of jellyfish with me. Think you can handle that?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Chessier nodded obediently, and Enoch, who had been about to intervene, faltered.
*What on earth is she talking about all of a sudden?*
It seemed Lilis had recognized that Chessier was wary of kindness without a clear reason.
So she was playing with words to put him at ease.
“And finish every last bite of this. Got it?”
“Understood.”
Satisfied, Lilis secretly curled her lips into a small smile.
*She’s unbelievable, really. I wonder whose daughter she is.*
Enoch looked at his daughter's face and couldn't help but let out a short laugh.
* * *
When we "tiptoed" back into the house.
Unexpected visitors were waiting in my room.
Leon and Theo.
“Who's this?”
Leon asked bluntly, his eyes fixed on my hand holding Chessier's tightly.
“Brothers, say hello. This is Chessier.”
“Chessier?”
“Ah, Princes.”
Dad cut in.
“He's a friend of Lilis's who will be staying with us starting today. His name is Chessier.”
“What? He's staying here? What family is he from?”
Dad paused for a moment at Theo's question before answering.
“Uh, well. He's a commoner. For now.”
“...”
“...”
Leon and Theo stared at Chessier, both clearly surprised.
Seemingly uncomfortable under their gaze, Chessier turned his head away.
“I'm going to... go tell your grandfather that Lilis has a friend visiting. So until then, don't say a word to anyone and just play quietly. You can do that, right?”
If Dad said he'd brought home someone else's illegitimate child, Grandfather would probably clutch the back of his neck and collapse.
As if worried about Grandfather's blood pressure, Dad warned them not to say anything foolish, and the twins nodded.
“Hey, kid.”
“Hm?”
For some reason, Leon was staring intently at my hand clasped with Chessier's.
“...You promised you'd go spider-hunting with me when you got back today.”
“Oh, did I? I did!”
Then he suddenly yanked my hand away from Chessier's and pulled me toward him.
“Let's go.”
“Okay. Should Chessier come too?”
“...”
My question was met with silence.
Leon's silent face was filled with displeasure.
“What's wrong? Can't we all go together?”
“Wasn't it supposed to be just the two of us?”
“But... Chessier's here now, so he should come with us.”
“...”
Leon's grip on my hand tightened.
*That's strange. Why is Leon acting like this?*
I was baffled.
As I've said before, the twins and Chessier were incredibly close in the original story.
Theo was kinder to Chessier than anyone, and while Leon was always prickly, he still looked out for him.
And that was even after they knew all about his background.
So I thought they would naturally become friends on their own, without me having to intervene...
*Why is he being so hostile?*
I watched Leon's expression as he practically glared at Chessier, completely puzzled.
Theo stepped in to break the icy atmosphere.
“Let's introduce ourselves. Chessier, was it? I'm Theo Antracse. I'm twelve...”
Theo paused as he approached Chessier, hand outstretched for a handshake.
Sniff, sniff. He twitched his nose.
“What's wrong, brother?”
“No. It's nothing.”
When I asked, Theo gave an awkward laugh.
A moment later, Leon blurted out.
“He smells.”
“Huh?”
I hadn't noticed. Sniff, sniff. I took a whiff and sure enough, the faint, musty smell of a basement clung to him.
Embarrassed by all the attention, Chessier's face flushed. He lowered his gaze and took a hesitant step back.
“Oh, right. Chessier and I should go get him cleaned up. You kids play with Lilis for a bit.”
Dad quickly stepped in, took Chessier by the hand, and led him out of the room.
I immediately turned to Leon.
“Brother, why are you being so mean to Chessier?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep glaring at him and talking so harshly. And how could you just say he smells right to his face?”
“I said he smells because he smells.”
“Even so, it's embarrassing to say something like that so bluntly!”
“...”
“You're not acting this way just because Chessier is a commoner, are you?”
“What does that have to do with anything? I just said he smelled because he did.”
“Hey, that's enough.”
Theo stepped between us and gave me an awkward smile.
“He's right, Lilis. It has nothing to do with that. Leon just talks like that to everyone.”
“That's a bad habit... Don't treat Chessier like that.”
At my words, Leon's eyebrow twitched before he suddenly yelled.
“Hey!”
“What...”
“Are you taking his side now?”
“What are you talking about? Taking sides?”
“You said you were going to see some art, and then you come back with some random friend? Is he really going to live here?”
“Yes. Chessier has nowhere else to go...”
“Hah.”
“Brother, what is it that you dislike so much? I won't know unless you tell me. Come on, say it.”
“...”
“Brother?”
“I don't know!”
Leon shouted, fuming, then stomped out of the room.
I could only blink in surprise.
*What in the world is wrong with him...?*
* * *
“Alright, let's get you washed up.”
As soon as the bath was ready, Enoch quickly shed his clothes.
Chessier was baffled as he looked at Enoch, who stood proudly before him, naked save for a towel wrapped around his waist.
*He can't be suggesting we bathe together, can he?*
“I can wash by myself.”
“It'll be hard to get all the nooks and crannies. I'll even scrub your back for you.”
It was unbelievable.
That a high and mighty nobleman, who probably never even washed his own body, would offer to personally bathe a smelly commoner boy.
“You don't want to?”
“...”
But Chessier couldn't refuse Enoch's offer, seeing the genuine disappointment on his face.
What could he do? The man was giving him food and shelter. In the end, he gave a small nod, and Enoch grinned.
“Alright, arms up!”
The moment he removed Chessier's old, filthy clothes, Enoch froze.
Angry bruises covered the boy's entire gaunt frame.
“...”
“...”
After a long silence, Enoch gave a bitter smile and guided Chessier into the tub.
“Ah, it's been a while. My daughter absolutely hates it when I ask to bathe with her. She's still tiny, but for the past year, she's insisted on bathing by herself, saying she's all grown up.”
“...And you bathed together before that?”
“We did.”
...Strange. Chessier thought there was something peculiar about this father and daughter.
Puzzled by the surprisingly skilled hands washing him, Chessier spoke cautiously.
“Mister.”
“Yeah?”
“Didn't your father tell you to kill me?”
“...What?”
Seeing Enoch's flustered expression, Chessier sneered.
“I know. I'm only alive right now because of your daughter. I've seen plenty of commoners live well by getting on the good side of nobles.”
“...”
“Of course, they get kicked out or killed once the nobles get bored of them.”
Enoch swallowed a sigh as he listened to Chessier's dispassionate words.
“Mister, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“When your daughter gets tired of me, instead of killing me, could you please let me work as a servant for a while?”
“...”
“It's shameless of me to ask, but please give me a small wage, too. As soon as I'm old enough to find work outside, I'll leave immediately and live quietly, out of sight.”
Chessier spoke without hesitation, as if he had rehearsed the words.
It seemed he had been preparing to say this all along. An eleven-year-old boy.
“Chessier.”
“Yes.”
“Children don't have to work.”
“...”
“I didn't bring you here to work you for money, and I have no intention of making you cater to my daughter's whims. If you had somewhere else to go, I would have sent you there.”
Chessier stared up at Enoch. He didn't seem to be lying.
“Why are you going this far for me?”
“Hmm, even if it hadn't been you, I wouldn't have just looked the other way. Neither I nor my daughter would have.”
“...”
“Still, if you're uncomfortable and suspicious of me... how about I ask a favor of you?”
Enoch pursed his lips, pretending to think it over, before speaking.
“My daughter is an ability user, so she'll have to go to the training center soon. I was worried about sending her alone, but if you went with her, I think I'd feel much more at ease.”
Chessier was stunned.
He was an ability user himself, but he'd never imagined he would be able to go to the training center.
“...I can't go. I don't have an official status.”
“Don't worry about that. I'll be your guardian. Then you'll be able to enroll.”
“What?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Chessier's expressionless face.
He called it a favor, but for Chessier, it was a blessing.
If he could just get an ability user's badge, he could live a decent life even if he had to leave this house someday.
*Why?*
Such excessive kindness from a man of high status—a man said to be a noble above nobles...
*It must be because of her. She really is loved by her father.*
A wave of melancholy washed over Chessier as he spoke.
“...Thank you.”
“Don't mention it.”
Enoch playfully shaped Chessier's soapy hair. Two horns sprouted from the top of his head.
“You rascal.”
Enoch chuckled.
“Still handsome, even like this.”
