When I opened my eyes again, we had already arrived back at the castle.
“Ow!”
“Stop exaggerating.”
“But it really hurts! You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
I complained, lips pouting dramatically from the throbbing pain in my cheek. It genuinely stung—maybe I’d gotten hurt worse than I thought. Damaging a face as handsome as mine was practically a crime against humanity.
While anxiously wandering through the forest, I hadn’t realized the state I was in. But now, back at the castle, I saw just how disastrous my appearance had become. My entire body was covered in wilted leaves and cobwebs, and scratches from tree branches marked my face and arms.
Seeing my pathetic state, Butler Squawk brought the first aid kit, his eyes moistening with tears. Initially, Butler Squawk seemed ready to help with the treatment, but as soon as he saw Kalz opening the kit, he suddenly remembered some urgent task and swiftly left the room.
Kalz gently pressed a cotton swab soaked with antiseptic against the long scratch on my arm, speaking softly.
“This will hurt more.”
“More than just now?”
“It’s deeper.”
Strangely enough, as he said that, he looked more pained than I felt. Kalz quietly concentrated on treating my wounds, so I decided to tone down my dramatic complaints. After a brief silence, he quietly asked,
“Are you planning to leave the castle again?”
“Who knows? It was just temporary employment for three months anyway.”
I stubbornly kept my voice casual, but honestly, I had no intention of ever stepping foot outside again—at least not anytime soon. After experiencing that miserable ordeal, there was no way I’d willingly repeat it. Even if I ever did leave, it would definitely be after the weather warmed up. I’d had enough of shivering miserably in the freezing forest.
I had no idea how he interpreted my determined expression, but unexpectedly, Kalz murmured,
“…Don’t go.”
“Huh?”
Did I really hear that right? I looked up at him to confirm, but Kalz avoided my gaze, his eyes fixed solely on the wound. Unsure if he was teasing me or speaking seriously, I hesitated to reply. But then he repeated himself clearly, leaving no doubt about his sincerity.
“Don’t go, Bell.”
He called me Bell again. Just moments ago, he’d insisted we weren’t close enough for nicknames, and this wasn’t even an urgent or dangerous moment like before.
Heat rushed to my ears, and I quickly ducked my head, hiding my embarrassment—even though I knew Kalz wasn’t looking directly at me. To cover my reaction, I responded in my usual playful tone.
“When we first signed the contract, you laughed and said I wouldn’t even last three months. Have you changed your mind? Trying to keep me here now?”
“Yes.”
Why was he suddenly so straightforward? It was catching me completely off guard. Without another word, Kalz reached inside his jacket and took out a rolled-up piece of parchment.
“I meant to give this to you during dinner, but since you suddenly left the castle, it got delayed. Take a look.”
He handed me an official employment contract. It closely resembled my temporary one, already signed at the bottom by Kalz himself.
“You practically yelled at me to leave, yet you planned to officially hire me anyway? What kind of logic is that?”
“As I said earlier, I didn’t actually mean it. I wasn’t truly angry or annoyed.”
Kalz hesitated for a moment, letting out a sigh before continuing softly.
“It was just… embarrassment.”
“What? Embarrassment? You call that embarrassment?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, please. If you got embarrassed twice, you’d probably chop my head off.”
“Ahem… Anyway.”
Kalz cleared his throat awkwardly and carried on.
“I never intended to decide your employment based only on my own opinion, so I asked the other employees about you. Surprisingly, their evaluations were almost perfect.”
Hearing him mention this as he handed me the employment contract felt suspicious. Was he indirectly suggesting hiring me wasn’t even fully his decision?
“When they learned you’d gone missing today, everyone was genuinely upset. If I hadn’t gone out to find you, they’d probably have resented me forever.”
Did that mean even looking for me was influenced more by everyone else’s feelings rather than his own?
“Especially Almond, who acted like he’d devour me ali—”
“Alright, stop. I don’t want to hear about anyone else.”
“…!”
He fell silent immediately at my sharp interruption. Seeing his startled reaction, ears perked up in surprise, I realized I’d caught him completely off guard.
Why did he keep shifting responsibility onto everyone else? It was getting frustrating.
“I don’t care about other people’s opinions. I want yours. How do you really feel?”
“…I agree with them. Your work skills are excellent.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. I want your honest feelings.”
“What do you mean?”
Despite my annoyed, pointed tone, Kalz responded evenly. He didn’t even bother correcting my suddenly casual speech. Fine. This was the perfect moment to drop the formal “Kalz-nim” title—it was awkward anyway.
“Do you personally want me to stay, or would you rather I just disappear?”
His hands, which had been busy wrapping my wounds, suddenly froze. Those golden eyes, still fixed stubbornly on my injuries, wavered like candles flickering in the breeze.
“I’ll be honest first. I haven’t hated working here these past three months, and I’m willing to accept permanent employment.”
“Then—”
“But that’s only if you genuinely want me here. Tell me clearly how you really feel. Think of this as your last chance.”
In the quiet darkness, only the sound of our breathing indicated time was passing. I didn’t rush him. I waited, patiently allowing him to sort through his thoughts and find his courage. Eventually, Kalz slowly raised his head, finally meeting my gaze.
“I want you to stay here. That’s how I truly feel.”
I want you to stay here.
Considering Kalz’s usual bluntness, his words felt unusually sincere. With just that simple statement, all the hurt I’d felt from his recent coldness melted away completely. Part of me wanted to push him further—to ask if by “here” he meant the castle itself or by his side—but I held back. Whatever his answer, it would only complicate things further.
For some time now, whenever Kalz was around, my heart stirred with strange feelings I’d deliberately chosen to ignore. Whatever they were, I wasn’t ready to fully confront them yet.
I turned away, grumbling playfully.
“Honestly, what kind of job chases you down even after you’ve risked your life to escape? How am I supposed to work comfortably now?”
“Then maybe don’t run away again.”
“Excuse me? I haven’t agreed to anything yet. If you’re desperate to keep me, kneeling and begging might help.”
“…I’m already kneeling, though not by choice.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
“You certainly enjoy seeing me kneel.”
Still kneeling beside the sofa, he chuckled softly, finishing the bandage around my arm with a secure knot.
Yeah, this was about right—the playful teasing, the gentle distance between us. I had no idea how things would turn out later, but for now, this felt just right.
“Anyway, you said the others practically gave me perfect scores, didn’t you?”
“Yes, they praised you thoroughly.”
Ah, my lovable colleagues—I already knew how much they cared, but hearing it put into numbers made me feel oddly proud. But right now, I had a different question in mind.
“What about you? What score did you give me?”
“…Do you really want another honest answer?”
“Of course.”
Kalz’s golden eyes darted nervously around the room again, finally settling somewhere near the floor.
“How bad could it be? You admitted my skills earlier, so at least an eight, right?”
“Well…”
“Wait, seven? It couldn’t possibly be lower than five—”
As I continued mumbling anxiously, Kalz’s lips puckered tighter and tighter, until they looked like the cinched opening of a small bag. After carefully sneaking a glance at me, he finally replied in a tiny, hesitant voice.
“…One.”
“Goodbye forever.”
This shameless lion-headed jerk!
How could he possibly give me a single point after all I’d done here? And yet, he still wanted me to stay? Outrageous! Just as I stood up to leave, he urgently grabbed hold of my pant leg.
“I didn’t mean it seriously! Someone said you’d pass even if I gave you just one point, so—”
“What kind of logic is that? You didn’t actually have to give me one!”
“You’re right, I was wrong.”
He immediately backed down and apologized. One little escape attempt, and he’d become surprisingly obedient. Not bad at all.
“So, what was your actual score, then?”
“You really want to hear it?”
“Obviously—that’s why I’m asking.”
His brow furrowed deeply as he considered it, finally speaking cautiously.
“Eight point—”
I shot him a glare.
“…five—no, eight point nine.”
“Hm, really?”
Clearly, he’d added that decimal at the last second under my watchful gaze, but it wasn’t a bad score. Seeing my somewhat satisfied expression, Kalz visibly relaxed.
“Then let me ask you something, too.”
“Go ahead.”
“What exactly was the item you mentioned in the note—the one you said you took instead of your wages?”
“Oh, that?”
I reached into my bag and pulled out the object I’d taken from the castle.
