“What’s on the menu today?”
“Chilled carrot soup and chicken sauté served with mushrooms.”
Setting dinner for two on the table felt routine enough. The only difference was my new position—one I’d never imagined I’d hold.
“Kalz-nim, here comes your soup. Now, open wide.”
“Is the second part really necessary?”
Kalz frowned slightly but still brought his mouth toward the spoon I held out. Grumbling even as he obediently ate—how typical.
“……”
“……”
Seriously, what was I even doing right now? Sure, I agreed to take care of him, but spoon-feeding him was a whole new level. His arms weren’t broken; surely he could handle holding a spoon himself?
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d end up feeding a man three times my size. But here he was, casually accepting it. Was this the infamous aristocratic entitlement I’d heard about?
“Why have you stopped?”
“Ah, sorry.”
I was having a brief existential crisis.
Snapping myself out of it after Kalz’s mild reprimand, I quickly sliced the sauté into manageable pieces and held one out to him.
“Hm. Today’s sauté tastes saltier than usual…”
“Are you criticizing Elizabeth’s carefully prepared dish?”
“…Not at all. It’s perfectly seasoned, actually. Especially the sauce—it’s excellent.”
“Oh, I made the sauce. Thanks for the compliment.”
Go ahead, glare at me all you want. Maintaining my innocent expression, I continued feeding him bite after bite. True, this was a time to keep my head down, but I still needed a small victory to breathe. Becoming a criminal overnight was stressful enough, but not being able to tease this master brat freely was the real tragedy. Thankfully, I’d already teased him enough about Leon’s jealousy; otherwise, I’d feel much more deprived.
It wasn’t until I’d fed Kalz every last bite that I could finally pick up my own spoon. Honestly, he should’ve just gone back to his room to rest, but instead, he sat there silently, watching me eat. His gaze made dinner more uncomfortable than it had any right to be.
And yet, dinner wasn’t the end of my trials. Something even more absurd awaited.
“A bath?”
“Yes.”
Kalz responded so casually that I almost doubted my ears.
“You’re seriously planning on bathing now?”
“I spent the whole day rolling around in the snow. Isn’t a bath obvious?”
“You could always skip it if it’s inconvenient, couldn’t you?”
Please reconsider. Seriously, going two weeks without washing wouldn’t hurt, right? After all, furry creatures supposedly shouldn’t bathe too often—it’s actually better for their health.
Those desperate words stayed firmly locked in my mind, though my pleading eyes probably betrayed them. But Kalz merely raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
“Don’t tell me you’re the one who rarely bathes? That would be unexpected.”
“Not me—you! I’m talking about you, Kalz-nim!”
Obviously, I could bathe without issues since I had two healthy arms. But Kalz, who conveniently claimed an injured right arm just to avoid even holding a spoon, suddenly deciding to bathe meant only one thing…
He wanted me to wash him. Absolutely not. My heart wasn’t prepared for that leap yet. Finally, I surrendered with a heavy sigh, admitting the truth.
“Sorry, but this seems way beyond making amends. We’re not that close. Washing your hair, maybe, but a full bath is definitely pushing it. If you really want one, maybe ask Butler Squawk.”
“…What kind of bizarre scenario are you imagining right now?”
“Wait—you weren’t asking me to bathe you?”
“Are you out of your mind? That’s horrifying.”
Kalz’s blunt rejection felt somewhat annoying, but this time, I genuinely felt relieved by his cold attitude.
“Oh, good. Then why even mention bathing to me?”
“Because of the bathwater, obviously. Someone has to carry the hot water.”
“Ah, right! I can handle that much, no problem.”
Seeing my relief, Kalz shook his head slightly, murmuring as if disgusted.
“You, bathing me? I’d be the one refusing, thanks.”
“I genuinely appreciate your refusal.”
“But didn’t you just say washing my hair was fine?”
“Me? When did I?”
“Just now, when you refused the bath service I never requested.”
“I… might’ve said something along those lines, but only because the bath itself seemed even worse—it’s not like I wanted—”
“Fine.”
Kalz swiftly interrupted my flustered excuses.
“Hair washing seems acceptable. I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
“…Understood.”
Damn, he’s irritating. Really.
Just wait—once his arm healed, I’d repay this humiliation several times over. I spent that night gritting my teeth and plotting revenge, though I momentarily forgot my remarkable ability to adapt. In just a few days, I’d fully adjusted to this new lifestyle.
Surprisingly, being around Kalz all day resulted in fewer arguments than before. Of course, my guilt played a role in keeping me quiet, but Kalz didn’t actively provoke me either. Feeding him even became somewhat enjoyable.
“Here, say ‘Ahh.'”
“……”
His pride kept him from openly complaining, but his brow clearly twitched whenever I fed him eggplant. After noticing that delightful reaction, I secretly suggested to Elizabeth that we add more eggplant dishes to the menu. Indeed, mealtimes had become the highlight of my day.
At this rate, it almost felt disappointing that I didn’t have to help him change his clothes. Truthfully, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly his muscular chest beneath that tight shirt looked like.
“You finished everything again today. Good job.”
“Stop treating me like a child.”
“Yes, yes, of course, Kalz-nim.”
Despite his complaint, he didn’t seem particularly annoyed. After spending so much time together, I’d grown skilled at distinguishing genuine annoyance from mere pretense.
Maybe that’s why I noticed his mane looking distinctly duller compared to a week ago.
“By the way, how have you been bathing lately? Is Butler Squawk helping?”
“Occasionally. At least he takes care of washing my back.”
“And your hair?”
“What could those claw-like feet possibly accomplish? They’d just get tangled up in my mane and cause trouble for both of us. I can still manage with my left hand, so I wash it myself.”
“Ah, so that’s why…”
No wonder his mane looked less groomed lately. He probably couldn’t brush it properly with just one hand. Kalz seemed to catch onto my lingering stare and turned slightly sheepish.
“It’s inconvenient, but it’s only temporary.”
“Well, if you’re okay with it, should I wash it for you?”
“You?”
Kalz’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting me to volunteer.
“You mentioned it yourself last time, remember?”
“I did say something like that, but I was mostly joking.”
“If you don’t hate the idea, you should let me try. It must be better than washing it one-handed.”
“…Fine, do whatever you want.”
Kalz looked away, pretending disinterest as he sipped his tea. Nice try, but I already knew his scowl was purely for show.
After bringing in hot water, towels, and aromatic oils, I returned to the bathroom. Soon enough, Kalz called for me once he’d finished his bath.
“Then I’ll start. Close your eyes.”
“Alright.”
I’d never washed someone else’s hair before, but I’d experienced enough salon visits to imitate the basics. Kalz tilted his head back, a towel draped around his neck as I carefully poured warm water over his mane.
“Is the water temperature okay?”
“It’s fine.”
“Good. Let me know if you feel uncomfortable at any point.”
“Nothing’s bothering me—except maybe your tone. Why are you talking like that?”
“Ah, sorry.”
Without realizing, I had slipped into a hairdresser’s overly polite tone.
“Alright, I’ll lather your hair now. Tell me if anything feels wrong.”
“Understood.”
“Haha, you two truly make a lovely picture.”
Butler Squawk, who’d been watching us quietly, smiled warmly. He had followed us into the bathroom, intrigued after hearing I’d volunteered to wash Kalz’s mane. Kalz, eyes still closed, muttered irritably.
“Lovely picture? It seems your eyesight is worsening, Butler. Maybe it’s those bird eyes—or are you getting old?”
Honestly, the nerve of him! Shocked by Kalz’s rudeness, I glanced worriedly at Butler Squawk, but the butler just laughed it off easily.
“Perhaps Master Kalz is grumpy because I disturbed your private moment.”
“Ridiculous. Butler, are you going senile—”
“I’ll rinse now!”
Splash!
“Guh!!”
Without hesitation, I dumped a bucket of water straight over Kalz’s head. His mane and face got thoroughly drenched, effectively turning my hair-washing service into an accidental face wash. Watching him sputter helplessly as water shot up his nose filled me with satisfaction. Good—hopefully, this would silence his rude commentary.
“Oh dear, my hand slipped. Sorry about that! All done now. You can get up.”
Kalz sat up slowly, shooting me a sidelong glare through his dripping mane. Then, shaking himself furiously like a wet dog, he sent droplets flying everywhere.
“Ack! Cold!”
“Ah, my mistake.”
Mistake, my ass. That was deliberate revenge for splashing water in his face. But hold it in, Briel—just one more week. Grinding my teeth, I forced a strained smile.
“No worries. Can I go now?”
“Wait—why did you bring that thing along?”
