If I had intended to fuss over details like that, I wouldn’t have wasted valuable notebook pages making checklists and agonizing about it. Still, there was no reason to miss an opportunity to tease my dear master.
“A human appearance, huh? Well, in a sense, I suppose that’s true.”
“……”
“Ian is pretty.”
“Pfft—!”
At that moment, Kalz spat out his tea like a squirt gun.
“Geez, gross! Why spit out perfectly good tea? Was it too hot? Guess lions really are cats after all.”
I stood up casually and gently wiped the tea dripping from his mane. Kalz seemed genuinely startled by his own reaction and stayed frozen, mouth hanging open, until I calmly returned to my seat.
“…Did you really mean what you just said?”
“About what? That lions are cats? Don’t tell me you didn’t know that.”
“Not that! The thing you said before that.”
“Geez?”
“Not that either!”
“Ah, that Ian is pretty? It’s just a fact.”
“So his face is actually your type?”
“My type…? Ah, this has Butler Squawk written all over it.”
That parrot butler really took his loyalty seriously. I’d only said it jokingly to lighten the mood back then. Now I was too afraid to drink even cold water around him.
Honestly, if he intended to tell Kalz, did he really need to report it to me first? Well, everything ended up going smoothly, so I couldn’t complain.
Kalz asked again, looking strangely anxious this time.
“So, is that actually true?”
“My type…? Well, I wouldn’t exactly say he isn’t.”
“Then you’ve really started to like Ian?”
Kalz leaned forward urgently, practically climbing onto the table with eyes wide open. Today he seemed more desperate than I’d ever seen him. What’s going on with him? Could he possibly be jealous of Ian? If that was the case, maybe I should stop teasing him now. It’d be troublesome if he misunderstood and started interfering with my meetings with Ian.
“Hey, that’s going a bit far. I just naturally appreciate attractive faces. Maybe my aesthetic sense is sharper than most. I have a weakness for beauty. Of course, my own face is my absolute favorite.”
I cupped my face in my hands and flashed a radiant smile. Living with a face like mine truly was exhilarating and fresh. Being handsome was simply the best.
“I’m constantly amazed by your incredible narcissism.”
“Why? It’s true, isn’t it? I am pretty.”
“Shameless.”
Kalz scoffed and turned his head away as if speechless. But despite his act, his ears perked up and fluttered excitedly, and his tail was happily thumping against the chair.
Seeing how pleased he became by my self-praise surely meant he agreed. For a second, I’d worried his aesthetic sense had become completely feline, but thankfully, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
***
“…And then he said ‘Bruh.’ What do you think that means?”
“‘Bruh’? Isn’t that the strange exclamation Briel uses occasionally?”
“Exactly. He told me it meant ‘you’re the best,’ but the more I think about it, the less it makes sense.”
“He certainly wouldn’t have been praising you in that situation. By the way, what exactly did you say before he responded with that?”
“I said I wouldn’t have given Bell any difficult tasks if he’d been a woman.”
In that case, it definitely wasn’t a compliment. Almond gave his slow-witted master a subtle yet exasperated look. After all the groundwork Almond had carefully laid for him, it was absurd that the master couldn’t even improvise a simple scenario without receiving criticism wrapped in incomprehensible slang.
“Butler Squawk, your expression is becoming disrespectful.”
“It’s purely your imagination, Master. Anyway, regarding ‘Bruh,’ it likely expresses disbelief, annoyance, or mild frustration.”
“You think so too, huh?”
Kalz clicked his tongue in irritation. Almond shared his master’s sentiment inwardly but forced himself to hold back. Instead, he patiently praised him.
“Still, it’s reassuring that your relationship with Briel has improved to how it used to be. You’ve done well, Master.”
“Well, I promised you I would. There wasn’t any other choice.”
Even though you clearly wanted to reconcile, you’re trying to blame it on me? Almond suppressed a smile at his master’s utterly transparent behavior.
“Still, won’t you finally tell me why you two fought in the first place?”
“That’s…”
“Honestly, this butler is hurt. After all, I’ve always done my utmost to guide you in the right direction, providing sound advice whenever possible. Keeping secrets from me—especially when no one wishes more earnestly than I do for you two to be on good terms—is disappointing.”
“That’s exactly the problem. You’re too eager. Surely you’re not still expecting something romantic between Bell and me, are you?”
Of course I am! You reconciled so warmly that you even casually switched from calling him ‘Briel’ back to ‘Bell.’ Now you’re telling me not to get my hopes up?
Almond desperately wanted to say that out loud, but it was still too soon. Despite appearances, his master was quite shy and cautious; he’d need a bit more time.
“I’ve repeatedly explained that it’s merely socialization training. But your persistent questioning makes me wonder—is it perhaps you who secretly hopes for something more? If that’s the case, this humble butler would be delighted to assist as your matchmaker.”
“Enough. Don’t even speak of ‘love.’ Regarding our fight… I planned on telling you anyway. It concerns more than just myself.”
“What do you mean?”
Kalz finally revealed everything: the trip he’d taken with Briel to the dungeon to uncover clues about the curse, and the argument they’d had afterward. Almond’s beak, which had opened enthusiastically at the start of the story as though hearing about a romantic date, was firmly shut by the end.
“…In the end, I couldn’t persuade him, so I agreed. I told him to do whatever he pleased.”
“So that’s how it happened.”
“Your reaction seems unexpectedly mild. I thought you’d be thrilled. Weren’t you the one pecking me every night about whether I had any intentions of breaking the curse?”
“Of course, I’m happy. Finding clues to the curse and having Briel himself volunteer to help is certainly delightful.”
Almond truly meant it. More than anything, he felt glad because he understood Briel’s motivations clearly. Gentle-hearted Briel had chosen to help because he genuinely cared for everyone around him. It was undoubtedly a good sign that Briel was growing so attached to the castle.
However, Almond’s current worry lay elsewhere. He cautiously opened his beak again.
“But Master, after hearing everything, there seems to be something odd about your story.”
“Odd? What is it?”
“Master, don’t you already possess one of those bronze fragments?”
Indeed, Kalz already had one of the fragments—the piece inscribed with the words “Fall in Love.” Almond’s relentless efforts to bring Kalz and Briel together stemmed precisely from that.
“Why are you hiding that fact from Briel?”
“I’m not hiding it. I just haven’t mentioned it.”
“Is there really a difference?”
“There’s no point in revealing the existence of that fragment now. Even though the two pieces we have are connected, neither provides the definitive answer for breaking the curse. The critical clue probably lies within another fragment entirely.”
“Still, why deliberately keep it quiet?”
“Again, I haven’t deliberately hidden anything. The fragment is exactly where it’s always been. Once Bell seriously starts searching the castle, he’ll discover it soon enough.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“If he fails to find something so obvious after stepping up so confidently, then there’s no reason to tell him. The outcome would be predictable anyway. So don’t you mention it either. If, by some miracle, Bell does manage to find another fragment, it won’t be too late to tell him then.”
Kalz’s logic wasn’t flawed, though it felt unnecessarily petty and stubborn. Still, such stubbornness was typical of his master. Yet Almond’s anxiety refused to fade—instead, it grew, steadily taking over his thoughts.
Could it be… Master has already given up?
It wasn’t the first time Almond had felt this unsettling suspicion. Kalz’s occasional words and actions hinted at resignation. Almond had always brushed it off as temporary exhaustion from enduring the curse for so many years. His master giving up on returning to human form felt impossible.
Most importantly, if Kalz truly abandoned the idea of becoming human again… Almond’s wings felt icy, as though their tips had lost all warmth.
At that moment, Kalz waved a hand in front of Almond’s face, snapping him back to reality.
“Butler? Almond? Are you listening to me?”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
“You’re lying. If you heard me, repeat what I just said.”
“You told me to devise a plan to keep Briel and Leon from becoming closer.”
“Absolutely not. I said if Bell asks you for help regarding the curse, offer him your full support. Honestly, even with generous interpretation, those two instructions couldn’t be more different.”
“My apologies. Truthfully, I’m somewhat tired, and your words slipped past me.”
“You only ever show honesty at inconvenient moments. Forget it, we’ll stop here today. You may go.”
Dismissed with a wave of Kalz’s hand, Almond bowed politely and exited the study.
No. Even if Master really has given up, I must change his mind. Ever since Briel arrived at the castle, Kalz had finally begun to regain his humanity. And Briel himself was eager to break the curse.
There’s no choice. I must come up with something.
Returning to his quarters, Almond’s mind raced with schemes—plans specifically designed to swiftly bring the two closer together.
