“…So, I’m planning to visit Leon’s place again this holiday. Although getting into his father’s study would require his permission.”
As promised, I diligently reported my findings on magic to Kalz. Not that he ever offered any real help. Instead, he usually undermined my enthusiasm or outright hindered me. And today was no exception.
“Do you genuinely believe you’ll find clues about the witch there?”
“Wouldn’t it make sense? It was a significant event at the time, after all.”
“Well, you’ll know when you see it yourself.”
What was up with that cryptic tone, loaded with unspoken thoughts?
“Have you been to that study before?”
“No.”
“What the—? You talked as if you knew something important.”
“Because some things can be figured out without seeing them.”
“Like what exactly?”
“For instance, if there were records from a century ago, someone out there would still know my true identity. Yet no one’s ever come searching for this castle.”
…He had a point. If there truly were accounts of humans transformed into animals living in a hidden castle, would things remain so peaceful?
Realistically speaking, what were the chances of documents mentioning the witch without revealing the Beast’s existence? Not very high, probably. Kalz’s blunt observation had filled me with an unpleasant sense of impending failure. Irritated, I snapped back.
“You didn’t need to mention such pessimistic ideas beforehand.”
“It might cushion your disappointment if you don’t find anything.”
“I doubt that. All you’ve done is ruin my mood right now.”
“In that case, my sincere apologies.”
Kalz’s muzzle curled smugly as he delicately dabbed his mouth with a napkin, clearly indicating he wasn’t sorry in the slightest.
How infuriating!
Annoyed, I searched for something else to tease him about. Then I noticed Kalz’s mane looked unusually tame today and eagerly jumped at the opportunity.
“Oh, Kalz, has your mane gotten thinner? Ah, must be shedding season.”
“Do you seriously see me as an actual animal? There’s no such thing as a shedding season.”
“Really? Then why… Oh, I’m sorry. How insensitive of me.”
“What nonsense are you talking about now?”
“You don’t need to hide it. After a hundred years, your hair follicles have every right to give up.”
“Nonsense. My body doesn’t change—that’s part of the curse.”
“It’s fine, hair loss isn’t a sin. No need to be embarrassed. Fighting!”
“I told you, that’s not it!”
Hearing Kalz’s annoyed growl finally lifted my spirits. Yes, that’s exactly the reaction I’d hoped for. While I enjoyed the satisfying warmth spreading through me, he kept protesting stubbornly.
“My mane hasn’t gotten thinner. I simply groomed it to make it neat.”
“Oh, so you’re into grooming now? Actually, that’s quite trendy these days.”
“Trendy?”
“Haven’t you noticed? Everyone around here has been all shiny lately. See, this lack of interest in your employees is exactly why people call you a bad employer.”
“You’re literally the only one who says that.”
Hmm, he wasn’t wrong about that. I pretended not to hear and cheerfully returned to chewing my food.
“Though now that you mention it, everyone has seemed somewhat different lately. In any case, I knew nothing about it. I merely wanted a change of pace today.”
“Yes, yes, whatever you say. Anyway, if you need anything special for your grooming, just let me know. I can buy it for you when I go down to the village. I’ll charge a small service fee, of course.”
“Service fee? You’re planning to charge me now?”
“Come on, carrying heavy goods up and down the mountain deserves some compensation, don’t you think?”
“Hah, boldly announcing a side hustle in front of your employer.”
“There’s nothing in my contract banning side jobs, is there?”
“You always have a comeback ready, don’t you?”
In reality, I’d never charged him anything extra for running errands before. The only work that actually deserved payment was looking after this grumpy lion’s mane. After all, he wasn’t just a landlord—he owned an entire castle, so a little teasing and gentle extortion was perfectly reasonable. Besides, seeing my adorable seniors happy was payment enough.
And it wasn’t just empty talk—recently, the castle had become noticeably more vibrant. Everyone seemed excited to finally have something new to focus on. Watching my colleagues so cheerful lifted my mood too, but there was one thing still troubling me.
Marianne.
“Marianne, you’re shining brighter today!”
“Actually, I changed my brushing method a little. What do you think, Briel? Does my fur look softer?”
“Absolutely. You’re as adorable and lovely as ever.”
“…Oh. Thank you.”
Lately, Marianne always seemed to look at me as if waiting for something more. Wondering if she wanted even more praise, I’d gone so far as to fill a whole page with poetic compliments, even theatrically performing them as if possessed by a musical star. Yet despite my earnest efforts, her reactions always remained lukewarm, as though my answers disappointed her but she was too polite to say so. What exactly was she hoping for?
“What are you thinking about? Your food’s getting cold.”
“Oh.”
Lost in thought, I’d stopped eating without noticing. Rather than answering Kalz directly, I took the chance to bring up something else I’d suddenly remembered.
“Speaking of which, about those materials you gave me last time…”
“What about them?”
“You warned me they wouldn’t help, but they really were completely useless. How could a hundred years of research be so limited?”
“You say ‘a hundred years’ as if that gave me unlimited options. What could I possibly do when I couldn’t even leave this place? Besides, it’s not like I was originally interested in curses or magic.”
“Then you could’ve just ordered new books.”
“And announce myself as someone suspicious?”
“Hm… Wait, no, be honest. You were just lazy, weren’t you? Or maybe you didn’t want your library cluttered with books you disliked?”
“Think whatever you like.”
Anyway, if Kalz was telling the truth, searching the castle library likely wouldn’t yield anything useful.
“So, on that note…”
“What now?”
“Firstly, please understand I have absolutely no hidden motive for saying this.”
“You’re suspiciously drawing out your introduction.”
I knew making such excuses only made me seem more suspicious, but considering the place I wanted to investigate, it couldn’t be helped.
“I need to take a look inside the treasure vault.”
“The treasure vault?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t have one. Priceless porcelain and antique clocks are just casually decorating the halls, and you’re even using expensive Artifacts for employee contracts. It’d be weirder if you didn’t have a place for keeping valuables.”
Kalz paused, tapping his finger lightly against the table.
“You’re right, there is indeed a treasure vault. But I don’t see how that’s connected to breaking the curse.”
“Well, treasures tend to be antiques, and antiques often come with stories of their own.”
“Is that all?”
“Also, this castle was sealed before magic was outlawed, meaning plenty of Artifacts should still be stored here. There’s no better source for magical clues than Artifacts themselves. Even if nothing useful turns up, ruling out the vault would still count as progress. We only have limited areas to investigate, so starting with the most promising locations is logical—wait, why are you looking at me like that?”
While I passionately explained my reasoning, Kalz’s lips slowly curved into a teasing smirk.
“Are you sure you’re looking for clues, or is this just the next step after the silverware?”
“Hey! It’s nothing like that!”
