I got so caught up petting him that I didn’t even realize how selfish I was being. Feeling a little embarrassed, I quickly turned to Butler Squawk with a smile.
“This feels amazing—like a super luxurious summer scarf.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Would it be okay if Marianne tried touching it too? It just feels too good to keep to myself.”
“Of course. As much as she likes.”
Butler Squawk kindly extended his tail toward Marianne. I smiled, picturing how delighted she’d be.
“Great! Marianne, you should try it too.”
“I’m fine. You go ahead and enjoy it, Briel.”
“Huh?”
What I got back was a cold, distant look from her.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Wait, Marianne—let me come with you…”
But she was already walking off, leaving me behind like she hadn’t heard a word I said. Her steps were brisk and unwavering.
“Marianne…?”
Maybe I looked too pitiful calling after her, because Butler Squawk gently fluttered down onto my shoulder and asked softly,
“Briel, are you alright?”
“No… No! I’m not okay. I’m really sad, Butler!”
“Oh dear. Try to calm down.”
He extended one wing and gently patted my head. That warm little gesture made me want to just burst into tears—bwuueeeng!—but I held it in.
It had been a long time since Marianne looked at me like that, which made it hit even harder. Not since I mistook her for an actual rabbit had she given me that kind of expression. And this time, her voice had been cold too—emotionless and cutting. It felt like a direct hit to the heart.
“Butler Squawk… do you know why Marianne’s mad at me?”
“Hmm. Is there anything that might’ve upset her?”
“I don’t know. I have noticed her giving me annoyed looks lately, but I have no idea why. Did I mess something up again? Or maybe… is it just puberty?”
“…I thought Briel was more perceptive than this.”
He let out a deep sigh and muttered under his breath, Just like the master… His voice was soft, but since he was right next to my ear, I caught every word.
He thinks I’m on Kalz’s level? That’s seriously humiliating.
Still, that wasn’t what mattered right now.
“So you do know why Marianne’s upset, Butler?”
“Not exactly. But if we think through it, I’m sure we can figure it out.”
“How?”
“Let’s start with what just happened. You tried to let Marianne pet me. Why was that?”
“Because she looked like she was jealous when I was touching your tail feathers.”
“I see. But… was she really jealous of you, Briel?”
“Huh?”
Now that I thought about it, Marianne’s mood had changed around the time the fur-care trend started. Like when I told her about getting carried by Grill, when she saw me petting Gold, or when I complimented Butler Squawk’s feathers… Wait, how did this trend even start again?
“If you use safflower seed oil, your fur gets glossy and soft.”
I figured Marianne was just getting more interested in how she looked and didn’t think much of it. But come to think of it, she never asked me if she was pretty. What she always asked was—
“Does the texture feel different now?”
“Really? Does it look softer?”
That was it. That’s what it was all along.
“Butler Squawk, I think I figured it out!”
“Then you’d better hurry. Timing is everything in situations like this.”
“Yes! Thank you so much!”
“Think nothing of it.”
After giving Butler Squawk a polite bow, I took off running in the direction Marianne had gone.
We were supposed to rinse the rags together, so she was probably at the laundry spot. Sure enough, as I got closer, I could sense someone was there.
I couldn’t see clearly with the blankets hanging out to dry, but it looked like Marianne had already started the wash by herself.
I ducked behind one of the blankets and caught my breath.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
…That sounded way rougher than usual. Was she still really mad? Just picturing the icy look she gave me made my feet freeze in place.
Call me a coward if you want, but until you’ve had someone that cute look at you like you’re the last person they want to see, you have no idea how brutal it is.
In the end, I stayed hidden behind the blanket and called out to her.
“Marianne, it’s me. Briel.”
“……”
“I came because I have something to say. Will you hear me out?”
No answer. But the splashing stopped, so I knew she was listening. Taking a deep breath, I started to apologize, hoping my words would get through.
“First… I’m sorry. For not noticing how you were feeling.”
“……”
“And just to be clear—it’s not that I didn’t pet you because I don’t think you’re cute. I always think you’re the cutest thing in the world. I mean, not just as a bunny—uh, not that I see you as just a bunny! When I say cute, I mean everything—your looks and who you are. Uh, wait… I’m rambling.”
I cleared my throat, trying to pull myself together.
“What I mean is, it’s not that I don’t care or that I’m not affectionate toward you. It’s just… after that big mistake I made before, I promised myself I’d never do anything to upset you again. And somewhere along the line, that promise turned into this weird idea that I shouldn’t touch you at all.”
“……”
I was trying so hard to be honest that the words came out all jumbled. Marianne still didn’t say anything, but I couldn’t stop now.
“I’ve always been grateful for you, Marianne. I’ve always seen you as a wonderful friend—one of the best. I’ve never felt uncomfortable around you. Actually, you’re the one I’m closest to in this entire castle. I’m not the only one who feels that way… am I?”
“……”
“If my cluelessness hurt your feelings, I’m really sorry. But… could you please forgive me? Just this once?”
By now, I was expecting some kind of response. Was she still too upset? Was that not enough? My shoulders slumped as I tried to figure out what more I could say.
Fwip.
Suddenly, the blanket in front of me was swept aside, and sunlight poured in. But the small, cute figure I expected wasn’t there.
Instead, I was face-to-face with a massive lion’s head.
“HOLY FU—!”
The shock hit me so hard I swore on instinct. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Clutching my wildly thudding chest, I tried to calm down while Kalz raised an eyebrow and muttered,
“Shiba…? Is that like hul (Korean internet slang) or something?”
“Uh, kinda… depending on how it’s used—wait, no! That’s not important! Where’s Marianne? Where did she go?”
“Beats me. She wasn’t here when I arrived.”
“When exactly did you get here? And why are you even here?”
“Why, is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”
“Yes, actually! This is the laundry area! Don’t tell me you’re here to… do laundry?”
But I’d definitely heard someone splashing around earlier. Kalz, noticing where my gaze landed, subtly tried to hide what he was holding behind his back.
“What?”
“Wait… are you actually doing laundry right now?”
“…I just figured I’d try washing a handkerchief or two. No big deal.”
Was he for real? Sure, it was admirable to want to do your own chores, but why now of all times?
Still, that wasn’t the point. What mattered was that my sincere, heartfelt apology to Marianne had ended up in Kalz’s ears. Of all people! My face burned, but I forced myself to stay cool as I turned away, feigning composure.
“Well, enjoy your laundry. I’ve got more important things to do.”
“Did you and Marianne get into a fight or something?”
“Just forget it. Pretend you didn’t hear anything.”
“Whatever it was, maybe try being a bit more self-aware next time.”
“Ugh, can’t you please just act like you didn’t hear it?”
I finally snapped and shouted without meaning to. Kalz, of course, laughed like he was thoroughly enjoying this.
“Another second of pretending and I bet you would’ve started crying.”
“I said stop it.”
“Honestly, if you were always this honest, you’d be a lot cuter.”
“Wait—what?”
Hold on. Did he just… call me cute? That beast?
My eyes widened in disbelief. He must’ve noticed the way my pupils shook, because he scrambled to cover it up.
“I just meant you’d be slightly better off. Usually, you have zero charm—like, not even trace amounts—so even a little improvement stands out.”
Too late, Kalz. You already said it. Cuter. Which means you think I’m cute now.
Gotcha.
Seriously, what is it with this charm of mine? My lips curled upward on instinct, and Kalz narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“What’s with that face?”
Oh, you mean the face of someone who just landed a critical hit? I put on my most adorably clueless expression, touched my cheek with my finger, and tilted my head.
“Huuuh~? What face are you talking about~?”
“……!”
“I’m just as cute as always, aren’t I~?”
“You’ve lost it.”
“Nyee~? Didn’t you say you wanted to see me being cuter~?”
“…If you keep this up, I’m gonna lose my mind.”
Kalz looked like he was about to bolt. Poor guy didn’t realize that reacting like this only made me push harder.
“Why~? Is Bell just too adorable for you~?”
“Tch. That’s enough.”
“That? What’s that~? Bell doesn’t understand~”
“…Hul.”
“W-Wait! Did you just say hul? You totally did!”
I nearly broke character from how startled I was. Since when did this guy know how to use hul properly? He’s sneakily sharp sometimes. Too sharp.
Just as I was about to go in for another round of half-baby-talk mayhem, Kalz beat me to it.
“Fine. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said earlier. So stop.”
“Hmm~? Stop what~ exactly?”
“That’s not a request. It’s a warning. If you don’t knock it off…”
“Yup! Got it! I’ll stop right now!”
I surrendered instantly. The whole cutesy act was wearing thin anyway, but mostly—it was because I saw the claws slip out of his clenched fist when he said warning. You have to know when to quit if you’re gonna tease your boss. Imperial Law might be far away, but Kalz’s fists were terrifyingly close.
“Well then, I’ll be going now.”
“Yeah, yeah. Scram.”
Seeing him wave me off with that deeply annoyed look gave me such a satisfying rush of victory. I turned to leave, feeling triumphant, when I heard him call out behind me.
“What now?”
“It’s nothing serious. I just had a question.”
“About what?”
“That stuff you said to Marianne earlier…”
Seriously? Didn’t he just say he’d let it go? Was he trying to pick this up again? But when I turned back, he wasn’t teasing. His face was… serious.
“Would you say the person you’re closest to in this castle is…”
“Is…?”
“Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
He cut himself off and quickly walked away. But based on the context, it was pretty clear what he meant to say.
He was going to ask if Marianne really was the person I was closest to in this castle.
