The cleaning of the office, which had begun in the morning, finally came to an end only after noon had passed. Considering that this was work normally done by several maids, finishing it alone could be called fast. Mihail rose from his chair after observing and began to walk around the office, inspecting the state of the cleaning. He ran his fingers along the surfaces of furniture he usually never spared a glance for, checking whether any smudges remained on the glass. But it had been done so thoroughly that there wasn’t a single fault he could nitpick.
The creature stood with its head bowed, both hands tightly clutching the cloth, quietly waiting for Mihail’s inspection to end. It must have been exhausting to use its body for hours on end; its rough, panting breaths came out in harsh wheezes.
“Hm.”
Even though the task had been carried out cleanly and faithfully, and even though the creature was wheezing as if it might collapse and die at any moment, Mihail felt no satisfaction at all. He stared at it briefly, then stretched out his palm and dragged it slowly across the glass of the display cabinet beside him. The glass, spotless just moments ago, was instantly smeared with handprints.
“Here. Wipe it again.”
Mihail pointed at the glass he himself had dirtied. The creature came over obediently, without even a hint of irritation. Mihail remained standing exactly where he was. For the creature to clean the glass, it had to squeeze itself between Mihail and the cabinet. It hesitated briefly, waiting for Mihail to step aside or move back, but when he showed no sign of doing so, it slipped quietly into the narrow space.
For an average person, standing between the cabinet and Mihail would mean getting wedged in or at least bumping or brushing against him. But the creature was so small and compact that it fit easily into the gap. Even so, it couldn’t have been comfortable. Cleaning with Mihail right behind its back, having to move cautiously lest it collide with him—it had no choice but to be careful.
The top of the creature’s head was fully visible right in front of him. Without realizing it, Mihail inhaled deeply. A bitter, medicinal herbal scent struck his nose first. Being this close, the smell was so intense it nearly numbed his sense of smell.
To remove the smudge, the creature pressed its face close to the glass and blew out a soft haa— of breath. White fog bloomed across the surface, and before it could fade, it hurriedly wiped it away with the cloth. That spot became flawlessly clean.
Mihail had only dragged his palm across it once, but his hand was large, and the creature’s mouth was far too small. To erase the mark completely, it had to blow on the glass and wipe it over and over, dozens of times. Mihail stood there, staring down at the sight without growing bored. As the creature became absorbed in its work, it seemed to momentarily forget that someone was behind it; its previously careful movements gradually grew larger.
As it moved lower and lower, blowing and wiping, the creature bent its head even further down. As its head and waist lowered, its hips naturally pushed backward—and its butt brushed against Mihail’s thigh behind it.
Thud.
Before Mihail could even react to the sensation of the hips bumping against him, the startled creature gasped, inhaling sharply, and collapsed down onto the floor.
“I— I’m sorry.”
The creature apologized, its hand gripping the cloth trembling violently. Beneath its fluffy brown hair, its reddish, chapped lips twitched as well. For a moment, Mihail couldn’t understand why it was reacting so extremely. Do you think I’d kill you over that? The thought irritated him briefly. But the irritation quickly faded, replaced by his focus on the sensation of the hips against his thigh moments ago—and on the small lips, flushed even redder than usual from fright.
“Your Grace.”
The butler’s voice sounded beside him, though Mihail hadn’t noticed when he’d approached.
“It’s past the time for your meal.”
At the words, Mihail glanced at the clock and saw that lunchtime had already passed. The realization brought a sudden wave of hunger. Ever faithful to his basic desires, Mihail turned his body to go eat. As he left the office, he heard a very faint sigh behind him—perhaps a breath of relief. Mihail stopped mid-step, turned sharply back, and crooked his finger at the creature. Still seated on the floor, it awkwardly stood and approached slowly.
“Once I’m done eating, clean the bedroom immediately.”
“…Yes….”
Only after waiting with patience did a tiny reply, almost like a whimper, finally slip out. Hm. Mihail let out a sound even he didn’t understand and turned back on his heel, continuing on his way.
“Where does that thing eat, anyway?”
Mihail asked suddenly after walking down the corridor for some time.
“Usually, the servants within the castle eat at the designated dining hall in the basement,” the butler replied.
Mihail immediately frowned.
“That’s not an accurate answer.”
“…….”
Faced with the sharp remark, the butler hesitated. It was uncharacteristic of someone so seasoned and meticulous. After a brief pause, the butler spoke again.
“Until now, he has only assisted with minor chores without drawing attention, so I do not know where he has been eating.”
“You’re saying you’ve never seen him eating in the servants’ dining hall?”
“To my knowledge, I’ve never heard that he eats there.”
Mihail stopped and looked at the butler. A faint look of discomfort spread across the man’s face. Even for him, this exceptional situation must have been difficult to anticipate—Mihail not only taking interest in Chaika, whose existence he’d barely been aware of, but even asking where he ate.
“Then what has that thing been living on inside my castle? Judging by how emaciated he looks, has he been scavenging leftovers like a war refugee? Inside my castle?”
Mihail’s expression barely changed, but the chill in his words conveyed his mood clearly. Whether a menial laborer or not, he was still someone working within Castiya Castle. If word got out that such a worker had been made to labor while starving, it would severely stain Mihail’s reputation. The butler’s face stiffened.
“Given how desperately he wished to stay with Nile, it’s possible he’s been eating at Lord Nile’s residence.”
“At Nile’s quarters.”
Mihail muttered the words and let out a derisive snort.
Though Mihail made no effort to hide his disgust toward Nile, he also knew that Nile was treated impeccably. The expensive omega brought in to bear an heir was provided with a sunlit room boasting an excellent view, as well as flavorful, nutritious meals and snacks at every sitting. After eating in such a place, there was no way someone could end up looking like that.
“Shall I look into it more closely?” the butler asked carefully.
Mihail stared at him for a moment, then faced forward and resumed walking.
By the time Mihail had leisurely finished lunch, gone for a ride, and returned to his bedroom, the red glow of sunset had already settled in. The bedroom was brightly lit with candles prepared by the maids, and a bath had been set up in the center of the room, hot steam curling upward.
Entering the room, Mihail entrusted his body to the servant helping him undress and swept his gaze around the bedroom. From a barely visible corner, the creature approached with cautious steps, bowed its head deeply, then turned back and returned to where it had been.
Sinking into the hot bath made Mihail feel more relaxed. Reclining against the tub, he watched the creature as it worked. Squatting down, it polished the legs of furniture along one side of the room. With its back turned to Mihail in that crouched position, its top rode up and its bottoms were tugged down, leaving its pale, gaunt waist and the upper curve of its hips fully exposed.
Because Mihail had worked up a sweat riding, the servants had opened several windows. Autumn midday could be as sweltering as summer, but once the sun set, the temperature dropped sharply. The cold air blowing in felt refreshing. Mihail enjoyed the moment—his body submerged in warm water, his face cooled by the night breeze, and his eyes fixed on the creature.
But the perfectly balanced situation didn’t last long.
“Achoo!”
The creature, diligently polishing the furniture, suddenly hunched its small body and sneezed. Despite its tiny frame and soft voice, it was a surprisingly loud sneeze. As soon as it finished, it panicked, hurriedly wiping the furniture with the cloth in case any spit had landed. But only a moment later, it sucked in a sharp breath again, buried its head deep between its crouched legs, and began sneezing repeatedly—clearly trying to avoid spraying saliva.
“Achoo! Achoo!”
Each violent sneeze made it look as though the ribs of its bean-sized body might burst out. Only after sneezing five or six times in a row did it finally stop. Then, suddenly, it wrapped both arms tightly around itself and began to shiver.
Watching with a furrowed brow, Mihail glanced toward the wide-open windows pouring in cold air. To Mihail—heated from riding and soaking in hot water—it felt refreshing, but to the creature, wearing nothing but a single ragged layer, it must have felt like a cutting wind.
After shivering several times, the creature forced itself to resume its work. But the cold didn’t fade easily; its wiping hands and its body trembled faintly. Tormenting and tossing around something so tiny had been quite entertaining, but suddenly his mood soured completely. The itching at his palms and the back of his neck vanished without a trace.
The thought of telling someone to close the windows crossed his mind—but wouldn’t that be comforting the creature rather than tormenting it?
The more he thought about it, the worse his mood became.
“Tell him to leave for today.”
Mihail gestured toward the creature with his chin and spoke to the servant washing him. When the servant relayed the order, the creature stopped what it was doing, bowed deeply, and left the bedroom with cautious steps. Perhaps cleaning all day had taken more out of it than expected; its retreating figure wobbled unsteadily. To think he’d spent so long feeling excited and entertained just chasing after something so pathetically weak. Mihail clicked his tongue in irritation and shut his eyes.
