# Chapter 7
“I…”
Ethan didn’t know what to say. But he was certain that he probably couldn’t disobey Del’s words. He took one step closer to Del. Del also took one step toward Ethan. An unusually tense atmosphere hung in the air. The moment their eyes met—
Thud!
“Ah! Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Del, who had spectacularly fallen down in the middle of nowhere, got up from the floor as if nothing had happened. Looking closely, his legs were tangled in the blouse he had just thrown off. That was quite a talent. He untangled the blouse that was tightly binding his legs, tossed it onto the table, and then threw himself onto the bed. He was a disaster to himself just by walking around. He sat blankly on the bed. Though it looked peculiar with his upper body naked and only a corset and skirt on, it was much better than watching him move around.
Ethan picked up Del’s clothes scattered across the floor one by one. He hadn’t noticed when Del was wearing them, but they had excessive lace decorations that seemed almost too much. Del himself was so naturally flamboyant that it hadn’t been noticeable, but Ethan had never seen anyone wear such an ornate dress before. Moreover, hadn’t Del called it a travel dress?
“Is this a hobby of yours?”Â
Ethan asked, holding up a cape covered in lace. Del, who had been staring at it blankly, answered:
“It’s neither a hobby nor a preference. How does it look to you?”
“Like someone rich who doesn’t know the ways of the world.”
“That was the purpose, so I succeeded.”
Ethan couldn’t help but sigh at Del’s nonchalant response, but he neatly gathered and arranged all the clothes. Del was staring at Ethan as he organized his clothes. In the current situation, that seemed to be the best Del could do. In the short time since they had entered the hotel and started talking, Del had efficiently cluttered the room and managed to trip and roll around several times. The Duke’s family might have been able to produce the most powerful magician, but they clearly hadn’t given him any ability to handle basic daily life. From the looks of things, Ethan would likely be doing work closest to that of a servant. When he voiced this thought, Del muttered “You don’t have to…” but it was clear that if things continued like this, Ethan would explode in frustration.
“I’ll raise your pay accordingly.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear.”
“Can you also help with dressing?”
“I can undress and dress you.”
“Please do that too. Dresses are complicated and uncomfortable to put on alone, and it takes too much time.”
Looking carefully, the corset strings and dress pleats that Del was currently wearing were subtly disheveled. When asked how he had managed to dress himself, Del shrugged and answered that he rarely undressed because it was too much trouble. If Del hadn’t been someone Ethan had just met today and wasn’t such a noble, Ethan would have slapped his back and said, “You fool!” Del, oblivious to Ethan’s complicated thoughts, spoke in a voice that now seemed excited:
“But I’m surprised. I thought you’d only be able to undress people.”
“You know the situation where a husband, who was supposed to be away for the night, suddenly returns?”
“I get it.”
Achoo! When Del sneezed lightly, Ethan realized that he was still half-naked with his upper body exposed. During that time, he could have picked up a robe to wear, but instead he just sat there blankly like an idiot. While wondering ‘Why?’ Ethan soon realized that Del had probably grown up in an environment where he never had to do anything properly by himself. No matter which direction one came from, crossing the desert would take at least ten days, and Ethan couldn’t imagine how Del had managed during that time.
“Where are your clothes?”
“In my bag.”
“I’m not asking because I don’t know they’re in the bag. Which bag?”
“Uh, well…”
“…Forget it.”
He doesn’t know anything. Ethan opened the closet, found a robe, and threw it toward Del. Del, who caught the robe reflexively, stared at it quietly for a moment before clumsily putting it on. Meanwhile, Ethan began organizing the clothes and items from the bags. There was a clear difference between worn and unworn clothes. It seemed Del had been too lazy to take out fresh clothes, so he had just roughly worn a few outfits and crumpled them back in. The bag from which Ethan had taken clothes earlier was in complete disarray. While organizing the clothes, he set aside some that seemed more suitable to wear than what Del had on now. It took some talent to find the smallest piece among them all.
“You’re good at this.”
“You’re just terribly disorganized.”
“I have too many other things to do even without that.”
Hearing such a confident reply, Ethan realized there was nothing to gain from continuing this topic.
“By the way, do you have a companion with you?”
“No. I came alone.”
It was a puzzling answer. Setting aside the fact that nobles of Del’s status typically traveled with an entourage of attendants, the bag contained both women’s and men’s clothing in equal measure. Ethan knew that Del was male despite wearing dresses, but in that case, wouldn’t he only need to bring women’s clothes? When Ethan’s gaze moved back and forth between the clothes and Del, Del seemed to understand and said:
“Think of it as something like a twin situation. It’s complicated adult business. Basically, I want to get out of these clothes, which is why I’m moving around, and why I’m trying to persuade you to work for me.”
“With that tone, I might stop being persuaded even if I was starting to be.”
“I think it’s time to discuss your salary.”
“My loyalty is suddenly surging.”
While Del, who was quick only in undressing, removed his clothes and tumbled onto the bed after getting caught in them, Ethan finished organizing the clothes from the bags and placing items in their proper places. As a bonus, he gathered the dress and corset that had been rolling around on the floor and finished organizing them too. Del, who now seemed too bothered to move, was lying sideways on the bed. Ethan pulled up a chair to face him, and finally they were ready to talk. It had been a truly refined process.
“At first, I just planned to meet you as a ‘crow.'”
“And?”
“After meeting you, my thoughts changed a bit. You know how to do more things than I expected.”
“Does this affect my pay?”
“Your materialistic nature suits me perfectly.”
“Try living like me.”
“Not everyone in the same environment ends up like you.”
“I am a bit special.”
“Do you often hear that you’re obnoxious?”
Ethan felt a bit embarrassed, wondering if he had been too forward. Del also scratched his face with his finger, as if the conversation had gone too far. Their dialogue had been like this for a while. Del said:
“Can you act?”
“Are you planning to make me perform in a play?”
“Something similar. The role of an arrogant boy who is passionately in love with a girl his age.”
“And the actors?”
“You and me. The setting is a count’s daughter and the son of her nanny.”
“Even street theaters don’t use such outdated material these days.”
“It’s because it’s too common. It’s realistic enough. So, can you do it?”
“Depends on the pay.”
“This is a one-time thing, so it’s performance-based.”
“We’ll see.”
“I’ll gift you a wallet.”
With such a pretty girl’s face in front of him, it shouldn’t be too difficult. He had performed that kind of act enough to survive. He was confident in making expressions that yearned for love. Even knowing that their hidden true intentions involved a financial transaction, he had done it during those times. Come to think of it, how much money were we talking about exactly? Just as Ethan realized that Del hadn’t mentioned a specific amount, Del’s hand extended toward him.
“What’s this?”
“A handshake.”
“A handshake?”
Thinking it was an odd timing since they had already met, Ethan took the offered hand. There was a tingling sensation as if static electricity had sparked, but that was it. Despite being a boy’s hand that had never done hard labor, it was white and soft. Ethan didn’t feel envious or pathetic. It was simply that Del was born that way, and he was born this way. Lost in these various thoughts, when Ethan looked up, Del’s expression was extremely serious. He nodded and then pulled his hand back. For a moment, Ethan felt a sense of regret at the warmth leaving his palm, but he blinked and erased the sensation. What was there to regret?
“Let’s talk about your main job.”
“That ‘crow’ thing?”
“Yes, that.”
Del sat up straight. Knowing that Del was preparing to discuss something important, Ethan also straightened his posture.
“You’re good with people, right?”
“…? When you live like this, what grows is your ability to read situations.”
“Do rabid dogs ever become calm when they see you, or anything like that?”
“Rabid dogs do, but rabid people bite me.”
It was half a joke, but Del replied with the most serious expression he had shown so far:
“I can sometimes become like a rabid or sick dog.”
“You can get worse than this? …I’m sorry. Don’t glare at me.”
If looks could kill, Ethan would have died about three times by now. He quickly apologized. Del shook his head and continued:
“Usually just being beside me is enough, but in severe cases, holding my hand will do.”
“Just that?”
“If that doesn’t work, hugging me should, and if that still doesn’t work… basically, you should progressively try physical contact that people in a close relationship would do.”
“How far?”
“As far as you can imagine.”
Unconsciously, Ethan’s gaze drifted to Del’s pale, slender legs visible through the robe. He had never done anything with a man before. But somehow it might be possible. While Ethan was seriously contemplating this, Del noticed his gaze.
“What? You can even sleep with a man?”
“…Isn’t that what you meant?”
“I was talking about kissing.”
The back of Ethan’s neck flushed red. He wished Del would be more explicit about these things. Especially since Del seemed to be making assumptions about how Ethan had lived his life. After composing his flushed face for a moment, Ethan finally managed to speak. They needed to finish this conversation.
“And what happens if even that doesn’t work?”
“You get bitten by a rabid dog, what else?”
“Huh.”
“Good luck.”
Del casually says it won’t be him getting bitten. Of course, being the one who becomes rabid wouldn’t be pleasant either.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
