That guy was clearly flustered.
I sighed inwardly. There was no helping it—I had to step in. Slipping swiftly between Leon and Kalz, I interrupted their exchange.
“That’s enough, Leon. You’ve crossed the line again. You’re being way too rude to someone you’ve just met.”
“Huh? Ah, sorry. It’s just that Hyung-nim looked so impressive, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Hyung-nim?”
My face twisted slightly at the unfamiliar form of address. Did he seriously just call Kalz ‘Hyung-nim’? While I struggled to hold back laughter, Kalz’s voice was thick with irritation.
“I don’t recall ever having a little brother like you. And I certainly don’t want one.”
“Come on, don’t be like that. Take it as a sign of my respect. After all, you don’t seem keen on telling me your name anyway.”
Oh, so Leon had noticed Kalz purposefully withholding his name.
“Hyung-nim, what kind of sports do you like? Want to join me for cricket sometime?”
“No.”
“There’s a cricket club in the village, but we’re always short-handed. I’m sure everyone would be thrilled to have you.”
“I already said no.”
Standing between them, it felt like I didn’t even exist. Leon’s relentless attempts to charm Kalz showed no signs of stopping. His eyes sparkled brighter with each rejection until Kalz, finally overwhelmed, snapped sharply.
“Enough! Quit the useless chatter. If you’re done here, leave immediately.”
“Yes, of course.”
“If you insist on dragging this out—wait, you’re actually leaving?”
“Yes.”
Leon nodded obediently, then suddenly turned towards me, clasping his hands and bowing sincerely.
“Bell, I’m truly sorry! I misunderstood and caused you trouble. I’m reflecting deeply on my actions.”
“…Glad you finally got the message.”
Really, I was relieved he finally understood, but wasn’t his change in attitude too abrupt? When I was practically screaming for him to leave, he didn’t even pretend to listen. Now Kalz says a few words, and he flips like a switch? The irritation in my voice grew colder, fueled by frustration.
“Then let’s consider this goodbye. Have a good life.”
“Wait! I admitted I was wrong. My apology was sincere. But I still don’t want to lose contact with you, Bell. Could you reconsider, please?”
“Funny how quickly you learned to respect the word ‘no.’ Did you ever listen when I said it earlier? Forget it. Stay away from me from now on.”
“Bell, please don’t be like this—”
“Just go.”
Coldly, I shook off Leon’s grasp. Unlike earlier, his hand slipped away effortlessly. But then I noticed something strange—what was wrong with Leon’s arm?
“Hold on. Roll up your sleeve.”
“Huh? Why?”
“No questions. Just roll it up.”
Just as I suspected. Leon’s exposed right arm was swollen to almost twice the size of his left, looking exactly like a boiled sausage.
“Holy—doesn’t that hurt?”
“Oh, it really is swollen. I thought it felt a little warm.”
Had he lost all sense of pain? Only one explanation came to mind for how his perfectly normal arm had become like this so suddenly. Did Kalz secretly have Hulk-level strength or something? Shocked, I glanced over at Kalz, who muttered awkwardly under his breath.
“I didn’t grab him that hard.”
“……”
“Maybe your friend is just overly fragile.”
Are you seriously using his build as an excuse right now? Luckily, it seemed nothing was broken, since Leon could still move his arm. While I mentally reviewed the Imperial Laws regarding assault, Leon himself was bizarrely calm, smiling brightly in admiration.
“Wait, you mean that wasn’t even your full strength? Hyung-nim, your grip is truly incredible!”
Is this really something to admire? Honestly, your cheerful attitude impresses me more. But since Leon wasn’t making a fuss, at least we wouldn’t have to worry about any legal trouble.
“Anyway, Bell, I promise I’ll never show up here uninvited again. So, if you ever change your mind, will you come see me sometime? I’ll wait at home every holiday until you do.”
I wanted to firmly refuse. But the sight of Leon’s earnest puppy eyes and his comically swollen sausage-arm filled me with guilt. Of course, I couldn’t deny that the rare novels and limited-edition pecan pies in his library flashed temptingly through my mind, either.
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Thanks, Bell!”
Leon’s face instantly lit up at my lukewarm response. If you’re truly thankful, at least stop calling me “Bell.” Every time you do, your precious Hyung-nim shoots death-glares strong enough to drill a hole through my forehead.
“Hyung-nim, I sincerely apologize to you as well. I misjudged you based on superficial impressions and had no idea you were someone who’d even fight wolves personally for your employees. I’m truly sorry.”
“Ha. If an apology was enough, the Imperial Law—”
Nudge.
There he goes again, bringing up the law by habit. Without Leon noticing, I jabbed Kalz’s side with my elbow. He looked at me with confusion, so I quickly sent him a clear, urgent message with my expression: Just accept the apology and let him go already.
Thankfully, he understood and gave a reluctant grunt.
“…Fine.”
“Thank you! I’ll leave now. Bell, remember, I’ll always be waiting.”
“Do whatever you want.”
“Hyung-nim, I hope we meet again soon. Maybe next time you’ll even share your name.”
“That’ll never happen, so keep dream—”
Nudge.
“…Fine.”
Leon cheerfully waved his uninjured left arm and headed toward the gate.
“Ah, wait a sec.”
I quickly ran after him, gently grabbing his shoulder and whispering softly.
“You remember our promise from earlier, right? Not a word about this castle to anyone.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t say a single word about either of you. Even if you never come to see me again, that won’t change.”
“Alright, I’ll trust you one last time.”
His firm, straightforward response drew a quiet chuckle from me as I released him. After locking the gate behind Leon, I returned to find Kalz waiting, arms crossed.
“What were you whispering about?”
“Nothing important. Anyway! Why’d you have to use so much unnecessary force?”
“Isn’t this your fault? You couldn’t even chase away one frail brat, so I had no choice but to step in.”
“Frail?”
I’d suspected it before, but the Beast’s definition of “healthy” was way too extreme. If Leon was considered frail, what did that make me—a literal skeleton? Speechless, I glanced between my scrawny arms and Kalz’s muscular ones, prompting him to speak with irritating decisiveness.
“This won’t do. From now on, you’re eating larger portions. Finish every meal.”
“Wow. Forced bulking-up just because I lost one little fight? Did Leon calling you ‘Hyung-nim’ make you think you’re my actual boss?”
“Why so angry? Surely you’re not worried about that brat’s arm?”
“Who said anything about being worried? It’s annoying because your reckless show of strength put me in Leon’s debt. Now I couldn’t even firmly tell him never to come back. It’ll be a disaster if he decides to stir trouble again… Wait—are you smiling?”
I’d been passionately venting, but at some point Kalz had removed his mask, revealing lips curved into a smug grin.
“So, were you really planning to cut ties completely?”
“What choice do I have? If he keeps showing up and accidentally discovers everyone here, it’ll cause huge problems.”
“Didn’t you say you enjoyed his company because you share similar tastes? Your loyalty as a friend seems terribly thin.”
“That’s one thing, and this is another. You have to keep your personal feelings and responsibilities separate.”
“Since when did you become so diligent?”
“Since birth! Seriously, what’s your problem right now?”
“Problem? Hardly.”
Despite his denial, it was genuinely hard to tell if Kalz was deliberately provoking me. His words were annoyingly sharp, but his expression looked oddly pleased. Just why was he acting this way? It was almost like he was…
Wait—could it be?
Actually, thinking back, it wasn’t impossible. The strange hostility toward Leon right from the start, and his unprecedented decision to personally appear, masked, despite usually avoiding outsiders at all costs…
Initially, I’d just assumed he was protecting the castle. But his reaction now felt suspiciously like—
“Is something wrong? Are you alright?”
When I lifted my head, our eyes met. Kalz’s golden eyes studied me with unexpected concern. Taken off-guard by that warm gaze, I blurted out the thought that sprang directly from my mind.
“Are you jealous of Leon?”
Kalz’s steady eyes visibly trembled at my question. He swiftly turned his head away and grumbled irritably.
“How did you even arrive at such a ridiculous conclusion?”
“Because it’s suspicious! Seriously, why did you even come out here?”
“I already said it was to drive him away.”
“That’s exactly what’s weird! Why risk showing yourself in broad daylight?”
“Protecting the castle from intruders is the rightful duty of its owner.”
“But according to Butler Squawk, the only outsider you’ve personally met until now was my father.”
“…Isn’t it time for your shift?”
“Not even close!”
Kalz quickened his pace, forcing me—who had the stride of a sparrow compared to his lion-sized steps—to practically sprint just to keep up.
“Don’t even try changing the subject! Admit it, you were jealous, weren’t you?”
“Stop wasting breath and go eat your breakfast.”
“Your avoidance means you’re guilty.”
“I wish you’d apply this stubbornness to your actual work.”
“Come on! Why were you jealous?”
“……”
Kalz sighed deeply and shook his head, clamping his mouth shut firmly. I continued my interrogation several more times, but all I got were dismissive responses like “shut up,” “be quiet,” or “you’ll regret this if you keep it up.”
Yet not once did he outright deny being jealous. That was so very Kalz.
Eventually, I gave up pestering him after he finally let out an ear-ringing roar—not because I was scared, of course, but because I didn’t want Leon returning to investigate the noise.
Honestly, I’d developed a rather dangerous hobby of teasing the master of the castle lately. But really, could anyone blame me when his reactions were this entertaining?
