Leon probably wouldn’t like being called “big” by Kalz either, but it wasn’t really my place to intervene in what Kalz chose to call him.
“I figured you’d gone to his house. You used to mention visiting Leon whenever you went down to the village.”
“I did, but he was the one who broke our rules first. You saw how clearly I tried cutting ties with him, didn’t you?”
“What I saw was you leaving him hanging ambiguously despite how persistently he clung to you.”
Wait, what was happening here? Why did I suddenly feel like some sort of playboy juggling multiple relationships?
“It would be awkward to meet him again right after telling him we shouldn’t see each other.”
“I see.”
Kalz responded calmly, but the way he handled his knife noticeably perked up. Was it just my imagination, or had his fur gotten fluffier too?
Could it be he was happy because I’d said I wasn’t meeting Leon? Curious, I decided to test that theory right away.
“But on second thought, it seems like I’ll have to go to Leon’s house this weekend.”
“That’s not what you said a moment ago.”
“Things have changed on my end. I’ve mentioned this before—his home library is practically a public library. Given how long his family has lived in that village, they likely have a wealth of old documents. Since it’s a private collection, there might even be a few texts that skirt Imperial Law. So, I think I should forgive him. Honestly, I’d lose out more by completely cutting ties with Leon.”
“…I see.”
Kalz’s enthusiasm visibly deflated. His fingers slowed down while slicing the meat, and his ears and eyebrows drooped noticeably. Moments like these reminded me just how easy this lion was to read.
“Wait, come to think of it…”
“What is it?”
“After last weekend, my workload mysteriously increased. Don’t tell me you piled on extra work because you thought I’d met up with Leon?”
“I did no such thing!”
His vehement denial came so swiftly that it was obvious—I’d hit the nail on the head. I’d thought his attitude toward me lately had been suspiciously similar to someone confronting a cheating partner. When I squinted skeptically, Kalz avoided my gaze and hurriedly emptied his water glass in one gulp.
I was tempted to tease him mercilessly, both as payback for the pointless work he’d given me and to poke fun at his obvious jealousy toward Leon. However, I restrained myself. We still had plenty to discuss—and plenty of food left to enjoy.
“Anyway, even though I’ll see Leon this weekend, I’m doing it for a good reason, so don’t stress about it. But just so you know—if I suddenly find myself overloaded with pointless work again next week despite warning you in advance, you know exactly what’s coming, don’t you?”
“…I have no idea what you mean.”
“Well, if you say so. Anyway, let’s move on to another topic. Earlier, you clearly said you’d help me look for clues.”
“So?”
“If you know anything about magic, tell me now. Even minor details—everything.”
Smiling broadly, I opened my arms wide. Kalz paused warily, looking at me like I was a swindler trying to rob him blind. Why was he crossing his arms so defensively? It’s not like he was hiding clues between his chest muscles.
“Unfortunately, I barely have any information.”
“Still, you have more than me, right? You’ve been under this curse for a hundred years. It’s impossible you haven’t tried looking for ways to break it.”
“……”
“Even if you don’t have specific clues, at least give me something about magic. You must have some organized records or notes, right?”
“……”
“Oh, seriously? We’ve barely started working together, and you’re already being this uncooperative?”
“…I’ll bring them to your room later.”
“I knew it!”
“But it probably won’t be as useful as you’re hoping. Most of it is just old stories or vague rumors—unreliable, shady stuff.”
“Still, it won’t hurt to check. Who knows, maybe I’ll find something useful by accident.”
“Fine. Now quit talking and eat before the food gets cold.”
Every time magic came up, Kalz immediately tried to change the subject.
Of course, I understood why he might feel that way. Nobody would willingly accept being turned into a beast, and it was probably a sensitive topic—maybe even something he considered a weakness or embarrassment. But if he really wanted to break the curse, avoiding the issue wasn’t going to help. Why was he so determined to avoid even talking about it?
Still, since he’d already agreed to provide the information, I saw no reason to make him more uncomfortable. Nodding gently, I focused my attention on finishing my meal.
“Thanks for the meal.”
Looking at the empty plates made me suddenly think of the soy-sauce beef bibimbap I’d eaten as a late-night snack yesterday—and naturally, my thoughts drifted to Ian. The thought of him alone in his dark room made my chest tighten slightly. Honestly, I tried not to picture his current centipede form too vividly.
“What’s going through your head that you’re making such a face?”
“What kind of face am I making?”
“Like someone feeling guilty about ignoring an abandoned puppy.”
It wasn’t exactly accurate, but it was uncomfortably close. Kalz could sometimes be surprisingly perceptive. Was that his animal instinct kicking in? Sure, he ate gourmet meals three times a day and slept in a fluffy bed, but perhaps a lion was still a lion at heart.
“So? What is it?”
“I was just thinking about Ian.”
“Ian…? Ah, you mean the guy who became a centipede.”
“Yes. It’s really sad.”
“True.”
Kalz quietly agreed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Through the napkin, I noticed him gently biting his lower lip. Maybe as someone who also suffered from a magical curse, he could empathize deeply with Ian’s plight.
“I feel terrible thinking about him staying alone all the time. I wish I could do something, but he hates being around others, so I’m stuck feeling helpless. It’s a little depressing.”
“Is it that serious? You practically jumped out of your skin because you thought he was a ghost. When did you two get so close?”
“That’s because I couldn’t see his legs clearly back then—I really thought he was a ghost. Wait a minute, how do you know about that?”
“Ah… Butler Squawk mentioned it. Yes, Butler Squawk told me.”
“Butler Squawk? That reminds me—I woke up in my room afterward with no memory of how I got there. I assumed a ghost had possessed me, but it must’ve been Butler Squawk who helped.”
Had that tiny parrot really dragged my unconscious body all the way to my room? There were stairs too, so he must’ve had a rough time.
“It’s late, but I should thank him properly. I wonder what Butler Squawk likes.”
“…The real effort was done by someone else, yet the bird gets the credit.”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
“Nothing.”
“Anyway, that was before I realized Ian was my coworker. It’s different now.”
“Coworker?”
“Of course. We work in the same castle. He might be on leave at the moment, but coworkers are still coworkers. Speaking of which, what kind of work did Ian do before?”
“Didn’t Butler Squawk tell you?”
“If he had, would I be asking?”
“Ian was…”
What was this hesitation? Kalz wasn’t answering right away. It probably wasn’t because Ian’s job was embarrassing like Grill’s—otherwise, he’d just say Ian didn’t want it mentioned.
Yet Kalz’s eyes darted restlessly, fingers nervously tapping on the table. A troubling suspicion dawned on me…
“Don’t tell me you don’t know?”
“…I can’t remember.”
“Seriously?”
I couldn’t believe it. No matter how long it had been, there weren’t even that many people in the castle—how could he forget Ian’s job? Sometimes Kalz really surprised me with how detached he could be.
I clicked my tongue and shook my head, prompting Kalz to narrow his eyes suspiciously.
“You know, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”
“What is it?”
“That ‘seriously’ you keep blurting out—it’s not exactly meant as a compliment, is it?”
“…!”
This time it was my turn to gulp down my drink. I quickly drained the hot tea in one shot, put down the empty cup, and hurriedly changed the subject.
“Anyway, I’m glad Butler Squawk gave permission for me to meet Ian during the full moon.”
“You mean when he’s in his human form.”
Thankfully, Kalz didn’t press further about my choice of words.
“Yes. Even if it’s just once a month, it’s better than nothing.”
“You’re planning to see him every month? It’ll be after midnight—you’ll barely get any sleep. Won’t that be troublesome?”
“I don’t mind. Losing a little sleep is nothing.”
“Why? Because he’ll be human then?”
Kalz’s eyes flickered subtly, almost as if to ask, “Do you miss human company that badly?” Honestly, what was he worrying about all of a sudden?
