Awakening
Late at night, as usual, the butler was delivering his daily report in the study.
“…and that concludes everything. Oh, and there was a minor incident between Briel and Marianne, but it seems to have been resolved peacefully.”
“I already know.”
“Ah, I see.”
Two people who used to bicker nonstop had somehow grown close enough to have private squabbles. Was it thanks to those daily dinners together? Kalz frowned as he caught sight of Almond’s nostrils flaring with pride.
“I just happened to find out by accident.”
“Sure, sure. No one said otherwise.”
“It’s your expression—it’s suspicious. Just so we’re clear, that brat got the wrong idea and dragged me into it. It was an unavoidable situation.”
“A misunderstanding, you say? Now you’re making me curious when I wasn’t. What exactly happened between you two?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
“Oh, I do! As the butler, it’s my solemn duty to stay informed about everything that goes on in this castle!”
From the way he said it, you’d think Almond was the very model of a dedicated butler. But anyone could see it—his eyes sparkled with unfiltered curiosity. Was it just his imagination, or was his butler getting stranger by the day? Kalz sighed.
“Since we’re talking about it—what’s been going on with you lately?”
“You’ll have to be more specific.”
“Like today. You told me to wash a handkerchief myself. Out of nowhere. That’s not something you’d normally say… unless you knew Bell would be at the laundry.”
“Well, who’s to say?”
It wasn’t so much that Almond knew—more like he’d suggested to Marianne that it was a beautiful day, perfect for doing laundry with Briel. What Almond had envisioned was Kalz and Briel spending a sweet, domestic moment together, bonding over how to do laundry. It hadn’t played out exactly like that, but the result wasn’t half-bad.
Almond smiled to himself, satisfied with his clever setup—only to be sharply cut off by Kalz’s next words.
“And what about the treasure vault? Did you really think I wouldn’t notice that?”
This time, Almond flinched. So Kalz had figured it out—that Almond had deliberately locked the two of them inside the vault.
Truthfully, that hadn’t been the original plan. He’d only thought that having them work together might help spark a positive connection. But then…
“What’s this?”
“An auto-writing tool. It can only write pre-set phrases.”
“So it couldn’t have been used to inscribe the plate…”
“Correct. Only a quill can do that.”
“Okay, moving on. What about this?”
“That’s…”
How could they be so damn focused on work?! Locked alone in the basement, no one else around—and all they did was talk artifacts? Weren’t they supposed to open up about their feelings? Maybe flirt a little?
For an entire hour, Almond had secretly observed from behind the door, and in all that time, the two of them didn’t take a single break. They just kept on analyzing artifacts.
So Almond made a decision.
Lock them in. Just lock them in. Something’s bound to happen.
It was easy—just shut the door. He figured he’d let them out when the tension hit the right peak.
And honestly, it kind of worked. The atmosphere between them had warmed noticeably since that day. If only he hadn’t gotten knocked out cold while trying to eavesdrop on their conversation when he went to open the door—then it would’ve been perfect.
“…You didn’t say anything, so I thought you were letting it slide.”
“As if. You just passed out, and I missed my chance to yell at you.”
“Then maybe… could you try to understand how desperate I must’ve been to do something like that?”
“Unbelievable. What exactly am I supposed to be understanding here?”
“You already know.”
Kalz pressed a hand to his forehead as Almond gave him a sly little twitch of the beak.
“So now you’re not even bothering with excuses like ‘social development training’? How many times do I have to tell you to drop that ridiculous dream? You’re wasting your energy chasing nonsense—just like someone else I know.”
“Someone else… You mean Briel?”
“Yeah. The one you nearly starved to death.”
“How could you say that?!”
Suddenly accused of attempted murder, Almond flailed in protest, his wings flapping furiously.
“Sure, I closed the vault door, but I was going to let you out! I even went back to open it, and that’s when I got crushed under the door! This is completely unfair!”
“Oh really? You weren’t just lurking outside, eavesdropping the whole time?”
“…Ahem.”
“Why is it that the older you get, the less sense you seem to have? You didn’t used to be like this. Sure, the weather’s warming up, but it’s still cold at night—especially in the basement. What if that frail brat caught a cold down there? What kind of person thinks locking someone up in a place like that is a good idea? Don’t tell me turning into a bird messed with your brain too.”
“A ‘birdbrain’? Now that’s just uncalled for.”
Offended by the personal jab, Almond drooped his head and covered his face with his wings. But behind those wings, the curve of his beak clearly curled up in amusement.
So that’s what all the yelling was about—Kalz had been worried about Briel’s health. He probably didn’t even realize it himself, but all that sharp sarcasm was just another form of concern. Affection, even.
Looks like the plan worked. If another opportunity came along, Almond would absolutely strike again. He grinned deviously beneath his feathers, all while Kalz, completely unaware, finally wrapped up his long-winded scolding.
“So if you’re tired of hearing this crap from me, stop doing stupid things.”
“Yes, of course. I’ve reflected deeply. Please, be merciful and forgive me.”
“Let’s hope you actually mean that.”
He didn’t, obviously. Almond averted his master’s suspicious glare and quickly changed the subject.
“More importantly, Master—did you know tonight’s a full moon?”
“…And?”
Kalz tried to sound uninterested, but Almond could see right through him. That crease between his brows gave him away. The reason was obvious—Kalz had already been briefed that Briel wanted to meet with Ian, and he’d given permission. Tonight would be their first full moon since then.
“Like I said before, Briel will go see Ian, but there’s nothing to worry about. You don’t remember anything while you’re in human form, so there’s no risk of slipping up.”
“I wasn’t worried about that.”
“Then why do you get all tense the second I mention the full moon?”
Tense didn’t even begin to cover it. Almond was right—Kalz wasn’t just nervous. He was scared.
Because that painfully sincere version of himself from the past… who knew what he’d do to Bell this time?
He’d lost sleep for days thinking about it. Even now, when all he felt for Bell was a polite, human-level fondness, he still found himself instinctively pressing a kiss to the back of his hand. But what if, with every full moon, that affection grew into something more? What if he fell for him?
And knowing how he used to be—if those feelings did grow—he wouldn’t hesitate to act on them. Flirting, shameless wooing, maybe even… physical affection. And if Bell ever found out that Ian and Kalz were the same person…
The thought alone made Kalz’s mane stand on end.
But he wasn’t about to tell all that to Almond. The damn bird would just say something like “So you’re saying you might have feelings for Briel?” or “If you like him, just go for it. What’s the problem?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…It’s nothing.”
In the end, Kalz said nothing at all.
