Confession
The next day, I went to Leon’s mansion to return the book I’d borrowed
Honestly, it was my first day off since I admitted my feelings, and I’d really wanted to stay at the castle. I just wanted to roll around on my bed, soaking in the giddiness of first love, or maybe sneak a few glances at Kalz’s mane from afar and swoon like an idiot. But since the book came from Leon’s father’s study, I figured I should return it sooner rather than later—so I dragged myself down there.
And yet…
“Bell, you came again today.”
I didn’t expect Leon to be this lukewarm. He usually greeted me like an overexcited puppy when I showed up. I handed the book over with a sulky pout.
“Just dropping by. Thought I’d return this.”
“Mm, thanks.”
“Well, I’ll head out. Got other stuff to do.”
“Ah, okay. Take care.”
…Seriously? I say I’m leaving right after showing up and he doesn’t even try to stop me? Doesn’t ask how the book was? And why is he standing beside me instead of facing me like a normal person? Anyone would think something fishy was going on.
I held out my hand on purpose, asking for a handshake.
“Anyway, thanks for everything.”
“Nah, it was nothing.”
Leon stubbornly stayed to my side, still refusing to turn toward me as he extended his hand. I grabbed it—and yanked, hard.
“Ah!”
Leon lost his balance and spun in place, stumbling. Finally, I got a proper look at his face. I grinned.
“What’s with the side-eye? You’re not a flounder or something—huh?”
Leon quickly lifted his hand to cover his face, but he was too late. Even if just for a moment, I saw it clearly.
The bruise at the corner of his mouth. The swollen cheek.
“What happened to your face?”
“It’s nothing. I zoned out and walked into a wall.”
“You didn’t… get into another fight, did you?”
“No! And ‘another’? Don’t say that—people will get the wrong idea.”
“Oh, please. That’s definitely a punch mark.”
“I said it’s not.”
“Why do you keep denying it? Did you lose or something? Is that why you’re embarrassed? No way. With your build, the other guy’s gotta be nursing at least a double nosebleed.”
“What? Hahaha!”
Leon burst out laughing, like he couldn’t believe what I’d just said. But almost instantly, his face twisted in pain—must’ve tugged at the wound. With a pained smile, he muttered,
“I got hit by someone I can’t hit back.”
By pretty much every measure, Leon was upper-class. Especially in a place like Swalter Village, he was at the top. There weren’t many people who could even touch him.
So if someone like that got hit and couldn’t fight back…
“Was it your dad?”
“……”
His silence said it all. And the fact that he tried to hide the injury from me only confirmed it.
“…It was because of me, wasn’t it?”
“No, what are you talking about?”
“Whatever the reason, it must’ve been because I went into your father’s study.”
“Not at all. It was something else. Seriously.”
His eyes were practically vibrating. Who’s gonna believe that? The guy sucks at lying. He got beat up because of me, and he’s still checking my mood?
Leon must’ve seen my face stiffen with guilt, because he let out a short sigh—like he knew there was no point hiding it anymore.
“But really, it wasn’t your fault. I just… forgot to mention I’d be bringing a friend into the study. That’s what set him off.”
“Has stuff like this happened before?”
Wait—was that why he overreacted when I got hurt that time?
I racked my brain, trying to remember if the Empire’s laws covered domestic violence. But Leon panicked, waving his hands wildly.
“No! Never! I mean, yeah, my dad’s strict—super strict—but he’s never hit me before. I think he just lost it for a second. He’s been really on edge lately.”
“Are you sure?”
“I swear. It’s just… a bunch of nasty incidents have been happening around the village lately, and he’s swamped. Now that I think about it, that’s why I went to the castle the first time.”
“You mean our castle? I thought you said you went there ‘cause of those rumors about something weird living in it.”
“Yeah. There were rumors floating around the village that all the strange incidents were the work of the ‘monster in the castle.’ So I went to check it out myself. Turned out it was all nonsense, of course.”
“What kind of strange incidents?”
“Well… stuff like wells suddenly drying up, or weird, untraceable smells wafting through the village.
At first, it was just that kind of thing. But lately, there’ve been cases that people suspect might be actual disappearances. With so many unsettling things happening all at once, everyone’s on edge.”
“Disappearances?”
Swalter Village might be considered big around here, but it wasn’t a real city. It was the kind of place where, if you knew three people, you basically knew the whole town. So yeah—if someone went missing here, that was a huge deal.
“Yeah. That’s why more and more people have been showing up to see my father. He’s been trying to investigate in all directions, doing what he can, but nothing seems to be working. He’s probably feeling the pressure. That’s why he’s been so on edge lately… Honestly, I think he was more shocked than I was after he hit me. He apologized right away—said he was really sorry.”
If Kalz had been there, he probably would’ve said something like, “If ‘sorry’ fixed everything, then what’s the point of Imperial Law?”
But as someone who grew up in a culture that deeply respects elders, I couldn’t just badmouth someone’s dad in front of their kid. So instead of pushing him, I quietly apologized.
“So it really was because of me, huh. I’m sorry.”
“I swear, it wasn’t.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Nah, it’s almost healed.”
Says the guy who can barely open his mouth. I gave him a sympathetic look, and Leon scratched his cheek awkwardly. Then, as if something clicked in his head, he looked at me with that all-too-familiar sparkle in his eyes.
“Hey… I know it’s not your fault, but if you’re feeling bad, could you do me a favor?”
…That sounded suspicious. But given the circumstances, I couldn’t just flat-out refuse.
“Depends. What is it?”
“I… want to visit the castle.”
“What? You still haven’t given up?”
Even after all that, he still wanted to come back? Forget guilt—my voice shot up without warning. Leon rushed to explain.
“I know, I know! The problem last time was that I showed up uninvited. So this time, I want to visit properly—with a real invitation.”
“Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, but it’s not like it’s my house. I work there. I can’t go around inviting people.”
“I know. I get it, really. That’s why I want to ask your hyung directly.”
By “hyung,” he obviously meant Kalz. Although Kalz absolutely hated being called that.
“But I don’t exactly have a way to talk to him. That’s why I was hoping you could pass something along for me.”
“Pass what?”
“I actually wrote it down.”
Leon looked a little sheepish as he pulled a white envelope from inside his coat.
“It’s a letter. For him.”
…What is this, a secret love confession? Even as I scowled at him, Leon didn’t flinch—his eyes were practically glowing.
“All you have to do is give this to him. If he still says no after reading it, I’ll back off for real. I promise.”
Honestly, I wanted to say no. There was no way Kalz would react well to whatever heartfelt nonsense Leon had written. The chances of this working were basically zero.
But then I looked at Leon’s bruised face—purple, swollen, and clearly from my mess. I sighed. Fine. He got hurt because of me. The least I could do was deliver a letter.
“…I’ll give it to him. But seriously, don’t get your hopes up.”
“Thanks, Bell!”
I took the envelope, fully convinced it would lead nowhere.
Leon had no idea—Kalz was way more petty than he looked. There was no way he’d invite someone he already had a grudge against, not over some letter. Still, maybe that was for the best. If this helped Leon finally give up, then good. It’d save us all a lot of trouble.
