Kalz was already having a rough Monday morning.
Why? Because he had to spend the day with someone he found hard to tolerate lately.
That someone, of course, was me—Briel.
“You’re assisting me? Seriously? I don’t need it. Go do something else.”
“Telling me won’t help. I’m just following orders.”
“Butler, did you hear that? Assign Bell to another task.”
“Hmm, let’s see if you still feel that way after this.”
With a dull thud, a massive stack of paperwork began piling up on Kalz’s desk. It was a glorious sight, a reward for the sweat Butler Squawk and I had poured into hauling it here.
“…What is all this?”
“Documents that require your signature, Master.”
“There’s no way. What in this castle could possibly need this much approval?”
“Even specks of dust pile up into mountains. You kept telling me to handle things on my own, so I temporarily approved some, but they still need your confirmation. You can’t put it off forever. I’d appreciate it if you handled them by today.”
“Fine, but… why now?”
Kalz grumbled under his breath, throwing me a quick side-eye as he muttered to the butler. But Butler Squawk was already firmly on my side.
“Why? Got a reason you can’t work with him?”
“…No.”
“So, what should I do? If you can handle all this alone, I’ll just leave.”
Kalz glanced at the stack, then at me, his eyes darting back and forth as he visibly debated his options. In the end, he accepted his fate.
“…Fine. Help me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well then, I’ll leave you two to it. Best of luck.”
Perfect. Just as planned. Butler Squawk and I exchanged a sly villain’s grin behind Kalz’s back.
And so began the oppressive silence of the study.
“Is this stack done?”
“Yeah.”
“Need anything else?”
“Nope.”
“Then I’ll step out for a moment.”
“……”
Kalz gave curt, monosyllabic answers for anything work-related and otherwise kept his mouth shut. So this is how it’s gonna be. Fine. I returned a few minutes later carrying a tray I’d prepared earlier in the kitchen.
“What’s this?”
“Can’t you tell? Sandwiches and lemonade.”
“I’m fine. You eat it.”
“You might not need food, but even you need a break. Lemon’s supposed to be good for fatigue.”
Kalz didn’t even glance my way as he muttered,
“I said I’m fine.”
“Seriously? I went through the trouble to make this. Don’t tell me you’re afraid I’ll start chatting if we eat together.”
“……”
“Wow, that’s petty. Fine. I’ll eat alone. Do whatever you want with it.”
Pretending to be offended, I set the tray down with a clatter and stormed out of the study—slamming the door for dramatic effect.
Knowing Kalz, guilt would get the better of him, and he’d eat it anyway. I waited just outside, and fifteen minutes later, heart pounding, I opened the door.
What I saw made me clasp both hands over my mouth.
Too cute!
There he was—baby Simba incarnate. A tiny lion cub, sunken into an oversized chair, turned to look at me when the door creaked open. His golden eyes, now rounder and more childlike, were filled with innocent curiosity.
Right, I should explain. But how do I put this so he won’t blow up? While I fumbled to find the right words, Kalz tilted his head.
So cute. Baby lion Kalz, you’re the best!
I nearly teared up, wishing I had a glowstick to wave like I was at a concert. But then—just as my heart was melting—he spoke.
“Who’s the lady?”
“…Huh?”
I looked around, confused, searching for whoever he was talking about. But of course, the study was empty except for me.
“Wait… Are you talking to me?”
“Yeah. Pretty lady.”
…Okay, something was seriously wrong.
***
“So let me get this straight… You made Master Kalz some lemonade with spring water, stepped out, and when you came back—this adorable little lion cub was sitting in his place?”
“Exactly. But I don’t think it’s Kalz. He doesn’t recognize me, and his personality is totally different. It’s like he’s someone else entirely.”
“I see.”
Butler Squawk smiled warmly and spoke gently to the lion cub swinging his legs on the chair.
“Master, do you recognize me?”
“Nope! I’ve never seen a talking parrot before.”
“Then… do you know someone named Almond?”
“Of course! He’s the butler’s son at our house.”
“And do you remember the butler’s name?”
“Yup. His name’s Bern.”
The butler nodded, as if everything had finally fallen into place.
“As I thought. We have a bit of a situation.”
“What kind of situation?”
“Well, this is Master Kalz, without question. But for some unknown reason, both his body and his memories have regressed to his childhood. Just so you know, my father Bern passed the butler’s position on to me when the Master turned seven.”
“So you’re saying… this really is Kalz?”
“No doubt about it. His personality, his way of speaking—it’s exactly how the young Master used to be. Hearing it again after so long brings back memories.”
While the butler smiled warmly, I was nearly in shock. That cuddly, sweet little lion cub was actually Kalz as a child? No way.
Even as I stared at him, full of disbelief, Kalz smiled brightly and stretched out his arms.
“Hug, please!”
“Uh… sure…”
It still didn’t feel real, but he was technically my employer—and so ridiculously cute I couldn’t say no. As I held him in my arms, the little lion rubbed his nose against my shoulder and giggled softly.
“Hehe, pretty noona smells nice.”
“Ahem, sorry to disappoint you, but I’m a guy. So I’m not a noona.”
“Then… pretty hyung?”
Just look at those ears twitching like butterfly wings. My heart nearly burst. This innocent little lion cub was absolutely lethal.
“When he was younger, the Master was quite shy around strangers. But it seems he’s taken a liking to you, Briel. That’s a relief.”
“Really? He’s been like this with me from the start.”
“Yup! Briel-hyung is pretty!”
“Hah… so this is his version of being shy.”
You call that shy, Butler? I leaned in and whispered so Kalz wouldn’t hear.
“He’s not going to stay like this when he turns back, right?”
“Unlikely. Once the spring water’s effect wears off, his memories should return.”
“I really hope so.”
Originally, my plan had been to stay close to little Kalz—help him out, tease him a little, and gradually melt away the tension between us.
“So what do we do now, Butler?”
“No need to overthink it. Since things have turned out this way, why not spend today as the young Master’s nanny? You were assigned to assist him anyway.”
“Me? But I’ve never taken care of a kid this young before.”
“Don’t worry. As you can see, young Master Kalz is a very gentle child. And fortunately, he seems to be adapting quickly to his current state. Plus, look—he already trusts you.”
The little lion cub was now dozing off against my shoulder, his breathing slow and steady. He really was adorable. So much so that I almost forgot he was Kalz.
Well, he’s not a baby. I can handle one day.
“Alright. I’ll take care of the young Master to the best of my ability.”
“Excellent decision. I’ll continue reviewing the paperwork. If you need anything, just call.”
Firm in my resolve, I carried Kalz to his bedroom. I figured I’d stay close until he turned back to normal. He must’ve fully woken up by then, because the moment he saw the bed, he flopped onto it and started bouncing around.
“Briel! What’s for lunch?”
Now that he knew I worked in the castle, Kalz didn’t bother with formal speech. Yep—noble kids raised in a class-based empire were on a whole different level.
“What would you like, young Master?”
“Me? I can ask for anything?”
“Yes, as long as we have the ingredients.”
“Then I want… strawberry cake!”
