“…So.”
Kalz, propped halfway up in bed, looked thoroughly annoyed. With his arms crossed, he lifted his chin with unmistakable irritation.
“Mind telling me what the hell is going on here?”
Thankfully, six hours later, Kalz returned to his normal form—and his memories. From that point on, I was the one out of luck. Judging by his wildly trembling pupils and his desperate attempt to keep a straight face, it was clear he remembered everything from his time as the baby lion.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Skip the nonsense. Get to the point.”
“So, um… the thing is…”
After hearing the whole story, he flashed a smile, baring his fangs. Odd. It was the first time in a while I’d seen him smile, but there wasn’t a hint of warmth in it.
“So you’re telling me you intentionally gave me water that would turn me into a kid. It was all premeditated.”
“Technically, yes. But I swear, it wasn’t out of malice. You know that, right?”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to know, but fine—we’ll talk about that later. First, I’m hitting you.”
“Wait, you’re serious?!”
“Clench your teeth.”
A moment later, I stood there with a massive lump on my forehead, glaring at him.
“Wow. Way to act like an abusive employer.”
“Be grateful I let you off with just a forehead flick.”
“You used to be so cute when you were little. What happened? How’d you grow up into such a violent man, Ian?”
“One bump’s not enough for you? Keep talking and I’ll give you one on the other side for symmetry.”
“Nope, I’m good. All set, thank you.”
“Then get to the study and finish what you were doing.”
“Yessir.”
I played along and obediently walked to the door—but this wasn’t surrender. This was securing a safe distance.
“Oh, by the way. I’m really sorry.”
“You still have something to be sorry for?”
“Remember the promise we made as kids? That we’d get married when we grew up?”
“……!”
“I don’t think I can keep it anymore. Could you do me a favor and let adorable little Ian know that pretty big hyung Briel doesn’t marry violent guys?”
“You little—!”
“The mouth you should be mad at is your own, not mine. Anyway, bye~!”
I dashed out without looking back. Just thinking about that face of his—bright red with rage—made it impossible not to laugh. These days, he avoided me like the plague, but there he was, fumbling for his slippers like he was about to storm after me. Honestly? Adorable.
Maybe I should’ve just said yes to marrying him. Kind of a shame, really.
***
The next holiday after little baby lion Ian left, I decided to share the rest of the spring water with my friends. Thanks to my thorough explanation of its effects, a few turned it down.
“Hehe, wow. It really works. I look younger!”
“Bell, this stuff is amazing!”
“Hoh hoh hoh, to think I’d experience rejuvenation in this body. Life really is full of surprises, isn’t it, dear?”
“Ho ho ho! My back doesn’t hurt anymore!”
Tea time with a baby kitten, a baby snow rabbit, and two baby squirrels—now this was true bliss. This was what luxury looked like. If paradise existed, it had to be here. I didn’t even want to blink. I held back tears and strained my eyes red, desperate to burn every moment into memory.
“Ugh, if only I had a camera right now…”
Modern technology, how I miss you. As I mourned civilization with bloodshot eyes, baby Mari—small enough to fit in a fist—tilted her head in confusion.
“Camera? What’s that?”
“Hmm, how do I explain… It’s a tool that captures what you see and transfers it onto paper.”
“Like, exactly what you see? Onto paper? That’s real?”
“Yep. It’s a bit complicated, but it works.”
Not that I actually know how. Something about lenses and apertures? I should’ve paid more attention in science class…
After a moment of thinking, Mari’s eyes lit up in realization, and her mouth formed a perfect “O.”
“So a camera is like a painter who draws landscapes!”
“Exactly! I could just draw it! Wow, Mari, you’re so clever.”
“Ehehe~”
I gave the brilliant little Mari plenty of head pats, then ran back into the mansion to grab some paper and pencils. When I came back out, I called over the baby animal crew who were toddling around on their stubby legs.
“Hey, everyone! Could you come over here for a sec?”
“What’s the paper for, Briel? Don’t tell me you’re gonna draw us?”
“That sounds great! Make sure I look cute~”
“Ho ho ho!”
I started sketching the baby seniors who had gathered around. It was a simple pencil drawing, so it didn’t take too long. The finished piece was pretty satisfying. Not quite enough to capture their devastating cuteness in real life, but still respectable.
“You’re done, Bell?”
“Want to see?”
“Yeah! …Whoa, that’s amazing!”
“Oh my, how beautifully you’ve drawn us! It’s like we’re alive on the page!”
“Ah, no, no—it’s been a while, so I’m a bit rusty. Didn’t turn out exactly like I imagined.”
“Don’t be modest. It’s seriously impressive.”
Embarrassing, sure—but compliments felt pretty good.
Humming a tune, I headed back to my room after that heavenly break.
“What’s that in your hands?”
“Ah—Kalz.”
He’d come up and spoken to me. Not too long ago, he’d run off before we even made eye contact. Things hadn’t gone exactly according to plan, but thanks to the spring water scheme, we were mostly back to how we used to be.
With one small change.
“Curious, are you? Why? Don’t tell me you’re interested in me.”
“It’s just a simple question.”
“Oh, I see. Too bad. I’m interested. In you.”
This kind of exchange had become part of our routine. And every time, it ended the same way—him falling silent. No matter how much I teased, he never answered. There was no point in pushing further, so I proudly unfolded the paper I was carrying.
“Ta-da! Portraits of our distinguished seniors.”
“Elizabeth, Marianne, and the Pitt couple? They look younger than they actually are.”
“You guessed it. This time, I added strawberry jam and made strawberry ade. Want some? I’ve got a bit left.”
“Throw it out. Now.”
Kalz still blushed a little whenever the spring water was mentioned. Guess being that obedient to me had really bruised his pride.
“Wait—you drew this? Didn’t expect you to have a hidden talent.”
“Wow, you complimenting me? So you do think it’s good, huh?”
“The models were good.”
“You know what? Fair point. I’ll give you that one.”
Even though he tried to play it cool, Kalz’s eyes didn’t leave the drawing for a second. Feeling a bit proud, I rolled up the sketch and held it out to him.
“Honestly, I’m a little attached to it… but if you like it that much, I’ll give it to you. Here—consider it a gift.”
“A g-gift?! What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Huh? A gift’s just a gift. Does it need to mean something?”
“…Never mind.”
He looked stunned for a moment, then quickly glanced away and hurried off.
Wait a minute… Did he think I was trying to woo him with a present? Oh no. I’ve created a beast with an inflated ego. This one’s on me.
But the real reason for his weird reaction turned out to be something else entirely.
“His birthday?”
“Yes. Just five days away now.”
“Ahh, so that’s what it was…”
No wonder he freaked out at the word gift. Which means… he’s expecting something. I knew it. My eyes must’ve sparkled, because Butler Squawk gave me a knowing smile, clearly not surprised in the slightest.
“If Briel wishes, I can arrange for some private time between the two of you on the day.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m sure there’s an event at the castle every year. No need to change anything for me. I was just thinking about what kind of gift to give.”
“Actually, even on Master’s birthday, we don’t plan anything elaborate. We can’t invite guests, and the staff has no practical way to get him gifts.”
“Huh. I guess that makes sense.”
“Yes. All we really do is bake a larger cake than usual and put extra care into dinner.”
So basically, Elizabeth ends up doing all the work. A graceful Russian Blue with tiny jellybean paws making a huge birthday cake—just imagining it is… ridiculously cute. Or rather, a lot of work.
“Come to think of it, does Kalz really like strawberry cake? Last time, when he was a kid and I asked what he wanted to eat, he said he wanted strawberry cake.”
“Master? Ah—so that’s what happened.”
Butler Squawk chuckled softly, as if a long-forgotten memory had resurfaced.
“He did like it, but I don’t think he meant the kind of strawberry cake you’re imagining.”
“Then what kind was it?”
“To be precise—raspberry mousse. I served it as a snack once. It was bright red, sparkling like a jewel, and he loved it. He called it a ‘jewel cake’ and said he wanted it for his birthday.”
“A jewel cake? That’s… adorable.”
“Yes. Ever since, we made raspberry mousse for his birthdays. But after we were cut off from the outside world, we had to switch to something else. Fresh berries like raspberries spoil too quickly to keep in storage. It’s been so long, I nearly forgot about it myself.”
“I see…”
It was a sweet story—but the real takeaway was that Kalz hadn’t had his favorite cake in a hundred years.
“Well, that settles it. I know what I’m making this year.”
“You’re not actually planning to make raspberry mousse, are you? As I said, we don’t have raspberries in the castle.”
“That’s fine. All I need is the recipe… and permission to leave the grounds during the week.”
“In that case, I’ll clear your schedule for tomorrow. As for the recipe, Elizabeth will teach you.”
“Thank you. Oh, and please don’t tell Kalz.”
“A surprise, is it? Understood.”
Butler Squawk covered his beak with a wing, chuckling mischievously as he followed me. Whether or not I could trust him to keep a secret? …Debatable. Considering how close he and Kalz were, I wouldn’t bet on it.
