“If that’s how you’re going to act, then why invite him at all? You send a formal invitation and then pull this crap—what kind of shitty manners are those?”
“Shitty…? Fine. In that case, I’ll at least serve a meal.”
“A meal? And what about you? Are you really planning to sit there eating in front of Leon with your fuzzy little snout out for all to see?”
“Snout…? Butler Squawk! This employee’s attitude is completely unacceptable. What is going on here?”
Kalz bared his fangs with a low growl, but Butler Squawk remained completely calm.
“With all due respect, snout is a standard term, Master.”
“That only applies to animals.”
“Weren’t you the one who insisted the other day that your head should be called a ‘noggin’?”
“…Now I see why that brat’s got such a bad attitude. Look at the butler he’s got.”
Kalz turned his head away with a sharp snap, clearly irritated. Not that I cared—my attitude didn’t change one bit.
“If you’ve got a problem, say it to me. Why take it out on Butler Squawk?”
“Maybe because you never bother listening even when I do.”
“Yeah, yeah. My bad. So? Is there or isn’t there a way for you to eat without taking off your mask?”
“Can’t I just pretend to eat?”
“Do you really think that’ll work? Sure, my dad never pays attention to anything and was too drunk to notice last time, but normally, anyone would realize something’s off.”
“Then what do you suggest? By that logic, I’d have to remove my mask to drink too.”
“I only planned on me drinking. It’s easy to come up with a reason for not drinking, but skipping food? That’s way more suspicious.”
“You mean you wanted the two of you to drink alone? Absolutely not.”
“Yeah, yeah, and you already shut that idea down, remember?”
Kalz’s plan, like the rest, went right out the window. That’s when Butler Squawk quietly raised his wing.
“How about this?”
Contingency Plan #3: Exercise (Proposed by: Almond)
“From what I’ve observed, Leon seems to enjoy physical activity. So, how about inviting him to exercise in the garden or an open area? That way, we don’t have to bring him inside the mansion, and after breaking a sweat, he’ll probably be too tired to hang around and go home early.”
“Oh, that’s actually a pretty solid idea.”
Among everything we’d considered so far, Butler Squawk’s suggestion definitely stood out as the most practical. I gave an honest nod of approval—naturally, Kalz didn’t like that one bit and grumbled with a sulky look.
“Do we really have to go that far? Fine. So what kind of exercise are we even talking about?”
“I don’t know yet. We’ll have to think that part through.”
“It’d be easier to decide by elimination. Since there’s only three of us, it should be a solo activity, not a team sport. No physical contact—we can’t risk the mask coming off. And nothing that needs a special field or gear either.”
“So, what does that leave us with?”
“Give me a minute… Ah!”
I ran through every sport I knew in my head—and then one clicked. But… did they even have that in this world?
***
As expected, Leon lit up the moment he heard he’d been given permission to visit.
“But it can only be that one day. Are you sure it’s okay? If you’ve got anything else going on, don’t push yourself—you can totally say no.”
“Nope, nothing at all! And even if something came up, I’d still make it happen!”
“Is that so?”
“What should I wear? Should I bring a gift? Bell, help me! What does your hyung like?”
Leon was practically bouncing with excitement—like a fairy-tale heroine invited to a royal ball. I hadn’t expected him to cancel, but with this reaction, it was crystal clear he wouldn’t.
“You’re that excited? What exactly are you hoping to do at the castle?”
“It’s not like I have some grand plan. I’m just curious—it’s your home, after all. And I still feel bad that I never properly cleared things up with your hyung. I made such a fool of myself the first time we met.”
So he’d completely forgotten about the whole arm-popping-out incident. Seriously, the guy was ridiculously positive.
“So we’re the ones handling all the preparations, huh?”
“You don’t need to prep anything. Just be yourselves—that’s more than enough.”
He meant it sincerely, but I sighed on the inside. If it were that easy, we wouldn’t be jumping through all these hoops.
“Then don’t worry about a gift, either. But do wear something practical—no dressing up for show. You’ll need clothes you can move around in, that won’t tear if you run or sweat.”
“I mean, sure, but… why?”
He tilted his head, curious. I gave him a harmless smile, doing my best not to look suspicious.
“You’ll see when you get here.”
***
“Thanks so much for inviting me!”
“…So you really came.”
Seriously? He was the one who gave the green light, and now this? I jumped in between the two with a quick smile, playing the role of gracious host.
“Welcome! You got here right on time.”
“Feels weird being the guest for once. I’m kinda nervous.”
Thankfully, Leon didn’t seem to mind Kalz’s cold reception. In moments like this, his innocent enthusiasm was a real blessing.
“Hey, what’s that you’re holding?”
“Oh—yeah, I know you said no gifts, but I just couldn’t show up empty-handed.”
He was carrying two large paper bags, both stuffed full.
“This is the cake you liked last time. I brought plenty so everyone could have some, but I hope it’s enough.”
“I told you there was no need for this. You carried this all the way up the mountain? That couldn’t have been easy. Thanks.”
“Hmph.”
What the hell was that snort? I shot Kalz a side-eye, and he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“Since when were you so polite?”
So that’s what this is about—he doesn’t like my polite host act. Still, whispering in front of a guest? Really? At his age?
Keeping my smile perfectly intact, I elbowed him hard in the ribs. I felt him flinch from the hit, but I ignored it and turned smoothly back to Leon.
“What’s in the other bag?”
“Oh, this? It’s for your hyung. Just a small thank-you gift for letting me visit.”
“Totally unnecessary—”
“It’s nothing big. Just some books.”
“…!”
Kalz had clearly been about to brush it off, but the moment Leon said books, his mouth clamped shut. Leon pulled out a few thick hardcovers from the bag and handed them over.
“I heard you’re not into fiction, so I brought a few on culture. They’re new releases, so I figured you probably didn’t have them yet. Do you like them, Hyung-nim?”
“…Not bad.”
“Phew. Glad to hear it.”
There it was—the highest praise we were going to get. His body was mostly hidden by clothes and that mask of his, but I still saw it. The slight twitch of his ears, the subtle swish of his tail. The mood lightened immediately.
“You’re still looking strong as ever, Hyung-nim.”
“I told you not to call me that.”
“But I don’t know your name.”
“Then just don’t call me anything.”
“So you’re not planning on telling me. Got it, Hyung-nim.”
At least they were speaking in full sentences now. That alone was progress. We strolled through the garden, and soon arrived at our destination.
“Is this… a sports court?”
“Bingo. Since you’re here, we thought we’d get a little exercise in.”
“Exercise? I’m in! That sounds fun!”
As expected, musclehead Leon was thrilled. Perfect. Everything was going according to plan. I picked up the gear we’d prepped earlier and flashed a grin.
“Hey, you ever play badminton?”
Yup. After hearing Butler Squawk’s proposal, the sport I landed on was badminton.
All you needed was a racket, a shuttlecock, and a little open space. A game nearly every Korean had played at least once. It was low-contact, easy to set up, and perfect for our situation.
When I asked if it existed in this world, Butler Squawk had been surprisingly enthusiastic.
“Indeed. That would fit the conditions perfectly. We have a set of rackets in storage. I’ll retrieve them.”
“You really have rackets?”
“Yes. The castle staff used to play from time to time. Occasionally, we even held small tournaments. Though that was ages ago.”
“Wait, really? First I’ve heard of it.”
“We should have a net as well. I’ll arrange to have a court set up in the clearing.”
With help from Jack and Grill, we managed to throw together a decent-looking court. When Leon heard what sport we’d chosen, he frowned slightly.
“Badminton, huh…? I’ve never played before. What if I suck?”
“Don’t worry. You’re not the only newbie here.”
“Wait—Bell, you’ve never played either?”
“Not me. Him.”
All eyes turned to Kalz, who responded with his usual charming sarcasm.
“What? Got a problem with that?”
“Of course not. This is great. I feel extra confident now, Hyung-nim.”
I gave them a quick rundown of the rules—not the official version, just the casual, backyard kind.
Hit the shuttle over the net. Keep it going back and forth. Try not to let it drop. That’s it.
This wasn’t a tournament—it was just for fun. No need to get technical.
Leon and Kalz both gave their rackets a few practice swings, then nodded.
“Yeah, I think I’ve got the hang of it.”
“Doesn’t look too complicated.”
“Right? So why don’t you two warm up a bit—just start rallying lightly.”
“Just the two of us? Bell, aren’t you playing?”
“I’ll sub in later. Whoever gets tired first can switch out with me.”
Total lie. I had zero intention of playing against either of them. Whether it was Leon or Kalz, I already knew I’d be dying five minutes in. Honestly, I hated sweating more than anything.
