“No way…”
Leon muttered in disbelief, staring blankly at the shuttlecock lying beside him. Kalz, who had taken over as referee in my place, had his face hidden behind a mask, but I could practically see the smug grin underneath. His mouth was probably hanging open in awe. How did I know? Because he didn’t call the end of the match right away—that said it all.
“…That’s 21 points. Briel wins.”
“Took longer than I expected. Maybe I’m just out of practice.”
Leon pointed at me, shouting as I calmly wiped the sweat from my face with a towel.
“How is this even possible?! Ten points in a row?!”
“You saw it with your own eyes. What part doesn’t make sense?”
“But still…”
Honestly, there wasn’t a huge skill gap between Leon and me. If we’d started the match from the beginning, I probably would’ve given up a few points. But I caught him off guard—that’s all. He hadn’t expected me to be good at badminton, and I used that moment of shock to my advantage. Plus, he’d already worn himself out playing against Kalz. Not that it mattered now.
“So, since I won, that means I get to make a wish, right?”
“……!”
Both of them turned to look at me at once. Their eyes burned with anticipation, each filled with their own hopes. But I didn’t waver—I already knew exactly what I was going to say. Smiling brightly, I looked at Leon.
“Leon.”
“Huh?”
“You can head back now.”
***
“I seriously didn’t know you were that good at badminton. You totally caught me off guard. Why were you hiding it?”
“Hiding it? Nobody ever asked. What, was I supposed to go around bragging, ‘Hey, I’m great at badminton’? That’d be weirder, don’t you think?”
“Still! And you said it’s been a while? When exactly was the last time you played?”
“I dunno. Maybe… ten years ago?”
“Ten years?! You were just a kid back then!”
Of course, when I said “ten years ago,” I meant my previous life. But Leon must’ve misunderstood, because he looked genuinely stunned.
“To be that good after playing only as a child… Bell, have you ever tried cricket?”
“Never.”
“That’s a shame. Still, no big deal. Hey, would you consider joining our cricket team?”
“Sorry, but I’m really not a fan of sweating. This is as far as I go.”
I walked Leon all the way to the front gate and gave him a bright smile.
“Safe trip. Thanks for surviving your first—and last—official visit. And just so we’re clear, you know this already, but if you ever show up again without permission, I’ll kill you.”
I ran my thumb across my throat. Leon waved his hands in panic.
“No, no! I won’t, I swear! Besides, there’s no reason for me to come back now.”
“A reason?”
“I told you—I was just curious about where you worked. I was worried about you, that’s all. What other reason could there be?”
His expression was pure sincerity. A hundred percent genuine. And just like that, I felt a bit guilty for doubting him.
“Is that so? I thought you were just trying to get close to my boss.”
“That too, I guess. But only because he’s your employer. Of course I wanted to be on good terms with him. I mean, yeah, we sorted things out last time, but I was still worried. Even if he wasn’t mistreating you, I thought maybe you were overworked or something. But after today, I don’t think I need to worry anymore.”
“Nice sentiment, but all you saw today was a badminton court. You didn’t even see me doing my job.”
“True. But your boss—he’s got a sharp tongue, and no one would call him warm, but… he let me visit, spent time with you… That tells me he can’t be treating you all that badly.”
Yeah, no. That lion wanted to kick you out with a cold shoulder. The butler and I barely managed to talk him down to this. But since things had ended on a decent note, I didn’t see the point in getting into the details.
“Honestly, just watching how you talked to him told me everything. If it were just a formal work relationship, there’s no way you’d be that casual. Frankly, it almost made me feel bad for the guy.”
“…Was I really that bad?”
Getting called out on how I treated Kalz, especially by Leon—who usually always takes my side—made me flinch. If even he thought I was being too much, maybe I had gone overboard. But Kalz just keeps letting things slide, so I always end up pushing the line without realizing it.
“That offer to come live with us? I meant it. But honestly, as long as you’re happy where you are, I’m good. So don’t worry—no more surprise visits. You can relax.”
So in the end, it was all for my sake. That’s the thing about Leon—I can never truly hate him. Sure, he’s oblivious, and yeah, he tends to do whatever he wants, but he’s never malicious. He just… cares.
If only he’d be a little less exhausting, he’d be a fantastic friend. As it is, my body was already screaming. Forget working—just getting up and down the stairs tomorrow would be a miracle.
Leon must’ve misread the look I gave him, because he fumbled and added,
“Still… I’m kinda bummed I didn’t get a proper tour of the castle. If I’d known it’d end like this, I would’ve picked up badminton instead of cricket.”
“Then we would’ve just challenged you to something else.”
“Hey! That’s not fair! Oh, right—I almost forgot.”
“What?”
Leon brushed a finger along his chin, thinking for a moment.
“Remember when I told you things were getting weird in the village? That the atmosphere felt off?”
“Yeah. You said your dad was on edge because of it. What, it’s still not resolved?”
“Far from it. It’s actually getting worse. One of the missing people… was just found. Dead.”
“He’s dead?”
My voice turned cold. A missing person was serious enough—but a death? That changed everything.
“You’re not saying it was murder, are you?”
“Doesn’t look like it. The body wasn’t in one piece, so they couldn’t pinpoint the cause of death, but based on the wounds… they think it was a wild animal attack.”
“…Damn.”
Suddenly, I remembered that night in the forest. The wolves. If Kalz hadn’t saved me, I might’ve ended up the same way. The thought sent a chill through my chest.
“And now that this has happened, the old rumors about the ‘monster in the castle’ have started circulating again. People are starting to wonder if the creature that killed him might be the so-called monster from the old castle.”
“That’s insane. There’s no way.”
Obviously. Kalz? Killing someone? The most he ever did was growl threateningly—and even that was mostly for show.
Even putting personal feelings aside, Kalz had never left the castle. There was no way he could’ve been involved.
“Yeah, I know that. But if I try to explain it to people, I’d have to reveal what I know about the castle. And we both know that’s not an option.”
“Right. We can’t let that get out.”
“Exactly. So if you want to keep this place hidden, be extra careful. If anything happens that might raise suspicion, people could really start snooping around.”
“Be careful, huh…”
I was already being as cautious as possible. I was the only one who could even leave the castle to begin with. What more could I do?
“There’s something else, too. Lately, people have been saying they’ve heard beastly howls coming from the direction of the castle. That’s probably making them even more suspicious.”
“Beastly howls…? That’s—”
Right. I knew exactly what that was. Kalz, occasionally roaring like the king of the jungle. Realizing the source of the rumors, I quickly composed my expression.
“Probably just wolves. Or bears. I’ve seen a few around.”
“Yeah, maybe. Not much you can do about that. Just figured you should know.”
Definitely useful information. If someone suddenly showed up while I was in the dark, it would’ve been a disaster. Having a well-informed friend really paid off.
“Thanks. Really.”
“Come on, no need to thank me. We’re friends. But hey… can I ask you something, Bell?”
Leon’s tone shifted. His usual teasing smile vanished, replaced with an oddly serious expression.
What now?
“What is it?”
“If you’d started working at my place instead of here… do you think you would’ve treated me the same way you treat your boss? So open. So… unfiltered.”
He looked completely sincere. I held his gaze for a moment, then shook my head.
“Sorry. That would’ve never happened.”
“Yeah. I figured.”
“It’s not about you. I just… wouldn’t have worked anywhere else but here.”
“…Huh?”
“There’s a reason I ended up here. A complicated one. And no, don’t ask—I can’t tell you.”
What would he know about being sold off to pay for a painting? Just thinking of my father’s beaming face made me sigh.
Dear Father, hope you’re doing well. Please, for the love of everything, lay off the booze and work like a mule to grow that merchant guild. Because I’m putting myself through hell just to get that one thing from you.
“Haha… now you’ve really got me curious.”
“I said I can’t tell you.”
“Yeah, I get it. Still… I hope someday I’ll get to hear it.”
Leon, back to his usual self, smiled and gave a cheerful wave.
“Well, I’m heading out. When will I see you next?”
“Not for a while. I’ve been out too much lately. Gotta rein it in.”
“Aw, that’s a shame. But you’ll come down at the end of next month, right?”
“No plans. Why?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? Don’t tell me you forgot!”
Leon’s eyes widened as he leaned in, clearly brimming with anticipation.
“That day is…”
