“We still have some time, so let’s think this through a bit longer. If worst comes to worst, Leon and I can head down to the village alone.”
“Just the two of you? Wouldn’t that still be dangerous? We’re chasing a murderer, after all. Ah—why don’t we gather more people instead? The village has a neighborhood watch.”
“We can’t do that. How can we trust anyone enough to share information when we don’t even know who the culprit is?”
“Oh, right. It would be a disaster if the culprit ended up among the people we recruited.”
“Exactly. And just as importantly, we can’t let it slip that we’re hunting for the murderer. If they start being more cautious, they’ll become harder to catch. Worse yet, if they get spooked and disappear entirely, we’ll lose the only chance to clear the castle’s suspicion.”
“Understood. I’ll be extra careful when asking around, then. I’ll keep it subtle.”
“And make sure to convince the villagers not to visit the castle.”
“Leave it to me. Well, I’ll be going now. If I stay too late, Butler Squawk might start interrogating me.”
Out of courtesy, I walked Leon to the front gate. Bags and clothes I’d forgotten earlier were scattered haphazardly on the ground in front of the castle. As I gathered them up and headed back, I noticed a subtle look of relief on Kalz’s face, who was standing by the entrance.
But if he thought I’d just let it go like this, he was sorely mistaken.
“Now it’s our turn to talk,” I said firmly.
Kalz flinched noticeably.
“You have something to tell me, right?”
“…Let’s talk inside.”
“No. Let’s talk right here. I need to hear what you have to say before deciding my next move.”
Kalz nervously grabbed the other end of the bag I was holding. Cute. I had to tighten my cheek muscles to keep from smiling.
In truth, with all the chaos Leon caused, I’d nearly forgotten I was angry with Kalz. I hadn’t actually intended to leave the castle permanently. My original plan was simply to stay in the village for a few days, just enough to worry Kalz before coming back.
In fact, I even felt slightly guilty that my small act of rebellion had indirectly led Leon to uncover Kalz’s true identity.
But Kalz didn’t know that. At the very least, he owed me an explanation for hiding the copperplate.
“Can’t we just go inside first? Someone might show up again.”
“We’re already inside the gate. How would anyone get in?”
“They could climb the wall.”
“Kalz, that wall is taller than you. How exactly would someone climb it?”
“Maybe if they jump really well…”
His voice faded as even he realized how ridiculous that sounded. Honestly, he looked so pathetic right now that I almost took pity on him.
Eventually, we returned to the study. I sat down, legs crossed and arms folded, and fixed him with a firm stare.
“So, why did you hide the copperplate?”
“Because I thought it wasn’t necessary.”
“Oh, you assumed I wouldn’t be able to break the curse anyway, so you decided not to tell me?”
Should I stand up right now or not? Kalz must’ve noticed my eyes narrowing because he quickly added an explanation.
“As you’ve probably seen, the copperplates we have don’t reveal the critical details for breaking the curse. So, I thought it pointless to mention until we found the final plate.”
“Is that really all?”
“…I didn’t want you to suffer from false hope. No—more honestly, I didn’t want to have hope.”
…Maybe I could hear a bit more.
“I assumed you’d eventually give up. You’re not bound to the castle like I am. In two years, you’ll be free to leave. Why would you obsess over something without a clue? But then you suddenly said something completely absurd.”
By “absurd,” I knew he meant my confession.
“I convinced myself you must be mistaken. You’d simply confused the affection from spending time together with something else. I still think that way.”
“What? Seriously? Ignoring someone else’s feelings has limits, you know!”
“Exactly. Limits—that’s the perfect word. Such feelings aren’t meant for someone like me.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
A bitter smile tugged at Kalz’s lips.
“Believe me, I’ve been desperately trying to think that way ever since you said you liked me. But now…even I don’t know my own feelings anymore. Every time I see you, something keeps changing. Ridiculous desires keep surfacing.”
His golden eyes flickered nervously. Despite his obvious unease, he held my gaze, as if silently begging me for reassurance.
“So, you’re finally letting yourself hope?”
“…Yes.”
“Why? Because of me?”
I hadn’t actually expected an answer—I assumed he’d simply clam up like always. But, to my surprise, he nodded again.
“…Yes.”
This was a first. Kalz had never before responded positively to my teasing.
“Earlier, you told me not to call myself a monster anymore. Yet, I’ve spent a hundred years believing that’s exactly what I am. But now…”
A shadow crossed his expression, making him look exhausted—pained, even.
“When I’m with you, I feel like maybe I’m not a monster. As if I could be just a normal person. You’re the one who makes me feel that way.”
“……”
“That’s why I’ve started hoping. I’ve spent my whole life believing these feelings weren’t for me, that I didn’t even need to understand them. But now… maybe…”
Was Kalz hoping to break the curse through true love, or simply wishing for a future with me? Honestly, either was fine. Just seeing him reveal his true emotions was enough to dispel my lingering frustration. Really, falling in love was annoyingly complicated.
I cupped his face in my hands, gently lifting his cheeks. His face, slightly squished and looking down at me with that forlorn expression, was unbearably cute.
“Let me remind you once again—you’re not a monster.”
“……”
“Sure, you have a lion’s head, you’re huge, your personality’s rotten, and you’re petty beyond belief—but none of that makes you a monster. Got it?”
“…I suddenly think being a monster might be preferable.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m kidding.”
His eyes crinkled into a bright smile. I hadn’t seen him smile like that in a long time. It suited him. I wished he’d smile like this more often. Playfully, I poked him in the side.
“Then, does this mean we’re officially dating from today onward?”
“What nonsense is this?”
His joyful expression vanished instantly. I’d only meant it as a joke myself, but his stern reaction made me feel awkwardly embarrassed.
“How did you even come to that conclusion?”
“Wasn’t that a confession just now?”
“Not at all.”
“Really? Let’s recap: you desperately clung to me when I tried to leave, you risked pain by breaking your secrecy to Leon because of me, and you’ve started hoping for something you’d given up on—all thanks to me. And you still claim that’s not a confession?”
I counted off each point on my fingers, but Kalz remained stubborn.
“You’re overthinking things. Just take my words as they are.”
“Don’t regret it later. Being honest is easier, you know.”
“…Have you thought about how we’ll investigate the wolves?”
Again with the topic change. Ignoring his attempt at evasion, I casually drew small circles on his chest with my finger.
“If you just admit we’re dating, we could do all sorts of interesting things.”
CRASH!
Startled, I jerked back. Kalz had leaped up from his seat so forcefully that the chair toppled backward. I nearly sprained my finger.
“That’s enough for tonight! Let’s rest now and discuss our plans tomorrow morning!”
“Already? But we haven’t even had dinner yet.”
“I’m not hungry, so eat whatever you’d like.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll just skip dinner, too.”
I didn’t mean it, but it worked perfectly.
“…Fine. We’ll have dinner first. I’ll see you in the dining hall.”
Kalz hurried out of the study, arms and legs moving stiffly together—yet somehow, his awkward strides carried him away swiftly.
“So, you’ll force yourself to eat dinner just to make sure I don’t starve, but we’re still not dating, huh?”
Well, let’s see how long he could keep denying it. Smiling to myself, I leisurely followed after him.
