# 68
He hadn’t been like this from the beginning.
Initially, for the first 2-3 days, Riyekan’s desk wasn’t even next to Jin-ha’s. While Jin-ha was reading books and studying about the country of Abon, and incidentally learning common knowledge of this world, Riyekan enjoyed his laziness lying on the couch as he usually did. Taking naps, reading something like novels, watching Jin-ha read books about Abon, and munching on snacks.
But at some point, perhaps growing bored, he created his own space beside Jin-ha and started scribbling something there, and a little later, he began researching something.
When Legas returned after briefly leaving to prepare a meal, he was shocked by the sight and dropped the silver tray he was holding. The expensive silver tray rolled on the floor and the beautiful teapot shattered into pieces.
From then on, Legas’s attitude changed.
“Today’s snack is caramel pudding.”
“Y-yes…”
The arrogant magician Legas, who had looked down on Jin-ha while saying he was an important figure as long as he kept Riyekan entertained, had disappeared, and a servant who would do anything to keep Jin-ha sitting at the desk had emerged.
Legas pointed to the wagon loaded with books next to the desk and said,
“Ah, there’s a newly acquired noble directory of the Abon Kingdom there. Next to it is a book on clothing styles. If there’s any other field you’re interested in, please just let me know.”
And when Riyekan gave him a disapproving look, he immediately added,
“All under the Master’s orders.”
“Yes. So direct your thanks to me.”
“That’s right.”
Legas’s face beamed as he participated in Riyekan’s shameless lie. They were exactly the same.
Even more, from a couple of days ago, Jin-ha’s preferences were being considered in meal preparations. When food to his taste started appearing on Legas’s table, which had previously only strived to feed Riyekan, Jin-ha honestly got goosebumps. He didn’t discriminate against food, so his likes and dislikes shouldn’t have been easy to notice, yet how did they know he liked beans?
What was surprising here was that Jin-ha’s treatment had changed so noticeably despite not becoming a target of Legas’s stalking… no, worship, like Riyekan. He had merely been recognized as something like a ‘totem that makes the Master engage in research when placed in front of the desk.’ More precisely, he had been promoted from ‘the Master’s obsession object.’
Jin-ha had thought Legas was someone who only cared about serving Riyekan, but it seemed he was also someone who had no qualms about inserting his own desires in the gaps.
Anyway, Jin-ha found this situation very burdensome.
“Yes. Thank you, Riyekan…”
After awkwardly expressing gratitude, Jin-ha quickly opened a book and sat down. Soon, the sound of Riyekan scribbling something continued from the seat next to him. When he glanced over, he saw Legas beyond Riyekan, incongruously delighted like a young girl with both hands clasped together.
It was truly burdensome and uncomfortable.
Otherwise, it was satisfying. The books he viewed with his Information Eye contained a wealth of information. Occasionally, when he found Master Senistry’s notes in the corners of books, he felt guilty as if peeking into someone else’s private life, but even those notes were excellent information.
Abon was once a country that had unified half the continent, but over time it weakened, and several grand duchies became independent, resulting in its current size. It had a history of persecuting magic and conducting witch hunts, and that influence still remained, with a widespread trend of venerating knights.
Jin-ha read through a book introducing the specialties of each territory, wondering which territory his father might have been from. The thought that he might be able to meet relatives if he found his homeland territory made him feel a bit excited.
Riyekan, seeing Jin-ha so absorbed in his book that he was oblivious to what was happening beside him, raised one corner of his mouth and smirked.
“Legas.”
When he called, Legas took out a letter from his chest and handed it over as if he had been waiting.
It was a letter about negotiating the conditions for the Sea Serpent subjugation request. Originally, Riyekan had asked to handle it so that there wouldn’t be any bothersome matters related to Jeidrus, but later, thinking it over, he felt it was a loss to accept the request just because he didn’t want to see one little kid, so he was renegotiating.
“…Why is that crumbling palace doing this?”
“According to rumors, they plan to repair it and bestow it upon Mrs. Shellic.”
“What do I care.”
Riyekan replied irritably and clicked his tongue.
“This is the last time. Tell them I won’t accept unless they give the Summer Palace as payment. If another such substitute condition comes, handle it at your level.”
“Then what about the other purpose?”
“……”
He glanced at Jin-ha. Originally, he had decided to accept this request for Jin-ha’s sake. To show the Abon Kingdom directly to Jin-ha, who was curious about it.
After a moment of silence, tapping on the table, Riyekan spoke again.
“Then we’ll just go to the Ertolic territory or something.”
Legas seemed surprised but withdrew without asking further.
In fact, Riyekan was surprised at himself. To think that he would mention the Ertolic territory. And in a non-negative way at that.
That day, after Jin-ha came and sucked on his lips, whispering to him to calm down, Riyekan somehow no longer felt averse to Jeidrus. Jin-ha had remarkably simply overturned the childhood memory of feeling anxious about everything in the Ertolic family after losing everything.
It was something no stone, sheep, or anemone had managed to do until now. With Jin-ha by his side, and for the sake of satisfying Jin-ha, that past seemed like nothing.
‘Well, the touch of a satisfied Jin-ha was exceptional.’
Until recently, he had believed that the most fulfilling satisfaction came when Jin-ha reached out on his own. But reflecting on the memory of the day they went to the fairy forest, that wasn’t necessarily the case. That day, Riyekan had asked Jin-ha to caress him first, yet it was the most pleasant experience so far.
A serene satisfaction, which could be described as ecstatic, had enveloped him. Riyekan speculated that the cause was Jin-ha’s pleasure.
It meant that when Jin-ha was happy and enjoying himself, Riyekan too could attain great satisfaction.
Next time, he planned to make Jin-ha happy and then lead him to caress him first. If he was so delighted just from being shown Master Senistry’s cottage and books, taking him directly to the Abon Kingdom would surely achieve that.
Thinking about it that way, he even looked forward to visiting the Ertolic territory.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
“…Don’t look at me in that unpleasant way.”
“Oh, was that unpleasant? That won’t do. Right.”
Riyekan began to focus on his research again, leaving Jin-ha eyeing him suspiciously.
While he was looking forward to that time, Jin-ha’s current mood was also important. Because after lunch, during rest time on the couch, he planned to ask Jin-ha to caress him again.
He hummed a tune cheerfully as he read through his research materials, once again arousing Jin-ha’s suspicion, but he didn’t notice.
In the end, Jin-ha continued to be unnecessarily anxious, glancing at him and unable to concentrate on his book.
* * *
“Mr. Lee Jin-ha, your companions have arrived at the portal.”
After finishing lunch with an excellent bean dish, Jin-ha, who had been fulfilling Riyekan’s blatant request, jumped up. As a result, Riyekan, who had been lying with his eyes closed on Jin-ha’s lap, banged the back of his head on the couch.
Jin-ha, paying no mind, said,
“Riyekan, I’ll be away for a moment.”
“What? You should finish what you were doing before leaving. Is your sense of responsibility so lacking?”
“I’ll do it when I return.”
“If you make me lonely…”
“You’ll get hard, I know. But I also know you don’t get lonely in just a few hours.”
At first, such vulgar words made his face scrunch up just from hearing them, but after repeated exposure, now they didn’t bother him at all.
Jin-ha grabbed Riyekan’s ear as he was about to make another complaint and rubbed the top of his ear with his thumb. Immediately, Riyekan’s eyes, which had been narrowed threateningly, melted into a puddle.
Riyekan was inherently weak to ear touching.
“Ah… you, really…”
“I’ll just do my work and be right back, so please wait.”
Just as Jin-ha was trying to slip away after subtly melting Riyekan, his wrist was firmly grabbed before he could take a step. Riyekan, whose focus had not fully returned, frowned as he got up.
“I’ll go with you.”
“What? Why would you go there?”
“Hunter Lee Jin-ha is weak to those kids, so you’ll obviously get caught up in useless chatter and drag things out. I can’t allow that.”
“I said I’ll be back soon.”
“Let’s go.”
Riyekan pretended not to hear and instead started walking ahead, pulling Jin-ha along. When this man acted like this, even Jin-ha couldn’t dissuade him.
In the end, they went to the portal together.
At the portal, the children and Seo Ji-seop, who had returned from a week-long vacation, were moving food supplies, equipment, books, and other items they had brought from Earth. When told they could bring personal belongings, the middle school student who had been whining about wanting to sit on the floor instead of the sofa was hugging a large bean bag. Each of them was pulling a camping cart, suggesting they had experienced quite a few inconveniences during their month-long stay in this world.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
