Chapter 28
Chapter 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Awkward Encounters
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rub Mansion underwent a massive change one day.
"Hasn't Lady Lami been acting strange lately?"
"She used to just avoid us entirely."
"Now... what should I even call it? I don't know how to act around her... Kyaa!"
The maids, walking along the first-floor corridor while chatting about Lami's recent odd behavior, suddenly clapped their hands over their mouths in shock.
"Hello?"
It was because Lami had appeared before them with the most awkward expression imaginable, waving stiffly in greeting.
Normally, if she spotted the maids passing by, she'd hide under a hallway side table or leap out a window—definitely strange.
Lami offered her greeting with movements that were either precise or choppy—hard to say which—then brushed past the maids.
Once she was a safe distance away, the maids stared at her retreating figure before huddling close to whisper.
"She really is acting weird, right?"
"She never even walked these first-floor corridors before."
"Right? This is the first floor!"
The maid who cried out in surprise went pale, her face like she'd seen a ghost. It was that rare to spot Lami striding boldly through the first-floor halls.
Lami's eccentric behavior had started precisely after she'd spent a full day embracing her sheep side.
Before, even when spending time with Ed, she'd stuck to her room, secluded garden corners, or spots the servants rarely visited.
But now, she'd changed.
She roamed every corner of the mansion now, greeting any servants she ran into with that same painfully awkward expression.
"Is she doing it on purpose?"
"I hardly see her in her room anymore these days."
The maids began speculating wildly about why Lami had suddenly changed. But none could guess the real reason.
A smug smile played on my lips as I climbed the stairs from the central hall to the second floor.
'Nailed another greeting today!'
It had been several days since I'd launched my full-on campaign to cure my carnivore beastkin phobia. I was deliberately throwing myself into fear-inducing situations left and right.
I focused on the first floor, where servants bustled most, walking its corridors far more than the second floor's. And whenever I crossed paths with mansion staff, I'd greet them.
But it was still tough. Like right now.
"This afternoon's training schedule is..."
The Rub Family knights passed by in their dark navy uniforms embroidered with gold thread. I ducked behind a pillar connected to the training grounds, peeking out just enough to watch them go.
'Knights are still too much.'
I could manage greetings when passing maids or kitchen cooks, but the knights? Just seeing them made me hide on instinct.
Maybe because everyone at the Morton mansion—including the knights—were sheep beastkin and looked gentle enough. But these knights all had sharp, intimidating features.
"Here to see me?"
A sly voice came from behind. I startled, flailing as I whipped around to find Billy standing there, sword in hand and sweat beading on his forehead.
The blade gleamed coolly, and despite the mild weather, he'd clearly trained hard—sweat trickled down his face, gathering at his chin. My gaze followed that droplet naturally.
Maybe because of the training, he wasn't in his usual shirt today. Everyone else wore long sleeves in this weather, but his short-sleeved attire stood out, revealing arms I'd never noticed before—toned and distracting. I forcibly shifted my eyes away and said,
"That sword... it's pretty."
Oh no! My honest thoughts slipped out. I'd meant to ask if he was training with such a hefty-looking sword, but seeing his face pulled something else from me instead.
I jolted, scrambling to cover my blunder, when Billy raised the sword high, angling it into the sunlight and squinting one eye.
It looked like the light was bothering him, but even that pose was like a painting.
"You like ones like this, huh."
"Y-yeah, well..."
I mumbled vaguely, rolling my eyes. Truth was, I had zero interest in swords. But pretending to compliment it beat admitting my slip-up.
Billy shook his head side to side to flick off some sweat, then wiped the droplet from his chin with the back of his hand as he approached me.
"Do you train in swordsmanship separately?"
I steadied my nerves as best I could and spoke calmly. I'd assumed a beastkin as magically gifted as Billy wouldn't bother with sword training.
I should've realized from the muscles rippling under his shirts before. But it hadn't crossed my mind.
Billy flashed an unusually refreshing smile today as he sheathed his sword and replied,
"I didn't show much talent for magic as a kid."
"Really?"
Shocking. Billy, the one said to stand equal with the current Magic Tower Lord—no magic talent as a child?
He stretched his arm past my face to brace against the pillar, legs crossed casually as he looked down at me and continued,
"Think of it like Ed's situation. So I poured all my time into swordsmanship."
"Ah, I-I see."
Billy was suddenly too close, throwing off my responses. A breeze carried his scent—subtle, teasing my nose.
I'd expected a sour sweat smell, but it was just crisp and inexplicably pleasant.
Whether he'd meant this pose or not, Billy kept talking. Roughly: as a kid, he hadn't known he had magic potential, obsessed over swordsmanship, and only later awakened his magic abilities.
I missed chunks, too distracted to focus properly.
"...Which is why I'm proficient in both swordsmanship and magic."
He gazed down at me with serious eyes.
"That's how I plan to educate Ed, too."
Teaching swordsmanship on top of magic to Ed, who was just starting proper lessons? I worried he'd struggle to keep up.
"That'll be tough..."
"To inherit the Rub Family headship, he has to handle this much."
His expression softened from before as he pulled his hand from the pillar and pocketed it. I let out a relieved sigh, gathering my scattered wits.
Ed had come downstairs lately just to catch sight of Lami, who now roamed the first-floor corridors often.
While poking around the first floor in search of her, he abruptly halted near the training grounds. He'd spotted Lami and Billy together up ahead.
'What are they doing?'
A few days ago at the shelter, he'd absentmindedly introduced Lami as his mom. Of course he liked her, but he didn't see her as his actual mother.
His mom and Lami were entirely different. So after returning to the mansion, he'd apologized for putting her in an awkward spot.
Lami had laughed, saying she could be his mom anytime he wanted but had been a bit surprised at the shelter.
I'd expected a scolding or at least a stern "don't do it again," but her warm response melted his heart.
After that, she'd been a touch gentler with him than usual. Maybe it was his imagination, but her curt, frosty remarks had decreased too.
Her, who spat nothing but barbs back at the Morton mansion, changing like this? Astonishing.
'Because of Uncle?'
Ed watched the two standing close and spun his own theories.
He didn't want to see Lami meet some other man, marry, and leave the mansion. That's why he'd decided to play matchmaker—but the shelter slip-up calling them mom and dad had been too hasty.
He analyzed coolly.
'They both seem to like each other.'
Then they should just get married, right?
No matter how clever Ed was—practically an adult in a kid's body—he was still a child.
In his eyes, Lami was conscious of Billy, and Billy treated her differently from other beastkin. That had to mean they liked each other.
If the adults weren't honest about their feelings, he'd just help them realize it.
That's why he'd cast a spell to make Billy's hand slip on the pillar.
He expected it to send Billy tumbling toward Lami, but Billy instantly regained his balance and pocketed his hand.
'Ah, so close.'
Not that? Maybe a different method? As he pondered, he felt Billy's gaze turn his way.
Ed, peeking from behind the wall, flinched at Billy's eyes.
His magic still didn't work properly on his uncle. With that hard lesson learned, Ed left the pair behind and headed to his room, regret heavy.
The moment he entered, he dragged over a chair, slumped into it, propped his chin, and sank into deep thought.
'How can I get them together?'
Just then, servants announced a visitor. Nick, who'd never once visited Rub Mansion first since Ed arrived.
Ed hadn't thought much of it upon hearing—after all, Nick and Billy were close.
But he soon realized he'd let his guard down big time.