Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Even after dinner—and even after taking a bath—Calix Krauvel still hadn’t shown his face.
“Looks like he has no intention of coming today.”
Which meant I had to sleep here tonight.
A sigh escaped me automatically, but at least the soft bed and warm bedding offered some small comfort.
“I might as well sleep.”
I had been worried I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep because of the tension, but that concern proved pointless. The moment my head touched the pillow, sleep rushed over me.
Just as I was about to drift into a pleasant dream—
Click.
The door opened, and I sensed someone entering.
Who came in?
The sleep that had covered my eyelids vanished instantly.
The presence slowly approached the bed where I lay.
Thump, thump.
My heart pounded wildly. My hand tightened around the pillow without me realizing it.
“…!”
The moment the intruder grabbed the blanket covering me, I swung the pillow with all my strength.
But my opponent caught the pillow far too easily. Not only that, he snatched it away and tossed it somewhere far off.
I barely had time to react before seeing his face—and my shock doubled as I jerked upright.
“M-My lord?”
“Pillows aren’t meant to be used as weapons.”
His voice sounded no different from usual, but perhaps because of the situation, it felt especially chilling.
I hurriedly climbed out of bed and fumbled through an explanation.
“I thought a thief or some kind of intruder had come in…”
“What nonsense.”
Calix Krauvel crossed his arms and scoffed.
“There’s no way a thief could enter my castle.”
“…Sneaking into someone else’s room is basically the same as a thief.”
His tone sounded as if he were scolding me, and the words I meant to keep to myself slipped out.
I immediately regretted it.
But I couldn’t take back what I had already said.
“Why do you say this is your room?”
Fortunately, his expression didn’t change.
“This is my room in my castle.”
The childish reply left me speechless, and I could only blink.
Calix Krauvel stared down at me before speaking slowly.
“You’re the first person I’ve seen who can sleep so peacefully while being detained.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong.”
I knew he disliked people talking back to him, but I had no choice.
I had to clear up the misunderstanding if I wanted to leave.
“Why do you think you’ve done nothing wrong? You ignored my warning.”
“I didn’t ignore it. I was about to refuse when you arrived at that moment.”
“That moment? What does that mean?”
Ah. Perhaps the word “timing” didn’t exist here.
“I mean… you arrived right then. Anyway, I was definitely going to refuse. I really was.”
I spoke with exaggerated indignation.
“Fine. I’ll believe you this once.”
So that worked.
Relief filled my chest for a brief moment.
“However, someone else with impure intentions might approach you again, so you’ll stay here for the time being.”
My eyes widened at his next words.
If the misunderstanding had been cleared up, shouldn’t he send me home?
Why was he still keeping me here?
“C-Couldn’t I just go home?”
“Why?”
Why? Because I want to go home!
“Well… my father will be worried.”
“Those suspicious people might try approaching your father as well. It would be better to bring him here.”
“N-No! That won’t work!”
Despite his large build, Tabin was timid.
If he came here, he’d suffer from anxiety the entire time. I could picture it clearly.
“Besides… it’s uncomfortable staying here.”
“What’s uncomfortable about it?”
Calix Krauvel spoke as though he genuinely didn’t understand.
“This place is larger and more comfortable than your house. And the food is good.”
Reluctantly, I had to admit he was right.
Even this bedroom was larger than our living room. The bed was incomparably softer than mine.
The problem is that this man is here.
Calix Krauvel single-handedly canceled out all the advantages.
“There’s no privacy here.”
Of course, I couldn’t say that directly.
So I tried to phrase it indirectly.
“I value my privacy. If I stay here, I feel like it won’t be respected. I can’t even sleep peacefully when someone might enter while I’m asleep—like just now.”
There. He couldn’t argue with that.
“Fine. I’ll guarantee your privacy.”
I thought my words had finally worked.
But once again, he overturned my expectations.
“No one—including me—will enter without permission. So stay here comfortably.”
Five days had passed since I began staying at the lord’s castle under semi-forced circumstances.
True to his word, Calix Krauvel never appeared suddenly.
Although it was more of a notice than a request, he always informed me beforehand when he planned to visit and what business he had.
The maids’ attitudes also became noticeably more respectful.
Rather than feeling like I had been imprisoned for offending the lord, it felt as though I were being treated like an honored guest.
Even so, it was still uncomfortable.
No matter how well they treated me, this wasn’t my home.
Well… technically that place isn’t really my home either.
Still, it was Aileen’s house.
I could relax there far more easily than here.
“Commuting is convenient, though.”
When I lived in the Hunter Village, I had to leave home at six-thirty to get to work.
From here, it only took twenty minutes.
I got off work much earlier too.
Even after dinner, it was rarely past eight.
“So this is why people say living close to work is the best benefit.”
Even so, I still wanted to return home.
Leaving my room about thirty minutes early, I looked out the window.
Although it was winter, the garden was filled with blooming flowers.
The entire castle was protected by magic, so it wasn’t affected by the weather.
Because of that, District 1—including the lord’s castle—was always warm and comfortable.
“I heard magical protection is expensive. Is it really okay to use it so freely?”
Well, I suppose it just meant the lord had a lot of money.
After all, Belheim was said to be the richest territory in the Monola Empire after the capital.
But what should I do about the Main Quest?
If I wanted to go to Nubiar, I had to persuade Calix Krauvel.
But he seemed to have absolutely no intention of letting me go.
I have to convince him somehow.
I couldn’t let my life points decrease over something like this.
“Miss Aileen.”
While I was walking to work, worrying about how to persuade the lord, a familiar voice called out to me.
It was the administrator of District 3.
“Have you thought about the favor I asked you last time?”
Ah, right.
With everything involving Nubiar, I had completely forgotten about that.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can accept your request.”
Calix Krauvel had said I could accept their proposal—even the bribe—but I didn’t want to.
I hated getting entangled in dirty financial dealings.
The administrator’s face stiffened, clearly not expecting my refusal.
“Why not?”
“Well, I’m not the one who decides the construction schedule alone. If you want it that badly, I believe you should request it from the lord rather than me.”
“If that were possible, would I be asking you?”
The administrator frowned deeply as though my words were ridiculous.
“I’m sorry.”
That wouldn’t change my mind.
“Then persuade the lord for me.”
He was far more persistent than I expected.
“You want me to persuade the lord?”
“Yes. It seems the lord favors you. If it’s you asking, perhaps he’ll listen.”
What kind of absurd idea was that?
I wrinkled my nose.
“I don’t know why you think that, but it’s absolutely not true.”
“Not true?”
The administrator tilted his head in disbelief.
“Then why did the lord bring you into the main castle?”
“That’s because of people like you.”
“What?”
He looked startled.
“Because there are too many people making strange requests like you, the lord worried that I might be led down the wrong path. That’s why he brought me into the main castle.”
Thinking about it now made me angry.
I hadn’t done anything wrong.
So why was I the one being confined like a criminal?
Irritation rose from deep inside me, and my expression twisted without me realizing it.
“So.”
I took a step forward.
The administrator flinched and stepped back.
“Stop bothering me and move aside. I need to get to work.”