Chapter 61
Chapter 61
“Um… Sir Miron, please keep what I just said a secret from the lord.”
Calix Krauvel was already on edge, worried that I might leave Belheim. If he heard something like this, he would surely become even more wary.
At that point, instead of giving me a house, he might just keep me from leaving the territory at all.
Just imagining it was terrifying.
“If Miss Aileen does not tell Archduke Krauvel that you met me today, then I will also remain silent.”
“I won’t say anything.”
When I immediately answered, Miron gave a faint smile and said he would keep his mouth shut as well.
“But Miss Aileen is also calling me by my name.”
“Huh? Miron isn’t your surname?”
Miron nodded.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought it was your family name.”
“It’s fine since you didn’t know. You can just call me properly from now on.”
But what was this man’s name again?
I remembered it started with “E,” but I couldn’t recall the rest. Since I thought I would never have to call him again, I had completely forgotten.
“Um… since it’s already like this, would it be okay if I kept calling you Sir Miron from now on?”
I couldn’t bring myself to admit I had forgotten his name, so I brazenly pushed forward.
“Everyone else calls you Sir Miron too. If I alone call you something different, people might think it’s strange.”
“Then may I call you Aileen instead of Miss Aileen?”
Huh? Why was the conversation going that way?
“Miss Aileen can just call me Miron comfortably.”
“I don’t think we’re quite close enough for that yet…”
“We’re already sharing a secret each. Doesn’t that make us close?”
I tried to draw a line, but Miron stepped right past it without hesitation.
Ugh, this is awkward. I was the one who said I would call him by name first, so refusing now felt strange.
“Alright… fine.”
We were only going to see each other briefly anyway. It probably didn’t matter.
When I accepted, Miron smiled as if he was genuinely pleased.
That damned elf had not even left yet, and another unwelcome guest appeared.
“Why are you here again?”
Calix frowned deeply as he glared at Raellion, who was calmly sitting on the sofa in the office and drinking coffee.
“Why else? I came to see a friend.”
Raellion continued speaking as though he were used to this kind of reception.
“I didn’t expect Miron to come all the way here.”
When Raellion called the elf by name so casually, Calix’s eyebrows rose.
“You’re close with that elf?”
“Curious?”
“It’s less curiosity and more confusion. That sly elf being close to someone like you doesn’t make sense. Ah, or is he close with Lion, not you?”
“No, that’s not it!”
Raellion sprang to his feet, clearly offended.
“Miron is close to me, not Lion. He’s closer to me.”
“Fine, fine. Just explain how you’re close.”
Raellion glared at Calix with displeasure before speaking.
“How we met was—”
“In one sentence.”
Seeing that the story was about to drag on uselessly, Calix interrupted.
“…You really are insufferable.”
“I know.”
Raellion sneered, but it had absolutely no effect on Calix.
“I went to the Elf Forest two years ago and happened to run into him.”
Raellion summarized it briefly, just as Calix had demanded.
Calix frowned, clearly not understanding at all.
“Explain in more detail.”
“No. You said one sentence.”
Raellion stuck out his tongue, then turned around and walked out of the office.
Even as he gets older, he’s still childish.
When would he ever grow up?
Clicking his tongue, Calix resumed the work that had briefly stopped due to the unwelcome visitor.
Even after we agreed to call each other by name, Miron kept appearing at the construction site.
It was a little annoying, but since he simply watched quietly without interfering and then left, I let it be.
Maybe that was the problem.
“It’s been a while, Miss Aileen.”
Even the suspicious man showed up at the construction site. I looked at him with an uneasy expression.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Yeah. An elf you know well too.”
If it was an elf I knew, there was only one.
“Ah, there he is!”
As expected, the elf the suspicious man mentioned was Miron. He waved enthusiastically and ran toward him.
Apparently their friendship wasn’t one-sided, because Miron also greeted him warmly.
I thought he came to do something strange again, but I guess not.
Feeling relieved, I returned to work, but then I sensed someone staring at me.
Miron met my eyes and gave a strange smile before whispering something into the suspicious man’s ear.
The suspicious man’s eyes widened as he looked at me.
Judging by the reaction, it probably wasn’t anything good.
“Are you building a drainage channel?”
The suspicious man walked over to where I was and asked.
Miron still watched from a distance.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So you just dig the ground and let the rainwater flow out?”
Why was he suddenly interested in drainage channels?
“No. The angles have to vary slightly…”
It felt a little suspicious, but if I didn’t answer, he would probably keep bothering me, so I gave a rough explanation.
“Oh, you even have to calculate those small details. That’s fascinating.”
The suspicious man let out a genuine exclamation of admiration.
“But the drainage channel is bigger than I expected. Wouldn’t someone fall in while trying to cross to the other side?”
Why was he asking such reasonable questions all of a sudden?
“That’s why we’ll install a fence and build a small bridge in the middle.”
“A bridge?”
The suspicious man’s eyes sparkled.
“You can build bridges too?”
“I won’t be the one building it. The craftsmen here will—”
Before I could even finish speaking, Raellion turned to Miron.
“Miron! Miss Aileen says she can build bridges too!”
Honestly, can’t he listen until the end?
I was an idiot for briefly thinking he was normal.
“You can build bridges as well?”
As Miron approached and asked, I swallowed a sigh and shook my head.
“No.”
“Huh? You just said you could.”
The suspicious man asked again.
“I only give instructions. The craftsmen from the workshops are the ones who build the bridge.”
“Wouldn’t you have to know how to build it to give instructions?”
“Giving instructions doesn’t mean I know how to build everything. And don’t casually call me ‘you.’”
When I snapped with my eyes wide, the suspicious man flinched and hid behind Miron.
Miron flinched too.
For a moment I wondered if I was really that scary.
But that wasn’t the reason.
“What are you doing here?”
Calix Krauvel had appeared behind me.
“I-I got bored staying in the castle, so I came out for a short walk.”
“That’s right. Getting some fresh air is good for both the body and mind.”
“A walk at a construction site?”
When Calix Krauvel asked as if their excuse was ridiculous, the two exchanged glances and quietly stepped back.
“Ahem. Well, since we’ve finished our walk, shall we head back now?”
“It just so happens that it’s time for my nap as well, so that sounds good.”
The two ran off as if their tails were on fire.
Are they really that afraid of him?
I glanced sideways at him, and unfortunately our eyes met.
…His gaze really is filthy.
“What were you talking about with those two?”
“They were curious about how the drainage channel is built, so I explained it.”
“That’s all?”
When I nodded, one of his eyebrows lifted slightly.
He didn’t seem to believe me.
Then again, even I didn’t understand why they were interested in a drainage project.
“From now on, don’t talk to those two.”
“Understood.”
It was exactly what I wanted anyway, so I answered immediately.
But for some reason, he stared at me.
“How far has the drainage construction progressed?”
He began walking toward the construction site where the workers were busily working.
“Currently the excavation work has been completed…”
I followed behind him and reported the situation.
Calix listened carefully, then suddenly stopped.
“…It’s still bothering me.”
He muttered as if speaking to himself, then turned toward me.
And then he reached his hand toward my face.
What…?
I flinched and stepped back, but his hand was faster.
His fingers brushed across my cheek, coming away with mud on them.
“You’re careless.”
Calix Krauvel chuckled and flicked the dirt off his hand.
It was embarrassing that I hadn’t even noticed the dirt on my face, yet at the same time something in my chest tingled strangely.
Avoiding his gaze, I rubbed the spot his hand had touched.