Bang—!
The ground shook slightly from how hard he slammed the door.
“…”
A bewildered silence flowed for a moment.
The confusion, anger, and worry Lucas left behind all became ours.
And in the middle of it, Calypse sighed with a complicated expression.
“…Why… is he like that? What’s the problem?”
“I don’t know.”
Knox asked, but the Duke couldn’t answer either.
I’d been frozen with my mouth wide open like a rabbit since the moment Lucas stood up.
Gulp—
As soon as Lucas disappeared, I barely managed to swallow my food.
‘Why is he like that? At first he seemed eager to take the heir examination quickly.’
As I pondered the flow of conversation, I thought “Ah” inwardly.
There was definitely a point when Lucas’s expression turned bad.
Right when House Rillis was mentioned.
‘Does he hate House Rillis? Why?’
Knox and I hate House Rillis because of last time. That’s understandable.
But for Lucas, who wasn’t there then, to hate them that much…
‘There’s something there.’
I poked at the remaining meat with my fork, stacking it like a skewer, then ate it all at once with a big bite.
“Thank you for the meal. I’ll go see oppa!”
I immediately left the dining room, stopped by the chef to get a sandwich, and ran to Lucas’s bedroom door.
Knock knock—
When I knocked carefully—
“Go away! No one’s here!”
An irritated voice rang out.
I put my ear to the door and whispered quietly.
“Oppa, it’s me—.”
“…”
Still no answer.
After waiting a moment, I spun around and leaned against the door.
“I came alone.”
“…Really?”
“Just kidding.”
“…”
Look how murderous the atmosphere got when I said just kidding. Can’t even joke.
“Would I come empty-handed? I brought delicious sandwiches too.”
Since getting chased away a third time was not an option, I hurriedly held up the sandwich and whispered—
“…Do whatever you want.”
After a long silence, the bedroom door opened.
‘Hup, finally.’
When I entered the bedroom, all I could see was darkness.
It was still early—was he already trying to sleep? Or just accustomed to dark places?
In daylight it would look like a fairly splendid noble’s bedroom. But with only one candle lit, the room felt eerie.
Lucas wrapped himself up in blankets as soon as I entered.
“You left without eating dinner. Eat this.”
When I plopped down on the floor beside the bed, he asked carefully.
“You?”
“I stopped eating too. I brought mine so we could eat together.”
At those words, a pale face peeked out from between the blankets.
“Why didn’t you eat? At your age, you should be eating a lot.”
“Same for you, oppa.”
“…Me, well, I got used to starving for five years.”
For someone used to it, our young master’s nostrils seem to be growing larger.
Swish swish.
I smiled and fanned the sandwich smell toward him with my chubby palm—
“…Ha, really. How did I. Come out. For something like this?”
As if unable to help it, he crawled out reluctantly and sat beside me.
We left a perfectly good tea table unused and huddled together on the floor—seems like neither Lucas nor I have adjusted to noble life yet.
Munch munch—
When I bit into the sandwich with an “Ahh,” Lucas, who’d been hesitating, also ate his sandwich.
“…”
His wary eyes slowly widened.
It must have been tastier than expected—Lucas, who’d been momentarily dazed, began wolfing down the sandwich.
Good thing it suited his taste.
Now, since our Lucas is getting full, shall we get to the main point?
“Young Master.”
“What.”
“Do you hate House Rillis?”
“Cough cough!”
No.
Maybe the timing wasn’t right yet. I scratched my cheek awkwardly. But Lucas, his face bright red, got angry.
“Do you just say things like that without any preamble?!”
“But that’s what I was most curious about. Can’t you tell just me?”
Lucas turned his body away sharply.
“…You’ll tell Dad everything anyway.”
“Mm. If you tell me not to, I won’t.”
I held out my chubby pinky finger.
“…”
Then Lucas, who had turned away, slowly crept back toward the bed and stared at my finger with a wary gaze.
Why is he so scared?
The Lucas I knew wasn’t a boy who’d be scared of something like this.
“But oppa.”
“What.”
“If it’s because you hate House Rillis, you could have just said so in the dining room, right?”
“…”
“I really hate House Rillis too, so I could have bashed them together with you.”
After I asked again like that—
“…”
Lucas, who let out a long sigh, finally turned his body to face me.
“…Thinking about it, I’m more afraid than wanting to keep it secret.”
“Why?”
“Because Dad abandoned me.”
“Wha?!”
Wait. What bolt from the blue is this?
At the sudden statement, my mouth, which had been eating a sandwich, fell wide open.
“It’s true. Marquis Rillis, who kidnapped me when I was three, told me.”
Even the Marquis Rillis story comes up here?
“The Marquis made a deal with Dad to send me back for just 5,000 gold, but Dad said I wasn’t worth that much and told him to dispose of me as he pleased.”
“…Oppa. You believe that bullshit?”
“Whether I believe it or not, Dad came back for me eventually anyway. That’s enough.”
He didn’t deny it, so he seemed to believe it completely.
Well, Lucas was only three years old at the time.
Just being kidnapped would have been shocking enough—he couldn’t think rationally.
But rather than wondering how terrible Lucas’s past must have been, a different question popped up.
“…So what did the Marquis do?”
“He sold me abroad.”
The candlelight flickered. The shadow illuminating Lucas began to sway uneasily.
“After being sold over and over, I ended up at the circus.”
He pretended to speak casually, but eventually buried his face in his knees.
“…Now just seeing nobles and marquises makes me want to vomit.”
I lost my appetite. Enough to put down the sandwich I was eating.
“Lucas oppa.”
I didn’t know the wound was this deep.
Especially since he seemed fine when with Duke Calypse, I couldn’t tell at all.
‘But you suffered so many wounds over five years.’
I couldn’t dare say anything in front of him.
Whether I intended comfort or encouragement, I was afraid it would all fly at the weakened boy like arrows.
“Lucas oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Want to sleep with me tonight?”
“Wh-what?! Are you crazy?!”
Sometimes comfort doesn’t need words.
But why is this guy’s face turning red?
I shrugged my shoulders.
“I just thought you might feel alone here, but if you don’t want to, it’s oka—”
“No, I do happen to have two pillows!”
“Huh?”
Then Lucas cut off my words and jumped up.
“The bed happens to be king-size, so it’s quite spacious! But still, don’t you dare say things like that anywhere else!”
Despite his words, he’d already climbed onto the bed and was patting the empty space with his palm.
“Dandelion. And, I’m warning you, I’ve never slept with anyone before so it might be uncomfor—snore.”
“?”
He fell asleep in five seconds.
“…Lucas?”
Just in case, I poked his nose, but his handsome face didn’t even twitch.
Right. Better to fall asleep immediately than have insomnia.
“Sleep well, Lucas.”
I murmured quietly, then lay down beside him so he wouldn’t feel lonely and closed my eyes.
Before. In a past life now faded enough to be dim.
Lying in my 3-pyeong studio, I’d suddenly felt lonely.
No mom, no dad.
Relatives who didn’t want to see me.
No friends close enough to call on impulse and meet up with.
Feeling that way made me feel even more alone. So that’s why I suggested sleeping together with Lucas.
“Sleep well. Without nightmares. Shouldn’t you be having nightmares at times like this, being a handsome novel character?”
No, it’s snoring~
Pew— Pop!
A bubble even popped out of his nostrils, signaling deep sleep.
“…Gross.”
Squirm squirm—
I scooted as far away with my bottom as possible and closed my eyes.
