Chapter 5

Ricky felt like crying.

‘Do I know him?’

Of course he knew!

Even if he didn’t want to know, he couldn’t *not* know.

Master of Darkness.

A peerless genius.

The strongest in the Empire!

How could he not recognize the famous Duke Panteyebe?

‘Moreover, he’s rumored to be the most foul-tempered Duke in the Empire.’

In the past, Ricky had worked as the youngest reporter at a gossip magazine publisher.

His assigned task was digging up the secrets of nobles with dirty laundry.

Tax evasion, affairs, fraud, gambling, and so on.

Since it was a dangerous job, the pay was high, but nobody wanted to do it.

But for Ricky, who had to earn money for his sick younger sibling’s medicine, there was no better job.

After all, there aren’t many ways to make a lot of money without crossing the line into crime.

In the end, he got caught by a noble whose background he was digging into and ended up dumped in this place.

Anyway, having accidentally become thoroughly familiar with noble social circles, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize Duke Panteyebe.

‘It seems he used some kind of tool to change his hair color, but…’

Because of his insane eye for detail, he had seen right through his identity.

Damn it.

‘Even if I recognized him, I should have pretended not to!’

The problem was that the absurd combination of Bramchois and Duke Panteyebe made him react without thinking.

It couldn’t be helped.

‘I’ll just play dumb now!’

Having made up his mind, Ricky tilted his head shamelessly with an innocent face.

“Haha, no. I don’t really know who you are…”

“I’m just letting you know in case, but I absolutely hate people who lie.”

“I do know you. I know you very well. I just played along because I thought it would be more comfortable for you if I pretended not to know. Haha! So that wasn’t the right tune to play?”

“Yeah. That wasn’t the tune.”

“Yes. I will correct it.”

Ricky gave a salute with his hand and nodded seriously.

A satisfied hand patted his shoulder.

“But what to do. It’s troublesome if there’s someone here who knows me.”

“I will pretend not to know. I will absolutely pretend not to know!”

“I like that we communicate well. Perfect.”

Yes? What is?

An ominous feeling crept over him.

“I happened to need someone who listens well and keeps their mouth shut. You’re perfect for it.”

I don’t think so.

…I don’t think I’m perfect for it!

But instead of saying that, Ricky just nodded with a trembling smile.

From that day on, Ricky became Undercover Investigator #2.

His job was to classify the real criminals and fake criminals among the people in Bramchois, and to organize how people ended up locked up here.

‘Ha. To think I’d be working here too…’

It was an unwanted forced employment.

* * *

“You’ve been getting close with Mr. Oliver these days? Are you two friends now?”

“Sister! Why would you say something so scary… Ah, no. Someone might be listening.”

Ricky reacted with a start at Sister Jeanne’s question and looked around with fearful eyes.

After muttering something to himself, he answered, ‘Right. We’re close. Cl-close. He’s such a good person. Haha.’

I narrowed my eyes and looked up at him.

Tch.

‘When did they get so close?’

It had been a week since Mr. Oliver came to Bramchois.

I had been visiting Mr. Oliver every single day.

“Hello, new uncwe. Your face is shining bwightwy again today.”

I would offer a perfectly angled 90-degree bow along with some flattery.

“Good afternoon, new uncwe. You haven’t eaten, wight? Mewony bwought this. Ta-da!”

I subtly offered bribes.

“Good evening, new uncwe. Should Mewony pat you to sweep so you have sweet dweams?”

I even offered my ultimate patting technique for a good night’s sleep.

All of this was a desperate effort to win a good orphanage.

But at this rate, Ricky was going to become closer to Mr. Oliver than me.

‘No. It kind of feels like he already is…’

Grr.

‘I can’t lose like this!’

In order not to fall behind Ricky, I devised a brilliant plan.

A.k.a., Operation Bribe.

* * *

“Melony, are you weally going wike that?” -> “Melony, are you really going like that?”

“Yeah.”

“Think about it one more time. Sister will carry it for you.”

At Sister’s worried words, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

‘…Do I look a bit wike a snowman? Or a fat beaw?’

My body was tightly wrapped in an orange blanket.

I guess I kind of look like a lumpy carrot…

It was a slightly funny getup, but it couldn’t be helped.

‘This is the only way to move the blanket.’

Because the blanket is too big and heavy for me to carry!

This was a blanket I cherished very much, a wittle bit softew and a wittle bit thickew than the others. -> a little bit softer and a little bit thicker than the others.

I gently rubbed the blanket with my hand.

‘Mm, soft as expected.’

It’s a blanket too good to give away, but if it’s to win Mr. Oliver’s favor…!

I opened my mouth with a determined expression.

“Mewony will do it.”

Bribes are meant to be delivered in person to be valuable.

Sister had no choice but to nod and step back.

“Go cawefully?” -> “Go carefully?”

It’s just the room next door!

‘How hard can it be?’

I stuck out my belly and pounded my chest.

“Twust only in me!”

Meaning Melony is invincible!

* * *

And, a moment later.

Huff, huff, huff, huff…

Standing in front of Mr. Oliver’s door, I gasped for breath.

“It’s hawd…”

It was a harder journey than I thought.

A child’s body is weally not easy… -> really not easy…

I thought about giving up halfway and calling Sister Jeanne, but I held it in because I thought Mr. Oliver might hear her voice.

I wiped the sweat dripping from my forehead and pounded on the door.

“New uncwe!”

…Huh?

Why is there no sound?

With an ominous feeling creeping over me, I knocked on the door again.

Bang, bang, bang.

“U-Uncwe?!”

But this time again, there was no answer.

‘Is he not here?’

Oh my god.

After all the trouble I went through to get here…!

In despair, I peeked inside. Through a slight gap, I could see the inside of the room.

‘…It wooks empty.’ -> ‘…It looks empty.’

Haa. How could this be.

I stood there silently in despair, banging my forehead against the wall.

The thought of going back like this was terrible.

‘I can’t. This time, I’ll call Sister…’

That was when.

Creak.

“Why do you always show up looking so bizarre?”

Along with the sound of the door opening, a small exclamation dropped onto my head.

I sparkled my eyes and looked up.

“Uncwe!”

What, he was here?!

“I thought you wewen’t here! I’m so gwad you awe!” -> “I thought you weren’t here! I’m so glad you are!”

Overcome with joy, I ran over and hugged his leg.

As I banged my forehead against his leg, a large hand gently slipped between my forehead and his leg.

“…I see. I’m glad I’m here too.”

Along with a quiet murmur.

A moment later.

Mr. Oliver, who had peeled me off and stood me upright, slowly scanned me from head to toe.

“So what is that? A mud monster? A little ghost? I can’t even guess what you’re trying to do.”

Mud monster?

Little ghost?

“…No. I’m not a monster, and I’m not a ghost, it’s a howy wewic.” -> “holy relic.” (Melony’s lisp for ‘present’ which is ‘seonmul’, but Oliver hears it as ‘seongmul’ holy relic). Let’s use: “…No. I’m not a monster, and I’m not a ghost, it’s a pwesent.” And Oliver hears “howy wewic”. Let’s stick to the intended lisp: “holy wewic”

“Holy relic? Sorry, but I don’t believe in gods.”

Aha, so he’s non-religious.

Ah, that’s not it.

“Not that, it’s a p-p-pwesent!” -> “p-p-pwesent!”

When I said it syllable by syllable, Mr. Oliver’s mouth twitched as he repeated the pronunciation.

P, we, sent.

“…A present?”

“That’s wight! This is a pwesent I bwought to give to you.” -> “That’s right! This is a present I brought to give to you.”

I fiddled with the blanket and said.

“It’s my favowite thing, but I’m giving it to you. It’s weally soft and wawm.” -> “It’s my favorite thing, but I’m giving it to you. It’s really soft and warm.”

“It’s your favorite thing, and you’re giving it to me?”

“Yes. I’m giving it to you.”

“…Why?”

“Because, I wike you.” -> “Because, I like you.”

“Why? Why do you like me?”

He’s burning with curiosity today.

‘I can’t exactly tell him the truth, “I like you because you’re someone who might send me to a good orphanage.”‘

After thinking for a moment, I decided to bring up a dark history I had tried to forget.

“Because… you saved Mewony. Mewony wikes good people.” -> “Because… you saved Melony. Melony likes good people.”

“Good people?”

“Yeah. Good person! Good uncwe!” -> “Yeah. Good person! Good uncle!”

Since his job is an investigator, well.

He’s definitely a good person.

But somehow, Mr. Oliver’s expression was subtle.

‘He’s smiling like usual, but…’

The curve of his lips feels stiffer than usual?