HMEC 20

~Chapter 20~

In her panic, Elodie forgot she was being carried and instinctively tried to sit up straight. Losing her balance, she wobbled dangerously.

Aizen, caught off guard by her sudden movement, almost dropped her.

“Wah!”

She was about to fall from a height of two meters!

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pain—

—but in the next instant, a large, calloused, rugged hand caught her and pulled her securely into his arms.

“You need to be more careful, kid.”

“….”

Elodie found herself cradled protectively, blinking dumbly as if she really were just a child.

“You said you’d ‘seen’ people paralyzed by the neurotoxin, unable to feel anything, didn’t you?”

“Uh-huh…”

“That’s enough.”

Enough?
Was he just letting it go like that?

‘He asked if I saw it, so maybe he decided to believe I’d seen the future, like a divine revelation.’

In truth, it was from her past life.

Still, it was a relief that things had somehow worked out.
Elodie let out a silent sigh of relief and carefully rested her head against his chest.

Maybe it was because he was so big and unmoving, but in this moment, she felt completely safe.

“Was Count Hamilton really such a bad person?”
(“해미톤 배짜 엄텽 나뿐 사라미어써요?”)

“What?”

“Did you think he’d hurt you worse than just making you feel nothing?”
(“아무거또 느끼지 모타는 거 말구, 가카 더 심하게 개로필 것 가타써?”)

“Me?”

Aizen stopped in his tracks, looking at her as if she were speaking nonsense.

“That guy’s nothing but a minnow. Even if I had been poisoned, I wouldn’t have died at his hands.”

Ah, just as she thought.

Count Hamilton never seemed like someone with the grand ambition to kill the Duke of Valkyrisen for profit. He just looked blinded by revenge, acting recklessly without a plan.

‘So there must be another reason the duke died.’

Was it really overwork after all?

She was seriously wondering if she’d have to sabotage his work every day to save him, when—

“What is it now?”

“Hmm?”

“Call me Grandfather.”

Elodie blinked her big, glassy black eyes. She was so surprised by the unexpected request, her mind went blank.

“Hurry.”

Aizen tapped her nose, and only then did she snap back to reality.

“Granpa.”

“You should say ‘Grandfather,’ you little rascal.”

Whack.

Aizen gave her a light smack on her round head as he spoke. It didn’t hurt, but it left a faint tingling sensation.

You told me to call you Grandpa! I just did what you said!

Elodie pouted, rubbing her head.

“…Grandfather.”

“That’s better. Who’s worrying about whom, really.”

If she didn’t know the future, she never would have worried about him.

“If someone had the nerve to put rat poison in my food, I’d at least respect their guts. They’d be ready to swallow dynamite for the cause.”

“I don’t think they’d go that far…”
(“고까지눈 샌가 아내써…….”)

Especially when it came to someone like the duke.

He looked like the type to claw his way back from hell and grab a god by the throat if it came to it.

“Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“Didn’t you say you’d plan my meals?”

She’d only said that to play along with the doctor game, but now she was being saddled with a real responsibility!

“You should ask a real doctor, not me!”

“Where are you going to find a doctor better than a Ratson?”

“I’m still an amateur!”

“If you’re an amateur, the doctors in this castle are all parasites.”

“That’s not…!”

The physicians of Valkyrisen weren’t at fault! She just happened to know about the future!

But of course, she couldn’t explain that.

‘He’s the one who said this doctor game was pointless!’

Dragged along by the duke’s sudden enthusiasm, Elodie had no choice but to go with him.

Where in the manor would be the absolute worst place for a mouse to appear?

Who among the staff would react the most violently to the presence of a mouse?

Without a doubt: the head chef, the cooks, the kitchen assistants…

They were experts at catching and killing mice by any means necessary.

That was true in Bluewood Manor, and just as true in the royal palace of Silveria.

‘T-the kitchen…!’

Dragged into that place, Elodie trembled like a mouse caught in a trap.

Rows of gleaming knives!

Pots bubbling furiously!

Flames leaping nearly to the ceiling with ominous crackles!

And most terrifying of all…

The cooks, who wielded all those tools and could turn any of them into a weapon if a mouse showed up.

“Are we scaring you, miss?”

“What should we do? We already sent all the predator beastmen out.”

“Even the dogs and cats.”

“Butler Catrix cried…”

And yet, they were muttering amongst themselves.

Were they plotting ways to catch her, or chase her out?

She knew rationally it wasn’t possible, but her imagination, running wild, conjured up the worst possible outcomes.

Elodie clung to Aizen’s shirt like a lifeline.

The old man’s gaze briefly landed on her tiny fist and then drifted away.

“Shall we leave, then?”

Before Elodie could nod, he added naturally—

“Or will you spend your whole life being afraid?”

“….”

He knew she was scared?

‘So he brought me here on purpose.’

Well, of course. She’d just talked about people putting poison in food—usually something that happens in kitchens.

So this was the Duke of Valkyrisen’s idea of education: force her to confront her fears head-on?

Like those eagles who throw their chicks off cliffs to teach them to fly.

Sera would have just told her to close her eyes and relax until she felt safe. The complete opposite.

But in a way, it was just like Aizen.

“If you want to go back, I’ll take you to your room.”

“I-I…”

As Elodie hesitated, unsure what to choose, her ears pricked up.

Her sensitive ears caught the staff’s conversation.

“Isn’t the head chef the real reason she’s scared?”

“Me?”

The bull beastman, Tauros, pointed at himself, utterly flustered.

“I’m a vegetarian, though!”

“But you’re as big as a predator. You look scary, that’s all.”

“Should I cut off my horns?”

“Don’t even think about it…”

Just stand back for now.

The staff pushed the dismayed Tauros to the farthest corner.

They all started smiling, almost maniacally, trying to appear as friendly as possible.

Apparently, none of them realized that made them look even more terrifying.

“….”

Huddled together, exchanging such silly conversation…

Elodie realized she’d been much more frightened than she needed to be.

Her fear had completely paralyzed her reason, blocking out all sound.

“I’ll just go in.”

Aizen glanced down at the unexpectedly resolute child and chuckled.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Since the Lord put you in my care, you’re under my protection.”

Elodie remembered what he’d said about anyone putting rat poison in his food being ready to swallow dynamite.

‘How reassuring.’

As long as he was alive, there could be no better ally.

Elodie straightened her back like a mouse borrowing a tiger’s courage.

“It’s an honor to meet you, young miss. Shall I bake you some cookies?”

…To poison me?

Apparently, she still wasn’t quite ready to overcome her fears.

Her instincts screamed suspicion.

But Elodie shook her head and clamped her mouth shut.

‘If I can’t overcome this, how will I ever break the Ratson curse!’

All right.

Taking a deep breath, Elodie boldly declared:

“I’m here to plan Grandfather’s meals.”

“Pardon? Plan his meals?”

“Meals!”

“M-meals?”

Aizen, holding Elodie in one arm with his usual poker face, explained flatly.

“She means the menu.”

“I see!”

A kitchen assistant rushed off to get parchment, pen, and ink.

And then, as if suddenly remembering something, asked in a flustered voice:

“But… can you write already, miss? How…?”

What did they take her for?

Elodie was a rat, yes, but she was an elite rat.

A rat that could read—if any mad scientist or researcher had ever found out, she’d have been turned into an experiment right away.

Of course, this was her first time actually holding a quill and writing letters by hand.

Tongue poking out, she started scribbling with effort, her writing awkward and crooked.

<Meal Plan>

Wheat

Sunflower seeds

Flower powder, flower powder

Strawberries