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Chapter 6
“……”
All of a sudden, As fell silent.
As if startled, he stood rooted to the spot, then slowly turned his head.
“…I.”
He drew in a breath before continuing.
“I was rude. Please forget what I just said.”
“Huh? Uh, o-okay.”
It didn’t really seem rude to me, though.
I tilted my head, but since As himself said so, I just let it go.
And then, at that very moment—
Gasp.
I finally realized what kind of dish was being born under my hands.
…This is capsaicin stew!
I clutched my head in despair.
Was it because I’d been spacing out half the time while cooking?
Relying only on instinct, I had absentmindedly poured in a mountain of pepper powder and made a stew far too spicy…
Normally, when I was alone, I would cook extra spicy food to suit my own taste. That old habit had kicked in.
I meant to only cook mild food whenever As was around!
Panicking at the sight of the finished stew, I scrambled for another pot and shouted,
“A-As, wait a second! I’ll whip up a proper breakfast right away!”
“…Isn’t the stew already finished?”
As, who had paused, looked toward the pot simmering on the stove.
I awkwardly laughed as I pulled some stock from the fridge.
“This is… uh, it’s really spicy. It won’t suit your taste.”
The people here, who usually preferred rich and greasy food, were weak to spicy flavors.
And for a child, that should be even more the case.
But contrary to my worries, As replied with a calm face,
“It’s fine. I can handle spicy food.”
“But still…”
“So there’s no need to make a new one when this is already done.”
But this stew was made exactly to my taste—it had to be really spicy for a kid…
I kept sneaking worried glances at As.
Yet, because As was so firm about it, I had no choice but to set the new pot back down.
While I ladled the stew into bowls, As helped set the table.
Carrying two bowls of steaming stew to the dining table, I watched his movements closely.
His hands moved with surprising skill for a child.
Has he done a lot of housework before?
Could it be… he wasn’t actually from a noble family?
No matter how much I speculated, without As’s answers, nothing could be certain.
I stopped guessing and instead watched him as he took his first bites of the stew.
And it wasn’t a lie—As really could handle spicy food. He ate without the slightest change in expression.
Relieved, I joined in, and while eating, I made small talk. As didn’t talk much, but he wasn’t cold either—he responded just enough.
That was how breakfast wrapped up peacefully.
As I cleared the dishes, I asked,
“As, do you want some tea?”
“…Tea?”
“Yeah, do you like dew tea?”
When I asked while taking the dishes he passed me, he stayed quiet for a moment before softly replying,
“…I do, kind of.”
“Then let’s have some tea together.”
Humming under my breath, I set water to boil and prepared two cups.
Soon, the tea was ready.
As and I sat facing each other in the living room for tea time.
Fragrant steam curled up from our cups, and from beyond the half-open window came the faint sound of birdsong.
A peaceful, drowsy hour.
When I glanced up, I saw As’s face had softened, as though he too was melting into the calm atmosphere.
Seizing the moment, I asked carefully,
“As, is it okay staying here?”
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much.
Even just a “It’s not bad” would’ve made me happy.
But the reply I got was beyond my expectations.
“I like it.”
“H-huh…?”
“This is the second happiest time in my life.”
His voice grew quieter, as if talking to himself, but I heard it clearly.
I almost lost my grip on the cup in my hands, overwhelmed with relief.
I had to hold on tightly so I wouldn’t spill the tea.
“I’m glad to hear that… I was really worried, you know.”
This kid, who had been so wary of me and this place at first, was now saying it was the second-best time of his life!
Well, maybe he didn’t really mean it… but still, just hearing him say that means so much.
It felt like a skittish wild animal had shown me a little bit of trust. The warm rush of emotion filled my whole body.
I smiled brightly.
“As long as you’re okay with it, you’re welcome to stay here.”
But then, I froze.
A strange discomfort welled up inside my chest.
Could I really want to do so much for a child I’d only just met?
…We’ve only spent one day together.
Then why did I feel so attached, so eager to take care of him?
I bit my lip.
…Maybe I already knew the answer.
The reason I couldn’t help but care about As.
Because when I see As, I’m reminded of Aches.
Maybe that was it.
I wanted to do for As—the boy who resembled him—the things I couldn’t do for Aches.
“…Einra?”
As’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
Had I looked strange, sitting there frozen?
I blinked, returning to myself.
The warmth of the teacup spread back through my hands.
“Yeah?”
Meeting his eyes, I asked. He stared at me briefly, then shook his head and lowered his gaze.
“It’s nothing.”
“Haha, what’s that about.”
I leaned back against the sofa.
Taking another sip of tea, the bittersweet liquid slid down my throat, warming me from within.
I enjoyed the comfort for a while, until another thought suddenly surfaced.
“By the way, As, do you know someone named Harnen?”
The small hand lifting the cup stopped.
As’s red eyes turned to me again.
“…Why do you ask about him?”
“No reason. I was just wondering if you might know. You don’t have to answer.”
Instead of replying, As raised the cup to his lips again.
I figured he didn’t want to answer and sipped my own tea—when his quiet voice reached me.
“He doesn’t seem like a bad person.”
“Hm?”
“But he doesn’t seem like a good person either.”
“Uh… what?”
His cryptic reply left me staring at him with question marks all over my face.
But As gave no further explanation. He simply drank his tea with a calm expression.
Is he teasing me?
Well, kids do like to play around.
Oh well. Whether I know or not doesn’t really matter.
I could always ask Harnen directly later.
With a shrug, I let the thought go.
For now, I just decided to savor this peaceful moment.
“So, you still haven’t found the body?”
The icy voice filled the office.
Two knights standing before the man bowed their heads.
“We’re sorry, Your Grace.”
“We have no excuse.”
“Of course you have no excuse! Knights of Baharman, and you can’t even finish off a single brat?!”
Crash!
The duke hurled a flowerpot between the two knights, shattering it against the wall.
The knights immediately fell silent and dropped to their knees.
“Useless fools!”
Another ornament flew.
This man—Duke Baharman—was still venting his rage when—
Knock knock. A voice came from beyond the door.
“Your Grace, it’s Dante.”
“…Enter.”
With his voice a little calmer, Duke Baharman sank into his chair.
The knights quietly breathed a sigh of relief as the door opened and a man draped in a deep purple robe stepped inside.
Dante glanced briefly at the kneeling knights before bowing to the duke.
“Your Grace.”
“Yes, Dante. What brings you here? I thought you were on leave.”
The duke eyed him with curiosity.
Dante had been rewarded for his success in regressing Duke Serenia, Aches, back to ten years of age—a hefty prize along with ten days of vacation.
He had gone off cheerfully on leave, yet here he was, returning after only a few days.
Naturally, the duke found it strange.
As if aware of the question, Dante bowed deeply and spoke.
“How could I enjoy leisure when Your Grace’s worries remain unresolved? As your loyal servant, I could not rest easy.”
“You sly tongue…”
The duke smirked and tilted his head.
“So, you know what my worry is?”
“You haven’t found Duke Serenia’s body, have you.”
“That’s right.”
“I know where his dwelling is.”
