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Chapter 63
The Little Daughter-in-Law Runs the Household!
I let out a deep sigh as I thought about Killian.
“What’s got you so troubled that you’re sighing like the ground’s about to collapse? Tell your big brother everything.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Is it because you don’t trust me? I’m pretty capable, you know.”
“It’s not that.”
I brushed past Alex, who was thumping his chest, and headed into the training grounds.
If Killian had ignored my advice and was training again, I was ready to raise hell like an enraged beast…
“…He’s sitting?”
He was sitting alone under the same shade where I had sat with Ashley before. His gaze was following Andre.
Since he was wearing pants that covered his ankles, I couldn’t tell if he had received treatment.
“Alex, go do some sword training.”
“What?”
“Lately you’ve seemed a bit lazy. You’ve been slacking off just because you have to stick by my side, haven’t you?”
Alex looked like he had a lot to say, but when I gestured toward the training ground, he reluctantly picked up a wooden sword.
After making sure he joined the others, I walked over and sat beside Killian.
His face and neck looked fresh and dry—it seemed he really hadn’t practiced at all.
“What’s this? Why aren’t you practicing?”
“You told me not to.”
“You actually listened to me?”
“Of course. I might refuse, but I don’t lie.”
“Good. You did well.”
I lightly bumped his shoulder with mine, and only then did Killian turn his head.
“And I got treatment too.”
He lifted the hem of his pants slightly to show his ankle. The bandaged ankle was far less swollen than yesterday.
“You really did.”
“I told you. I don’t lie.”
“Yeah.”
“Is that all you’re going to say?”
“Huh?”
I wanted to retort, asking what else I was supposed to say, but the way Killian looked at me—like he was expecting something—stopped me.
“Hmm…”
I racked my brain to meet his expectations.
“You did well getting treatment too. Good job.”
I nudged his shoulder again, and this time Killian gave a faint smile.
“Do you like being praised?”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t?”
“That’s true. I loved it when my dad praised me. He’d praise me for even the smallest things. He’d say I did well just for waking up when he called me.”
“……”
“You must have gotten a lot of praise too from your father. You’re better than your peers in so many areas—especially swordsmanship!”
Only after seeing Killian’s expression did I realize I had said something wrong.
‘So his father isn’t generous with praise… Come to think of it, he wasn’t exactly generous with me either.’
Even when I ranked first after just one year at the academy, he had said, “That’s only natural since you had my support.”
He probably said something similar to Killian.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Does it still hurt?”
“A little, but it’s not unbearable.”
“That’s good. But if it hurts, tell me. I’ll make you some painkillers.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Still, just in case.”
Since I had confirmed he was fine, I figured I should end the conversation here.
‘If I stay too long, I’ll just be a distraction anyway.’
But as I stood up, Killian gently grabbed my arm.
“What is it?”
After hesitating, he spoke.
“…I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“You were worried about me, but I pushed you away coldly.”
“…So you knew?”
I muttered, and Killian fidgeted awkwardly.
“But I wasn’t trying to draw a line between us or anything.”
“…Really?”
When I responded skeptically, he hurried to explain.
“I was just… embarrassed. It was already humiliating to get hurt so badly during a light spar, and then you treated me like I couldn’t do anything on my own.”
“That wasn’t my intention…”
“Anyway, you’re younger than me, so going to the physician holding your hand would look strange. And you checking whether I got treated—it’s odd too. People might think you’re…”
“That I’m your mother or something?”
“Well, not exactly, but… if I had to compare, then yeah.”
Only then did I realize I had misunderstood him.
I was worried about him, but from an outsider’s perspective, it might look strange for someone like me—who was just staying at the estate—to care so much about the young master.
‘To me, Killian sometimes seems like a child… but to others, we’re just kids the same age.’
If anything, I was the childish one for misunderstanding and sulking.
“I’ll accept your apology.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. And I’m sorry too. You were badly hurt, and I think I forced my opinion on you.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
Killian avoided my gaze and looked toward Andre.
“…Actually, I kind of liked it.”
“You liked being forced? Don’t tell me you—”
Before I could finish, he quickly cut me off.
“Not that! I mean… being worried about.”
“Huh? But there are lots of people who worry about you. Lady Diana, for example…”
“My father says it’s natural for a knight to get hurt. My mother used to worry when I was younger, but at some point she started agreeing with him.”
“…Lady Diana?”
“It’s not that she thinks it’s natural like my father does—more like she’s resigned herself to it.”
“…?”
“My maternal grandfather and uncle were both knights. She must have seen them get hurt many times. She probably realized that worrying over every small injury only wears you down. Maybe she still worries, but just doesn’t show it.”
So it wasn’t just my imagination that Killian seemed so composed about injuries.
I gently leaned my head on his shoulder.
“I’ll always worry, even over small injuries. So don’t get hurt.”
Killian coughed awkwardly, then replied softly.
“…Okay.”
* * *
That night, after clearing up the misunderstanding with Killian—
“[Kkyuu…]”
While I was sleeping soundly, a strange sound near my ear woke me up. I barely opened my heavy eyes—it was still the middle of the night.
‘Did I imagine it?’
Just as I thought that—
“[Kkyut!]”
The strange sound came again.
‘What is that?’
It wasn’t the sound of a rooster I used to hear at dawn in the Cornell estate. Nor was it a sparrow or any other animal.
It felt like the sound was vibrating my brain rather than my ears.
‘Am I hallucinating?’
That seemed likely.
Unable to fight the drowsiness, I turned over, trying to fall back asleep.
But then—
“Ow!”
Something yanked my hair hard.
No, it wasn’t just my imagination—something was actually pulling my hair!
“W-what is this?!”
I shot up, rubbing my throbbing head.
The moment I turned to look beside me—
“…!”
In the darkness, I met a pair of glowing red eyes.
Without thinking, I screamed.
“KYAAAAAA!”
It was such a loud scream that I surprised even myself.
* * *
The thing that ruined my peaceful dawn was a strange reptile.
At first glance, it looked like a lizard—but it wasn’t quite like a normal one.
After pulling my hair out of the creature’s mouth, I checked under the bed.
Just as I suspected.
The bag I had hidden there was open. The egg that had been cracked before was now completely shattered, leaving only the shell.
Which meant—
This lizard had hatched from that egg.
