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chapter 07
After tidying himself up properly, the guy sitting in the garden under the sunlight looked dazzling.
His silvery hair, praised endlessly in high society, fluttered in the spring breeze.
Beneath that, his long lashes and the mysterious golden hue of his eyes were even more striking than yesterday.
“Living long enough, and now I even see flowers talking, huh?”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“You think that was a compliment? I was mocking you because you showed up where you shouldn’t!”
Why the hell are you appearing in the neighbor’s garden!
Despite my outburst, Erios calmly curved the corners of his eyes and smiled.
Ha, what kind of knight has a face like that?
Against monsters, he probably only knows how to charm them.
A face so flawless, so graceful—it’s maddening!
“Why are you here?”
“Because I moved.”
“So why?”
Until yesterday, he spoke as if he understood everything perfectly, as if he accepted it all.
And now he just left our house quietly and moved to the neighbor’s?
“I wanted to move here.”
Does this guy even know how to talk?
While I was dumbfounded, Artea perked up at the word “move.”
“Y-Your uncle moved here? Really? Why?”
“….”
“…No, I’m not curious!”
She had acted all proud, saying she hated her uncle, celebrating her successful escape. Later, she must have been embarrassed when she clung, begging to live together again, because Artea didn’t press further about Erios.
Whatever she felt inside, that was how it appeared on the outside.
Before I could answer, Artea awkwardly left. She didn’t ask about Erios or insist on meeting him—at least, not then.
Ta-da—
“Huh?”
Until that afternoon, when Erios made the first move.
“What is this?”
But moving to the neighbor’s in just a day wasn’t normal behavior—it was downright crazy.
Erios didn’t stay idle to make his presence known to Artea.
“This guy’s really lost it.”
I was speechless when I saw a huge stage set up in the neighbor’s garden.
Moved in a day, built a stage, and the angle was perfectly aligned so it could be seen best from our room? Ridiculous.
Ta-da-dum—
Shall we cast a magic spell today too?
“Waaah!”
I even recognized the opening.
It was a popular children’s musical that had recently captivated the entire empire.
Beep-beep, today too, ba-bam-bam
They underestimate me because I’m young
But who knows
I might save the world tomorrow
Seriously, why do adults just sit around while kids save the world?
A world that can only be saved if children get hurt and collapse—wouldn’t it be simpler to just let it fail?
“Don’t underestimate me!”
But Artea enthusiastically joined in. I must have taken it too seriously.
Good thing I didn’t tell her I’d protect her from doing such things. Almost ruined the fun.
I let her fully immerse herself as the little hero saving the world. Her excited shouts were so loud they almost matched the actors’ stage projection—but that was fine.
…Even if my eardrums suffered a little.
I tried to shift my attention from the story of the musical to the magical tools used in the performance.
“Phew…”
If Erios hadn’t subtly waved from the side of the stage, I might have managed just fine.
That guy is the one who demolished the tall wall between the two mansions’ gardens. Thanks to him, the stage is perfectly visible.
Artea, absorbed in the musical, didn’t notice Erios.
But Erios didn’t seem to care—he just smiled at me.
That guy?
Always with that expressionless face… Can he actually smile to tease someone?
Well, it was just a slight upward curl of his lips, but with him, that was significant.
It was enough to be infuriating.
But Erios’ schemes didn’t stop there.
“Smells sweet!”
After the musical, he baked pound cakes so that even the Sortis mansion smelled of them.
Sweet and savory.
Maybe he added orange peel—the fragrance was incredible…
No, that’s not the important part.
“Artea, this is a gift for you.”
He had great aim. From his spot below us, it didn’t seem like we could see him well, yet there he was, calmly talking to Artea. His pleasant mid-low voice was soft as spring sunlight.
“Orange pound cakes and almond muffins, your favorites. The chef followed me just for you.”
“Waaaah!”
Later, I learned Erios had bribed chefs to prepare all the desserts, beef stews, and even the vegetables Artea didn’t usually eat.
Absurd.
So he stepped back from the mansion just to lure Artea?
He carefully adjusted the stage’s size and angle so it could be fully seen from Artea’s terrace.
He baked hundreds of orange pound cakes to fill the air with fragrance—even enough to reach our side.
If cut into slices, how many pieces would that be?
“Um, the Duke of Kiliet sends pound cakes, cookies, and other treats as gifts.”
“….”
“Please take care of Miss Artea.”
Even if nothing was left for the servants, ha… what a thing.
Everyone smelled that aroma—they can’t refuse it.
And the recipes used plenty of butter to spread the scent far.
Yet he even included orange and nuts to avoid greasiness?
I don’t want to care, but I do!
How much sugar is in that? It’s practically a shortcut to adult diseases.
I’m not a child—I’m not falling for desserts.
“Auntie, isn’t it delicious?”
“It’s tasty, I guess.”
So I ate the pound cake not because I wanted to, but because Artea insisted it was delicious, and out of courtesy, I had no choice.
…He probably made them for Artea, not caring if I liked them. But refusing an orange pound cake would be inhumane.
I’ll leave it to you! With all our power combined, we can do it!
That day, and the next… the delightful performances and the aromas continued.
“Not a musical today, just strings?”
“Tomorrow looks like they’ll bring in a choir.”
From morning, the Sortis mansion staff started their day to cheerful music.
It seems the Sortis servants have become strangely friendly with Kiliet’s side.
Delicious food, entertaining shows… were they tamed?
Rubbing my temple, I approached the garden and spoke to Erios, lounging with crossed legs.
“I don’t mind, since I’m Artea’s family… but isn’t this bothersome for other neighbors?”
“I explained we wouldn’t do it late, and they actually appreciated the music, which they rarely hear. Isn’t that great?”
When did he even take care of that?
Even children in the area were invited to the musical. Seeing the kids in the front row responding with the actors made Artea’s eyes go wide.
Had I not persuaded her that the terrace had a better view, she might have jumped right there.
He’ll do anything to get a child’s attention.
By now, I had no choice but to respond.
I approached the non-existent “wall” and spoke to Erios.
“I didn’t know the Duke of Kiliet, with bodies too few to spare, was so interested in performing arts.”
He smiled leisurely, not seeming to find fault at all.
“Seeing a Knight of the Dawn like this will surprise everyone. Hmm… kind of like a peacock male flaunting his charms?”
“I do want love. Good you noticed. I hope Artea knows too.”
He’s this calm even while teasing me? That cunning bastard. A peacock, yet he’s not offended by my words.
I smiled softly again, teasing him.
“Are you not embarrassed doing all this just to get your niece’s attention?”
But the answer I received was unexpected.
