Chapter 25
Roy climbed upstairs and perched precariously on the railing, chattering away as he pointed toward the bookshelves with his finger.
“From this row on — manuals, self-help books, fairy tales, cookbooks, hmm… pulp novels!”
“What about those over there?”
“The ones with the red ribbon on the top shelf?”
“Yeah.”
“No one’s allowed to touch those.”
“Really? Why?”
“Aaron said so.”
“Is that so? Then other people can’t see them, huh.”
“That’s right.”
Roy replied quickly, then tilted his head as he replayed what Dalia had said.
“Other people?”
“You’re fine though, Roy.”
At Dalia’s casual remark, Roy looked puzzled, as if thinking Was I?
“Huh? Don’t tell me you’re not allowed either?”
In truth, there was no such thing as “other people” to compare with, but when Dalia asked with a mock-serious expression, Roy quickly looked around, puffing himself up proudly.
“Well, yeah! Of course I can! Hmph!”
Right. When Roy starts flaring his nostrils like that, he can do just about anything.
Dalia chuckled inwardly.
He’s so easy to handle. Maybe even more than Merry.
Though he didn’t seem to like me much… The more I look at him, the more he seems like a cute little kid despite his size.
Behind the boasting Roy, his tail swished unconsciously. He jumped lightly between the railings, grabbed one of the red-ribboned books, and proudly handed it to Dalia.
“Can I read it? Wow. Thank you— you’re amazing.”
Roy, pleased by the compliment, suddenly seemed to realize his mistake. He cleared his throat noisily, nostrils shrinking back to normal. Judging by that, Dalia figured he wouldn’t let her touch any other books today.
“Then I’ll enjoy reading it.”
Humming, Dalia started toward her room. Roy followed a few steps behind, muttering to himself, Wait, this isn’t right, before cautiously asking,
“You won’t tell anyone, right?”
“Of course not. Promise.”
“…Fine. Then whatever.”
Roy figured no one would care about one red-ribboned book anyway.
This is all part of my plan — so Dalia will say good things about me to the master.
Without realizing he was already treating Dalia like an older sister, Roy justified himself internally, then bustled off to prepare dinner.
“Roy, have you read this?”
“Hmph, obviously.”
“I read it before bed yesterday— it was really good. Especially the character who helps the main character. So charming.”
“…Your taste has improved a lot, huh? Still not quite on my level, though.”
Since the day they’d shared that secret in the library, Dalia and Roy were often seen sitting together in the garden, chatting over a book.
While boasting, Roy’s eyes wandered to the teapot Dalia was drinking from.
“What’s this? It smells sweet.”
“What do you think it is?”
“Hmm, let’s see. Caramel and something super fruity… what kind is this?”
Roy even opened the lid and sniffed at it.
It was a flavored tea Khalid had specially brought in after observing Dalia’s taste. Dalia was glad she’d thought to bring an extra cup — she poured him one and pushed it forward. Roy eyed it suspiciously, then, unable to resist his curiosity, took a sip. Immediately, he coughed and spluttered.
“Not good?”
“Do you even have to ask? Ugh! It smells amazing but tastes like a scam! Bitter and… blech, so astringent.”
Dalia burst into laughter at his exaggerated expression. Seeing her laugh, Roy’s scowl slowly melted, though he kept grumbling.
“Humans… how can you drink stuff like this?”
“Not all humans like tea.”
“So it’s just Dalia who’s weird, then?”
“What did you say?”
They started bickering again — though it was less a fight and more Dalia teasing Roy affectionately.
From his office window, Khalid watched them. His brows furrowed at the strange sensation rising within him.
“What is this uncomfortable feeling?”
“What’s wrong, sir?” asked Aaron, who was working beside him.
Khalid hesitated for a moment. He wasn’t even sure himself, but his curiosity to name the emotion won out.
Looking away from the window, he began,
“I told Roy to get along with Dalia.”
“Yes. I remember. Though he was appalled at the idea of being friendly with a human.”
A fresh burst of laughter echoed outside, and Aaron glanced out the window before continuing,
“Still, it seems to be going quite well now.”
Even he, usually indifferent to everything, found the sight of Dalia and Roy getting along strangely pleasant.
Of course, that had nothing to do with the fact that Dalia had opened his eyes to accessorizing — proving that even men could wear a bit of sparkle without looking awkward. He wasn’t so shallow as to be swayed by mere gifts.
“Right. I did tell him to get along… So why does it make me feel sick inside?”
For some reason, even Aaron’s faint smile annoyed Khalid.
The weather was bright, Dalia and Roy seemed happy — yet his chest felt inexplicably tight. Khalid tugged at his tie to loosen it.
When Dalia picked up a colorful autumn leaf and smiled, his mood lightened as if it had never darkened at all.
He found himself helplessly smiling too, unable to control the curve of his lips and the softness in his eyes.
“…”
Then he noticed Aaron’s curious stare and scowled.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Lord Khalid, could it be…”
“Could it be what?”
Khalid’s tone sharpened — more defensive than usual. Was he going to say I’ve gone mad? Honestly, it wouldn’t be far off.
“Are you… jealous?”
Aaron seemed just as shocked as Khalid, his voice rising a tone higher than normal.
“Are you saying you’re jealous of Roy?”
“I’m not crazy— what?”
Khalid blinked, thrown off completely.
“I asked if you’re feeling jealousy toward Roy.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Jealous… of Roy?”
“If not, then why feel bad? Roy’s only obeying your order — to get closer to Lady Dalia.”
“I was wondering where this was going… That’s not it.”
Aaron nodded as if he understood — though his expression said otherwise.
“Look, Aaron. I told him to be kind to her, yes, but that doesn’t mean they have to cling to each other and laugh like fools. That kind of thing only comes from genuine feelings…”
Khalid stopped mid-sentence.
Wasn’t he also smiling like a fool? The realization left him feeling as though he were making excuses even to himself.
But… I didn’t do anything wrong. So why does it feel this way?
“What now?” Aaron asked.
“…Maybe you’re right, Aaron.”
“So you admit it?”
“Yeah.”
“How surprising.”
Aaron said it without a hint of surprise, but Khalid ignored him. He was too busy trying to make sense of the unfamiliar emotion.
“…”
Without another word, he dropped the documents from his hand and leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.
While Khalid sat there wallowing, Aaron calmly gathered the papers from the table.
“This can’t be happening…”
“Well, jealousy is a normal emotion.”
Aaron’s hands kept moving as he replied to Khalid’s absent muttering.
“Thanks to Lady Dalia, you’ve begun to feel emotions you’d long forgotten. That’s not a bad thing, is it?”
The truth of Aaron’s words instantly stilled Khalid’s chaotic mind.
“That’s not why I let her stay here.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Her divine power of Temptus could help open the Gate to another realm. It’s weak now, but it’ll grow stronger with time. Not enough, perhaps — but better than nothing.”
Though Dalia herself seemed unaware, Khalid and the beastkin were in desperate need of divine power to open a “door” to another dimension — which was why they cooperated with the royal family and the temple to exterminate monsters.
But aside from her usefulness, Aaron was secretly amused by Khalid’s rare display of emotion.
Still, it should remain just that — a passing amusement.
“Be careful, my lord.”
“…Of what?”
“That woman— right, don’t look at me like that. I mean Lady Dalia.”
“…”
“I’m not trying to be obstinate again. I admit she’s surprisingly decent — for a human. But putting your feelings aside… have you considered hers?”
Aaron must’ve heard something from her. But what?
Khalid still couldn’t name the strange, tangled feelings Dalia stirred in him. The sudden awareness of them left him confused and uneasy.
Part of him wanted to dismiss Aaron’s opinion — it was his relationship with Dalia, after all. But another part was dying to know what she’d said about him.
“As your loyal servant, I can tell you anything you want to know.”
Aaron’s sly tone made Khalid grimace, but after a long internal struggle, he finally forced out the words:
“…What did Dalia say?”
“She seems to have quite a harsh opinion of you, my lord.”
“And why would you say that?”
Aaron merely shrugged.
“It just seemed that way. She hasn’t shown it to you yet, apparently. But wasn’t it you who once told me, ‘Never trust a human’?”
