Chapter 46
The confident expression he had earlier—the one that made him look cool—was completely gone. And only after seeing his flustered reaction did I become certain.
He really does like me.
Ah, no wonder. He even brought me to this suspicious house of his. The whole setup was so weird, too—showing off all these extravagant valuables of unknown origin like some display.
“…No, no.”
Clicking my tongue softly, I shook my head at him. Then, narrowing my eyes for a moment, I crossed my arms. How ridiculous. Still, I should give him a proper answer.
“I’m really sorry, but I’ll have to respectfully decline.”
I said it firmly, looking him in the eye.
“This noona doesn’t have time to play silly dating games with a little kid like you.”
“Noona? You?”
Jute opened and closed his mouth in disbelief, but I shook my head resolutely. He probably wanted to argue that I was just seven years old. But no, no. To him, I might look like a seven-year-old, but I had returned from my mid-twenties. What could a twenty-four-year-old possibly do with a teenager?
“Yup. I’m your noona. And I’ll never be interested in you, so don’t try anything.”
I answered flatly, though I couldn’t help being a bit unsettled. It was probably because I kept thinking about the man who was the reason I returned here. I was curious about him too. But the feelings I had for him were just that—curiosity. He saved me, he seemed mysterious… nothing more, nothing less.
“Besides, I’ve got too much to do. I don’t have time to play along with some brat from the snake pit that is Otern.”
“…Brat?”
“Seriously. ‘Wait until I’m twenty’? And then what, you’ll ‘do everything’? Where do you even get the nerve to throw around empty promises like that? Cute—but still no. Just go back…”
“I don’t want to.”
That was when Jute firmly cut me off.
…Huh?
I frowned on the spot. This was not the reaction I expected. Usually, when someone’s rejected this harshly, they either flat-out deny liking you or go silent and sulk.
“What?”
“That’s how I feel.”
“…Huh?”
I asked again, dumbfounded. The situation had completely reversed, but Jute looked down at me without the slightest hesitation.
“If you don’t want to wait until I’m twenty, then don’t. You can ignore me, reject me—whatever you want.”
“…”
“But telling me who I can or can’t like? That’s not your right. You’re just a human—don’t overstep.”
“…”
Jute narrowed his eyes as he spoke sharply. For a moment, his black eyes shimmered with another color.
…Wait, did he just say, “You’re just a human”?
My eyes widened. He sounded like he didn’t consider himself human. That was definitely something to mock or argue about.
But strangely, as our eyes met, I couldn’t say anything back. It felt like I was completely caught in his gaze, like my whole body was bound.
I was scared.
…If you ask me why, I’m not sure. I thought I could easily handle a kid like him—that’s why I followed him here.
But the pressure in his gaze just now wasn’t something an eleven-year-old should be capable of. While I was frozen in place, he let out a sigh and opened his eyes again.
“…Go, Berdette. I don’t want to get angry with you. And I’ll respect your decision.”
He held out his hand to me. Was I supposed to take it?
While I stared at it, Jute spoke again.
“I’ll take you back. So grab on.”
His voice was soft, but it carried a force that made it sound like refusing would lead to something much worse.
Normally, I’d have refused… but in that moment, I took his hand instinctively. I thought he might grip my hand tightly out of anger, but as soon as I touched his, he held it gently—like it was something precious. His face looked peaceful, as if he’d never even been angry.
Without another word, Jute took me to where the magic circle had been.
It was as if he already knew I’d ask to be brought back—his steps were so natural.
As soon as we reached the alley, I checked the magic circle. It was glowing much brighter than before. So it does recharge with time. But I’d need to test it again somewhere safe to know how long it takes to fully recharge.
“Well then… I’m going.”
I gave him a sideways glance and stepped onto the magic circle.
And… oh no. It just hit me. I never explained the magic circle to Jute.
Normally, a person would show shock or suspicion, or at least ask what it was. But Jute had reacted so naturally—and I’d been so distracted by our conversation that I completely missed the chance to warn him to keep it a secret. Even now.
Jute was watching my startled face with an unreadably calm expression.
Shouldn’t I say something to keep him quiet? It felt a little awkward, especially after teasing him like that. I just blinked at him.
“Hey… if I just disappear in front of you, just act like it’s normal. Got it?”
“…Got it.”
“No, don’t just say that. You really need to pretend you know nothing, okay?”
“You do realize how sloppy you are right now, right? You’re trying to shut me up like it’s a casual greeting. Does that make sense to you?”
He shook his head in disbelief. I mean, he’s not wrong. I’ve never been good at wrapping things up or coordinating with people. I nodded honestly.
“Yeah. You and I are both shady anyway, so let’s call it even.”
“Just go already.”
With an exhausted expression, he waved me off. After all that posturing earlier, after holding my hand so kindly—now he looked so tired. Somehow, it was hilariously cute.
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing.
“Pfft—Hahaha!”
And then, surprised by my own laughter, my eyes went wide. Why am I laughing like this?
It felt like the first time I’d laughed this freely since coming back here. Was I overreacting?
Still, it was genuinely enjoyable—for the first time in a long while.
Ever since returning, I’d lived every day bracing myself for disaster, never letting myself relax.
Even when I reunited with people like Anna or Mayra, I was only happy in the moment, then immediately stressed about building a good relationship with them again.
It was the same with my family. Meeting people who cared for me—who shared my blood—was a first, and I was always nervous about messing it up. Even then, I kept pushing myself to become stronger.
But now… I realized I hadn’t laughed like this once.
While I was caught up in that realization, the magic circle beneath my feet activated.
I blinked—and just like that, I was back in the hallway I’d seen earlier. Still on my knees. I had returned.
I’m back.
“Wow…”
The familiar air of the duke’s estate filled my lungs, and I let out a long sigh. Yeah. I was really back.
Wandering the backstreets of Otern in this tiny body—it really was too dangerous. Sure, Jute was with me, and I even had a good laugh at the end…
Lifting my heels, I hurried back to my room. Once I climbed into bed, it finally felt real—I was home.
“I survived…”
I let out a groan without realizing and pulled the blanket up to my nose. What a long day. What time was it now? It had to be past 2 a.m., at least. I was so sleepy, that alone was proof enough.
And that’s when it happened.
—Master.
Suddenly, Comet spoke to me.
