CHAPTER 31…………………………….
I guess that strange pull I’d been feeling earlier… it must have been my conscience nagging at me.
Thinking so, Lin nodded to herself.
“Ha.”
Just then, a cold, mirthless laugh cut through her thoughts.
“You’re telling me not to do what you’re doing?”
A trace of irritation—far too jaded for his age—flickered over the boy’s face as he bit out the words.
“Well, it might’ve sounded weird, but I just—”
“Must’ve been tough following me all this way just to meddle in my business.”
“W–What?”
Sure, she could understand him being thrown off when a complete stranger suddenly talked to him.
But his reaction was much sharper than she expected, and Lin stumbled over her words in surprise.
The way he stared at her—as if scolding her—was something she’d never experienced from someone her age.
“Did I ever ask for your advice?”
His cool gaze bore down on her from a height a little taller than hers, and Lin’s face heated with embarrassment.
With a final jab that practically called her pathetic, he strode past her without another glance.
For the first time ever, she had reached out kindly to someone and been treated like that, and Lin froze on the spot. Then—like waking from a game of freeze tag—she snapped back to life and stomped her foot.
“What… what kind of kid is that!?”
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
If she were a beastman, she’d have kicked up a whole dust cloud—she stomped the ground so furiously in place. Face bright red, Lin panted angrily.
Julie watched her, one brow raised at Lin’s unusually fiery reaction.
“You sure were eager chasing after him earlier.”
Inside the lord’s manor, walking down the corridor.
On the carriage ride back, Lin had calmed down somewhat after looking over the deeds they’d won at the auction. Julie chose that moment to speak up.
“You’ve got good eyes, my lady. When’d you even spot his face in that crowd?”
“Huh? Julie, what’re you talking about?”
“What do you think? That boy from earlier.”
Right as Julie mentioned “that boy,” Lin’s brows scrunched again, and Julie burst into giggles.
“My lady. You fell for him at first sight, didn’t you?”
“W–What? No!”
“Oh, come on. You followed him and started babbling nonsense—that’s exactly what people do.”
She went on about how many couples she’d seen form that way back in the village.
With a mischievous smirk that didn’t match her face at all, Julie poked Lin teasingly.
Of course, Lin nearly jumped out of her seat.
“No! That’s not it! I just said something nice out of pure goodwill!”
Hmph! Geez! Ugh!
Spewing every flustered exclamation she could think of, Lin protested fiercely.
F–Fall for him? What! Sure, he was kinda good-looking, but he was mean to me!
There was absolutely no way she talked to him for a reason like that.
Even thinking the word “fall” made her blush, and she denied it just as fiercely in her heart.
“Heh. So that’s why you followed him? How surprising.”
“No!”
“You made the right call, young miss. Best to ignore arrogant brats like him. Good-looking kids always think their faces are worth something. Plenty of handsome boys around—might as well pick one who treats you right.”
Kay, who had been listening, rested his chin on his hand in thought before tossing in his own nonsense.
Tremble.
Assaulted from both sides with ridiculous assumptions, Lin shot both fists into the air and shouted:
“I said NO! You’re both saying weird things!”
Whap!
Truly angry now, Lin whipped her head away from them and stomped into her room alone.
Knock knock.
Julie tapped on the door, saying, “My lady? You still need your nanny to come with you,” but Lin shook her head hard, pretending not to hear.
Hmph! Whatever. Julie and Kay are both idiots!
Thud thud!
Stomping across the room to show her indignation, Lin grabbed the plush doll that flew toward her.
[What are you doing? Let go.]
Caligo grumbled from inside the doll, but she ignored him, burying her face into its soft chest. Then, another knock sounded, followed by a different voice.
“Lady Lin. Lord Theodore is asking for you.”
“Huh? Uncle?”
When she was summoned to Uncle Theo’s office, she found a surprising face waiting.
“Welcome to our territory, Young Master Tigris.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
Receiving an invitation was one thing—but Kaidan Tigris was surprised that upon entering the Pegasus estate, he was taken straight to the acting lord’s office.
I thought he’d at least make me wait for show.
Kaidan knew better than anyone how he must look to others right now. He was the rightful heir to House Tigris, yes—but with the current state of his family, most people would see him as nothing much.
Even if he came representing his house, he was still just an eight-year-old with no real authority. He had fully expected some mid-level official to greet him and handle the formalities.
He had not expected to be led straight to the man wielding the full authority of the Pegasus family—Acting Lord Theodore.
Did he already investigate me beforehand?
The boy’s red eyes deepened as he sank into thought.
After their greetings, Theodore didn’t show any strong intent. If he did have an agenda, he hid it well—so well that even before a child, his expression remained perfectly controlled. That alone told Kaidan the man was formidable.
Worlds apart from the acting lord of my own house.
Thinking of the Tigris stand-in, Kaidan’s red eyes turned cold.
House Tigris and House Pegasus—
Both had only a young heir left, with an uncle holding the authority as acting lord.
From the outside, both uncles seemed like men who might easily seize the house for themselves.
But Kaidan knew very well that the Pegasus uncle was nothing like the wretch in his own family.
They say the Pegasus heir is cursed due to being a mutant beastman—but really, she’s fortunate.
Lin Pegasus, the strange mutant beastman and the last remaining bloodline of the house.
Kaidan briefly pictured her as he pondered how to make the most of this rare private audience with the famed acting lord.
Contrary to the rumors that this man was terrifying enough to fill the empty seats of lord and sub-lord alone, what caught the eye first wasn’t an overwhelming physique but… surprisingly refined features.
So the reason everyone eyes the seat beside him isn’t just for power.
That was the initial conclusion he could draw from observation.
Perhaps Theodore sensed the boy’s calculating gaze.
Emotionless eyes settled on Kaidan, cool and sharp.
Was he annoyed by an arrogant kid staring at him?
Or was he wondering how the faraway North had managed to gather information so quickly?
Kaidan was ready for the sort of question Theodore might ask—when something completely unexpected came out of the man’s mouth.
“Have you met my niece somewhere before?”
“……No.”
“Is that so?”
Under Theodore’s probing gaze, Kaidan couldn’t help shifting his eyes.
Something about him feels different from before…
Kaidan mentally reviewed what he knew about the man.
Theodore Pegasus.
Contrary to public suspicion, he had devoted all his strength to protecting his niece, Lin Pegasus.
Unlike the stereotype of a violent bear beastman, he was known to be calm, rational, and thoroughly utilitarian in handling the affairs of the house…
Or so Kaidan remembered.
But the man before him—something didn’t line up.
Strange.
Kaidan, far too perceptive for his age, searched for the source of that discrepancy as he studied Theodore.
And Theodore, who normally showed almost no personal preferences toward anyone, was staring at the boy with an oddly displeased expression.
A strange tension stretched between the acting lord and the young heir.
