Chapter 28
Calix is a man. No—Calix isn’t someone I feel anything emotional toward, but he’s a grown adult…
I couldn’t accept it at all, so I looked straight at Calix.
“Your Grace, this is—”
“Do you think I’m going to touch you?”
I froze, my eyes widening in shock. He let out a short laugh.
“You don’t even cross my mind in that way, so just go inside.”
He looked genuinely dumbfounded. It seemed like I had overthought things on my own.
“Yes.”
I nodded and went into the room. Calix didn’t seem to think anything of it, so there was no reason for me to imagine anything further.
The room was dirtier than I expected. They said the old man living here had poor eyesight, and it looked like cleaning hadn’t been done properly.
The bed itself was clean, but the floor was covered in dust. There were small, unknown footprints scattered everywhere.
I stared down at the floor with a stiff expression.
If I sleep on the bed…
It would feel uncomfortable. And I was still Calix’s debtor. I still had debt to repay.
Of course, if I caught the scammer and got my money back, it would be fine. But right now, the only answer was to repay the debt as fast as possible.
I was just about to speak when—
“Sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
I waved my hands strongly.
“No! I’ll sleep on the floor. And, um—if I sleep on the floor, how much debt will you reduce?”
Calix looked at the dirty floor and answered calmly.
“I’ll reduce fifty.”
“Fifty? I’ll be sleeping here for at least six hours. Isn’t fifty a bit low?”
Calix gave a short laugh.
“Then how about three hundred?”
“Yes, that works.”
I immediately cleared a spot on the floor. Dust flew up, and the small footprints were still there, but I ignored them.
After I settled down, Calix said,
“Wash first.”
“…What?”
He tilted his head at me.
“You’re not going to wash?”
“No! Of course I will.”
Calix nodded toward the door attached to the room. I almost fled into the bathroom.
Inside, it was damp and smelled slightly of old water. When I turned the tap, water came out fine. It was cold, but good enough to wash.
As I took off my clothes and washed, a strange feeling came over me.
Why do I have to be with Calix of all people?
If he at least had a good personality, or was kind, maybe I wouldn’t complain.
Then… would I have fallen for him?
As I washed, that thought passed through my mind. In the end, it all came down to one thing.
That damn scammer.
I came out of the bathroom feeling lighter. Calix was sitting on the bed, looking through ledgers.
“You should wash too.”
He lifted his head. Our eyes met.
Calix looked at me with a stiff expression. His ash-gray eyes stayed on me for a long moment.
Feeling awkward for no reason, I asked,
“What is it?”
Only then did he look away.
“It’s nothing.”
Frowning, he stood up and walked past me into the bathroom. The way he moved looked like he was avoiding something dirty.
I checked myself, wondering if something was on me. But there was nothing—I was clean.
I just washed.
I stared at the closed bathroom door in disbelief, then lay down on the floor.
My hair was still a little wet and annoying, but I was tired.
I closed my eyes, but the sound of water was very loud. It went on for a long time. I couldn’t sleep, so I stared blankly at the ceiling.
Then I heard the bathroom door open. I quickly closed my eyes. Footsteps passed near me. After a moment, the lamp went out.
The room fell silent.
Slowly, the scent of his perfume reached my nose. In the darkness and quiet, my senses felt sharper.
I was tired, but strangely, I couldn’t fall asleep.
Then I heard a squeaking sound.
I turned my head—and met small black eyes.
“Aaah!”
I jumped up in shock. Even as I did, I grabbed my sword and aimed it. The blade flashed.
The rat was bigger than I expected. It quickly ran into a corner and disappeared.
The sound of blankets moved, and a sharp voice followed.
“What is it?”
“A rat. A rat.”
My heart was still pounding.
“A rat, really—”
“No, it was huge! What kind of rat is as big as a man’s arm?”
When I turned around, I saw Calix with his shirt completely off. I quickly turned my head away.
Why does he sleep without clothes? He scared me even more.
I stared straight ahead when he spoke again.
“Where did it go?”
I pointed to the dark corner.
“Over there.”
Calix threw his sword.
The sharp blade stabbed into something immediately.
Squeak.
A short scream.
The sword returned to Calix’s hand. Without looking at him, I said,
“Thank you.”
Then I lay back down.
The smell of old dust mixed with Calix’s perfume, but maybe because I was tired, my eyes slowly closed.
Then—tap, tap.
Something ran quickly.
I opened my eyes—and something large passed right in front of me.
Ugh!
Disgusted, I jumped up and aimed my sword. But I couldn’t see clearly. The blade cut the air uselessly as another rat squeaked.
I couldn’t just give up. I swung my sword around desperately, afraid it would appear again.
“Sleep here.”
Calix’s voice sounded tired and sharp.
“No! Sleep on the bed? I’ll stay here—”
“Are you going to swing your sword all night?”
I asked without turning around.
“Then what about you, Your Grace?”
“I’ll sleep below.”
I heard the blanket move. I turned without realizing it. I flinched at his bare body, then quickly spoke.
“No. You’re reducing three hundred. I’ll sleep below.”
I couldn’t give up three hundred because of rats.
“Lerit.”
His voice was painfully low. I carefully met his eyes.
“Just sleep here.”
“Then what about the debt?”
Calix replied as if tired of it.
“I’ll reduce one hundred.”
That wasn’t bad. I smiled and bowed my head.
“Thank you.”
When I lifted my head, he was still staring at me.
“Your Grace?”
Calix stood up from the bed and lay down where I had been sleeping. I avoided looking at him as I climbed onto the bed.
As I lay down, Calix’s perfume filled the bed. It smelled fresh, like deep forest air.
Strangely, it felt like it was wrapping around me. The feeling was odd—especially feeling that on a bed.
I turned my body, trying not to think.
Then—squeak.
When I turned again, red-lit swords were stuck all around the room.
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
The rat sounds followed.
I was glad Calix’s sword was there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have slept at all.
I felt a little sorry toward him. Rats were just as disgusting as Berok. They had fur too.
If they were as big as Berok, I’d kill them instantly. But they were small, fast, and hard to see.
As time passed, the rat noises faded. The red glow around the swords slowly disappeared.
Feeling the warmth of the bed, I eventually fell asleep.
Calix ignored the sword that returned to his side and stared at the ceiling.
The rats were gone. There was nothing disturbing him now. He should sleep.
But sleep didn’t come.
The daisy scent from her kept tickling his nose. It stirred his instincts—so strongly it made him want to devour her.
Damn it.
He even took off his shirt, but it didn’t help.
Having to endure instincts like this was ridiculous.
He reached out.
The sword settled calmly into his hand. The coldness cooled his body slightly, but the heat inside remained.
Worse, the floor carried her scent more strongly—she had lain there earlier.
It felt like holding her.
Calix threw off the blanket. His chest rose visibly.
His face twisted as if he had seen a nightmare.
What is this…
It made no sense.
Do you think I’m going to touch you?
You don’t even cross my mind…
He had said it harshly—also as a promise to himself.
But it was useless.
Regret flooded him. She had come along because she had ill will toward the scammer and was connected to it, but this was still a mistake.
Damn it.
Calix picked up his shirt and stood up.
Just as he was about to leave, a soft breathing sound brushed his ear.
Without realizing it, he turned.
Lerit was asleep, breathing softly. Each breath made the hair near her ear sway.
That hair bothered him for some reason.
He reached out without thinking—
Then Lerit slightly frowned.
Calix immediately pulled his hand back.
He cursed himself internally and stepped away.
He felt disgusted with himself. Shaken by mere instinct.
As he was about to leave the room, he heard squeaking again.
He remembered how frightened she had been of the rats.
She could kill Berok but not rats—how ridiculous.
Not wanting her to wake up and cause noise, Calix lay down on the floor.
He decided to stay until the rats were completely gone.
After a while, the sword returned to him.
There were no more rat sounds.
But Calix still didn’t move.
He felt like there might be more rats.
And he kept thinking of her frightened face.
If she woke up, it would be noisy again.
So Calix stayed awake all night, guarding Lerit’s side.
Even though no rats appeared again.
