Chapter 06
That was close. For a moment, I almost got distracted by Killian’s face and figure.
Snapping back to my senses, I shook my head coldly and said:
“Stop with the useless talk. And judging by the strange things you keep saying, it seems like you’re already feeling better… so, that’s enough.”
“You don’t mean to tell me to go out in this sorry state, do you?”
“….”
“In this stifling heat, your wounds could even fester and burst.”
“Is that something I should worry about?”
I decided to be firm. Otherwise, I felt like I’d fall for the tempting look in his eyes in an instant.
Killian lowered his gaze, looking sad.
“I’ve lost several of my men who were with me.”
“Why are you always pretending to be pitiful? Well, I lived a long time without my parents too.”
“Did you even have parents? I was abandoned the moment I was born.”
“…What exactly do you want from me?”
“Let me stay here with you for a while.”
If I had finished writing the novel, could this world have avoided the sudden catastrophe?
I had no idea. Nothing made sense.
Still… he grew up without parents. Is that why he became a villain?
Appealing with that handsome face made it strangely convincing.
“…You handle cleaning, laundry, and cooking. I’ll get the groceries when needed.”
Killian’s eyes sparkled.
“Shall we start now?”
“No! I’m sick, so rest first.”
“I’m starving after two days without food.”
What was I supposed to do? His requests were endless.
He grinned when he noticed the porridge bowl I’d knocked over.
“That’s not even proper food. By the way, what’s your name?”
A bit of a cheeky personality, huh?
Could I really get along with this man? I wasn’t sure, but I hid my frustration and answered:
“Malhee.”
“Marie?”
“No, Malhee. Maalhee.”
“Marie. Maa-ree.”
Malhee or Marie sounded similar, so it probably didn’t matter.
I had read the name of the body I possessed in the diary, but I didn’t want to live under that name.
After all, the world was ruined.
The Empire, the nobles—they were all probably dead. Would it really matter if I used my real name?
“That’s a pretty name. Different from what I knew.”
“You know my name?”
“Who doesn’t know the mad heiress of the Count Artur family?”
I froze. So the body I possessed had been a crazy woman.
“After the Count was executed, the rumor went that his only bloodline, Yurina, sent all the household staff away and locked herself in the mansion.”
“Go on.”
This wasn’t in the diary, so I was intrigued. I’d heard from the thieves that the Count was dead, but not that he had been executed.
“Let’s eat first.”
“You’re really obsessed with food!”
“Marie, I survived nearly two days amidst countless flames that suddenly erupted overnight.”
“There’s some bacon and eggs in the kitchen.”
I answered in a subdued voice. Somehow, I couldn’t feel proud that the disaster in this world had nothing to do with me.
I couldn’t even let myself casually mention I had barely survived outside.
Killian glanced at his injured shoulder, steadied himself with his hand on the floor, and wobbled to his feet.
“Are you sure you can move in that body?”
“Are you worried about me, Marie?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
I followed him, stepping back a little. He smiled, lifting the corners of his red lips.
“Downstairs, right?”
Had he already been to our house before? More importantly, why come here when the world has collapsed?
I watched him descend the stairs, gripping the railing, eyeing his back suspiciously.
“Oh, how pretty! My little one.”
Then he turned to look at me as if he had eyes on his back, rubbing his cheek against the kitten’s fluffy fur in a teasing manner.
Killian gave me a strange expression, half mocking, half serious, then looked away.
“Ugh, little one. You stink of smoke.”
Meow!
I followed closely behind Killian, keeping an eye on him because I still didn’t know what he might do.
And the kitten, which had rolled among the ashes, needed to be washed.
“The kitchen is impressive.”
“It seems so.”
“You say it like it’s someone else’s house.”
Was he still suspicious of me? I decided to stay quiet.
Killian rummaged through the drawers for a fork, looked at the cold bacon and eggs, cut some egg, and tasted it.
“I think I made the right choice becoming a cook here.”
“Don’t criticize my cooking.”
“I just wanted to say that adding more salt doesn’t make it tastier.”
I glared at Killian for a moment, then went to the pantry to get potatoes and smoked ham—time to test his skills.
His eyes lit up.
“Do you have cheese too?”
“Why so greedy?”
“I want to make delicious food for our Marie.”
“Are you crazy? Since when is she our Malhee?”
But the way this handsome man acted familiar wasn’t entirely unpleasant. I lowered the kitten into the sink, which made it mew.
“Stay still. You need a bath.”
The kitten scratched my wrist with its small, sharp claws, leaving red marks on my pale skin while I adjusted the water.
“Just water. Only water.”
Meow! Meow!
“She seems scared, ma’am.”
Killian, who had been handling potatoes, suddenly approached from behind. The solid warmth against my back made me tense.
Did he just call me “ma’am”?
What was wrong with this man? I said coldly:
“Are there really noble heiresses who marry the household cook?”
“If there aren’t, we’ll be the first.”
“Are you hurt in the head or something?”
“Have you ever raised a kitten? When they’re young, they calm down if you hold the scruff of their neck.”
He leaned in, wrapping his arms around the kitten.
“See? Quiet now, right?”
“…I can handle this on my own.”
“I know. Just wanted to help.”
His voice whispered in my ear. Being so close made my body shiver.
Killian was definitely trying to tempt me. He was pretending to be affectionate while scheming to take over this house.
“Shall we start cooking?”
“I’ll wash our little one first, then we can start.”
Killian was relentless. I gulped, scooped water in my hands, and wet the kitten’s fur.
Honestly… I didn’t dislike the feeling. After all, I’d expected a dreamy romance when I realized I’d possessed someone in a fantasy romance world.
Dressed up for a grand ball, I might meet a northern duke or a mage tower lord by chance—that sort of fantasy.
“All done, so back off.”
“I was just about to make gratin anyway.”
“You’d just float in the water if you fell in.”
“I’m not confident about swimming. I’ll need artificial respiration then.”
Talking to Killian felt endless. I ignored him, pretending to watch the kitten shake off water from its fur.
It backed away before I could touch it, clearly angry.
Meow!
“Little one, don’t do that to your mommy.”
Killian kept talking nonsense, then drew a kitchen knife and started peeling potatoes.
The table was low for his tall frame. He hunched slightly, expertly preparing the ingredients.
Handsome. And somehow… exciting.
Why was he so natural while cooking?
I never imagined a man could look so cool while cooking.
If I stayed here, I’d probably watch him all day. I pretended not to notice Killian and wiped the kitten with a towel or dishcloth.
Meow!
The tiny creature was feisty. I jumped and gently put it down on the floor, afraid it would scratch me if I held it.
Meow. Meow.
“Hey, little one…”
But the kitten ignored me and rubbed against Killian’s ankle instead.
“Betrayal. I saved you.”
I crouched beside the kitten, muttering sadly. Above me, Killian, slicing potatoes at a steady rhythm, finally spoke:
“You know, there’s no such thing as a bad person who animals follow.”
So… what exactly was he trying to impress me with?
