Chapter 14
The place I had picked as the best hiding spot for hide-and-seek was a miniature wooden cottage hidden inside a sunflower flower field.
It was a small model house behind tall sunflowers, not noticeable from outside. If you opened the door, there was only space for one small child inside, so it was perfect for hiding.
When I arrived in front of the cottage, I felt something bad and suddenly pushed the door open.
Then I met eyes with someone who was curled up like a pill bug inside the narrow space.
“Kyle!!”
“…You found me very fast.”
Kyle coughed a few times and squeezed himself out of the cottage. Because he had squeezed into a dusty place, his hair and clothes were messy.
“This is my chosen spot!”
“Who cares. Whoever finds it first owns it. Ah, my body is stiff.”
Kyle brushed his clothes and rotated his neck and shoulders, complaining.
I had vaguely assumed that even if the young master of the duke family found such a place, he would not go inside because it was uncomfortable and dirty.
I laughed helplessly. I guess I underestimated Kyle’s stubborn competitive spirit again.
“You took 30 minutes.”
Kyle stood beside a wooden pillar and said.
“Now I’m the seeker, right? I’ll count to one hundred.”
“Hey, time out!”
“One, two, three, four, five….”
“Hey, seriously!”
Leaving Kyle who started counting mercilessly, I ran away.
Oh no, where should I hide!
Because my chosen spot was taken, my mind went blank. Other places were tall trees and statue areas, but those were too obvious.
“Let’s use the ‘hidden under the lamp’ strategy.”
I returned to the patio area where we started hide-and-seek and searched every corner, but nothing satisfied me.
Why was everything so open?
Now that I looked, this glass greenhouse was large but had very few secret places to hide. That’s how flower gardens usually are, but still!
While passing near the butterfly fountain to find a new place, I heard the sound of quick footsteps.
‘He already counted to one hundred?!’
I panicked and reflexively lay flat behind the fountain.
Holding my breath and staying still, I crouched there. The footsteps came closer.
It seemed he was on the other side of the fountain.
‘I’m doomed… It feels like less than 10 minutes.’
But strangely, I thought being found was only a matter of time, yet the footsteps that had stopped started moving away.
Even if he had walked one circle around the fountain, he should have found me.
‘He probably thinks there’s nowhere to hide here and didn’t check.’
The opposite thinking was correct. If Kyle left, I would sneak to another place.
I was quietly celebrating inside when something gently landed on the bridge of my nose.
Feeling thin antennae and moving legs, my body jerked like a seizure.
“Aaah!!”
Kyle turned toward my scream, and the tiger butterfly that defeated me flew away calmly.
Kyle walked toward me with an unbelievable expression.
“Are you joking? This is your hiding?”
“…Hmm.”
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.
“Kyle, did you really count to one hundred? You came too fast.”
“I counted. It’s not my fault that you move slowly like a worm.”
“……”
“Why did you scream?”
“Ah! A butterfly sat right in front of my eyes! I saw its long mouth, antennae, compound eyes, and legs zoomed in. Ugh, disgusting. If it weren’t for that butterfly, I could have avoided being found.”
When the feeling of the butterfly crawling on my nose returned, my body hair stood up.
Kyle narrowed his eyebrows slightly as he saw me hugging my arms and shivering.
“You said you like butterflies, didn’t you?”
Oh no! I was pretending to be a butterfly lover!
“…I like them! Yes, I really like them.”
“Don’t lie. You were shivering.”
“…I just don’t like them touching my body. I like looking at them from far away. I think their wings are pretty.”
Only the wings.
“Can that be called liking them?”
“……”
“Then I like peaches too. Only looking at them, not eating. I think the soft, round, white peach looks cute.”
“That’s not the same!”
Kyle’s sarcasm was annoying, but I had no excuse.
I gave up and honestly admitted.
“Ha… Yes. I hate insects.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed as if saying, “I knew it.”
But since we had become closer, maybe he would help if I asked.
I cautiously approached and grabbed him.
“Hey, Kyle. Can you keep it a secret that I don’t like butterflies? Your mother, the Duchess, believes I am crazy about butterflies.”
“Why did you lie like that?”
“Hmm, I wanted to get close to you somehow. I needed an excuse to visit the duke mansion often. When I said that, they always welcomed me.”
My final goal was to watch Darius and enjoy being a fan, but I also wanted to be close to Kyle and the duke family, so it wasn’t a complete lie.
While rationalizing, Kyle’s expression strangely changed.
His eyelids trembled, and his slightly open lips repeated opening and closing.
I couldn’t tell whether he was shocked or confused. Or maybe he was frozen in anger.
Since I did deceive the Duchess, I should apologize first.
“I’m sorry. I deceived your mother… I feel very sorry.”
What if Kyle tells the Duchess the truth?
If I say I only pretended to like butterflies, she might feel betrayed.
If she blocks my visits, how can I continue my connection with the duke family?
“I understand.”
“Eh?”
“I’ll keep it secret.”
“Really?”
While I was surprised, a fist suddenly appeared in front of my forehead.
“Lean your forehead.”
“Huh? …Ouch!!”
Stars burst in my vision for a moment. Then a sharp pain spread across my forehead.
Ah… the betting punishment…
Tears almost came out from the strong flick.
There was no sign he held back. And he didn’t even give me time to feel touched!
“My head has a hole! There’s definitely a hole!”
I complained while following Kyle, who walked away calmly after flicking my forehead.
Kyle looked back and saw me rubbing my forehead and snorted softly.
“Now it’s 15 to 16.”
Meanwhile, 40 km away from the capital Pellen, in the small city of Mitas. Behind a long mountain range stood the grand castle of Randest Royal Military Academy, the symbol and center of Mitas.
The sound of the kingdom’s best talents running around the training field and shouting broke the early morning silence.
When the bell in the clock tower rang, Simon, who was leading them, stopped.
Wiping sweat from his short light brown hair, Simon checked the attendance list.
After calling every name, he ordered dismissal, and the cadets quickly dispersed.
“Ha, that bastard.”
Simon muttered quietly and signed today’s morning training attendance.
How many people know that the genius who is admired as the kingdom’s best sword, the duke’s son, is actually this lazy?
Simon drank water from the water bottle at his side and remembered last year’s Darius.
Last semester he also had a relaxed and somewhat sly nature, but he never showed it openly. He was a man who perfectly matched the word “perfect” in every aspect.
Ability, appearance, family, and wealth — the whole world admired and envied him. Even Simon, who entered as top student, felt jealousy and inferiority toward him at the beginning of the year.
Only after sticking together for a year did he learn what kind of responsibility Darius lived under. So sometimes he ignored Darius’s small rebellions.
But this semester, Darius started showing his true nature more and behaving freely.
Covering him as a friend was only possible a few times. If this continued, trouble might come to Simon himself. Today, Simon decided to discipline him and rushed to Darius’s dormitory room.
Standing in front of the single room with the name Dierne written on it, Simon knocked strongly a few times and then opened the door without waiting for an answer.
Darius, who was lying slightly on the sofa reading a book while still wearing training clothes, smiled when he saw Simon rushing in.
“Good morning.”
Seeing that, Simon’s eyebrows sharply narrowed.
