Chapter 04

“I heard you picked up something that had been thrown away.“

Standing before Edgar once again after being summoned, I made no effort to hide my displeasure.

“Thrown away?”

Couldn’t someone do something about that man’s mouth?

At least Rion wasn’t here to hear it.

“What is it with you lately? Why are you suddenly so interested in me? You ignored me all this time…”

I let the end of my sentence trail off and looked away.

“That only applied when you quietly stayed where you belonged. Lately, however, your exploits keep reaching my ears. What choice do I have?”

Edgar looked at me with the same indifferent expression as always.

His voice was perfectly flat.

Neither interested nor curious.

“Then let’s go back to how things used to be! I don’t want anything from you.”

“You shouldn’t be expecting anything in the first place.”

His words were so cold that I found myself speechless.

It wasn’t as if I had any reason to feel hurt…

Yet somehow, my chest tightened.

Who said I was asking for anything?

Even so, he didn’t look away.

Resting his chin on one hand, he continued staring at me before finally speaking.

“Return him.”

“If you’ve picked up a stray with no owner and it causes trouble, what then?”

“That won’t happen!”

“You can guarantee that?”

“What do you know about a child you’ve never even met?”

He let out a short laugh at my firm answer.

Edgar often smiled like that—

Dry.

Emotionless.

Why does he have to smile so creepily?

He’d honestly look less frightening if he didn’t smile at all.

“I’m only going to keep him here for a while.”

“I’ll send him away later.”

“According to whose decision?”

“…Mine.”

“This is my house.”

“And you’re living off my money.”

“Have you forgotten?”

Tch.

How petty.

Edgar looked at me as though I were nothing more than an annoying freeloader.

The more I thought about it…

The more irritated I became.

“I-I’ll pay you back!”

Once I grew up!

Once the investments I’d been planning finally paid off!

“I’ll pay you back.”

“Oh?”

I saw it.

The mockery on Edgar’s face.

The smile tugging at his lips was unmistakably a sneer.

My blood nearly boiled.

“I said I’ll pay you back!”

This time, Edgar’s expression softened ever so slightly.

I had no idea what pleased him.

Maybe he simply enjoyed hearing me shout in frustration.

He’s such a strange person.

“How?”

“Well…”

“Doing what?”

“I mean…”

“Explain.”

“In detail.”

He casually placed the pen in his hand onto the desk.

Crossing his arms, he settled in as if determined to hear every word.

I guess I don’t have a choice…

For the first time…

I decided to make use of my knowledge from the novel.

“You should shut down your parchment business.”

“…How do you know about that?”

Edgar had never told anyone about his business dealings.

But I knew all of them.

Even the disasters that were about to come.

“I-I saw it!”

“You’re writing on parchment right now!”

“Every noble uses parchment.”

“It’s hardly unusual.”

“It’s not exactly cheap either…”

“But our house is filled with it.”

“So I guessed.”

“You deduced my business from that alone?”

At Edgar’s relentless questioning, I let out a frustrated sigh.

At present, parchment was widely used among the nobility.

It looked elegant.

It felt pleasant to write on.

And with paper imports currently blocked, parchment had become the preferred writing material.

But that wouldn’t last.

Soon…

The parchment trade would collapse.

An unknown plague would spread through the southern regions, killing livestock in massive numbers.

Technically, the hides could still be treated and used.

But the nobles would find the idea distasteful.

At the same time, political tensions with the country exporting paper would soon be resolved, restoring paper imports.

Paper would become cheaper than parchment.

And its writing quality was just as good.

Naturally…

Everyone would return to using paper.

“I just guessed because our family runs so many businesses.”

“Ridiculous.”

Even when Edgar looked at me as though I were talking nonsense, I continued.

Stopping now wouldn’t get me what I wanted.

No matter what…

Rion had to stay here.

“So?”

He motioned with one finger, signaling me to continue.

Maybe I’d piqued his curiosity.

Or maybe he was simply waiting to see how long I’d continue talking without fear.

“I think you should start buying up paper while it’s still cheap.”

“Why?”

This was the difficult part.

If my explanation sounded too clever…

He’d become suspicious.

If it sounded too vague…

He’d become suspicious anyway.

I needed something believable.

“Because I feel sorry for the animals!”

“…I feel sorry for the time I wasted listening to that.”

“There’s another reason!”

“I heard people talking while I was in town!”

I blurted out hurriedly.

Edgar’s gaze had drifted toward the family sword hanging on the wall.

Am I imagining it…

…or is cold sweat running down my back?

“I heard the livestock merchants talking!”

“I’m serious!”

“Speak properly.”

“They said animals have been getting sick with some strange disease.”

Edgar turned toward the knight standing beside him.

Apparently, he wanted confirmation.

Fortunately…

What I’d said wasn’t entirely a lie.

I’d merely pieced together things I’d overheard from passing merchants.

“Now that you mention it…”

“I remember hearing something similar.”

“The stable workers also reported that horses have been dying recently.”

Thank goodness.

The knight’s memory wasn’t bad.

Quietly, I let out the breath I’d been holding.

It worked.

Edgar’s expression relaxed noticeably.

“You have surprisingly good instincts.”

“I must take after my father.”

“I know our family runs an intelligence network.”

“Observant, too.”

His blue eyes finally left me.

“You may go.”

“I have no interest in that child.”

“Just make sure he doesn’t become a nuisance.”

“Deal!”

“And please stay uninterested in both me and Rion.”

“We’ll live as though we don’t exist.”

Edgar didn’t bother answering.

He simply waved me away dismissively.

I had no idea whether he’d actually abandon the parchment business.

But either way…

It had been a worthwhile bargain.

Rion could stay here now.

* * *

I thought convincing Edgar would be the hardest part.

Standing outside Rion’s firmly shut bedroom door, I let out another sigh.

Becoming friends with him…

Required far more patience than I’d expected.

He was like a stray kitten that had survived by keeping its claws out at all times.

“Can I come in?”

No answer.

Leaning against the door, I asked again.

“Really not?”

“…Go away.”

“But I want to see your face.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m serious.”

“I think seeing your face will cheer me up!”

“I even got permission to come today.”

I spoke through the door in an intentionally pitiful voice.

For a while…

There was only silence.

Then—

Creak.

The door slowly opened.

The moment it did…

Rion hurriedly disappeared from sight.

Cute.

I could see his feet wriggling beneath the blanket.

He must have hidden in such a rush that he couldn’t cover himself completely.

“Rion.”

“Are you planning to stay in your room forever?”

“…”

“I brought delicious food.”

“…You came with someone else.”

His muffled voice came from beneath the blanket.

I glanced at Dyria standing beside me and sighed.

“Should I send everyone away?”

“…I don’t want anyone else.”

He rejected the idea immediately.

“Then I’ll send Dyria away too.”

“…Really?”

“Mm.”

“But you have to take a bath.”

“…”

No response.

Even his toes stopped moving.

Apparently, he’d frozen in shock.

Still…

I couldn’t let him stay filthy forever.

Rolling up my sleeves, I declared,

“If you keep refusing…”

“I’ll strip you and wash you myself.”

Rion jerked beneath the blanket.

He clutched it even tighter, refusing to leave the slightest opening.

In the end…

I called the knights.

“Carry him.”

“W-What are you doing?!”

“I gave you plenty of chances.”

“You kept refusing.”

“What choice do I have?”

Following my order, the knights lifted the entire blanket and carried him into the bathroom.

The prepared bathtub was waiting.

The moment they shook the blanket—

Splash!

Rion, fully dressed, fell straight into the water.

“…Haa.”

His soaked black hair clung to his face.

His wet white shirt became almost transparent.

Blinking slowly…

I stared at him.

“Y-Young Miss!”

Dyria hurriedly covered my eyes.

Then she immediately shoved me out of the bathroom.

Standing outside in a daze, I knocked on the door.

“That’s unfair!”

“Why am I the only one who got kicked out?”

“Young Miss!”

“What are you saying?!”

“Go back to your room!”

“Rion!”

“I’ll wash you!”

“N-No!”

“Dyria said she’d help me!”

Rion practically screamed in panic.

Feeling disappointed, I slowly trudged back toward my room.

At this rate…

Dyria and Rion would probably become much closer.

“Aahhh…”

“What a waste!”

“I wanted to be the one who got closer to him!”

I threw myself onto my bed and kicked my legs in frustration.

Only Dyria got to see that side of him.

It was enough to make me jealous.

Rolling onto my back, I stared up at the ceiling.

“I really have to become friends with him soon.”

“He’s just too adorable.”

Remembering the way Rion had blushed and curled into himself…

A grin spread across my face without me even realizing it.

So this is what having a little brother feels like?

It seemed…

I’d have to come up with a new plan.