CH 10

Ronell automatically put her hands over her lips to muffle the scream, which she then chewed. She was adept at keeping her voice.

She bit down on the scream that threatened to escape her mouth, swallowed it whole, and blinked again. She slowly turned her head, and when she did, the source of the unexpected voice was revealed.

With an irritated look on his face, the man emerged out of nowhere in the dim hallway illuminated in moonlight.

And he looked paler than the moonlight.

When the light touched him, the blue veins in his skin stood out, and his green eyes shone. The black hair that tickled his forehead was gently combed by his long, straight fingers.

The man tilted his head. A faint grin formed on his lips all of a sudden.

“It’s you.”

“…Yes?”

“‘Duncan’* is right.”

(TL/N: He meant that she really was a Duncan.)

Ronell tilted her head, but the man only snorted.

“I get why she stormed in there and made such a fuss.”

Ronell slowly took a step back. It was strange. Normally, she would react with innate fear to new people, but something about that man made her feel at ease.

I don’t think he’s gonna hit me.

Her senses spoke quietly to her. Ronell halted her retreat, her timid gaze fixed on him.

“Erm… who are you?”

“Teriot Duncan.”

D-Duncan! If so.

“Miss Aicila and…”

“I’m her father.”

Really? Ronell opened her eyes wide. Except for the black hair, they don’t look alike at all.

“Mhm, we don’t.”

Teriot mumbled indifferently, perhaps reading her thoughts.

“She takes after her mom a lot more than me. Aside from that, Kiddo, why are you up at 4 in the morning?”

“…I, cannot sleep. I don’t want to sleep… I apologize.”

I think I’ve caused him trouble. When she stuttered out an apology, the man waved his hand dismissively.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. By the way, what were you looking for?”

“How did you know?”

Teriot looked down at Ronell, whose eyes opened in amazement. He had never expected such a gullible and clueless child to emerge from the Duncan bloodline.

“You were looking around.”

“Aha.”

“What were you looking for?”

“Ru…by.”

What about that fussy, devilish cat?

Such a question naturally popped up, but Teriot discreetly averted his gaze. He saw a hallway with no one but him and the little one.

Well. That cat, Ruby, would roam around late at night.

“Do you want to find it together?”

“I will find it tomorrow morning… Just in case I wake people up.”

“You may call all you want, but they won’t wake up.”

It’s soundproofed. That’s the downside.

“I won’t!”

Ronell paled and firmly declined, while Teriot arched an eyebrow. It wasn’t about forcing herself to raise her voice.

“Even though it’s scary, I’ll never try it.”

She used to be terrified of adults because she could never predict where or when their hands or feet would strike. Even though Count Artes had never physically harmed her, she still feared meeting him every time she saw him.

However, the man before her was an adult whom she felt most secure with. One who can block someone from hitting her.

I don’t know why.

“Then don’t look for it.”

“No!”

Ack. I screamed. Ronell inwardly scolded herself and glanced at Teriot. That man isn’t as terrifying as you’d think, a voice within her heart said.

“Then let’s find it together. Will that be fine?”

I shouldn’t believe in my senses… Ronell, observing the pitch black hallway, reached out a hand.

“M-my-my apologies, but may I please hold your hand?”

“……”

“I’m scared, I’m afraid.”

Ronell tensed instinctively due to the awkward stillness. Teriot was staring at her hand with a look as if he had been beaten somewhere.

“I apologize…”

Ronell tried to take her hand away in embarrassment, but he sighed and extended his ring and little finger.

“Thank you!”

Ronell smiled brightly and held his hand. She started striding along with Teriot, somewhat giddy.

The hallways of Duncan Mansion were not cold at all; not only was it insulated properly, but it was also soundproofed. For a child who experienced nothing but a hallway that was unbearably hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter, this new world must have seemed incredible.

“Erm… that. My name is Ronell. Thank you for coming along with me.”

“I know.”

She didn’t know if he knew her name was Ronell or what she was grateful for.

Ronell perspired, unaware that she had done a fine job only by evoking an apathetic remark from Teriot, and that knowledge of this would lead the people in the mansion to faint.

“M-may I call you Sir Teriot?”

“……”

“Or shall I call you Brother?”

“Who made you say such a shameless thing?”

“Yes?”

Teriot questioned back, his expression twisted, and Ronell stared up in shock. Eventually, with a sigh, the answer was given.

“Mister*. Call me Mister.”

(TL/N: The term ‘아저씨(ahjussi)’ is normally used for older men who you don’t properly know. It’s almost like the equivalent of calling a stranger ‘sir’ or ‘mister’, except it’s more age-specific.)

“…Yes, Mister.”

“There it is. That pure white butt.”

Teriot led Ronell straight to the 1st floor, where he pointed his chin toward a window as if he could see Ruby through it.

Beneath the window, Ruby’s round behind was as white as a sheet. The pink soles of its feet trembled slightly, and its fluffy tail swayed back and forth.

Hng hng.

What is it doing? Ruby, like a cat, was trying to squeeze through a narrow opening, and as Ronell came closer, she could see just how difficult it was for it.

“The cat is very flexible.”

Ronell’s reaction was one of unadulterated admiration, but Teriot, who had been following her around, couldn’t help but snort.

“This one, it would have already been out of there if it was a month ago.”

“…Really?”

“Uh.”

He looked down and pointed it out.

“You’ve gained weight, cat. That’s also abdominal obesity.”

Meow.

You should be locked in the study room where you belong, so why are you out here picking a fight! Ruby cried angrily.

“If you want to be held by your master, you need to shed some pounds. However awful your character may be, you must always put your ethics first, all right?”

Ruby stiffly turned its head to look at Ronell’s bare arms.

Ah. I need to lose weight. My salmon…

Just like that, Teriot, who had reminded the cat of its eating habits twice, stood up nonchalantly.

“Man.”

An unexpected voice startled Ronell. Teriot, who was aware of who it was, turned around and wordlessly brushed his hair.

Her red eyes in the moonlit night gleamed brightly with a disapproving light.

“What an interesting combination.”

As Aicila, who was standing behind them, slowly stretched her mouth, Teriot readily affirmed the assessment.

“Yeah. It’s an interesting combination.”

Aicila’s attention was drawn to the cat’s twitching butt. Recognizing where her gaze landed, Ruby screeched and shook its front paws.

“Lose weight.”

It was exactly the same opinion as her father. Luckily, Aicila, who was blissfully oblivious to that unwelcomed fact, whipped her head around to face Ronell.

“Baby.”

“I’m sorry!”

Ronell quickly shouted, her fingers fidgeting.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up. If I made a noise… Mister Teriot was only trying to help me. I wanted to find Ruby.”

“Baby.”

Aicila spoke slowly.

“You don’t have to make excuses.”

Before tears filled Ronell’s eyes, she calmly continued.

“I told you there’s no one here to scold you in this mansion.”

“……”

“Remember?”

“Ah… yes. I remember it.”

Miss Aicila said last time that I should tell her if there’s someone.

Ronell nodded with a more reassured look. As Aicila reached out and stroked her golden coriander hair, her eyes fluttered wide.

“But there’s someone whom you have to be careful with.”

“Daughter.”

With a grin on his face, Teriot opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly closed it again. He glanced at Ronell’s golden hair, which Aicila was gently running through.

It was luminous even at night, like the sun in late autumn.

“Kiddo.”

“Y-yes. Mister.”

“Come talk to me if my daughter makes you cry. My room is the farthest one on the 3rd floor.”

A flash of ferocity crossed Aicila’s face, and Teriot, with a philosophical expression that seemed to mirror everything, turned around.

He tried to turn around.

He moved his head and saw the small hand gripping the hem of his clothes.

“Ack. I’m sorry.”

Surprised, Ronell let go of his clothes.

“Thank you, Mister.”

“Don’t mention it. Just.”

“Yes?”

“Throw it away if it’s heavy.”

Teriot tipped his chin toward Ruby, shifted his long legs, and strode off.

It was a graceful, relaxed pace, like swimming in the moonlit sea. He also looked like a floating ghost. Unlike Aicila, who was filled with the warmth of the living, he was filled with the cold of the dead.

It was so dissimilar that she questioned if it was truly possible for a father and daughter to be that opposite to each other.

“Baby.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

As Ronell timidly muttered, Aicila brushed off her hair.

“Sorry for what. You don’t have to be sorry.”

“…Yes.”

“If you say you’re wrong too often, it won’t be rare.”

Aicila’s pale smile firmly penetrated through the darkness of the open night.

“Of course, it’s better than being overly rare.”

What’s rare?

Ronell was confused, but she chose to move on for the time being since she noticed that Aicila was laughing pleasantly.

Because she looked very, a bit very, unhappy just a while ago.

“Can’t sleep because you slept earlier?”

“…Yes. How about Miss Aicila?”

“Sister.”

In an instant, Aicila’s smile sharpened.

“Why am I Miss Aicila when you call that b*stard Mister?”

Wasn’t Mister Teriot Miss Aicila’s dad?

Ronell cocked her head to the side as though she didn’t understand. With a question mark hovering over her head, Aicila recounted on what she said.

Ah, I swore. I said that b*stard.

I don’t really regret it, but it’s wrong to swear in front of a child.

“Sorry for swearing.”

“N-no.”

“Anyway, call me Sister.”

“Yes, Sister.”

Aicila’s smile quickly softened, and a gentle and soothing sensation began to pat Ronell.

Mew mew mew mew.

Ruby let out meows of displeasure, irritated by the friendly exchange between its owner and one of the humans it detested the most.

“R-Ruby. You’ll wake everyone up…”

“Don’t worry. It’s because it’s been so rude that it was now soundproofed thoroughly.”

Ah… I see. Her light-green pupils twitched hard.

Either this or that, Aicila glanced down pityingly at the cat, which was still wedged in the small hole. It’s not cute at all when its butt is twitching.

“You spend the night here.”

Aicila gave a cold sentence and tried to carry Ronell back.

The young butler, however, politely declined to fulfill her duty, and the child, in an effort to assist the cat’s escape, grasped its hind legs and tugged.

Even as Ruby, who managed to escape, repeatedly hit her, Aicila giggled the whole time.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Upon hearing an offer from Aicila to join her for breakfast, Ronell leaped and walked away. Next to her, Ruby, who suffered last night from a dog, no, cat trouble, followed her with a smile.

The door that Mister Teriot taught me last night— ah, found it.

Ronell carefully raised her hand at the door.

Huh. How do I knock it? Can I just knock?

Given that she has never knocked before, she was understandably hesitant. Ronell, frustrated by the unforseen obstacle, bent over and hugged Ruby.

“Ruby.”

Mew mew.

“C-can I just knock it?”

Why care about that! Care about me!

Ruby tried to hit Ronell’s arm, but stopped when it noticed how thin it was.

I need to control my temper.

In retrospect, Ruby’s introspection about its own nature marks a watershed moment in the long and short cataclysm.

Just then, Ronell could see the door click open.