Chapter 25: Karus Francesca (2)

The tea spilled over white hair, soaking the clothes beneath.

Maybe it was because of Nihil’s indifference and mysterious atmosphere, but if not for the distinctive savory and slightly sweet smell of milk, one might have thought they were dreaming of spilled tea—so surreal was the scene.

“…Wipe it off.”

“Ahhh! Are you hurt?!”

At Nihil’s low words, Karus, who had been frozen and unable to breathe, shouted, hurriedly put down his teacup on the table, and frantically pulled out a handkerchief, his hands moving busily.

With five sugar cubes added, it was sticky.

“Nil, are you alright?”

“…I’m fine.”

“I’m really sorry. Was it hot? Did it burn?”

The Francesca Marquis gently wiped Nihil’s face and hair with a dampened handkerchief, his movements careful and attentive, as if caring for a younger sibling.

Nihil observed the Marquis closely as he examined Nihil’s face with a worried expression right in front of him.

Just a moment ago, he’d been whining like a child, begging to be taught about ancient language, so Nihil expected him to grovel and apologize.

But what Nihil saw in his eyes was not servility, but a hint of guilt and genuine concern.

Nihil entrusted himself to that straightforward touch and blinked slowly.

“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any burns…”

“Teacher.”

“…Yes?”

“Give me your hand.”

The Francesca Marquis, caught off guard, set down the handkerchief and offered his hand.

Nihil grabbed the outstretched hand, carefully placed it on his own forehead, and closed his eyes.

A southeasterly wind blew from somewhere, making the white hair flutter.

It looked like a sacred ritual, and Lianus and Karus unconsciously held their breath as they watched Nihil.

“Ah!”

Thud, crash!

That was when Nihil, who had been quietly closing his eyes, suddenly made a noise and forcefully shoved Karus away.

“Ugh…!”

Karus fell over before he could react, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the room.

“…Friend?”

Karus stared at Nihil with wide eyes.

Lianus was just as bewildered, but then he saw a thin red scratch forming on his friend’s cheek.

“Ni, Nil! You’re bleeding!”

Lianus shouted, grabbing Nihil’s face. Karus, startled, hurried over to check on Nihil.

“Wh-what happened all of a sudden…?”

“Nil, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.”

Unlike the two fussing over him, Nihil casually raised his hand and brushed his cheek.

Blood seeped out, but he didn’t seem to care.

Karus, flustered, tried to wipe the blood with his handkerchief, but realizing it was the one used to clean the tea, he quickly pulled out a fresh one from his pocket.

The cut wasn’t deep, and the bleeding stopped quickly. He dampened the handkerchief, wiped away the blood, and the wound was barely noticeable.

“What happened just now! Are you truly alright?”

“I’m fine, so stop asking. Give me that handkerchief.”

“I can give you as many handkerchiefs as you want… but are you really alright?”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Then, about that ritual just now…”

Holding the bloodstained handkerchief, Nihil silently stood up.

He walked to the fireplace and tossed the handkerchief in.

The handkerchief burned up instantly, leaving no trace.

“…Teacher, you should stop that language research. It won’t help you.”

“Excuse me? That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Um, could I just ask one more thing?”

“Don’t ask. Aren’t you busy? You’re a professor, aren’t you? Your class ended a long time ago.”

“Ah, I am busy, but please, just one last thing, really!”

“No.”

“Please, I beg you!”

“I said no.”

“Prince’s friend! Please, just one last thing, I beg you!”

In the end, the Marquis dropped flat to the floor, clutching Nihil’s pant leg as he pleaded.

“Prince’s friend! Please!”

“Let go. Lian, do something about this lunatic.”

Nihil, now immobilized by the grip on his pants, boldly tried to yank the Marquis’s hair, but the Marquis didn’t budge.

“Prince! You said you liked me! Please persuade your friend!”

“Ka-Karus, calm down for now…!”

Crash!

Just as the situation was spiraling out of control, the drawing room door burst open.

“Wh-what on earth is…”

It was Evan, returning from an outing.

Evan, who had just come back, couldn’t make sense of the scene inside the drawing room.

‘I heard a commotion and rushed in, but…!’

Why was a Marquis being dragged around on the floor by his hair, clutching a Wildcat’s pant leg?

Evan, with twenty years of life experience, couldn’t begin to guess.

Next to them, the poor Kitten, at a loss, greeted Evan warmly.

“Sir Evan, welcome back!”

“I have returned. Marquis, what is happening?”

“Sir Evan, you’re here! Please, persuade the Prince’s friend!”

“What on earth…”

What on earth had happened in his absence to cause this mess?

Evan looked back and forth between the Wildcat, who dared to pull a noble’s hair, and the Marquis, both with an indifferent expression.

He had no clue what was going on, but since the Marquis was groveling and clutching a pant leg, it seemed serious. It was probably best to side with the Marquis for now.

“Spectator’s Fee.”

At that moment, Nihil, still holding the Marquis’s hair, raised both arms to Evan, speaking of a debt.

It was a signal to rescue him from this situation in exchange for the Spectator’s Fee.

Evan, surprised by the childlike Wildcat, blinked, but instinctively scooped up the outstretched Wildcat in his arms.

“Marquis, perhaps it’s best if you leave for now…”

“How could you do this to me! Aren’t we friends?”

It was funny to hear a Marquis call a commoner knight his friend, but Karus sincerely thought of Evan as a friend.

Ever since the free-spirited Karus learned Evan was his age and suggested they be friends, Evan had grown more comfortable around him.

Evan glanced at the Wildcat in his arms, but the Wildcat indifferently repeated, “Spectator’s Fee,” urging him to fulfill his debt.

Evan decided that rescuing the Wildcat from the Marquis was easier than finding three amusements for the Prince, so he resolved to pay his debt.

“…I owe a Spectator’s Fee…”

“What is this Spectator’s Fee, anyway!”

The Marquis stamped his feet in frustration, as if he wanted to snatch Nihil away from Evan’s arms.

The Kitten seemed shocked that his knight was a debtor, mumbling, “Sir Evan, you’re in debt…?”

“Haa…”

Nihil sighed. One was making a scene, another was trying to stop him, and another was volunteering to pay the debt.

Was this a drawing room or a marketplace…?

Feeling tired, Nihil went limp in Evan’s arms. Seeing him look so drained, the three people paused and asked at the same time,

“Nil, are you hurt?”

“Friend! Are you unwell?”

“What’s wrong, Wildcat, are you hurt?”

Suddenly the attention on his meaningless action made Nihil a bit flustered inside.

Lianus and Karus, recalling the sudden wound on Nihil’s cheek, hardened their expressions as they watched him.

What if something had really gone wrong?

Only Evan, unaware of the situation, thought lightly of it and brushed Nihil’s forehead.

A sweet milky scent wafted from the Wildcat. The scent, strangely fitting and unfitting at the same time, made Evan chuckle.

“Wildcat, you smell like milk. Pretending to be an adult, but you’re still a kid.”

“…It’s because the teacher spilled tea on me.”

“Tea…?”

Evan was puzzled. What could have led the Marquis to pour tea on a child’s head? Now that he noticed, not only the hair but the shoulders were a bit damp.

“You, what’s that wound on your face?”

Evan spotted a very faint scratch on Nihil’s left cheek, as if it had been cut cleanly by something sharp.

Nihil didn’t answer. Karus, glancing around, timidly raised his hand and spoke.

“That wound is probably my fault.”

“…What?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it’s because of me.”

“What do you mean…”

“No.”

Evan was about to ask what he meant, but Nihil firmly denied it. Nihil patted Evan’s shoulder and gestured to the sofa.

“Put me down now.”

Evan gently set the Wildcat down on the sofa.

As soon as he did, Lianus and Karus quickly took seats on either side of Nihil. Seeing this, Evan let out a dry laugh.

“…Honestly, what is going on here.”

Evan naturally sat across from them, picked up the last chocolate cookie on the table, and brought it to his mouth.

“Ah, that’s Nil’s!”

Lianus, seeing Evan eat the cookie, hurriedly warned him it was Nihil’s, but it was already in Evan’s mouth.

“…?”

Evan, unable to chew, glanced at Nihil.

Was it really the Wildcat’s share? Nihil, too, looked startled, raising his hand then dropping it and averting his gaze.

What, was he sulking because his cookie got stolen?

Thinking he’d have to buy him a cookie later, Evan began to chew—and caught a burnt smell. The more he chewed, the more bitter it became.

Evan’s chewing slowed down.

“…Prince.”

“Yes?”

“…Have you tried this cookie?”

“I only ate the butter cookies over here.

I gave all the chocolate cookies to Nil since he seemed to like them. That was the last chocolate cookie left…”

Evan glanced at Nihil. Nihil, who had avoided his gaze, poured himself a fresh cup of tea, dropped in a sugar cube, glanced at Evan, and dropped in another. Then he slid the cup toward Evan.

He must have known.

That the cookie the Prince thought was chocolate tasted like coal.

And he must have eaten them all himself so the Prince wouldn’t have to.

“Prince, who brought this cookie…?”

“Karus gave it as a present!”

“…The Marquis?”

This coal-flavored cookie was a present…?

“Yes! He said his youngest sibling made it for him!”

“Haha, my youngest sibling is a genius!”

“Youngest… sibling…”

“Yeah! How is it, tasty?”

Evan didn’t answer right away, and a silence fell over the drawing room. Lianus and Karus tilted their heads, wondering if something was wrong.

Then, as Nihil watched Evan’s reaction, he quietly spoke.

“…Don’t bark.”

No, but how can you not bark at this…!