Chapter – 05
The boy—no, Heinrich—smiled with satisfaction at the disciplined demeanor before him. He seemed to regard it as behavior befitting a person who knew their exact place.
No one could challenge Heinrich’s actions. The boy before them was the heir to the Hilufs family, known as the foremost family on the continent.
“Open the teleport.”
“Are you going alone, Lord Heinrich?”
At the knight’s question, Heinrich nodded slightly. Using teleportation incurred an enormous cost. Therefore, it was common practice for family members to travel together when using it.
But to suddenly insist on going alone… No matter how great the Hilufs family was, using a teleport separately just to attend another family’s young lady’s birthday party was nothing short of wasteful.
He couldn’t possibly be unaware of that fact, yet Heinrich remained firm. Flustered by his attitude, the knight broke into a cold sweat.
“Are you refusing to do it?”
The rabbit in his palm was breathing increasingly raggedly, its burning fever so intense it seemed it could die at any moment. Heinrich frowned upon noticing this.
Misinterpreting his expression, the knight flinched and waved his hands in denial.
“No, not at all! But how should I explain this to the Head of the Hilufs family?”
“That’s not your concern. Or do you personally object to me using the teleport privately?”
“How could that be!”
Seeing the knight’s half-distraught face, Heinrich patted his shoulder. It was pressure to hurry up. This action made the knight turn even paler.
Disobeying Heinrich here was a problem, but obeying him might lead to an even bigger problem later.
Seeing his state, Heinrich added, as if doing him a favor.
“If you’re so worried, then tell my parents this: If the teleportation fee is needed, I will gladly pay it myself. Ah, and if they think about using their son’s money for the teleport, tell them they’ll just have to work even harder from now on. Be sure to include that as well.”
The knight’s face changed color by the second.
There was no one who dared say such things to the Head of the Hilufs family. Knowing this full well, Heinrich smiled as if he had suggested a brilliant solution. The knight gave a strained, awkward smile in return.
The knight’s dilemma didn’t last long. If he opened the teleport, at least he wouldn’t get his throat ripped out by Heinrich right here and now.
Reluctantly, he guided him.
“You may go this way.”
“Good. Then, keep up the good work.”
The teleport flashed, and Heinrich disappeared.
* * *
With a flash of light, Heinrich arrived via teleport.
Naturally, they had expected the Family Head, his wife, the young master, and the knights to return, but Heinrich stood there alone.
The Hilufs servants, who had been rushing over, froze solid upon seeing him.
“Young Master?”
“Ah, James?”
“Yes…? But the Family Head and Madam…?”
“They’ll come on their own, I suppose.”
Heinrich paused, as if surprised that so many people had gathered. But it was brief; he resumed with a nonchalant expression and asked his question as if it were nothing.
In the bewildering situation, Head Butler James had to make an effort not to let his jaw drop.
“Where’s Leo?”
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
In all his life, Heinrich had never sought out Leo, the Hilufs family’s chief physician. Yet, the first thing he did upon returning was ask for Leo… James’s eyes darted around, scrutinizing Heinrich’s condition.
It didn’t take long for James to figure out why he was looking for Leo.
“Is it because of the rabbit in your hand?”
“Yes, if I leave it be, it seems like it’ll die.”
At the sudden situation, the servants buzzed amongst themselves, watching Heinrich.
James dismissed the servants to control the chaotic scene. The Hilufs servants glanced back curiously but eventually lost interest and dispersed.
Once everyone was gone and it was quiet, James finally asked Heinrich. His low, secretive tone made it sound like he was convinced a crime had been committed.
“Did you kidnap it?”
“Why is everyone like this with me? As if I’d do such a shameless thing, right?”
At Heinrich’s brazen reply, James forced an awkward smile. But, being competent, he quickly wiped the expression off his face and nodded.
“Yes. Shall I go find him right away?”
“No. Tell him to come up to my room.”
Watching Heinrich walk while looking only at his own palm, James briefly had the absurd thought, *’What if he trips?’*
*Who exactly is the person walking ahead of me, that I’d think such a thing…* James shook his head, trying to shake off the thought.
* * *
“The young master is asking for you. You should go up to his room.”
“……What did you say?”
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
*’How old is this guy this year?’*
Then, as if having reached a conclusion, he asked.
“……Has he gone senile?”
Seeing Leo’s thoroughly crumpled expression, James shook his head. Leo shot up from his seat and headed towards Heinrich’s room, all the while remaining suspicious.
*’He said he wouldn’t get tested for dementia, but this year I’ll definitely make him.’*
Leo’s reaction was natural. That ‘Heinrich,’ of all people, was calling for him? It was more believable that a horse from the stables had summoned him.
Even as he opened the door to Heinrich’s room with a thoroughly distorted expression, he was still thinking about how to prepare James’s dementia tests.
“Young Master.”
“Ah, you’re here.”
Just as expected, there was nothing in his room. The moment felt a step closer to James’s dementia examination.
“Seriously, calling a busy person here and there…”
As he ran his hand through his hair and took a step towards Heinrich, Leo spotted a small ball of fluff on the bed. Even at a glance, its condition didn’t look good.
Finally, Leo realized why Heinrich had called for him.
“Where did you pick up such a scruffy thing?”
“From Lepus.”
Surely, if Heinrich had returned to the family, the fussy knights should have been looking for him by now. But it was still so quiet. Sensing something odd, Leo asked.
“Speaking of which, where are the Madam and the Family Head?”
“I came alone. More importantly, why is it like this? Are rabbits normally this hot?”
Having found the reason in Heinrich’s answer, Leo facepalmed.
The young master was insufferably arrogant and had nearly zero capacity for considering others, but he genuinely seemed to have no clue this time.
On top of that, he was only focused on the rabbit he’d picked up. Leo couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done now?”
Kidnapping a rabbit from the Lepus family, a rabbit clan, wasn’t enough; he used the teleport alone to return.
No matter how great the Hilufs family was, the cost and effort for a single teleport were immense… In the end, Leo couldn’t hold back and glared at Heinrich, muttering.
“……What on earth has happened to our young master’s mind?”
“What was that?”
But Heinrich, completely absorbed in the rabbit, didn’t seem to hear Leo’s words.
The situation had already unfolded, and arguing here wouldn’t improve anything, so Leo asked to see the brought rabbit.
At that, Heinrich frowned and said something utterly ridiculous.
“Just treat it here. Don’t even touch it.”
“……Have you truly lost your mind?”
“You’re supposed to be competent, right? Can’t you even do that?”
Scratching his pride was useless.
What was the difference between telling a doctor to treat a patient blindfolded and with their hands tied? Leo let out a scoff and shrugged.
“Then just don’t get it treated.”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“Eh, a clever young master like you should know. If you kill me, there’s no one left in Hilufs who can save that rabbit, right?”
Leo answered cheekily to Heinrich, who looked ready to slit his throat on the spot. Finally seeming to come to his senses, Heinrich tilted his head sideways.
Once Leo had his permission, he rolled the palm-sized rabbit around, examining it from all angles.
Watching Leo—renowned as the continent’s greatest healing mage—not using any healing magic but just fiddling around, Heinrich grew impatient and snapped irritably.
“Why aren’t you using your famed healing magic? If it’s sick, you should use it.”
“Do you think it’s something you can just use in an instant?”
“You’re the one who’s so great. If you don’t have the ability to treat it, then it’d be faster for me to go out right now and find a better healing mage than you—”
“Squeak…!”
The tiny rabbit whined at the noisy argument. Seeing this, Heinrich glared at Leo and began soothing the rabbit.
“Shh, was it too loud? I’ll be quiet, it’s okay.”
Having witnessed this properly, Leo grimaced without restraint, horrified. Then, as if finding it appalling, he said to Heinrich.
“……That’s disgusting.”
“……Be quiet.”
“Did I say that out loud?”
Leo muttered that he had seen something truly unsightly.
Even under Leo’s gaze, Heinrich’s attention was entirely focused on the small rabbit, and he didn’t hear his words.
