ITPMHFN 69

Chapter 69

A short while later.

While the meal was being prepared, Arbel was led by Melissa to the guest room.
It was because Edith had ordered her to show him a place to rest.

The moment Arbel saw the bed, his mouth fell open and he staggered toward it.

That was when—

“Wait just a moment!”

A small figure blocked his path.

With her sharp, foxlike eyes narrowed, Melissa looked him up and down.

“You’re not seriously planning to go to dinner looking like that, are you?”

“Uh… Pardon?”

“If you’ve been invited to dine with nobility, you should at least have some sense of propriety!”

The first time Melissa had laid eyes on him, she had nearly fainted.
His hair was a complete bird’s nest, and his clothes were covered in dust and mysterious stains of unknown origin.

“Uh… this is… pretty normal for me?”

“Normal? This is a disaster.”

Her tone was so fierce that Arbel, despite being much taller, shrank back.

Melissa let out a deep sigh and promptly swept aside the clumps of hair hanging over his forehead.
What appeared underneath were surprisingly clear, vivid pink eyes.

“…Oh my.”

Melissa’s eyes narrowed even further.

“Uh, did… did I do something wrong?”

“No. Go wash up immediately. We still have plenty of time before dinner, so you can rest after that.”

Her crisp command made Arbel blink, stepping back awkwardly.
But under her piercing stare, he hesitated only briefly before being half-pushed into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Arbel emerged again, carefully parting the steamy air.
His damp hair clung to his forehead as he rubbed it with a towel, smiling sheepishly.

Melissa’s lips curved into a slow, satisfied smile.

“Good. Now, let’s get you properly ready.”

She rolled up her sleeves and sat him down before the vanity.
Arbel faced his own reflection with a stiff, awkward expression.

When I opened the dining room door, I froze on the spot.

A stranger.

No—someone whose face had changed so much he looked like a stranger.

“…Who are you?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Arbel scratched his cheek and laughed awkwardly.

“Ha ha… It’s me. Arbel.”

Good heavens. I barely swallowed the gasp that almost escaped.

Now that he’d spoken, I could tell it really was him.
But he looked so different that my brain refused to recognize him at first glance.

His messy hair was now neatly combed, his eyes sparkled like glass marbles catching the light, and his fair skin glowed softly, as if freshly polished.

So people can really change this much with a little effort…

For a moment, I just stared in mild disbelief—then I couldn’t help but laugh quietly.

It reminded me of the townspeople’s reactions when they’d seen Denok during the festival.
Perhaps they’d felt exactly like this.

At that moment, a knock came at the door.

Still smiling, I turned toward the sound—and met Denok’s gaze as he entered.

But something about his expression was… off.

His face was blank, but his eyes were stiff, almost frozen.

Ah, maybe he was just surprised by Arbel’s transformation too.

I shrugged playfully.

“Can you recognize him? It’s Arbel. He looks like a completely different person once he’s cleaned up, doesn’t he?”

But instead of relaxing, Denok’s expression grew even more rigid.

“…Yes. I can see that.”

His tone was flat, as if answering out of obligation.

What was that about? Did something bad happen?

While I puzzled over it, he silently walked over and sat down, expressionless.

Vernon quietly poured water into our glasses and withdrew.

A brief, awkward silence followed.

Then Arbel cautiously spoke up.

“Um… Are you sure it’s all right for me to eat here?”

“Hm?”

I paused mid-sip and looked at him.

“My late teacher always said… you should refuse gifts from nobles two or three times before accepting…”

He trailed off, avoiding my eyes.

It was almost funny how innocent he was—this man who would one day bring great fame and fortune to House Luciano.

I smiled, charmed by his naïve manners.

Clearly, he hadn’t interacted much with people before.

“If you refuse too much, that can actually be rude too.”

Right then, the dining room door opened and maids began bringing in plates one after another, each beautifully arranged with colorful dishes.

In no time, the long table was covered with a feast.

Arbel’s eyes grew wide, disbelief flashing across his face.

“W–we’re eating all of this?”

“Just take what you like and eat as much as you want.”

The rest would feed the servants later anyway.

Still, even after Denok picked up his knife and fork first and urged him to begin, Arbel hesitated, fidgeting in his seat.

I realized my mistake—of course he wouldn’t know noble table manners, or even how to begin.

“It’s hard to talk with you sitting all the way over there. Why don’t you come here instead?”

He had been seated far down the table, probably directed there by a maid, but I gestured to the empty chair across from me.

Denok looked at me, and I subtly signaled that Arbel hadn’t touched his food.

He raised a brow but said nothing, simply picking up his knife again and slicing at a piece of meat for an oddly long time.

Meanwhile, Arbel awkwardly stood and moved to sit across from me.

Once he was settled, I picked up my utensils—and he carefully mirrored me.

The moment he took his first bite, his expression melted with delight.

The chef’s skill really is impressive, I thought, hiding a small laugh behind my glass.

From then on, the atmosphere grew relaxed.

Arbel began speaking more freely, and as it turned out, he was quite eloquent—especially when the topic turned to research.

He and Denok discussed what equipment and materials would be needed once the research wing was established, and what kinds of magic stones would work best.

Then, unexpectedly, the conversation took a somber turn.

“It would’ve been wonderful if my teacher were here too… He would’ve been so happy to see our research completed.”

Arbel’s voice, bright until now, suddenly dropped.
The smile that had hovered on his lips all dinner long faded away.

Right… He said he grew up with his teacher, just the two of them.

I asked gently, “What kind of person was your teacher?”

Arbel seemed to realize he’d dampened the mood, because he forced a smile.

“He was… very, very strict. I used to cause so much trouble that he always threatened to throw me out.”

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

“But he never actually gave up on me. He used to say all the time that once I became an adult, he’d make me pay back every bit of the trouble I caused.”

“Ah.”

A small sound escaped me before I could stop it—because something in the way he said it struck me.

His tone… it sounded as if he wasn’t an adult yet.

“How old are you, exactly?”

Arbel blinked wide, innocent eyes and replied cheerfully,

“Seventeen!”

“……”

“……”

The constant sound of Denok’s knife abruptly stopped.

And I finally realized something.

Maybe the reason Arbel only became famous much later in the original story was…

Because he wasn’t even an adult yet.