WCDGS 05

“I’m itching to test myself against him too. But I can’t find a trace—he doesn’t leave anything behind.”

Seniel and Orbis couldn’t hide their competitive spirit toward Prince.

“So, is the map part of the deal?”

“Not yet. He hasn’t contacted anyone. Even Raven’s been quiet lately, so we’re just monitoring for now.”

“Let me know if you hear anything.”

“What about you?”

“My sister’s here, so I’m taking a break.”

“In this situation?”

Orbis tilted his head and picked up a letter buried under some documents.

“His Highness won’t allow that.”

The letter was handwritten by Prince Biddler, ordering Seniel to report to him immediately after training.

Seniel let out a groan, furrowing her brows.

“I just want to spend time with my sister while she’s here. Even if he says no, I’m taking a break.”

“Then I’ll take a break too.”

“…Why you?”

“Come on, we haven’t had a real break since we joined the knights. Might as well rest now.”

Seniel glared at him with clear disapproval, but the already excited Orbis cheerfully pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing his leave request.

*

The bedding was especially soft, and for the first time in a long while, I slept deeply without waking once.

“When’s the last time I woke up at this hour?”

I neatly arranged the rumpled blankets and made the bed before stepping outside.

It was a late morning, the sun already well up in the sky—something unimaginable during my time at the guild.

As I went downstairs, I spotted Orbis enthusiastically cleaning with a duster in hand.

I froze, startled by the sight of broad-shouldered Orbis wearing a frilly apron as he moved about.

Calm down.

I’ve been through thick and thin and tend to accept most things easily, but I might need time to get used to this version of Orbis.

“Sis! Was the bed comfortable?”

He spotted me and waved.

“Yeah. The bedding was great.”

“Right? It’s made by a royal artisan. Totally different class.”

Orbis added unnecessary details with a friendly smile.

“Oh, and Seniel left early. Said she was visiting home.”

“You’re not going?”

“I’m on leave for a few days.”

I tilted my head at how excited he looked just saying the word “leave.”

Why was he so enthusiastically cleaning while on vacation?

I didn’t ask, but Orbis followed me around with the duster, almost suspiciously closely.

“If me staying here is a burden, just say so. I’ll leave. Seniel insisted I come.”

“Oh please, Sis. I’m just a freeloader too. The owner of this house is someone else.”

“Who?”

So the house doesn’t belong to the friend he mentioned?

I stared at Orbis with a face that clearly asked, Then who?

He scratched the back of his head, as if saying he wasn’t supposed to talk about it.

“I’ll introduce you when they arrive. Should be soon.”

“…Alright.”

I began to wonder if the owner even knew I was staying here. Did Seniel really get permission?

Despite the unease, I asked Pendelrick to get me a map of the continent.

With the map in hand, I stepped outside and scouted the area, looking for good hiding spots and escape routes.

“This should do.”

But something kept making the back of my head tingle. Someone had been watching me from a long distance.

“Who is it?”

It didn’t feel dangerous, but the persistent gaze was annoying.

No one here should be keeping tabs on me. Did someone figure out who I really am?

I feigned ignorance and walked casually before sharply turning toward where the gaze was coming from.

And there, I caught sight of gleaming yellow eyes—sharp and dangerous.

“Orbis!”

I briefly considered going after them myself but decided against revealing my skills here, so I called for Orbis.

He arrived in an instant, sunlight flashing off his drawn sword.

“Sis, what’s wrong?”

Still wearing that frilly apron, but his eyes were so intense I barely noticed.

“Someone’s over there.”

“I’ll check it out.”

He dashed off so fast I could barely follow with my eyes.

“Impressive. I want him.”

Few at the guild were that fast and agile.

Though I hadn’t fought him directly, I was sure Orbis would rank near the top among guild members.

While I was still analyzing his movements, Orbis returned.

The serious look he’d worn was gone, replaced by a harmless smile.

“I know who it was. The housekeeper’s granddaughter. She probably snuck in—she lives just outside the wall.”

“Why?”

“She’s a Seniel fan.”

I tilted my head at the unfamiliar word.

“What’s a ‘fan’?”

“It means liking someone in a broader, not necessarily romantic, sense. Seniel’s super popular, so she has a lot of fans.”

I’d seen in reports that Seniel was popular, but even little kids?

“I’ll be inside, so call me if anything happens, just like now.”

“Got it.”

Still dazed, I shook my head and spread out the map again.

*

Two days passed.

It was a calm, uneventful time.

I had grown somewhat used to the villa and sat beneath a plane tree in the garden, spreading out the map again.

Several areas I’d circled stood out.

“I marked all the places I could guess… but I can’t tell just from the map. I’ll have to go myself.”

What I was trying to find was the location of the shop where I lived with my parents as a child.

Just then, a leaf fluttered down onto the map.

As I picked it up and stared at it, I sensed a presence again—this time, someone sneaking toward the shade where I sat.

Pretending not to notice is getting harder.

Worried that reacting too fast might seem suspicious, I scribbled casually with my pen as something flew toward me.

“Affiliated with—huh?”

…I instinctively caught the flying object mid-air.

Looking up, I saw a freckled girl with long braided hair staring at me, mouth wide open.

“Y-You caught it? How?!”

I relaxed, realizing it was the housekeeper’s granddaughter Orbis had mentioned.

Relieved it wasn’t an attack, I scowled at the bold little girl.

“What’s your deal? You’ve been stalking me since yesterday.”

“What’s your deal? Stay away from my Seniel oppa! Seniel oppa doesn’t belong to just one person! There’s a union! Stealing him like that is betrayal!”

A union? What was she talking about? And what exactly did she think I was?

Wondering what to do with the outrageous kid, I looked at what she had thrown… a boiled egg?

“A boiled egg?”

I was speechless, but as I was getting hungry anyway, I absentmindedly peeled the egg.

I took a bite of the smooth, plump egg—

“…Why is this so good?”

It was softer and richer than any egg I’d ever had. Like a cross between pudding and firm tofu.

“Come here, kid.”

I waved her over in confusion.

“You boiled this?”

“Hmph! Tastes good, right? It’s from a hen I raised myself. I even feed it specially selected food!”

She blushed as if pleased by my compliment, despite having thrown it at me earlier.

“I’ll admit it tastes great. But you’re annoying. Go play somewhere else, kid.”

“I’m not a kid! I’m only ten years younger than Seniel oppa!”

She proudly held up all ten fingers.

Since Seniel is eighteen, that would make her eight. Definitely a kid.

“Yeah, whether it’s ten years or five, if you bother me again, I’ll hang you from a tree.”

I warned her in a deliberately cold voice. I really couldn’t stand unruly kids.

Thinking that would be enough, I turned back to the map—but the kid hovered around, fidgeting.

Annoyed, I sighed and looked at her.

“What? Still something left?”

She shyly held out another boiled egg.

“Sorry for throwing it… It’s my favorite, so I thought it was okay. You can have this one too. Just… don’t tell Grandpa.”

“…Fine. I’ll take it.”

Food—especially tasty food—deserves no blame.

Peeling the egg she gave me, I found the whole situation strangely amusing.

Sometimes on missions, you have to eat potentially poisoned food. I’ve had poison training, but I rarely accept food from strangers.

Yet here I was, happily eating an egg from a kid I’d never met.

“Tastes good, right?”

“Yeah.”

Her face lit up at my honest reply.

Her chubby cheeks puffed up even more, and I suddenly had the urge to poke them.

Poke.

The soft, springy texture was surprisingly pleasant.

I reached out again for another poke, and the girl asked, staring at me:

“What are you doing?”