C29
"He seems really crazy..."
Duke Collin was a man so beautiful that it wouldn't be strange to say he was an ice spirit who had been trapped in ice for a long time.
His cold sky-blue hair fell, as if snow had fallen on a snowy field, and turned a pale white.
His hair was similar to Richard's. Looking at it this way, their appearances were very alike.
Who would see this man as a married man?
But the snow is too cold.
There was no anticipation at all, just a look that seemed to be contemplating how to kill this swindler.
It was understandable, but a cold sweat ran down my spine.
"Aren't you going to speak?"
"Ah..., he has long hair... purple eyes..."
When I regained my senses, he nodded as if to signal me to continue. I swallowed hard.
"I really think I'm going to die."
It was clear that the moment I gave even one wrong answer here, I would become a corpse.
"His hair is... purple... just like uncle's... Richard's hair also gets lighter as it falls..."
The first time I said that, for the first time, a light flickered in his emotionless eyes.
".... What?"
"Yes?"
"What name did you just say?"
"Richard..."
"The lower his hair falls, the lighter its color gets?"
"Yes..."
He took a deep breath and slowly rose from his seat. Then, he slowly sat down on the sofa.
"Sit there."
"Yes."
I obediently sat in front of him.
"What else do you remember?"
"Oh. He wears a silver earring. This long..."
When I spoke with an extended finger, Duke Collin's expressionless face wavered for a moment.
"Is it like this?"
The calm-looking man impatiently got up, took something from a drawer, and showed it to me.
"Yes! That's it."
"......"
He looked at me in disbelief, then looked back at the earring.
"...That child."
"Yes?"
"Where is he?"
"In the capital."
"Tell me his location immediately..."
I quickly grabbed the hem of his clothes as he tried to get up impatiently.
"Ow..."
I grabbed him so fast that I hit my knee against the sofa table.
"What are you doing...?"
"I'll bring him back tomorrow. It can't be today..."
"...Why?"
"Richard would be angry..."
"He'd be angry? Why?"
It was clear that he would be very upset because I left without a word.
"Oh... I left without Richard's knowledge."
"...What?"
"So, I have to comfort him."
I bit my lip and smiled shyly. Then, Duke Collin fell silent for a moment, as if he had no words.
"I'll bring him tomorrow."
"How absurd..."
The Duke frowned with his beautiful forehead.
"Richard is not ready to meet him yet. I'll be back later."
"...How did you know he was my son?"
What should I say?
"From a rumor."
"A rumor?"
"A rumor that the uncle would give money."
That was true.
For several years, he had been spreading rumors about his son with a large reward.
However, the only people who had come to him so far had been swindlers.
Swindlers seeking money sometimes disguised their own children and brought them.
"Money...."
He wiped his face and lowered his head as if he was laughing at my words.
"Ha, I'll give you any amount of money... If only I could meet that child again."
Upon that, I awkwardly smiled and nodded.
"Yes, you will see him tomorrow."
"Who are you?"
"Eirin."
To my response, he fell silent for a moment as if he had no words, then changed his words to a question.
"What is your relationship with that child?"
Uh, is my relationship with Richard, Bambam and her owner...?
"His pet...?"
When he first picked me up, he said he was raising me as a pet, so from Richard's point of view, maybe that's the case?
"....What?"
Duke Collin asked with a bewildered expression.
I nodded once again.
"His pet...!"
......
First of all, it's because I'm a lizard.
But somehow, he looked at me with a surprised look on his face, with his mouth tightly closed.
"Tomorrow, I will send a carriage."
Duke Collin looked at me with an astonished expression on his face, and then, after a long time, issued me a dismissal order.
On the way back, the soldier incessantly asked me about how I survived, which annoyed me a little.
That's not all; as soon as I left, the future High Priest ran toward me like a puppy and stuck to my side.
I accidentally picked him up and headed back to the lodging.
And now what?
I went out and picked up a certain person; it was clear that Richard would be very angry.
Standing in front of the inn, I turned my head and put on my tunic... And I looked at the child who would probably become a High Priest in the future.
"Will you keep following me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you are my teacher."
"I'm not your teacher."
"You gave me something to eat, so you are my teacher."
The child looked at me and smiled cheerfully.
"He wasn't so naive in the novel."
He must have some hidden motive, but I don't know what it is.
"Richard will leave tomorrow anyway..."
It doesn't matter.
However, I wondered if it was okay to take this child to the orphanage.
I took a deep breath and cautiously entered the room at the inn.
"Hey, wait here for a moment."
"Why?"
"I have to explain it to my friend."
"...Yes."
The future High Priest obediently nodded.
Click.
The first thing I saw when I entered the room feeling uneasy was a child sitting on a chair like a stone statue.
When I entered, he opened his eyes wide and looked at me.
I smiled awkwardly and carefully opened my mouth.
"...Hello, Richard..."
"Where have you been?"
"I went out... for a walk..."
"A walk, that lasted from morning to night?"
"I... got lost..."
"You didn't run away from me?"
Richard jumped out of the chair and walked toward me.
Richard approached me with a very excited expression and grabbed my shoulder.
"Are you going to abandon me too?"
"...No, I won't leave you."
I shook my head hurriedly.
"I came back. I also bought some bread..."
I took out the buns I bought to appease Richard's anger on the way back.
When I slid the bun into Richard's arms, the child's eyes softened a bit.
"...I woke up and was surprised that you weren't there."
"I left a letter..."
"...Yes, I saw it. Still..."
Richard held me in his arms. A warm breath hit the nape of my neck as if to calm his excitement.
As if he had a date with someone, and during all the waiting time, he was always anxious that he might have set up a date to annoy him or deceive him.
"I'm sorry."
"No, let's go together next time. I hate being alone. You promised to stay by my side."
"Yes."
I reached out and patted Richard on the head a couple of times.
"Let's go together tomorrow."
"Where to?"
"I found it!"
While talking while holding Richard's hand, Richard looked at me with a slightly stiff expression.
"...What?"
"Your family! Richard's dad!"
"...You found my dad?"
"Yes."
"...Did you go there now?"
"Yes."
"...To return me to the family that abandoned me? Are you going to throw me away because I'm annoying?"
"Yes!... Huh?"
How can you interpret my words of finding his family like that?
I looked at Richard, who clenched his fists, unable to hide my confusion.
The child's face, full of a sense of betrayal, was flushed, as if he were about to burst into tears.
"You thought I was annoying too, after all..."
Seeing tears welling up, I reached out to him, not understanding.
Richard took a step back and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. I quickly approached and held Richard's hand.
"Let go of me."
"No."
"What do you mean by needing the family that abandoned me?! I don't need anything! You and I are family! We decided to be a family! You promised!"
In response to Richard's unexpected anger, I fell silent for a moment and slowly approached him again.
Every time I got closer, Richard took a step back.
[Since you and I are alone, how about being a family to each other?]
[Don't even leave my side. You're like my family. So stay by my side.]
Memories that had been forgotten for a while passed by.
I must have hurt you.
The words she thought were insignificant were too sincere for the child.
"I thought it was something a child would say..."
It was clear that traumatized Richard thought he had a family when he picked me up.
"I won't leave you."
"Liar."
"I won't... leave Richard either."
I gently grasped Richard's hands.
"Richard, you won't go alone tomorrow; you'll go with me."
"...Together?"
"Yes."
"You'll go with me and leave me there, Bambam? I don't want that if that's the case."
This guy is quite clever.
......
I was going to do that...
When I didn't respond, tears began to well up in Richard's eyes again.
"Bambam is abandoning me..."
I shook my head reflexively at the sight of a wet puppy.
"...No?"
"Yes."
"Will you stay with me even after I reunite with my family?"
"...Um, until Richard gets used to it."
Of course, this is only possible if I convince Duke Collin...
"And if I can't adapt for the rest of my life...?"
"Oh..."
"Then will you be with me forever?"
"Maybe..."
Is it possible?
"Really?"
Richard's eyes shone, as if they had never dimmed.
"Yes..."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes..."
It must be my misunderstanding that I seem to have been deceived, right?
Click.
The door opened just in time, and a voice came from behind as if waiting.
"Teacher, are you finished talking?"
