Romeo stood up in an instant and struck Kalix on the back of the head.
Kalix was still looking at Lelia, wondering if he was well. His eyes were red.
ââŠâŠâ
Griffith was stunned by Kalixâs actions and his words.
Oscar, meanwhile, hugged Lelia, who had just sat down to process why he approached her.
âAre you all right?â
Oscar caught Lelia by the arm in a gentle tone.
âYou madman, Kalix. Whatâs wrong with you? Are you crazy? What is this rude behavior..!â
Romeo couldnât speak properly because of Kalix, who acted so contrary to common sense.
Kalix defended himself with vexation.
âNo, I suppose so. You⊠Iâm sure Iâll be disappointed! No! YouâŠ! You pervert! Stop dressing up as a woman from now on! Tell me everything! Tell them everything about you!â
[What? Did you take the wrong medicine? Or are these aftereffects of losing sight in one eye? Or did something happen in the battle with the heathens yesterday?]
Lelia looked at Kalix suspiciously.
Kalix stomped his feet. Romeo and Griffith couldnât stand this any longer.
âYou! Youâre so perverted!â
Kalix pointed his finger at Lelia to the end, even though he was being dragged away.
âWell, what happened yesterday?â
Lelia finally got up and asked, grasping Oscarâs arm, which supported her.
âNothing, nothing at all.â
âThen why on earth did he suddenlyâŠâ
âHe is strange, isnât he?â
Oscar was the strangest character of all.
Then he hugged Lelia, who had already stood upright.
âWhat are you doing now?â
âWait a moment.â
Just a second. Oscar literally hugged her for a single second. Then he let go of her.
â⊠Beautiful.â
Oscarâs red lips touched the back of her hand.
[PR/N: Is it bad that Oscar is becoming one of my favorites?]
For some reason, Lelia looked away from his transfixed eyes.
Oscar took a polite step back.
Thud
Becky showed up through the half-open door.
âOh, young lady?â
âWhatâs wrong with thisâŠ?â
Becky murmured and shoved the tray inwards which was where the cups were placed.
âTwo cups of tea will suffice.â
Oscar said to Becky.
Becky hesitated for a moment and spoke.
âYes, we have a visitor, Lady.â
â⊠Again?â
Why on earth is she so tired this early in the morning?
Lelia rubbed her eyes.
âSir Verbos Creek of the Creek family.â
Becky said uncomfortably. Lelia tilted her head. Who is it? OhâŠ
Lelia sighed and blinked at Becky.
When Becky sneaked backwards, Verbos Creek came in.
â⊠Lelia.â
Verbos walked inward with a stiff expression and saw Oscar standing beside Lelia.
âHe is even said to be as beautiful and handsome as the statue of the temple.â
When Verbos saw him in person, he was so beautiful that he couldnât help but be upset. Why was he so tall and so strong?
But Verbos did not show this, and straightened up.
â⊠I brought you beautiful flowers that look like you.â
When he held out the bouquet he had hidden from his back, Leliaâs eyes narrowed.
âPlease accept itâŠâ
Clap!
Oscar took away the bouquet offered by Verbos. It was not like a servant who was being handed it, but like shaking him off.
âWhat now?â
The bouquet of flowers in Oscarâs hand turned red and disappeared in an instant.
Less than a handful of ash fell to the ground.
Verbos stepped back in surprise.
â⊠Lelia is allergic to pollen.â
âWhat, whatâs that⊠Le- Lelia! Who the hell is this man? Who is this rudeâŠâ
Verbos looked at Oscar like he was a villain and immediately turned pale.
âAhâŠ!â
He looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Lelia noticed his behaviour and stared at Oscar.
âAhhh!â
Verbos screamed and ran away from the room.
Becky, who was waiting in front of the door, was surprised to see him running out, and suddenly closed the door behind her. So that Lelia and Oscar can get along well.
âWhat did you do?â
ââŠâŠâ
When Lelia blamed Oscar, Oscar avoided her eyes.
âIâm sure he just had a strange illusionâŠâ
Lelia was afraid of Oscar, who used extraordinary power beyond her control. Someday he might use that power on her family.
âSir Oscar⊠you promised to be quiet.â
âThat was when we were together.â
âWhat?â
âNow that the others are here, you must adhere to your words.â
âWhat?â
âItâs too much of a disadvantage for me to be quiet until you answer. There is no guarantee that they will do as I say.â
Lelia remembered her conversation with him.
âYou said it yourself. When it comes time⊠when you finish the work you were going to do, youâll follow me and stay with me forever.â
In response to the remark, Lelia recalled her words.
âIâll give you an answer when Sir Oscar remains quiet until all my work is done.â
Oscar accepted it and acted quietly ever since, but suddenly he lost control over such a small thing, causing her anxiety.
She felt like he was facing a hard time which he couldnât communicate.
âFeed me to get your way. You need food to tame beasts, donât you know?â
âWhat kind of food do you want?â
âDonât pretend you donât know.â
Oscar scoffed with one end of his mouth.
Lelia couldnât blink. She was sure they were separated by one step, but she couldnât move at all. She felt as if Oscar had grabbed her by the extremities.
âYou should know what I want.â
ââŠâŠâ
âYou know, even if you look at me once, even if I give you a handâŠâ
Oscar stretched out his fingers and touched the back of Leliaâs hand, who was holding the hem of her dress.
He touched the tip of her index finger lightly, but her heart started pounding.
âThatâs enoughâŠâ
Lelia didnât believe Oscar.
[Youâre satisfied with a look and a touch once? Liar.]
She couldnât believe he said that with the desire to swallow Lelia from head to toe right away.
No one will believe it.
Even if he is satisfied with it right now, his demands will grow. He will only be satisfied if she gives him everything later.
But Lelia couldnât tell the truth and she couldnât believe it.
Now she has to be satisfied with him not being as violent as a loose animal.
Lelia knew instinctively. At this rate, compared to that look, Oscar is well past his limit.
âAll right.â
ââŠâŠâ
At Leliaâs reply, Oscarâs hand fell. He folded his hands behind him and turned his back slowly, looking away from Lelia.
âAh,â he said, turning his back again.
âBy the way, I prefer the red dress you are wearing now to the blue one. Itâs beautiful like blood.â
Lelia closed her eyes when she saw Oscarâs back, who was the last to say the word.
[Iâll wear it in blue, anyway.]
***
âHey, you madman. No matter how much you may disagree, it is what it is. How old are you? Do you need a courtesy teacher at that age? Donât you remember anything you learned in the Imperial City?â
Romeo denounced Kalix and grabbed him by the collar.
âWell, Iâll give you some blows. Right?â
Griffith, a man of sacred power, naturally proposed violence as a solution. Romeo seriously wondered whether he really should do so.
ââŠâŠâ
Kalix looked down.
His eyes were red with vexation.
Romeo smacked him on the chest in frustration.
âIâd rather be honest with you. Iâm frustrated. Lelia is a sheâŠâ
âStop it!â
He closed his eyes, as if Kalix didnât want to hear them, and covered his ears with his big hands.
âI donât want to hear it! Go away, you unscrupulous fellows! Get out!â
Kalix laid down on the floor and kicked them like a child. It would be cute if a child did it, but now, Kalix was not a child.
They wouldnât want to get hit with those big legs.
Romeo and Griffith frowned.
âThat madman.â
âI tried to be honest, but he doesnât listen at all.â
Griffith said coldly to Romeoâs grief.
âLeave him alone so that he can live like that.â
â⊠But itâs a little pathetic. If he finds out later that he is the only one who doesnât know, he will cry.â
âLet him cry.â
Romeo and Griffith roughly shared information.
Of course, there are some cards that both of them didnât show each other, but it didnât matter much.
They knew everything, even though they didnât reveal all their cards.
Everything about Leliaâs identity.
However, neither of them knew about the truth behind Leliaâs silence.
They just guessed.
The speculation was the same.
What did the former emperor do to the templeâs request?
Both were also aware that Lelia used an unknown force.
But they didnât discuss or talk to each other about it.
Now, as Griffith said two days ago, they didnât have to share information with each other.
Their common purpose was already over.
When they got out of Kalixâs room, Griffith passed by Romeo, saying he would go first.
Romeo looked at Griffithâs back as he disappeared at the end of the hallway with strange eyes.
âThat dreary b*****d.â
He clicked his tongue criticizing Griffith.
It wasnât Oscar who he really didnât know, it was Griffith.
Griffith said Oscar would definitely put Lelia in danger, but he wasnât sure.
Romeoâs thoughts were different.
It was Griffith who was really nervous.
He could tell by the eyes that Oscar is crazy, but not Griffith.
Griffith knew how to hide everything thoroughly, emotionally or whatever, for his own benefit.
So he was more disturbing and dangerous.
Romeo turned and shook his head at the closed door of Kalixâs room.
Romeo was most comfortable with Kalix for a reason. He was the most transparent.
Itâs a problem because he was too transparent about everythingâŠ