RHFTY chapter 46

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While Chaeyi was brooding over his concerns, the afternoon passed, and he eventually took a bath and began reading a book.

Silviet, who had eaten a hearty meal and was now lounging on the bed, suddenly perked up.

He lifted his head and stared intently at the door.

Just as Chaeyi wondered what it was, he heard voices from outside.

“No…, I said you can’t….”

“But right now….”

There was a commotion outside the room. It seemed like the soldier guarding Chaeyi’s room was having a bit of an argument with someone.

‘What’s going on?’

Grrrr.

Silviet, sensing an unfamiliar presence, let out a low growl, his tail tensing up as it slowly swayed.

Silviet was completely focused on what was happening outside the door.

This meant that the visitor wasn’t someone Silviet frequently encountered, like Enoch or Leonard.

Chaeyi glanced at Silviet and then got out of bed.

As he approached the door, the conversation became more audible.

When he opened it, he saw a flustered soldier and a small child.

The child’s face seemed oddly familiar.

Recognizing the child, Chaeyi’s eyes widened in surprise.

The unexpected visitor was none other than Hallard.

“Hallard?”

As Chaeyi called his name, both the soldier and Hallard turned their attention to him.

Hallard, who had been furrowing his brow, quickly dropped his gaze to the floor as soon as he made eye contact with Chaeyi.

It seemed that meeting his gaze made him feel awkward, and he began to fidget uncomfortably.

“Did you come to visit?”

Chaeyi smiled and bent down to meet Hallard’s eye level.

Hallard took a step back, glancing nervously at Chaeyi.

“You said I could come… And, well, I heard there was a dragon, so I wanted to see it. Is that okay?”

“I see. Yes, that’s fine.”

Chaeyi wasn’t sure if Silviet would like or dislike Hallard’s sudden visit, but as long as they were careful, there shouldn’t be any big issues.

With Chaeyi’s permission, Hallard quickly glanced triumphantly at the soldier, who pressed his lips together and avoided his gaze as if nothing had happened.

Of course, the soldier wasn’t to blame either.

He had only tried to prevent Hallard’s unexpected visit because Enoch had asked him to keep the area outside the room quiet so Chaeyi could rest.

Even if Hallard had received prior permission, the soldier was just doing his job.

“Come in.”

Chaeyi turned around and gestured for him to enter.

Following behind her, Hallard entered the room and immediately began looking around.

Then, he spotted the creature lounging on the bed and his eyes widened.

“It’s a real dragon.”

His face flushed with excitement, his eyes shining brightly.

Hallard seemed thrilled to see in person what he had only read about in books.

Watching him, Chaeyi couldn’t help but think, ‘He’s still just a kid after all.’

“Silvi.”

At Chaeyi’s call, Silviet, who had been pretending not to notice, slowly wagged his tail and stared at Hallard.

Although Hallard didn’t seem to notice, Silviet was still cautious around him.

So, Chaeyi took it upon himself to introduce them.

“Alright, say hello to each other. This is Hallard, and this is Silviet. Silviet, Lord Hallard came to visit you because he wanted to meet you.”

“Oh. Hi….”

Hallard shyly waved his hand.

Gone was the dignified demeanor of a noble; he now seemed just like any other child.

And Silviet? he wasn’t interested in Hallard at all and turned his head away.

Compared to the way he always acted playful around Chaeyi, his attitude was quite cold.

It seemed like a situation where a conflict between the two could arise, but Chaeyi thought otherwise.

‘He doesn’t seem to dislike him.’

If Silviet really intended to reject Hallard, he would have acted much more aggressively.

Hallard, who had been sulking, sneaked a glance at Chaeyi as if to ask what he should do.

Chaeyi nodded, indicating it was okay, and with newfound courage, Hallard slowly approached Silviet and sat down next to him.

As expected, Silviet didn’t pay much attention to whether Hallard sat beside him or not and let out a big yawn.

“Chaeyi, I’m bored.”

Then, as if he was bored, Silviet rolled over and rubbed his back against the bed.

Hallard, seeing this, widened his eyes in surprise and looked back at Chaeyi.

“That’s amazing. He can even talk like a person!”

Finding this endearing, Chaeyi couldn’t help but smile.

“How does he talk?”

“She uses telepathy.”

“Wow….”

“I’m a pretty impressive dragon.”

When Silviet boasted, Hallard’s eyes sparkled with pure admiration.

Pleased, Silviet stood up on his two legs, puffing out his chest and preening.

“I can even read complicated imperial texts.”

“Really?”

“Mhm! Do you want to play a word card game with me?”

“Sure.”

Just a moment ago, he was half ignoring Hallard, but now it seemed he had taken a liking to him.

Watching Silviet’s enthusiastic behavior, Chaeyi quietly fetched the word cards for them.

Silviet, excited, shuffled the cards haphazardly, then began laying them out one by one.

It was more of a learning exercise than a game, so it was unlikely Hallard would find it entertaining.

However, just being able to do something with a dragon seemed fascinating enough for Hallard, and he didn’t appear to be bothered by it.

Chaeyi quietly approached the soldier outside the door and asked him to call for Enoch.

When Enoch arrived, Chaeyi asked him to prepare some desserts for the children.

After briefly assessing the situation inside the room, Enoch returned with snacks suitable for both Silviet and Hallard.

The two moved to the small table beside the bed to continue playing while enjoying their treats.

Enoch seemed surprised by how quickly the two, who had only just met today, had become close.

“They seem to get along better than I expected.”

“Indeed.”

Chaeyi agreed with a smile to Enoch’s whispered comment.

Just then, Silviet, who had grown more interested in Hallard, asked him a question.

“Hallard. How old are you?”

“I’m nine years old. How about you, Silvi?”

“What…?”

Silviet paused mid-snack, his mouth agape. He seemed shocked.

Just as Chaeyi was wondering why, Silviet awkwardly averted his gaze and said,

“I… I’m nine years old too.”

It seemed he was taken aback by the fact that Hallard was older than him.

Though their growth rates were different, mentally they were probably around the same age.

“Nine years old? Wow! You’re already that old. Can you polymorph too?”

“Huh? That, um….”

Caught in his lie, Silviet didn’t know how to answer and looked troubled.

Chaeyi had no choice but to step in.

“Silvi is less than a month old. She’s only been born for about a week, right?”

“Ugh! Chaeyi!”

Silviet stood up abruptly, placing his front paws on the table, looking upset.

But Chaeyi had no intention of covering for his lie.

Besides, there was no need to be embarrassed about being different.

“And dragons can polymorph once they’re no longer children, usually around one year old. Dragons have a unique growth rate.”

“One year old?! That’s amazing. I’m jealous. Silvi, you’ll be an adult in no time.”

Hearing Hallard’s envious comment, Silviet perked up his ears.

He quickly recovered from his sulk and regained his proud expression.

“Hmph. I am pretty cool, aren’t I?”

Chaeyi stifled a laugh at his reaction, then turned to Hallard and said,

“By the way, Lord Hallard. It’s getting late. Don’t you think you should head back?”

Hallard had arrived late in the evening, and now it was pitch dark outside.

Although the mansion was relatively safe, it was probably best for him to return.

“Oh. Is it already this late…?”

Checking the time, Hallard quickly stood up.

He mentioned to Chaeyi that if he stayed out too late, Duek Delion and Duchess Bennet would worry about him.

It seemed that despite everything, those two were still parental figures.

Chaeyi briefly thought of Leonard’s past, feeling a mix of emotions, but he simply smiled at Hallard.

“Come visit again.”

“Yeah! See you next time, Silvi.”

With an excited expression, Hallard said his final goodbyes to Silviet and quickly disappeared.

Chaeyi hoped that Hallard and Silviet would continue to be good friends in the future.

Unfortunately, something happened that would prevent their bond from lasting long.

It occurred a week later.

“Chaeyi! Chaeyi! Outside!”

Enoch’s urgent shout echoed through the house early in the morning.

Chaeyi, who had just finished washing, and Silviet, who had just woken up and was yawning, both looked up.

“Silviet’s biological mother has come!”

“…!”

At those words, Silviet and Chaeyi’s gazes met in mid-air.

‘Silviet’s parents…’

They had always thought that Silviet’s biological parents might come looking for his someday, but they never imagined it would be today.

The moment of parting had arrived suddenly.

“The master said he’s waiting in front of the mansion, and that you should come out with Silviet.”

As Enoch caught his breath, Silviet ran into Chaeyi’s arms and hugged his tightly.

He also sensed that they were about to part.

Although Chaeyi’s emotions were in turmoil, he didn’t let it show on his face.

He didn’t want Silviet to feel uneasy.

“Silviet. Shall we go out together?”

“…Okay.”

After comforting Silviet, Chaeyi went outside the mansion with him.

Not far from the entrance, a group of people had gathered.

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