* * *

The flicker of interest that had nearly died out was reignited in an instant.

Most people Kaindel had met so far retreated in fear when Ruen got irritable with them.

Perhaps it was because of her imposing demeanor, but no one, not even the silver-haired employee, dared to talk back to her.

Yet now, the most timid-looking individual he’d ever encountered—the same one who usually lost their composure and ran off whenever they saw him—was behaving this way.

It was undeniably intriguing.

What made it even more interesting was that, until just a moment ago, this person had been watching him.

Kaindel recalled the image of the employee reflected in the window.

Like a boy at a loss for what to do before their unrequited crush, the employee had seemed so flustered.

It hadn’t even crossed his mind that they might have been eavesdropping on their conversation.

Let alone knowing enough about the Calamity to correct misinformation.

Not that it mattered—Kaindel already knew everything they had to say.

He idly traced his fingers over the texture of the table as if committing it to memory, his gaze still fixed on the employee’s every move.

The “Mother” that his comrades had been mentioning was given that name in the first place because of her supposed maternal instincts.

It was only logical, then, to assume her weakness would be her offspring.

The idea of a monster birthed from a Calamity harboring maternal love was laughable, really.

Even humans didn’t always have such instincts.

Of course, his comrades hadn’t seemed to realize this yet, but since Mother was destined to die anyway, Kaindel didn’t see the need to correct their mistaken assumptions.

Perhaps Sehir might have figured it out, though.

As that thought crossed his mind, Kaindel glanced at Sehir, who was seated next to him.

Sehir appeared visibly uneasy, watching Ruen mistreat the silver-haired employee.

He seemed hesitant, unsure of when or if he should intervene.

His murmured words, “Even so, that’s too much,” were laden with concern for the employee.

The part about Mother hunting both day and night was worth noting, but the rest of the information wasn’t particularly new or useful.

Still, for some reason, Kaindel found himself wanting to act impulsively.

Maybe it was because Sehir’s excessive concern for the employee annoyed him, or perhaps because the employee’s unusual behavior today amused him.

“Ruen, enough…”

“Apologies. My companion has been rude. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Before Sehir could rise from his seat and address the employee, Kaindel had already taken a step forward.

With a pleasant smile playing on his lips, he abandoned his role as an observer and crossed the creaky, freshly cleaned floorboards toward the employee.

When the employee noticed Kaindel approaching, their panic was evident.

Those wide, silver eyes wavered violently, and their complexion shifted from pale to red and back again.

Clutching their apron tightly, they ducked their head and raised it repeatedly, resembling a frightened deer cornered at the edge of a cliff.

If I get any closer, they might just faint.

Suppressing a chuckle, Kaindel stopped and perched on the edge of a table, resting his hand on a map spread out before him.

“You seem to know quite a bit about Mother.”

“…”

Here we go again.

Kaindel bit back laughter as he tilted his head slightly.

The employee, who had no trouble speaking to Ruen or even looking her in the eye, couldn’t so much as respond when it came to him.

Their feelings for him were so transparent—how could he possibly pretend not to notice?

While most might have found the employee’s biased behavior irritating, Kaindel was rather entertained by it.

The purity of their unrequited affection, without any expectation of reciprocation, was oddly endearing.

He never grew tired of watching them.

So, until he left Luther, he decided he’d indulge himself by alleviating his boredom with this little distraction.

“Do you happen to know about other monsters besides Mother?”

Having made up his mind, Kaindel acted as though the trivial, unoriginal information the employee shared was of utmost importance.

After all, it was only during such conversations that the employee, with trembling eyes, would actually look at him.

And so began the farce.

---

“A flower blooms by tearing through human flesh… It wouldn’t be instantaneous. Humans are too large for that. It would probably take a few minutes for the flower to fully bloom.”

“True. Smaller creatures would die much faster, then.”

“Possibly.”

Propping his chin on one hand, Kaindel watched the employee, who calmly spoke in measured tones.

The employee, who had introduced himself as Isa, didn’t shy away when Kaindel started visiting the dining hall at every opportunity after that day.

Approaching him under the guise of asking about monsters had evidently been the right move.

At first, Isa couldn’t utter a single word in his presence, but now he responded whenever spoken to.

As Isa drank from his glass of water, Kaindel lightly tapped the table with a quill to draw his attention.

It wasn’t that Isa wasn’t aware of him—he clearly was—but sometimes he became so overwhelmed that he deliberately diverted his focus elsewhere.

That was a problem Kaindel intended to fix.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned you had your coming-of-age ceremony last year.”

The memory came to Kaindel as he observed Isa.

He recalled Isa’s defensive words to Luen: his ceremony had been last year.

If that were true, Isa was the same age as Kaindel.

It was hard to believe, given Isa’s boyish appearance, but if they were indeed the same age, there was no need for unnecessary tension.

Kaindel lazily twisted the quill in his fingers.

Then, flipping it around, he used its feathered end to lightly brush against Isa’s slender wrist.

The ticklish sensation made Isa’s shoulders twitch, and Kaindel found himself smiling at the immediate reaction.

It was endlessly entertaining how responsive Isa was.

What would happen if I went a little further?

Would his face turn red?

Kaindel continued his playful motions, his smirk growing as he imagined the possibilities.

It felt like holding a toy that changed shape with every touch.

Eventually, Isa, trembling with effort to endure the teasing, clenched his fist and swatted the quill away.

His hand, pale with tension, caught Kaindel’s attention, prompting him to set the quill down.

“We’re the same age. What do you think about speaking casually with me?”

Over the past few days of observing Isa, Kaindel had noticed one thing: Isa liked his eyes.

What about these common green eyes fascinated him so much?

Isa gazed at them as though they were the most precious thing in the world.

Kaindel knew how to use what he had to his advantage.

This time was no different.

Lowering his gaze so the light caught his eyes, he posed the question.

As expected, Isa, captivated by the glow, couldn’t refuse his suggestion.

“Alright, Isa.”

Smiling at Isa’s hesitant nod, Kaindel suddenly remembered something he’d been meaning to ask.

“By the way, I’ve been curious about something. You don’t really have any reason to help me, do you?”

“…”

“You’re not doing it to get something in return, are you?”

It was clear that Isa liked him.

“I assumed there’d be some give-and-take, but there isn’t.”

And yet, Isa didn’t seem to expect anything from him in return.

“Why don’t you ask for something?”

“…”

“Just wondering.”

It would’ve been easier if Isa had simply desired some affection in return for his feelings.

But instead, Isa seemed perfectly content with the mere act of seeing him every day, without asking for anything more.

At first, Kaindel thought he might just be shy, but as time went on, it became evident that Isa genuinely didn’t expect anything from him.

“That’s why I’m asking. Is there really nothing you want in return for the information?”

And that grated on Kaindel’s nerves.

Kaindel, who had deliberately set the stage, now watched Isa, who seemed lost in thought.

Sure, Isa hadn’t been honest with himself so far, but there was no way even he would kick away a chance offered so blatantly.

Besides, Kaindel had never seen anyone so foolish as to hide their desires even in a situation like this.

So Kaindel had assumed, a little too carelessly, that Isa would be no different.

“I want to learn how to read and write, Kaindel.”

“……”

Reading and writing?

Kaindel’s lips tightened at the unexpected response.

Truthfully, he hadn’t intended to grant whatever Isa asked for.

He just wanted to hear him out, nothing more.

Still, after going to the trouble of setting the stage, he’d believed Isa would ask for at least one thing.

Something he longed for so deeply that it would spill from his heart despite himself.

But… literacy lessons?

It was absurd.

“If it’s too much trouble…”

Isa, misinterpreting Kaindel’s silence as discomfort, hesitated, his lips trembling slightly.

He seemed to lose confidence.

At that, Kaindel froze mid-gesture as he reached to rub his stiffened face and let out a dry laugh.

“Too much trouble? Not at all.”

Really.

“I’ll start teaching you tomorrow. How does that sound?”

What a baffling guy.

* * *