âSir Leonard?â
Kyle was not in the bedroom when Noah managed to get out of the steamy bathroom. She thought it had already been thirty minutes, but when she saw his uniform jacket on the chair, he seemed to have not left yet.
Then where did he go? Did he clean up again?
âThereâs no Mu. Whereâd he goâ¦?â Noah appeared into the hallway, squeezing the water out of her hair. The corridor, filled with colorful wallpaper and light bulbs, was bright, but cold as it had long been since a person had occupied the mansion.
â¦I have a headache. Can I get a good nightâs sleep? Iâll have to go out tomorrow even if my eyes are a little heavy. Noah headed toward the stairs to look around the hall, and suddenly heard the sound of conversation coming from afar. Kyle and Muell were coming her way, talking to each other.
âDonât scare Noah. Your fault is over eighty percent.â
âBut since Noah hasnât come in three daysâ¦â
âWhy canât a dragon, whose lifespan is over 5,000 years, wait just three days? Be a little patient, Mu.â
When the little boy grumbled back, he faced the consequence right after. Muell attempted to bite Kyleâs arm, but he pushed away his little head with a commendable swiftness. Not long after, Noah and Kyleâs eyes met.
As Noah stood before him, staring, Kyle raised his eyebrows âWhat are you staring at? Letâs go in, quickly.â
âUh, yesâ¦â
As they entered the dining room, Kyle sat Noah, along with Muell, in front of the table. Soon after, a hot stew and a plate of freshly baked bread were served. Noah mumbled, a little embarrassed. âI didnât mean to ask for dinner.â
âYou said youâd eat it if I cooked.â Kyle spoke as if it wasnât funny, then pulled out his chair and sat next to her. Noah was a bit surprised, expecting him to sit across her.Â
âWhy⦠why?â
âDonât worry about it. We have half an hour until eight.â
When Noah stared at him wryly, Kyle thrust a spoon in her hand.
Kyleâs ability to extract a miraculous taste from sloppy ingredients had shone again this time, and as soon as Noah got a spoonful of the stew, her worries and doubts immediately vanished from her mind. Oh, suddenly I feel good. Is this what life feels like? If you eat delicious food, sleep soundly, see and hear only the good things, thatâs a good lifeâ¦!
âSir, just live with me. Iâll give you twice the salary of an investigator.â
âYou still havenât given up that dream. You should start waking up now.â
âThen teach me how to cook. Iâll make it myself.â
âAlone? Pft.â Kyle laughed dryly at her words, and at the moment she turned her head to rebut, she found a pair of violet eyes, staring.
ââ¦â¦?â Where are you looking at? She tilted her head and took her hand where his gaze was directed. A little below the face, under the chin⦠Neck?
Then, cold metal touched her fingertips. Only then did she realize. âOh, the neck.â
Kyle still seemed to be bothered by the chains around my neck. When Noah touched the ball without thinking, her hand immediately recoiled. Kyle quickly grabbed her hand, pressing it down on the table, and spoke in a rather uncomfortable tone. âDonât touch it. âCause the woundâs going to worsen.â
âWould it hurt?â
Despite his warning, Noahâs other hand instinctively went up to her neck as soon as Kye said there was a wound. Come to think of it, I was washing up and it stung a little around my neck, butâ¦
As her fingers continued to grope around her neck, Kyle, with a slight frown, rose from his seat. He snatched her hand and began to rummage through the drawer next to the bed.
Somehow, it began to get itchy when she heard there was a wound, so Noah scratched her neck again, but a stern warning followed right after.
âDonât touch it and just continue eating. Iâll put some medicine on you.â
ââ¦That much, Mu?â When she tilted her neck to Muell, who was sitting next to her, drinking warm milk and chewing bread, nodded.
âItâs not bleeding, but itâs red. Does it hurt, Noah?â replied the little boy.
âJust a little tingling.â
ââ¦I donât like that yellow-haired man.â Muell frowned. Noah filled his mouth with bread lest he would say he wanted to kill him again. In the meantime, Kyle, who had taken a medicine bottle from somewhere, sat next to her.
âYou have twenty minutes to eat, Miss Noah. Iâll go right after twenty minutes.â
ââ¦Itâs so sad that I canât live. Go if youâre going. I can sleep alone.â Noah grumbled, picking up the spoon again, and stirred the stew. She was about to scoop up the stew and take it to her mouth, but a warm hand grazed her throat.
ââ¦â¦!â She almost dropped the spoon.