“See you at mealtime.”

Astrid ruffled Colin’s hair once and left.

Leticia was about to go straight to Chamuka but frowned at the hand holding her back.

Colin, also frowning as if he disliked it too, asked.

“Where are you going?”

“Chamuka and Tan are over there.”

“Tan?”

When Colin questioned the unfamiliar name, Leticia recited the official explanation for Tan’s existence.

“The second son of Basilinte. He was born with a weak body, so they didn’t announce him publicly, but he’s become healthy recently.”

“I’ve never heard about that.”

“I told you they didn’t announce it publicly. His body was weak, so Gaien didn’t like him much. That’s why he argued a lot with Lady Isana when he was born.”

Reminded of Isana and Gaien’s divorce five years ago, Colin nodded.

“Ah, so that’s why five years ago…”

“Leti.”

Chamuka’s sudden call interrupted Colin’s words.

Leticia was slightly surprised to see Chamuka, who had somehow approached right in front of her. When did he come?

“Chamuka?”

“It’s been a while, Chamuka.”

Though they were distant relatives, they had met a few times. Of course, they hadn’t become close.

From the beginning, Colin had found Chamuka a bit frightening. No expressions, and impossible to tell what he was thinking.

And even now, why was he grabbing his brother’s neck like picking up a puppy?

Colin looked at the silver-haired young lord who was glaring at him while being held by Chamuka and opened his mouth. Anyone could see he was of Basilinte blood, but separately from that, there was something strange about the child.

“This person is…”

Of course, people from the Basilinte family were originally strange, but the little boy before him was strange in a different way.

For starters, he was openly showing his dislike by frowning.

“Let’s go, Leti. Let’s go to the room.”

Chamuka pulled Leticia’s arm and brushed off Colin’s hand.

As Colin froze, naturally ignored, Leticia grabbed Chamuka’s sleeve.

Leticia didn’t particularly like Colin, but anyway, Colin was Isana’s nephew.

“Chamuka. This is Colin Lefri, Lady Isana’s…”

“I know.”

It was Chamuka’s response that cut off any possibility of continuing the conversation, but Leticia, now accustomed to Basilinte’s lack of sociability, turned to Tan and said.

“But you’re meeting Tan for the first time, right? He could be considered your distant relative-“

“Letiiiii…”

The stretched ending of his word sounded more like a growl than aegyo, so Leticia glanced at Colin.

Meanwhile, Tan suddenly reached his hand toward Leticia.

However, before Tan’s hand could touch Leticia, he collapsed to the floor with a thud.

“I told you not to touch him, Tan.”

Chamuka, who had pulled Tan’s neck and thrown him, said.

“And Leti. Mother told you that Tan shouldn’t touch you. You should be careful.”

“But… I think Tan fell too hard…”

“He won’t get hurt from this.”

Chamuka could guarantee that falling wouldn’t cause even a small bruise on his body.

Honestly, even if he fell and rolled from the top of this small house to the first-floor lobby, this sturdy body would clearly be fine without a single scratch.

But Leticia protested.

“He could still feel pain.”

“There’s no way he would feel-“

“Leti, I’m in pain.”

“….”

Chamuka thought Tan was detestable.

If Leticia fell for that ridiculous lie and comforted Tan, he wanted to throw Tan out of the house right now.

Would that be okay?

Since Tan had just lied to a benefactor who was dedicated to Basilinte, warning him like that wouldn’t be a problem at all…

“It seems you’re not hurt after all. Tan, please get up now.”

Chamuka was satisfied with Leticia’s keen observation. His expressionless face softened subtly.

Meanwhile, Colin, who had been forgotten and marginalized, watched the whole scene and thought.

‘I think I just got seriously checked…’

Children’s perspectives are always the most honest.

***

It was originally a small two-story house.

Seeing the situation where three more people were suddenly added to a house with only two guest rooms, Astrid finally made a decision.

To simply kick out the humans who were once her father-in-law and husband from this house.

They had high status and plenty of money, so they could find somewhere to sleep well on their own.

Since Tan and Leticia needed to be separated, one guest room would be for Astrid and Tan and the other for Chamuka and Leticia.

Chamuka nodded at Astrid’s wise choice.

Since Leticia was used to sleeping holding hands with Chamuka almost every night, she familiarly received Astrid’s hug and then took Chamuka’s hand and entered the guest room.

“….”

Colin, who was watching this scene from the corridor, rubbed his eyes for a moment.

He made a disgruntled expression, knowing his eyes were working fine, but since none of the Basilinte paid any attention to him, no one saw this expression.

The next day, Leticia, who woke up early in the dawn, carefully freed her hand from Chamuka’s tight grip throughout the night and left the room.

And in the barely-lit dawn, she unexpectedly found Colin checking the front door.

“…What are you doing?”

Startled by the sudden voice behind him, Colin discovered Leticia and sighed in relief.

“Oh, it’s you?”

“What are you doing at the door like a thief at this hour?”

“It seemed like His Grace Gaien and His Grace waited outside all night, so I opened the door for them. Since Astrid said they could come back in the morning, well… when the sun rises, it’s morning.”

It was still a time closer to night than morning.

In front of the dark front door, Leticia inwardly clicked her tongue.

He probably didn’t open it because he felt sorry for them waiting outside. He didn’t seem to have such a kind personality in the first place.

“That kind of flattery won’t work on His Grace Gaien and His Grace.”

As if he knew this, Colin lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“I just want to let them know that I can be on their side in my aunt’s matters.”

“That… will succeed.”

“Right?”

“Yes. You really overflow with talent as a sycophant.”

It was admiration with some sincerity.

Being the child of the most successful merchant guild in this Basilinte territory, why go to such lengths?

“I’ll take that as a compliment. By the way, why are you awake at this hour?”

“My hand hurt, so I woke up.”

Colin glanced at Leticia’s hand with red marks and asked.

“Was it Chamuka?”

“Yes. He can’t control his strength when sleeping. It can’t be helped.”

“Why do you sleep holding hands?”

“Just because.”

Colin didn’t ask further.

Leticia thought it was surprisingly comfortable talking with this boy.

Being cunning, he clearly distinguished between what he should know and what he shouldn’t know, and he wasn’t particularly curious about Leticia.

Because Leticia had the favor of those in power but didn’t possess power herself.

By Colin’s standards, she probably fell short of being someone worth flattering.

Leticia suddenly became curious and asked.

“Why do you go to such lengths? Aren’t you rich now?”

“My family is rich, but I’m not rich myself. I want to excel on my own. More than what I was born with.”

Colin returned the exact question Leticia had asked.

“What about you? Why do you go to such lengths?”

Acting pretty, answering kindly, not mentioning when you’re in pain.

“You said it yourself. They think of you as a tool anyway. So why?”