“Chamuka?”

Leticia got up from the bed when she saw Chamuka standing at the door. Colin’s hands naturally fell away.

“It’s dawn, but you’re already up?”

Instead of going straight to Chamuka, Leticia first glanced at her hand. It was white and clean without any redness. Only then did she approach him with quick steps.

“What are you doing here?”

It was the same dry voice without any inflection as usual.

Leticia answered without feeling any particular discomfort.

“I was playing with Colin.”

“Why?”

“We met on the first floor at dawn, and I couldn’t sleep. Oh, by the way, His Grace Gaien and His Grace came back at dawn, too.”

Chamuka asked as if he hadn’t even heard what Leticia had added at the end.

“Did you arrange to meet him at dawn?”

“What? No. We met by chance.”

“Then why did you come all the way in here?”

The continuous questioning was a bit frightening.

Perhaps because they naturally had no expressions, the people of the Basilinte family became scarier the more they spoke.

It was somewhat like watching a ghost story where portraits or statues spoke.

It would have been better if they just kept their mouths shut and looked like beautiful works of art.

“Because it’s cold outside at dawn…?”

Leticia wondered why Chamuka was acting this way.

“You could have returned to the room where I was.”

“I didn’t want to wake you up. It’s too early. Wouldn’t it be better for you to sleep more, even now?”

“What about you?”

Leticia just tilted her head at Chamuka’s brief question. What about me? Are you asking if I’ll sleep more?

“I’m not really sleepy, so I thought I’d stay here a bit longer…”

“-I’m tired too.”

Colin, who had approached from behind, cut off Leticia’s words.

When Leticia turned her head with a ‘what’s going on?’ look, Colin desperately made eye signals. He seemed to want to convey something, but Leticia couldn’t figure it out.

Eventually, Colin mouthed quietly.

Don’t look at me.

“…?”

What’s wrong with him? Leticia stared blankly at Colin.

But Colin spoke without giving Leticia a single glance.

“I also woke up too early at dawn, so I’m going back to sleep. Chamuka, you should go back and sleep, too. Leti, you should also go back with Chamuka and sleep a bit more.”

After speaking quickly, Colin opened the door wide without waiting for a response.

But Chamuka didn’t move a step and stared at Leticia.

“Did you tell him your name?”

Colin finally realized his mistake.

He didn’t know the name of the Herta prince who had come as a hostage.

But since all the Basilinte people, including Astrid, called the prince ‘Leti,’ he assumed that was his name.

However, judging by Chamuka’s reaction, it wasn’t a name that just anyone could use. Or perhaps he simply didn’t like Colin calling the prince by name.

“Ah, I didn’t specifically tell him, but since my mentor and His Grace kept calling me that…”

Seeing Leticia’s calm reaction, Colin thought the latter was more likely.

Colin smiled politely and gently pushed Leticia’s shoulder toward Chamuka.

Just go. Go.

Can’t you feel this increasingly cold atmosphere? You don’t seem like someone without social awareness, so why are you acting like this?

“I must have made a mistake because I’m tired, Chamuka.”

Chamuka’s head slowly turned toward Colin. While looking at Colin, he said to Leticia.

“Go to the room first, Leti. I’ll talk for a moment and come.”

Leticia, who had been making a ‘what on earth are you going to talk about?’ expression, seemed to decide it wasn’t something she needed to be curious about, so she nodded and left.

“See you later, Colin.”

Of course, leaving a greeting for Colin.

“….”

Colin thought it might have been better for him if he had left without saying goodbye.

Thud. The door closed, and Chamuka stared at Colin.

“You.”

“Yes, Chamuka.”

When Colin swallowed and answered, Chamuka said.

“Hand.”

“Pardon?”

“Hand.”

Is he raising a dog? What’s with the hand?

Colin thinks he meant to hold out his hand, so he extends his right hand.

Then Chamuka gestured to the other hand too.

“That one too.”

When both hands were extended, Chamuka traced Colin’s wrist with his finger.

Wondering what this meant, Colin looked up, and Chamuka’s mouth opened.

“I’ll cut it off like this. If you molest Leti one more time.”

“…Pardon?”

Suddenly, his extended wrists felt chilly. He got goosebumps.

Chamuka, watching Colin’s reaction, warned in his usual monotone voice.

“Don’t touch. Don’t call. Don’t even stay beside.”

“….”

“No, just don’t appear in that child’s sight at all.”

Why did it feel so eerie when his expression and tone were no different from usual?

Colin couldn’t say anything and just nodded.

Chamuka stared at Colin for a moment before leaving the room, and only then did Colin exhale heavily and shake his head.

What kind of relationship is this?

I understand that Her Grace Astrid cherishes her disciple, but why does Chamuka speak of Leti so possessively?

***

“Well, my mentor keeps saying that disciples are like children, and she keeps insisting that her family should treat me well.”

After finally approaching Leticia, who was alone after several days, Colin heard her answer, but instead of quickly leaving, he asked one more question.

“Do the others do as she insists?”

“They tend to. It’s not like she’s asking them to genuinely love or cherish me, just to treat me well.”

Colin recalled Chamuka from a few days ago and rubbed his chilly wrist.

That didn’t seem like something done just because someone else ordered it. If it was done on someone else’s orders, why would he warn him behind the child’s back rather than in front of him?

“But where have you been these past few days? Lady Isana has been looking for you.”

“I was just busy.”

“What could keep someone our age busy? Children just need to follow adults well.”

Outwardly looking like an innocent child, why did the inside seem like a world-weary adult?

Colin sighed at Leticia’s unchildlike words and pointed out.

“Don’t say ‘our.'”

“What?”

“Chamuka gets jealous, so don’t say ‘our.’ Actually, just don’t talk about me at all.”

Leticia stared at Colin with pure disbelief.

Even in this situation, Colin was constantly busy looking around. As if Chamuka might pop out from somewhere.

“What are you talking about? Chamuka?”

“Chamuka told me not to appear in Leti’s sight. If I don’t want my hands cut off. This happened a few days ago at dawn.”

It was Chamuka who had sent Leticia out first from Colin’s room. Recalling that, Leticia asked with a face full of questions.

“Why would Chamuka do that?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, please tell Chamuka earnestly that there’s nothing between us. It’s hard for me to keep avoiding him.”

Honestly, they really weren’t anything to each other, so it felt unfair. They weren’t even friends, just exchanging a few words when they happened to be next to each other, so why…

They were both still too young to realize that their straightforward, unpretentious conversations might look friendly to others.

When they were acting as they pleased without any intention of impressing each other, they should look like they didn’t get along, so why did they appear friendly?

“I need to stay in Chamuka’s good graces. To do business in this land. Think of it as an advance payment for possible future help and do something about it.”

Leticia shook her head at Colin’s words.

“Don’t be mistaken. You must have made some mistake with Chamuka separately. Why would he think badly of you because of me?”

“Then why don’t you ask Chamuka directly? What will you do if I’m right?”