Chapter 6

The window of the hut suddenly opened at the sound of soft footsteps. A child’s small head popped out of the window. A broad smile bloomed on the child’s face upon seeing Genoa walking towards the hut.

“You really came!”

Genoa smiled back at the child who couldn’t hide their excitement. The child’s cheeks turned a pretty shade at his smile, which resembled gently fluttering flower petals.

“Were you waiting for me?”

At his question, the child opened her eyes wide, then smiled softly and nodded. Genoa looked up at the child from outside the hut, glancing briefly at the area behind the window.

The perceptive child lowered her voice and said,

“Mother is sleeping now.”

“Is that so? We can’t disturb your mother’s sweet sleep. Would you like to come over here?”

Genoa stretched out both arms towards the top of the window. As if telling the child to do the same as last time when she fell into his arms.

“……”

The child’s beautiful green eyes shone brightly for a moment. A hint of hesitation showed in the glance towards the inside of the hut, but it disappeared the moment her eyes met Genoa’s again.

The child leaned her upper body out of the window, closed her eyes tightly, and let her body fall. Genoa lightly caught the child in his arms. It was a body so light that the phrase ‘light as a feather’ would be fitting, as her weight was barely noticeable.

“Wow!”

An excited exclamation burst from between the child’s small lips, seemingly amazed at being unharmed after jumping down.

“Was it fun?”

“……Yes.”

Startled by Genoa’s question, the child hurriedly escaped from his arms. Finding the child’s reddening face quite cute, Genoa smiled faintly and said,

“Did you sleep well yesterday?”

“Ah! Thank you for yesterday. Thanks to you, I wasn’t hurt. I was also able to enter the hut without being caught by the manager.”

“It was nothing.”

“Still. You, a noble, showed such kindness to me, a slave.”

“Hmm.”

Genoa gazed intently at the child speaking in an excited, high voice. What caught his eye first was the slowly relaxing corners of his mouth at the child’s attitude of being easily moved, unfamiliar with kindness, and gentle way of speaking.

This child has never received even the smallest kindness from others. An appropriate conclusion was drawn in his insensitive mind.

‘I’ve chosen a good partner.’

Thinking that he was quite lucky, Genoa opened his mouth.

“How is it here? Is it livable?”

At Genoa’s question, the child clasped her hands together and nodded vigorously.

“It’s the best place I’ve ever stayed. There’s a bed, and water and simple food are prepared! It’s not cold, and the blanket is soft!”

“That’s good. Is the work not too difficult?”

“Ah, the work……”

The child, recalling something, slightly furrowed her brow and shivered faintly. Genoa, who had been observing this closely, asked in a subtle voice.

“Do you remember what I said before? I said you might be able to help me.”

“Ah, you did say that! I’m not sure if I can be of help, but… I’ve received help, so I definitely want to repay it.”

“That’s wonderful.”

A bright smile spread across Genoa’s face. The child stared at his face, mouth agape. The corners of her lips trembled slightly, and after opening and closing her mouth a few times, the child managed to speak with difficulty.

“Can I help even though I’m a slave?”

To that question, Genoa nodded and said,

“That might be why you can help me.”

“……?”

Seeing the child’s head tilt slightly to the side, Genoa was overcome with a pleasant feeling. The child’s eyes were shaking slightly, as if trying to gauge Genoa’s mood and guess his intentions. Then, as if having reached some conclusion in that small head, they nodded slightly and said,

“I can do as much as the help I’ve received.”

“That’s a good calculation.”

Genoa praised the child, greatly satisfied. A face full of transparently visible joy was something rarely seen in the children of Ivanstein. It was hard to take his eyes off her.

“What’s your name?”

“Ah, I’m Mel.”

“I see, Mel. I look forward to working with you.”

Mel. Genoa liked the child’s name that could be pronounced concisely. He extended his hand to Mel.

Mel looked back and forth between Genoa’s hand and face several times, seemingly unfamiliar with the outstretched hand. Only after rubbing her hand on the front of her clothes did Mel finally grasp Genoa’s hand. Genoa thought even that was likeable, and erased Mel’s lowly status from his mind. From now on, Mel would be a precious person who would become his eyes and ears.

* * *

As the Ivanstein test approached, Genoa’s siblings couldn’t hide their anxious faces, looking gloomy. They openly exuded killing intent as Genoa passed by. The attempts of assassins entering his room also became more blatant.

But Genoa, who would normally have retaliated mercilessly, was having unprecedentedly good days lately. It wasn’t that he was pitying and overlooking their efforts to eliminate their biggest competitor in advance.

“Hmm hmm.”

As Genoa hummed while placing food and some herbs in a basket, Bane looked at him with worried eyes and said,

“Are you going to meet that slave again today?”

“Not slave, but Mel. How many times do I have to tell you for you to remember, Bane?”

“You know I didn’t mean to call that child a slave in that sense.”

“Oh? I don’t know about that.”

Genoa answered without even looking at Bane. His skill in deflecting words was top-notch, even though he knew Bane had spoken with the intention of dissuading him. Lately, Genoa often didn’t listen to Bane’s words. Knowing that this was because of the slave girl he met a few days ago, Bane’s worries were growing day by day.

“I told you to send me instead. Meeting that slave directly is too dangerous. If the Duke notices……”

“Don’t you think he might find it audacious? He might even be satisfied, considering it a skill.”

“I think you’re looking at it too positively.”

Bane shook his head with a sigh.

“For simply gathering information about the test site, you seem to be enjoying it quite a bit.”

“Yes. It’s quite fun and comfortable.”

Bane knew that Genoa’s sharp nerves had dulled a bit since the slave girl named Mel arrived. It must be because of her that he’s been acting uncharacteristically generous towards his siblings.

“Please introduce her to me later. I should meet her at least once.”

“Hmm, I don’t like the idea of Mel’s attention being stolen by you, Bane.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t like it.”

Genoa knew Bane’s persistent stubbornness well. Seeing Bane’s firm stance, he raised both hands and took a step back.

“Alright. I got it, so you’ll guard my room well today too, right?”

“Haa……”

Genoa left Bane nodding behind and leapt out the window. His steps were light as he made his way out of the mansion, heading towards the western garden.

When he spotted the distant hut with faint light seeping out, the smile on Genoa’s face deepened. He was uncharacteristically excited. His heart pounded as the scene of ‘that place’ Mel would tell him about today became clearer in his mind.

“Young master!”

“Come here, Mel.”

Genoa smiled brightly as he caught the small figure familiarly jumping into his arms. Mel’s eyes sparkled at the basket he had brought. It was amusing and cute how those eyes coveted even such a small thing.

Before Mel could say anything, Genoa placed the basket in her tiny hands and said,

“You’ll tell me stories again today, right?”

“Of course!”

What Genoa wanted was stories about ‘that place’, where Mel worked.

Mel chattered on about that place for a while. The inexplicable creepiness she felt, the objects that always changed yet remained similar. The gaps that seemed perfectly designed, and the passages that gradually narrowed or widened. And how familiar faces disappeared day by day, new faces came in, and when those faces became familiar, they disappeared too.

Mel was enthusiastic, not knowing how her words would help Genoa. Sometimes, while talking, she would check his expression, worried that he might be bored with the same stories as yesterday. Seeing that concerned gaze, Genoa always smiled as if he was enjoying it.

Looking at such a Genoa, Mel asked,

“Isn’t it boring to hear the same stories all the time?”

“No, it’s always helpful. And I like hearing your voice too.”

“……My voice isn’t that pleasant to hear, though.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, everyone makes an unpleasant face when they hear my voice.”

“That’s strange.”

Genoa was genuinely puzzled. Mel’s voice, unusually calm for a child, sometimes rang out clearly when excited, and it was quite pleasant to hear — so much so that he would occasionally think about it before going to sleep.

“Maybe you’re mistaken?”

“No, I’m not. When I opened my mouth, they would get angry or even hit me.”

“……”

“So I couldn’t say anything without permission. This is the only time I can talk freely like this, in front of you, young master.”

Mel watched the slightly stiffened corners of Genoa’s mouth. She seemed to be checking if her words had upset him. Genoa shook his head, smiling gently at Mel.

“You’ve met bad people until now.”

At his usual voice, Mel’s slightly stiffened shoulders visibly relaxed. Genoa found Mel’s life, which had naturally ingrained such a habit of being cautious, both pitiful and amusing.

Looking at Mel reminded him of familiar people. The children of Ivanstein, in other words, Genoa’s siblings.

‘Both the slaves and my siblings… are like puppies whimpering at the Duke’s feet.’

The cold-hearted father who announced that he didn’t need useless hunting dogs, that he would only raise one capable hunting dog. The sight of them desperately trying to survive at a single word from the Duke. Genoa swallowed the scoff that was about to escape.

Mel was similar to them, but also different. While looking at his siblings brought a boiling unpleasantness, he didn’t feel that with Mel. Perhaps it was because, unlike his inscrutable siblings, Mel showed her inner self transparently.