Raise Me, So That I Can Eat You Up - Chapter 34

The next day.

Oscar came into my room and suddenly held out his tiny fist.

“Ari. Look at this.”

When he opened his hand, there was something like a small jewel.

“What is this?”

“Pretty. A gift for Ari.”

I uncertainly accepted the jewel Oscar was offering.

‘This looks like a cufflink?’

The cufflink, typically used to decorate men’s shirt sleeves, had a small emerald embedded in it.

‘Why does Oscar have something this expensive?’

Whether or not he noticed my shock, Oscar wore a satisfied expression as if he’d accomplished something.

“Ari, wait just a moment.”

When I didn’t show much reaction, he squeezed himself under the bed with a grunt.

Soon after, he came out with a velvet pouch and showed me his collection.

“It’s for Ari. There’s lots here.”

Several cufflinks, tie pins, hair pins, a jeweled pocket watch, and even chandelier crystals. My mouth fell open at this bizarre collection.

‘This belongs to Laura!’

I picked up a hair pin that anyone could see was made of cheap cubic zirconia.

‘Come to think of it, I once complimented Laura that hair pins suited her well.’

And then gave her a new expensive one as a gift.

Oscar had kept the cubic zirconia hair pin she used to wear.

‘This watch is the one Leon used to carry around.’

He always carried it with him. When did Oscar take it? It was quite puzzling.

‘Since Oscar hasn’t gone out separately, these must all be things he picked up around the mansion.’

Having reached this conclusion in my mind, I asked deliberately.

“Oscar. Where did you get these?”

“Found them on my way.”

Wonder where he learned to say such things. He looked quite pleased showing off his trophies.

“Do you know what I hate most in this world?”

“Don’t know.”

“Lies. I hate lies more than anything in this world.”

Oscar blinked his big eyes while watching my reaction.

“Think again. Did you really just find these?”

Even if I could believe the jewelry, finding chandelier crystals too?

And not just one or two crystals, but fifteen of them.

The mansion’s ceilings were quite high. How did he even get them out?

It was dangerous even for adults, let alone a young Oscar. Just imagining it made me shudder.

“Oscar found them.”

After hesitating briefly, Oscar stuck to his story.

‘So you’re going to keep this up until the end, huh?’

Watching him, I realized this wasn’t something to take lightly.

“Where did you find them?”

Oscar kept his lips tightly sealed and said nothing.

“Should Ari guess? I know everything, you see.”

“……”

“First, these cufflinks and tie pins. You found them in Father’s room, right?”

Bull’s eye. Oscar’s eyes went wide at my ghostly deduction.

“How did you know?”

How could I not? It was obvious since Viscount Hayworth was the only one in this house who would wear such precious jewels.

Unlike Leon who was a knight, Viscount Hayworth always attended social functions and dressed impeccably.

“This hairpin must be from Laura’s room. And this pocket watch from Leon’s pocket.”

“……”

“And these you found from the living room chandelier, right?”

When I pressed sharply, Oscar’s eyes darted around.

“Is Ari a ghost? Ari really knows everything.”

It might seem that way to Oscar, but for an adult, reading a child’s mind was as simple as looking through clear water.

I smirked and decided to deliver the final blow.

“That’s because Ari is a genius. But Oscar.”

“Mm?”

“Did you tell the Viscount, Leon, and Laura?”

“……”

At the sudden question, Oscar became as silent as a clam.

‘That’s what I thought.’

I wiped the expression from my face and looked into Oscar’s eyes.

Now, it was time for discipline.

“Oscar. Sit up straight.”

“Don’t wanna.”

Sensing the impending discipline, Oscar shook his head.

‘Oh my. Getting a bit rebellious now that you’re bigger, are you?’

I wasn’t about to let that slide easily.

“Oscar. When we’re talking, you need to look into my eyes.”

“Won’t do it.”

When Oscar tried to run away without even looking at my face, I finally pulled him to sit in front of me.

‘Whew, he’s unusually strong.’

He almost got away, darting off like an arrow.

I held Oscar in place and made him sit at attention again.

“……”

Oscar remained completely silent.

Regardless, I spoke clearly while looking into Oscar’s eyes.

“Oscar?”

“……”

“When someone calls you, you should answer ‘yes.'”

“……yes.”

Finally hearing a response, I spoke with a bit more force.

“No matter how pretty something is, you can’t just take other people’s things. That’s wrong.”

“Pretty. Pretty things are all Oscar’s.”

‘Really, the audacity was unbelievable.’

‘At times like this, I should make him think from the other person’s perspective.’

I decided to change tactics.

“What’s your favorite thing, Oscar?”

“Ari.”

“No, I mean among objects, not people.”

“Like Ari.”

“Alright. Then Ari. Would you like it if someone took Ari away?”

“Kill them if they take.”

Everything nice was his, and he’d kill anyone who took things away. He was completely unreasonable and impossible to reason with.

Where should I even begin to correct this?

Anger welled up inside me. Further conversation seemed pointless in this state.

“Get out.”

With a stern face, I pointed to the door. I released my hold on him without hesitation.

Oscar, suddenly ordered to leave, looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“Think about what you did wrong, and come back when you feel like apologizing. Until then, you’re not allowed in this room.”

“Oscar. Won’t go.”

Oscar, seemingly indignant about something, sat firmly with a tearful face. He showed no intention of complying with my order to leave.

“Is that so? Then I’ll leave.”

I stood up abruptly and left the room, leaving behind a dazed-looking Oscar.

***

‘Was I too emotional?’

I’d never done anything like this before. I was so angry that I left Oscar behind and walked out.

‘I thought I was raising him well, but theft? What went wrong?’

I thought he was a good child despite his peculiarities, and believed everything was going well because he was so obedient. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

I wanted to deny reality.

I tried to find answers in the Dragon Encyclopedia, but perhaps due to my troubled mind, I couldn’t focus on the text at all.

My head was a mess. Seeking distraction, I wandered aimlessly outside and found myself in front of the library.

‘Right. Benedict might have the answers.’

Though the ‘library mission’ had been replaced by the ‘dragon manuscript mission.’

There was only one person who could advise me about dragons – Benedict.

‘Seems he’s not here today.’

Entering the library’s reading room, I saw someone else at the librarian’s desk.

‘Where should I look for him?’

Come to think of it, the library was my only connection to Benedict. Though I’d met him in other rooms before, I couldn’t just barge in randomly.

“You’re early this week? Here to return books?”

Suddenly, the librarian at the desk addressed me familiarly.

“What? No, that’s not… I’m not here to return anything. I’m looking for someone.”

“Looking for the Grand Magician?”

The librarian smiled knowingly.

‘How did they know I was talking about Benedict?’

My eyes widened as my thoughts were instantly read.

“Ah, yes. H-how did you know?”

“Well, you always come late Wednesday afternoons. You only ever met with him.”

“So he’s not here at other times?”

“Right. He’s only here during that time. Wednesdays from 5 PM for an hour.”

Meeting him every week when he’s only there for one hour seemed too coincidental.

‘Well, I always procrastinated until the return deadline.’

Since possessing this body, I have been consistently lazy, forcing myself to come at the last minute every week.

‘…Wait, does that mean he was waiting for me, knowing when I’d come?’

I seemed to have stumbled upon an unexpected revelation. If that was true, then today’s attempt to meet Benedict was futile.

I had so many questions about Oscar. Somehow, I felt deflated.

“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll take my leave.”

I bowed deeply to the librarian and hurriedly left the reading room.

As I was walking down the long corridor after leaving the reading room, I heard a familiar voice.

“I heard you were looking for me?”

It was Benedict.

He was catching his breath as if he had rushed here, his face slightly flushed.

***

The same room as before. Benedict once again served me tea.

“What are you doing?”

“Pardon?”

“Drink it before it gets cold.”

“Ah- Oh, yes. Thank you.”

I carefully took a sip of the tea.

‘Is this the same tea as before?’

It seemed even more delicious than last time. Either way, drinking the warm tea seemed to calm my mind somewhat.

“Is it to your taste?”

“I think it’s better than last time.”

Benedict’s eyes curved gently.

“I’m glad. I improved it based on your advice from before.”

It was always amazing to see how his cold gaze transformed into a spring breeze when he smiled.

“Did you rush here because of me?”

The librarian must have contacted him. Now that I noticed, Benedict’s hair was still wet.

“Why?”

“Your hair is wet.”

“Ah, I was in the bath when the communication crystal rang.”

Unlike his usual neat appearance, today he was dressed more casually in just a shirt. Seeing the top few buttons undone, he must have been in a hurry.

Perhaps because he had just bathed, his silvery hair was damp, and his heterochromatic eyes looked more languid than usual.

‘Ah, why did he have to be in the bath of all times?’

I only came to ask a few questions about Oscar, but now I was faced with a damp Grand Magician. The timing was terribly awkward.

“I’m sorry. Was it too sudden?”

“It’s fine.”

“But how did you get here so quickly from the bath?”

“I used a teleportation scroll.”

“Aren’t those scrolls really expensive?”

“They are.”

Benedict was very honest while telling me not to worry about it.

“But I had to use it.”

His purple eyes looked straight at me. I gulped at his penetrating gaze.

“What brought you here?”

“I have something to ask.”

“Ask away.”

He used an expensive scroll because of me.

The question I was about to ask seemed too absurd, and I had trouble getting the words out.

‘Oh, whatever. Embarrassment is only temporary.’

I squeezed my eyes shut and asked.

“Do dragons have kleptomania?”