“Do I have to go?”

“Why?”

“It’s not like I’m saying I’ll live at the ducal residence forever! But right now I don’t want to go. Here……”

Jade trailed off.

“That’s what he says, Calon?”

Arinne passed the decision to Calon, who stood before her casting a large shadow.

“You cannot.”

Momentarily flustered, he answered firmly and straightened his posture.

“I can’t?”

“Ah. Young Master Jade. Those eyes are, very…… troubling.”

Arinne stepped back to watch Calon squirm before Jade.

Jade had developed a taste for acting childish at the ducal residence, and Calon, his usual composed demeanor nowhere to be found, flustered at the child’s every word.

Their standoff was quite entertaining, so Arinne remained a third party this time too.

“If Young Master Jade doesn’t go, I cannot go either. You must go today.”

“Then don’t go. Stay here and leave together.”

“The Marquis is worried.”

“No he’s not. He’s not worried. The Lady is right here too.”

Jade only sought out Arinne at times like these. Calon glanced at her briefly, but Arinne just smiled brightly and shrugged.

“Haah……”

“What? Did you just sigh?”

“I did not.”

“……”

Calon, who looked at Arinne with somewhat dimmed eyes, sighed. Just as she was about to get angry, Calon began reasoning with Jade again.

“He worries anyway. He’s your father. He’s worrying right now too.”

“But. Can’t I?”

Jade looked up at Calon with pitiful eyes, like a child begging to buy something they liked in front of a store.

Calon squeezed both eyes shut at the sparkling eye attack.

The result was obvious.

“I’ll speak to the Marquis about it.”

“Really?!”

Without needing to see more, it was Jade’s victory. Calon acted like overcooked vegetables when it came to Jade and Ray.

If Lawrence was the type to flounder with children from the start, Calon was the type who pretended not to while giving in to everything.

“It might not work. If the Marquis says no, you’ll return with me immediately.”

Even though he said this so firmly, if Jade insisted more, Calon was probably the type who’d persuade Lawrence to grant Jade’s wish.

“I can decide where I am. I decide that. Not Dad, not Calon, not the Lady! I’ll decide!!”

“……Why me?”

“The Lady stay out of this!!”

“Ah. Yeah, carry on.”

Jade, who didn’t understand that feeling, just found Calon annoying.

Why did he need his father’s permission for everything? Jade couldn’t understand. His father didn’t know his heart. More than Calon, no, more than the Lady or the Duke.

“I’m not a baby!!”

Jade, fists clenched, shouted with all his might.

“Oh.”

Arinne exclaimed without realizing it.

When was it that he cried saying he hated holding back because he was a kid too? Now he was getting angry saying he wasn’t young so he could do whatever he wanted. A child’s heart was this fickle.

“You’re not a baby, but you are a kid.”

“……”

When Arinne muttered tactlessly, Jade glared at her with triangular eyes.

“The Lady is mean.”

“……Sorry. Should I buy you a toy?”

“No thanks.”

Jade huffed sulkily, glaring at her before whipping his head away.

‘He’s going to cry soon……’

Why are kids so sensitive? They seem worse than me.

Arinne looked at Calon, but he pretended not to notice just like she had moments ago. He said he was friends with Lawrence—they’re the same in being petty too.

“Jade. Are you angry?”

Arinne poked the sulking Jade’s shoulder for no reason. His puffed-up cheeks were so cute and funny she wanted to keep poking.

“Don’t.”

Jade violently shook himself, rejecting her touch.

“I won’t do it anymore.”

“I hate everyone. I’m going to my room!”

Jade shouted again and ran toward the stairs.

“Jade—! You’ll get hurt running on the stairs.”

“Don’t care!!”

Arinne watched Jade’s retreating figure climbing the stairs two at a time, dumbfounded.

He ran once yesterday and now he’s running again today. He must have developed a taste for running too.

“So he says.”

“So it seems……”

The air became awkward just because Jade was gone. Arinne exchanged lukewarm glances with Calon and sighed lightly.

“I’ll write a letter.”

“Thank you.”

She soon curled her lips elegantly, like she’d had a good idea.

“It’s better to entrust work to someone who knows the way well. Calon, you stay here with Jade. I’ll have one of our knights deliver the letter.”

It was a delighted yet wicked smile.

“……You called for me?”

The one summoned shortly after was Myle. Sensing his fate, he swallowed tears inwardly.

He must have earned her displeasure by being stiff with Marquis Carentium and missing the children climbing into the luggage cart.

“Bring back a reply by noon.”

“What?! Noon……, noon……, I, I will definitely return by noon!!”

Myle muttered with a vacant face before snapping to attention and answering.

No matter how fast he flew or crawled, Myle wouldn’t make it back by noon. Moreover, since Lawrence had gone to the palace today, she looked forward to seeing who Myle would get the letter’s reply from.

She swallowed a suspicious smile watching him swiftly disappear from view.

“Hm?”

Calon looked at her curiously.

“Indeed. That knight moves exceptionally.”

“Would he be less than Carentium? While you’re here, will you also discipline the ducal knights?”

“I couldn’t possibly dare.”

Calon seriously declined her playful suggestion.

“No fun.”

“Pardon?”

Did he not know it was a joke, or did he see her as a clueless idiot?

Arinne pouted once.

“Ah. I apologize.”

Belatedly realizing it was a joke, he apologized awkwardly.

“That expression…… is good.”

“Pardon?”

“A very good face.”

For someone who said it was no fun, she laughed quite enjoyably.

Calon had many similarities to Lawrence. Looking at him naturally brought Lawrence to mind.

From what she’d heard, they’d been friends for ages—long enough for mountains and rivers to change—so they couldn’t help but resemble each other.

Subtly childish, flustered quite often. Seeming like they’d handle anything skillfully, but actually quite naive in many ways.

“Would you like some tea?”

“I’m fine.”

Calon politely declined. His mind was only on Jade now.

By now, Jade must be anxiously wondering if he’d really left alone.

“Alright. I’d like to guide you myself, but I don’t go up to the third floor. If you need me, come to the second floor.”

“Understood.”

Arinne called a servant and entrusted them with the rest of the guidance.

* * *

“Is this the right room?”

“Yes. The young master is staying in this room.”

Arriving on the third floor with the servant’s guidance, Calon stood dazed for a moment before the lavender door that exuded presence.

It was natural for the purple symbolizing House Marcedea to be everywhere inside and out.

But this room was excessively ‘childish’ even aside from the color.

Unlike other rooms where the eagle ornament holding the doorknob was carved realistically, this one was sloppy and trivial.

Especially the sparkling eyes that took up more than half the eagle’s face were impressively burdensome.

“Sir Calon!”

“Ah. Miss.”

“It’s Jo! Call me casually.”

Jo, holding a silver tray with various snacks, greeted him warmly.

“Aren’t you going in?”

“Well, I was wondering if this was the right room……”

“Ah?”

Understanding his meaning, Jo lowered the ends of both eyebrows, showing deep empathy.

“It’s the room the young lady used when she was little. That doorknob was also made based on a picture the young lady drew herself, you know? The interior is even more surprising.”

Jo, who spoke secretively, naturally passed him the silver tray.

“Sir, watch closely.”

Then she shook the ring held by the big-eyed eagle like showing off an artwork.

Ching, ching. It made an unexpectedly clear sound.

“Young Master Jade. It’s Jo! The Duke sent snacks. I’m coming in!”

Before even hearing an answer, Jo refreshingly threw open the door.

“The Duke, huh?! Calon—!!”

Jade, who immediately popped out to greet Jo, saw Calon standing behind and smiled brightly.

‘He didn’t leave after all!’

Calon won’t leave without me. Jade grabbed his arm and hung on, unable to hide his joy.

“You didn’t go? Why didn’t you go alone?”

“Wait. The tray will spill. There’s no way I’d leave Young Master Jade, ah.”

Calon, who was calming Jade while trying to scan the room, couldn’t close his mouth.

Lest the startled man drop the tray, Jo quickly took it and set it down on the table.

“Amazing, right?”

Jo said with slight pride.

“Amazing indeed.”

Calon nodded blankly. As Jo said, it was an amazing interior incomparable to the purple door with the big-eyed eagle.