I looked at Dawon's desperate eyes and answered almost imdiately, "O-Of course…"
"That's a relief." Dawon smiled cutely, but I couldn't bring myself to return his smile.
‘…He's a ‘Shikigami?"
During our conversation, I was hugging Dawon, so my body was in constant contact with his. Warm and soft, he felt like a human child–not an inanimate object.
‘But…'
As a Necromancer, I could resurrect the dead and command them to move as I wished…Perhaps Dawon-ie was a stand-in–a conduit–for Jo Chanyoung's thoughts. After all, this place was manifested by the Summoner's consciousness.
‘Does that an, he won't want to sign a contract with ?'
‘I think Dawon told that he really likes animals.'
However, until now, I hadn't seen a single animal. Were there only Shikigami and plants in this large mansion? Of course, the Shikigami moved about like animals, but there was sothing unnerving about them.
"Dawon-ah. By any chance…. are there any real animals here? Like a dog or a cat?"
"Real animals? Hmmm…." Dawon tilted his head. "You kicked them all out, didn't you?"
His tone didn't sound accusatory; nonetheless, I had finally received a hint from his answer.
"I did? T-Then… Do you rember where I kicked them out to?"
"I don't know…" Dawon whined before clamping his mouth shut.
I couldn’t tell if he genuinely didn’t know or if he was withholding information intentionally, which made anxious. "Then…"
But, before I could ask any further, Dawon grabbed onto my shoulders first.
"Never mind that. Hyung-nim, why don't you eat with ?"
"Huh?"
"I thought you might be hungry…"
I wasn’t particularly hungry, but ignoring Dawon’s words seed impossible. "You… eat too, right?”
Even though Dawon had revealed he was a ‘Shikigami' I had made, he still seed like a living person to . Therefore, I couldn't help but ask what may be a redundant question.
"Yes. I want to eat chocolate cake." Fortunately, Dawon smiled and answered sweetly. Then, as if asking to place him down, he tapped my arm. I slowly lowered him to the ground.
‘Now that I think about it, he's far too light…'
As I pondered Dawon's weight–which was hardly a burden even though I had carried him for a long while–I found myself wondering whether I should take his words at face value.
"Let's go."
"……" But, for now, there was nothing I could do except stay around Dawon. The child held three of my fingers before boldly walking ahead.
Jingle–! Jingle–!
I could hear the quiet ringing of the bells on the servants’ neck behind us, but I didn't look back.
* * *
‘This is a downright feast.'
A long table stood in the center of the dining hall within the mansion that Dawon-ie had guided to. On it, a variety of delicacies were spread out, almost as if they had been waiting for us. The food was piled up in layers of various dishes and resembled a tower.
‘…This mansion is just too artificial…contrived.'
The sumptuous food looked tempting, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a trap. Perhaps my tenseness was to bla. Though the food appeared delicious, its vibrant colors stood out too much in this setting, making the dishes seem even more suspicious.
Unlike , Dawon, who sat in a chair by my side, enjoyed the chocolate cake he was craving earlier. I glanced at him and saw that he had chocolate sared around his mouth like a baby.
‘His posture is so dignified, though…'
Was the real Dawon like this when he was young? I didn't bother to point out the ssiness–Dawon was too cute like that. Plus, I was a little relieved to see him eat like a ‘human child.'
‘Then, what on earth are Shikigami anyway? If they can move dolls or stones around…but also are able to eat like Dawon-ie…Then…'
Weren't they basically almost living beings? Just as I thought that, Dawon-ie, who had been diligently eating cake, stopped shoveling with his fork and looked at , "Why isn't Hyung-nim eating?"
Faced with his puzzled expression, I felt a bit embarrassed that I had been caught staring, "Ah… I-I'll eat now." I brought a random nearby plate close, a half-smile frozen on my face.
It was a warm soup with a savory aroma wafting up from the dish. Despite my unease about this place, my stomach started to growl at the sll, reminding of how hungry I was. It felt as if my stomach would gnaw itself.
Slurp–!
However, when I scooped up a bite of the soup with a spoon, I felt puzzled.
‘Why can't I taste anything?'
Unlike Dawon, who seed to be enjoying his food, the soup in my mouth had no flavor–it only had warmth and a gloopy texture.
‘Was it not seasoned enough?'
But, the soup wasn't bland. On the contrary, it tasted a bit like boiled water disguising itself as soup. It was unpleasantly tasteless.
"……" I abandoned the soup and brought a nearby steak to my front. Even though a long ti must have passed, the food remained steaming hot. When I took a sniff, a delicious scent entered my nostrils.
Swallow–!
However, I couldn't taste anything–even when I had placed it in my mouth. Even though my teeth were actively chewing the steak, it felt like I was eating a thick, soggy lump of dirt.
"Does it taste bad?" asked Dawon, who had eaten half of his chocolate cake slice, a bit belatedly.
On a whim, I asked him, “…Could I have a bite of your chocolate cake?”
"Yes?" Dawon-ie seed surprised, but soon blushed and carved off a corner of his cake with the fork he had been using. "Say, Ah…."
I obediently opened my mouth–though he was rather shy, it was clear he was eager to feed . The chocolate cake that slled so sweet before entering my mouth…
"…Mm."
No matter how much I chewed the cake, it didn't taste good.
It wasn't that it tasted awful, but the dessert lacked any flavor that one might expect from a chocolate cake. Seeing Dawon's expectant, sparkling eyes, I reluctantly said, "It's… not too sweet, huh?"
That was the kindest evaluation I could give.
Dawon nodded, "Yes. I like it because it's not too sweet."
…Honestly, the cake tasted like it had no sugar inside.
I thought he was trying to make fun of , but Dawon's expression was far too serious for that. Rather, he looked like soone who didn't know how to crack a joke.
‘Then, are my tastebuds the problem?'
I forced myself to chew more of the leftover food at the table, but, by the ti I swallowed, the food was beyond tasteless. The forced bites were even disgusting. Even so, I was still incredibly hungry.
‘Even if I endure and shovel it in, I don't feel full…'
Moreover, the indistinguishable dishes that I continued to eat only made hungrier with each bite.
‘I think I'm going to vomit…'
As I was thinking this, Dawon suddenly picked up a cookie and brought it to my mouth.
"Ah…"
He must have misunderstood–perhaps he thought I enjoyed the chocolate cake from earlier. Though I was flustered, I couldn't turn away from Dawon's excited face.
So, eventually, I had to open my mouth. Naturally, as soon as the cookie touched my tongue, it tasted like rotten, unset cent. At the end, when his finger touched my lips slightly, I tasted sothing faintly sweet.
‘Does this cookie have a sweet aftertaste?'
I ate another cookie in the basket.
"Urgh…"
This ti, however, it tasted completely different. I couldn't resist and spat out the cookie into a napkin.
"Hyung-nim… Are you okay?" Startled, Dawon held onto and leaned in close. And at that mont, I started to sll sothing like milk. It was such a delicious sll that I couldn't help but sniff.
"What is that…"
Was that sll coming from Dawon-ie?
My hand reached out with my thoughts. Dawon's eyes grew wide as I grabbed his wrist with my hand. Then, I breathed deeply with my nose plastered to his wrist.
Slurp–!
Then, almost involuntarily, I licked his wrist…
‘What…is this taste…?'
This wrist was perhaps the sweetest and most delicious thing I had ever tasted.
Beco a mber!
TL: Ngl, I edited this chap right as I was cooking. The descriptions made my appetite disappear lmao.
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