Chapter 17
“Anyway, the library’s big enough with three floors. Apple and I will stay on the second floor.”
I smiled and continued explaining.
His face still flushed, Luca covered half of it with one arm.
Getting a cohabitation offer from that face made the mory of the water torture start to fade.
Luca tried to recall the sensation and mory of being water-tortured, but…
Damn it, her face was too pretty.
His eyes darted around before he cald down. He stayed silent, lost in thought.
“Am I supposed to live with you because I’m your lackey now?”
“Huh?”
I was a bit taken aback.
Co to think of it, when he was floundering in the water, he did say sothing about being my doormat.
I was about to say he didn’t have to be my lackey, but I closed my mouth.
‘If he’s my lackey, I have a reason to keep him in the library. To avoid pointless fights, this might be the better approach.’
“Yeah… I guess so.”
“…”
Luca, slouched on his mattress, propped his chin and thought deeply.
Soon, he tilted his head and asked.
“What’s the point of gathering lackeys? Planning to play gangster at the academy?”
“What?”
Luca spoke with a sarcastic tone.
“Hey, I don’t do drug deals. I don’t want to kill people for money without reason, and I’m not into human trafficking either.”
“…?”
“I don’t want to live off protection money either. If I was going to survive on that, I wouldn’t bother working hard.”
He nodded toward a pile of well-prepared beast hides, claws, and teeth. They were items he’d dried to sell at the night market later.
“If I was going to live recklessly, I wouldn’t have scraped together pennies to co to the academy.”
“…”
There was a reason Luca hadn’t joined any gang since arriving at Lemaos.
Joining a gang ant following the leader’s orders to extort protection money or steal wallets from weaker students.
Well, so gangs had recently cleaned up their act a bit.
“Princess, don’t expect blind loyalty. I’ll pick and choose which orders I follow.”
I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.
“…Ha.”
Hey, man, why would I do drug deals, assassinations, or human trafficking at the academy!!
That cheeky Luca was completely seeing as a villain.
All I wanted was to avoid getting dragged into pointless fights. Just to get through school without getting beaten up, graduate safely, and land a cushy, high-paying job.
“Fine, pick and choose as you please. For the record, the Ebenkera Family doesn’t deal in human trafficking or drugs. We’re actually on the side that cracks down on it.”
“Huh, really?”
Luca rubbed his chin, giving a skeptical look, and Apple mimicked him, also looking at suspiciously.
Wait, Apple, what’s with you?
“Ugh, I’m not saying I’m so saint, but I’m not that bad!!”
“Hmm…”
“Mm…”
“Apple, seriously? After all I’ve done for you.”
“Ah, ah, I know! Miss, you’re kind at heart… Well, not bad, more like dangerous… Eek! Sorry! My bad!”
Apple’s reaction made everything even more suspicious.
Ugh, whatever. I got what I wanted anyway.
I successfully won Luca over, and since he voluntarily beca my lackey, I could make him fight my battles whenever minor skirmishes popped up.
Now I could mostly avoid the power struggles of hot-blooded, superpowered teens.
Clicking my tongue in dissatisfaction, I went up to the second floor to finish unpacking.
✦ ✦ ✦
My body ached, and I was so tired that I fell asleep as soon as I lay on the bed.
The pain felt like soone was beating with a club, so I couldn’t sleep deeply and only dozed lightly.
‘Maybe moving around a bit will help?’
I got up from the bed. Looking out the window, it seed like dawn. The night air was cold, but not as bad as sleeping in a tent.
I hadn’t realized how grateful I’d be to sleep under a roof.
‘She’s still sleeping under my bed.’
I bent down and looked at Apple, curled up tightly under the bed.
Training was just an excuse; she oddly loved sleeping under beds. She was particularly stubborn about it.
‘Should I get a bunk bed?’
Scaredy-cat Apple. Always trembling.
‘What did I do wrong?’
I pulled a strand of hair she was nibbling on out of her mouth, and she frowned, probably feeling empty. It was funny, and I let out a small laugh.
As I climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket up to my chin to sleep again, I heard sothing.
Clink, clink.
A small noise kept coming from downstairs. It was subtly annoying, making it impossible to sleep.
‘What the heck are they doing?’
Suddenly curious, I got out of bed and went down to the first floor.
✦ ✦ ✦
The orange glow of a lantern ward the darkness.
The lantern’s distinct kerosene sll and the musty scent of books added coziness to the cold night air.
I saw a boy’s back under the lamplight. His worn heart-patterned cat dress was tinted warmly by the lantern’s glow.
He was diligently making sothing, his arms and hands busy. He seed sleepy, his head occasionally drooping.
‘I used to wear clothes like that when I was little.’
Maybe because of the dress he was wearing, I suddenly felt like a kid again.
“What are you doing?”
“…!! You scared ! Make so noise!”
Luca clutched his pounding chest, his shoulders shooting up.
“I didn’t an to startle you. Sorry.”
“…”
I smiled gently and sat next to Luca. He glanced at warily, like a cautious cat.
“W-What. Why.”
“What are you doing instead of sleeping?”
“Uh… Um… I don’t know.”
Smack!
Luca suddenly slapped his own cheek, muttering “idiot” under his breath.
“Sorry, what were we talking about?”
“This is the third ti I’m asking, but what were you doing?”
“Yeah, sorry for making the precious princess’s mouth tired.”
He smirked sarcastically.
“There’s a night market in Lemaos later. I was organizing stuff to sell there.”
Luca showed small beast teeth strung with twine, beast fat, and well-dried beast hides.
The teeth made a clinking sound.
“Wow, you caught and prepared all this?”
“Yeah.”
“Impressive. They’re in great condition. You must’ve taken good care of them.”
Luca’s eyes widened, as if he’d heard sothing unexpected.
His ears turned bright red.
“Wanna sell it and give the money? I’ll let you keep 20 Aurum.”
“Huh? How does that work? I was just genuinely complinting you.”
“…”
“You must have a hard enough ti making ends et, so don’t say stuff like that.”
“…Ugh.”
Huh? He seed a bit sulky for so reason.
Luca’s thought process was as unpredictable as Apple’s, hard to pin down.
I gazed at the lantern, burning kerosene and glowing brightly.
Since we were new housemates under the sa roof, I wanted to talk more and get closer, but I couldn’t think of anything to say.
“Want so help?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“I’m awake and bored anyway.”
Luca, who’d been tinkering and sneaking glances at , suddenly giggled.
“Hey, just talk casually. We’re the sa age, and hearing you be so polite is funny.”
“Being polite is my principle.”
“…Do whatever you want, princess~”
He’s been using weird nicknas since earlier.
Who’s the one dressed like a princess?
“By the way, your pajamas are super cute.”
“Oh, right, damn!!”
Luca suddenly grabbed his dress tightly, as if to hide it.
“It’s n-nothing! This is my taste! I love heart-patterned cat lace dresses!!”
“Really? I didn’t know.”
I really didn’t. His taste is unique.
“Don’t misunderstand! I didn’t pick this up from so random place!”
“…”
Oh, so the taste thing was a cover.
I knew the origin of that dress from Luca and Kelnor’s earlier conversation.
Was he more embarrassed about picking it from a trash can?
Given he does odd jobs, money-related topics might be a sensitive spot for him.
“It looks like it. It suits you, Luca. Co back and sit. I’ll help finish your work. Don’t refuse.”
“…”
Luca, tightly gripping the dress with both hands, sat back down beside .
Since he was just sitting there, I looked over what he’d done. So beast teeth needed tying, so I picked up the twine and finished stringing them.
One, two, three… Ten seed to make a set.
Luca, who’d been watching silently help, spoke in a subdued voice.
“Actually… I picked it up from a trash can.”
“I see.”
“…”
I replied nonchalantly.
When I glanced sideways, I saw Luca’s face and shoulders flushed bright red.
His head was bowed, hiding his face, but I could sohow imagine his expression. Was he sweating because the dress had a warming spell, or was it sothing else? A drop of sweat hung at his chin.
He glanced at with his silver eyes, head still lowered.
His face was visible. An expression stained with sha.
Gripping the dress tightly with both hands didn’t hide it, yet he foolishly clutched its hem. His hands, rough for his young age, were red too.
Wrinkling the childish dress’s print, he moved his lips slightly and spoke softly.
“Why. You grossed out ‘cause I’m a beggar?”
His voice was heavy and damp, his trembling silver eyes casting a gloomy light.
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