NOVEL NEXT WORLD #33
#33
“…Is there more to come?”
Kain’s expression turned serious. It felt like they had already spent hours grooming his hair, and he couldn’t even imagine how long the next task would take.
“Was it that bad?”
“…”
Kain Starchis’s eyes, twisted with displeasure, didn’t return to their usual state.
“I didn’t expect you to dislike it this much.”
Of course, I didn’t think you’d enjoy it either. Jersian twisted his lips with a smirk.
Elves were already sensitive to presence. It must have been difficult for him to sit still while enduring the touch of others.
He looked completely different from the Kain Starchis who had unhesitatingly shot difficult targets in the training ground with a bow as tall as a person.
“…Anyone would dislike being subjected to this suddenly.”
Kain Starchis openly voiced his complaint mixed with a sigh. But Jersian was unapologetic about this. He spoke with his arms crossed:
“I told you to be prepared this morning, didn’t I?”
“Ah…”
Kain Starchis tilted his head slightly.
“So, am I being punished now?”
Jersian’s eyebrow twitched at Kain’s mumble.
“Punishment? Where in the world is there such a luxurious punishment? The level of grooming you’ve received today is daily routine for people of noble families.”
“To do this every day…”
Kain Starchis muttered with a nauseated look. It was obvious he thought humans were terrible.
Of course, unlike other humans, Kain Starchis’s appearance now was almost the same as in the morning. Due to his nearly perfect appearance and aura to begin with, there wasn’t time to notice that his long hair was slightly unkempt. Only someone like Jersian, who had been closest to him, could barely make an observation like “Something seems different today.”
Jersian, who had been carefully examining his long platinum blonde hair from top to bottom, opened his mouth:
“Do you know what kind of false rumor is circulating in this mansion right now?”
“…A false rumor?”
It was a mansion where many humans lived. It wasn’t particularly special for false information to circulate among them.
“The youngest son of the Gerold Marquis family has found a lover.”
Jersian said with his arms loosely crossed.
“And last night, the two spent the night in the same room…”
“…!”
It felt like his head had been hit by something and was ringing. The image of Jersian sleeping flashed through Kain’s mind. And as if it had been waiting, the events of last night that he couldn’t remember this morning started to come back in detail.
The walk in the dark night, and grabbing Jersian’s arm when they came to see the prepared room… Even pulling the boy into an embrace, saying not to go.
Ah, a groan of realization naturally flowed through his slightly parted lips. Seeing Kain’s widened eyes, Jersian delivered the final blow.
“How about it? Quite a plausible rumor, isn’t it?”
“…”
He didn’t know why he had done such a thing in his right mind, but it was already too late to regret.
“I’m sorry.”
Humans are a species that greatly value their personal space. Even if it was a small room, it seemed to be quite an important territory. I shouldn’t have made Jersian stay in my room on my own. Apologizing was the right thing to do for now.
When Kain bowed his head with a serious face, which was more compliant than expected, Jersian waved his hand in the air, completely deflated:
“Forget the apology. I’m planning to use this false rumor to my advantage anyway.”
“Pardon?”
“I was already having a headache because of the engagement, but this works out well. It would be better for you to cooperate with me too. You said you wanted to prove that I’m your destined partner, right? Let’s buy time until this role-play ends.”
As Jersian said, it was a proposal beneficial to both sides. Kain Starchis eagerly took the offer and asked:
“So what should I do?”
“I’ll take care of everything, you just stay still. Just don’t get caught up in other people’s probing words.”
“I understand.”
Just staying still – that sounded good. Kain Starchis nodded up and down with interest.
Seeing Kain looking at him earnestly with sparkling eyes, Jersian opened his mouth:
“…Well then.”
He was deliberately dragging it out instead of getting straight to the point. Hm? A question clouded Kain’s face.
“Now that the explanation is over, shall we go to the next room?”
Jersian’s face was full of mischievous laughter. Kain stood still with a blank face, encountering for the first time Jersian’s pure smile befitting his age. Tap, Jersian gently pushed Kain’s large back with his palm and said:
“The tailor is still waiting for you.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m playing the role of the Gerold Marquis family’s youngest son who can’t think straight after meeting his loved one for the first time.”
Jersian raised his chin proudly.
“It would be even better if I appear to be a youngster who can’t tell right from wrong and bestows gifts.”
“…”
Kain Starchis’s expression became complex. So… what Jersian was saying was…
“Don’t worry. You just need to move as I tell you to.”
It wasn’t very reassuring.
Kain’s expression, worried about exactly that, showed no signs of improving. Jersian pushed Kain out of the room and drove the point home:
“You’re keeping the tailor waiting too long. Go quickly.”
“…Yes.”
The long silence before the answer was Kain’s maximum resistance. He soon reluctantly headed towards the room where the tailor was said to be waiting, led by the servants waiting in front of the room.
* * *
The tailor waiting for Kain was a very talkative person. This was equivalent to saying that Kain Starchis’s brow never unfurrowed.
“Oh! Is it because of your light hair color? This pale color suits you well too.”
“I plan to put ivory buttons here. Or is there any material you prefer?”
“What? These are gloves for you to use at parties. Not needed? What are you saying! How useful a pair of gloves like this can be at a party on a cold day.”
“This is clothing for you to wear when you sleep. You put this string in here, yes, like that. You tie this and it’s done.”
Why on earth are we choosing materials for gloves and sleepwear now? Kain kept his lips tightly shut, cooperating passively with the tailor by moving his large arms and legs minimally. But the tailor, seemingly oblivious, didn’t stop chattering.
“…”
He wanted to shout at them to stop right away, but aware of the eyes of the servants surrounding him, he barely suppressed his feelings.
Kain originally preferred being quiet and alone. He didn’t know how many humans he had faced and conversed with just today. Kain could bet his bow that he had exchanged more words today than in his entire life of several hundred years.
But there was Jersian’s order to “just stay still.” Swish, swish. It wasn’t too difficult to wait for the tailor who was putting strange lines on his arms and legs, then nodding seriously and scribbling on paper.
“Now, let’s try on this coat.”
Both the tailor’s request, which he had heard countless times, and going behind the curtain with a stiff face to change into dozens of clothes were somewhat bearable if he thought he was doing it for Jersian. Somewhat.
After a long while, Kain, finally released from the tailor, walked down the corridor with a tired face. It was funny that after changing clothes for so long, he didn’t have any clothes to take with him right away.
After hours of viewing, not even having clothes to wear tomorrow. It was incomprehensible, but he was afraid to ask the tailor about this, lest they make him wait there until new clothes were made.
Ha, Kain let out a short sigh.
According to the tailor, it would take at least a month to start making clothes based on the measurements taken today.
The birthday party of Jersian’s cousin, to which he had been forcibly invited at the previous banquet, was probably around that time.
The role of the Gerold Marquis family’s youngest son who can’t think straight after meeting his loved one for the first time.
Jersian’s words flashed through Kain’s mind. It would be nice if it were really like that, but the word ‘role’ in the sentence he used seemed to unnecessarily emphasize that this whole situation was false. Kain walked alone down the corridor with a bitter smile.