Chapter 46
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Chapter 46
The day I left the Basilian Count Estate was peaceful.
Kieran was away from home as usual, and the Twins had come to torment Chesa before being dragged off by Belzeon.
Left alone, Chesa wrote a letter in her room.
She thought it would be nice to leave behind at least one letter for a beautiful farewell.
"Sigh..."
But writing with small hands was not easy.
No matter what she tried to write, only illegible scrawl emerged.
Chesa, struggling with the pencil, only crumpled the paper before giving up on the letter entirely.
Besides, there was nothing to say anyway.
What could she possibly write when she was running away?
Having cleanly abandoned the effort, Chesa ate snacks by the window with Hata.
Today's snack was a muffin generously filled with chocolate and milk.
Normally, dogs shouldn't eat chocolate, but as a demi-human, Hata happily shared the muffin with Chesa, munching away with gusto.
Chesa nibbled her muffin piece by piece while gazing out the window.
In the beautifully arranged garden, pink rose bushes had been newly planted.
They were the same variety as the roses I had seen with Kieran in the Imperial Palace Rose Garden that day.
Kieran must have ordered them planted in the garden.
I was amazed at how the flowers bloomed more lush and vibrant than those in the Imperial Palace Garden, though I couldn't fathom how.
"..."
Even after leaving the Count Estate, I thought I might miss this garden a little.
Chesa ate the chocolate muffin while lost in sentimental thoughts.
'In my current mood, I might even miss that gloomy Castle of Serpents and the Black Forest.'
In truth, had Kieran not been my Master, I might have stayed at the Basilian Count Estate a bit longer.
This was because there were still many things I was curious about at the Count Estate.
How had the Basilian Count Estate come to rule the Underworld?
Why had they remained holed up in the Black Forest of the East despite wielding such power?
'I'm also curious why Kieran gathered materials related to fairy experiments...'
In particular, I was curious about what the three brothers did in the Underworld.
'They're young boys, but with that level of skill, they surely would have stood out.'
Yet I had never even heard rumors about the three brothers.
Just then, I caught sight of Ishuel in the distance carrying a parasol and Karha passing by with a sword in each hand.
The boys, sensing my gaze, looked toward Chesa sitting by the window.
Chesa waved her hand at the Twins in greeting.
'Still, if the three brothers continue to frequent the Underworld...'
I would also remain in the Underworld, so perhaps I might see them again someday.
Of course, there would be no approaching them to greet or converse.
Even a brief glimpse would feel welcome.
I'd like to see Kieran too, but that was difficult since meeting my Master usually meant going to die.
Watching the Twins wave enthusiastically at me, Chesa smiled.
'Anyway, they'll probably want to check that everyone is doing well.'
***
The dead of night.
I stuffed Hata into a small bag and secured it diagonally across my chest.
I looked around eagerly to see if there was anything else to bring, but there wasn't.
Chesa wrapped a handkerchief around her head, concealing her distinctive golden hair.
She waited by the door, shifting nervously from foot to foot, for Belzeon to arrive.
Creak.
Not long after, the door opened with a low sound.
Belzeon entered the room wearing a worn black hood.
He paused upon seeing Chesa with the handkerchief tied around her head, then handed her a small hood.
Chesa removed the handkerchief without complaint and put on the hood.
'But what's with that bag?'
Chesa had slung the bag over her shoulder to carry Hata.
But Belzeon was also carrying a large bag, which struck her as odd.
'Is he giving me something as a gift?'
But it was a larger bag than what Chesa carried.
He wouldn't send a child out alone—there must be an adult guardian to accompany them.
Chesa reasoned to herself that he was probably handing the bag to that person.
Once I had the robe fully on and looked up at Belzeon, he lifted me into his arms.
He concealed me inside the robe and quietly slipped out of the mansion.
Throughout our escape, Belzeon didn't encounter a single soul.
It was because he knew exactly when and where the servants would pass.
Kieran and the Twins were also away from home today.
I recalled what Belzeon had told me.
"I'll make sure all three of them can't come home that day."
I had worried they might chase after us, but he had said that.
Judging by how quiet everything was, whatever he had done, he had handled it very well.
When we came out through the back gate of the mansion, a shabby, worn carriage stood waiting.
The elderly Coachman was dozing in his seat, drowsy from the early morning visitor.
That carriage would take me to a safe place where I could hide from Kieran.
I glanced inside and it appeared no one else was riding in it.
I had expected there to be an adult to accompany me, but it was unexpected.
'Am I riding in the carriage alone?'
Well, it didn't matter.
As long as the carriage got me to the destination, that was all that mattered.
Belzeon slowly set me down on the ground.
I took a small breath.
And I looked up at Belzeon.
This was truly a farewell.
I gazed at him with eyes that held a certain affection and spoke.
"Thank you so much."
I offered a respectful bow as well.
I waited for a reciprocal farewell—something like "take care"—to come back.
But strangely, Belzeon remained silent.
'What's this?'
He wasn't rude enough to ignore a final greeting, so it was peculiar.
The silence stretched uncomfortably long.
Finally, Belzeon opened his mouth.
"I'll come along as well."
Chesa blinked for a moment.
After briefly doubting whether I'd heard correctly,
I asked carefully.
"...What?"
No, that couldn't be right.
Say it's not true, quickly.
That "what?" was compressed with such a plea.
But Belzeon didn't bother repeating himself.
He simply continued expressionlessly with what he had to say.
"I'm merely repaying the kindness you showed me in equal measure."
"H-Kindness?"
That I had actually shown Belzeon kindness was beyond comprehension.
'That's impossible!'
Had he been dreaming or something to say such a thing?
Since I clearly didn't believe him, Belzeon spoke briefly and quietly.
"...You comforted me. So I'll do the same for you once."
His words were fragmented and disjointed, but I understood well enough.
'So he's saying he'll follow me to comfort me?'
Of course, there was a time when I had comforted a weeping Belzeon, offering him snowbells and soothing him.
He had sobbed like a child for so long, and I had patted his back earnestly beside him.
'But I've never cried.'
I had no reason to be comforted, yet Belzeon was acting strangely.
As if I had clung to him while crying miserably about my loneliness.
'This is maddening!'
I was ready to jump out of my skin.
'Why is he really like this?'
I was so flustered and exasperated that I stood there with my mouth hanging open for a moment.
Then I snapped back to my senses.
If I just stood here, Belzeon would really follow me.
Chesa quickly scrambled for an excuse to throw at him.
"B-but you have work to do, don't you?"
In truth, Belzeon shouldered a considerable portion of the Basilian Count Estate's administrative duties.
His absence would leave a significant void in the estate's operations.
She could already picture the secretaries and servants frantically searching for him.
Belzeon was a man of strong responsibility.
She had expected he would not abandon his unfortunate subordinates so easily—but then....
"Well."
Belzeon twisted one corner of his mouth into a smile.
That smile bore a striking resemblance to Kieran's, and for a moment, Chesa felt a chill run down her spine.
"That damned father of mine can handle it himself."
Worn down by Kieran, Belzeon had become corrupted.
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