WHTVT C9

Chapter 9

At Chase’s carefully asking voice, Noel barely collected himself.

Even if there was progress on the quest, he still hadn’t achieved the goal. Same as before.

So Noel steeled himself and opened his mouth again. He had to keep the conversation going first.

“Ahem. That ‘fault’ of yours. Drop it. You must eat very well usually. Enough that a luxury cookie like this doesn’t even catch your eye.”

“……”

Chase didn’t answer. He only held the macaron he hadn’t even taken a bite of, and stared at Noel again with that distinctive blank look.

Not frightened, and not angry either—that transparent, vacant gaze somehow poked Noel’s mean streak.

He was struggling with his life on the line because of a quest right now……!

Looking at Chase’s clear eyes, he felt as if his insides were being shaken out for no reason.

It felt like his ugly bottom—using a shallow trick on a child just to survive somehow—was being laid bare, and displeasure rose to his throat.

A narrative and special ability prepared only for him. And Noel himself, an extra who had to stake his neck on a damned quest to survive in the cracks.

Wasn’t the comparison too much.

His insides were burning black like this, and the little kid in front of him—the center of every incident—wore such a peaceful face knowing nothing.

A nameless jagged feeling lingered on his tongue. Of course he didn’t leave it only at the tip.

“Why have you been freezing your face like that from earlier? Do you have a complaint with me? You don’t even smile and just stare at people.”

Even to himself it was a childish nitpick. After he spat it he thought, ah, but it was already late.

Chase fidgeted with the cookie in his hand and blinked his black eyes slowly. Then, instead, he lit those clear eyes and asked back, low.

“…If I smile, does Noel feel better?”

Is this picking a fight right now.

Noel sucked in a hollow breath.

The sentence that had just come out of that kid’s mouth made his mind go distant. Young master of a ducal house or not, he’s just calling my name with no title? He was about to snap something, appalled, when—

The corner of Chase’s mouth curved up in a soft arc.

The black eyes that had been sunken empty bent into half-moons, and the atmosphere flipped in an instant.

Warm greenhouse sun coming through the window shattered over platinum hair, and faint life touched cheeks that had been pale to the point of white.

A bright face you couldn’t take your eyes off was revealed.

He was still grimy and unsightly in appearance, but even that couldn’t hide an unreal, vivid beauty. The face the sunny smile spread over was only poignant and beautiful.

For a little kid, he’s disgustingly pretty.

That one smile did make his mood better, for sure. In his previous life the impact would have been enough to debut as a child actor already.

If he just grew up well like this, wouldn’t he randomly bewitch people’s hearts?

He was this pretty now; when he grew more the beauty would bloom fully. The idle thought even followed that he might become a villain who led the world to ruin thanks to this face.

Right. No way he’d pick a fight while smiling that clear. A child just trying to match my mood. On top of throwing a jagged question first, Noel was embarrassed for reacting so sharply to Chase’s words.

But how important was this right now.

Anyway he was going to become a black curtain with no blood or tears later, so what did it matter if he called the name roughly. You could only teach a kid who knew something in the first place. The beautiful looks he’d use well himself when he grew up.

Chase stared at Noel’s face, which changed moment by moment depending on what he was thinking. Like when people felt better, Noel’s cheekbones rose a little and his eyes loosened.

As if he liked Noel’s reaction, Chase lifted the corners of his mouth even wider.

Kid smiles well.

About to huff a laugh as if possessed by a ghost, Noel hurriedly clenched a fist, covered his mouth, and coughed.

“Ahem!”

No matter how pretty the kid was, he mustn’t forget his place. Is now the time to coo at Chase?

What are you grinning about. Noel Winslow!

To clear a quest his life depended on, he needed to dig further into this kid. He couldn’t go back empty-handed like last time.

Riding the atmosphere that had grown somewhat mild, Noel asked.

“What do you usually do?”

“…Mm.”

Chase tilted his head a little, thought, then muttered calmly as if there wasn’t particularly anything he did.

“Just, I’m in the room.”

“In the room all day? Didn’t look like there was anything to do.”

“Yeah. I just stay. Sometimes I look out the window……”

Only looking out the window……. When he was in the annex there’d have been nothing but grass outside. Noel’s brow narrowed on its own.

“That’s all? Does Father come see you sometimes?”

“Father……?”

“Yes. The person who brought you here.”

Chase’s head shook firmly. Well. The duke wasn’t the type to fuss over someone.

“Then is there a servant by you?”

“…No. Nobody comes.”

A ducal residence, and they leave one child with no one looking after him? Well. That’s why he looked grimy as a field mouse. Clicking his tongue shortly as if appalled, Noel fidgeted with the teacup and slipped the next question.

“Adrian? Adrian doesn’t come find you?”

“…Who’s Adrian?”

For the first time Chase opened his eyes round and asked back. At that innocent reaction Noel cheered inwardly.

So he hasn’t even run into Adrian yet?

That meant the chance of Chase being influenced by the original’s kind protagonist was still low. With a much lighter heart, Noel leaned back against the chair.

“If you don’t know, fine. More than that, what were you doing where before you came here? Why did you follow Father? Who did you think he was.”

“I was at a tavern.”

“A tavern? You grew up there? You said you don’t know your parents.”

“I’ve been there since I had memories. In the corner I cleaned up food customers left, cleaned……”

At the calmly continuing words Noel’s brow narrowed. His own past rose suddenly. He remembered lying about his age and working part-time even as a student. Wiping meat boards, cutting grease, dealing with people who drank and made scenes.

He knew better than anyone how harsh the world was to people who had nothing.

“If you stayed there, why were you in the forest? What, did you run away?”

At Noel’s question Chase seemed at a loss for words and only fidgeted with the macaron.

The way he was about to say something then shut his mouth tight was oddly defensive. When Noel urged an answer again with his chin, Chase dropped his gaze and muttered small.

“…Business was bad.”

“Business was bad, so what.”

“They said even me eating was a waste. I became useless and got thrown away.”

Chase went on without even erasing a faint smile, as if talking about someone else.

“…Ah.”

No, who says that kind of thing while smiling……? Makes a person feel bad.

“So I went to the forest. There…… even if you chew bark, nobody hits you.”

“……”

Quiet stillness settled in the greenhouse again.

Only birdsong rang peacefully, and Noel felt a corner of his chest being poked.

No, why is the life narrative at a level you can’t watch without tears…….

At the pity that surged for a moment, Noel bit his lower lip hard.

But he soon shook his head hard and flung the stray thoughts off.

You crazy, Noel? Snap out of it. Who are you pitying right now.

An unfortunate past? A pitiful situation? So what. He mustn’t be shaken by that innocent, poignant face.

Right. He’s only a villain in a story already decided. I’m busy keeping one life of my own. I don’t have the leisure to feel sorry for someone else.

If he gave his heart because it was pitiful, his own lifespan would be shaved first. That was obvious.

Noel forced a cold look and kept watching Chase in front of him.

“Then, is there something you hate?”

Noel tossed the question as if throwing it, in a voice he made dry. Chase stopped the hand that had been fidgeting only on the table and answered in a very small voice.

“…Being alone.”

At that one line Noel was at a loss for words again. Hm……. A short sigh was swallowed inside. If he heard more he’d really be eaten by useless pity.

I’m not talking to remind myself how pitiful it is.

The goal is only information gathering to clear the quest. Compared to last time when he’d only coughed blood, today he’d at least kept a conversation going. That was something.

Noel hurriedly stood. If he sat facing this poignant little kid any longer he felt he wouldn’t die of old age.

Their tea gathering ended that blandly, and uncomfortably.

A garden under bright sun. Noel sat at a tea table holding a cup, tapping a foot, staring hard up at one window.

Does it make sense for there to be this little progress.