Book 1 Chapter 606

Niel and Matzelle sat at opposite ends of the room.

They glared at each other, not looking directly.

The warm heat rising from the floor made their bodies naturally feel warmer.

Niel, feeling a sudden thirst, reached for a water bottle in the corner of the room.

As he poured water into a cup and brought it to his lips.

"Ptooey! What, what is this? Is this alcohol?"

Niel, spitting out the alcohol he had just sipped, wiped his mouth and hastily checked the other water bottles.

"They're all alcohol!"

With a look of disbelief, Niel hurried to the hot spring attached to the room.

Niel scooped up some steaming hot spring water, cooled it, and held it in his mouth.

"Gasp?!"

The sharp taste that instantly enveloped his entire mouth made Niel involuntarily spit the water onto the floor.

"What, what is this?"

He quickly looked to the side.

"Good for skin health and fatigue recovery. Harmless to humans, but tastes strange, so do not drink it."

Niel felt a headache coming on.

Ultimately, if he was thirsty, the only thing he could drink was alcohol.

'I'm going crazy, really.'

"Don't make such a fuss, Niel Rhoda."

At that moment, Matzelle said with a sigh.

Niel scoffed at his words and returned to his original seat.

It was then that a strange silence began to fall again.

*Grumble-*!

Matzelle's stomach rumbled.

Matzelle covered his face.

Seeing Matzelle like that, Niel sneered.

"As expected of a wizard who just sits in his study and reads books. You have no willpower. Making such a pathetic sound after just one day of fasting…"

*Grumble-*!

"……"

The same sound came from Niel's stomach.

It was, in a way, natural for such sounds to occur.

Niel and Matzelle.

Both of them had fasted all day.

Furthermore, during the day, they had engaged in pure manual labor without using aura or magic.

And the delicious food laid out in the room was stimulating their sense of smell.

It was unavoidable that their bodies would react honestly.

Matzelle glanced at Niel, whose face had turned bright red, as he turned his head away.

'Ah, I'm so embarrassed!'

Niel pressed his conspicuously rumbling stomach and screamed internally.

He was about to receive an even bigger mockery for mocking others earlier.

"Pfft."

At that moment, Matzelle burst into laughter.

"You haven't changed, Niel Rhoda."

"What do you mean?"

"That unnecessarily stubborn part of you. How strict you are with yourself. Even becoming utterly devoted when it comes to matters related to your lord."

"Hmph! Do you think you're any different? You're unnecessarily free-spirited? And you're just as devoted as well, aren't you?"

Niel snapped back and sighed.

Seeing Niel like that, Matzelle said,

"Shall we eat first?"

"……Yes."

Niel nodded as well.

Being hungry, it was strange to continue starving in front of food.

It wasn't as if the food was to blame.

Matzelle ate a meat dish and exclaimed,

"This is incredibly delicious."

"Don't eat it."

"Why are you picking a fight?"

"I made it. So don't eat it."

"……"

Matzelle let out a deep sigh.

"I think I said unnecessary things to Young Master Leo. I wish I hadn't, knowing it would turn out like this."

"Unnecessary things?"

"There are such things."

"……"

After listening to Matzelle's words, Niel hesitated for a moment and asked,

"Does that perhaps have something to do with me?"

Matzelle did not answer.

'No wonder. Chelsea Lewallin also asked me something strange… was it because of that.'

Niel recalled their conversation earlier.

An awkward atmosphere continued to hang in the air.

Niel, his throat choked while eating, patted his chest hard.

Seeing that, Matzelle scowled.

"Stop acting like a fool and drink this."

"Don't be ridiculous…! Gulp! Cough! Cough!"

Niel managed to swallow the food and said,

"I will absolutely not drink alcohol! You drink it!"

"I don't drink alcohol either."

"Oh really? You, who seem most likely to break school rules, don't drink alcohol?"

"I made a mistake once when I drank. Since then, I've decided not to drink."

At those words, Niel's face hardened.

'It's annoying. Why are the reasons for not drinking the same as mine?'

A heavy silence fell then.

'Young Master Leo… he must have prepared this gathering for the reconciliation between Zerdinger and Lewallin, right?'

Perhaps his relationship with Matzelle was a hindrance to Leo.

'The young lady is also building a friendship with Abad.'

The direct descendants of Zerdinger, who could be called their lord, were making efforts.

In such a situation, he was building a wall with Matzelle due to past events.

As Niel, a loyal knight, was thinking about various things.

Matzelle opened his mouth.

"Niel Rhoda."

"Why?"

"I'll be honest. I have lingering feelings for you."

"What?"

Niel's expression turned dumbfounded for a moment.

But after a short while.

He let out a scoff.

"Didn't quite a large scandal arise for someone like you? Didn't you cry your eyes out after breaking up with your girlfriend in your second year? Getting caught drinking in the dormitory and being disciplined was just a bonus."

At Niel's words, Matzelle let out a deep sigh.

"I'll be honest. That's why I don't drink alcohol."

"What?"

Matzelle scratched his head.

"At that time, didn't rumors spread that you were dating a guy first? Because of that, I drank excessively and made a mistake. Fortunately, I didn't mention your name."

Niel's mouth flapped open.

When Niel was a first-year student.

During the school trip, in a drunken state, he had unknowingly said he was dating a guy.

Of course, that guy was none other than Matzelle.

Thanks to that, rumors spread throughout the entire school.

"I resented you for seeming to have forgotten me so easily. That's why I treated you even more harshly."

It was a scandal from long ago that had already been forgotten.

"Still, because of those lingering feelings, I haven't dated anyone while attending school."

Hearing Matzelle's words, Niel let out a hollow laugh.

"It's the same as me."

"What?"

"That rumor. I also got drunk because of you."

Niel and Matzelle looked at each other in silence.

Then, without anyone prompting, they burst into laughter.

After laughing for a long time, Niel, his stomach hurting, hiccuped and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Really. Both you and I are pathetic."

"Yes. We're a sight to behold."

Matzelle agreed and looked at Niel.

"But it's too late to turn back."

"Yes. It's too late."

Niel nodded as well.

"Niel Rhoda. The young master and the young lady wish to clear the lingering resentment between their families. You know well that this is not an easy task, right?"

"Yes. It's a difficult task. Still, I want to follow their wishes. I am a knight of Zerdinger."

"I feel the same. I am a wizard of Lewallin."

Niel and Matzelle looked at each other intently and spoke.

"We cannot be a hindrance to our lords."

"Yes. Therefore, I want to start our relationship anew."

The two smiled simultaneously.

"Forgetting our past feelings. Let's be friends."

"I agree."

Niel extended his hand, and Matzelle took it.

It was a reconciliation after a full five years.

"Wow! I feel so refreshed!"

Niel lay sprawled on the floor and said in a refreshed voice.

Then he suddenly sat up.

"Then."

"Are you going to drink?"

"Yes. It's not that I didn't want to drink. Now that I'm an adult, it's unfair, isn't it?"

Niel said as he poured himself a drink.

"Do you want a glass too?"

"Heh. Now that I don't have to dwell on the mistakes of that day. Shall I lift my vow of abstinence too?"

"Yes. There's no need to make mistakes anymore."

Niel poured Matzelle a drink, as if feeling relieved.

Clinking their glasses, they sipped their drinks.

The aroma spreading in his mouth made Niel scowl in discomfort.

"Ugh. I don't think I'll ever like it much."

Seeing that, Matzelle burst into laughter.

"Sigh. Speaking of which, you and I are both adults now."

"Yes. We used to say that by now we would be married."

"We were so fearless for little kids."

"Yes. But it was good."

"Yes. It was."

Recalling old times, the two clinked their glasses again.

***

"Oof! It's cold! It's cold!"

Leo, who had come to Chelsea and Niel's room, looked puzzled as Chelsea burrowed into the covers as soon as he arrived.

"It's not that cold."

Chelsea, who had been wriggling under the covers, stopped and poked her head out.

"Yes, it's not actually cold."

Chelsea smiled meaningfully and got out of bed, wrapping herself in the blanket.

Leo looked puzzled at Chelsea, who was tightly wrapped in the blanket.

*Thump- thump-*

Chelsea approached Leo.

Something scattered on the floor was visible beneath the dragging blanket.

It was none other than the clothes Chelsea had been wearing until just a moment ago.

Chelsea, who had come in front of Leo, who was looking at her with disbelief, slightly lowered the blanket from her shoulder.

Her sky-blue hair cascading down her neckline and her delicate, white shoulder were revealed.

"Isn't it alluring?"

Chelsea asked with a deep smile.

Leo gripped the blanket Chelsea was wearing.

"Huh?"

And then, without hesitation, he pulled it.

*Whoosh-!*

"Rather than alluring, you're cute."

Leo chuckled, looking at Chelsea in her swimsuit.

At Leo's reaction, Chelsea pouted.

"What? That's no fun. Would it kill you to be surprised?"

"You shouldn't tease adults."

Leo, as if catching a cat, put his hands under Chelsea's armpits and lifted her up.

Then, he took the flustered Chelsea to the attached hot spring and threw her in.

"Kyaaaah?!"

*Splash-!*

"Ptooey! That's mean!"

Ignoring Chelsea's complaints, Leo closed the door, changed into a provided swimsuit, and went inside.

Then he entered the hot spring.

Leo, stretching his arms and legs in the hot spring, muttered while arching his back.

"This is refreshing."

"Wow, you're really like an old man. Your body is that of a boy, but why are you so much like an old man?"

Chelsea scoffed softly, but Leo didn't care.

"What are you going to do first when you go to the 청사 tomorrow?"

Leo chuckled, looking at Chelsea, who asked with a puzzled expression.

"I plan to meet the Spirit of Purification first."

"To make a contract?"

"Yes."

Leo said it as if it were a very simple matter.

"Well, even the Great Spirit would find it hard to refuse a contract with brother Leo."

"It doesn't matter if they refuse."

"Huh?"

In front of Chelsea, who had a puzzled look, a ladle filled with bathwater floated by.

Inside it was hot spring water.

-Take this!

*Chirp! Chirp!*

-Fiore and Kiran, please stop.

-Hey! Phoenix! Fairy! Elsie says to stop! Shall I tear off your wings?!

*Hiss!*

-Yikes!

Fiore and Kiran, who were splashing water at Elsie while playing in the water, were terrified by Lariel's 살벌한 (ferocious\/chilling) shout.

"……"

Chelsea was silent at the sight.

Leo pointed at Lariel and said,

"If they refuse, she'll break their necks."

'Somehow, there are no normal ones among brother Leo's summons.'

Chelsea muttered to herself.

Then she looked up at the night sky.

"I hope Matzelle and Senior Niel make up."

"They will."

At Leo's answer, Chelsea smiled sheepishly.

***

"Ugh."

Niel felt a splitting headache.

'How much did I drink yesterday?'

He couldn't remember clearly.

What was certain was that he had drunk all the alcohol in this room.

'Ah, I'm never drinking again.'

Long ago.

Niel, making a vow he had made the first time he drank alcohol, rolled over in bed after many years.

Then, feeling something warm next to him, he instinctively burrowed into its embrace.

The feeling of warm, firm, yet soft skin brushing against him felt good.

"Ugh…"

Matzelle, lying next to Niel, let out a pained groan.

Yet, he pulled Niel closer into his embrace.

Niel easily burrowed into his arms.

"……"

"……"

Just as they were about to fall back asleep, they suddenly felt something strange and their eyes shot open.

The two, who were hugging each other tightly in bed, froze.

Their minds stopped.

After a moment, without anyone prompting, they lowered their heads to look under the covers.

Raising their heads again, both of their faces turned pale without anyone prompting.

Just as horrified screams were about to erupt from their mouths.

*Creeaak-*

"Matzelle, I'm sorry. The two of you… Kyaaaah?!"

Chelsea, who entered the room, let out an involuntary scream and ran out of the room.

Leo, who followed her, was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Looks like I interrupted your good time."

"Leo, Young Master! No! It's not! It's not! This! This! Don't go, please listen to me!"

Niel said desperately, his face pale.

But Leo immediately left the room.

Looking at Chelsea, whose face had turned red, Leo let out a hollow laugh.

"I told them not to cause childish incidents, but they ended up causing adult-like incidents."