Chapter 2 Part 6: A Delusion for the Sake of Delusion

The pure white child was grinning foolishly while hugging a pillow as big as his own torso.

He leaped onto the absurdly wide bed with no hesitation.

It was large enough for a single child to roll around freely without any problem, yet he insisted on sticking close to me.

I roughly peeled him off and laid him down at a proper distance.

“Hehe.”

Whether he didn’t realize he’d been rejected or thought I was playing with him, the kid just grinned.

So, how did things end up like this?

‘Where do you usually sleep?’

I’d asked the question with the intention of being kind for once, thinking I’d check on his sleeping arrangements after filling his empty stomach.

El answered with a clear face.

‘The stairs!’

‘……Stairs?

What stairs.’

‘The ones going up to the top floor, of course?’

I should have known not to expect common sense from wizards.

Since it wasn’t my business, I’d overlooked it—not every adult takes care of a child.

No wonder he came running the moment I opened my eyes.

I’d assumed he just slept early and woke early like a child, but I’d been completely wrong.

At my dumbfounded silence, El rolled his eyes nervously and said.

‘It’s fine!

Before I met Rudan, I slept just fine on the streets.

Compared to that, the Tower isn’t cold, and there’s no dust blowing…….’

If he said so himself.

Normally, I would have taken it at face value and told him to manage on his own, but I’d just pulled the kid out of a dusty prison.

Feeling unnecessarily bothered, I’d ended up bringing him to the bedroom that had become half mine.

“Behave yourself.”

“Yes!”

And I was already starting to regret it.

For whatever reason—personality, I guess—I had sensitive hearing.

I hated noisy places, and in bed, even the faintest sound beside me made it hard to fall asleep.

That’s why I never slept with anyone beside me, whether it was a one-night stand or something slightly more binding.

Well…… at least this kid wasn’t the type to be irritating.

Just look at him now—when I told him to behave, he didn’t chatter and just lay there quietly, staring at me.

“Rudan.”

My internal praise didn’t even last ten seconds.

“What?”

“Can I ask you one question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Hmm…….”

Even though I’d given permission, the kid hesitated, pursing his lips.

It seemed less about hesitating to ask and more about figuring out the best way to phrase it.

“Rudan, you already ran away once, got caught, and had terrible things done to you.”

“……What?”

“I heard about it!

That scary-looking paladin beat you…….”

Where the hell was he hearing these rumors?

For a moment, I felt a pang of self-reproach, thinking the child had learned something he shouldn’t have, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“And you were bedridden for days!”

Well, I was bedridden, that was true.

“Yeah, so what?”

El dropped the corners of his mouth and continued with a gloomy face.

“If you run away again and get caught this time, you might get even worse treatment.

So why are you so determined to escape?”

“Hmm.”

So even a kid could tell, huh.

Well, El had been watching Killian and me interact more closely and frequently than any outsider lately.

It would be easy to figure out that the Tower Lord, whose mental state was clearly not normal, had no intention of letting me go nicely.

“Do you want me to stay here forever?”

“No.

It’s not that, but…….”

“Of course not.

You ended up in prison, after all.”

There was nothing more cringeworthy than having a serious conversation with a child.

Heavy, drawn-out talk would just be incomprehensible and boring for them.

But since the kid had asked first this time, maybe I’d make an exception.

“Because my personality is fucked up.”

“……Pardon?”

A dumbfounded “Huh?”-like sound.

El stared at me with wide eyes.

“If staying still means slowly rolling downhill, it’s better to try something.”

The boy blinked rapidly.

Still not understanding, it seemed.

“What I’m saying is—”

Kids were kids after all.

“If you’re going to be boiled and eaten anyway, it’s better to bite the hand that’s cooking you—at least you’ll leave a scar.

Even if you end up boiled either way.”

The cruel metaphor seemed to hit its mark; the boy let out a small gasp.

“Even better if the wound festers and they drop dead.”

Speaking in a deliberately villainous tone, I saw him smile softly.

Such a promising child, indeed.

“That’s enough now.

Go to sleep.”

“Yes!”

When I said that as I turned off the light, the boy answered brightly.

Unlike most kids, El didn’t toss and turn, lying still and staring at the ceiling.

His breathing was slow, so it wasn’t bothersome, and he was so small I could barely sense his presence.

If I could just stop being aware of him, I might be able to fall asleep.

“If Rudan has made up his mind, maybe you should try going to the academy.

It’s protected by a peace treaty, so you can see quite a few Nieta wizards there, and among them, there might be someone who can help you…….”

“I said sleep.”

“Yes!”

He’d tried to speak again, as if a good idea had suddenly struck him, but when I cut him off, he obediently complied.

The academy, huh.

I wasn’t expecting anyone’s help, but for gathering information, it might be worth visiting at least once.

I’d keep it in mind as a plan.

As I organized my thoughts in the quiet, sleep came over me surprisingly quickly, unlike what I’d feared.

Was it fatigue?

I couldn’t tell the reason, but it was a deep sleep that made me forget even the lingering pain.

***

Clink.

The sound of iron chains clashing snapped me awake.

“Awake?”

Killian was sitting on a chair near the bed, wiping some purpose-unknown chains with a cloth.

The scene felt strangely familiar.

“I step away for a moment and you let an outsider into my bed.

Should I re-educate you?”

“……Excuse me?”

Killian jerked his chin toward the spot beside me.

My gaze naturally shifted from him to that direction.

A small child was blinking drowsily, stirring from sleep.

And he called this an outsider?

Killian was dressed more extravagantly than usual.

I’d expected him to have left for something important, but the sunlight reflecting off his gold-embroidered robe and dangling jewels was blinding.

“Or should I call you a kitten?”

He let out a snicker and muttered in a mocking tone.

At that moment, the golden eyes of the child beside me flashed wide open, as if he’d never been asleep.

……That looked like a glare.

Well, it was only natural to feel unpleasant toward someone who’d locked you up.

Or maybe he didn’t like being treated like a little animal—there were plenty of reasons to be offended, so it wasn’t surprising.

“The sun’s high in the sky.

Did you just return now?”

“Changing the subject.

Such an obvious move.”

No, that wasn’t a move—I was genuinely asking.

It was absurdly unfair, but I didn’t bother correcting him.

It would only make me look more pathetic.

Better to brazenly push forward with the supposed “changing the subject.”

“Where did you go to dress like a peacock?

If I were a crow, I’d have torn that robe to shreds by now.”

“A crow that eats magic stones.

Suspicious—better to shoot it on sight.”

His jokes were certainly brutal.

“The child said he was cold, so I let him sleep beside me.

It’s not like you use this bedroom anyway.

What exactly are you so upset about?”

“Whose space is this?”

“……Yours.”

“I don’t like uninvited people in my space, Rudan.

Since you seem unfamiliar with that, use this as a chance to learn.”

Still the same commanding tone.

“You should say that after providing at least one bedroom for the child.”

“Why would I?

He’s not even affiliated with the Tower.

He should be grateful I haven’t kicked him out.”

There was no reasoning with him.

El, perhaps frightened by the grim conversation, clung to my sleeve and burrowed closer.

The Tower Lord narrowed his eyes and watched.

“I’d love to discipline you right now, but unfortunately, I’ll have to hold back today.”

That bastard…… actually knows how to hold back?

As I stared with questioning eyes, Killian frowned.

“I have to go cater to a child, after all.”

It was an odd thing to hear coming from his mouth.

He didn’t seem to like children much, and he was even less the type to cater to anyone.

What had happened?

“For the record, you’re coming too.”

“Where?”

“A ball.”

At the extremely out-of-place word, my brain momentarily froze.

El lifted his face from where it was buried and looked up at me.

“I want to go too!”

A beat late, I spoke.

“He’s coming too.”

“Do as you please.”

Killian waved his hand dismissively and stood up.

“I only prepared clothes for one, though.”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Special Supernatural Investigation Team

Modern FantasySupernaturalUrban Fantasy

Read Now →
Not interested