Chapter 12

# Chapter 12. <Found>

Tap tap. Despite the rough petting, the kittens stiffened and stared at Kale. Kale recalled the moment he first met Chihan, under the castle walls. At that time, the silver cat was injured and growling, and the red cat was whimpering beside it.

‘If the silver cat is the sister with gray hair, then the red cat must be her younger brother.’

A bright smile formed on the corners of Kale’s mouth. He looked at the cats and said,

“Let’s talk later.”

The siblings, presumed to be of the Miao race, avoided his gaze, and Hans asked with a frown,

“…Are you talking about them?”

“Not you.”

Hans frowned even more as he looked at Kale and the two cats, then gently gathered the cats in his arms. It was a gesture to avoid dangerous humans. However, he soon had to approach Kale again.

“Are you going out again?”

“Yeah.”

Kale was changing into his coat and preparing to go out again.

“Where to?”

“I have to keep a promise. And there are people I need to meet.”

“…So you’re going to keep your promise, my lord?”

Hans’s expression seemed shocked again, and Kale asked in return,

“Are you getting more talkative?”

“I apologize.”

The butler’s apology was very quick.

Is he really the most capable among the butler candidates? From how he handled Chihan’s matter, he seems somewhat capable. But as Hans smiled broadly while petting the cats, Kale found him not very trustworthy.

‘I’ll bring this guy to the capital too.’

Hans, who was thinking about something he wouldn’t even dream of, or something that would make him sad if he knew in his dreams, asked Kale about someone he hadn’t seen.

“Ron?”

A pleased smile appeared on Hans’s face.

“Chihan said the road to the capital is the same for a while, so he will accompany you as one of your guards until then.”

Hans recalled Chihan’s victory over the viscount’s knight in today’s sparring. Chihan’s skills were better than expected, which is why he could become a guard at Kale’s request.

Of course, neither Hans nor the knights knew that Chihan had hidden his true abilities.

“Ron went with Chihan to buy clothes and travel supplies. Oh, and the chef Vikros went with them…”

“Good. That’s fortunate.”

It seemed they were getting along well. A rare bright smile appeared on Kale’s face, matching his fiery red hair. Hans looked at him admiringly and said,

“Ron, Chihan, and Vikros all seem excited to serve you, my lord.”

But at that moment, he saw Kale’s face turn sour. Why did his expression suddenly sour? Hans also frowned.

With sour faces, the two of them stepped out of the main hall’s front door. As they got into the carriage, Kale casually asked Hans, who was seeing them off,

“Oh, by the way, Hans. Don’t butlers usually learn basic self-defense techniques?”

“Yes, they do.”

“Weren’t you the strongest butler candidate?”

Hans’s lips twitched. The viscount, Dert, valued Hans for his ability to do tasks well and for being the most human-like.

“Yes, I know martial arts, dagger skills, and spear techniques. These are the basic three.”

These skills were necessary for capable butlers in case the family needed to flee due to danger.

“Impressive?”

“I’m just…”

Hans shrugged and twitched his lips, missing the strange smile on Kale’s face. Instead, the cats shook their heads at the sight of Hans and Kale’s sinister smiles.

“Let’s go.”

Kale decided to bring Hans to the capital to handle all the annoying chores for him and closed the carriage door. The carriage he was in now moved through the increasing rain, heading towards its destination.

[The Fragrance of Tea with Shi.]

Kale glanced at the sign and opened the door. Ding. A cheerful bell welcomed him into the quiet interior.

“People are scarce because of the rain, I see?”

“Yes, my lord.”

Vilos, the illegitimate son of the Phlin merchant house, greeted Kale as if they were old acquaintances. Kale stood in front of the counter, facing Vilos.

“Since I’m coming back, I have to keep my promise.”

“Of course, you must. The book and tea you were looking at last time, shall I prepare them?”

“Yeah. Three cups of tea.”

“What kind of tea would you like?”

Kale ordered three types of tea and set a time for them to be brought, then immediately turned his back to Vilos and headed to the third floor.

Pitter-patter. The rain intensified. Tsk. Kale clicked his tongue and sat in the same window seat he had last time, taking in the view outside the window.

“The rain is heavy, isn’t it?”

Vilos sat across from him and offered a cup of tea. Kale observed him closely.

‘Chihan, Vikros, Ron. And finally, Vilos.’

These were the names of the characters who appeared consistently in the future described in the first volume. Of course, Vilos only appeared briefly in the first volume as the owner of the teahouse Chihan visited. It wasn’t until the third volume that he revealed his true ambitions and pledged loyalty to Chihan.

‘Revealed’—that word was important.

‘He’s always been a greedy one.’

Unlike Hong Gil-dong, Vilos didn’t mourn the fact that he couldn’t call his father ‘father’ or his brother ‘brother.’ Instead, he fought to claim his place.

He wanted to be acknowledged eventually. To be introduced as a son, to be called a brother.

‘A tiring guy.’

To Kale, he was a tiring person. But he wasn’t annoying. In fact, his greedy nature made him seem more human.

It was more repulsive to have the ability to achieve something but to retreat into seclusion and live like a hermit, saying, “I’ll give it all up. What can I do?” Why give up what you can enjoy? Enjoy everything.

In any case, he had to make this guy meet Chihan at least once within the timeframe of the first volume. And it had to be a brief encounter.

Lost in thought, Kale heard Vilos’s voice.

“My lord, I heard you’re going to the capital.”

“Are you just going to sit here? Not going?”

Kale’s expression clearly showed his annoyance, and Vilos couldn’t hide his smile. What a truly, truly amusing lord. But from Vilos’s perspective, Kale was a person with a solid foundation of thought.

“I’m also going to the capital. I’ll follow you, my lord.”

“So?”

Kale already knew this. For Vilos and Chihan to be entangled in the third volume, Vilos had to go to the capital soon.

With a blank face, Vilos looked out the window and asked Kale, who was drinking tea, as if throwing a question.

“My lord, you seem different.”

When Kale turned to look, a smile reappeared on Vilos’s face. Kale gestured for him to continue.

“You don’t seem like the troublemaker you’re known as.”

“What? A troublemaker?”

Vilos could see Kale’s lips curling up. Indeed, he was different. The troublemaker he knew wouldn’t have such an expression. It was a somewhat bitter smile.

‘…Maybe I should have had a drink and broken a chair or something.’

Vilos didn’t know what Kale was thinking.

“Yes, that’s right. A troublemaker. My lord, you were originally a troublemaker, weren’t you?”

Has he lost his fear? Kale pondered, looking at Vilos, who spoke so boldly to the viscount’s son, the young lord of the manor. Was this guy drunk?

But Kale didn’t want to fight with Vilos, who was about to take over the large merchant house. And Vilos was serious, asking without a hint of a smile.

My lord, you were originally a troublemaker, weren’t you?

Kale answered the question. It wasn’t a difficult one. Easier than thinking about how to get money when you don’t have any.

“Vilos.”

Kale, with a smile, asked Vilos, who wasn’t smiling.

“You can’t call your father ‘father’ and your brother ‘brother.’”

Vilos’s eyes sank deeply. He stared at the lord in front of him, who was so openly touching on his sore spots, just as he had done to Kale. For a moment, they locked eyes.

Pitter-patter. The rain grew even more intense. Breaking through the rain, Kale asked with a smile,

“Are you going to stay an illegitimate son forever? Are you satisfied with that position?”

Vilos felt Kale’s gaze become sharp.

“No, I’m not.”

Kale leaned back in his chair, recalling the past as if lost in thought.

“I’ve been a troublemaker for about ten years. Since I was eight.”

Wow, so this guy has been a troublemaker since he was eight. Drinking since fifteen. What a guy. Kale smiled, recalling his past from the printed pages.

That smile seemed resigned to Vilos.

At that moment, a small sound broke through the rain and reached Kale and Vilos’s ears.

Creak. Creak. The sound of someone climbing the stairs.

Kale looked over Vilos’s shoulder at the third-floor entrance. He saw a head of black hair—Chihan. Ron was also visible behind him. This morning, Kale had summoned Chihan to this teahouse through a servant.

Kale took his eyes off the two and turned back to Vilos to conclude their conversation. Chihan and Ron, who had just climbed the stairs, looked at Kale.

“Vilos.”

Vilos’s face, which wasn’t smiling, was quite cold.

“After doing one thing for ten years, it’s time to change.”

In contrast, Kale’s eyes seemed to come alive, full of vitality.

“You can’t keep living as a troublemaker, can you?”

Of course, even if Kale wasn’t a troublemaker, he would still spend all the money, enjoy comfort, and live a peaceful life as a wealthy young lord. Though their life directions were different, both he and Vilos wouldn’t live like this anymore.

“Aren’t you the same?”

Vilos’s lips slowly curled up, and he soon bowed his head, shoulders shaking as he laughed silently. After a moment, he looked up at Kale.

“I’m tired of it.”

Saying he was tired, Vilos was still smiling.

“See? I told you.”

Kale shrugged and beckoned the two men standing at the third-floor entrance with a finger. At that moment, Vilos stood up and spoke.

“My lord.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see you in the capital.”

Kale’s brows furrowed. It would be inconvenient to meet immediately in the capital.

“What do you mean by ‘see’?”

Kale waved his hand as if urging Vilos to leave, and Vilos bowed politely and left. As Vilos descended the stairs, he and Chihan, Ron exchanged glances but ignored each other.

‘Good enough.’

Kale welcomed this situation. Chihan and Vilos had a brief encounter, just as in the book. Satisfied, Kale smiled at the two men sitting opposite him.

“I knew Ron would follow. Hans said Vikros went with them, but Vikros went straight to the kitchen, didn’t he? He’s a responsible guy.”

“Master, are you close to that man?”

Caught off guard by Ron’s question, Kale shrugged.

“No?”

“…I see.”

Kale brushed it off, but Ron clearly heard the words, “You can’t keep living as a troublemaker.”

Kale’s vague response made him frown, and their eyes met.

“Rumors can’t be trusted.”

What is this guy saying? Kale ignored Chihan’s comment. At that moment, Vilos returned with the two cups of tea Kale had ordered.

“Shall I give these to them?”

“Yeah.”

Kale’s lips curled up.

“I ordered them in advance.”

Kale picked up the teacups and placed one in front of each of them. For Chihan, he chose a tea he had seen on the menu. For Ron,

“I ordered this specially because I thought you liked it, since you bring it every day.”

He handed him a warm lemon tea. Seeing Ron’s lips twitch subtly, Kale felt the most satisfying moment of the day.