READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 20
“Clank, clank.”
As the sun slowly rises in the early morning, a peaceful calm fills the kitchen, where the delicious aroma of food spreads gently along with the faint smoke.
One by one, the neatly arranged dishes are taken out, filled with food, and carefully placed on the old dining table. The subtle scent of warm vegetable soup and the rich flavor of roasted meat fill the kitchen.
After wiping my hands with a handkerchief and pouring a glass of cold water, I take a moment to rest from the busy morning.
“Thank you for helping, Priscilla.”
“As someone staying here, it’s only natural to help out.”
Though Priscilla wasn’t much help during the picnic, by the next morning, she had seamlessly become my right hand, assisting with meal preparations without even being asked. She moved around the kitchen as if she had always been there, washing dishes, preparing ingredients, and setting the table. It was hard to believe she was just a bystander the day before.
“Should we call the kids now?”
“…Ah, yes. We should.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words, caught in an awkward silence. Though the morning scene was no different from usual, the view outside the small kitchen window felt strangely unsettling.
“What’s wrong?”
“……”
Noticing something was off, Priscilla tilted her head slightly and cautiously asked. After hesitating for a moment, I let out a deep, troubled sigh and slowly moved my heavy lips.
“Priscilla… what do you think of Bell Ross?”
“Huh?”
“No particular reason. Just asking. Feel free to answer honestly.”
The reason I had been slumped over since morning was none other than the fact that the empty suit of armor, Can, was still at the church despite the sun being up. According to my plan, Can should have disappeared by now, but an unexpected variable had thrown a wrench into things.
That variable was Aizen, who had briefly stepped out of his room to take care of some business.
“He’s a very kind person. And diligent too—he’s outside playing with the kids right now.”
I had spent almost half the night in the eerie hallway of the nun’s building, carefully planning how to naturally drive Can out of the church. But with Aizen’s sudden appearance at an unexpected time, the situation quickly spiraled in a direction I didn’t want.
“Especially since Aizen calls Bell Ross ‘Master’ and follows him around like a puppy. Doesn’t that say it all?”
Ever since I gifted Aizen a sword, he had become much more interested in swordsmanship. Now, he was not only fascinated by Can’s imposing figure but also calling him “Master” and trailing after him.
“…I really don’t know. Is this the right thing?”
“Why?”
“After all, Bell Ross is an outsider.”
When Aizen accidentally ran into Can in the hallway at dawn, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked Can to teach him swordsmanship once the sun was up. Though it was an ordinary request, that one sentence left me in an awkward situation.
If Can hadn’t agreed at the time, I could have made up some excuse to drive him away. But he nodded without hesitation, leaving me stuck.
“Well, that’s true… but he hasn’t done anything suspicious, so isn’t it fine?”
“Still, it bothers me. I wish he would leave soon.”
“The kids like him, though…”
It might seem strange that I’m so visibly uncomfortable, but unlike the kids or Priscilla, I have complicated reasons for feeling this way. Putting aside the fact that Can is a demon, the fact that the mid-level demon he’s looking for is one I had already dealt with, and realizing that his mission is to eliminate me, makes me feel like I’m sitting on pins and needles no matter where I am.
“…Let’s eat first.”
As the kids who had been playing outside gathered around the dining table, the usual lively atmosphere began to spread. The sound of their laughter and chatter made the breakfast spread on the table feel even more abundant.
However, in the midst of this bright atmosphere, I was the only one with a sullen expression, exuding an awkward energy.
“It would be nice if the uncle joined us.”
“He said he’s not hungry.”
“The uncle is fun.”
Every conversation from the kids revolved around Can. It wasn’t that I felt jealous or competitive, but seeing how close the kids had gotten to Can in just one day made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
If I weren’t a vampire, I could have been outside playing with the kids too—.
“Iris, don’t just eat the meat. Have some vegetables too.”
Iris, who had been all smiles just moments ago, immediately turned gloomy at my words.
“…It’s gross.”
“You still need to eat it. Eating only meat isn’t good for your health.”
“And the meat pieces are smaller than usual… there’s more vegetables…”
“You’ve been eating too much meat lately, so I added more healthy vegetables this time.”
The day before the picnic, I suddenly remembered that among the items I had bought from a merchant was a plant encyclopedia. That night, I went into the forest and spent hours gathering edible plants. The area near the church had already been stripped bare by monsters and animals, so I had to go quite far to find the plants listed in the encyclopedia.
“It’s tastier than you think. Give it a try.”
Since it was the first time preparing this meal, I carefully selected plants that the kids would find less off-putting and put a lot of effort into the dish. I hoped they would eat it all.
“I only like meat.”
“No, Iris. Eating only meat will make you gain weight quickly.”
“But I only like meat.”
“…Then, try the vegetable soup next to it.”
“It tastes weird.”
“Huh?”
“It’s gross.”
Today, Iris’s complaints were unusually intense. Or perhaps, because I had been feeding her too much meat, her aversion to vegetables was much stronger than I had anticipated.
“C’mon, just try one bite… I worked hard to gather these vegetables…”
“Ugh… Sister, you’re acting weird today… forcing me to eat things I don’t like…”
“Huh? F, forcing you…? I’m just thinking about your health…”
“I’m healthy enough. I can eat only meat. There’s no problem.”
“You might be fine now, but in the future…”
“I hate Sister forcing me to eat things I don’t like. I hate you─.”
With those words, Iris abruptly stood up from her seat. Without a moment’s hesitation, she ran straight out of the dining room toward somewhere.
“……”
In an instant, the dining room fell silent. The earlier liveliness was gone, replaced by an increasingly uncomfortable silence.
“L, Levi… are you okay…?”
Aizen cautiously spoke up, seeing me frozen like a statue with wide eyes. But I didn’t have the mental capacity to respond to his question right now.
“Sister, look at me. I finished everything.”
Ellie’s cheerful voice followed. Finally, I managed to regain some composure and forced a smile.
“G, good job…”
“Hehe, Sister praised me─.”
The shock still lingered. Though Ellie’s cheerfulness helped ease it a bit, my body remained cold and stiff.
Iris, who was usually warm-hearted despite her tough exterior, had reacted so sharply that it made me feel like I was about to burst into tears.
“K, kids throw tantrums sometimes… right…? She didn’t mean it when she said she hates you…!”
Priscilla, who had been quietly observing the situation, also offered a word of comfort. I had hoped her kind words would thaw my frozen heart, but instead, they only stirred up my emotions even more.
“F, finish… finish your meals…”
With my focus completely lost, I struggled to move my body like a lifeless corpse. Slowly, I placed the spoon I was holding on the table and stood up from my seat, dazed.
After the slightly chaotic breakfast, the church regained its peaceful atmosphere as time flowed calmly. But I was still trapped in my thoughts, unable to find a proper answer. Iris’s sharp reaction and the lingering unease in my heart.
It might seem like I was overreacting to a single tantrum, but for someone experiencing this for the first time, it felt like the most serious thing in the world. I wished I could erase the memory entirely.
“When I do it like the uncle said, it feels like I’m really swinging it properly…!”
“This is way more helpful than the training I got at the academy!”
“Hahaha, that’s it! That’s how you swing it! You’re getting better!”
Standing idly on the steps at the church entrance, I watched the scene in the garden. Aizen and Priscilla were training under Can, while Ellie and Iris sat on the ground, leisurely watching. It was a picturesque scene, everything perfectly harmonious.
“……”
What is this inexplicable sense of alienation? This is undoubtedly where I should be, yet it feels like Can has taken my place.
He’s clearly the number one person to be wary of, a completely useless being who shouldn’t even be here. But only I know that fact, and it feels incredibly frustrating and unsettling. If only he had a more demon-like personality, I could have sent him to the afterlife without any guilt.
“……”
– Swish
I tentatively extended a foot beyond the shadowy boundary. Instantly, a searing pain shot through my toes, spreading throughout my body and making me dizzy.
“…It hurts…”
Thanks to rapid regeneration, there were no visible wounds, but the pain was undeniable, making me hesitate to step out of the shadows.
“Uncle, do you know how to use magic?”
“Huh? No, not at all.”
“…That’s a shame. I wanted to learn from you too.”
From a distance, I faintly heard Iris’s words. Though I couldn’t make out the details, it seemed to be about magic.
“…I know how to use it.”
Honestly, the magic I use is vastly different from the ordinary magic of this world, and the casting methods are quite different too. But I think Levina, being an intelligent character, should be capable of any magic.
With all the recent events, I hadn’t had the chance to properly teach Iris about magic. Maybe this was a good opportunity to make up and teach her properly.
“Iri…”
Just as I mustered the courage to call out Iris’s name, Can interrupted again.
“These days, even mages learn basic defensive techniques. So, just give it a try and learn.”
“Defensive techniques?”
“Yeah. When fighting monsters, there are times when you have to protect yourself alone.”
“But I’m not good at physical stuff.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I won’t push you too hard from the start.”
Can had intervened again. Though I knew it wasn’t intentional, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger, my expression twisting.
“……”
Before I knew it, even Iris, who had been just watching, joined the training, chatting away. It was the time of day when the kids were most active, and the atmosphere was filled with pure joy, without any sense of competition or pressure.
“…Tch.”
A foul energy seeped out from my furrowed brow.
Can hadn’t done anything wrong. He was just getting along well with the kids, playing with them, and even training them. It was something I should be grateful for, especially since I couldn’t go outside during the day. If the kids were happy, that should be enough.
But—.
– Creak…
“…Excuse me for a moment.”
Why am I so annoyed?