124~ How do you explain this?
“Alright, that’s a wrap.” Dillin, on the third floor, selected a room that suited his tastes and took the label from the clutter shop he previously visited. He peeled it off and stuck it firmly to the door, marking his territory with the words “Dillin” scrawled in Common Human tongue.
He glanced back down the still-empty corridor, pondered for a moment, and then stuck another label at the far end of the corridor on another door, inscribing the name “Tillysha” with an ink pen.
It was better to cover all the bases, even if no one but himself would be staying in this mansion.
Living in such a luxurious estate was a first for Dillin, both in this life and the one before, so a bit of excitement bubbled in his chest despite himself.
Each room on the third floor came with its own bathroom and washroom—fitting for a place called Crown Estate. The amenities could only be described as opulent.
Spreading a layer of red petals in the bathtub, Dillin indulged in some high-life decadence, soaking luxuriously until his muscles went limp. Crawling onto the soft velvet bed, it wasn’t long before sleep overtook him.
The next morning, Dillin woke up on the dot of nine, ever-disciplined.
Though the plush bedding was tempting, it didn’t hold him for long. There was something far more interesting drawing his attention—namely, the library on the second floor of Crown Estate, where he’d already had his eye on for quite some time. If he hadn’t been so exhausted and returned so late last night, he would have spent the entire night there.
He quickly threw together a simple breakfast for himself, scrambled an egg, and settled into the tranquil library. He plucked a random book off the shelf.
Dillin loved this silent ambiance, especially in this aromatic library filled with the scent of old paper and ink, so inviting. Best of all, no one would disturb him here………
“ding-dong!”
Right as he thought it, the doorbell rang.
Dillin placed the book down, irritation flickering in his gaze, and rose reluctantly from his cozy spot. Clad in a pair of slippers, he lumbered downstairs and out into the courtyard to open the gate.
“Who could it be?” Morning came too early, and no newspaper delivery had been arranged. The Crown Estate was inhabited only since the night before, so who would barge in so rudely?
“Your Highness, good morning!” The door creaked open, and the same chattering voice greeted him from outside.
“………” Their eyes locked momentarily, the chirpy voice abruptly halted. Whatever pleasant expression initially graced the visitor quickly transformed into an inscrutable mask of formality. Politeness with some distance was exuded as they folded their hands neatly and nodded curtly to Dillin.
“Apologies for disturbing you so early, Mr. Dillin. Is…Miss Tillysha around?” Despite having little interest in Dillin—to the point of disdain—Litte maintained impeccable etiquette, her gaze steady but slightly distracted by his current appearance.
Dillin stood in a white, flannel-like sleepwear, tousled hair uncombed, utterly disheveled—so much so that it verged on disarray. Barefoot except for a pair of slippers, he shuffled out to greet his guest……….
Litte silently averted her gaze.
“Ah, she’s not here.” Dillin responded nonchalantly, playing it completely straight.
“Miss Tillysha isn’t in the estate? Does Mr. Dillin happen to know where she’s gone?”
“Have no idea. Perhaps she went out for a morning jog. She left early, I didn’t pay much attention to where she went.” Dillin shrugged, not entirely untruthful—Tillysha definitely wasn’t in the estate at the moment.
“Ah, I see.”
“Hmm………” Dillin confirmed it with a nod, his sleepy demeanor still lingering.
Does Litte have anything pressing to relay to Tillysha? “If there’s anything, you can let me know, and I’ll pass it on when she returns.” Dillin stifled a yawn, clearly under-slept.
“Kind of you, but unnecessary. While we’re here……” Litte extended a package to Dillin with a polite smile. “This is from the academy. Your champion’s token—a Black Crystal Academy ID card. From now on, you can use it for transactions and shopping within the academy. It also functions as a key to the Crown Estate.”
“Understood, thank you.” Dillin accepted the package, internally musing about how his own business was just an afterthought.
“How long has Miss Tillysha been gone?” Litte prompted.
“Ah, not long—less than half an hour.” Dillin replied absentmindedly, unsure of the implications behind her question.
“Right.”
“Hmm………” Dillin gave a curt nod.
Litte, smiling, hovered at the doorway, while Dillin stood within the estate grounds. A peculiar stillness prevailed—a shared inaction from either side.
What was going on? Why wasn’t the other leaving? (Why not invite her in properly?)
Both were caught in their own headspaces, one unable to close the door due to their hesitance, the other unsure how to broach their reluctance without rudeness.
“If there’s nothing else, Miss Litte, I should return inside……..” Just as Dillin moved to close the gate, Litte took a step forward, their faces nearly touching.
“Mr. Dillin seems rather idle today. Won’t you offer me a cup of tea?” Litte beamed sweetly, her crimson twin tails swaying slightly as she moved closer.
“Ah, no, no thanks. The tea here is rather bitter, not good at all……….” Dillin took a step back, intending to close the gate, but Litte managed to squeeze inside before it closed.
“Mr. Dillin is fibbing—how can the tea from Crown Estate not be exquisite?” Litte gave a strained smile, noting Dillin’s apparent wish to rush her out.
Though it irked her to intrude uninvited, for the “prince’s” safety, she felt compelled to act.
And wasn’t his overt resistance a sign of guilt?
The gallant Litte resolved to uncover the secrets of this wolf in sheep’s clothing!
Even if it meant herding in uninvited and ignoring his polite dismissal, she would enter!
She needed to see what had changed in this house overnight!
“Since I’m already here, it’d be rude for me to leave, no?” Litte said sweetly.
“………” Did I even invite you in? You barged in all by yourself!
Dillin sighed in resignation. “Miss Litte, I’m not actually free today. I have many things to do, so if you don’t have anything important…”
“Like what?” Litte struggled to imagine what Dillin could possibly be busy with during this mini-holiday after the Crown Cup.
“Like, well, our new team is about to start, and as the captain, I’m under a lot of pressure. I need to consider team dynamics, maybe recruit new members. And, as a somewhat inadequate ‘God’s Child,’ I feel it’s irresponsible to relax too carelessly. Thus, I’ve decided to use this precious holiday to enhance myself.”
“Oh, I see—Mr. Dillin certainly knows his own……..” Litte paused with a grin. “Ahem, Mr. Dillin clearly shows great ambition! Excellent! Your potential really knows no bounds, keep it up!” Litte gave a bright smile, resolute in her refusal to be swayed by his protests.
“So………”
“So, Mr. Dillin can busy himself without worry. I’ll just have a cup of tea and leave.”
“………” Fingers twitching in annoyance, Dillin had never seen such persistence.
At this point, it almost seemed he’d have to let her in. Using physical force to toss her out was unthinkable—despite her delicate pink fists, they might flatten Dillin into a pancake.
“Since I brought the crystal card anyway, won’t you at least offer me a cup of tea?”
“………” Dillin sighed and used the crystal card to unlock the door, gesturing for her to enter.
“Ah, how kind of you! I wouldn’t dream of anything less!” Litte’s demeanor shifted in an instant. Giving her thanks, she strutted past Dillin with a smug little hum.
“………” Dillin scratched his head, puzzled. This Wood Elf girl typically seemed rather dim-witted, but how come she was so sharp when dealing with outsiders?
Standing by the entrance, Litte rested her bottom casually on a wooden stand.
“Here, you can use these.” Dillin handed Litte a guest pair of slippers.
“Ahh, thank you Mr. Dillin!” With a playful smile, she slipped out of her long boots, revealing her adorable, small feet wrapped in white stockings.
With a flick of her toes, Litte slid the slippers on, padding into the house as kitchen aromas wafted from the kitchen area.
She furrowed her brow slightly at the lingering scent of breakfast, deducing Dillin must have been cooking quite recently.
Just woke up?
Glancing again at Dillin’s relaxed pajama ensemble, Litte thoughtfully considered.
Humans required eight hours of sleep. Waking up at nine and still looking like he hadn’t slept well suggested he’d stayed up late last night. Why?
The villa was spacious, but lacking in entertainment. What had kept him up so late?
Could it be………..
“Oh dear, I urgently need to use the restroom. Might I trouble you for a moment, Mr. Dillin?” Litte clasped her hands cutely behind her back, attempting to charm her way past scrutiny.
“Litte, the restroom is downstairs. You’re after tea anyway, and that’s also downstairs. Why the rush upstairs?” Dillin frowned suspiciously.
“Oh no, time is of the essence! I didn’t quite catch what you said, my apologies, see you shortly!” Litte covered her hem quickly, racing up the stairs as she called out.
“………” What the…? Why upstairs?
Confused, Dillin decided to follow, trailing her all the way to the third floor.
She wasn’t looking for the restroom at all, but rather……….
Just as she turned the corner, Dillin witnessed that fiery red twin-tail barge directly into his room.
What in the world?
“Litte, what are you doing? You ran into my room to use the restroom?” Dillin opened the door, irritation creeping into his tone.
But Litte wasn’t listening. Inside the room, she seemed to be intently trying to sense something.
“………” A faint trace of the “prince’s” scent—barely noticeable.
Evidently, they had slept in separate rooms last night. Things hadn’t escalated too far yet………..
“Oops, sorry, Mr. Dillin, is this your room?” Litte feigned surprise, lightly tapping her forehead and closing one eye.
“……… Do you even know whose name is on the door outside?”
“Ah, sorry about that! The rooms here really resemble the restrooms—I failed to notice the difference.”
“………” Watching Litte grin so brightly, Dillin couldn’t help but feel disconcerted.
Were elves inherently good at backhanded compliments? It felt like even the usually scatterbrained Litte was now covertly criticizing him.
“Since that’s the case, Miss Litte, please step outside. Men and women shouldn’t mingle unnecessarily—it wouldn’t look right for a girl to linger in a man’s room.” Dillin motioned for Litte to leave, but she didn’t budge.
“Ah?” Litte’s eyes lit up, dashing to the side of his bed before Dillin could react. Confused, Dillin followed her.
“Really, Litte? You’re interested in my bedclothes and room decoration?” As Dillin reached her side, following her gaze revealed something startling—alongside her darkening expression. Driven by a primal survival instinct, Dillin’s instinct to explain himself was stifled by a growing sense of hopeless defense.
“Well, Miss Litte, it’s about lunchtime. If you don’t have anything else, I won’t see you out……….”
“Mr. Dillin~” Litte picked up the stray golden hair ornament from the bed, her voice dripping with malice that sent shivers down his spine.
“I was wondering…….?”
“Could you explain?” Her sugary tone was chilling.
“……… How about we take this discussion to the cafeteria? We could walk and talk?”
“That’s unnecessary. I believe it’d be better to clear it up here.” Litte’s delicate fingers clung to Dillin’s clothes, preventing a hasty retreat.
“Unless……. I suspect Mr. Dillin won’t have time for lunch today……”
Perhaps not even this room.
“Care to explain why Miss Tillysha’s hair decoration is on your bed?”
“………” Even the typically smooth-talking Dillin found himself speechless.
Curses! He’d slipped up! How could he have forgotten this?
How on earth was he supposed to explain this? To outsiders, Tillysha and Dillin were entirely separate people. The appearance of one’s personal item in the other’s bedroom simply couldn’t be rationalized!
“………” Dillin attempted several times to explain, only to be met with Litte standing silently, her smile masking an unsettling certainty—like she had him by the figurative balls.
Her silence suggested the gravity of the situation—his words now would determine nothing less than the quality of his future life at the academy.
“Ah, ah, Miss Tillysha is so absent-minded!” Though it was a losing battle, he had no choice but to speak up. Silence would only make him seem guiltier.
