“It’s coming! H-Here! It’s coming this way!”
Latian, trembling with fear, clung tightly to Claude’s back, practically screaming at the top of his lungs.
This wasn’t an act—he was genuinely scared out of his wits.
The so-called monster was a tiny black dustball, no bigger than a palm, with a single eye in the center.
It was hardly threatening to anyone… but as a modern man who had watched way too many movies, Latian couldn’t shake the fear that this thing might suddenly bare its hidden fangs.
“Advisor, how can you be scared of something this small?”
“It’s still a monster, no matter how small!”
Who knew what was lurking behind that innocent-looking fluff?!
“It’s harmless to humans,” the twin sister, Sien, said as she casually picked up the dustball monster.
It wriggled frantically in her grasp, but she simply tossed it far into the distance, sending it bouncing away.
“The sun will be setting soon,” Claude remarked.
“Shall we start looking for a place to camp?”
“Find an open area if possible.”
“Got it.”
At Claude’s command, the twin brother, Haen, kicked off the ground and leaped high into the sky.
With their ability to control wind, the twins were free from the usual physical constraints, often acting as Claude’s “eyes.”
As Claude and the twins conversed, Latian let out a sigh of relief and turned his head away.
Just then, something caught his eye—a small, snow-white rabbit peeking out from the bushes.
‘Huh?’
Its glossy black eyes stared right at him.
Its tiny nose twitched, whiskers fluttering slightly—it was impossibly cute.
‘A rabbit, in a place like this?’
Though puzzled, Latian was already captivated by its adorable appearance.
His expression softened without him even realizing it.
“How cute. Is it safe for you to be wandering around here?”
His brows furrowed in concern.
This little thing was undoubtedly at the bottom of the food chain in this monster-infested forest.
Feeling sorry for it, he crouched down and reached out his hand.
The rabbit sniffed at him, slowly inching closer.
Just as their fingertips were about to touch—
“NO!”
Sien’s sharp cry rang out, startling Latian.
Was she yelling at him?
Or was she fighting something else?
He wasn’t sure.
But her gaze was fixed right on him.
Confused and flustered, Latian was about to ask what he had done wrong when he noticed a shadow looming over him.
“?”
Slowly, he turned his head—and what he saw was beyond belief.
The once small and adorable white rabbit had swelled to the size of a bear, its body now covered in thick, bulging muscles.
Sharp fangs gleamed in its monstrous maw.
“AAAAHHH!”
Everything happened in an instant.
Latian, in sheer panic, fell backward onto his butt, while the rabbit—now a towering beast—raised its deadly claws.
Sien lunged forward just in time, sword drawn, blocking the attack.
The sharp clang of metal rang in his ears.
Snapping back to reality, Latian scrambled to his feet and bolted straight behind Claude, pressing himself firmly against his back.
Sien, after swiftly cutting down the monster, exhaled deeply before turning to him.
“That was a Rabbist. They’re extremely dangerous monsters. Be careful.”
“A… Rabbist?”
“That thing,” she explained. “It disguises itself as a harmless rabbit to lure in prey. It’s actually a top-tier predator.”
That small, adorable rabbit…
‘So that’s the real monster behind the innocent face!’
He swore to himself—he would never, ever be fooled again.
Just then, a hand grabbed his collar.
Blinking in surprise, he barely had time to react before the hand yanked him forward, forcing him to look straight into Claude’s piercing eyes.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Ugh—!”
“I don’t recall ever giving you permission to hide behind my back.”
“Well, um, I just… It looked like the safest place… so I hid!”
“So you’re saying… you used me as a shield?”
“No, no! That’s not what I meant—!”
“……”
“Uh, then… can I hide in your arms instead?”
“……”
Latian grinned cheekily. Claude’s brow twitched in irritation. Without hesitation, he shoved Latian aside.
He would have been sent tumbling across the ground if Sien hadn’t caught him just in time.
“Oh dear, trying to snuggle up to the Lord’s chest? You’ve got some guts.”
“I—I was just thinking… if I could, I’d cling to him like a cicada on an old tree.”
“Hmm, well, his chest is pretty firm. I’d want to cling too.”
…That’s not what he meant. He just figured being next to Claude was the safest place!
‘Wait, does Sien actually have a thing for Claude?’
The thought popped into his head.
This world was originally a pure fantasy setting, with no romance elements whatsoever.
There wasn’t even a designated “heroine.”
But this wasn’t just the world of a novel anymore—it was Latian’s reality now.
These weren’t just ink-stained characters on a page; they were living, breathing people with thoughts and emotions of their own.
So… it wouldn’t be strange if they had feelings that weren’t originally written in the story.
“Lord!”
Just then, Haen, who had gone scouting, landed gracefully before them.
It seemed he had found a suitable resting place.
Following his lead, they arrived at a wide clearing, centered around a massive tree.
The sheer size of it had prevented smaller trees from growing around it, creating an open space.
“This will do,” Claude said. “Well done, Haen.”
“No need to thank me.”
“Sien, handle the preparations.”
“On it.”
Sien opened the spatial pouch given to her by Wibner and began pulling out cooking supplies and sleeping bags.
Meanwhile, Claude had disappeared on his own, likely off to scout the area.
And of course, Latian wasn’t going to follow him.
Yes, being within Claude’s vicinity was the safest option, but that didn’t mean he had any intention of tagging along into dangerous territory.
Noticing this, Sien smirked mischievously.
“Aren’t you going to follow him, Advisor?”
Haen snickered. “Yeah, your ‘big bro’ is leaving without you.”
Forcing a smile, Latian muttered,
“You two sure love to joke. Why would I follow him when it’s safe right here?”
“Oh? I thought you were following him because you had a thing for him.”
“Right?”
“I mean, I’ve never seen anyone suck up to the Lord as much as you do.”
‘LIKE HELL I HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM!’
He was only doing this to stay alive!
His expression must have given away his inner turmoil because the twins immediately burst into laughter, playfully poking at him.
“Look at his face. Do you actually hate him?”
“Or are you just pretending to kiss up to him? Suspicious~.”
Annoying. Absolutely annoying.
For a split second, Latian was tempted to spill everything just to shut them up.
But if he were to explain himself by saying, “Honestly, I only sucked up to them because I didn’t want to die. I wanted to leave, but since they suspected me of being a spy, I had no choice but to stay and earn their trust,” would that really make them take his side?
Highly doubtful.
If anything, they might suspect him even more, since his actions weren’t entirely sincere.
There was no system in place to ensure justice for his grievances, and there was no one who would believe him just because he made an emotional plea.
Latian processed his thoughts rationally before pressing his lips together in feigned embarrassment and glancing to the side.
His violet eyes, tinged with a translucent glow like dew-laden petals on a summer dawn, half-lidded as he lowered his gaze.
“…Because it’s embarrassing. That’s why.”
He muttered bluntly.
Then, as if having made up his mind, his eyes flashed open, and he suddenly shouted,
“I love you so much, Brother! I fell for you at first sight! I mean, let’s be honest, you’re ridiculously handsome! Even when you act cold, I still love you!”
The twins’ expressions shifted in an almost imperceptible way.
At first, Latian thought they were simply surprised by his bold confession, but then he noticed their gazes weren’t entirely fixed on him.
Instead, they were looking past him—at something behind him.
“!”
Somehow, at some point, Claude had returned.
He stood there, hoisting what seemed to be a monster carcass over his shoulder.
His face remained as impassive as ever, as though ice would drip from his expression.
But there was no mistaking the fact—he had heard everything.
Realizing that he had just been caught confessing his supposedly hidden feelings, Latian groaned internally.
‘What if he finds it unpleasant?’
Oblivious to Latian’s inner turmoil, the twins grinned and chattered on.
“Oh? Lord Claude, you’re back already?”
“Aww, just when things were starting to get fun.”
“…Haa.”
Claude let out a sigh.
‘I should be the one sighing,’ Latian thought.
‘Why is he sighing?’
Without a word, Claude tossed the monster’s carcass at the twins, instructing them to clean and prepare it.
Then, he turned his gaze to Latian.
That cold, piercing stare sent a chill down Latian’s spine.
He paled and tried to gauge the situation.
Fortunately, Claude didn’t say a word.
He merely brushed past him as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
‘He’s just treating it like nonsense and moving on, huh?’
Latian exhaled in relief.
It never even crossed his mind that Claude—despite his cold and indifferent demeanor—might have actually taken his words to heart.
Nor did he imagine that Claude might be drawing his own conclusions:
‘So that whole ‘Brother, Brother’ act… It wasn’t just to clear suspicion—it was because he actually had feelings for me.’
Comment