Chapter 13
“How long have you even known me?”
“I said it was my first impression. If you tell me I’m wrong, I suppose my opinion will gradually change.”
“Does it really need to? You’re a distinguished young nobleman, and I’m a mercenary. Think whatever you like.”
Drawing a firm line between them, Eris started walking again. With his long legs, Ciel caught up to her almost immediately.
“Since you don’t seem to realize this, Miss Eris….”
Ciel tilted his head slightly and looked at her. Even from the corner of her eye, Eris could feel his unwavering stare, and the attention became so uncomfortable that she lowered her gaze to the ground.
“I happen to enjoy taming cats.”
“I told you, I’m not a cat! And I have no desire to be tamed by anyone.”
The fact that they were even bickering over something this ridiculous was absurd. Ciel seemed to deliberately choose the exact words most likely to get under her skin. Unless he intended to muddle her judgment so badly that she failed at her job, it would be in his best interest to stop talking to her altogether.
The square was crowded with tourists and locals alike, and days like this tended to bring an increase in petty crime.
Pickpocketing, for instance.
Even while appearing to focus on her conversation with Ciel, Eris had been keeping a careful watch on their surroundings. It wasn’t only pickpockets she was wary of; she needed to stay alert for any unexpected incident that might put Ciel in danger.
“Do you dislike me paying attention to you that much?”
Just then, Ciel caught her by the wrist. Forced to stop with him, Eris tilted her head and made no effort to hide her displeasure.
“You see me as a toy rather than your escort, don’t you?”
“A toy? What kind of person do you take me for? You’ve misunderstood—”
“If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t be making jokes like this with some insignificant commoner like me.”
“Miss Eris, why would—”
“Since you keep deliberately getting on my nerves, I’ll be honest. I’m allergic to nobles.”
A smile briefly bloomed across Ciel’s face, only to vanish like smoke a moment later. Apparently, he was at least capable of reading the mood.
“An allergy?”
“Yes.”
“There must have been quite a few nobles who tried to pursue you.”
“…You should abandon the belief that money can solve everything.”
Eris shook her arm, trying to pull free of his hand, but Ciel only tightened his grip and drew her closer.
“I thought so.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“That sounds more interesting than I expected. Why don’t you tell me about them one by one?”
At some point, Ciel had moved right up beside her, lowering his voice to a whisper.
Did he want to hear about the nobles who had pestered her? What exactly did he find so interesting about that? Eris frowned, unable to make sense of him.
But soon, none of that mattered.
With Ciel suddenly so close, her body stiffened despite her best efforts, and even the cheerful music filling the square seemed to fade into the distance.
‘Dangerous….’
Eris had just managed to gather her wits and was about to step back again when Ciel continued.
“And since I’m a noble too, if you dislike us that much, I suppose we’ll just have to become close. Then maybe I’ll stop being so interested in you. How does that sound?”
“…N-no, thank you. Outside of my duties as your escort, I have no desire to become close to you, Lord Ciel.”
“Then I suppose there’s no helping it. I’ll just have to keep taking good care of this temperamental cat.”
Oblivious to what was going through her mind, Ciel once again said something completely absurd that scraped mercilessly against her nerves.
“I told you, I’m not a cat—!”
It was definitely because of that ridiculous remark. That was why Eris failed to immediately catch the young boy who had just picked her pocket.
“…Ah!”
At Eris’s belated reaction, Ciel tilted his head.
“What is it, Miss Eris? Are you hurt?”
“Let go of me, Lord Ciel.”
There was something faintly ominous in Eris’s voice.
Ciel’s eyes widened, his expression turning innocently bewildered as though he had no idea what was wrong.
“I just had my pocket picked.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Ciel seem to realize what had happened. His expression tightened, and he quickly released her hand.
Eris slowly felt around her back pocket. Just as she had suspected.
“Lord Ciel, there are very few things in this world I value more than money.”
“…Miss Eris?”
“And I have no intention of letting a thief who stole my money simply walk away.”
“Then we should report it to the guards….”
Ciel calmly looked around, but with the square packed so densely, finding a guard among the crowd was easier said than done.
“No. We’re going to catch him ourselves.”
Listening to Eris speak as though she had lost half her reason, Ciel pointed at himself and tilted his head.
“We?”
“Yes. The two of us.”
“Why would I—”
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