Taming a Munchkin

‘Will he give up?’

As Kynemeia detected the man’s movement, even as he was brooding over it, she applied more pressure on the broomstick in her grip. In anticipation of a sudden attack, she planted herself firmly with her left feet braced against the wall.

FLICK–

Suddenly, she heard the sound of fingers flicking from somewhere.

“Huh?”

Her ears perked up.

“Kugh!”

The man groaned and clutched at his neck.

THUD.

Eventually, the man dropped onto his knees on the floor, as if the strength had been sapped out of him.

What happened? Kynemeia’s pupils quivered.

‘Eian? Or…’

As she was about to draw closer to the man, a figure landed in front of her, preventing her from doing so. A head full of pitch-black hair with a pair of pitch-black eyes. A boy wearing a smile on his face.

“You…!”

“Miss Lady, were you waiting for me?”

“You! W-Where did you go?!”

Eian inclined his head.

“Didn’t you say we had to find a frog-shaped sign? I went in search of that.”

Frog? Frog-shaped siiignn? Kynemeia scowled.

‘You went to look for that? While I got embroiled into this situation and turned out like this?!’

“Hm? Are you cross?”

Eian gazed at Kynemeia with the appearance of a sorrowful, whimpering puppy. Watching the expression that could even quiet the tempest that was coursing to the top of her head, Kynemeia could sense the warning lights go off in the limbic system of her brain.

‘Wasn’t he observing it all from somewhere instead? This sociopath.’

At that instant, Eian spoke up as if he could read her thoughts.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. I really won’t lose you now.”

He sure is silver-tongued… Kynemeia gritted her teeth in silence. She genuinely wanted to separate cleanly from Eian. Without overlooking a thing!

If only it weren’t for the prospect of a revenge murder, or he weren’t a Rikasha…

Preoccupied with various complex thoughts, Kynemeia cast aside the broomstick and nudged it away with her foot. Eyes fixated on the broomstick that had rolled to the wall, she opened her mouth.

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“You…”

“Yeah.”

“Just what do you want from me?”

Kynemeia pivoted to look Eian straight in the eyes. Staring into her clear blue pupils, the corners of his lips quirked upwards.

“I’m Miss Lady’s bodyguard, aren’t I?”

“Is that all there’s to it?”

“What else?”

“Do you really just want to be my bodyguard?”

Noticing that she was on her guard, Eian lowered his gaze to the ground.

‘My, what a sharp young lady.’

Before she could resume speaking, he murmured in a low voice.

“Actually, I don’t have anyplace else to go other than Miss Lady’s side…”

His eyes peered up a fraction to meet hers. Kynemeia then replied calmly.

“… You can just go to the Magic Tower, can’t you?”

“But you saw how I’d sustained a stab to my side back then.”

“It’s not healed yet?”

“Touch it.”

“Eek!”

She snatched her hand away immediately after touching the injury on his side.

Then, Eian lifted up his shirt. royals: WHAT IS YOU DOING?? TO GARNER HER SYMPATHY YOU SLY, SLY BOI

“Look.”

“…?!”

The haphazardly unbound dressing was saturated through and through with blood.

He’s been going around with an open wound on his side?!

“W-W-Why aren’t you treating it?!”

Kynemeia’s hand trembled, betraying her fluster, and Eian smiled at the sight, thinking that she looked cute.

“Do you feel sorry for me?”

In spite of the worry swimming in her widened eyes, she simply regarded Eian as if she couldn’t bring herself to admit it.

Cute young lady. The corners of his lips lifted higher.

“The mages of the Magic Tower did this. Because they can become the next Rikasha if they eliminate the current one.”

“… They would go that far?”

“There are a lot of people who bore animosity because a 12-year-old became a Rikasha. Someone with aptitude trained their whole life but has yet to become an Elder, but the current Rikasha is only a 12-year old that hasn’t even had his Second Awakening yet. It’s only natural they wouldn’t look at me favourably.”

“…”

To think that his life is constantly being threatened despite being all of 12 years old. Kynemeia lightly clenched her fist. Even if she didn’t want to sympathize, his circumstances made her unable to feel anything but sympathy. Watching her wariness slowly waver, Eian once again feigned a mournful expression.

“That’s why I might just get killed on my way out of the Grand Duke’s castle…”

You won’t get killed, you’ll probably seek revenge! I feel like I would be less worried if you would just die instead. No, maybe that was too much.

A little sigh escaped her, her mind currently burdened with the risks of when she had to send him away. The scale between danger and resentment oscillated back and forth. As danger and resentment were confronting each other, something abruptly popped up in between them— human morality. Because sending off a 12-year-old with a pierced side to a deadly situation wouldn’t be humane.

“It’s just… until your injury heals…”

“I knew it, our Miss Lady’s generosity truly knows no bounds.”

“You asked if I was going to do human hunting when we first met.”

“That was a joke, of course.”

“You seemed sincere though.”

But Eian just laughed soundlessly, as if he heard something fascinating. There were so many things about him that bugged her but Kynemeia just nodded her head slowly.

“… Don’t lose me this time.”

“I won’t.”

He smiled as he glanced down at the mumbling girl. Kynemeia was pursing her lips, somehow not masking her expression that admitted she hated him to death.

‘Why does she despise me so much?

‘Moreover, from our very first meeting.’

There was no way that it was just his feeling. Eian had always been fine-tuned to other people’s perception of him. To add to that, he knew full well that his appearance was agreeable to anyone and of the power he held as a Rikasha. However, far from expressing any interest in his looks or status, this Lady of the Grand Duke went as far as to shudder.

Why is it? Eian was sinking deep in thou—

“Hand.”

“Huh?”

Kynemeia extended her hand.

“There are a lot of people there. I would be troubled if I lose you again… So… Well, if you don’t want to—”

“Ah, you’re right.”

Eian grinned as he cut off her words before he proceeded to clasp her outstretched hand.

“Just grab up to this part.”

Kynemeia was taken aback when he grabbed her hand, completely covering it, so she yanked back her hand and made it so that he could only grasp the tips of her fingers. Eian, who could only touch her nails, accused in a sulky tone.

“But, Miss Lady, your hand is so small I feel like it would just slip out.”

“Then strive hard so it won’t.”

“Yeess…”

Even as he replied jokingly, Eian blinked sluggishly. Her zeal from earlier had disappeared and the tip of her pure white hand was trembling faintly. He wondered if she had been shivering since earlier… In front of that man who was of no consequence at all.

I was convinced she was hiding her mana.

If that’s not the case, then I wonder how such indomitable zeal emerges from such a small body.

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After exiting the alley, Eian grasped onto Kynemeia’s hand tighter. Her hand was so small that it felt like it would slip away if anything went awry. Suddenly, Eian remembered how his peers in the novitiate took care of a bird.

After passing the devilish exams, the entire class of the novitiate back in the Magic Tower picked up a wounded bird and nursed it with love. They put a splint on it, tended to its wounds, fed it, and chased away any predator that posed a threat to it. Eian couldn’t comprehend why they would go to such great lengths. They had so many other duties to fulfil, and they were already lacking rest as they were. But even if his peers were pressed for time, they wouldn’t stop taking care of the bird. As if the time they spent on it made them very happy.

Taking care of something or someone else was a foreign concept to Eian. After all, he had been abandoned at seven. Before the Master of the Magic Tower picked him up and placed him in the novitiate, Eian had to fight to survive day to day in the back alleys, avoiding the adults’ notice and looking after himself.

‘See, it’s slipping out.’

Eian held onto Kynemeia’s slipping hand tighter.

Looking after another was such a cumbersome thing that required so much to do and pay heed to. Having to keep his eyes on Kynemeia, save her from an idiotic man, shield her so she wouldn’t get run over by people, hold her hand tightly, and…

At that moment, Kynemeia was jostled by someone and her head crashed onto Eian’s back.

“Ah, sorry.”

The girl smiled awkwardly and fixed her hair. A sudden thump echoed in his chest.

“Someone pushed me from behind…”

Only

As Kynemeia became unnerved and explained herself, Eian frowned slightly.

‘What is this?’

Eian stopped in his tracks as he found the sound from his heart odd.

“Why?”

Kynemeia tilted her head. She was asking why he was frozen like that.

“No…”

He rubbed the area where his heart resided.

Did I turn weird after getting injured not long ago? Or is it nearly the time for my Second Awakening?

royals: YES, YES CATCH THE FEELS