Chapter 6
“Leoni.”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you say you cleaned?”
Claude’s dubious voice reached Leoni’s ears. Embarrassed, Leoni scratched her head.
“You’re right. That’s strange. Isn’t it? I definitely did it three years ago…”
“Three years?”
Claude’s gaze returned to the bottle that had rolled to his feet. A thin line was drawn on the dusty floor, tracing the path it had rolled.
“Is that considered ‘a while ago’ by human standards?”
“…….”
“I expected it, but this surpasses my expectations. My mistake.”
He spoke with genuine wonder, the smile still playing on his lips.
Leoni glared at his sarcasm but couldn’t retort. She had nothing to say.
‘This is awkward.’
Leoni fidgeted with her split ends. Honestly, she hadn’t expected it to be this bad either, so she was equally flustered.
All she could do was make excuses.
“It was originally my father’s space, and it’s been left untouched for a while.”
“This room was Theo’s?”
Claude’s gaze returned to the room. The interior was barely visible due to the piles of belongings. Leoni quickly nodded.
“Yes… after Theo died, Helen sold the house. Ah, Helen is my aunt.”
Helen quickly put the house up for sale after Theo’s death. Leoni begged her to wait until she became an adult, but it was no use. The house was sold, and she thought that was the end of it.
Ironically, despite Helen’s wishes, the house remained vacant for quite some time.
Several families wanted the house, but something always happened whenever they tried to settle in. The floor would collapse, or strange whirring sounds would be heard. Those who briefly lived there would say the house was cursed.
By the time Mrs. Clavery, who bought the house from Helen, decided to demolish it, Leoni was finally able to return.
Of course, as a tenant.
“Anyway, this room has been left untouched for a while.”
The more she explained, the more embarrassed Leoni became. It was a rather petty story for a noble dragon to hear.
“Haha. So, that’s why it wasn’t organized…”
A hollow laugh came from above. He seemed to have finally resolved his doubts about the thick layer of dust.
“There are many things that are painful to look at again, so I haven’t opened it.”
“Hmm.”
Precious, yet painful memories to revisit.
That’s why she deliberately kept her distance.
As a result, it naturally became a place to store things she was reluctant to throw away but couldn’t leave out in the open.
Leoni quickly scanned the room.
Though she had put it off, the time had come to clean.
“Still, it’s manageable enough to clean.”
Claude chuckled at her words.
“My mate is incredibly optimistic.”
Who’s your mate? Leoni turned her head sharply, their eyes meeting.
“Please refrain from using that term.”
“I’ll consider it if you find the item.”
“That…”
“Until then, I’ll call you whatever I want.”
He chuckled, amused by her indignant expression.
Judging by his teasing, he seemed to think Leoni wouldn’t find the item.
Even though he was a handsome man, his smug grin was irritating, forcing Leoni to scowl.
“You think I won’t find it, don’t you? If you’re going to mock me, pay for it from now on.”
“Shall I?”
Incredibly, he produced a gold coin from somewhere.
It was a rule never to refuse in such situations. As Leoni swiftly pocketed the mockery fee, he burst into laughter again.
After surveying the room, Claude turned his gaze to Leoni.
“So, how do you plan to find the box here?”
Unfazed by his gaze, Leoni carefully blew on the gold coin and placed it in her pocket.
“I suppose I should clean first.”
“Clean…”
He stopped as he was about to enter the room.
The dust on the floor was thick. Very thick.
Fortunately, the larger furniture like the desk and bed were meticulously covered with white sheets. Claude would bet his eyes that even that wasn’t Leoni’s doing.
“Do you see? There are boxes piled up in the back. They’re probably filled with useless things.”
Leoni spoke as if it were someone else’s problem.
“I think all we need to do is take those boxes out. The problem is the dust…”
The dust that had settled over the years threatened their respiratory systems. It was obvious that it would billow menacingly as soon as they touched anything on the floor.
And it was impossible to maneuver around it and reach the back; there wasn’t even enough space to set foot inside.
Finding a palm-sized box in this dust pit seemed like a daunting task.
“…….”
Claude took a step inside, leaving a footprint where the dust was disturbed.
His gray eyes became distant, as if peering into an abyss. He shook his head after taking only a few steps.
“Living in a place like this will surely shorten your lifespan.”
“That’s not true. I’ve been fine so far. Besides, it’s been closed off.”
Leoni chattered away, not having stepped foot inside. Claude tilted his head, looking at her.
“Yes, it’s been closed off, but have you ever wondered where the dust came from?”
“……Spontaneous generation?”
Claude chuckled at her serious tone and offered her another gold coin. Leoni didn’t refuse.
Leoni pocketed the gold coin and looked at the dust beneath his feet.
‘Even if I say so, it’s impossible to clean all of this today, right?’
It was clearly not a one-day job. Calculating in her head, Leoni cautiously suggested,
“How about you visit again after I’ve finished cleaning…?”
“And how long will that be?”
“……It won’t work, will it? Right?”
Claude’s sharp reply cut her off. Leoni quickly added, understanding his concern,
“Of course, it’s understandable that you think I might run away. But think about it. What bold human would try to escape a dragon’s surveillance?”
“No, that’s not the issue.”
Claude shook his head, dismissing her suggestion. He then pointed at the floor and then outside the room.
“Although I’m seeing this house for the first time today, looking at the downstairs, I can tell. Even if I give you space, do you think this house will ever be clean before your days are numbered? I can’t guarantee it.”
Ah, not about escaping, but about that?
Leoni realized her reputation had plummeted in his eyes.
“……But even if you say so, it’s still difficult to clean all of this today.”
As she grumbled, Claude, with a serious yet amused expression, said,
“Leoni, you have an apron, don’t you?”
⊹ ࣪🍰˚⊹♡
Claude tightened the apron strings. A perfectly tied ribbon dangled from his waist.
“Sir, are you sure about this?”
Following the expired tea, Leoni was experiencing a rare pang of guilt.
“What does it matter? Cleaning is more important.”
“No, it’s not that…”
Are you sure about that apron?
As she trailed off, Claude examined himself. The apron fluttered with his movements.
“What’s wrong with it?”
He adjusted the straps on his shoulders and turned around. It was a blinding hot pink apron with frills and lace.
A handsome man in a hot pink, lacy apron…
The mere sight of that apron made her dizzy. It was a gift from her colleague, Emily, when she had a small housewarming party after returning to her old house.
The theme of the gift, as Emily had put it, was ‘useless gifts under 1 realm.’
After thanking her profusely, Leoni had neatly tucked it away in the cupboard. She never imagined it would be used like this.
“I apologize.”
She felt compelled to apologize, though she wasn’t sure why. Leoni reiterated,
“It’s the only apron I have.”
“Huh? It’s fine.”
He seemed to like it very much. However, she felt uneasy.
She should have thrown it away long ago.
Leoni resolved to burn it the moment the dragon left.
Ignoring her inner turmoil, Claude, neatly dressed in the apron, rolled up his sleeves.
“Let’s start by putting everything on the floor in one place.”
His smile was impeccably kind, but his eyes were serious.
“Um… what about the dust?”
It wasn’t her place to say, considering she was the one who accumulated it, but she had to address it.
As soon as Leoni finished speaking, Claude strode into the dust.
“Sir?”
He squeezed between the objects and opened the curtains. Heavy rain was still pouring outside, and the wind and rain immediately rushed in as he opened the window.
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.
The pouring rain soaked the sheets covering the furniture. Leoni grumbled,
“But the rain is coming in.”
“Cover your mouth so you don’t inhale the dust.”
“Excuse me?”
His mischievous wink was the signal.
Whew-! A short whistle, and a wind, whose origin she couldn’t discern, began to swirl.
Leoni covered her nose and mouth and barely managed to lean against the wall. If he hadn’t warned her, she might not have been able to react.
The wind, originating from within the house, swept through the room like a storm. Even standing by the door, she could feel the pressure.
Leoni closed her eyes tightly and covered her head. Her brown hair fluttered wildly beneath her hands.
When the wind, having swept through the room, subsided, Leoni cautiously opened her eyes. Astonishingly, only the dust on the objects had vanished.
A final gentle breeze escaped through the window.
If it weren’t for the gently swaying ribbon of Claude’s apron, she would have thought she had dreamed it all. It happened so fast. Leoni blinked slowly, taking in the sight.
“I borrowed some help from others.”
“…….”
Magic.
Leoni stared at him blankly, still reeling from the wind that had swept through her.
The consensus in academia was that humans couldn’t use magic. Using magic required utilizing the magical power accumulated within the body, and humans lacked such power.
Dragons, on the other hand, were reservoirs of magical power. Using magic was as natural to them as breathing.
‘I’d heard they could wipe out a country with a flick of their wrist, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.’
It was rare for a human like her to witness magic firsthand.
Of course, one could hire a mythical creature to use magic for a price, but the cost was astronomical for personal use.
Therefore, Claude’s magic just now was probably the world’s most expensive duster.
“It seems you’re having strange thoughts.”
“You won’t charge me, will you?”
He chuckled, standing tall in the clean room.
“I’ll take that to mean you were impressed enough to want to pay me.”
With that, he began to clear a space by moving the boxes blocking the way. Leoni, regaining her senses, joined him.
Soon, enough space was cleared for two adults to sit. Leoni politely gestured towards the floor.
“Please, have a seat, humble as it is.”
Claude stared blankly at the floor.
