Young Master, Please Put Some Pants On! - Chapter 8

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 8

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Kermanomon stroked Garulus’s face with more tender and affectionate hands than ever before.

“Yeah. I was scared at first, but Mellis saved me. She gave me food and let me sleep. These clothes are also from Mellis!”

Garulus spread both arms wide to show off the cloak he was wearing. The black cloak that covered his entire body seemed as if it was trying to hide the child’s appearance. Just as Kermanomon was about to speak upon noticing this, Garulus, who had thrown himself into his embrace, grabbed his sleeve and said.

“Big brother, I have a favor to ask.”

The moment that title slipped from Garulus’s mouth, the surroundings came to a complete standstill. However, the person most flustered at this moment was Kermanomon himself.

‘Ugh! Kerman is the most hateful. Go away!’

‘I don’t want to talk to stupid Kerman.’

‘I won’t play with Kerman anymore!’

For the past three months, Garulus’s harsh words that had pierced his heart flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. How long had it been since Garulus had called him big brother?

“Big brother?”

“Yes. Just tell me. What kind of favor?”

So at this moment, there was no need to elaborate on how weakened his heart had become. He was just about to resolve that today, even if Garulus ate bananas until his stomach burst or released all kinds of insects throughout the house, he wouldn’t scold him at all.

“I’d like you to make Mellis my nanny.”

“What?”

But the favor that came from Garulus’s mouth was quite far from his imagination. Having already wiped the smile from his face, he slowly turned his gaze following Garulus’s outstretched finger. At the end of his gaze, a woman came into view.

The woman, who had stiffened her body with a completely flustered face, was blinking her large eyes. Only then becoming aware of Mellis’s presence, Kermanomon opened his mouth in a slow voice.

“Mellis, you mean that woman who brought you here?”

“Yeah. She’s a sheep beastkin. A sheep beastkin! But she said she had nowhere to stay, so I told her to live at our house!”

Unlike Garulus who remained cheerful, Kermanomon’s expression subtly hardened. He could roughly guess why she would deliberately lament about having nowhere to stay in front of such a young child.

As the fact that he, as a duke, poured much affection on Garulus became publicly known throughout the Empire, the number of people trying to gain profit through the child also increased. Nevertheless, his answer was already as good as decided.

“Well, if that’s what you want, Garulus, there’s nothing that can’t be done.”

“Wow! Thank you! Mellis, did you hear? Now we can keep living together!”

Excited by his answer, Garulus hopped and ran toward Mellis. She awkwardly pulled up the corners of her mouth and reached out her hand toward Garulus.

“…”

Kermanomon, resting his chin on one hand, had already returned to his usual intimidating appearance. For Garulus to follow a stranger he’d just met to such an extent – there were more than one or two strange points.

Most of all, it bothered him that she only appeared now, several days after a search order had been issued throughout the entire Empire. However, guessing the reason wasn’t difficult. He had doubled the reward money for Garulus’s search this very morning.

“Before that, I need to hear what kind of tricks that person used to capture my brother’s heart.”

Convinced of something, he muttered in a cold voice.

* * *

“…”

A little later, swept up by the atmosphere, Mellis found herself sitting in the reception room of the Ducal Residence, being served luxurious desserts.

“Please, help yourself.”

If the man sitting across from her hadn’t been Duke Severus, she would have certainly made a big fuss and devoured the desserts.

‘Why, why…’

Just three hours ago, she had firmly resolved never to encounter the Duke, yet somehow Mellis couldn’t understand how she ended up sitting in his reception room having a private meeting with him.

She gulped down the teacup placed before her with trembling hands. This situation was so uncomfortable that she earnestly wished the tea was poisoned.

“First.”

While she couldn’t even distinguish whether she was drinking the tea through her nose or mouth, Duke Severus slowly opened his mouth. Mellis froze in place, swallowing dry saliva as she waited for his next words. Just recalling his earlier harsh words seemed to make tears well up again.

“I sincerely thank you for saving Garulus.”

“…”

At the Duke’s completely unexpected words of gratitude, she unconsciously made a blank expression, when he gave a small nod to the aide standing beside him. The aide placed the large metal case he had been holding in front of her.

“Wh-what is this?”

“Open it.”

The moment she cautiously opened the case with curiosity, Mellis’s eyes immediately widened. Money bundles that she couldn’t count at a glance filled the case completely.

“The promised 2,000 nif as a reward.”

Sandra, who had sold Mellis to Lord Gazet, had received 1,000 nif in return. Mellis was so shocked that she couldn’t react at all.

“…”

Without a doubt, this was the largest amount of money she had ever touched in her life. While she remained stunned and unable to react, he curled his lips into a sly smile and spoke in a low voice.

“If you need anything additional, speak up now. Wouldn’t appealing directly before the Duke be more effective than going through the child?”

At that moment, Mellis felt hostility from him that even his smile couldn’t hide. At the same time, she could understand why the Duke was showing such antagonistic reactions toward her. He must have thought she was trying to use the innocent Garulus to secure a job and reward money.

“N-no! That’s not it!”

The moment startled Mellis raised her head, their gazes met in mid-air. Only then did Mellis realize that the distance between them was much closer than she had thought.

And the intimidating presence of Duke Severus up close was truly overwhelming.

‘He’s much more frightening than I imagined.’

The Duke’s bronze skin and jet-black hair that reached down to his waist made the atmosphere even heavier.

And between them, his proudly shining golden eyes and sharp fangs seemed to remind her once again of his true nature. Above all, the thin scar crossing his left eye revealed his life’s experiences completely.

To think that she, who had lived her entire life in a rural village of a small kingdom, was having a private meeting with a Duke of the Great Empire. As she became aware of this fact, her already stiff mouth clenched even tighter. However, Mellis, squeezing out all her courage from her entire body, carefully closed the case.

“I-I don’t think I can accept this.”

“Why? If you’re more interested in the nanny position, that’s fine. A reward is just a reward.”

“No! I-I just kept my promise with Garulus. I didn’t even know there was a reward in the first place.”

Her voice cracking and stuttering too much was very embarrassing, but she couldn’t stop.

“And bringing a lost child home is the natural thing for an adult to do. So it’s really okay.”

“…”

“Oh, the n-nanny job too! I understand why Garulus said that, but it’s absolutely not something I asked for! I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

While waving her hands and strongly denying Garulus’s suggestion, Mellis momentarily recalled Vivian’s image of criticizing her for not being in a position to refuse others’ rewards.

However, she deliberately ignored that fact. If she accepted this reward, she wouldn’t just be shameless, but would become a scoundrel who had been keeping the child for material compensation.

No matter how bad the situation was, she couldn’t sell her beliefs. That was her father’s teaching, which Mellis treasured above all else.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

Then the Duke, who had been staring at her intently for a while, opened his mouth with a cold voice.

“When did you first find Garulus?”

“That’s…”

It was a question she had been expecting. Mellis had first met Garulus a whole week ago. Fortunately, it was something she had coordinated with Vivian beforehand.

‘His family must be looking for the young master too. If they ask where you first met the young master, answer that it was here.’

‘Siana Village?’

‘Yes. It’s a mountain village at the edge of the Empire that borders our Kingdom, and it’s a village where many sheep beastkin live. Since it’s in the mountains, travel takes a long time, and most importantly, a landslide recently blocked the passage. So if you say you came from there, they won’t find it suspicious. Of course, from now on, that’s your hometown too.’

Recalling Vivian’s sharp advice, she answered the question clearly and precisely.

“It was about a week ago. I was living in Siana Village in Elramton Territory, and this child I’d never seen before was wandering around alone, so he caught my attention. I was worried, so I asked him about it, and he showed me the bracelet, so I came all the way here. The departure was delayed because the village entrance road collapsed due to a landslide though.”

“…I see. Siana Village does have unstable ground. Then is it also because of the landslide that you have nowhere to stay?”

“Ah, yes. By the way, if I had discovered the search notice on the way here, I would have contacted you in advance. I’m sorry.”

Adding a slight lie, Mellis sincerely bowed her head toward him. She had been so focused on heading to the Duchy that she hadn’t properly considered how much Garulus’s family must have been worrying.

While it was true that Grand Duke Severus was still frightening, it wasn’t that she couldn’t empathize with his feelings as he had desperately searched for his younger sibling.

“That’s not something you need to apologize to me for. Rather…”

“You don’t need to apologize to me. Rather….”

The Duke slowly ran one hand through his hair and spoke hesitantly.

The Grand Duke slowly ran his hand through his hair and spoke hesitantly.

“I’d like to apologize for what I said earlier. There are so many people targeting the child that I’ve become sensitive.”

“I’d like to apologize for what I said earlier. There are so many people targeting the child that I’ve been on edge.”

“Ah…”

“Ah….”

Mellis’s heart eased considerably at his sincere apology. And in that moment, she briefly felt that the Duke wasn’t frightening.

As the Grand Duke opened his mouth to speak again, Mellis began preparing to quietly get up from her seat. Garulus had arrived home safely, and all misunderstandings had been cleared up, so now all she had to do was slip away as if nothing had happened. But….

“We just need to draw up the employment contract.”

“I just need to draft the employment contract.”

“Pardon?”

“What?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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