10 Popcorn Part 1 (2/2)
As Tes made such a decision, he was about to use the smoke screen device hanging on his waist when...
”Hm?”
Tes flinched as he heard the anxious footsteps coming from behind the door.
None of his subordinates would make such noise.
That meant that the owner of those footsteps would be...
”...Master!”
Bang!
The man who came barging through the door was an old man in the garbs of a butler.
His face was covered in sweat, as if he came while hurrying.
”Ian?”
Why was Ian here, when Stein thought he was protecting Riley at his side?
As Stein was getting worried his eyes glanced behind Ian.
There was another familiar face accompanying him.
”Hm?”
”...?!”
Ian wasn't the only person who came to Stein's office.
Although it didn't seem intended, there was one more visitor.
”Ian? W-What are you doing?”
Wearing a dress, her pride on full display.
Her orange hair was tied to the back.
Lady Orelly was the second visitor.
It seemed as though she was forced to come, as she tried to escape Ian's grasp.
She seemed desperate to run away from here, unable to hide her look of inconvenience.
”Master, Lady Orelly... Lady Orelly!”
Stein took a glimpse at the hooded man after hearing those words, then put his sword down.
As if even more surprised than him, the hooded man stood there like stone, losing all will to fight.
***
”Riley! Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?”
”Yes, don't worry.”
”Dear lord, what a disaster this is...”
After coming to Iris's room, Riley sent Ian to Lady Orelly, and proceeded to hug his mother to prove his well-being.
Currently, the maid Sera was watching pleasantly at the reunion from the sidelines as she guarded them.
Thankfully, no assassins came to this room.
”Uh, Sera.”
Riley slowly turned his head towards Sera after the hug.
”Yes, young master?”
Sera quickly came back to reality and bowed her head.
Although she had thought that Riley looked entertained for a moment, she quickly dismissed the thought.
”Do you have any popcorn?”
”Huh?”
”Popcorn.”
”Pop...corn?”
Popcorn?
Sera tilted her head, unable to understand the question.
'...Ah, do they not have any of that here?'
Riley scratched his head realising his mistake, when Iris asked,
”Riley, what is popcorn?”
”Ah, that's...”
Realising that the snack he had enjoyed back in his previous life wasn't here, he thought of how to avoid the question then gave up and began to explain.
”It's something like a snack... You make it with some corn and butter.”
”A snack?”
A snack when assassins had invaded the mansion?
There was a limit to being so carefree.
Sera made an empty look as her shoulders drooped.
'What I heard from Ian-nim was just the tip of the iceberg.'
Sera who had heard complaint after complaint from Ian, finally felt as if she could understand his feelings a little and made a bitter smile.
”Riley... A snack isn't bad but, do you have to eat it now?”
Even Iris who would always reply with a smile to anything related with Riley, didn't seem like she would let this one go.
Therefore, her face turned serious as she prepared to scold her son.
”Huh...”
As Sera's and Iris's eyes turned toward him, Riley finally showed some sign of worry and quickly made some excuse.
”But, there's going to be some entertainment soon... I'd like to eat something with it...”
”Huh?”
”What did you say?”
Unable to hear the small voice, Sera and Iris asked for him to repeat himself.
Riley smiled awkwardly.
”Ah, no. It's nothing. I'm sorry. I'll think about what I've done. I'm sorry, Sera. Bothering you like this.”
With a quick apology from Riley, Iris who was ready to scold him and Sera who was confused looked at each other.
”But, Sera... There's some corn in the kitchen right?”
”...”
Sera's jaw dropped.
She could finally understand.
A little...no, a lot.
She could finally understand Ian's feeling.