Home/I Saved the Villain and Fell Asleep/ch 48

Chapter 48

The fully fused hat had transformed into something breathtakingly beautiful in an instant.

It resembled iridescent silk, or perhaps thinly spread mother-of-pearl. The thin hat, swaying lazily like rippling water, was long yet weightless.

"Oh my goodness. My invisible cloak!!"

When I spread the hat wide, it was long enough to touch the floor.

Oh, I could actually wear this like a real cloak!

I draped it over my head, and Kali shot up from his seat. I'd experienced it myself earlier, but having someone suddenly vanish from right before your eyes is quite startling.

"Hariella?"

Kali called my name with a frown. When I didn't answer, he strode toward where I'd been standing.

"Algenprina Hariella!"

"Why are you calling me by my full name like that?"

"...Take it off. Now."

I pulled the hat down slightly and showed my face.

"Amazing, right? You can only see my face now."

I spent a while wandering around the room with just my face floating in the air. I covered a chair, covered half my body, and was having fun when Kali, sitting slouched on the sofa, snapped his thumb and middle finger together. Each time he did, sparks flew around his hand.

"Don't even think about burning it."

"Just once."

"Just once, my foot! No! Give it back! I'm not giving it to you!"

First he was obsessed with my club because it didn't burn, and now he's after the hat too?!

Just then, Kali formed a gun shape with his hand—index finger extended, thumb up—and aimed at the fluttering hat. I quickly pulled out my club and blocked his path.

"Oh ho, you want to try me?"

"Can you really stop me?"

"I didn't teach you 'bang bang' for this, you know?"

It wasn't just a game—it was like a flame gun. An advanced version of his unique magic where a bullet-sized fireball shoots from the tip of his index finger.

"No firearms inside the mansion!!"

We were locked in a staring contest when a knock came at the door.

"Young lady, may I come in?"

First, a truce. I snorted at Kali, who was eyeing the hat, and stored it back in my club.

"Come in."

The ones who entered were Regina and Leo.

"Ah, young master is here too!"

I was so happy to see their familiar faces that I smiled brightly and welcomed them.

"Regina! Leo! Have you been well? I'm sorry I brought you here and then didn't look after you properly."

"Oh, no, miss! Everyone's been taking good care of us. Julia-unnie, Head Handmaiden Chalet, Head Butler Simon..."

Watching her fold her fingers one by one as she listed everyone who helped her was so adorable that I instinctively reached out and hugged her tightly.

"You're wearing servant clothes now?"

"Yes, yes! Chalet-nim said I'd be serving you along with Julia-unnie. I'm learning quickly."

"I can do things too."

Leo added briefly to Regina's words. His sullen expression was so cute that I gently pinched his cheek and let go.

"But Leo, you're still too young! When you're as big as Regina, you can help too."

"Then what do I do? I can do things too. You know, being a shadow."

"What? Where did you hear that?"

Who told this little squirt about shadows? If I catch them!

"I just overheard it while passing by. I can get stronger. Like Kalipr-nim..."

A large black puddle formed at Leo's feet. It was much wider than when I first met him.

He's grown this much in the time I've been away?

"You're still far from it."

Kali snorted and glanced down at the puddle.

"It's gotten so much bigger!"

"It's been like this since yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Bibi played a little rough with Leo as soon as he got back."

"How did you play?"

"Hands pop out of the black puddle, and Bibi wins if he eats them before they go back in—Leo wins if he pulls them back before Bibi gets them."

I know they're not real hands, but calling them "hands" makes it sound brutal.

"Keep growing a little more, Leo. Okay?"

"Can I keep playing with Bibi?"

"Of course. Absolutely."

"...What about Kalipr-nim?"

"Him?"

Leo seemed to follow Kali especially well, even though their first meeting had been anything but friendly. Did he just see him as a cool older brother?

"Come back when you're bigger, squirt. You're too small and weak right now. You're probably weaker than Bibi, you know."

Would it kill you to soften your words a little? I slapped Kali's shoulder. As if sensing Leo's mana, Bibi started scratching at the door from outside.

"Leo, go play with Bibi."

"Okay."

Before Leo could open the door, Julia entered first. Leo, struggling to carry the running Bibi, wobbled out of the room.

"Young lady! You're awake. Oh, young master! A maid attending to you was looking for you in the hallway—how long have you been here?"

"I woke up early. I was just talking with her."

Though a few sparks did fly.

"More importantly, Julia. I heard from Regina that you and she will be attending to me?"

"Yes. I'm supposed to teach her! From now on, the two of us will serve you."

"Great. Regina, if you don't know something, ask Julia and learn step by step."

"Yes, yes! I'm still lacking, but I'll do my best!"

"I look forward to working with you. While you're here, could you draw me a bath? And Kali! I'm going to wash up now. Go to your room."

"Oh, right, miss. A guest has arrived. You should get ready and go down."

A guest? Before noon?

There's no way the ducal family, just starting to prepare for the day, would allow a visitor at this hour. So it must be someone they know.

"Do you know who it is?"

"I heard he's a hunter. I didn't see him myself, but they say he carried in an enormous bear."

"A hunter?"

There's only one hunter I know. Joseph—Father's friend who always brings big game whenever he visits!

He used to visit even when we stayed at the villa, but since Kali started living with us, we couldn't let outsiders in, so I hadn't seen him in a while.

"Is Philip with him too?"

"Philip?"

At the unfamiliar name, Kali looked at me questioningly.

"Philip? Ah, do you mean the boy with the freckled face?"

"Yeah!! A boy covered in freckles."

"Ah, yes. He's with him."

"I need to go down right away!!"

I shoved Kali's reluctant back out the door and headed for the bath with lively steps.

A bear! How big is it this time? Last time it was a huge deer.

Joseph was the only friend of Father's whose face I knew. I'm not saying it to badmouth him—Father really has no other friends.

It was the first time I saw Father smile like that at someone outside the family—so relaxed and natural.

After getting dressed with Julia's help, I hurried out into the hallway. As I was about to step onto the stairs leading to the first floor, I heard commotion below—someone was arguing.

At this hour, who would be raising their voice in the ducal hall... oh, there is. There is.

A scene flashed through my mind. I quickly leaned over the railing and looked down—and sure enough, Kali was there.

And so was Philip, the one I'd been looking for.

Father and Joseph weren't stopping them, just watching from a distance. Kali and Philip were grappling, grabbing each other's collars and rolling around as if they were going to clean the floor with each other.

What are Father and Joseph doing, not stopping them...!

"Kali!!! Philip!!! What are you doing!!"

"Oh dear."

When I shouted as I came down the stairs, Joseph, who had been standing like a spectator, put his hands up in a startled gesture.

"Are you two going to break it up?!"

They were gripping each other's collars so tightly that even when I grabbed their shoulders, they wouldn't let go.

"Ugh! You idiots!"

"Now, now. Stop."

Finally, Joseph separated Kali and Philip. Since they'd only been wrestling and grabbing collars, neither had any visible injuries.

I looked back and forth between Philip, huffing and unable to contain his anger, and Kali, calm-faced but with a cold glint in his eyes.

"What happened? In that short time!"

"Hariella! You've become friends with this rude, frivolous bastard? I can't accept it!"

Ah, no. Why does he talk like that now? He didn't talk like that the last time I saw him.

"Who are you to accept or not?"

Kali's eyes sharpened, clearly offended.

He was glaring at Philip as if ready to charge again, so I quickly grabbed Kali's arm. Philip looked at me with a deeply shocked expression.

"Hariella! I've been looking forward to seeing you so much! And this bastard..."

"Wait. Wait wait! Philip, your tone... no, more importantly, what did Kali say? What did you hear that made you so angry?"

As if he'd been waiting for that question, the answer came without a second's hesitation.

"He said that since you only need him, you don't need a weak, useless bastard like me—so I should get lost right now! What kind of pathetic excuse for a person says that?!"

Philip rattled off like a machine gun, his face bright red. As I stared at him with my mouth open, I heard Joseph stifling a laugh in the distance.

I glanced at Joseph and made a circular motion with my finger at my temple.

Uncle. What happened to this kid while I was away?

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