The guy who stays by Leticia's side and carelessly calls her by name.
That stubborn back room elf old man.
"Hey."
Chait approached the man lying on the break room sofa.
"I have something I want to consult about."
"200 liss. Upfront."
Roche held out his hand without even opening his eyes.
"Ha."
Chait burst into hollow laughter.
To think Leticia had kept such a scoundrel by her side while he was away.
"Even thinking about it again, I can't understand..."
"Don't mutter to yourself so everyone can hear. Unlike Miss Rea, I can think at a normal person's level."
"You?"
"Of course."
Roche made an "oof" sound as he sat up straight.
"For example, doubts like why your belly that I pour magic power into every day is still in that state."
"..."
"I live thinking things through sufficiently."
Roche smiled slyly.
"So don't carelessly blabber about old man this and that, and watch your tongue."
"Right."
Chait nodded.
"Old man, I have something to ask."
"...Your language skills improve day by day, don't they? You must have good learning ability."
Well, as long as he gets paid.
Roche shrugged his shoulders and held out his hand again.
"2000 liss."
"...Why did it increase?"
"1800 is compensation for mental damage from your insolent words and actions just now."
"You have no conscience."
Roche giggled.
"Well, you look like you'll handle money later, so I'll specially let you pay later."
"Pay later...? Does that mean free?"
"...You're doing this on purpose, aren't you."
"It's just a word I haven't studied."
"What? Well, just say what you want to say. I'll consider it volunteer work for a social misfit."
Chait confided his story to Roche as briefly and concisely as possible.
He nodded his head exaggeratedly, then said with his arms crossed.
"In short, the problem is that Miss Rea will come to see you only as a real younger brother?"
"Right. I'm actually neither her biological brother nor half-brother. Creating a relationship that doesn't exist arbitrarily feels a bit... unsettling."
Chait spoke as if it was no big deal, but Roche's expression was very meaningful.
"I see. I thought so."
Chait's eyebrows shot up.
"If you're going to talk nonsense, forget it."
"No. This is my specialty."
Roche straightened his posture.
"In the end, it's a problem caused by Miss Rea being incredibly dense, so don't clash unnecessarily and solve it simply. Miss Rea won't even know what you're worrying about anyway."
"...What do you mean?"
"Keep your distance."
Chait's complexion darkened.
Roche added.
"I don't mean physically distance yourself. I mean create psychological distance."
"...?"
"There are countless methods... but the easiest one a kid can use is probably pretending not to be a kid?"
"I'm not a kid."
"You're exactly like a kid."
Roche snickered.
"If you act too formal it'll be obvious, so how about using appropriate honorifics or formal speech?"
"...Honorifics. For example?"
"Like 'Mother.'"
"The old fool has gone senile."
"Ah, that's the problem with kids—they absorb all the weird words. Yet they don't know basic vocabulary."
"Don't make assumptions. I'm just not familiar with some words; I've probably read far more books than you."
"Oh, really? Looking at how you don't even know everyday terms, you must have had quite severe book bias?"
"..."
"Learning language only from books. Investment learned from newspapers, love learned from writing. It's all useless."
Roche lay back down on the sofa and added.
"Anyway, think about it carefully. Using honorifics—it's classic but not a bad attempt."
"..."
"Oh, and."
Roche stopped Chait who was about to leave.
"Don't drag it out too long. Accommodating a brat's whims only lasts a day or two. My magic power is very expensive."
"...Not even funny. If you're resentful, quit."
"Such a bad attitude for someone so young."
Miss Rea really can't judge people. Roche grumbled.
A few days later, Chait started using extreme honorifics, calling her 'honored sister' instead of 'sister.'
At sunset.
"Honored sister, honored sister."
Chait followed behind me chattering and threw out a random question.
"You like touching my hair, don't you, honored sister?"
"...Well, that."
I did when he was a cat. It was half true, so I didn't deny it.
At my vague answer, Chait, who had been wondering briefly, pressed and released his lips before saying.
"May I touch yours too?"
"Huh?"
He asks about everything.
"Go ahead."
I readily gave permission.
Look at that, his expression brightening. What's so difficult about touching some hair?
"Here."
I quickly lifted Chait's hand and placed it on his jet-black crown.
"How does it feel?"
"...Not particularly good."
Having silky hair yet not even being able to feel that fact—what a guy blessed with fortune.
"I think it's nice."
When I gently stroked his black hair, the guy's previously lukewarm face brightened again. Mm, I felt it when he was a cat too, but the kid is really cute.
If only he wouldn't fight with Roche, it would be perfect.
Chait and Roche. The two were incompatible.
They seemed to glare at each other all day having silent conversations, but since I have no talent for mind reading, I couldn't grasp the meaning.
It would be nice if they got along well while they're together.
'...That's probably impossible.'
Once, Roche called me aside.
It was when I was stroking Chait's hair like now.
"Miss Rea, could you see me for a moment?"
Roche's face as he said this was unusually serious.
What business does this guy have, who's been sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed looking sour all day?
I told Chait to wait there and took Roche into the break room.
"What's wrong?"
At my question, Roche sighed as if the ground would cave in.
"How long are you going to keep that thing?"
"That thing? What are you saying about my brother?"
"Brother?"
Bewilderment appeared on Roche's face. He raised his light eyebrows sideways, directly expressing his dissatisfied emotions.
"Don't tell me you actually believed 'the boy I happened to pick up turned out to be my lost brother from 10 years ago, but oh my, it turns out he was a cat beastman'...?"
"Oh."
Not bad. I thought he was someone who had no interest in others except his own face.
"Of course, I thought it was none of my business since it had nothing to do with me."
Ah, as expected.
"But that's a bit much."
I nodded, resting my chin on my hand at his words.
"Well, I think so too."
"Right?"
"Yeah. How can his wound not heal like that? It seems like it's because the kid is so frail. Even though he's supposedly the heroine's father with holy power, I had some expectations that he might have special abilities, but he doesn't seem to have any particularly extraordinary talents."
'He didn't even know what rent meant.'
In my eyes, Chait was nothing more than a sickly beautiful boy who couldn't do anything on his own except transform into a cat.
'Should I buy some meat to feed him?'
Roche clicked his tongue.
"Don't tell me that's all?"
"If not that, then what?"
"Haah."
I really asked because I didn't know, but seeing him sigh as if the floor would collapse, I don't feel entirely pleasant.
"Miss Rea, first please understand that I'm an extremely ordinary elf male who has absolutely no interest in faces uglier than mine."
"Why suddenly?"
"I'm not saying this because I like you romantically, Miss Rea."
"Oh, I know. So why..."
"...That kid is jealous of me."
"What?"
Oh my. There's a limit to narcissism too.
A fifteen-year-old jealous of a one-hundred-fifty-year-old? Well now, hehe.
"You're being overly self-conscious."
"No, it's really true!"
Roche started complaining in a sulky tone.
"Do you know what kind of look that thing gives me when Miss Rea isn't around?"
"What kind of look?"
"The look you give non-burnable trash."
"Wow, he's really perceptive."
A crack appeared in Roche's smooth brow.
"I'm being serious, Miss Rea. That thing looks at me like it wants to throw me away right now but can't, so it's dying of frustration."
"...!"
I covered my mouth, overcome with emotion.
They say siblings resemble each other, how amazing.
"I didn't know you could read such looks properly. If I'd known, I would have looked at you more often too."
"...Never mind."
Roche turned and left, grumbling.
"I didn't like him from the beginning. You shouldn't let such a prickly guy inside in the first place."
Oh really? Did someone secretly give him cafe shares? His remarks are really crossing the line more each day.
Didn't like him from the beginning, my foot.
He's definitely still milking the fact that Chait glared at him once when he came out to open the window.
Though Chait is a bit stubborn and useless since he's a patient. Still, the kid is pretty and kind.
'I really don't know why he's acting like that.'
Maybe...
'Is he jealous of Chait?'
That could be it.
Lately, quite a few customers have been coming to see Chait. Even the girls who used to be interested in Roche have their attention focused on the new face.
When he said he wanted to work, I stationed him like a folding screen at the counter, and he fulfilled the mascot role quite well.
The day when a noble lady from the neighboring village who had a crush on Roche asked about Chait's age and left disappointed, Roche did dishes for the first time.
'Maybe it's okay to leave things as they are.'
Shock therapy was quite effective.
However, I soon shook my head.
Chait Pollin isn't just some extra with a decent face like Roche.
He's none other than the person who will become the heroine's father.
For the sake of world peace in the distant future, I had to release him far away when the time came.
'Can't he get married and come back occasionally when he has time?'
Like migratory birds that only visit in winter.
Having such thoughts carelessly, I suddenly realized.
Wow, I must really like that kid.
〈4-panel Side Story. Seems Like Puberty〉
At some point, a complete stranger posing as my half-brother started calling me 'honored sister.'
"Honored sister, have you had your meal?"
Using perfect honorifics from who knows where he learned them.
He doesn't know what 'uncle' means but is skilled with honorifics. I can't grasp his language level at all. Did his mother perhaps teach him to call food 'meal'?
Anyway...
"Honored sister."
"..."
"Did you sleep peacefully through the night?"
Strangely... it feels bad.
"Roche."
"What is it, honored sister."
"You're dead."
"Why, Miss Rea."
During a lull at the counter, I complained about this matter while chatting with Roche.
"I think I'm being treated similarly to you."
"I don't have even a speck of an idea what that means?"
"You're in denial. You stopped counting at 149 approaching half of 300, right?"
"That age is youth for an elf, you know?"
"Oh, really?"
I rested my chin indifferently.
"Roche."
"Ah, what now."
"Why do you think Chait is acting like that?"
"..."
"Why is he suddenly keeping his distance from me?"
"..."
Roche quietly picked up a dishcloth.
"Who knows. I don't have even a fruit fly's speck of an idea."
That day, Roche wiped tables for the first time.