Meanwhile, Juhyeon was…
“……”
“Kkuu.”
“…I’ll carry it.”
He was being treated to snacks by the teddy bear.
“Is this fruit tea?”
“Kkuu.”
“It smells wonderful. It must have been troublesome, so thank you for taking such care.”
“Kkukukku…”
“And from now on, I’ll fetch my own food. If that’s permitted.”
He added,
“I don’t intend to use a kitchen that the master of this house clearly cherishes without permission. But could I not at least bring over food that has already been prepared?”
Taking care not to offend the immense Mysteries in this place, Juhyeon wore his customary amiable smile.
“It doesn’t feel polite to do nothing but receive help from an elder.”
“Kkuu?”
“If there’s anything else you want me to do, please ask as much as you like.”
The teddy bear tilted its head, but then nodded as though it understood.
‘I wondered whether it might grow angry, thinking I was refusing its goodwill. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.’
It might look like an ordinary teddy bear, but Juhyeon knew that whatever dwelled inside was anything but ordinary. Was this not a being whom the Black Cloak called Father? Merely receiving hospitality from such an extraordinary elder made him deeply uncomfortable.
‘Still, it’s fortunate that I can interact to some extent with a being residing in a place like this…’
Juhyeon fell silent with the brilliantly sparkling fruit tea before him.
“……”
He was not sure whether he should consider even this fortunate.
‘Is it safe to drink?’
He had eaten and drunk everything well until now, but that did not mean he…