Gilbert had come to Isaac’s under the Emperor’s orders.
After Luinael had nearly blown up in anger, Isaac had barely managed to stop him from kicking Gilbert out of the room.
Isaac, exhausted, couldn’t even explain who Gilbert was to Noah.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“B-but…”
“I said don’t worry about it.”
“Ugh…”
Isaac had meant to avoid answering, fearing that rumors about Gilbert might spread through the aristocracy, but Noah seemed to have misunderstood.
His hands shook even more.
Isaac let out a sigh as he watched Noah struggle with the cravat.
It seemed Noah wasn’t scared of Isaac himself, but rather Gilbert.
Well, Gilbert was a bit intimidating despite being on Isaac’s side. Isaac turned his head reluctantly.
“Gilbert, since I’m changing, could you step outside for a moment?”
“I can’t do that.”
“Didn’t know you had a hobby of watching other people’s clothes come off.”
“…”
However, Gilbert didn’t even flinch at Isaac’s taunt.
He remained as still as a statue, his expression unreadable.
Isaac clicked his tongue in frustration.
“Just keep going.”
“Yes…”
Noah, sensing the mood, quickly nodded.
He then carefully continued to untie the cravat with his small hands.
Though Noah was clearly scared, he was a skilled servant, selected personally by Luinael.
His work was efficient and neat.
Soon enough, he was progressing with the task smoothly.
The issue, however, was Gilbert, who was watching the entire process.
“Eek…!”
“…”
Every time Noah caught a glimpse of Gilbert, he jumped in fright and couldn’t continue.
Isaac turned his head to look at Gilbert, wondering what had caused such a reaction, but Gilbert was just standing there quietly.
What on earth… Isaac couldn’t understand what was going on.
Eventually, Isaac finished changing clothes.
He realized that ever since he had come here, he hadn’t had a moment to change clothes comfortably.
Isaac sighed and turned his body.
“So, are you just going to stand there like that?”
“…”
“Come, sit down at least.”
“Yes.”
Only then did Gilbert, who had been standing like a statue, finally move.
Isaac and Gilbert sat down across from each other at the small table in the room.
“….”
“….”
There was nothing to say to Gilbert.
He was a man of few words, and Isaac wasn’t much of a talker either.
Besides, their relationship was awkward.
“Should I… prepare some tea and snacks?”
“Yes.”
“Alright!”
Noah, who had been observing, carefully asked.
Isaac nodded at Noah, who seemed to take the hint.
Noah smiled brightly in response and quickly left the room.
He looked like an eager puppy wagging its tail.
“…”
“Do you like that servant?”
“What?”
Isaac had been staring at Noah’s retreating figure, half-wondering if he had a tail.
As soon as Noah left, Gilbert spoke with an oddly dissatisfied tone.
Isaac, surprised, turned his head to look at him.
“Well, I don’t know him well yet, since we’ve just met.”
“…”
At first, Isaac had found Noah annoying, then thought him to be too scared to be useful.
That hadn’t changed.
Noah did his work quite well, but his constant fear raised concerns about how he’d handle things in the future.
“He’s good at his work, but he’s just so scared…”
“I see.”
Isaac clicked his tongue again, and Gilbert nodded.
For some reason, his usual stiff expression seemed a bit more relaxed.
No, it must be a mistake.
There’s no way this trivial conversation could make him feel better.
Isaac looked at Gilbert with an unamused expression.
“Are you uncomfortable being here with me?”
“…”
Isaac asked directly.
It hadn’t even been long since they were left alone in the room, but already, the atmosphere was stifling.
If he felt this way, surely Gilbert must feel even more uncomfortable, though it didn’t show on his expression.
Isaac nodded to himself, thinking that Gilbert probably wasn’t showing how uncomfortable he was.
“Are you uncomfortable being with me?”
“Not with me… with you.”
“I’m fine.”
“…”
Isaac nervously glanced at Gilbert’s sword at his waist, wondering if Gilbert might suddenly snap and attack him with it.
No, there was no way. Gilbert hated the original Isaac with a passion because of Samuel’s incident, but he had never directly harmed him.
What Isaac couldn’t understand was why, in this new version of the story, Gilbert was one of the potential romantic interests.
It made no sense to him.
“Here’s your tea and dessert.”
“Oh, right.”
Just then, Noah returned, setting down a teacup and a plate of desserts.
Isaac, not paying attention to the colorful desserts, lifted the cup of fragrant tea to his lips.
“…It’s good.”
Isaac praised the tea after taking a sip.
It was exactly to his taste.
The nobles of the capital often sweetened their tea with sugar or honey, which Isaac didn’t care for, but fortunately, the Duke’s household didn’t drink it that way.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Does the prince drink tea this way as well?”
“Oh, no… the prince prefers his tea sweeter.”
“Really?”
But there was no sign of sugar or honey anywhere on the table.
Noticing Isaac’s confusion, Noah quickly added.
“I was informed of the Duke’s preferences from the prince.”
“The prince told you?”
“Yes!”
“…?”
It was clear that Luinael knew all of Isaac’s habits and preferences.
He must have watched him closely ever since he was a child, memorizing every little detail.
So if Luinael knew Isaac liked sweet things, why did he remember it the other way around?
“Did the prince really say that?”
“Yes.”
“You’re saying I don’t like sweets?”
“Yes… You said so very clearly…”
“…”
When Isaac asked again, Noah shrank back like a frightened animal.
Still, he didn’t take back his words.
It was strange.
For Luinael, who knew every single one of Isaac’s quirks down to the smallest detail, to make such a mistake—it didn’t make sense. Isaac tilted his head in puzzlement.
“I thought you liked sweets.”
“Ah…”
Gilbert, who seemed to remember the detail perfectly, calmly commented while sipping the same tea.
Isaac glanced at him with a wry smile.
“My tastes have changed with age.”
“I see.”
Fortunately, Gilbert didn’t find the excuse suspicious.
In truth, eating sweets after transmigrating this body had been torturous, so Isaac had deliberately avoided them.
The act had been hard to maintain, but it seemed his close aides were starting to notice the oddity.
When he gave Gilbert that explanation, though, everyone seemed to accept it.
After all, the real Isaac had always been temperamental and prone to changing his mind dozens of times a day.
“That’s unfortunate. Samuel mentioned once that he quite enjoyed the strawberry-flavored candy you gave him.”
“Pfft…!”
Isaac hadn’t expected Samuel to be mentioned at such an odd moment and ended up spitting out some of his tea.
He hastily wiped his mouth and set the teacup down, doing his best to act nonchalant.
“…Is that so.”
“Yes. It’s caused him some trouble since, as a priest bound to celibacy, he says he can’t stop thinking about that candy.”
“Can’t he indulge once in a while?”
“So he does. Occasionally, in secret.”
“…”
To think that he could now casually talk with Gilbert about that incident.
Isaac observed Gilbert carefully while pretending to drink tea.
At least on the surface, Gilbert seemed to harbor no lingering resentment about it.
If he was hiding his emotions this well, then perhaps Gilbert was the better actor between the two of them.
“Um… Is there anything else you need?”
“No, that’ll be all. You may go.”
“Yes, understood.”
Noah bowed his head and left the room.
Silence fell as the two remaining men quietly drank their tea.
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