Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Usual Bickerings

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"…It's that woman again." Linie bit into the apple Kanne had given her, speaking in an overly calm tone. "Master Ash, I told you that we should have taken the other path earlier. Why didn't you listen to me? But it's fine. This way is okay too. I like that bag of apples."

"Can you stop thinking about apples all the time? And can you stop letting yourself get bribed with an apple? Have a little more ambition!" Ash snapped.

"I just think that woman is unexpectedly nice," Linie replied flatly.

"…You're not convincing at all. What if someone tries to bribe you with apples? That worries me!"

"I'll kill him, take the apples, and then keep the money too. That way, everything is mine," Linie said casually, biting her apple as though discussing the weather.

Hearing such ruthless logic from a child who looked like a little loli was both unsettling and oddly reassuring.

Ash sighed, feeling both relieved and exasperated at the same time. However, before he could say anything else, Kanne, who had been standing with her back to them, noticed their presence.

She turned around, slightly surprised at first, but then put her hands on her hips and asked suspiciously:

"Uncle… why are you behind me?"

"Uh, wanted to give you a surprise?" Ash replied weakly.

"This road loops all the way around. Were you planning to abandon me and run off with this child?"

"How could you say that? I'd never do such a thing!" Ash replied hastily. Then, feeling a tug on his shirt, he added, "Linie, don't use me to wipe your hands or mouth in front of others. It's rude. Use this woman instead."

Before he even turned around, he felt Linie pulling on his shirt again. He slapped her hand away instinctively.

"…I'm sorry," Linie muttered, withdrawing her small hand with an exaggeratedly pitiful look.

Kanne, however, gave him a strange look, pointing at herself. "'This woman'? Is that how you describe me now?"

"Ah, sorry," Ash replied, rubbing his temples. "I was led astray by Linie…"

His excuse sounded so weak even to himself that it gave him a headache. While he struggled to explain himself, Kanne opened her mouth to respond—only to notice Linie silently reaching for Ash's clothes again.

Linie had grabbed his shirt and was wiping her mouth on it, despite being scolded for the exact same thing less than ten seconds ago.

Kanne stared in amazement, her expression one of disbelief. Ash sighed in defeat, abandoning any attempts to say anything further.

Even though Linie's constant antics occasionally required reprimanding, Ash couldn't help but find her endearing. As frustrating as her behavior could be, she was still a child he had raised—and even if it brought him to tears, he had to take care of her.

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Ash had been tempted to escape, he couldn't find a way out of the maze-like market. In the end, he was forced to ask Kanne for help. With her knowledge of the local area, she guided them out successfully.

Once they finally emerged, Ash collapsed onto a bench by the roadside to rest. Kanne, standing nearby, looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Uncle… what's your relationship with this child?"

"…A relative's child," Ash replied after a pause.

"Really not a lover?"

"Use common sense!"

"But isn't this pretty normal? You're a noble, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

"Seems normal enough for nobles," Kanne replied nonchalantly, her medieval mindset catching Ash completely off guard.

For a moment, Ash was speechless. He reached out, pressed his hand on Linie's head, and shook her slightly, before turning back to Kanne. "Have you ever seen someone treat their 'lover' this rudely?"

"It… seems plausible? But honestly, it's kind of incredible that you're taking care of a child at all…"

"I have taken care of children before."

"What about Fern? Oh, speaking of her, I just ran into her earlier," Kanne said, putting her index finger on her chin thoughtfully. "She mentioned that you didn't come home last night again."

"…Let's talk about something happy," Ash said, quickly redirecting the conversation. He sighed while absentmindedly patting Linie's head. "Speaking of which, the evening is when privileges are granted, right? Lawine is probably thinking about what kind of magic to choose. And you? What do you plan to do in the next three years?"

"…Is that supposed to be a happy topic?" Kanne asked, giving him an exasperated glare. "I just managed to forget about failing the exam, and now you're bringing it up again?"

"Sorry, sorry…"

Having no better response, Ash used his other hand to ruffle Kanne's hair gently in an attempt to comfort her.

Even so, Kanne still seemed a bit upset. Her lips pouted slightly, and Ash couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry about it. You've got plenty of opportunities. You can take the exam again in three years."

"But Uncle and Lawine won't be here… I definitely can't do it alone," Kanne said dejectedly, placing her hands on her lap and lowering her head.

"If that's the case, you can just ask me, and I'll give you a backdoor pass," Ash joked, smirking slightly.

"…Is that even possible?"

"It should be. And if it's not… I'll take the test with you again," he said with a shrug.

"Really? Then… it's a deal!" Kanne's face lit up, and she eagerly grabbed his hand, pressing it to her chest as her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Let's go together again in three years!"

"…Ah, well, I did say that, but…"

Wait, no, there's no way I can really take the test with her, right? Ash thought, dumbfounded. His joke had clearly been misunderstood, and while he tried to explain, Kanne's mind seemed to have already wandered.

She occasionally stole glances at Linie, then shifted her gaze back to Ash's face. She looked both nervous and shy, making it impossible for him to guess what was going through her head.

Finally, as if gathering her courage, Kanne grabbed Ash's hand and placed it on her exposed belly.

The warmth of her skin under his palm made her freeze, and a deep blush spread across her cheeks. Her lips remained tightly pressed together, but her breathing and heartbeat became noticeably quicker.

Even Ash could clearly feel the softness and warmth beneath his hand, as well as her rapid pulse.

Linie's gaze followed his hand, her expression unreadable but thoughtful, as though she was analyzing the scene. The intense awkwardness of the situation made Ash feel like he should say or do something to stop it, but his body didn't cooperate.

Just as he was about to open his mouth, he felt a sharp, cold gaze pierce through the air like a blade, stabbing directly at him.

When he looked up, he saw Lawine standing nearby, her eyes filled with disgust and judgment as she glared at him.

The icy stare was comparable to the fiercest snowstorm in the north, so cold that it felt like it could freeze him in place from a distance.

"Wait a second," Ash blurted, raising his free hand defensively. "You can tell by the way my hand is positioned that I was pushed, right?"

"…???"

Lawine froze for a moment, startled by what she heard. Then, as realization dawned, her expression shifted into one of betrayal. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, grabbing Kanne's wrist and attempting to push her to the ground. Her voice rose with anger as she accused:

"—Kanne! How dare you lecture me yesterday?! And now… you actually do something like this?!"

"I didn't! This is just… just Uncle's request!" Kanne stammered, panicking as she held onto Lawine with both hands, trying her best to push her back. Her face turned bright red as she blurted out the excuse, instinctively shifting the blame onto Ash.

Ash pointed at himself in disbelief, utterly confused, as Lawine's furious rebuke came at him like a hailstorm of bullets. "That perverted uncle said it?! And you just went along with it?! Are you stupid?!"

"That's not fair! Didn't Lawine show her underwear to Uncle yesterday? Who's the real idiot here?!" Kanne shot back defiantly, her voice rising as the argument escalated.

Meanwhile, Ash, who was caught in the crossfire, couldn't decide whether he was an innocent bystander or an unintended accomplice.

Adding to the awkwardness, Linie stood silently nearby, staring at Ash with her usual blank expression, clearly processing the conversation's content with unnerving attention.