‘A little? Do dogs have horns? If it is going to be like this every summer, I think I’ll have to chase him away.’
Although Riley had been getting helps from Andal, it was still hard for Riley to endure the summer heat.
Even the servants in the mansion were rolling their tongues because of the heat. It was to the point they were begging Nainiae to use cooling magic. There was no need to explain it for a second time. That would have only hurt Riley’s mouth.
“Young Master.”
“Ah, Ian.”
Ian greeted Riley from the other side of the corridor. With firm grips on his own hands, Ian asked Riley,
“Did he… approve? He didn’t, right?”
“Looks like you were hoping that my father wouldn’t approve the trip. Is that right?”
“Yes. Honestly, I was hoping he wouldn’t approve it.”
Ian, with a sincere look on his eyes, answered Riley.
Having heard Ian’s response, Riley twisted a tip of his lips and said,
“Unfortunately, he approved?”
“This can’t be.”
Ian’s palms, which were in praying position, moved toward his temples.
“To begin with, it would be odd if he disapproved it when he had been approving it every year. Don’t you think?”
Riley, as if he was taking on the lead on the offenses, he started to make fun of Ian.
Ian was a strange man who liked sweating in the heat. However, he didn’t like being wet due to rain.
Ian absolutely hated rain. It could be said that rain was Ian’s mortal enemy.
“Ian. What about you? Are you going to stay in the mansion this year again?”
“Ugh!”
“Well, if you are going to stay here, I can have Sera to come with us… Actually, no. this year, I think I can just take Nainiae instead. It would be convenient too.”
Ian had a look on his face. He was protesting a wrong doing done against him. He stared at Riley with that look.
Ian was like a dog that couldn’t quite fight back.
It looked like Ian was not going to be able to go with Riley to Rainfield for vacation this year either.
“How long are you going to stay there?”
Ian, not able to figure out what to do, asked Riley.
He was asking when Riley was going to come back to the mansion.
“I’m not sure?”
Riley tilted his head side to side as he walked toward the library, a place that was at least cooler than the rest of the mansion.
“I probably will… stay there until late summer?”
“Late summer?”
“Why? I stayed there for about two months last year. Don’t you remember?”
“Two months...”
“I’m not sure about this year. How long will I be staying…”
Hearing Riley’s mumbling, Ian’s face became more serious.
It looked like he was agonizing over if he was going to go with Riley.
“I was hoping if you could look after my mother in the mansion while I’m away. Will that be okay with you?”
“Um…”
Having heard what Riley said, Ian started to make grumbling noise.
It was because Ian had no reason to refuse it if that was Riley’s wish.
“Actually, if I leave the house, having just Sera isn’t enough, isn’t it? That’s why I’m doing this every year too.”
Having heard Riley’s words indicating his trust in Ian’s abilities, Ian asked carefully,
“You said two months… right?”
“Well, depending on the situation? It could be sooner, and it could be later.”
“Ugh.”
Ian sighed big enough to make the ground sink.
That was his answer.
Riley put his hand on Ian’s shoulder. Riley was showing Ian that he is trusting Ian with the task of looking after his mother. Riley smiled big, and Ian too smiled as if he was trying to say he will yield.
***
It was the next day morning.