"Son? Seriously?" Kyoji questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as he turned to Butler James.
Butler James remained indifferent...
"What choice did I have? I had to sign the damn document."
"Do you really think I want the burden of fatherhood to a muddle-headed young man like you, obsessed only with fashion?" Butler James retorted.
Kyoji, far from surprised or angered, simply nodded in understanding at the first part of the statement. He did, however, shoot a cold glare at Butler James for the last comment before taking the opportunity to finally observe the room he had woken up in.
It was surprisingly spacious for a hospital room. The walls were painted a sterile white, and apart from the bed he lay in, the only furniture were two bedside cabinets, each adorned with a vase of fragrant flowers that filled the air with a calming scent. Butler James occupied a chair positioned between the cabinets. A single door, likely leading to a bathroom, was situated in the corner.
Even without being told, Kyoji knew he had been upgraded to a VIP room. While it didn't hold a candle to the luxury he was accustomed to, it was a significant improvement over the sterile environment of the emergency room where he had initially regained consciousness.
Speaking of which, how long had he been out?
"How long was I unconscious?" Kyoji inquired, turning back to Butler James.
"Two days," Butler James replied calmly.
"What!" Kyoji exclaimed, bolting upright in bed. Two days? How could he have been out for so long?
"The nurse who administered the sleeping gas mentioned that you reacted rather violently," Butler James explained, his tone even...
"Apparently, your strength indicated you were a Chosen, so she might have used a stronger dosage than usual."
"What?" Kyoji mumbled, shocked by the sheer incompetence of it all.
First, they amputated his limbs without anesthesia, and now this? Knocking him out with a sleeping gas potent enough to subdue someone far beyond his supposed level was beyond incompetent; it was downright idiotic.
Kyoji may have been tall for his age, but his face still held the youthful appearance of someone barely seventeen. For the nurse to have missed that crucial detail before practically drugging him unconscious… she must have been a complete fool.
"This is bad," Kyoji muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else...
"Does this mean I haven't bathed in two days?" he asked, finally looking up at Butler James.
The look on Butler James's face indicated he had been expecting this question. He simply pinched the bridge of his nose and ignored him.
Kyoji, meanwhile, sank back into his pillows, muttering a string of curses directed at the frog-like mutant, the incompetent nurse, and the damn time travel that had landed him in this disaster. After a few minutes spent silently cursing the air in front of him, he finally settled back, gazing blankly at the ceiling.
"I know you have something to say," he stated, addressing Butler James...
"Spit it out; I want to sleep."
Butler James remained silent for a moment before speaking...
"While you were unconscious, you had two visitors. That little friend of yours, and some foolish-looking boy with the surname Gilles."
Kyoji's brow furrowed again. Ethan's visit was expected, but someone with the surname Gilles? Who could that be?
"This 'foolish-looking boy' would he happen to be... somewhat handsome?" Kyoji asked, still staring at the ceiling.
"That's what I just said," Butler James replied flatly.
Kyoji wasn't surprised. He had grown accustomed to Butler James's… creative use of language. He still wasn't quite sure how 'foolish-looking' translated to 'handsome,' but then again, Butler James seemed to be working with a dictionary entirely his own.
Kyoji frowned, his brow furrowed as he considered Butler James' description: a handsome man bearing the surname Gilles. The only person who even remotely fit that description was Frederick.
He sat up, turning towards Butler James, who had removed his dark sunglasses. Beneath them, his eyes glowed a stark white, devoid of pupils or irises, just an unsettling luminescence.
Anyone catching a glimpse of those eyes would assume blindness, but Kyoji knew better. Butler James possessed vision far superior to that of ordinary men.
"Did he leave anything for me? Or perhaps a message?" Kyoji asked, his gaze fixed on the butler.
"No, he insisted on delivering it personally when you were awake. Quite the stubborn child, that one. Makes you want to instill some discipline," Butler James remarked with a shake of his head.
Yeah… Kyoji couldn't help but silently agree. Frederick abandoned him during their encounter with that mutant, fleeing for his own safety. Not that Kyoji could fault him entirely; their agreement didn't include mandatory backup in dangerous situations. Still, they were partners, at least for the time being. Running off like that seemed a bit excessive.
"Oh, your little friend did leave this," Butler James suddenly spoke, drawing Kyoji's attention. He held out a small box.
"Oh," Kyoji replied curtly, taking the box with a cold glare.
"That 'little friend' has a name, you know," he stated pointedly.
"As if I care," Butler James replied with nonchalance, rising to his feet and heading towards the door.
Kyoji sighed, ignoring the butler's rudeness and focusing on the box in his hands. It wasn't large, tied with a red ribbon clumsily fashioned into a butterfly knot. The crude handiwork screamed Ethan, which wasn't surprising. The boy clearly didn't have the funds for a proper gift, not that Kyoji cared.
He carefully untied the knot, revealing a folded piece of paper nestled atop a pile of cheap candy. A chuckle escaped Kyoji's lips. His attention shifted to the paper.
Unfolding it, he found a handwritten letter addressed to him. With calm, emotionless eyes, he read through Ethan's simple apology, ending with a heartfelt "get well soon."
'Isn't he just adorable?' Kyoji mused with a smirk. He folded the letter, tossing it into a nearby drawer. Reaching into the box, he grabbed a piece of candy.
Despite their cheap appearance, he didn't mind. Being unconscious for two days had left him famished. Relying on Butler James for food was futile, so he had to make do until the butler deemed it necessary to provide sustenance.
Speaking of Butler James, he had vanished. Kyoji hadn't heard the door open or close, but he wasn't surprised. It was just another peculiarity of his enigmatic butler.
Aside from speaking, Butler James seemed to move through the world without a sound. No footsteps, no rustling fabric, no creaking doors. Just an eerie silence.
If Kyoji hadn't interacted with him physically on numerous occasions, he would have been convinced he was dealing with a phantom.
Kyoji suspected it had something to do with the old man's unique talent, but Butler James was tight-lipped about such matters. He was a man of secrets.
Even their initial encounter remained shrouded in mystery. When Kyoji's mother left, aside from the one billion E₵ inheritance she also left him a house, and by the time he arrived to claim his inheritance there was Butler James, already present and ready to serve. Kyoji never understood the nature of the relationship between his mother and Butler James, but at eight years old and swimming in wealth, he needed guidance. Butler James had provided that flawlessly ever since, so he couldn't complain.
But dwelling on Butler James wouldn't solve the pressing issue that had plagued Kyoji since he woke up.
HE FELT INCREDIBLY STRONG...