"Frolic…? I-I won't frolic, I swear…"
Rocco had no idea what Sylas was talking about.
Absolutely none.
Still, he knew better than to respond with anything that might further displease the irritable boy holding him hostage.
That would surely get him sliced into pieces.
Whatever Sylas meant, Rocco decided to quietly shake his head in earnest denial.
Sylas narrowed his eyes suspiciously, scrutinizing Rocco's helpless expression.
Then, with a slight huff—as if frustrated or perhaps sulking—he mumbled,
"…I found you first."
"Huh?"
Rocco blinked rapidly, completely at a loss.
Found me first?
What was that supposed to mean?
But before he could think further, Sylas finally set him down on the ground with an annoyed expression.
Thank goodness… it's over…
Rocco nearly sank to his knees in relief.
He had been bracing for a swift end the entire time, but to his great relief, he had survived.
Seeing Sylas standing there stiffly, Rocco took the opportunity to scurry over to his two retainers.
Without hesitation, he threw himself at Ragar and burying his face into the man's broad chest.
Sniff, sniff… This is my safe zone… my checkpoint…
"…?"
"…Is there a problem?"
A bewildered voice sounded above him, breaking Rocco out of his moment of solace.
He turned his head to see Ragar looking confused, his gaze flicking toward Sylas.
Rocco followed his line of sight and froze.
Sylas was staring at them.
No, he glaring at them.
Rocco tilted his head, equally confused.
What's wrong with him?
Something about Sylas's behavior felt off.
In the novel, Sylas had never shown any affection toward his younger brother Rocco.
From beginning to end, his cold indifference was unwavering.
He would brush off Rocco's pestering with disinterest, avoid contact altogether, and—without the slightest hesitation—eventually assassinate him.
The reason was simple: the existence of his bothersome younger brother was an eyesore.
Sylas was supposed to feel absolutely nothing toward Rocco—at least, that's how it was in the novel.
Yet, from this situation alone, it was clear that something was different.
A sense of unease prickled at Rocco.
Sylas was interested in him.
There was no mistaking it.
The fact that Sylas was going out of his way to interact with him was evidence enough.
But if that's the case… why?
"Don't you ever think that you can take what's mine, beast."
Sylas spat the words at Ragar, his tone cold, before finally turning on his heels and walking away.
Rocco blinked in confusion as he watched Sylas's retreating figure.
Could it be… Sylas hates Beastmen?
That hadn't been mentioned in the novel, but as he thought about it further, something clicked.
Oh! I get it now!
Rocco hadn't remembered anything in the story about Rocco having Beastmen as his attendants.
Similarly, the novel never mentioned anything about Sylas disliking Beastmen.
Somehow, those two details must have overlapped.
That must have been it.
Because Rocco had brought Ragar, a Beastmen, as his attendant, Sylas had taken an interest in him—something that didn't happen in the original story.
Sylas was irritated that Rocco had a Beastmen as his right hand, and that's why he was pushing his way into Rocco's life now!
Ah, I see, I see. So that's what's going on.
Understanding the situation brought Rocco a sense of relief.
"Whew… I really thought I messed something up and changed my relationship with Sylas for good."
Letting out a long breath, Rocco relaxed while clinging tightly to Ragar.
He buried his nose into Ragar's soft, furry ears, rubbing his face against them for comfort.
Just as he was about to nibble on them, Georgio stopped him, prompting Rocco to tilt his head in confusion.
"Come on, Master! You already had your moment with Ragar! It's my turn now!"
Georgio's loud, inappropriate comment echoed through the room, practically begging for a misunderstanding.
Rocco smacked the eccentric murderer on the head, scolding him with an exasperated "Stop it!"
Georgio flailed dramatically, shouting, "Master, you sadist! You demon!"
Rocco ignored him completely, as usual, not even trying to understand what he was ranting about.
In the midst of all this chaos, Rocco had completely forgotten about the looming presence of Sylas and the incident with his mother.
Instead, he happily resumed his antics, nibbling softly on Ragar's ears.
"Hey, hey, Master!"
"I'm busy nibbling right now. Come back later."
"Ehh? Are you sure about that? I mean, it's fine if you don't care, but…"
Rocco frowned in irritation at the interruption of his precious nibbling time.
"I've told you before—I'm not nibbling your ears," he muttered with an exasperated look.
"That's not what I mean!" Georgio huffed dramatically, puffing out his cheeks before pointing sharply in a direction.
"What is it now?" Rocco grumbled as he turned to look—only for his breath to catch.
He didn't see anything, but the faint sound of heels clicking against stone echoed ominously from the direction Georgio had indicated.
As the sound grew closer, Rocco face turned pale in an instant and his body began to trembling.
Georgio smirked smugly. "See? I told you! You totally forgot about the plan, didn't you?"
"I-I did not!" Rocco stammered, his shoulders jerking up in a way that was far from convincing.
He wasn't panicking—not at all.
It was just… it was getting a little chilly lately, that's all.
Definitely not nerves.
The sharp clicking of heels continued to draw nearer, echoing louder against the quiet surroundings.
Oh no, oh no, oh no…!
Rocco's mind raced.
He had been so distracted with nibbling Ragar's ears that he'd completely forgotten about the incident involving his mother and Sylas.
"Georgio! Ragar! Hurry up and get into position! Stick to the plan—got it?!"
"You're the one who wasn't sticking to the plan, though," Georgio muttered dryly.
Rocco chose to ignore his sarcastic comment as he darted to his designated spot.
So far, things weren't exactly going as planned.
Talking directly to Sylas and getting noticed so quickly hadn't been part of the plan.
But there was still time to get back on track.