Chapter 21: A Different Person

When Kanaru heard a familiar name, he immediately remembered how the chef knight described Rodnir's job in the harem court. Rodnir was the king's ward, but he was also tasked to do legwork for the king and the adviser. They also mentioned how the harem court disliked Rodnir in general. Kanaru didn't doubt it anymore after hearing that he was some kind of welfare warden.

No matter how much he looked around, the people in this place were all children of the sovereigns ruling over their own countries. He could understand why they hated someone who graded them as they performed servant duties. It was not like Rodnir could get soft in this guarding duty.

Earlier, however, Kanaru saw Rodnir leading the king's entourage through the reflection on the shiny floor. He didn't care about looking up to see the king, but he wondered why Rodnir seemed different when he showed up again. The look in those red eyes was cold and disheartening; they didn't even seem to belong to the same person.

"Kanaru…?" Natucha's voice echoed with a snap of her fingers. Kanaru shot up his eyes to look at her face again, and she squinted. Then, she repeated her question, "I said… we don't really have a lot of rooms allotted for male members. After all, the planning for the living quarters is abysmal.

"I might have to ask for a room in the women's spaces, but it's filled with vacant rooms. Will that be all right with you?" Natucha pressed her palms together as if praying. "I swear I will find a place if they kick out those in solitary right now!"

Kanaru's eyes flickered. He wanted to refuse, but he didn't want to sound capricious. Then again, he didn't want to be around women in their vulnerable spaces. He just looked to the side, taking in the gazes of those who loitered the hallway to listen in.

Someone then leaned on the cement railing of the hallway's long unglazed windows. He crossed his arms on his chest. "I already told you, Natucha. No one wants to mix with those bitter little things. The closer they are to the male living quarters, the more they abhor seeing men. What will you do if they enslaved that guy for the fun of it?"

At those words, Natucha pulled a long face. She twisted her lips and growled. "Work with me here, Henrik. I really have no more room to give. Unless you want me to introduce roommates to you, I can't do anything. Moreover, if I stave off another block of rooms, those girls will rebel again."

"Rooming together? The rooms here are awfully tiny. How do you expect us to share it with another person?" Another complained, and some others echoed his sentiments. Natucha didn't show a better expression—in fact, she was growing uglier by the second.

"Is it that small…?" Kanaru didn't mind sharing with someone, but that someone might mind sharing. No matter, he just walked to the unglazed windows and looked outside. They were on the outer side of the palace, so all he could see were the fields that separated the palace from other administrative buildings. Then, he noticed a tower further down the hallway.

He pulled back and asked with some kind of glittering eyes, "Natucha, what's over there? Is that part of the living quarters? Can we go inside?"

Natucha joined him by the window and looked at what Kanaru gestured at. Her expression grew disgusted. "I mean… yeah… but that's just a dark tower no one takes care of. There's nothing to see inside. The view should be good, but that's like seven stories up. The top room is also nothing better."

She turned to him and didn't miss the awe hidden in those golden eyes. She would say something, but she saw one of the ministers walking toward them with four servants following him. Seeing that this minister was not in the entourage earlier, Natucha figured the man had been there for a long while. She even looked at the four servants behind him, two males and two females.

"Greetings, minister." Natucha cued the rest, and the male concubines followed with the greeting. They were not even enthusiastic at all.

"Natucha, Rodnir figured you won't have enough rooms here anymore. You can make use of the tower for now, but whoever gets the place should clean it quite regularly. The steps also needed to be repaired, so it's quite hazardous." The minister glanced at the concubines and soon found Kanaru bowing down with the crowd. "You're that bird named Kanaru, right?"

Kanaru looked up as he heard his name. Before he could answer, the minister tossed the key ring at him. The minister said, "There are two more rooms at the fifth and sixth stories of the tower. If you don't want to get chewed at, make sure to clean up regularly."

The bird prince caught the key ring without difficulties, but he still froze a little. It didn't help that the minister only gave Natucha a few reminders about the tower's entrance. The keys were given to him in particular, and the minister even knew Kanaru as if someone mentioned him. Was the tower… prepared for him at Rodnir's orders?

When the minister's entourage left with him, Natucha turned to Kanaru. The bird prince only stared at the key ring with a stifled laugh. She didn't know if someone was showing favor or if it was merely convenient if the person rooming in the tower had wings.

"Erm, Natucha…" Kanaru faced her now, his smile doing its best not to show. It was further pushed down by Natucha's frown. "I can use the room in the tower instead, right? I don't have to stay in the women's spaces now if you have a room for me there, right?"

"I mean, yes… but… wait, if that's the case, you should get your things in Eann's room for now. It's still packed. You won't have trouble with that." Natucha just reserved her full reaction and waved a hand. She just watched how Eann and Kanaru jogged to the supposed room for the other newbie.

"Kanaru, can I stay with you up there, too?" Eann chuckled as he opened the door to his room. He then whispered as if not wanting anyone else to hear his thoughts, "I'm a lizard. I'll just crawl up the walls if I have to. The view should be magnificent… and it will all be for ourselves. Three rooms in a tower seven stories high? How exciting! It's even higher than the palace's main body."

Kanaru didn't mind having someone else. There were three rooms, after all. For now, he was just happier over the fact that Rodnir opened the place for him. If no one asked to be there, Kanaru would even get his own tower in the palace.

Right, Rodnir was only exhausted, making arrangements left and right as soon as he got home. He didn't suddenly forget about Kanaru. He even left Kanaru with a flattering gift.

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