Seven Devils and a Rose (A Reverse Harem Realm-Travel Fantasy Romance) - Chapter 77

I immediately grinned at him. Was he simply wanting to say hi? Better than some people, I thought, my mind on Caleb who was still stoically looking at me as if he would like to eat me up. So we were back to that stare and silent treatment again, were we? I thought we had graduated from that phase into something much closer, since he had kissed me and even told me to never forget about it, which I hadn’t.

Back to Lord Victor, who was very cheerful, I replied in greeting, “Hi.”

He pointed to his silver head. “Take it off.”

Eh?

I asked, “Take what off?”

Felix noticed our secretive conversation behind his back and said, as he looked at me, “He means your hat, Alfie.”

My hat?

Suddenly, I panicked and consciously touched my military-style officer cap.

I licked my lips and asked in a defensive tone, “Why?”

“Has no one taught you proper manners, Alfie?” The loud voice of Lord Ethan came my way from the other side of the table.

I jolted in my seat and turned to him, surprised. When I did so, I noticed that, apparently, I had everyone’s attention on me, including Lord Geoffrey, who said, “It’s impolite to wear a hat during dinner, Alfie.”

My body started shaking in dread, and I racked my brain hard to come up with some sort of excuse. Anything at all will do.

Holding my hat tightly as if I were afraid it’d unwelcomingly fly off my head, I said, “I have head lice.”

Everyone around the table looked at me oddly. Aria asked, “Head lice? What is that?”

I am doomed. They didn’t even know what head lice were? But of course, that meant that head lice couldn’t have existed in this world.

I decided that I need to explain. “Head lice are little insects that live on your head and are very contagious. Wearing a hat is the best form of protection, especially from spreading it to others.”

Brenna said, “That sounds horrible, having little insects living on your head.”

Leona said, “That sounds fascinating. Can we have a look?”

I paled and felt like screaming and bolting. They weren’t even taking my excuse about head lice seriously.

Now where was the door again?

I glanced behind me and noticed that it was at the other end of the room. It was a little bit far, but I could manage it if I were to run with all my might. I’d be out of here in a second flat.

Suddenly, Lord Noah started chuckling as if he found me and my excuse amusing, which of course, thankfully, turned everyone’s attention to him instead of me.

Once he managed to stop, he said, “I don’t believe you have any head lice, whatever those little bastards are, Alfie.” He cocked his head to one side as he scrutinized me carefully across the table. “Are you trying to hide something?”

In which case, everyone’s attention was duly turned back to me, which made me nervous.

I shook my head furiously. “No. I’m not hiding anything.”

I heard the sound of a chair creaking, and God, I knew shit was about to hit the fan.

I made a move to make my escape. But of course, Felix held on to the back of my seat, preventing me from moving as he leaned in close, his eyes watching me with curiosity.

“What’s wrong, Alfie?” he asked.

Aaron said, “Your cheeks are red, Alfie.”

Caleb said gruffly, “For God’s sake, leave the boy alone.”

I nodded my head in agreement, flicking a thankful smile Caleb’s way. The man’s eyes glinted darkly in return. But of course, I had no time to think what that might mean because Lord Noah had now appeared behind me and was leaning his face close to mine.

He sniffed me like a bloody dog. Then he said, “All I can smell is a heavenly scent. You smell divine, Alfie. Personally, I don’t think there’re any pests living on your head.”

I stammered. “How would you know if you haven’t seen it?”

The moment I said that, I shut my mouth immediately in dread. What the fucking hell? I had just baited him into it.

Lord Noah said, “Then you don’t mind if I check, do you, Alfie?”

Before I could make any move, Lord Noah snatched the hat off my head, and my hair tumbled and spilled down my shoulders, lying there about me in all its long, silky blackness.

A hushed silence descended over the room, and I felt like crawling under the table and hiding, so embarrassed I was.

I felt everyone’s gaze on me—hot and intense—like I was an alien who had just descended on the Aurora Realm, which wasn’t exactly that far off actually.

I turned my attention to Lord Noah and stammered, “It’s all your fault, my lord. You gave me that hair potion as a gift, and now look at what happened. If I hadn’t been so busy yesterday and this morning, I would have cut this long hair off by now, and nothing like this embarrassing situation would have taken place.”

It was Brenna who spoke first. She said, “Alfie. Your hair is beautiful. I never realized it before, but it’s so dark, and it suits you.”

Aria nodded. “Like Lady Yuki Hoshi of Yamato, one of the Great Ones of the Aurora Realm. I remember seeing a painting of her somewhere in our gallery here in the palace. She has dark hair and pale skin just like you though your features look nothing like her. She’s a full eastern while you’re mixed-raced, after all. Her nickname is Snow.”

Lady Yuki of Yamato? Snow? Was this woman somehow connected to the seven lords of Acaedien? If so, then it would explain why both Felix and Caleb had reacted the way they had when I had accidentally told them that my middle name was Yuki back in the woods when they had first taken me back to their camp.

Wasn’t it strange that I happened to have the same name as a woman—a Great One, which sounded important—from this realm?

It was then that I turned my attention to the seven lords. I looked at Lord Geoffrey first, followed by Aaron, then Caleb, Lord Ethan, Lord Victor, and lastly, Felix. They all were silent and simply staring at me as if they were shocked to see me like this. Well, of course they’d be shocked. I was supposed to be a boy, and now that I suddenly had this very long hair…

Then again, why should I be receiving so much attention from these lords just because I had this long hair? Surely, if any other boy were to suddenly have their hair grow long—due to the accidental use of Lord Noah’s hair potion—then the situation would just be brushed aside, wouldn’t it?

I said, “I’ll have it cut tomorrow.”

Suddenly, I felt Felix’s hand touching my hair, gently stroking the strands. “There’s no need. Leave it as it is.”