"Ah, I've set up a space next door for haircuts."
At that, Lark couldn't help but scoff in disbelief.
"Ha, they really went all out."
Navia defended Margaret and Minerva, who had diligently prepared the space for him, albeit weakly.
"It was to execute the mission given by the Duke quickly and accurately. Any shortcomings are my fault."
'...Such a mouthy little thing.'
Unable to retort, Lark followed the child out of the bedroom.
Navia, clutching her fists and rubbing her eyes, worried that she might look a mess. It wouldn't be proper otherwise.
But Lark didn't seem like a man who cared about formalities, so she guessed her current state was acceptable.
After all, he was the one who had come to her room uninvited before dawn.
Lark glanced down at Navia, who walked with quick steps, and continued to frown.
'Even a broken clockwork doll would walk better than that.'
Her steps were still unnatural, though not to that extreme.
It couldn't be helped since injuries don't heal overnight.
Click.
"Here it is."
Navia revealed her workspace, which had grown more dear to her in just a day.
Lark commented with amusement.
"Playing house?"
He continued to be astonished, looking at the well-equipped space.
"Incredible."
The excitement was palpable in the space.
Navia thought the same but still treasured her workspace.
Wisely pretending not to hear, she offered a gown.
"Please put this on."
While Lark reluctantly donned the gown, Navia put on a headscarf and apron like yesterday.
Dressed in her uniform, she felt ready to start working.
"Just trimming the ends?"
Navia raised her head to look up at Lark's face, high above her.
Lark responded indifferently.
"No. Cut it all short."
Navia was taken aback by the request.
'I heard he's been growing it for nine years.'
To cut all of that?
'What if he changes his mind and blames me for cutting it?'
In fact, barbers in noble families feared most the request to cut long hair.
Nobles would impulsively decide to cut their hair and then punish the innocent barber upon regretting their shorter hair.
Seeing Navia hesitate, Lark took the scissors and started cutting his hair, which reached his waist, now barely touching his shoulders.
Navia was startled by his boldness and involuntarily covered her mouth with both hands.
Lark carelessly dropped his hair to the floor.
"Is it done? Now cut it."
Navia approached Lark, who had quickly become a short-haired figure, hesitatingly, then stopped.
"Ah, I'll fetch some water."
Snap!
As Lark flicked his hand, a basin filled with water appeared instantly beside Navia.
'Such a power is possible too.'
Navia found herself enviously admiring his abilities.
Having prepared everything, Navia stepped onto the footrest with a serious look.
Just then, the dark sky swiftly brightened, and golden sunlight streamed through the window.
Somehow, the situation felt dreamlike to Navia.
The morning sunlight settling warmly on the black mansion and his own barber shop. The first customer, Lark, who had suddenly appeared.
Lark sat with his legs crossed and arms folded.
'It's fortunate, though.'
It would have been a disaster to cut hair relying on the lamp's light and the clumsy dawn sky.
"How should I do your hair?"
"Just do it. Just make it short."
It was the most difficult request.
'Should I trim the back short and leave the front long? It's not now, but soon such a hairstyle will be in fashion.'
While Navia was touching his hair, contemplating the style, Lark was intently watching the child through the mirror.
It was a gaze that seemed to say he wanted to observe every move.
Navia, feeling the pressure of that intense gaze, first dampened his hair and combed it. Then she seriously started cutting, making the length even shorter.
Snip, snip.
The soft sunlight also settled and permeated into the black hair.
Navia, with her silver hair, found the black, strong texture fascinating.
'Even his hair seems quite fitting of a nobleman.' A whimsical thought occurred to her.
Navia, focused on his scissoring, found her tension somewhat easing.
Lark found it amusing to see the small child in the mirror seriously snipping away with busy hands.
'Well, the skill isn't bad.'
At least it wasn't a clumsy attempt that barely left a mark of having been cut.
That was strange.
'It looks like the skill of someone with at least 20 years of experience.'
His deep gaze seemed to try to pierce through Navia's identity.
A face he had never seen before.
Suspicious.
Behavior not like a child's.
Strange.
Then, suddenly, he tilted his head in puzzlement.
'...It reminds me of someone.'
"Duke."
At that moment, Navia spoke to him soothingly.
"You need to keep your head straight."
Lark was about to apologize momentarily, then frowned and straightened his head.
"The barber's skill is quite poor."
Instead, he just nitpicked for no reason.
Navia briefly lifted his gaze to meet Lark's red eyes through the mirror, and then smiled slightly.
'Did she smile?'
Moreover, she had just smiled very unpleasantly.
It was a look one gives to a hopeless child!
He could only let out a baffled chuckle.
This little one has no idea how frightening and remarkable a person he was, choosing only to behave so audaciously.
‘Lark Eseled, seems like your fiery temperament from the past has died down.’
Amused and astonished by Navia's attitude, Lark had completely forgotten what he was thinking just a moment ago.
Navia climbed down from the footstool and moved in front of him with some effort.
Lark silently observed her movements.
"Lord, please close your eyes so the hair doesn't get in."
'She must be planning to trim my bangs.'
He obediently closed his eyes. It was inevitable, as hair in the eyes would be painful.
Rustle-
Navia fidgeted in front of him, trimming his hair for a while before suddenly moving away.
It was when Lark felt the child's warmth recede and his eyes twitched open.
"You shouldn't open your eyes yet."
Navia quickly ran to fetch a dry cloth from the drawer, stepped back onto the footstool, and resumed.
Lark kept his eyes closed, sensing the movements.
A small hand approached his face.
Soon, a sensation like a feather brushing against his skin was felt.
Navia's touch on his hair was gentle, though not as cautious as he expected.
It wasn't that the touch was not delicate; it simply felt like a hand so engrossed in something that she forgot to be wary of its counterpart.
A space like child's play and the youngest barber in the empire.
'I can already see Shuleiman or Margeret making a fuss about this today.'
Lark felt a similar emotion to self-reproach, yet he quite liked the quietness of the early morning and the child's touch.
'So a day can start like this.'
He had no interest in children and never wanted to care for one, so there was never a child by his side.
In fact, Navia was the first child to stay here.
Therefore, it was the first time he had stayed by a child's side all night and played with one in the morning.
'Yes. I'm playing with a child.'
The fact that such a day could be his was a fresh shock.
"All done."
Lark slowly lifted his long eyelashes.
By then, Navia had already moved away from in front of him.
His reflection in the mirror showed his hair shortened, but it wasn't a new look.
'I haven't tried styling my hair this prettily before.'
He touched his bangs lightly.
Was this hairstyle trendy in the empire recently? He couldn't quite remember, but it looked good at least.
More than anything, he liked the lightness.
"Is it okay?"
Navia was inwardly proud.
Lark would look good with any hairstyle, but styling it so fashionably made his beauty stand out even more.
Lark commented casually.
"Your skill isn't a complete mess."
Navia smiled inwardly, lowering his gaze slightly.
'Surely Lord is an interesting person.'
Others might not agree, but that's how Navia felt.
Until now, Lark's image in Navia's mind was rough and violent but with a noble dignity flowing like a ruler.
But now, somehow...
'He seems to have a cuter side than I thought.'
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