Despite having run away from the kingdom and her family to find refuge in the old castle, Monette had spent the last few days feeling restless.

There was someone watching her. This feeling had been constantly overcoming her, but when she turned around to find out who it was, there was no one there, just the dirty old walls of the old castle.

Every time she would tell herself not to mind it, but she would soon feel the gaze on her back once again soon afterward turning back around. However, when she quickly spun around on the spot, there was still nobody there………..and so on and so on for days on end.

On that day as well, she once again felt someone’s gaze on her. A wrinkle formed on her brow as she vigorously swung around as her eyes darted around every corner of the room she was in. She had the resolution to definitely not miss them this time, but once again she came up empty.

Was there a forest animal sleeping in the castle, or was it just a ghost?

It had been a long time since people had come or gone from this castle, so the possibility of an animal having gotten in was indeed high. And this was a building constructed inside a dense woods, so the gloomy air around it makes it seem like it is definitely haunted.

Which would be better to encounter……thinking such a thing, Monette picked up a nearby brick that had fallen off a wall and an already lit lantern.

If it is an animal, a ferocious animal, she could use the fire from the lantern as a shield and throw the brick to drive it away. If it is a ghost…….would the brick be useful?

While venturing through the castle, Monette eventually found her stalker hanging off a spider’s nest on the ceiling.

At the same time, a shrill shriek escaped her lips as the culprit was neither a vicious animal nor a ghost.

Eight long legs and a plump body with fine hairs covering it. When it noticed that Monette had found it, it began crawling down one of its hanging threads…….

It was a spider.

Rather, it was quite a large spider.

Monette took a step back, and even though she didn’t know if it would have any effect or not she showed it the lantern and the brick. Were spiders scared of fire? As for the brick…..even if she was capable of hitting it, the fear completely took hold of her mental processing, and the only thing she could think of was how threatening it looked.

Eventually, Monette’s sense did return to her, and moving as slowly as she could so as to not irritate it too much, she made for the door and left the room.

It was a spectacular defeat. As she left, a meek, “Do not come out too much……” was the only feeble resistance she could muster.

Such a solicitation after their first encounter was in vain, and the spider continued to appear in front of Monette after that. Rather, it had started purposefully entering Monette’s vision by hanging off a window frame or running across a wall. It was like it was refreshed after having been seen once, so it wanted to be seen again.

Of course Monette screamed every time he appeared, and so he would quickly surrender and escape out of the room immediately after.

Even when she decided to become a witch and started reading magic books, it was largely with the intention of finding a spell to drive away spiders.

But no matter how giant a spider is, you gradually get used to it.

For Monette, whose heart had been wounded, feared humans more than anything, and had run away to have the old castle be her cage, especially.

She did not want to vomit when he saw her, nor would she break out into a cold sweat. Soon she was able to grow a sense of affinity with the spider and eventually had her first conversation with him. “This shall be my room, so please don’t make a nest here.”

Different from the prince who called her ugly or her family who did not protect her, this was a spider who took the time to meet her right before bed and when she got up. He looked like he was telling her good night and welcoming her every morning. Soon, Monette was talking with him normally with him as well.

One day, Monette called out to the spider hanging on the window sill.

“Robertson.”

And just like that, the spider had a name.

The called out spider climbed up a few centimeters after being called. Was it a substitute for his reply after hearing it? There was no confirmation, but at least it did not appear he was running away.

This was why Monette was able to work up the courage to get as close as she could to the spider and sit next to him. She investigated the structure of an arthropod from close up and even drew an illustration of him, but for some reason, she feel like she didn’t quite meet eye to eye with him even when she was looking into his eyes.

Even the spider in the illustration had compound eyes, but even those seemed to believe she was ugly.

Thinking such a thing made her want to cry, but she was able to continue on by continuously telling herself it was only natural that a spider’s sense of beauty would be different from a human’s.

Should Monette be thought of as fearless here, or was it just her running away from the truth? She wasn’t able to tell this easier because the spider would not answer her when asked.

“Well, can I call you Robinson? It’s a nice name is it not?”

‘Robertson’ was a name taken from a book that was left in the castle. Whether the castle’s former owner forgot it here or just left it, it was a book filled with adventures that kids seem to like.

Robertson is a character that is prevalent in most of the stories, and he is a reliable character that appears and helps the people whenever they are in need just like a hero. It is not a spider.

“Is it rude to give a human name to a spider like this? If you don’t want it, climb down. Go up if it’s okay.”

Or so Monette asked. It was a way of communicating with a spider that is incapable of saying anything.

However, it is not certain that he is able to understand the words she is saying in the first place to be able to react properly. That’s why she stared at Robertson intently, and as his hair covered legs trembled ever so slightly……

*Suu Suu* he started climbing up.

When she saw it, Monette’s face lit up.

That was an answer. There is no doubt about it. He heard her words, understood, and then he accepted being called Robertson.

When she realized it, relief and joy sprang up in Monette’s heart, and she cried out, “Robertson,” while bouncing up and down. The fear that she had felt when she first saw that figure was now a distant memory, and a feeling of love popped up in her heart when she a heart-mark like pattern in his soft and fluffy hair.

When she extended one of her fingers to try and pet him, Robertson also put one of his hands out instead resulting in a pseudo-handshake.

“Robertson, I look forward towards our future.”

When Monette started talking to him, he once again climbed up his web with a *Suu Suu*

What a lovely and dependable friend. Trust in him began to increase as an understanding in communication was made, and he was could give her his confirmation just by having her look at him.

It was a reply that is determined by the way he moves. There would be no direct words from him, but they were still able to communicate with each other.

Realizing that, Monette narrowed her eyes slightly. Relief sprang into her heart. At the same time, however, there was just a small sense of unease along with that relief.

‘I am going to be with him from now on.

Always in this castle, no one visiting, and never visiting anyone in turn.

I will never laugh with someone again, never touch someone………’

What a miserable life it is.

“…….Robertson, please don’t go anywhere.”

There was only him now.

So Monette entreated him with a slightly trembling voice, and Robertson responded with a small rustling as he climbed up his web.

…………………………….

“Robertson surely made the resolution to become a familiar at that time.”

When Gina said that to me, I was sitting in a chair opposite her and tilted my head to the side with a creak and asked, “determination to become a familiar?”

This place was one of the rooms in the old castle. In the midst of a tea party, Gina asked about how I had met Robertson, so I told her what I could remember.

“Do not witches use animals and have them become familiars?”

“Surely, but it’s not just the witch’s decision. What you need is a mutual will.”

“Mutual will?”

I thought familiars were created when an animal had been continuously bathed in a witch’s magic power, but apparently it was not just that.

As I continued to look at her curiously, Gina crouched down and lovingly kissed Concetta who was resting on her knee.

“Witches certainly choose animals to become their familiars, but at the same time animals choose the witches they wish to have as their masters.”

“The witch is also chosen?”

“That’s right. If an animal becomes a familiar it will have the same lifespan as a human. This is true whether it normally lives a shorter life or a longer life. That is why when an animal becomes a familiar, they will never be able to live with its species again. When an animal becomes a familiar, they must be willing to make that sacrifice.”

‘Right Concetta.’ When Gina looked down and called his name, Concetta abandoned his balled up position on her knees to finally lift his face up.

When his gaze met with Gina’s, he slowly began to close his mismatched colored eyes. It was an adorable figure that makes you smile when you look at it, and you can tell from a glance the confidence and love in their relationship.

My expression underneath my helmet collapsed when I saw the two of them, and Alexis who had been silently listening to the story from the side started to nod his head as if he were impressed.

My gaze turned towards the window beside all of us where Robertson was currently sticking to. Next to his was the figure of Percival. He was peeping outside, staring into the rain.

Percival should have also heard Gina’s story, and slowly his face that had been stalwartly staring outside untill now slowly turned to the side…….

“Brother-in-law………”

was what he called Robertson.

From this, my armor made a large and sudden clatter as I hunched over to try and prevent myself from laughing, and Alexis found his mouth stuffed with bread by Gina before he could say anything. Meanwhile I saw Concetta bat down his ears and groan a little after being put into a bad mood now that his great impression had been so suddenly cut short.

However Percival did not notice any of this. Rather, his blue eyes were shining as he looked upon Percival more than ever before.

“As a fellow man who has made the resolution to walk beside Lady Monette from now on, there is nothing else I could call that person other than brother-in-law. My brother-in-law!”

Towards Percival who was looking at him with bright and shining eyes, Robertson raised a hand slowly but surely. Whether he liked the new way of being called, or he shared in the sentiment, Robertson was glad to be called brother by Percival at any rate.

The rest of us were watching the exchange of these two–one person and one spider brother-in-law–and each of us shrugged our shoulders after sharing a look. Leave it alone, this thought synchronized between all of us without any words having to be said.

For awhile after that a persistent voice could continue being heard saying, “Brother-in-law Robertson” and the steady reply of Robertson tapping his foot.

After awhile, Alexis and I were looking at each other with slightly dead eyes,

“Alexis, your man is saying something amazing.”

“Monette, your husband is saying some strange things.”

And then finally, “I’ll take care of it,” Gina told us both before taking out a muffin instead of a loaf of bread, and heading to where Percival was.

Gina’s muffin strike was truly a wonderful thing, allowing peace and quiet to finally return to the kingdom………not really.

Gina was playing with Concetta on her lap, graciously laughing as Concetta boldly struggled to fight back against the ribbon she was manipulating to tie off on his head. Her elegant voice continued to cheer him on, “Good job Concetta, just a little more,” and his constant cries would continue for the time being.

Alexis was happily looking on before standing up to prepare his own tea. The former prince laughed to himself a bit saying, “It is nice having a cup that’s handle will not break the instant you pick it up.” It seems the memories of his bad luck are still deeply rooted.

Percival finished eating the muffin by tossing the last bite into his mouth, humming softly to himself as he caressed my helmet. My view through my helmet continued to shift as his hand continued to move my helmet back and forth along with his movements. Of course, I never asked him to stop.

“……..It’s become so much noisier compared to that time.”

“Ah, it’s lively. And it will continue to be lively from now on.”

“And if I told you ‘you are bothering me?’”

Yes I complained, but still Percival’s hand showed no sign of stopping. He lovingly stroked my cheek before moving to my forehead. ………That is to say, my helmet.

I shrugged my shoulders helplessly, and then my gaze fell on Robertson who had come near me.

‘Even though I thought it would be just the two of us forever.’

Was what I thought he was saying through his eyes, but then Robertson made a small *tac* sound as he raised one of his legs.

He was happily laughing………was what I was certain of.

……end……