DerekMaya

AlanBonita

CassisBentley

“Hmm.”

After seeing the chessboard, Bentley made a subtle sound.

“You’re Cassis?”

“Well.”

A curt response came back.

Silvery hair against the wall.

The boy with eyes that rose at the tips like a cat looked much smaller than Bentley due to the age difference.

“Yeah, nice to meet you.”

“…Uh.”

Cassis turned away, answering while avoiding Bentley’s outstretched hand. Bentley’s expression became noticeably tired.

‘Why is it another one like this again?’

Honestly, Bentley would rather have a comfortable match against Bonita. That way, Bonita might have a good impression of him.

But it was already decided, and Bentley looked at Bonita sitting beside him, pondering.

‘Well, playing chess with a seven-year-old.’

For a child, one year of difference felt significantly larger. While playing games with someone in their twenties might be alright, seven and ten were generally incompatible.

‘This will be trivial.’

Bentley offered the black pieces to Cassis.

“You take the white. I’ll concede.”

“…You’re underestimating me?”

“Not at all.”

Bentley smiled faintly.

Thanks to his resemblance to Oliver, he appeared to have a pleasant personality on the surface. Seeing his gentle smile, Cassis, arranging the black pieces, remarked.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

‘Cute.’

Bentley didn’t know at that time.

That his future self, thirty minutes later, would lose comprehensively to a boy three years younger than him…

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Checkmate.”

Thud.

Cassis calmly moved the white queen, saying it in a composed tone.

Bentley’s eyes shook.

‘I lost?’

To that tiny brat?

“Ah, as expected of Cassis. You’re really good at using your head.”

Derek’s admiring voice was heard from the side. Bentley, somewhat dazed, asked with a puzzled face.

“Do you naturally play chess well?”

“Yeah, Cassis beats everyone except our mom.”

Alan, who had his fist clenched, replied nonchalantly.

“By mom, you mean… the Viscountess Hyacinth?”

“That’s right.”

Nodding at Alan’s words, Bentley unexpectedly looked at Cassis.

‘The Viscountess Hyacinth was famous as a chess player.’

His father once told him that all the ingenious strategies devised by the Viscountess came from her. Unlike his two older brothers, Bentley didn’t resemble the Viscountess at all, so he hadn’t been cautious.

‘Tch.’

Bentley clicked his tongue inwardly.

Even though he was smiling on the surface, losing at chess to a seven-year-old was quite a blow to his pride.

“Now, what should we do next?”

The winners of the remaining two games were Derek and Bonita.

Hindley, who hadn’t paid attention to the game’s progress, looked at Alan, Bonita’s opponent.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Bentley chuckled slyly.

“Oh, nothing. You’re just good-looking.”

“Gasp…!”
He observed Alan, who kept saying things like, “He straightened up so he knows how to see people’s faces,” or “I’m the best looking among the three.”

‘Stupid.’

If that guy was the opponent, even Bonita, who learned chess for the first time, could easily win.

Despite acknowledging Bonita’s intuition, Bentley didn’t think she was particularly clever.

She could do simple arithmetic and even read words.

Despite the difference in environment and education, she would likely be inferior to Morgan in terms of intelligence.

he thought.

“Bonita won!”

“Amazing, how did you beat Cassis? Cassis even beats our dad!”

‘Huh?’

One hour later.

Seeing Bonita achieve final victory after several matches, Bentley blinked his eyes.

‘What?’

This time, unlike the first game, he watched the entire match from start to finish.

So he could know.

Cassis had never given Bonita a single glance.

“I lost.”

Cassis was a man who knew how to admit defeat. In fact, he was undeniably beaten.

But there was a boy here who couldn’t admit the result.

“Wait!”

At Bentley’s shout, everyone turned their attention to him.

“Bonita, let’s play too. We haven’t played because only the winners played against each other, right?”

“What?”

Bonita made an openly annoyed expression.

Following his father’s orders, it would have been better to avoid annoying her here to maintain favorability.

However, however!

This was a matter of a man’s pride!

With a sly smile on his face, Bentley firmly grabbed Bonita’s hand.

“Don’t be like that. We still have some time until lunch, right?”

“Thirty minutes left.”

Looking at the clock, Alan said to Bonita.

“How about trying once? To win against all of us as a celebration for your birthday.”

Bonita reluctantly nodded.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“This is a dream…”

Bonita was greatly annoyed by Bentley, who was mumbling alone behind her.

‘Why did he come here?’

He had some suspicion that the ‘guest’ Luke invited might be that guy. So he didn’t ask.

“Bonita, what’s wrong?”

Bonita looked at Maya, who was holding her hand.

Her green eyes were tinged with concern.

“You seem upset.”

“Uh, no.”

Bonita quickly shook her head.

Honestly, she found Bentley creepy.