The young scholar froze.
They hadn't noticed...
Then...
The young scholar was at a loss for words.
Then how was he supposed to explain it to his brother and sister-in-law—
No.
Why did he need to explain anything?
This was so strange.
His brother and sister-in-law were right here.
They were all in the same room.
They were even standing so close to each other...
Why was he still doing something so obviously unnecessary?
That was right...
Why...
Looking at the worried expressions on his brother and sister-in-law's faces...
He felt somewhat helpless.
And frustrated, with nowhere to vent his anger.
Because...
His brother and sister-in-law hadn't seen the little black thief.
The young scholar dug his fingernails into the back of his hand.
He had an idea!
"Where did the steamed buns go?"
The young scholar's voice rose again.
"You both saw all those steamed buns, didn't you?"
The young scholar held up the bowl that had been used to hold them.
Now it was empty.
"If it wasn't the thief who ate them..."
"Where did all those steamed buns go?"
"Didn't you eat them?"
The woodcutter asked as if it were obvious.
The young scholar almost laughed.
"Could I have eaten that many steamed buns by myself in such a short time?"
His brother and sister-in-law must have seen how disheveled he'd been when he wolfed down those buns just now.
He'd been a mess after eating just three, let alone even more than that.
And in such a short time, too.
He wasn't a glutton.
He just had an ordinary appetite for a young man.
The woodcutter paused.
That was true.
His younger brother was different from him.
His own work was physically demanding, so he had a big appetite.
But his