Chapter 60
“No, the lady helped me! Move!”
Liribet, who pushed Youngsik away, extended her hand to Asil.
“I’m sorry, Lady Erzébet. It seems my brother didn’t see the lady in time.”
“Ung.”
It was sad to be pushed, but if it was a mistake, Asil, who has a broad mind, should understand.
Asil tried to grab that hand and stand up.
It was then that Youngsik’s face, who had been mulling over the word ‘Erjebet,’ darkened.
“If it’s Lady Erzébet, then the heretic inquisitor’s……”
Suddenly, hier’s expression changed. He forcibly pulled Lilibet’s hand that was about to touch Asil.
“Thank you for looking after her, Lady Erzébet. But from now on, don’t approach us.”
And then, as if hiding Lilibet behind him, he forcibly dragged her in the opposite direction.
Only Asil’s fern-like hand was left dangling in the empty air.
At the sudden rudeness, Asil’s mouth naturally gaped open.
Thinking the same, that this wasn’t right, Lilibet yelled.
“What are you doing, Briden!”
She tried to approach Asil to apologize.
But Briden didn’t blink an eye and continued dragging her in the opposite direction.
Then, finally, he tripped over a tree root and fell.
Lilibet, who fell with him, raised her voice.
“Let go of this! I’ll go in front!”
“Got it. But don’t talk to that kid and just look ahead.”
“Fine, let’s go then!”
Unable to win against the fuss, Lilibet tightly grabbed Briden’s hand and walked ahead as if guiding the way.
Even while doing so, she very briefly avoided his eyes and conveyed the words ‘Thank you, I’m sorry’ to Asil with her mouth shape.
Asil blankly stared at the backs of the two siblings moving away.
‘What was that…….’
She tried to help a friend being bullied but only ended up hearing bad things. What did Asil do wrong?
Asil shot up and shook off the dirt on her skirt hem.
And she asked Eokaste, who had been quietly watching from behind until then.
“Did Asil do something wrong?”
“Well.”
Eokaste just shrugged his shoulders.
Unable to resolve her doubts like that, when she followed Iokaste to the tea time location, a familiar face appeared.
Uh?!
“Eek!”
Asil blocked her mouth with both hands.
However, she couldn’t block the wind sound leaking through the gaps in her hands.
Just like Asil, the other person also stood up abruptly with a surprised face.
Eokaste, who likes unexpected pleasures, chuckled.
“Since you’ve even spoken with my duke, strictly speaking, you could call it a fellow conversationalist. She’s a specially invited guest, Duke of Monlepe.”
* * *
‘Asil didn’t see anything.’
Asil stealthily averted her gaze from Edenber sitting across from her.
Recalling how she almost got caught saying ‘front paw’ in the infirmary, her heart was still pounding.
Her own feet tingling made it awkward to be with him in this form.
‘Today’s Asil is a fearsome black dragon.’
She wouldn’t think of anything except learning the princess human’s ferocity!
But no matter what she did, Edenber’s gaze persistently stuck to her.
Even when sipping milk, munching on cookies, or even talking with the princess, the stinging eyes kept poking at her soft cheeks.
‘Why does he keep looking.’
He said he wasn’t interested in Asil.
He doesn’t know it’s Asil pretending to be Asil, right?
The resolution to be a fearsome black dragon paled as cold sweat broke out on her palms.
Asil rubbed her palms on her dress under the tablecloth.
Slightly turning her body to distance herself from Edenber was a bonus.
Only then did Edenber withdraw his gaze and revealed his displeasure to Iokaste.
“Your joke has gone too far.”
“Huh? Joke? Where else is someone as sincere about everything as me.”
“If this is the purpose of calling me, then I’ll take my leave.”
Edenber, who cut in sharply, stood up from his seat.
At that, Eokaste let out a hum and opened his mouth to Asil.
“Tea time is over. Lady, you should head back too.”
“……!”
No, how long has it been since I arrived!
Asil looked at Eokaste with a startled face, then hurriedly shoved a cookie into her mouth.
She’d eat just this much and go!
On the other hand, Edenber turned to look at Eokaste with a face that seemed to have a lot to say but was holding back.
Eokaste smirked sourly.
“I’m the one who set up this gathering, and I’m the one ending it—got a problem?”
“……”
“Since the lady is here for the first time and doesn’t know the way, how about the duke escorts her to the entrance?”
“Nooo! Asil can go alone just fine!”
“If you get lost here, it’ll be dawn tomorrow before you can get out.”
“Asil wants to go with the princess.”
“I’m a busy person. Ask the Duke of Monlepe over there.”
……She didn’t want to go with her husband in human form. But going home at dawn tomorrow was even worse…….
With cookie crumbs all over her mouth, Asil looked at him with round eyes, unable to do this or that.
At that, Edenber let out a small sigh.
“I’ll escort you just to the entrance.”
“Ung……”
It was sad, but there was no other way. Asil quickly wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
And she left the garden with Edenber.
“This way.”
“Ung.”
He, who knew the way, led in front, and Asil followed behind.
Asil kept glancing at his golden nape the whole way.
‘Since he hasn’t said anything so far, he really doesn’t know, right?’
What Asil didn’t know was that she wasn’t the only one minding the other.
Edenber also had all his nerves on the back.
When Asil’s steps slowed and the distance widened, waiting a moment to match the interval was basic.
Crunch crunch, on top of the sound of grass being stepped on, an awkward silence settled.
The one who opened their mouth first was Edenber.
“Thanks for last time. At the banquet, I mean.”
It must not have been easy to bring up, as he said it somewhat disjointedly.
“As the lady said, I ate three delicious things.”
“You did well.”
Actually, she ate them with him so she knew everything, but she had to praise him anyway. He did well, after all!
Asil pressed her left chest area with her index finger.
“Does it still hurt here?”
“No, thanks to you.”
As he nodded, he suddenly said something strange.
“Lady, there’s something on your front paw.”
“Ung? This is Asil’s hand. Not a front paw.”
“I see. Then, may I ask what your favorite fruit is?”
“Ung…… Asil likes grapes the most.”
“Strawberries?”
“Asil completely hates strawberries.”
“Hm, alright. When I left today, I heard the animal coughing badly from the divine beast’s room.”
“What? Is the rabbit friend sick?!”
“How did you know my divine beast raises a rabbit?”
Oh no.
A gaze full of suspicion poked at her cheek.
How could this happen—she was holding out well, but she crumbled over the rabbit friend!
Asil quickly made an excuse as if it was nothing.
“Ung, I don’t know. Asil has a rabbit friend too, that’s why.”
“A small white baby rabbit?”
“No. A huge black adult rabbit.”
“You hate lizards but seem to like rabbits.”
After saying that much, Edenber closed his mouth.
He thought even to himself that he was prying too much.
He apologized.
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
“Never mind.”
Edenber dry-washed his face with a frustrated look.
Then, with a face as if something suddenly came to mind, he opened his mouth again.
“I want to express my gratitude for the help last time. If the lady is okay with it, I’d like to arrange a meeting with my divine beast—would that be alright?”
“Nooo.”
She had been waiting for when this would come up.
She had a good excuse she thought of right before dozing off while waiting for Iokaste earlier!
Asil shook her head vigorously.
“Asil doesn’t like lizards.”
“I see. But my divine beast is a black dragon.”
In that instant, Asil forgot about hiding her identity and covered her mouth.
How could it be—finally, a human who calls Asil a black dragon appeared. Asil was super touched!
Edenber, who stopped walking and turned around, calmly asked.
“Since it’s a black dragon, not a lizard, it’s okay, right?”
“Ah, no. Asil hates black dragons too.”
Actually, she didn’t hate them at all. Because Asil was a black dragon shifter.
But she couldn’t let her identity be found out, so with tears in her eyes, she shouted.
“Black dragons are super hated!”
When she said that, she didn’t know that Arcian, who was far away, was looking around wondering ‘Who’s cursing me?’
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By Anna 💓
