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Asil no longer went to the Erzebet Count family.
She didn’t transform into human form either, and she didn’t call for Daddy with the necklace.
She simply stayed holed up in her room at the Monlepe Ducal House, pulling the blanket all the way over her head.
‘Daddy’s mean.’
She was so sad that she doubled the amount of strawberries she ate each day compared to usual.
But no matter how many delicious things she ate, the hurt wouldn’t go away.
“Kkyu!”
The baby rabbit, who roughly knew why Asil was depressed, suddenly flipped the blanket off.
Warm spring had come and the weather was nice, so it pointed toward the window with its front paw, telling her to go outside and cheer up at least.
But Asil took back the blanket the rabbit had snatched.
“Ppiya.” (Asil doesn’t want to go out.)
“Kkyuu!”
The rabbit yanked the blanket again and threw it away.
Asil wriggled and crawled under the blanket that had rolled far away.
“Ppiiya.” (Not going.)
“Kkyuuuuu!”
The rabbit, as if angry, smacked Asil with its front paw, stole the blanket, and forcibly dragged Asil toward the door.
“Ppii…….”
In the end, Asil was reluctantly dragged outside.
Contrary to her gloomy mood, the weather was incredibly nice.
Neither cold nor hot, with not a single cloud and bright sunshine—it was truly a day too good to spend cooped up indoors.
Knights who saw Asil taking a walk came running.
“Lady Asil! It’s been a while. Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable? It seems like it’s been a very long time since you came outside.”
“You don’t know how quiet the training grounds have been without you, Lady Asil. You should start coming back little by little now.”
Every word was filled with warm concern.
Asil looked up at them with teary eyes.
‘If Asil returns to the forest, I’ll have to part with these humans too…….’
“Ppiya.”
Just thinking about it made her eyes well up.
‘No, Asil is a ferocious black dragon. I mustn’t cry in front of humans!’
Asil rubbed her face with her tiny fern-like front paws.
Dylan asked worriedly at the sight that clearly looked like she had a story.
“Is something wrong?”
“Ppiya.” (N-no. Something got in my eye. Asil is leaving.)
Asil quickly ran away so the knights couldn’t see her.
A few knights tried to follow, but Dylan stopped them, saying, ‘At times like this, it’s better to leave her alone.’
After running for a long time, she arrived at the garden.
The garden was full of fragrant and pretty spring flowers in full bloom.
“Kkyuu.”
The baby rabbit broke off a flower and hung it on Asil’s head, telling her to cheer up looking at this.
Asil hugged the baby rabbit tightly, rubbed her face against it, and asked.
“Ppiya ppi.” (Rabbit friend.)
“Kkyu?”
“Ppiiya?” (Will you come with Asil to the forest?)
Humans couldn’t come, but it was possible to bring ordinary animals to the Beastmen’s Forest.
Since the baby rabbit had soothed her homesickness while she was here, she really wanted to take it with her.
Thanks to their cozy chats right before falling asleep every night, the baby rabbit knew a fair amount about the Beastmen’s Forest.
So without a moment’s hesitation, it nodded.
“Kkyu!”
Phew, thank goodness. If even the rabbit friend had said no, Asil might really have cried.
In a situation where she had to part with everyone, this was at least some comfort. Asil wiped the tears that had leaked out on the rabbit’s fur.
That was when someone’s voice reached her.
“You haven’t been around lately, what are you doing here?”
It was Elcai. He was holding an armful of flowers that didn’t suit him at all.
He frowned upon noticing the heavy atmosphere and Asil’s moist eyes.
“Are you crying?”
“Ppiya!” (No!)
She didn’t want to be caught crying by a human.
Asil was now an adult dragon who could even transform into human form.
Setting aside for a moment the thought that she had to part with the humans she’d grown attached to and return to the Beastmen’s Forest, Asil hurriedly rubbed her face with her fern-like front paws and stuck out her belly.
“Ppiiya ppi. Ppiiya.” (Asil is a ferocious black dragon. I don’t shed tears or anything.)
“Is it because of Edenber?”
“Ppii.” (N-no.)
When she denied it immediately, Elcai clicked his tongue.
Whether it was Edenber or this one, he didn’t know why the little ones around him never spoke honestly.
But prying wasn’t in his nature, so he tossed the bouquet he was holding and said gruffly.
“Take this and follow me.”
“Ppiyat ppi?” (Are you giving it to Asil?)
“No.”
Hmph, not for Asil.
Somewhat dejected, Asil hugged the bouquet that was as big as herself and toddled after Elcai.
Perhaps concerned about how she looked, Elcai made a small flower crown from the flowers along the path as they walked and placed it on Asil’s head.
It was clumsy since it was his first time, but Asil loved it.
Her gloomy heart melted away like snow, and her tail wagged happily.
‘Grandfather is the best.’
Having returned to her usual cheerfulness, Asil chirped ppiya ppiya.
“Ppiya.” (Make one for rabbit friend too.)
“You have a lot of requests.”
Even while saying that, Elcai made an identical flower crown and put it on the rabbit’s head.
The two little animals playfully tapped each other’s flower crowns as they walked.
Soon they arrived at their destination.
It was a small shrine behind the mansion where the memorial tablets of the deceased were kept.
There was already a guest who had arrived first.
It was Edenber.
“Hello.”
He greeted Asil when he saw her.
Then a familiar scent tickled Asil’s nose.
The Monlepe human scent that resembled both Edenber and Elkai.
It was Daddy.
When she sneakily looked up at the ceiling, she saw Icart slightly shaking his head.
‘Ah…….’
Asil was a quick-witted dragon. He meant not to tell her husband!
So she sent a look that said “got it” and quickly changed the subject.
“Ppiiya ppi?” (What is this place?)
Wooden plaques with names written on them were lined up on the wall.
Surely they didn’t bring Asil here to ask her to split wood?
‘But these are already split, so I don’t think I need to.’
Out of curiosity, she tried to touch a plaque with her bouquet.
But Elcai’s next words startled her so much she had to pull the bouquet back.
“It’s a place to honor the dead.”
“Ppiit!”
“Today is the death anniversary of my daughter-in-law.”
Grandfather’s daughter-in-law… that was husband’s mother.
‘He must be very sad.’
Asil looked at Edenber with round, worried eyes.
She wanted to comfort him. If it were Asil, she would have bawled.
In contrast, her husband had neither mother nor father nearby, yet he had never once cried saying he missed them.
‘Husband is an adult.’
If she wanted to become an adult like him, she mustn’t act spoiled.
‘From now on, Asil will be an adult dragon too!’
With that thought, Asil clenched her tiny fist.
Asil won’t cry anymore. She’ll accept saying goodbye to the humans just fine!
“Ppiiya!” (Husband, be strong!)
“Thank you. But I’m okay now.”
Edenber smiled faintly.
“Because you’re here.”
“……Ppiik.”
His words poked right at her heart, and hiccups came out on their own.
This wasn’t good. Asil really had to go home now!
At that exact moment, Elcai stepped forward with a frown.
“Since we’re on the topic, it would be best to clearly settle the relationship. This one is female, after all.”
“Yes?”
“Ppiya?”
“I’m saying you declared in front of this child that you have interest in Lady Erzebet. Make it clear whether you will break the marriage contract or continue it.”
Elcai felt despair at how his grandson, who had insisted he had no interest in women, had somehow turned into such a casanova.
All that time showing favor to Lady Erzebet, and now giving Asil those smiling eyes.
Wasn’t he simply toying with both of their hearts?
“Which of the two is it?”
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Hii !I hope you’re doing well ❣️
Since December is the holiday season 🎄, I’ll be updating more chapter releases and making several chapters from all my novels FREE for this special occasion! 🫶💓
