Chapter 119
“The teachers said that husbands and wives share the same room.”
“…….”
Briana and Count Arcian froze instantly. At the same time, they both had the same thought.
Sleep in the same room as her?
With her?
With…… her?
Briana, who recovered first, hurriedly made excuses.
“Mom wants to too. But Daddy’s sleeping habits are just too terrible, so we really can’t.”
“What? No, Asil. Daddy sleeps very quietly. But Mom’s sleeping habits are really bad, so we can’t sleep together.”
“Asil knows how quietly Mom sleeps, right? Lately we still sleep together sometimes.”
“What? You sleep with Asil?!”
“Yes~ You’ve never slept with Asil, have you? You ugly lizard beastman with terrible sleeping habits.”
“Wh-What? You…… you stupid bird-brained beastman!”
“What?! Bird-brained?!”
It felt like sparks were flying in the air. The two heated beastmen glared at each other.
Meanwhile, Asil—who had caused this situation—had no interest in Mom and Dad.
She was quietly looking down at her own hand, recalling the welcome ceremony from just moments ago.
(‘There were so many humans.’)
It was surprising that so many humans had come out just to see her, but right now something made her heart race even more.
Exactly thirty minutes ago.
Asil had tightly held Edenber’s hand with this very hand.
“I’d like you to come to the ducal house tomorrow. I’ll formally invite you.”
Amid the buzzing crowd, Edenber had said that.
Normally they should have shared the joy of reunion right then, but there were too many people, so it had been postponed.
(‘I’m embarrassed.’)
Asil idly wiggled her fingers.
Every time she thought of the impressively grown-up Edenber, her heart tickled.
Then, at Briana’s voice—which had stopped fighting with Count Arcian—she lifted her head and looked at her.
“Our Asil, you can’t call the Monlepe duke ‘husband’ anymore?”
“Yes, I know that too!”
Asil nodded vigorously.
As the eggshell on her head fell away and she matured, Asil had learned that the word “husband” was only for someone you were married to.
However, because calling him “husband” had become a habit, in her heart she had still been calling him that.
But now she had decided not to.
(‘Friends should call each other by name.’)
Even though they had made a marriage promise, they were not yet married.
Count Arcian, pleased with his daughter’s bright answer, stroked her head.
“My goodness, our daughter. Who did she take after to be so kind and pretty?”
“Daddy.”
Asil quickly answered and planted a kiss on his cheek. Mwah!
In an instant, Count Arcian’s eyes shook like an earthquake.
“Our daughter…… kissed Daddy!”
The affection attack from the daughter he had not seen in years was tremendous. Losing his reason, he peppered Asil’s cheeks with kisses.
If it had been her childhood, she would have pushed him away with paws, but having not seen Daddy in so long, Asil hugged Count Arcian’s neck tightly and accepted the kisses.
Then she felt a gaze staring intently at her.
When she looked, it was Snowa—his face still deathly pale from motion sickness.
Perhaps lacking the energy even to sit upright, Snowa was lying on the seat, watching her with trembling eyes.
(‘Oppa wants a kiss too, huh.’)
In reality, his expression was one of horror at the continuous kiss attack from Count Arcian.
But mistaking it for envy, Asil said to Count Arcian.
“Give Oppa a kiss too!”
“…….”
“…….”
A bone-chilling wind blew between father and son.
Due to severe motion sickness, Snowa’s already pale face turned even whiter, like blank paper.
Count Arcian, looking awkwardly at the frozen Snowa, asked.
“……Do you need one?”
“No.”
Snowa cut him off sharply.
“I do not need it. Absolutely not.”
Snowa put as much distance as possible between himself and Count Arcian.
Not satisfied with that, he stuck himself to the corner as if he wanted to burrow into the carriage wall.
(‘Why does he hate it?’)
Asil tilted her head, then pointed at the rabbit—who was licking its likewise pale fur from motion sickness.
“Then give one to Rabbit friend at least. It’s been a long time since you saw him too.”
Count Arcian froze again. Why is our daughter……?
Still, he faithfully asked the rabbit.
“……Do you need one?”
“Kkyuuuuuu!”
Equally horrified, the rabbit shook its head vigorously and burrowed behind Snowa’s back.
No, why does everyone hate Daddy giving them kisses? Asil floated question marks above her head.
Then, looking at the last beastman, her eyes sparkled.
“Then give one to Mom!”
“…….”
“…….”
An even colder wind blew than when she had asked Snowa for a kiss.
Count Arcian’s jaw clenched. The mere thought of kissing Briana made his teeth grind automatically.
Meanwhile, Briana unconsciously gripped the carriage handle tightly. Her desire to jump out right then was evident.
For a while, only silence filled the carriage.
With even Snowa and the rabbit frozen stiff, Asil was the only one tilting her head.
Finally, the rigid Count Arcian spoke.
“Daddy’s kisses are exclusive to Asil. I can’t give them to other beastmen. Right, Briana?”
“Yes, yes.”
Briana hurriedly nodded.
“Mom can’t receive Daddy’s kisses either.”
“Then Mom can give one to Daddy.”
Crack.
The carriage handle Briana was holding broke.
(‘Huh, why did that break?’)
While Asil stared wide-eyed, Briana quickly hid the broken handle and forced a smile.
“Mom’s kisses are exclusive to Asil too.”
“What about me?”
“They’re exclusive to Snowa too. Anyway, there are no kisses for Daddy.”
“That’s not fair.”
Asil firmly placed both hands on her hips.
“Kisses should be shared nicely. Hurry up and kiss each other.”
“Ah, suddenly I feel sleepy. I need to close my eyes for a bit.”
“Yes, the mansion is still far, so sleep quickly. Asil, let’s sleep with Daddy.”
“I’m not sleepy…….”
Even so, she nestled into Count Arcian’s arms and tightly closed her eyes.
This time spent with Mom and Dad was incredibly happy.
* * *
That night, at the count’s residence.
“You sleep on the sofa!”
“No, you go down and sleep!”
Listening to the very faint argument between Mom and Dad coming from the next room, Asil pretended to be asleep.
Perhaps because she had napped briefly in the carriage on the way to the count’s residence? Or perhaps because her heart was fluttering after returning to the human world after so long.
Sleep did not come easily even late into the night.
(‘If I sleep now, I can meet Edenber well tomorrow.’)
No matter how much she closed her eyes and groaned, sleep would not come.
Asil tossed and turned for a very long time trying to fall asleep, until finally she gave up and got out of bed.
“Kkyu?”
Though it was a very small movement, the rabbit sleeping beside her pricked up its ears and groggily got up.
“I’m going for a walk in the garden. Want to come?”
“Kkyu!”
It would have been a big problem if she hadn’t asked. Nodding energetically, the rabbit jumped down from under the bed.
Thanks to the bright moonlight, the night garden was not scary at all.
Since it had been years since she last came, Asil wandered around with the feeling of adventure.
‘Wow, that tree is still the same? There used to be bushes here, but they’re gone. Ah, a new flower bed was made here?’
While exploring every corner of the garden like that.
A tree she could never forget came into view.
It was the tree from seven years ago where Father…… no, the previous Monlepe duke Ikart had jumped down from.
(‘That time I was really shocked.’)
When he discovered she was a beastman, she had trembled so much thinking she would truly become a roasted baby dragon.
It was then.
Rustle.
A sound of something moving came from the tree. Then suddenly a black shape dropped down and covered Asil’s mouth.
No, what is this now!
“Kkyaaaaaaa!”
Instead of the gagged Asil, the rabbit screamed.
But at the following whisper, she widened her eyes and looked up at the other party.
“Shh.”
“……!”
It was a familiar voice.
Shocked, Asil turned around. Seeing the boy behind her, she lowered her voice and shouted.
“N-No— I mean, Edenber!”
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