75
“Thank you.”
Asil grabbed the opponent’s hand and stood up. The opponent was none other than Edenber.
Their eyes met, and he averted his gaze obliquely. Then, without saying anything particular, he passed by.
Eh?
Question marks popped up above Asil’s head.
His expression was stiff, as if he was angry, but why on earth?
Come to think of it, since the hunting festival, the number of times she had conversed with Edenber could be counted on one hand.
Even right before the award ceremony, when she handed over the leader Arc’s golden orb, it was just a few short exchanges in total.
“……Why are you giving the golden orb to me? I know Count Arcian also participated in the hunting festival.”
“Because the duke caught it.”
It was Edenber who suggested dropping it off the cliff.
She had originally planned to make him first place anyway, but it was also true that she caught the Arc thanks to Edenber.
In that sense, he was the true first place.
He, who avoided Asil’s gaze, muttered.
“……Thanks.”
And then, until the award ceremony ended, he didn’t meet her eyes even once.
Occasionally, it seemed like he was looking her way, but whenever she tried to meet his gaze, he quickly turned his head away.
‘Why?’
Did Asil make some mistake?
No matter how much she thought about it, it didn’t seem so.
Moreover, he was avoiding her not only in her human form but also in her baby form.
‘I need to ask why when I get home.’
With that thought, Asil moved her feet busily. It was to return to the ducal residence as quickly as possible.
But.
“……?”
A persistent gaze stuck to her from behind.
Wondering who it was, she turned around, and it was Edenber.
‘What?’
Thinking they were going the same way, she slowed her pace. Then Edenber also slowed his walking speed.
So, to shake him off completely, she ran quickly, but he diligently followed behind.
Yet he never said a word until the end.
‘Why does he keep following.’
If he has something to say, he should say it. Just following made it impossible not to care.
Then, her legs got tangled, and she fell flat with a thud.
“Waaah!”
Because she slid as she fell, her pretty clothes got dirty. Her chin and hand were also scraped.
It hurt, but Asil wasn’t one to whimper over something like this.
Asil shot up.
And her eyes met Edenber’s, who was in an ambiguous posture as if trying to stop her from falling.
“Why are you following!”
“……I’m not following; this is the way I was going.”
This time, he didn’t avoid her gaze. He quickly straightened his posture and mumbled.
“I’m trying to leave the imperial palace too.”
“Hmph.”
A lie. He followed only Asil around.
Asil shook off the dirt on her clothes. She shook off the dust on her hands too, and blew hoo hoo on the scraped, bleeding parts.
“It hurts.”
While glancing sideways, she saw Edenber not leaving but waiting.
‘Why is he like that.’
Thoroughly sulking, Asil passed by him, and Edenber, keeping a certain distance, followed behind again.
Asil had seen a scene like this before.
Near the lake in the shifter forest, a mother duck and her ducklings were lining up and waddling along.
‘But Asil isn’t a mother duck.’
Her husband isn’t a duckling either. So why does he keep following!
“Um……”
At that moment, Edenber finally spoke to her.
Asil stopped walking and glared at him.
“You should put something on it.”
He slightly stuttered and tapped his own palm.
“There’s an infirmary nearby. I’ll treat it.”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“Still, it could get worse.”
Edenber, who approached cautiously, took out a handkerchief.
It was the very same handkerchief with a pleasant scent that he had placed on her sword during their first meeting.
He dabbed the bleeding areas, then took Asil to the infirmary, dissuaded her from leaving the imperial palace, and personally treated her.
He even put two bandages on each injured area.
During that time, he didn’t say a word. He also avoided meeting her eyes.
Gradually getting angry, Asil opened her mouth.
“Are you mad at Asil?”
“No.”
Edenber answered immediately. He still didn’t meet her eyes.
“Then why?”
“Why what.”
“Why won’t you talk to Asil and avoid eye contact?”
“Me?”
Edenber looked at Asil with wide eyes, as if startled.
But that was only for a moment; he reflexively averted his gaze, then flinched at his own action and repeatedly met her eyes again.
“I did that?”
“Ung. You’re doing it right now too.”
“I didn’t know…… Sorry.”
His pupils trembled as if greatly flustered.
“I thought I was acting normal.”
“Are you mad at Asil something?”
“No, nothing. Nothing, but…… I guess I felt a bit awkward.”
He mumbled listlessly and dropped his gaze sharply. Then, he cautiously lifted his head and looked at Asil.
“Can you stand up for a moment and turn around?”
“Why?”
Though puzzled, Asil shot up and turned around.
After a brief silence, Edenber quietly opened his mouth.
“You can sit back down.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
He scanned Asil up and down several times, like someone searching for any trace.
Then, suddenly grabbing Asil’s hand tightly, he muttered to himself like a spell.
“No matter what form you take, I’ll accept you as you are, and I’ll love you.”
“Ung?”
“……No.”
His face turned dejected in an instant, and while meeting Asil’s gaze, he said.
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. I absolutely won’t avoid you.”
At some point, the address had changed from lady to you, but Asil, not noticing that subtle difference, just nodded.
Edenber, toward Asil’s dress adorned with dangling jewels, started.
“I’ve thought this before, but you really like jewels.”
“Ung. Asil super likes jewels. They’re so pretty because they sparkle.”
“If it’s okay, can I see the one you’re wearing on your hand for a bit?”
“Ung.”
Asil absentmindedly held out her hand, then only realized after seeing Edenber closely observing what she was wearing.
‘Ah, this is the one husband bought me?’
The one currently on her hand was the diamond ring that Edenber had personally picked and bought when she first came to the capital.
‘No way, he doesn’t recognize Asil, does he?’
But contrary to her worry, there was no particular change in Edenber’s expression.
“I saw it well; it’s pretty, just like you said.”
That was all—just a plain statement.
Phew, good. While inwardly relieved, he gently lowered her hand and cautiously asked.
“Do you like it?”
“Ung. It’s Asil’s favorite ring.”
“That’s a relief, since it’s your favorite.”
Edenber smiled brightly.
……Huh?
The keen instinct unique to beast shifters beeped beeped. From earlier,
something…… felt off?
An inexplicable unease poked at her heart.
The strange feeling that her husband had recognized Asil.
She didn’t know why she felt this way. But if her husband had really recognized Asil……
The conversation she had with Arcian while practicing humanization naturally came to mind.
“Does my Asil want to go back to the forest?”
“Ung.”
“Then you can’t say it. If you do, they won’t let Asil go.”
Of course, since lying is bad, she planned to tell him right before leaving for the forest later—
‘But husband can’t figure it out already.’
In the crisis situation, Asil’s mind raced quickly.
‘I need to show that Asil and Lady Erzebet are different beings.’
Then, there was only one way.
Soon, a victory banquet for the hunting festival was scheduled at the Monlepe ducal residence.
Edenber had also sent invitations to Asil, Lilibette, and Briden, who had confronted the leader Arc together.
She had refused not to go at the time, but the situation had changed.
Recalling the conversation she had with her dad in preparation for something like this, Asil suddenly said.
“Asil will go to the banquet.”
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
By Anna 💓
