Chapter 93
“If Asil disappears, what will happen to the rest of us?”
“…….”
At this extremely sharp question, Arcian was rendered speechless.
He couldn’t bring himself to say, “I’ll probably receive a heavy punishment for losing a divine beast twice.”
Because then Asil wouldn’t want to go home.
But Asil was a beastman with quick wits.
“Are you going to be punished?”
“No, dear.”
“Then?”
“Mm…….”
Arcian let out a deep groan, then gave an answer that would satisfy Asil.
“If Asil leaves, Daddy will pretend to be Asil.”
“And then?”
“And then……? Mm, I’ll have to work hard pretending to be a divine beast.”
“That’s a lie.”
“It’s not a lie. I swear on Daddy’s reverse scale. Daddy will make sure Duke Monlepe never gets punished.”
In truth, he had only been thinking about sending Asil back to the forest and hadn’t considered what would come afterward.
But if he were honest here, Asil would refuse to return to the forest, so he racked his brain as much as possible.
Since Duke Monlepe was the only one among the four ducal houses who opposed the war with the beastmen, there would be no benefit if he were punished.
“Hmmmmm.”
No matter how you looked at it, something felt suspicious—Asil crossed her arms and glared at Arcian.
But since Daddy would never lie, she decided to believe him.
Of course, she would have preferred someone other than Daddy to take on the role of her husband’s divine beast……
Since the original divine beast of the Monlepe ducal house had disappeared long ago, that would be difficult, right?
Asil quickly gave up and held out her little finger.
“Promise with Asil. Stamp too. Press!”
“……Press.”
“Your voice is super small.”
“Stamp press! Asil has to ride the boat Daddy saved for her—promise!”
“Promise! Stamp press!”
“Press!”
Arcian hooked little fingers with Asil once more and rubbed their palms together.
Then, before another difficult question could come, he quickly continued.
“That day, at the port, you’ll meet the beastman who will take you to the forest. You’ll say bye-bye to Daddy at the port.”
“Can’t Daddy come with me all the way to the forest?”
“No, Daddy has work to do here.”
“Hng…….”
After hearing the whole plan, the reality of actually leaving finally sank in.
So Asil really was going. Asil became slightly sulky.
Then, suddenly, the thought struck her that she wanted to give a small gift to each of the humans who had been kind to her.
‘The humans gave Asil strawberries, birthday presents, and even bought jewels for me.’
She herself hadn’t given them anything.
Although she had given gold coins to the knight humans, that money had come from the beastman kindergarten teacher……
She should give them each something as thanks for treating her well all this time.
‘What would be good to give?’
Asil clutched her head and pondered.
Strawberries? No, those were given by husband.
Jewels then? No, those were given by grandpa and daddy.
Then cat toys, catnip, fishing rod toys……
……Come to think of it, almost everything she owned had been given to her by humans.
She couldn’t give those as farewell gifts. Then what on earth should she give?
The answer to that unexpectedly came from her meeting with Eokaste.
* * *
“Your Highness the Princess, Asil is going home soon.”
After finishing etiquette lessons, Asil bid farewell to Iocaste exactly as Arcian had instructed.
“My body isn’t feeling well, so I decided to go to the countryside house.”
“Hmm—?”
Eokaste narrowed her brows and looked Asil up and down—she looked extremely healthy.
“You don’t particularly look sick—if you wish, I can have the imperial physician examine you.”
“No, it’s okay. Daddy said I’ll get healthy once I go to the countryside.”
She quickly refused as they had agreed beforehand. Then she performed the belly-button bow she had learned from Iocaste.
“Thank you for worrying about Asil.”
“Worrying, my foot.”
Eokaste replied sharply.
“If this is because of the Skya siblings, it was an unfortunate accident, so don’t dwell on it too much. Holding on to such things is bad for your health.”
“Yes. Thank you for worrying about Asil.”
“I said I’m not worrying? Hmph, I have something to give you, follow me.”
She went straight to the medical office and loaded Asil’s arms with a huge pile of sedatives and tonics.
“Asil isn’t sick……”
“Lying is not good. Since you’re here, take these too.”
“It’s not a lie……”
And so, when she returned to the Third Princess’s palace carrying a mountain of supposedly good-for-the-body medicines,the quantity was so great that the maids were waiting for a carriage to load them—when something cute and adorable on the dressing table caught her eye.
It was a small doll made of yarn.
It wasn’t particularly elaborate, but the colors and the button eyes, nose, and mouth perfectly captured Iocaste’s distinctive features.
“What is that? Who made it?”
“My nanny made it. It’s a doll modeled after me.”
“It’s pretty. Asil wants to learn how to make dolls too!”
If she made those and gave them to the humans as gifts, they would surely love them.
When Asil excitedly said this, Eokaste’s eyes narrowed in amusement.
“Why, to make one for Duke Monlepe?”
“Yes. Asil is going home now, so I want to make them and give them away.”
“Hoo……. Then I’ll get to see Duke Monlepe burst into tears. Good, I’ll teach you.”
“Can Your Highness make them too?”
“Of course.”
Making dolls wasn’t anything difficult, and if she could see something entertaining, what wouldn’t she teach?
It had been a while since she’d get to witness something truly rare. Eokaste giggled inwardly.
Thus, starting that day, Asil began learning how to make yarn dolls from Eokaste.
* * *
Some time later.
Today again, after diligently learning how to make yarn dolls from Eokaste and heading out of the palace with light steps,
Asil، spotted Duke Starafit and Fier leaving the palace near the fountain in the imperial garden.
“……?”
Asil tilted her head.
Huh, that’s strange.
The people of the Starafit ducal house had been banned from entering the palace for ruining the princess human’s banquet.
Fier especially was completely barred for burning the Crown Prince’s hair.
‘How did they get here?’
As she stood there blankly, wondering if her memory was wrong, Fier noticed her first.
“Oh, big sis. What brings you here?”
“Big sis……?”
Duke Starafit beside him made a dumbfounded face.
Fier’s unpredictable behavior wasn’t new, but still—calling a young lady from another house “big sis” was too much.
He had heard the stories, but seeing it in person was even more absurd.
What whim made him keep calling “big sis” to the young lady who had once given his son a double nosebleed?
Completely ignoring the duke’s reaction, Asil puffed out her belly and answered dignifiedly.
“It’s a secret. Why is little brother here?”
“That Crown Prince bastard summoned me.”
“Fier!”
“Shut up. Don’t expect me to use honorifics for humans. If you push it, I might just vanish like Ether or Rain.”
Ether was the divine beast of the Skya ducal house, Rain was the original divine beast of the Monlepe ducal house.
At the threat-laden words, Duke Starafit shut his mouth.
He had always been arrogant, but today he felt especially rebellious.
Sighing, the duke instead began carefully observing Asil—the only person Pier ever treated with proper respect.
Fier shrugged toward Asil.
“He finally called me, only to waste time asking things like ‘How have you been?’ and ‘Are you hurt anywhere?’”
“Belly all puffed up.”
“I ate a lot before coming. It’ll go down in an hour.”
While saying that, he glanced at Duke Starafit with eyes asking for food before his belly deflated, but the duke forcibly held back the urge to smack him—divine beast or not.
Instead, clearing his throat, he asked something else.
“Ahem. That strange feeling you mentioned earlier—don’t you feel it now?”
“Nope. I’m fine now.”
“Strange feeling?”
“Earlier when I was in the Crown Prince’s palace, it felt like bugs were crawling all over my body.”
Fier shuddered as if just thinking about it was unpleasant.
Then suddenly, he tucked Asil snugly under his arm and giggled affectionately.
“Let’s go together, big siiis—I’ll transform back to my original form and take you all the way home!”
If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it—that was Fier’s creed.
Having lost the friendly match and thus doomed to serve Asil as big sister for life, Fier now sincerely decided to become close with her.
The one flustered by this was Duke Starafit.
“F-Fier! Why on earth are you acting like this toward the young lady!”
“Why else—it’s because she’s my big sis. But why have you been……”
Fier’s annoyed gaze landed on the duke.
“Buzzing around like a mosquito since earlier?”
There was no time to stop him.
In an instant, madness flashed in Fier’s eyes as he swung his fist with full force.
BAM!
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