《The Beloved New Daughter-In-Law of the Wolf Mansion》 CH 1 ¡®I knew this would happen.¡¯ It was a thought that took over my head the moment I watched my little world, my family, the Raniero, fall. Raniero Castle, where I lived, was falling apart. I didn¡¯t even have to look outside to find out. The fact that in less than an hour, there will be no more living things left here. The gate was broken and the walls were torn down by the invaders. There was no more safe place now. My father had already been killed. The same goes for my siblings. It would have been no different for the servants in the castle. Because those people are also the people from the Raniero family. I couldn¡¯t even move in my room because the commotion was deafening my ears. I thought I had to go outside to look at the situation, but I couldn¡¯t because I was afraid. When I went outside, I felt like I was going to die from a torn limb. ¡®I¡¯m scared!¡¯ In the end, all I could do was hide in the safest place I could think of. It was in my small room, which they called the disgrace of the family, where no one remembers except for the occasional servants. I hid under the bed there. Dust came into my mouth and the inside of my throat was rough, but I didn¡¯t have time to complain about it. Only the thought of fear filled my mind. And¡ª. ¡®I knew this would happen.¡¯ And this thought again. Not long ago, the only heir to the wolf family, Arsene Yeckhart, died. The heir, who had received the family¡¯s concerns due to his illness from birth, eventually ended his short life on the sickbed. The problem is that it turns out that Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s death was not due to a chronic disease, but a murder committed by someone else¡¯s scheme. The head of the Eagle family, the head of the entire bird family¡ª. By my father! When I was seven years old, a courtship letter arrived from the Yeckhart family. The sender was the head of the wolf family, Kendrick Yeckhart. The content was simple. He wants to adopt a daughter from a bird family who has the strongest healing powers as his daughter-in-law. ¡®The intentions are clear.¡¯ It was a courtship with the purpose of treating Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s illness by taking the daughter of a bird family who had healing powers as a daughter-in-law. A reasonable price was also offered there. So the bird family had no reason to refuse. My father promised to send one of our direct line family members as a daughter-in-law. The problem is that the child sent by the father was the only mutation in our new family. ¡®You know what you¡¯re going to do, don¡¯t you?¡± I remembered the day my father sent my half-sister, Schville, to the Yeckhart family. It was common for all of Raniero¡¯s children to be born with healing powers. But Schville was a mutant. Schville¡¯s ability is to steal an opponent¡¯s life force. So my father sent Schville as Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s bride. In order to absorb all of Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s life force and eliminate the successor of the wolf family. I couldn¡¯t help but be crazy. I was only twelve years old, but I couldn¡¯t understand it at all. To kill the heir of the family was no different than turning the entire family into an enemy. Although the relationship between the bird family and the wolf family has been bad for a long time¡ª. It was an incomprehensible decision. ¡®If this goes well, we will be able to break the wolf bastards¡¯ high nose!¡¯ My father laughed out loud as he said that, but I had a different opinion. From the moment I heard that Schville was going to be sent, I thought this might happen one day. However, I didn¡¯t know that the entire wolf family that lost a successor would also lose their reason as beasts. The wolves, who lost their senses, moved to fulfill only one powerful desire. They showed up much faster and more brutally than expected for the revenge they would have desired even if they hadn¡¯t lost their reason. ¡®Look at the results.¡¯ My father was strangled by the torn walls after the limbs were torn off. It would have been nice if it had ended there, but the furious wolves didn¡¯t know how to stop. The gates of the city collapsed and all the peaceful land of Raniero was ruined. Raniero, a prestigious family who had maintained the position of the head of the bird family for six hundred years, was wiped out like that. The only direct line left now is me. The wolf clan noticed my presence and had been wandering around since before. ¡®Are all the children of the collateral line dead?¡¯ Since black smoke was rising endlessly from the outside world, the collateral line must not have been able to escape the anger either. And I¡¯ll be the same if I¡¯m caught. In fact, it was almost easy to live undetected yet. I¡¯ve been able to survive undetected all this time because my room was so far away. ¡®I didn¡¯t know it would be so helpful to be treated as a disgrace by the family.¡¯ If it had been before I became a disgrace to my family and was imprisoned in a remote place, if it had been when I had a good room, I would have been caught and preyed upon by wolves. It¡¯s terrible just to imagine. I held my breath under the bed. There was a faint feeling of a presence outside the door. I took a deep breath and rolled up my body to hide. Can I stay alive? Right now, outside the door, there were wolf families who bit my parents and brothers to death. Raniero¡¯s territory was burning everywhere. Will I survive? I wanted to live. I always dreamed of a wide sky even when I was confined to a place where I was treated as a disgrace to my family and didn¡¯t exist. I really didn¡¯t want to die. ¡®If I hide well here, I might have a chance to sneak out.¡¯ It¡¯s really not an easy place to find. It¡¯s a place where even long-serving maids get lost¡ª. It was when I was planning to escape from the mansion. ¡°Cough!¡± My throat was hurting and I couldn¡¯t breathe. Only then did I notice that it was all a mess. A strong smoke from somewhere filled the large room in an instant. The same was true under the bed where I was hiding. ¡°Ugh, cough!¡± My eyes were burning with black smoke, and tears flowed down my eyes. Since they could not find any survivors, it seemed that the mansion was set on fire so that I couldn¡¯t escape. I caught a glimpse of the flames fluttering through the window. The floor was hot and the air was heavy. In a sudden situation, the human form was loosened and the wings popped out. I folded my wings quickly. And I rolled myself more and more round. I wanted to run away, but I couldn¡¯t. Because there may still be wolves roaming inside the mansion. ¡®If I go out now, I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ If I get caught, my whole body will be torn apart like my father¡¯s. Even the healing power of the bird family was meaningless at this moment. Because we can¡¯t heal ourselves. It was because that reason, that the entire family died without even trying to resist. Am I going to die like that? I barely grasped the one strand of my mind and threw it away. The feeling of smoke filling my lungs was unpleasant. Maybe it was because I inhaled smoke, so I couldn¡¯t think properly. Ugh, uggh. Every time I breathed, black smoke stuck to my throat. But I could never get out of bed. It was better in the fire than to tear my whole body. My throat hurt from the smoke, and sweat flowed down from the suddenly heated floor. The swirling heat engulfed the whole body. To make matters worse, the burnt floor was crumbling down little by little. ¡®¡­if I go out, no, I can¡¯t go out.¡¯ I¡¯ll be dead if I go out. I didn¡¯t want to die. Tears streamed down from resentment. The back was hot, even if the wings were protruding on fire. I don¡¯t want to die, I want to live! I shouted constantly, but nothing changed. The house was being torn down by the fire. So, trapped in the flames, I slowly closed my eyes, breathing in the thick smoke to the fullest. I¡¯m only 12 years old. I was the same age as the heir to the wolf family who died a week ago. ****** ¡°Lady, wake up!¡± A familiar voice shook me up. I didn¡¯t get up right away and tossed and turned. This is because my mind was hazy and I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a dream or a reality. ¡°Lady Linsy!¡± A hoarse voice urged me. Eventually, I opened my closed eyes slightly. And I checked the face of the person who was shaking me up. ¡ªAdele? As soon as I saw her familiar face, I felt as if I had been hit with cold water. There¡¯s no way Adele is in front of me. She died about two years ago. Adele was an unfortunate maid who was falsely killed when I was ten years old, falsely accused of revealing Raniero¡¯s secrets. She was also my maid until she was killed. After Adele¡¯s death, Raniero had no one to look after me. The reason was my hair. Blood-red hair and feathers are a symbol of curse to all beasts. ¡®¡­This is my child.¡¯ When my father saw my hair for the first time, it was the first word he uttered after a long pause. That word made me a disgrace to the family and a cursed child. The entire bird family changes their hair color after the first molt. My father, Arthur Raniero, and the other siblings were all fine eagles with brown hair. So I thought I would have brown hair, too. I thought I was going to be a great eagle. ¡®But I wasn¡¯t.¡¯ I had red hair when I was ten years old after my first molt. My father, who cared so much about me, threw me away the moment he saw my hair turn red. The reason Adele died was actually because of me. Because I was a cursed child. My father dealt with everyone who was close to me. The reason was that she was close to the cursed person. Thanks to this, I had to live in a room, even though I had one of the best abilities in my family. No one was interested in me. ¡ªUntil the day I die. CH 2 So I was very happy to see Adele. Her face, which I saw only after death, still looked kind. I hugged poor Adele by the nape of her neck and wrapped my arms around her. Just like when I was alive, I still felt a familiar warmth. ¡°Adele! I, I missed you so much¡­¡± Adele¡¯s shoulder was soaked with my tears and runny nose. I didn¡¯t care about myself and wiped the tears away from Adele¡¯s clothes. I died anyway. No one could say anything like this. Had I been alive, Mrs. Bellin would have scolded me for not being able to protect the dignity of Raniero¡ª. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Then, I heard an unwelcome voice even after I died. I turned my head slowly. Then I saw Mrs. Bellin¡¯s face, which was frowning at me with her aquiline nose. ¡°¡­Mrs?¡± It was really Mrs. Bellin. Speak of the devil, she appeared before my eyes after I thought of being scolded by Mrs. Bellin. Yeah, come to think of it, Mrs. Bellin is dead, so she¡¯s also here. She was in charge of managing the succession of the Raniero family, so she couldn¡¯t avoid responsibility. When I was alive, she was one of those people who I didn¡¯t like at all, but when I died, I was even happy to see Mrs. Bellin¡¯s face. I ran to her crying. And clung to her skinny legs. ¡°H, hiik, Mrs, Hnngg, I, I didn¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Crying. Tears kept pouring out. As I rubbed my head, Mrs. Bellin¡¯s blue dress was soaked with my runny nose. I never thought I¡¯d be happy to see these people. It was then. My short legs were hanging in the air. Mrs. Bellin held me in her hands and lifted me into the air. She wrinkled her brow as she watched me wipe away my tears and runny nose. ¡°Adele, what¡¯s wrong with Lady Linsy?¡± Mrs. Bellin asked sharply. Adele replied, lowering her head in a bewildered countenance. ¡°Looks like the Lady had a nightmare. I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Lady is having lunch with the head of the house today. Adele, you didn¡¯t forget, did you? But if it was like this¡ª¡± She handed me into Adele¡¯s arms politely, but coldly. And she immediately turned around and walked away. Mrs. Bellin¡¯s elegant shoes gradually faded away. ¡°¡­Lunch.¡± I stopped crying and looked up at Adele. ¡°Ah, Lady too, there is a lunch scheduled with the head of house today. Come on, change your clothes, Lady.¡± The last time I was invited to my father¡¯s luncheon was before I was ten years old. But lunch? ¡°¡­Am I not dead?¡± ¡°Lady Linsy, how long are you going to be like this? Now you have to come to your senses and wash your face.¡± I turned my eyes slowly. Then, my face was reflected in the fancy mirror standing next to the bed. In the mirror, a young child with curly milky hair, light green eyes, and two plump milky cheeks was looking at me. I asked, touching the mirror like I was possessed. ¡°¡­Adele, how old am I?¡± ¡°You just turned seven yesterday.¡± I looked slowly around the room with a blank look on my face. A small but beautiful room with a little white cloth-covered bed, a fluffy fleece rug underneath, and a soft teddy bear on the bed. This was the room I lived in when I was very young. Before Adele was kicked out, before my hair turned red, this is the room I got when I was a daughter who was loved by my father. ¡®¡­Am I back?¡¯ Before I died? ****** I¡¯m sure I¡¯m dead. Adele, who¡¯s been busy running around changing my clothes and tying a ribbon around my head, doesn¡¯t seem to think so. ¡°Adele, am I really not dead?¡± After repeating the same question six times, Adele put her hands on her waist with a tired expression. ¡°Until when are you going to talk about your dreams? It¡¯s already been thirty minutes since you woke up.¡± She scolded me with a stern look on her face. Then she untied the blue ribbon tied to my head and said. ¡°Would pink be better?¡± I nodded my head roughly. At a time when I can¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s a dream or a reality, the color of the ribbon can¡¯t be important. ¡®Is it a dream?¡¯ However, everything was too vivid to be a dream. Adele¡¯s warmth, the warmth of the wash water, and the soft feel of the blanket on my small palm. In the end, I had to admit it. I returned. To seven years old. ¡®Then will I die in the same way in this life?¡¯ I don¡¯t want to. I closed my eyes tightly. Still, when I closed my eyes, I remembered the flames that seemed to swallow me. The smoke that clung to my throat. I didn¡¯t want to die. However, it was clear that I would be killed unfairly, like in my previous life, if I didn¡¯t do anything. What should I do? ¡®I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure of one thing.¡¯ I can¡¯t let Arsene Yeckhardt die. If so, the wolf family will kill us all. ¡°¡ªLady!¡± It took me a while to wrap my head around the complicated situation, but I immediately returned to reality when I heard Adele¡¯s voice calling out to me. ¡°Ung?¡± Adele sighed deeply when she heard the answer. There were wrinkles on her fine brow. She asked, holding my hand gently. ¡°What have you been thinking about since this morning? You have to go now, Lady. You woke up late, and you don¡¯t have much time.¡± If I remember correctly, lunch time with my father was always constant. Half-past twelve. I was always scolded if I was a little late for lunch or if I didn¡¯t behave properly. Maybe that¡¯s why Adele is so nervous. ¡°You can¡¯t go and do this, Lady. If the Master asks you a question, you need to answer right away¡ª¡± She held my hand tightly and warned me firmly. ¡°Eat a small meal with dignity. After you finish your meal, you wait politely for the Master to finish his meal. You didn¡¯t forget Mrs. Bellin¡¯s words, right?¡± ¡°Ung, don¡¯t worry, Adele.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring you more bread from the kitchen when you get back.¡± Adele gently brushed off the hem of my dress with a gentle touch. It was a neat dress without a single wrinkle. ***** I think I¡¯m going to get an upset stomach. I thought as they put the pile of food little by little on my plate in front of me. Just to the right was my father, Arthur Raniero, who was eating calmly, and behind, Mrs. Bellin, with her eyes raised, was watching my actions. ¡®It¡¯s even weirder not to get an upset stomach in this situation¡ª¡¯ With my own two eyes, I clearly saw that his neck was hanging on the wall. It felt strange to see him alive and eating. I put the rest of the fish on the plate in my mouth and put the fork and knife neatly down. And I watched my father and siblings slowly eat a mountain of food. Everyone was eating with their eyes down as if they had promised. As taught by Mrs. Bellin. I turned to the youngest, Schville. In fact, before lunch, I thought Schville had already left for Duke Yekhart. Because, in my memory, Schville went to Duke when I was seven, and she was six. ¡®So I wondered if I should let Yeckhardt know in advance.¡¯ The fact that Schville will kill Arsene. But surprisingly, the time I returned to was before Schville became the bride of Arsene Yeckhart. As proof of that, Schville was in front of me, with a fish dish shoved into her mouth. ¡°Schville.¡± I heard my father¡¯s low voice. Schville was startled and missed the fork she was bringing to her mouth. My father talked, wiping his mouth with a napkin hanging around his neck. ¡°Keep your manners while eating.¡± Schville¡¯s face turned red. The little sister bowed her head. The small ears were all red. Here, the ¡®manners¡¯ my father spoke of were the etiquette of a meal they must observe as a noble of the bird family. When eating, don¡¯t bring food to the mouth quickly, and don¡¯t eat all of the food on the plate. We have had Mrs. Bellin¡¯s strict education about this ¡®meal etiquette¡¯ since we were very young. But Schville was the youngest. She was a year younger than me. ¡®What would a six-year-old kid know?¡¯ I used to get scolded quite a bit at lunchtime in my previous life, too. Like Schville. It was high-quality food for the first time in a while, but the situation was not welcome. Thanks to that, I was able to keep ¡®manners.¡¯ ¡°You eat well with dignity today, Linsy.¡± My father¡¯s gaze shifted to me. Cough! I coughed without realizing it. I quickly closed my mouth with both hands. But it was after everyone who was already at the table focused on me. ¡°I, I apologize!¡± I quickly lowered my head. There was a long silence, and then I heard the clatter of the tableware again. ¡®Whoo.¡¯ I lifted my head gently, and my eyes met Mrs. Bellin, who was staring at me. She seemed to be glaring at me for being sloppy during the meal. ¡®But I couldn¡¯t help it.¡¯ It¡¯s been a while since I heard my father¡¯s sweet voice. After red hair started growing on my body, I couldn¡¯t even hear his voice, let alone his sweet voice. My father locked me in the room, and the servants treated me like I was completely invisible. As the thought reached that point, strength entered the hand holding the fork. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be locked up again.¡¯ Of course, it is being treated as an invisible person as well. But once the molt is over, I will be thrown away again. In Raniero, I will be completely erased. Just like in a previous life. In an instant, my expression was distorted. But fortunately, my father didn¡¯t see my distorted face and looked away. ¡°Tomorrow, the head of the wolf family will visit Raniero.¡± CH 3 As soon as I heard my father¡¯s words, I lifted my head. ¡°So everyone, don¡¯t leave your room tomorrow. He¡¯s not a good person to run into.¡± The siblings nodded silently. Schville, who had been dazed, also nodded hastily. ¡®¡­Did the head of the wolf family directly visit the mansion in my previous life?¡¯ My memory was hazy. After returning, I couldn¡¯t remember very well what happened in my previous life. But it seems that he visited the mansion once before sending the marriage proposal¡ª. ¡®It¡¯s best to ask when you don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡°¡­Why is the head of the wolf family entering the territory of the bird family?¡± I tilted my head and asked as innocently as possible. Don¡¯t let my father be offended. Fortunately, my father calmly put down his napkin and replied. ¡°He said he has something to tell.¡± Just thinking of the wolf family made him angry, and my father seemed quite uncomfortable. Mrs. Bellin, who was watching my father, swallowed her saliva. I lowered my head and thought to myself. ¡®I guess he doesn¡¯t know yet.¡¯ Kendrick Yeckhart is on his way to proposing a political marriage to the bird family. If so, it meant that my father had not yet planned to send Schville to kill Arsene. It also meant that the opportunity to change the future was rolling in. I sat down on the sofa to organize my thoughts. Maybe it was a side effect of regression, or it was because I was young, I had to wrap my head a few times because my head didn¡¯t work well. First of all, my father doesn¡¯t know what Kendrick Yeckhart is up to. Even in my previous life, after the marriage proposal arrived, it took a month for Schville to go to the Duke¡¯s house. My father pondered and eventually decided that he would kill Arsene, and he had been planning to send Schville for a long time. Thanks to him, my family collapsed, and I died. I couldn¡¯t do that in this life either. ¡®I must stop that.¡¯ To do that, I have to stop Schville from going to the Yeckhart family¡ª. Since the head of the wolf family proposed a political marriage, the bird family had to marry the wolf family. In addition¡ª. ¡®¡­if my memory is correct, my father got a pretty good thing in return for the marriage.¡¯ The Hampton River. A small river between the territory of the bird family and the territory of the wolf family. Although it was smaller than other rivers, the wolf family and the bird family have been fighting to take over the river for a long time because of its good location. So my father wouldn¡¯t refuse this marriage. The head of the wolf family also needs a bird family to save his son. And they also can¡¯t cancel an arranged marriage. ¡ªIf so, ¡®I¡¯ll go.¡¯ I¡¯m going to marry Arsene instead of Schville and treat him. I clenched my fists. Then, the wolf family will not lose their mind or invade Raniero. Furthermore¡ª. ¡®If I go to the territory of the wolf family, I will be protected at least until I reach adulthood.¡¯ Even if I had finished molting and had the cursed feathers, the wolf family wouldn¡¯t let me go. Because I have to treat Arsene. I fiddled with my hair. The fine, wheat-colored hair slid between my fingers.¡¯ ¡®When the molting begins, they¡¯ll abandon me again.¡¯ Like in my previous life, I will be locked up in a room where no one comes for the rest of my life. And I will absolutely refuse it for this life. I bit my lip and shook my head. ¡®I will marry him instead of Schville, then heal his heir and ask protection in return.¡¯ It¡¯s about getting a promise that they will not abandon me under any circumstances. ¡®Because I heard the wolf family never forgets a kindness.¡¯ Until I became an adult, I would be able to be protected by the wolf family. Then, when I become an adult, I can divorce and live alone in a moderately quiet country village. It was a perfect plan. The problem was that my father couldn¡¯t let me go. Because I have wheat-colored hair now. Soft wheat hair was the symbol of young Raniero. It was clear that my father would never hand me over to the wolf family. ¡®Because I have the strongest ability in the family.¡¯ So I have to go in secret. However, replacing Schville in the carriage was impossible. Because in my previous life, Schville left for the wolf territory under strict security. ¡®Then the only chance is tomorrow.¡¯ Tomorrow, the head of the Yeckhart family will visit Raniero¡¯s mansion ¡®directly¡¯. And Kendrick Yeckhart will not refuse and will say yes if I follow him. It must be so because he is in such a hurry that he proposes a political marriage to the bird family that he hates so much now. The problem is¡ª. ¡®My father told us not to leave the room, so Mrs. Bellin will be watching us.¡¯ Plus, the maids in charge will ensure the kids can¡¯t get out of the room. However, there¡¯s no chance if it¡¯s not tomorrow. So I had to follow Kendrick Yeckhart tomorrow at any cost. ***** ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Adele said firmly. She placed her hands on her waist and blocked the front of her door. I stamped my feet and looked up at Adele. ¡°Adele!¡± ¡°Mrs. Belin is walking around outside. You¡¯ll definitely get in trouble again if you go out now.¡± She was determined. I said I would go to the garden for a while, but she wouldn¡¯t even allow it. ¡®I was thinking of meeting Kendrick secretly by pretending to go to the garden.¡¯ Kendrick Yeckhart was expected to arrive at three o¡¯clock. Thirty minutes later, the conversation will be over, and he will leave Raniero. Outside the window, I saw a carriage with Kendrick Yeckhart in it. And now it was already 3:20. I¡¯ve been arguing with Adele about leaving the room since 02.30. But Adele was stubborn. ¡°Absolutely not, Lady. Never.¡± It seemed like she was determined never to let me go. Then plan B. I grabbed my stomach quickly and drooped my eyebrows. My stomach was rumbling. It was only natural because I hadn¡¯t eaten properly for breakfast and lunch. Mrs. Belin said she would take care of it because she didn¡¯t feed us on time. And Adele was weak against my hunger. Children must eat well no matter what! Adele, who had that thought, would always bring me cookies, small cakes, or bread whenever I was hungry. I grabbed my hungry stomach and turned my head to Adele. And after making the most miserable and pitiful expression, I said. ¡°Adele, I¡¯m so hungry. I¡¯ll go out for a minute, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to the garden a while ago?¡± ¡°¡­But suddenly I¡¯m hungry.¡± I changed my words urgently, and Adele looked at me suspiciously. Silence passed for a moment. She quickly sighed and grabbed my shoulder. ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring you some cookies, so you can never leave, okay? Mrs. Bellin¡¯s out there. Don¡¯t even open the door.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, so don¡¯t go out!¡± ¡°All right.¡± Adele sighed and left the room. Adele was seen explaining the situation to Mrs. Belin through the door. She glared sharply at the crack in the door I was peeping at. ¡®Gasp!¡¯ I didn¡¯t get caught, right? I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t get caught. Then Mrs. Bellin nodded. The sound of Adele¡¯s footsteps was getting farther away. I ran to the back bed and slipped my hand under the bed. And¡ª. ¡®I found it!¡¯ I pulled out a small note from under the bed and held it in my hand. This was a note I wrote in advance last night when I asked Adele to bring me some paper and a pen. ¡®It would be great if we could meet without me transforming into a beast.¡¯ It was a note I had written down in case I had to leave the mansion in the state of being a bird. If I become a bird and meet the head of the wolf family, we won¡¯t be able to communicate. Only members of the same family can communicate while transforming into a beast. Therefore, it was safer to make a note in advance in case we couldn¡¯t communicate. I opened the note. [My name is Linsy Raniero. Please take me to Yeckhart.] Since I might have to fly with a note in my mouth, I wrote down only the essentials on the paper. Okay, this is pretty well written. I double-checked the note and folded it up on the window frame. Sliding. I opened the window quickly, and the hot wind blew into the room. ¡®I have to hurry before Adele comes.¡¯ I bit my lips and ran a couple of times in place, and white smoke rose from under my feet. ¡®Please, please!¡¯ I leave myself to the smoke. I could feel small wings sticking out from behind my back and raising my gaze. ¡®Done!¡¯ I succeeded in transforming! In fact, it was half a gamble. You could usually learn how to transform from the age of ten or older. In my previous life, too, I only learned how to transform at the age of ten. However, I had past experience with transforming, so I only tried it once, but I naturally succeeded in transforming since I knew I could do it from the start. I looked into my wings and tail. It was a clean wheat color since it hadn¡¯t yet molted. ¡°Chirp!¡± I shouted loudly and tried to move my wings. It was obviously tough for me to flap my wings while transforming with a seven-year-old body. But if I can get out of here! I quickly climbed onto the window frame. I could hear whispers outside the door to see if Adele was already coming back. Then I saw Kendrick Yeckhart walking across the garden. ¡®No!¡¯ CH 4 He was heading straight for the gate. As the conversation¡ªactually, the notice¡ª seemed to have worked out, so the steps towards the carriage were light. It was impossible to catch up with the carriage with this clumsy flapping, no matter how the transformation was. As soon as the door burst open, I bit a note in my mouth. Then, Adele came into the room. ¡°Lady¡ª? Where are¡ª?¡± Adele looked around the empty room as if bewildered. Soon, her gaze came to my body, which had been transformed into a beast. Adele opened her eyes wide when she found me. ¡°Ack, Lady?!¡± Clank! Then there was the sound of the dish breaking. Adele seemed to have missed the plate, surprised by the Lady¡¯s beast transformation. The cookies that were on the plate fell to the floor. ¡°Lady!¡± But I didn¡¯t look back and jumped out of the window frame. ¡°C, chirp!¡± The problem was that it was my first time flying with this body. Wings with undergrown flight feathers kept leaning to one side. In addition, the note in my mouth kept slipping, so I had to make an effort not to miss them. I squeezed my power and flew away to catch up with Kendrick Yeckhart. And when I finally flew close to Kendrick Yeckhart. ¡®Do I succeed, Do I¡ª?¡¯ ¡°Chirp!¡± My wings weakened, and I fell to the top of Kendrick Yeckhart. ¡°¡­.?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Kendrick Yeckhart stood tall in his position. He put his hands under his chin and shook his head lightly. ¡°Chirp!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for it to roll from the top of the head and fall into Kendrick Yeckhart¡¯s hands. ¡®Ack!¡¯ As a result of the shock of falling, the note that I was biting narrowly fell to the floor. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble!¡¯ I hurriedly looked down at the grass. Fortunately, the note was right under Kendrick¡¯s feet. I have to pick that up now¡ª. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± I slowly lifted my head and looked up at Kendrick with a stinging gaze. His close-up expression was quite mysterious. He raised his eyebrows. After that, he looked at me for a long time as if he was trying to figure out what was going on. ¡°Chirp¡­ Chirp¡­¡± I smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of my head with my wings. Of course, because I¡¯m in a beast condition, it¡¯s difficult to tell if I¡¯m smiling or crying, but I tried to smile anyway. ¡°Wheat feathers¡­ So you¡¯re Raniero.¡± Then, Kendrick Yekhart opened his mouth first. ¡°Chirp!¡± I nodded and pointed my wings at the grass. ¡®Hurry up and drop me off!¡¯ Because my precious note was on the floor. I can¡¯t communicate with this man at all in this form, so I have to show him the note I wrote earlier. I sobbed, my gaze fixed on the lonely note on the ground. Fortunately, Kendrick seems to know what my gesture means. ¡°Were you playing alone in the garden¡ª¡± He looked around the garden and carefully put me down on the grass. ¡°Chiirrp!¡± As soon as I got out of Kendrick¡¯s hand, I rushed to pick up the note. Then I bit the note that was covered with the mud in my mouth. ¡®Ahh, what is this!¡¯ As it fell on the grass, I had a bitter taste in my mouth because of the muddy note. It seems as if a grain of sand were rolling around in my beak. But I didn¡¯t have time to care about this. I frowned and ran towards Kendrick. The problem is that Kendrick, who put me down on the grass, was leaving without hesitation. ¡®No!¡¯ I was desperate to see his back as he left. Just how did I get here? I couldn¡¯t fail like this. ¡®I must follow the wolf family no matter what!¡¯ It was the only way to save Adele and the innocent people in the family. ¡®And me too.¡¯ If I don¡¯t run to the wolf territory now, I¡¯ll be thrown away for having the cursed feather again. After taking a deep breath, I firmly asked for the note again. And I flew up, flapping my wings and vigorously kicking up the ground. Thanks to Kendrick walking slowly, I could catch up with his walk without difficulty. ¡®A little more!¡¯ I flew as hard as I could and landed on Kendrick¡¯s shoulder. Done! Kendrick turned his gaze to me. He seemed to be asking, ¡®Why didn¡¯t you go and come back?¡¯ I held out a note to Kendrick with a triumphant look. ¡°¡­a note?¡± Kendrick reached out with a big hand. I spat a note on Kendrick¡¯s palm. I messed up the note with my beak marks and dirt. Kendrick looked carefully at the small note on his palm and soon opened it carefully. [My name is Linsy Raniero. Please take me to Yeckhart.] He saw the bad handwriting. ¡°Linsy¡­ Raniero?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°Take you to Yekhart?¡± Kendrick, who read the note, asked back in disbelief. ¡°Chiirp!¡± I nodded my head up and down. I nodded so vigorously that all the goals rang, but it didn¡¯t matter. Kendrick hasn¡¯t said anything for a long time. He seemed to be thinking about something for a long time. I folded my wings in agitation and repeated them. ¡®What if he says he won¡¯t take me?¡¯ Of course, I thought that was impossible, but I became impatient as the silence grew longer. Let me prove my ability. Then Kendrick might end his troubles and take me. I flew near his wrist and landed on his hand. Then I bit Kendrick¡¯s finger as hard as I could. He frowned slightly. A drop of blood flowed from Kendrick Yekhart¡¯s finger. ¡°Chiirrp!¡± Take a good look, Mister. I used this skill quickly. The skin, which was torn very slightly, healed quickly thanks to this ability. Then I held out my chest in high spirits and looked at him. ¡°Chirp!¡± What do you think? Did you see it well? So take me with you! I quickly dug into Kendrick¡¯s arms, looked up at him, and blinked. Then he turned and looked at the noisy Raniero family mansion. Perhaps because I disappeared, all the servants were coming out to the garden one by one. Some of them flinched at the sight of Kendrick Yeckhart, head of the Wolf family, standing in the middle of the garden. I kept my posture as low as possible so that servants wouldn¡¯t notice me and clung to Kendrick¡¯s jacket. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± Hurry, hurry, take me! Kendrick lowered his head and made eye contact with me. Then he raised the corners of his mouth and laughed. ¡°¡­.?¡± Why, why are you laughing? Kendrick unfolded his jacket collar with his hand to hide me and whispered lowly. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go together.¡± That was the sweetest voice I¡¯ve ever heard. Without even having time to think about anything else, he carelessly put me into his pocket. In an instant, it was dark around. Kendrick¡¯s body shook slightly as he began to walk. I took a seat in his pocket and thought, holding my breath. ¡®I succeeded!¡¯ Now, I can hide like a mouse and follow him to the wolf¡¯s mansion. But there was a small problem. It¡¯s too dark in his pocket. Kendrick¡¯s pocket was so large and cozy that it was just right for me to fit in. However¡ª. Being alone in a dark place, I kept thinking of that day. The smoke that was rising everywhere, the smell of blood on the nose. Even the wolves that were looking for me were wandering around the room. ¡®¡ªI should be hiding quietly.¡¯ Otherwise, the servants of Raniero might find out. The birds had very good eyesight, so if I stuck my head out, the people of Raniero could find me. But, ¡®I can¡¯t breathe.¡¯ I was constantly choking. I felt like I was alone in the fire pit. Tears welled up in my eyes. I could feel my heart beating faster than usual. Eventually, I couldn¡¯t resist and stuck my head out of his pocket. As I stuck out my head, I could feel the cool wind brushing my hair. ¡®Phew, it¡¯s better now.¡¯ ¡°Chiirp¡ª¡± I hid in the pocket and then popped out repeatedly as Kendrick made his way to the carriage. Kendrick immediately got into a carriage engraved with Yekhart¡¯s pattern. The men who appeared to be escorts standing on both sides of the carriage bowed their heads. As Kendrick sat down in the carriage, a splendid interior came into sight. Hiik. I opened my beak at the sight of the fancy carriage. My father also had a lot of luxury, so he used to lead a fancy carriage. Compared to the inside of this carriage, I thought it looked simple. I stuck out my head and looked around, and a big hand picked me up and put me on his lap. ¡°Chiirp.¡± I raised my head reflexively. ¡ªHiccup. ¡®Hiik.¡¯ My eyes met with a pair of blue eyes that looked interesting to me. A pair of blue eyes that looked at me with interest met my eyes. ¡°Chirp¡ª¡± ¡®Hello, Mister¡­ the weather is good¡­.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know before because I had to follow this person right now to survive. But this man in front of me was a wolf. A beast that can eat me in one bite. ¡ªHiccup. ¡®¡­You¡¯re not gonna hurt me, right?¡¯ CH 5 ¡®It¡¯s not just a wolf, it¡¯s the head of the gray wolf family.¡¯ In my previous life, he was the one who tore and killed my father and brothers and set the mansion on fire while losing his reason. ¡®I, it¡¯ll be okay, right?¡¯ Because I need to heal Arsene. However, my instincts screamed from the depths part of my body, telling me to leave this man as soon as possible. I suppressed my instinct to run away at once. Then I closed my eyes and spread my wings. This was a sign of surrender. It means not to rush. ¡°You want to fly?¡± But this man doesn¡¯t seem to understand me very well. ¡®No, no, no!¡¯ What are the wolves¡¯ signs of surrender? I quickly rolled my brain. I couldn¡¯t think of it well because I had never learned it properly in my previous life. I think they lifted their legs when they loosened their guard. With one leg up, Kendrick Yekhart raised his eyebrows. ¡°If you want to do your business, not on my lap.¡± No! ¡®It¡¯s so frustrating.¡¯ I tried to turn into a human time and time again, but it didn¡¯t work out. It seemed to be a rebound after being forced to transform into a beast since my body wasn¡¯t completely grown. Thanks to this, I had to hit my chest with my undergrown wings. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s really small.¡± It was Kendrick Yeckhart who spoke first. ¡°Are all the kids in the bird clan normally this small? They¡¯re not even the size of a wolf¡¯s paws.¡± Kendrick said, measuring my size with his long fingers. Kendrick¡¯s fingers stretched straight next to my body. I closed my eyes instinctively. ¡®Ack!¡¯ Maybe it was natural because it was instinct. Even if he¡¯s being nice to me now, he killed me once in his previous life. ¡®Of course, he didn¡¯t kill me personally.¡¯ But has this made him mad? I quickly opened my eyes and looked into Kendrick¡¯s eyes. Kendrick was flustered and slowly bit his hand. I quickly approached Kendrick and rubbed my head against his fingers. ¡°Chirp¡­.¡± Then Kendrick nodded slowly as if he understood. Only then did I feel relieved. ¡°Then, let¡¯s talk now.¡± Kendrick clapped his hands. ¡°¡­Chirp?¡± ¡°It¡¯s safe here, so relax and turn into a human now.¡± I shook my head with my wings drooping at Kendrick¡¯s words. Kendrick¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Do you mean you don¡¯t want to transform back?¡± No, that¡¯s not it! ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± I jumped in place and shook my head. Then Kendrick opened his mouth as if he had realized something. ¡°You can¡¯t transform back?¡± Yes, yes! ¡°Chirp!¡± Kendrick wrinkled his eyebrows, then pulled out a crumpled note of mine from the front pocket of his coat. ¡°Then you can answer with a nod. Is this what you wrote?¡± Of course! I nodded vigorously. ¡°Linsy Raniero¡­ How old are you? Oh, you can¡¯t answer.¡± Kendrick glanced slowly over my tiny body, then nodded his head and mumbled. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll go back to the mansion and hear why you wanted to follow me.¡± He crossed his legs and spoke in a low voice. ¡°If you ever want to go back before then, I¡¯ll take you back anytime. So make yourself at home.¡± I opened my beak wide when I heard Kendrick. What do you mean you¡¯re taking me back? No way! I shook my head. Then I ran behind him, buried my face in my stomach, and spread my wings. ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± ¡°Hmm? You want me to take you back?¡± No! I shook my head quickly, and Kendrick chuckled. The corners of his eyes were gently curved like a crescent moon. I completely forgot what I was afraid of, and I climbed onto his shoulder. Then I held Kendrick¡¯s collar tightly on my feet and looked out the window. ¡®How long does it take to get to Yekhart?¡¯ Although I had never actually been there, Yekhart and Raniero were close. The wolf family and the bird family were not on good terms partly because the two families lived close together. This is due to frequent territorial disputes at the country¡¯s border where the two families live. ¡®Well, that¡¯s none of my business.¡¯ When will we arrive? I sat on his smooth shoulder and looked out the window, trimming my tail feathers. The carriage was running at high speed and was leaving Raniero. Behind the carriage, I could see familiar landscapes racing about. The mansion would have been as small as a dot. ¡®I¡¯m leaving Raniero.¡¯ The mansion that I¡¯ve never escaped from in my previous life. That alone stirred up joy in the small body. ****** ¡®Small.¡¯ That too, a lot. It was Kendrick¡¯s first thought when he saw a baby bird. The baby bird was less than half the size of an adult male¡¯s palm. The body was small, the wings were small, and the beak was small. And the tail is so cute. It was surprising that such a small thing was alive. Kendrick watched the sleeping baby bird quietly on his lap. He¡¯s sure she must have been afraid of him at first. Perhaps she completely forgot about that, the baby bird was sleeping well with a handkerchief on the lap of the head of the wolf family. With each steady breath, the baby bird¡¯s round tummy swelled up a bit by little. He gently touched the baby bird¡¯s beak with his index finger. ¡®At first, she looks around the carriage as if it¡¯s amazing.¡¯ But she was so tired that she fell asleep quickly. He looked at the baby bird and then opened the note again as if the baby bird had written it. The note clearly said to take her to Yeckhart. As if she knew he¡¯d come to Raniero today to propose a political marriage. That can¡¯t be true. ¡®It¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Kendrick mumbled softly and looked closely at the baby bird. She looked like a very young child because she had sparse hair. ¡®But she has such a strong ability?¡¯ Kendrick recalled the time when the baby bird bit his finger. The baby bird quickly used her power to heal Kendrick¡¯s wounds. And then, for a moment, Kendrick could feel it. That baby birds have powerful abilities. Did she know that the ability of this baby bird was exactly what he was looking for? ¡®Ha, that can¡¯t be true.¡¯ Kendrick smiled and shook his head. It¡¯s an absurd idea. What is he doing with such a young child¡ª. It seemed more likely that she had been abused by Raniero and had escaped from him. He stroked the soft hair of the sleeping baby bird. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing anyway.¡¯ Raniero¡¯s daughter rolled into his hands, and there was no reason to hesitate. He had caring eyes for the baby bird that was asleep close to him. ¡®I hope the transformation will be lifted soon.¡¯ That way, he can figure out what this kid wants. It was clear that the baby bird was still too young to control the transformation. In exceptional cases, such a scenario can happen when a beast transformation is successful before the appropriate age. Well. It doesn¡¯t matter. She can lift the transformation slowly. After hearing the reason for asking him to take her when the transformation is released, they will eat something delicious, and¡ª. Kendrick nodded and thought. ¡®I should make her my daughter-in-law.¡¯ Each time the baby bird exhaled, the handkerchief fluttered slightly. ***** ¡°You must get up now.¡± The hand that tapped her wings was very gentle. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. It was definitely daytime when we left, but the sun was setting outside the window. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± He reached out to me. I put my feet on his palm in a daze. ¡°Chi¡­chirp.¡± It was hard to stand still in place because I was half asleep. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go inside and sleep more.¡± With a rough nod, Kendrick Yekhart put me on his shoulder. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± After shaking my head to clear away the hazy energy and placing my feet on his shoulders, I caught sight of the huge Yeckhart mansion at a glance. ¡®Oh, my. It¡¯s huge.¡¯ The people and the house are really big! Raniero¡¯s mansion was never small either. Because Raniero belonged to the eagle family, it was significantly larger than other birds. The mansion was therefore built with a high battleground and a wide width. However, I couldn¡¯t compare it to Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. ¡®Oh my.¡¯ Even though I had only seen it from far, I was surprised by its size and majesty. Also, the knights surrounding the carriage are huge. Knights in large, heavy-looking iron armor were lined up on either side of the carriage. They¡¯re not going to eat me, are they? I glanced around. If there was a wolf rushing to eat me, I thought I¡¯d fly straight to the sky. Kendrick Yeckhart slowly got out of the carriage as I looked out the window. ¡°Hold tight, so you don¡¯t fall off.¡± He said so and stroked my head carefully with his index finger. I nodded my head bravely. Don¡¯t worry! In order not to repeat the same unfortunate incident as the first meeting, I raised my claws and grabbed his collar. It was then. ¡°Grrrrr¡ª¡± ¡°Chirp! C, chiirp!¡± I fell to the ground, frightened by the unexpected appearance of a black beast in front of me after he told me to hold on to him tightly so that I wouldn¡¯t fall. ¡®W, what is that!¡¯ It¡¯s a monster! CH 6 Translated by Tam It pointed its big snout at me carelessly. I felt the heavy breathing throughout my body. I, I¡¯m going to die. I could feel the sharp teeth touching the tip of the wing. The monster¡¯s rough breath brushed my wings every time they trembled. ¡°Stop it, Degon. It¡¯s rude.¡± A hand that looked like a savior was suddenly stretched at that time. I jumped on the palm without hesitation. Then the black wolf took a step back, as if embarrassed. The wolf raised its heavy paws and shook its body wildly. I had to hold Kendrick Yeckhart¡¯s hand tightly so the wind wouldn¡¯t blow me away. After brushing its fur a few times, a puff of black smoke rose from beneath his feet, and a young knight appeared. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± A knight named Degon looked down at me with curious eyes. Kendrick stopped him from putting out his long fingers and touching my hair. ¡°I picked it up in Raniero.¡± ¡°From those little chicks? Did they give up their child that easily?¡± Degon asked in disbelief. ¡°No, I just picked it up.¡± Kendrick replied indifferently as if he had no intention of answering any further, then left Degon behind and moved on to his steps. Well, he did pick it up. Because he picks me up after I beg him to take me to Yeckhart. He hurried his steps and walked quickly as if Degon was bothering him. Of course, he held me tightly in his arms so that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. Thanks to this, only the knight Degon, who was following him, shook his head as if he was frustrated. ¡°Picked it up? What do you mean, picked it up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re noisy, Degon.¡± I took a deep breath, putting my head down in Kendrick Yeckhart¡¯s warm arms. ¡®I thought I was going to die.¡¯ I could still feel my little heart beating. I looked around me with my eyes wide open. Wolves were seen swarming behind a knight called Degon. I closed my eyes and thought. ¡®Maybe they just followed him for no reason?¡¯ An old man with one-piece glasses stood upright at the front door of the wolf mansion. Seeing several other maids standing behind him, he seemed to be the butler of the wolf mansion. ¡°Master, you¡¯re¡­back?¡± The old butler looked at me and widened his eyes. Through the transparent one-piece glasses, I could see the inside of the wall that seemed to protrude. There was a brief silence between the butler and Kendrick. He looked at me in disbelief and at Kendrick one after another. The old butler looked as if he had something to say to Kendrick. Kendrick sighed and laid me down on the butler¡¯s palm. ¡°Master, what is this¡­?¡± ¡°Take care of her, Ethan, she doesn¡¯t seem to know how to lift the transformation. Wash and feed her. I think she¡¯s too skinny.¡± ¡°Master, wait.¡± No, hold on. The butler and I turned at the same time and looked at Kendrick. Kendrick shrugged, then turned with Degon. When he left, the butler looked at the figure in a hurry. And soon, he looked as if he had made up his mind. He grabbed the other maid¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°I have something to talk about with my Master, so you can take care of him for a while.¡± Huh? He quickly put me on the other maid¡¯s palm. Then he hurried after Kendrick, who was walking far away. ¡°¡­.?¡± I crept up my head and looked at the wolf maid¡¯s face. She grinned wickedly. The sharp fangs were exposed. I hurriedly lowered my head, avoiding her gaze, and wrapped my head with two wings. ¡®No, how can you leave me like this!¡¯ I roared silently among the swarming wolf servants. A wolf here, a wolf there. And I was a little bird that might become their prey. ¡°C, chirp! Chirp!¡± I screamed at the back of his head as he walked away, but he left me with no regrets. Thanks to this, I was thrown without any weapons into the wolves¡¯ den that looked at me curiously. ¡°Chirp¡­Chirp¡­¡± Save¡­me¡­ A dozen pairs of eyes were staring at me. No wolf opened its mouth first. Hiccups. Only my hiccups rang out loud in the quiet lobby. ***** ¡°Master, please talk for¡­Ugh, just a moment.¡± Ethan, who ran in a hurry, breathed in and said. Kendrick said this while standing in front of his office door. ¡°Come in and talk.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Ethan followed Kendrick into the office without a word. The office is neatly organized according to the master¡¯s wishes. Kendrick Yekhardt sat right in the middle of it and said with his hands together. ¡°So, Ethan, what do you have to say?¡± Ethan, who lost his words due to Kendrick Yekhart¡¯s shameless attitude, dropped his jaw. ¡°No, are you asking me what I have to say, master? Master. Isn¡¯t that baby bird Raniero¡¯s daughter!¡± When Ethan saw the baby bird in Kendrick¡¯s hand, he immediately recognized that it was Raniero¡¯s daughter. He couldn¡¯t help but notice because she had wheat-colored hair that was a symbol of the baby bird young Raniero. ¡°That¡¯s right, but it¡¯s not what you think¡­¡± ¡°Master, Sneaking a child with parents is the same as kidnapping! If this fact is known, it will not escape criticism. No, it won¡¯t matter anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a kidnapping, so calm down and talk to me.¡± ¡°¡ªDid you bring her by force? Did you scare her? To that little baby bird¡ª¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°We have to put it back right now! I don¡¯t know how you brought her here, but I¡¯ll get Degon to do it now!¡± ¡°Calm down and listen to me.¡± Kendrick, who barely calmed Ethan, pulled a crumpled note from his pocket. It was the same note that Linsy had brought in with her little beak earlier. Seeing the small, dirty note, Ethan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Read it.¡± Kendrick handed the note to Ethan. He quickly took over the note and quickly scanned the contents. And looked up in disbelief. ¡°¡­What did I just see?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly what the note says.¡± ¡°Did the Master forge it?¡± ¡°What do you think of me, Ethan?¡± Kendrick said with a smirk. Ethan asked, nevertheless, in disbelief. ¡°Did you hear the reason why she asked you to take her to Yeckhart?¡± ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t hear it through words. I have to listen now.¡± Kendrick said calmly. ¡°You should have asked that first! If it¡¯s Raniero¡¯s spy¡ª¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be able to complete her transformation, so how do I ask? And, if I ask hastily and she runs away, will you take responsibility?¡± Kendrick asked sharply. ¡°Let¡¯s admit it, Ethan. Even if she¡¯s a spy, it¡¯s good for us.¡± He spoke slowly. ¡°First of all, Raniero¡¯s daughter is in our hands.¡± In any case, the wolves achieved their purpose. Ethan nodded his head in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡ª¡± ¡°Take care of her for now. When the transformation is resolved, then we will talk again. Until then, take care of her as seriously as possible. So that she doesn¡¯t want to go back¡ª¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going. I will report her condition once an hour.¡± Kendrick beckoned. Ethan bowed his head and stepped out of Kendrick¡¯s office. ***** The butler, who had rushed after Kendrick, returned with an expression on his face as if he had gone insane. But as soon as he stood in front of me, he smiled broadly. ¡°My name is Ethan. You¡¯re the Lady of Raniero, right?¡± I took a sip of the water the maid had brought me and nodded my head. Then came the hiccups, which seemed to stop. ¡ªHiccups! ¡®No.¡¯ I sipped the water again while holding the glass of water with my two wings. After calming down a bit. ¡°Did the Master bring you by force?¡± The old butler whispered with a very serious expression. ¡°¡­I will never tell him.¡± He had a pretty grim attitude as if he was ready to hear anything. Force? Of course not. ¡®Rather, I beg him to allow me to follow him.¡¯ ¡°Chirp!¡± I shook my head, and the butler asked again with a suspicious look. ¡°He¡¯s really not?¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! ¡°Chirp!¡± Then Ethan swept his chest as if he was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I thought he was using force¡ª¡± His expression brightened noticeably. He reached out to me with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the room. Lady.¡± I jumped over the old butler¡¯s wrinkled hands. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the room I¡¯ve prepared for you. There are some things to worry about, but¡ªhave you finished cleaning?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve worked it out.¡± ¡°Good. Shall we go, Lady?¡± Ethan moved slowly. To ensure that I could remain stable on Ethan¡¯s hand, he moved slowly. A large, hanging door appeared at the end of the long and colorful hallway as we walked through it. The maids opened the door. Just then¡ª. CH 7 ¡®Whoa¡­¡¯ I had no choice but to open my mouth, no, my beak, and look into the room. Because it was too fancy for a guest room. Furniture that looks luxurious to anyone, even blankets that look super soft and pretty toys. It can only be seen as if they prepared it for someone¡ª. ¡®Ah!¡¯ This is a room for his daughter-in-law. The wolf family seems to have been decorating the daughter-in-law¡¯s room in advance when they proposed an arranged marriage to the bird family. ¡°You can stay here from now on.¡± Ethan smiled kindly and put me down on the bed. The part of my foot that touched it fell in. But the problem is¡ª. ¡®Isn¡¯t the bed too big?¡¯ The problem was that the furniture was too big, and I was a very small bird. A small bird was left in a huge, spacious room. It was a funny picture. As if this was what worried the old butler, he also showed his displeasure. ¡®I can¡¯t even open the doorknob in this form.¡¯ The blanket was so soft and thick that I would have suffocated from the pressure if I got in between it. The maids exchanged troubled glances. ¡°We will take measures as soon as possible. For now¡ª I¡¯m going to ask someone to go down to the village and buy some useful things.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go into the blanket recklessly, Lady. It seems dangerous.¡± The old butler said this as he looked back and forth between the thick blanket and my small body. I lifted a wing to show that I understood. ¡°Chirrp!¡± ¡°If you need anything, can you ring that bell?¡± I looked at the bell Ethan pointed at. It was a piece of a gold bell with a cute little pattern engraved on it. The problem is¨C. ¡®I¡¯m smaller than the bell. Phew.¡¯ I flew and landed in front of the bell on the side table. And after taking a deep breath, I took two steps back. And then¡ª. I ran to the bell and hit it with all my might. ¡ªDing. There was a very faint bell ringing. The old butler and the maids looked at me in shock. ¡°Oh, my. Don¡¯t ring the bell, Lady. You¡¯ll get hurt at this rate.¡± ¡°¡­Chirp.¡± I replied sullenly. ¡°I will tell you to prepare a bell that the Lady can ring.¡± ¡°Chirp.¡± ¡°Are there any inconveniences?¡± Inconveniences? Growl. I didn¡¯t realize I hadn¡¯t eaten much all day until then. ¡®I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ Adele offered me cookies, but I ran away before I ate them. Thanks to this, I grabbed my hungry stomach and looked into the eyes of the old butler. He raised his one-piece glasses and watched me carefully. Growl. Once again, a loud noise echoed from my stomach. But I guess I only heard it loud in my ears. The old butler still didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡®I can say it, right?¡¯ ¡­because he asked me to tell him if there was anything inconvenient. Eventually, I flopped down, rubbing my wings against my stomach. And I cried with my wings drooping as if I had no energy. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ Then Ethan clapped his hands as if he understood. ¡°Are you hungry, Lady?¡± Ung, ung! I positively flapped my wings. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll prepare a meal. Rather than in the dining room¡ª wouldn¡¯t it be more convenient to eat here?¡± ¡°Chirrp!¡± ¡°Lena, tell me to prepare some food and bring it to her.¡± Ethan ordered the maid. He put me in the middle of a spacious, fluffy bed. I put my wings together on the bed and sat politely, waiting for my food to arrive. Growl. In the meantime, there was a constant sound in my stomach. ¡®What kind of food can I eat?¡¯ I thought it would be perfect if I could eat salad and a little fish like in Raniero. ¡®Or just hard bread would be fine¡ª¡¯ I can eat hard bread by soaking it in water¡ª. There were days in my previous life when I couldn¡¯t even eat it well. ¡®But since I¡¯m a guest, wouldn¡¯t they give me something more delicious?¡¯ Maybe I can eat things like fresh fruits. I raised my head in anticipation. And soon after, the maids dragged the tray into the room. I opened my eyes wide when I saw the food on the tray. ¡®Oh my, what is this?¡¯ Fruit puddings, chocolate muffins, fresh berries, fruits, and all kinds of fish dishes were on trays. The maids began to set the table on the low table in the room. I wondered how much food there was because there was nowhere to put it, and a couple of maids moved the table again. ¡®Isn¡¯t that too much?¡¯ I just wanted to get a couple of slices of bread and a couple of cookies. The amount of food that adult wolves could eat and leave in their stomachs came in one after another. ¡°Chirrp!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to like, so I think it¡¯s better to bring out everything. I heard that the bird family enjoys eating fish dishes, is that right?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± Ethan smiled as I spread my wings in happiness. He put each piece of food on an empty plate and set it in front of me. ¡°If you want something to eat, point it to me with your wings.¡± I put the food in front of me in my mouth first. A small cherry was cut into pieces, and the juice burst in the mouth. The fish dish sprinkled with lemon juice was easy to eat because it had few bones, and the juice that came with it was also incredibly sweet. ¡®Is this heaven?¡¯ ¡°Chirp¡­¡± ¡°Have some of this pudding, too.¡± Ethan gave me a light pink pudding with strawberries in front of me. I pecked the pudding with my beak. ¡°Chirp¡ª¡± Wow, this is the best. There was food that I had never tried before in Raniero. Raniero¡¯s children had a limited diet in the name of being ¡°managed.¡± Of course, food was piled up like a mountain only at the meals they had together with the head of the family, but more than half were thrown away simply because it was just for show off. Thanks to this, we couldn¡¯t even taste it and had to swallow our saliva every day. When I ate in a hurry, Ethan put a small napkin in front of me. I wiped my beak thoroughly on my napkin. ¡°¡­.?¡± But why is the surrounding so quiet? I slowly raised my head. Ethan and four or five maids were looking at me with their eyes sparkling, holding their breath. ¡°Chi¡­ Chirpp.¡± ¡®What¡¯s with this burdensome stare¡ª¡¯ Everyone was watching my meal without breathing. As expected, did I eat too much? Now that I am in a situation where I have blindly followed the wolf¡¯s territory, I should have eaten while being conscious of the wolf¡¯s territory. This was obviously my mistake. I crept a step back from the table. Then the maids looked disappointed. Did I see it wrong? ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Then, one of the maids hurriedly offered me a plate. ¡°Try some of this too, Lady!¡± What she handed me was a small cake with nuts stuck in it. ¡®¡ªAre they not angry because I ate too much?¡¯ I scrambled near the cake, keeping an eye on the wolves. ¡®It¡¯s not polite not to eat when you¡¯re told to¡­.¡¯ Because I was a polite bird, I took a bite of the cake then my eyes widened. ¡°Chirp?!¡± The cake was so delicious that it made my eyes open! I looked up at the maid with emotion. She was smiling as if proud. In the end, I ate the cake, forgetting my resolution to eat just a little. ****** Steam rose from the pink bath water. Light pink petals floated on the water, and the water smelled good. ¡®It¡¯s really nice.¡¯ Wolves bathe in good water. I murmured with my eyes closed, soaking my beak in warm water. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± The wolves faithfully carried out Kendrick¡¯s orders to ¡®wash and feed¡¯ me. Thanks to this, I was able to have time to reflect on my future plans while immersed in warm water. First of all, I succeeded in getting to the wolf mansion. But I couldn¡¯t be sent back to Raniero again unless I was ¡°married¡± to Arsene. That way, I won¡¯t be kicked out until I reach adulthood. Wolves only have one companion for the rest of their lives. So I can¡¯t ask for marriage, and I don¡¯t want to. ¡®But there¡¯s one exception.¡¯ If I marry early, regardless of my intention as a child, I will be given the opportunity to divorce after coming of age legally. In other words, it means that I can be protected as a wolf¡¯s companion until I reach adulthood. So I had to get married. ¡®And they¡¯ll want me to marry him too.¡¯ So, he will be able to get better from the disease as soon as possible. When I get married, I become a member of the wolf family. Then the wolf family can do whatever they want with me, but it¡¯s more likely that they won¡¯t do anything stupid and will treat me with respect. ¡®Of course, in my previous life, Schville did some stupid things, but¡ª¡¯ I¡¯m not her! I was confident that I would treat Arsene with all my heart when I got married. So, if I want to get married and heal Arsene, I must first win the favor of the wolves¡ª. I let out a sigh. Actually, it didn¡¯t have to be me for the wolves. ¡®If it was the daughter-in-law of the bird family,¡¯ it wouldn¡¯t matter to anyone who could heal Arsene. So I can¡¯t get to their wrong side. ¡®If I get on their wrong side, they might send me back to Raniero. And they¡¯ll bring a new daughter-in-law!¡¯ And the daughter-in-law would be Schville. It was obvious even if I didn¡¯t see it. So let¡¯s be polite. I will give the impression that I¡¯m a child who doesn¡¯t need much attention because I have to win favor. It¡¯s good to give the impression that something costs less to eat. That was originally my plan. ¡­but it¡¯s already ruined. CH 8 I sighed, fiddling with my round, bloated stomach. Sigh. I was taught that eating like this is rude behavior. The food served by the wolves was so delicious that I ate a lot until my stomach swelled up. What if the wolves see me as a rude child? It was difficult. I was in a position to look good to wolves. ¡®But the cake was so delicious.¡¯ The cake with strawberries on it made my mouth water again. Yeah, I couldn¡¯t help it. I hadn¡¯t even had lunch since I was following Kendrick. When I rationalized it like that, I felt a little relieved. I dipped my face in the water and looked outside with only my eyes sticking out. Bubbles bubbled up from the water. While I was taking a bath in the small washbasin, the maids were standing next to me, holding soft towels. ¡°Hmm? Lady, do you need anything else?¡± ¡°Chirp¡­¡± I shook my head. The maids walked up to me with a white towel that looked fluffy. ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you stay in the water for too long. Come on, that¡¯s all for today.¡± A maid carefully pulled me out of the water. I could feel water dripping from my wet fur. Ugh, it¡¯s cold. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll dry your fur right away.¡± She said softly and ruffled my fur with her rough hands. ¡°¡­.?¡± I looked up at her with an unexpected rough touch. ¡°I¡¯ll dry it for you soon.¡± The maid rubbed me lightly, emphasizing whether she interpreted my gaze as ¡®Please dry it quickly.¡¯ Of course, if you dry it like this, it dries quickly, but¡ª isn¡¯t it too hard? I was almost becoming a dough in the hands of the maid. ¡°C, chirp¡­¡± S, save me¡ª. Then, a maid who knew that I was being crushed scolded the maid who was drying my fur. ¡°Oh my, Lena! You could damage all of the Lady¡¯s fur!¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this how you dry it?¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t dry it like a wolf. Lady is a baby bird. You have to dry it carefully.¡± She took the towel from the hand of a maid named Lena and tapped me to dry my hair softly. ¡°Look, you have to dry it this gently.¡± The maid¡¯s touch was warm and soft, so I blinked. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± But is it okay to be so carefree¡ª. I need to meet the head of the family soon and get married. All I did today at the wolf house was eat a delicious cake and take a wonderful bath. It would have been better if he had told me to try using this ability instead. ¡®I am the daughter of a hostile family, and you really treat me like a guest.¡¯ I felt strange. ¡°You worked hard to come a long way, are you tired?¡± ¡°Wash up and get some rest. Then, I¡¯ll take care of your bed.¡± The maids said affectionately. I nodded blankly. Then the maids carefully dried all my fur and organized the bed. The maids alternated between a very thick blanket and a small body of mine, and finally spoke with a determined expression. ¡°No way. I¡¯ll remove the blanket!¡± She looked at me as if I was going to die under the blanket. Lena and the two maids carefully looked after my bed. After removing the huge blanket and bringing me a soft and thin blanket, they carefully closed the white curtains. I sat on the bed and stared at them as they moved. ¡°Come on, take a rest now.¡± Lena smiled softly and laid me on the bed. I was led by the touch and lay dimly on a soft blanket. A while ago, I took a bath with a lot of petals, so my body smelled good. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way now~. Take a good rest!¡± I was still wide awake, but I nodded. But then, the lights in the room went black in an instant. ¡®¡­.!¡¯ I was startled and jumped up right away. ¡®T, they turn off the light.¡¯ The ceiling lamp of the mansion was made of magic stone, and when one was turned off, it turned off all the other lamps. But Lena turned off the light. Thanks to this, the ceiling lights and the small lights on the wall were all turned off. I was startled and hurriedly crawled out of bed. The maids seemed to be turning around. The sound of footsteps was getting farther away. T, this can¡¯t be. Kieek. Then, as the door opened a little, light poured through the crack of the door. ¡°C, chirp!¡± I ran to the maids crying without missing the chance. I didn¡¯t want to be alone in the dark. I feel like the strong smoke is squeezing my throat. It seemed as if a blazing fire was coming at any moment. It was the same as when I went into Kendrick¡¯s pocket. As soon as they turned off the light, my mind went blank, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Only the thought of getting out of here. I felt my wings tremble. I quickly flew up and climbed onto the maid¡¯s shoulder just before they left. ¡°O, oh my. Lady?¡± The maid looked at me with round eyes in surprise. ¡°C, chirp¡­¡± I flapped my wings and clung to the maid¡¯s neck. And I shook my head. It¡¯s been a long time since I forgot that these maids are wolves that might eat me. ¡®D, don¡¯t leave me alone!¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to be alone in the dark anymore. As I clung to the maid¡¯s neck, I cried uncontrollably. ¡°C, chirp¡­¡± ¡°Lady, are you afraid of the dark place?¡± Lena asked cautiously, as if worried. I nodded frantically without missing a moment. ¡°Oh my, you should say it¡ªah!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t speak since you¡¯re in beast form. Oh my¡ªI¡¯ll turn it on again.¡± There was a rushing sound of someone running, and the light quickly turned on. I was able to calm down a little only then. I could still feel my heart beating fast. The maids sat me on a soft blanket and sat around me to check my condition. ¡°Hey, Betty. Go and get me a glass of water.¡± ¡°Ung, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Betty came back really quickly. She handed me a glass of water. I made my way up to the edge of the cup of water and let out a few sniffles before taking a drink of the water. I repeatedly took a sip and lifted my head. After repeating it a few times, I felt a little calmed down. ¡®I¡¯m afraid of the dark.¡¯ When I was in Kendrick¡¯s pocket, I thought it was just because the pockets were narrow and stuffy. After going through this situation, I knew. The fact that I am afraid of ¡®dark places¡¯ after returning to the past. It wasn¡¯t like that in my previous life. Maybe because the scene where I was burned to death was so clear in my mind? I drank the water while sniffling with tears on my dry face. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll ask first and then pull it off. Will you be okay then?¡± Nod, nod. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± ¡°Okay, if you¡¯re afraid of sleeping alone, we¡¯ll be by your side¡­¡­¡± I shook my head quickly. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡®I don¡¯t need that!¡¯ Because I¡¯m afraid of the dark, not of being alone. Besides, I was so scared earlier that I forgot for a moment, but these maids in front of me were wolves. Wait, I think I¡¯ve been through something like this once? After all, these maids were wolves. A wolf that might eat me while I sleep. Of course, as long as there is Kendrick¡¯s order, they won¡¯t be rude to me¡ª. ¡®Actually, they treated me with respect.¡¯ But I¡¯ve always been taught to be vigilant! So I shook my head two more times quickly. Then the maid nodded her head with a sad face. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be on our way. If there¡¯s anything wrong, call me!¡± ¡°Make sure to call me!¡± The maids rushed out of the room. I was then able to close my eyes with peace of mind in a bright room. ****** Kendrick found me the day after I got to the mansion. ¡°Hello, baby.¡± He affectionately called me out and held out his hand. I stretched out my wings and flew vigorously and landed in his hand without hesitation. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°Is the transformation still not working?¡± I¡¯ve been trying to get it out all night, but it just doesn¡¯t work for me. Perhaps he understood my feelings, Kendrick comforted me with familiarity. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯ll work out someday. Don¡¯t be too impatient.¡± I sat on Kendrick¡¯s shoulder and smiled at him. ¡°Do you like your room?¡± Kendrick asked quite nicely. I pondered for a moment. Of course, I didn¡¯t like the room. First, because the room was so big that there was nothing I could do properly. That was partly because I was in a beast form¡ªbut I could be sure that it wouldn¡¯t be much different in a human form. I don¡¯t know about the children of the wolf family, but it was definitely a room too big for the children of the bird family. Besides, my body was a little small. But. ¡®Because they just have to let me be everywhere!¡¯ I could even sleep in the barn as long as they didn¡¯t send me back to Raniero. Also, I told myself that I would look good for Kendrick yesterday and not be a burden. I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to prepare suddenly. If there¡¯s something uncomfortable, I¡¯ll fix it anytime.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± I sat next to Kendrick Yekhardt¡¯s face and fluffed up my fur to show that I was okay. I could feel the soft hair touching his neck. Then Kendrick asked with a smile. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to introduce you to my son at dinner.¡± Arsene? Will I finally get to see him? CH 9 I nodded my head. I came to this mansion to heal and marry him anyway. ¡®What I¡¯m a little worried about is¡ª¡¯ There is a rumor going around that he has a weak body, and that his personality is both sensitive and vicious. Will he try to eat me? I had to ask for protection in return for treating him safely, but it was difficult if he ate me. Kendrick Yekhart told me not to worry, as if he knew what was on my mind. ¡°He¡¯s a good kid, so he¡¯ll be a good friend to you.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± Kendrick said he¡¯s nice, so it¡¯s okay, right? It might just be a rumor that Arsene is a sensitive kid. I sighed and was relieved. Just then, I heard Kendrick¡¯s slight murmur. ¡°¡­No, isn¡¯t he a good kid? But still, maybe as a good friend¡­.¡± Huh? ***** As soon as I encountered the servants of the Wolf Mansion, I immediately regretted following Kendrick. It was already my 30th regret. ¡®I came here for nothing.¡¯ Really, I guess I just came here for nothing. I looked at the maids who were whispering something and thought. I couldn¡¯t hear what they were whispering about, but it was clear that they were whispering about me. All the maids who saw me had the same expression on their faces and whispered to each other¡¯s ears. ¡®As expected, they don¡¯t like me.¡¯ The wolf family and the bird family have not been on very good terms for a long time. Therefore, this reaction was probably natural. ¡®No, let¡¯s not be discouraged!¡¯ I expected this reaction! I puffed up my hair. The body became a round ball. The foot that grabbed Kendrick¡¯s collar naturally tightened. I gripped his collar tightly. Don¡¯t let it roll down. Then, as Kendrick noticed that I was nervous, he turned his head to look at the frivolous maids. And he sighed and said. ¡°You understand.¡± Kendrick put his outstretched finger on my chest. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I put my little foot on his finger. I raised the rest of my feet, and he lifted me up to make eye contact. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s the first time a bird family has come to the wolf mansion. So it¡¯s probably different from just listening to the story and seeing it in person.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­¡± As Kendrick glanced at them, the maids, who had been staring at this side in amazement, quickly bowed their heads. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s bad.¡± After he finished speaking, he gently pushed open the huge door. It was a neat study. It was no different from my father¡¯s study in Raniero. But strangely, Kendrick¡¯s study felt less like an office. Snacks and small wolf dolls scattered all over the place relieved the stiff feeling. ¡®Is it Arsene¡¯s doll?¡¯ I glanced at the pink stuffed wolf. It looked like it was a very good quality doll. ¡°You will play here.¡± Kendrick carefully laid me down on the sofa. It felt good when my feet touched the soft sofa. I puffed up my feather to indicate that I was in a good mood. Then he sat down at his wooden desk and started looking through the papers. ****** ¡®¡­Uhm.¡¯ Did I fall asleep? I opened my eyes slowly. Then, in a panic, I took a step back. Because a wolf was sitting right in front of my beak. ¡°C, chirp!¡± Hiik, what is this! I quickly flapped my wings and moved away from the wolf. I could feel the bird¡¯s chest rising and falling steeply. But the wolf didn¡¯t move. So I narrowed my eyes and looked at the wolf. I can see traces of sewing here and there if I look closely. ¡®Phew, it¡¯s the doll earlier.¡¯ It was a wolf doll that Kendrick brought next to me to play with. I kicked the wolf doll out of embarrassment. The doll didn¡¯t budge. I took a careful step toward the doll and then kicked something with the tip of my toe. ¡®What is this?¡¯ I saw a small white handkerchief spread out as I lowered my eyes. ¡®Did he cover it for me?¡¯ It seemed to have been covered like a blanket. I whimpered and folded the handkerchief nicely. It¡¯s a bit crooked, but¡ª. ¡®Did he go out?¡¯ Since the office was empty, it seemed like I had fallen asleep, and he went out by himself. When I got up, I saw a note written in neat handwriting. [I¡¯ll be back soon] I think Kendrick Yeckhart had written it down for me when I woke up. There were also a lot of small desserts next to the memo. I barely picked up one macaron. And with a pointed beak, I pecked hard at the macaron. At that time¡ª. ¡°Chi!! Chirp!! Chirp!!¡± I made eye contact with the yellow eyes staring at me from over the window frame and missed the macaron. ¡®W, what¡¯s that!¡¯ Outside the window frame, wolves with bright yellow eyes were staring at me. As I trembled and crept into the handkerchief, I heard a buzzing sound from over the window frame. Then there was no more noise. ¡®Are you gone now?¡¯ Let¡¯s carefully remove the handkerchief and look outside¡ª. ¡°Chirpp! C, c, chirrp!¡± The bright yellow eyes were right in front of me. Startled, I jumped off the sofa. Then I flew back and left the office as fast as I could. ¡®I have to run!¡¯ My instinct was telling me to run away. I flew quickly across the hallway. Then I saw some of the servants following me. ¡®Huh!¡¯ Look, they¡¯re trying to eat me! I ran out the window and sped up. I was drawn to Yekhart¡¯s huge, open garden. I looked back and flew. Because the wolves kept chasing me. At that time, ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± I bumped into a boy and fell straight to the ground. My eyes were spinning around. Will I die like this? Just when I was thinking like that. Pong! White smoke rose like a cloud from beneath my feet. The transformation was released. ¡®Why must it be like this¡­!¡¯ The problem is that the spot where my transformation unfolded was on the lap of the boy who bumped into me. I suddenly became a bad person who crushed the boy. Adele¡¯s pale pink dress, which she wore before turning into a bird, covered the boy¡¯s face. ¡°A, are you okay?¡± When I asked the boy with a stutter, the boy raised his head. And the moment our eyes met, I could tell by instinct. Arsene Yeckhart. This child is the only heir to the Yeckhart family, and he is the boy who my father killed in a previous life. I couldn¡¯t help but notice. ¡®Looking at his hair color, she looks like Kendrick Yeckhart.¡¯ Gray hair, which represents the gray wolf family, and deep blue eyes, like the ocean. His whole body seemed to show that he was the grey wolf family¡¯s next heir. As I put out my hand, the boy started crying, grabbed my hand, and jumped up. ¡°¡­W, what?¡± The boy looked very confused. The boy was clearly confused because he had two round eyes and a mouth that wouldn¡¯t close. Well, I¡¯d be embarrassed, too. Who wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed when an unknown girl suddenly appeared? At that moment, I noticed that the boy¡¯s palms had a lot of scratches on them. I think it was because we bumped into each other, and he fell and put his hand on the ground. ¡°I, I. I¡¯m sorry. Please wait for a moment!¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand. Arsene tried to pull his hand away, but I grabbed his hand tightly and didn¡¯t let it go. And I used my ability. Then, both hands healed as if they had been washed. Arsene was startled by the sight, and his eyes widened like that. ¡°You¡ª. What are you?¡± ¡°Uhm, you know¡­¡± How can I explain this? As soon as I was thinking about how to explain this. ¡°Oh my, Lady!¡± It looked like the old butler was running in a panic from afar. His clothes, which had always been neat, become dishevelled. He looked at me in bewilderment, and when he saw Arsene sitting down, he lifted Arsene up with a pale face. ¡°Young Master! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come out?¡± ¡°Hm, I would play for a second and go in.¡± ¡°And, by any chance, are you the Lady?¡± Ethan looked at me and asked cautiously. I nodded to Ethan¡¯s question. ¡°Oh, my God, you¡¯re finally back to your human form!¡± I replied softly while fiddling with my wheat-brown hair. ¡°Ung, thank you.¡± The days of suffering because the beast¡¯s transformation couldn¡¯t be solved passed by. ¡®But I¡¯m glad it worked out.¡¯ How terrible it was when I thought it might never work out! The butler held Arsene in one hand and held my little hand in the other hand, holding it tight so he couldn¡¯t miss it and return to the mansion. Of course, the mansion had been turned upside down. ¡°If you have to clean, you have to wake the Lady up and make the situation obvious! So why are you making it like this!¡± A middle-aged woman who appeared to be the head of the maid was scolding the other maids. Judging from the conversation, it seems that the maids who surprised me earlier came to clean the office and watched me until I woke up. And when I woke up, she came in to explain the situation. ¡®Then you should have said that.¡± As soon as I woke up, I saw the wolf staring at me, so I had no choice but to run away. Is it a good thing that I didn¡¯t run any farther and get into an accident? ¡°Please wash up for a while, I¡¯ll tell the Master and come back. I¡¯ll take the Young Master as well.¡± The butler said so and pushed me into the arms of a maid. Then he took Arsene¡¯s hand and slowly disappeared. Arsene grumbled that he wanted to play in the garden more, but he followed Ethan quietly. She smiled and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her neck, and the warmth was transmitted through her. Somehow, it felt unfamiliar. CH 10 The news that the baby bird¡¯s transformation had been lifted quickly spread throughout the mansion. ¡°Finally, the transformation has been released?¡± ¡°Yes, the people in the mansion scared her, so she flew away and ran into the Young Master. And the shock seems to have lifted her transformation.¡± Ethan answered calmly. Kendrick Yeckhart said as he put down the papers he was holding with his legs crossed. ¡°Then bring her right away. I was wondering when it would be lifted.¡± Kendrick gave an order. Ethan nodded his head and left the room. Kendrick was left alone in the office where Ethan left and re-opened the note handed to him by the baby bird. [My name is Linsy Raniero. Please take me to Yeckhart.] The crooked handwriting was quite cute because of the child¡¯s writing, so Kendrick raised the corners of his mouth several times. In the meantime, he had been wondering why the baby bird had asked him to take her away. Now it¡¯s finally time to get an answer. He tilted his head in anticipation. ¡®How old are you?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t have been ten years old because her writing was sloppy. Besides, it was very small. Why did such a child ask him to take her to the wolf house? It didn¡¯t seem like she was following because she was bored. The baby bird looked pretty desperate. Of course, if that was Kendrick¡¯s mistake, Kendrick was willing to send the baby bird back. But¡ª. Was it a coincidence that this child wanted to follow him after proposing arranged marriage to Raniero? Isn¡¯t it right to think that she is God¡¯s arrangement for him? ¡°Hmm.¡± A baby bird fluttering through the spacious mansion glimmered in his eyes. Kendrick closed his eyes slowly. Small wings, a cute tail, a more adorable beak, and bright eyes came to mind one after another. Kendrick immediately opened his eyes and thought as he drew an arc on the corner of his mouth. ¡®It¡¯s perfect for a daughter-in-law.¡¯ He can¡¯t get any better than this furthermore. ¡®She had some pretty strong abilities.¡¯ Being able to use this ability even before the first molts meant that the child was born with strong ability. Moreover, there were hardly any abilities that leaked out in vain. At first glance, it was probably a direct family with solid abilities that could be counted in Raniero¡¯s hands. It was a very good opportunity for the wolf family. Of course, if it were him, he wouldn¡¯t have picked up the baby bird, who could not speak, just because she wanted to follow him. But now, things are a bit different. Arsene, who was his only son and the only heir to the grey wolf family, was getting worse every day. The name of the disease is unknown to most people, but Kendrick and some of his acquaintances knew what it was called. Arsene¡¯s illness was not an illness. ¡®That¡¯s a curse.¡¯ In the northern part of the wolf family, Yeckhart, there was a place where entry was forbidden for a long time. It¡¯s called ¡®The cursed land, Tamar.¡¯ It was a land where life couldn¡¯t live because of the ancient curse. It is a terrible place where people lose their lives by a curse if they step in by mistake. Therefore, the wolf family strictly prohibited and controlled Tamar¡¯s entry. The problem is that, for some reason, Tamar¡¯s curse was fully revealed to Arsene. The curse of the land of Tamar. Black spots like ancient patterns appeared and repeatedly disappeared throughout Arsene¡¯s body. He had seizures often, and he sometimes got fevers or couldn¡¯t breathe. It was because Arsene was the first to show the curse even if he didn¡¯t set foot in Tamar. It had never happened before, and he couldn¡¯t even figure out how to handle it. The doctors gave up treatment. ¡®The condition is bad. The treatment is impossible, so it would be better to send him to a better place¡ª¡¯ Kendrick Yeckhart, who recalled the words of the Yeckhart family¡¯s doctor during his last treatment, shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s a recuperation.¡¯ He wanted to send it if he could. However, Arsene was the only heir to the Gray Wolf family. If he loses Arsene, it will cut off the family line. Arsene was the only direct heir who most strongly inherited the abilities of the wolf family. Besides, no one doesn¡¯t know that the only successor is sick, and the Wolf family and the tribe who hate each other will surely try to harm Arsene. So Kendrick Yeckhart couldn¡¯t keep Arsene from his arms. However, he couldn¡¯t let go of Arsene until he died. Before he became the leader of the wolf family, he was Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s father. So the method he came up with was to put pressure on the hostile family, Raniero. If Yeckhart¡¯s ability was stronger than any other race, Raniero¡¯s ability was the opposite. Raniero¡¯s ability is healing. He heard that there are no diseases that can¡¯t be cured by children of Raniero¡¯s family and immediate descent, among them children with excellent abilities. Also, it has been said that Tamar¡¯s curse came from the powers of an ancient family that no longer exists. Tamar¡¯s curse and the healing powers of the bird family are both rooted in ancient powers, so he didn¡¯t know if the bird family¡¯s abilities could cure them. So he proposed to Raniero¡¯s head family an arranged marriage between Arsene and Raniero¡¯s daughter. The price is the Hampton River that flows where the bird¡¯s territory and the wolf territory meet. The conditions were too good for Raniero to refuse and too much for Yeckhart. Because of this, the elders were very against it. ¡°What do you mean Hampton River! You can¡¯t pass it over to Raniero! Isn¡¯t that a river that flows into a large part of Wolf¡¯s territory!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the Hampton River, no matter how you think about it. Lord, it would be better to hand over the mine¡­¡± But for Kendrick, there was no other way. ¡®Because there is no way Raniero would just give up his daughters.¡¯ The wolf family and the bird family were hostile. Otherwise, Raniero was famous for not marrying his direct family members to another family. So Kendrick had no choice but to offer what Raniero wanted most in exchange for a contract marriage offer. Under such circumstances, the appearance of that baby bird was nothing short of a miracle. If the baby bird stays with Yeckhart and has followed him on its own, there is no need to give Raniero the Hampton River. After thinking about it, Kendrick swept his hair up for no reason. Then he waited for Ethan, who had gone to pick up Linsy, to return. ***** ¡°My name is Linsy Raniero.¡± The child said over and over again. The child looked shocked, but she didn¡¯t try to avoid looking at Kendrick Yeckhart. Its appearance piqued his interest. ¡®You¡¯re quite skinny.¡¯ Kendrick glanced slowly at Linsy. The clothes she was wearing looked pretty good, but the skinny child¡¯s wrists stretched as if they could break at any moment. The child couldn¡¯t easily open her mouth. Maybe it was natural. Kendrick Yeckhart was the head of the gray wolf family. If they asked Kendrick Yeckhart alone, even the adults in the bird family would be very scared. How much more will the children be terrified? Because of this, Kendrick Eckhardt didn¡¯t rush the child. As time passed, the child looked into Kendrick¡¯s eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°Actually, I overheard the conversation between Kendrick-nim with my father.¡± The child politely placed both her hands on their knees and lifted her head. ¡°Conversation?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I asked you to take me.¡± The child pointed at the note and said. ¡°Because I can help Kendrick-nim.¡± Her bright green eyes stared unshakably at Kendrick Yeckhart. ¡®There is almost no trace of leaking out.¡¯ The weaker the ability and the inexperienced in dealing with it, the more its traces will come out one after another. If the container is small, of course, the water will overflow. However, it was safe to say that there was almost no trace of leaking out of the child¡¯s body. If the head of the wolf family couldn¡¯t see him well, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to see the child¡¯s abilities even more. In other words, it meant that the child possessed the great ability. Enough to cure his own son, Arsene. ¡°You told our family that you are looking for a marriage partner for your son.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Please allow me to marry Arsene!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I will treat Arsene.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The child who said that seemed desperate for some reason. Kendrick leaned back and lowered his gaze to the child¡¯s eye level. ¡°Linsy, I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Yes, please say it.¡± ¡°What do you want in return for treatment?¡± Kendrick blew it straight. It was obvious. ¡®Because this kid won¡¯t get anything from this deal.¡¯ The wolf family is the only one who benefits from the deal. The bird family and Linsy didn¡¯t gain anything from this deal. Instead, it was a loss to the bird family. If Linsy were to marry like this, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get the price they were supposed to get. If she really wanted to treat Arsene for free, he should wonder if she is a spy for Raniero. Linsy bit her lip as if thinking for a moment, then she stuttered and opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t throw me if I become ugly.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If I become ugly later, please don¡¯t throw me away and protect me until I become an adult.¡± Linsy raised her head. Linsy knew. She knew that she would have a hideous red feather when she later finished her first molt. Of course, she couldn¡¯t tell Kendrick Yeckhart the whole truth. However, it was better to keep this promise. ¡°In return for healing, I want the protection of the wolf family. Please protect me under the name of the family.¡± The little girl¡¯s voice rang out in the office. CH 11 ¡®Because I don¡¯t want to be abandoned again.¡¯ Kendrick Yeckhart¡¯s face was terribly distorted when he heard Linsy. He couldn¡¯t believe what the child said. ¡®What do you mean you don¡¯t want to be abandoned?¡¯ Even if she looks ugly, please don¡¯t throw her away. Although he doesn¡¯t know very much about the bird family, a seven-year-old child could not possibly make such a statement. At least here, in the wolf family. ¡°Can you tell me what that means?¡± Kendrick asked cautiously. The child bit her lower lip as if she had been thinking for a while and soon slowly lowered her head. ¡°¡­You just have to promise me that.¡± Then she can stay here and heal Arsene. He no longer asked the child what it meant. Even if the child turned ugly, Kendrick had no intention of abandoning the child. ¡°The wolf family never forgets grace.¡± If Arsene really gets better, Kendrick intends to reward Linsy for what she deserves. So throwing her away is not fair. Plus, if that¡¯s all she really wants¡ª. Kendrick is confident that he will risk his life to protect this little girl. He got up slowly from his seat and placed his hand on the little girl¡¯s head. He touched her soft, wheat-colored hair with his hand as if he was determined. ¡°Linsy, is that all you have to ask?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The child nodded her head without hesitation. He carefully pulled the child into his arms. ¡°Yes, I promise, Linsy.¡± I¡¯ll take care of you until you¡¯re an adult. She could hear a low voice. Linsy looked up at Kendrick with her bright eyes. The child added cautiously. ¡°Promise me in the name of Yeckhart.¡± ¡°Yeah, under the name of Yeckhart.¡± He lowered his head and put his lips on the back of the child¡¯s small hand. ****** ¡°Then, we can starts the treatment today¨C.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough for today. You haven¡¯t officially joined us yet.¡± I opened my eyes and looked up at Kendrick. ¡°Is it okay to do it late?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t overdo it and adjust yourself first.¡± After leaving these words, Kendrick left the office, saying he had urgent business. I was left alone in a huge office and blinked. And, ¡®I did it!¡¯ It was my first thought when Kendrick left the office. Of course, I couldn¡¯t speak appropriately in the middle, but¨C. ¡®But this was good enough.¡¯ I got a promise that I wouldn¡¯t be thrown away. So, even if I look ugly after molting, I don¡¯t have to worry about being abandoned. I was overjoyed about that fact. In addition. I recalled the touch of Uncle Kendrick kissing the back of my hand. ¡®It¡¯s a token of promise.¡¯ The kiss on the back of the hand meant that the wolves had made a promise that would never be broken. I clasped my hands and smiled. Then, suddenly, Ethan came into the office, looked at me and smiled. ¡°Did you have a good conversation, Lady?¡± ¡°Ah yes! He was kind. He listened to me well¡­.¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯s a relief.¡± I came back to my room holding Ethan¡¯s hand. Then came the beds and furniture, which seemed to be huge because they were brand new. I looked at the size of the bed. I thought it would be okay if I became human, but it was still a terribly large size for me. Ethan said as if he thought the same way as me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would be this small¡ª I would appreciate it if you could wait a little bit as I will prepare small bedding for the newly prepared room.¡± After seeing a large bed that I could easily roll around and a blanket that was too heavy to even lift, these were the words I said. ¡°Ung. It¡¯s okay.¡± I groaned and dug through the blanket. The blanket filled with cotton was really heavy, but it was so soft that it couldn¡¯t even compare to Raniero. Especially compared to the bed in the small room where I was confined before I died. I thought of sleeping in a barn, but this is absolutely the best. ¡°I like it because it¡¯s soft, it smells good, too. Thank you.¡± As I greeted him politely, Ethan¡¯s earlobes turned slightly red. He cleared his throat and said after coughing a lot. ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief. And I have someone to introduce you to.¡± Who does he want to introduce to me? Am I officially meeting Arsene? I hurriedly rolled over the blanket. I didn¡¯t want to look like an impolite bird lying down with a blanket in the place where I ruined the first meeting. But it was a completely different person than I expected to enter the door. ¡°Hello, my name is Betty.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± This person! ¡°Yes, I was the maid who helped Lady take a bath on the first day.¡± She said with a gentle smile. Wearing a neat navy blue maid outfit, Betty was an impressive maid with freckles on the back of her nose, brown hair, and blue eyes. She is much taller and bigger than the bird family, so it was clear that she was from the wolf clan. But. ¡®It hardly smells like a wolf.¡¯ It was strange. ¡®When I was in the state of being a bird, it was so hectic that I didn¡¯t know.¡¯ From the outside, it looks like it comes from a wolf clan, and even Ethan and Kendrick don¡¯t have the weak wolf scent. I looked up at Betty with round eyes, and she smiled as if she had read my mind. ¡°I grew up within a wolf clan, but I¡¯m a hybrid of a wolf clan and a bird clan.¡± ¡°Bird clan?¡± ¡°Yes, my grandmother is from a bird clan, so I was born a hybrid with a little less wolf traits than the others.¡± Betty smiled and explained calmly. I nodded and listened to the explanation, and Ethan made a big gesture and interrupted carefully. ¡°Betty is the only half-breed of the bird clan in the mansion. We thought it would be easy to take care of the Lady, so the Master ordered her to be your exclusive maid.¡± Kendrick Yeckhart¡¯s careful thought gave me a warm feeling at the bottom of my heart. ¡°Please call me Betty comfortably.¡± ¡°Betty will follow you wherever you go. If you need anything, you can tell me through Betty, or you can come to me comfortably.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m going to inform the other servants of the Lady¡¯s existence. I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t get surprised in the mansion again.¡± Ethan smiled and bowed lightly. I nodded lightly, following Ethan. ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Lady, and feel free to speak to this mansion¡¯s servants.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Because you are the Master¡¯s guest. You can do it comfortably.¡± ¡°Yes, uh no.¡± Ethan smiled and grabbed the doorknob. Suddenly, the door opened, and he slipped out of the room. In an instant, I was left alone with Betty. ¡°Lady, is there anything you want to do?Would you like me to read you a fairy tale?¡± A fairy tale book? Oh, right. I was seven years old. To Betty¡¯s eyes, I would look like a seven-year-old girl who falls asleep hugging many fairy tale books and dolls. I was worried that I might have acted too quickly. But now, there was something more important than a fairy tale book. I grabbed Betty¡¯s skirt carefully. ¡°Betty¡­.can I see the mansion? It¡¯s my first time here¡­¡± To be honest, when I first arrived at the mansion, I wanted to live like a dead mouse by being confined to a room with a view. The hallways and the gardens were full of wolves everywhere! ¡®It¡¯s a natural thing because it¡¯s a wolf¡¯s mansion.¡¯ I was a little scared to be in the mansion because I almost kissed a wolf¡¯s teeth as soon as I got here and looked into a wolf¡¯s eyes when I woke up. But I can¡¯t stay in my room forever! In order to live and survive in the mansion, it was most important to learn the geography of the mansion. It seemed that it would be reassuring to learn how to fly and where to escape the most quickly. Betty seemed to ponder for a moment, then gently took my hand. ¡°Yes, I will guide you, Lady.¡± ¡°Ung, okay!¡± I jumped in excitement. The warmth came from Betty¡¯s hands. She smiled and gave me a little back support so I wouldn¡¯t fall. ***** ¡°This is the exit leading to the garden.¡± I turned my head to follow Betty¡¯s gestures. Then, through the wide-open glass door, I saw a green garden. It was hard to guess how wide the garden was and where the end was from a distance. As I said ¡®Whoa¡ª¡¯ and admired it, I could feel the passing maids glancing at me. Ugh. ¡®Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯ They seem to think that the bird clan is strange. Because it is rare for a bird clan to come to the wolf territory. I¡¯m trying to understand, but¡ª. ¡®But I¡¯m still so scared.¡¯ The wolf clan basically had sharp fangs, and maybe that¡¯s why, when they smiled at me, they exposed their sharp fangs. Each time I swallowed my saliva, I grabbed Betty¡¯s hand tightly. Betty noticed that I was nervous, so she gently touched my cheek and said. ¡°Lady, if you¡¯re tired, shall we go back?¡± ¡°¡­No, I want to see more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sweating like this¡­¡± She took out a white handkerchief and wiped the sweat from my forehead and nose. Because of the wolves, I was always scared, and it looked like I was sweating a lot. I shook my head, saying it was okay. Betty grabbed my hand again and started guiding me through the mansion. Of course, I didn¡¯t forget to keep an eye out for a hole through which I could escape. ¡®If I run away through that high window, it will be faster.¡¯ Because wolves don¡¯t have wings. It was then. I heard the sound of something breaking, and the screams of a young boy echoed through the hallway. ¡°I don¡¯t want to!!¡± CH 12 As I trembled in surprise, Betty looked in the direction of the voice, as if in trouble, and then looked at me once. ¡°¡­What happened just now?¡± When I asked, she thought for a moment and answered cautiously. ¡°The Young Master must be very sick. That room is his room. Shall we go back now?¡± She grabbed my hand lightly. But I stood there and didn¡¯t move. That was Arsene¡¯s voice? That¡¯s weird. He looked fine when we met in the garden earlier. I pulled Betty by the hand. ¡°¡­I want to meet that boy, is it okay?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my friend, right?¡± Betty opened her eyes wide as if surprised by what I said. Her mouth was slightly open, and she seemed very surprised. ¡°Lady, it seems that the Young Master is not feeling well today¡ª¡± So now is the right time. Now! Right now! When Arsene is ill and crying, she will show up nicely and heal him with her powers. ¡®Then it would be good to show what I¡¯m good at.¡¯ I got the confirmation that they wouldn¡¯t kick me out, but I¡¯m still anxious because¡ª. As I grabbed Betty¡¯s skirt, she let out a deep sigh. Then, while she was holding my hand, I walked carefully. In the meantime, a loud noise kept coming through the door. When she knocked lightly on the door, a maid with dark hair and a troubled face stuck her head out. ¡°Betty? What¡¯s going on? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I can¡¯t right now¡ª, the Young Master¡ª.¡± ¡°Chloe, the Lady wants to meet the Young Master.¡± Betty patted me slightly on the back and said, a maid called Chloe looked down at me with her eyes wide open. ¡°Lady? Ah! Are you from the bird clan?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, so please open the door.¡± Chloe¡¯s face instantly turned bright. ¡°I heard that the Lord is bringing a Lady from a bird clan, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this fast!¡± She opened the door with a big smile. Rumor? ¡®Rumors of bringing a child of a bird clan are circulating in the mansion.¡¯ Well, the head of the wolf clan went to Raniero himself. It was strange if the rumors didn¡¯t circulate. That¡¯s why they open the door at once. The door opened, and I peeped through the crack in the door into the room. And at that moment, my eyes met Arsene, who was flushed. ¡°¡­Hello?¡± I waved my hand slightly. Then Arsene looked at me with round eyes. A bewildered light flashed across his face. Arsene didn¡¯t seem to know that a new bird girl had arrived yet. Should I speak slowly because I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll scare the sick child? ¡®He didn¡¯t know when he saw me in the garden.¡¯ Well, it¡¯s only been a day since I came to the mansion, so it¡¯s natural. I approached Arsene¡¯s bed. Arsene seemed to agonize for a moment and soon pulled the blanket up to the tip of his head and hid. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I thought he would be happy to meet me once in the garden, but I don¡¯t think so. Well, the first impression was bad. Arsene was taking medicine, and one of the maids was awkwardly holding a silver spoon that had lost its place. I passed the maids crawling around the bed and headed straight to the bed. And without the bed owner¡¯s permission, I sat down on the soft bed. Then Arsene, who had been hiding, was surprised, so he pulled up the blanket and looked at me. ¡°W, what are you doing! Why are you on my bed!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I come up here?¡± ¡°Of course not! Get down now!¡± His face was red, as if he was very embarrassed. I looked at the medicine on the corner of Arsene¡¯s mouth, the maid awkwardly holding a medicine bowl and the blanket with the medicine splashing in turn. Looking at the situation, Arsene, who did not want to take medicine, seemed to have caused this while complaining. He¡¯s just getting angry because he¡¯s ashamed that his peers found out about it. I introduced myself first. It was necessary to lower Arsene¡¯s alertness because he kept his head up and was alert. ¡°A bird clan? Why is the bird clan coming here? You, don¡¯t tell me¡­.¡± Even so, Arsene became more wary when he learned that I belonged to a bird family. What should I do? After thinking for a while, I grabbed Arsene¡¯s small hand. Arsene, who was so red he looked like he would burst, took out his hand quickly, so I missed it right away. ¡°Don¡¯t grabbed me!¡± ¡°Um, okay. I won¡¯t hold you. Is it okay if I touch your arm instead?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not okay! Don¡¯t touch me, get out!¡± Oh, you¡¯re a tough guy. ¡°What about your feet?¡± ¡°No feet! Don¡¯t touch my body! You idiot!¡± Arsene groaned as if angry. Then the maids began to comfort Arsene as if they were familiar with it. ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Young Master. She¡¯s going to be your friend.¡± ¡°Who wants to have a friend or something?¡± Arsene put the blanket over his head again. I pulled Arsene¡¯s blanket tight. But¡ª. ¡®He didn¡¯t smell like wolf.¡¯ As Yeckhart¡¯s successor, he wouldn¡¯t be mixed race, but the fact that he didn¡¯t smell like a wolf meant that he was either very sick or a mutant. Or, he can hide his scent and trace like Kendrick. But in the case of Arsene, it seemed to be the former. I stared at Arsene, who was wriggling under the blanket and then pulled the blanket off. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Arsene seemed embarrassed, so he screamed with a red face. ¡°¡­. Arsene, you know¡­ You don¡¯t want to take medicine, do you?¡± Arsene¡¯s small body shuddered as if I had hit the nail on the head. Arsene seemed to ponder for a moment, then cautiously nodded his head. His sweaty hair was stuck to his forehead. I looked into a bowl of medicine. The medicine looked very bitter because it was dark green and sticky. A seven-year-old child didn¡¯t want to eat it, which was normal. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand. This time, I crossed my fingers to make it harder for him to take it off, then I told Arsene. ¡°You know, if you listen to me carefully, you might not take medicine.¡± ¡°¡­Lie!¡± ¡°Really, I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? If you listen carefully, you might be able to go out and play.¡± Arsene slowly lifted his head and looked once at the medicine pot and once at my face. ¡°¡­Really?¡± All right, here we go. Arsene was still looking at me with suspicious eyes, as if in disbelief. He won¡¯t let go of her hand, though, because he doesn¡¯t want to take medicine. ¡°Uhm, then. It¡¯s real. You said you wouldn¡¯t lie to me.¡± When I answered with a big nod, Arsene nodded accordingly. The fine gray hair covered Arsene¡¯s eyes with every nod. I removed Arsene¡¯s bangs and grabbed his hand once more. ¡°Did you heal my wounds in the garden earlier?¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t heal it, they would have put a lot of stinging medicine on it.¡± Arsene wept while I made a terrible face. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree with me?¡± ¡°Ung.¡± ¡°So trust me again this time.¡± Arsene gave a modest nod as if he had never said no before. After making sure that the small hand wasn¡¯t shaking anymore, I focused on his hand that was clasped. The way to use this ability is born with it. Only the awakening time is different. It was done by children of different races who God blessed. I closed my eyes slowly. A pleasant sound tickled my nose. After making sure that the warm wind went all the way around the body, I focused on the part where the hands met. Then I felt that my powers were slowly moving into Arsene¡¯s hands. The methods of using healing abilities were slightly different. For example, my father was a way to heal by pouring out his powers all at once. Gail, who is Raniero¡¯s successor and my half-brother, has the ability to make something solid and feed it. (t/n : I¡¯m not really sure about this;;) ¡®I¡¯m different from those ignorant ways.¡¯ I put it in the other person¡¯s body to treat, check the condition, and start treatment with this power. Since it is a method that requires less effort than other family members, in a previous life, if the condition was good, even four people could be treated in a day. The power flowed through my hand and spread to every corner of Arsene¡¯s body. A green light resembling a green forest quickly spread from between Arsene¡¯s hand and mine to the end of the room. Some of the maids who watched were quietly exclaiming. Arsene, too, opened his eyes wide and watched me use my powers without any more resistance. Five minutes passed like that, ¡®¡­it¡¯s hard!¡¯ Even though I was excited that I could cure Arsene¡¯s disease, his treatment was very, very hard. ¡®It¡¯s strange, is it really this hard?¡¯ I¡¯ve never had such a hard time treating a common disease. If I don¡¯t take my hand out like this, I strongly feel that it might suck my abilities and my life force away. ¡®But I have to treat it.¡¯ I¡¯m here to heal him. I might be sent back to Raniero if I can¡¯t cure him. ¡®I really hate that¡­¡¯ I forced myself to use this skill. As if to represent the unstable flow of magical powers, the green wind that circulated around Arsen and my body quickly became rough. And at that moment, The familiar green smoke filled up from the tip of my toes. ¡®Oh, no!¡¯ Arsene opened his eyes wide as if he didn¡¯t understand. The maids also felt something was wrong, so they hurried to separate Arsene and me. But it was too late by the time the maids separated Arsene and me. Pong! CH 13 The wind that had engulfed the entire room soon disappeared. Only the green smoke filled up, and soon there was a small explosion. Then¡ª. ¡°C, chirp!¡± I turned into a little bird again. No way. How did I get back to human form! I jumped on the spot to return to being a human again, but it didn¡¯t work. Arsene opened his eyes wide in bewilderment Blue eyes wandered through the air, then looked down at the little bird in front of him. ¡°¡­You¡­?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°¡­Why did you suddenly turn it into a bird?¡± ¡®How do I know that?¡¯ I answered in return, clapping my chest with small wings as if I were frustrated. ¡®Is it because I used my abilities too much?¡® That was the only reason. I thought there would be some side effects, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this. I¡¯ve never used this ability before, so how can I know! ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she used her powers forcibly at a young age?¡± Chloe, the maid who was taking care of Arsene, spoke carefully. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of such cases.¡± ¡®If I forcefully use this ability, I will turn into a bird?¡¯ There is no way! I jumped in place and kept trying to transform back to my human form, but it didn¡¯t work. In the end, I had no choice but to accept Chloe¡¯s words. ¡®Because my body is immature, I think it¡¯s impossible to use my abilities a lot yet.¡¯ But I need to hurry up and treat Arsene. If I continue to be in this state every time he receives treatment, I may be thrown away. I sat down and felt like crying. As I slumped down, Arsene glanced at me. ¡°¡­Are you crying?¡± I glanced at Arsene. Who is to blame for making me like this¡ª! No, it¡¯s not. I was able to escape from Raniero thanks to Arsene. It was right to be grateful. but¡ª. ¡°You¡¯re really small. Are the bird clans all this small?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude of you to say that, Young Master.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s really small. It¡¯s as big as a rat.¡± Arsene was constantly admiring that I was ¡®small¡¯. It must have been amazing because it would be the first time to see a bird clan that was transformed. But still. ¡®So you¡¯re a rude wolf.¡¯ I glared at Arsene. But Arsene didn¡¯t care and poked me here and there. ¡°Chirp.¡± ¡ªDon¡¯t touch me. I curled up and took a step away from Arsene. The fluffy, wheat-colored hairs swelled up to form a round ball. At that time, Betty, who had left the room before I knew it, appeared with Ethan. Betty hurried in, followed by surprised-looking Ethan. ¡°¡­Lady? Young Master?¡± Ethan looked at Arsene once with a puzzled expression on his face, and then looked at me, sitting on Arsene¡¯s hand, once. ¡°Oh my, Lady!¡± Ethan hurried up and reached out to me. I jumped into Ethan¡¯s hand without hesitation on a finger that touched my chest carefully. ¡°C, chirp!¡± I¡¯m so sad. I thought I was finally back as a human being, but I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m bird again as soon as I¡¯m become human. It was so unfair and sad that I could cry. As I gathered my two wings together and whimpered, Ethan lifted me up as if surprised. ¡°Lady, are you okay?¡± ¡®I¡¯m not okay at all¡ª¡¯ Ethan put me in his arms and stroked me carefully with his index finger. A warm warmth spread. Then I felt a little relaxed. My body melted gently. Ethan carefully turned me over to Betty¡¯s hand. Betty wrapped her skirt around me and embraced me softly. He looked at me with worried eyes and then turned to Arsene. ¡°Young Master, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ung.¡± Arsene nodded. Certainly Arsene looked a lot better now than before I treated him. It seems that the treatment was quite effective. Although I look like this. He swept his chest as if he was relieved and raised his glasses. Then, Arsene¡¯s chest was covered with a cotton blanket. ¡°You there, go get Mr. Hern.¡± Ethan pointed to a maid and said. The maid with her hair tied quickly left the room. Tak. After the door was closed, Ethan touched Arsene¡¯s forehead. It seemed to check if there was no fever. Then, when Arsene¡¯s body temperature was not high, he sighed in relief. ¡°Chirp?¡± ¡°Young Master¡¯s fever rises easily. He went out to the garden today for a while, and his fever rose so he was taking medicine.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t had it a few times.¡± After looking at the medicine bowl, which was almost in perfect condition, Ethan clicked his tongue. Arsene flinched under the blanket. It¡¯s already pricked his conscience. ¡°Mr. Hern is the doctor of the wolf family. He¡¯s a talented person, so he¡¯ll take care of the Lady¡¯s condition.¡± Ethan said while making eye contact with me as if to comfort me. ¡°Chirp!¡± I, unable to speak human language, nodded eagerly and answered. Ethan¡¯s wrinkled eyes turned round as if he was satisfied with the answer. How long has it been? As Arsene¡¯s eyes began to twitch, the door opened once again. The man who opened the door was a man between his 40s and 50s, with an easygoing impression. He was wearing a white doctor¡¯s gown and had a heavy brown leather bag in his hand. It seemed that that man was the ¡®Mr. Hern¡¯ that Ethan was talking about. ¡°Chirp?¡± I tilted my head and looked at Mr. Hern. It was because of the familiar smell coming from him who had just opened the door. This person¡ª. ¡®Are you a deer?¡¯ I remembered that a deer clan had come to Raniero¡¯s mansion the other day. The deer family had a distinctive scent of flowers that only grew in the territory of the deer family ¡®But¡ª¡¯ The Yeckhart family was the head of the wolf clan, the gray wolf family. It was also one of the central families representing carnivores. Why is there a doctor of the deer clan in the mansion that is the heart of such a family? In addition, the deer clan was a clan with advanced medicine and herbalism, and they lived in hiding on the island to avoid attacks from other clans who were aiming for that medicine and herbalism. It was safe to say that the deer clan rarely comes out of the island, and that there was no exchange with other clans except sending herbs to the allied clan. But why is the deer here? ¡°My name is Hern.¡± The man bowed his head at me. The curvy brown hair was down to just above the eyebrows. I jumped down from Betty¡¯s hand and stood on the bed. Then he faced her clearly. I jumped off Betty¡¯s hand and stood on the bed. And I looked at Hern clearly. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen a deer family before.¡¯ The deer clan belonged to a clan that did not receive God¡¯s blessing, so that it could not express its ¡°talent.¡± The deer clan was part of a clan that didn¡¯t get God¡¯s blessing, which means they didn¡¯t have any ¡°powers.¡± However, he belonged to the only clan with as much medicine as Raniero, even if he had no ability. The difference was that Raniero was treated with natural abilities, and the deer clan was treated with herbal and medical techniques. They knew the plants as much as they lived a nature-friendly life. ¡®And he has eyes that can see the flow of the ability.¡¯ It was a tremendous ability, and it was possible to examine the other person¡¯s health through the flow of competence. It was a great ability, and it was possible to examine the health of the opponent through the flow of this ability. And he was making a living by making medicinal herbs by taking advantage of those advantages. ¡®But I heard that you have to wait more than half a year to buy one medicine.¡¯ It happened because all the families wanted medicine from the deer family. Most of them wanted to pay a large sum of money to the deer family and hire them as doctors, but they knew that the deer family had never accepted the demand. It¡¯s very rare, except for a visit once or twice a year to another clan¡¯s home. ¡®But the deer clan!¡¯ That¡¯s in the wolf house, too! ¡®How the hell did they hire him?¡¯ Mr. Hern looked at Arsene, who was lying on the bed, first. ¡°Let¡¯s see the condition.¡± As Ethan said, Mr. Hern, who first looked at Arsene¡¯s forehead, carefully examined every corner of Arsene¡¯s mouth. Arsene didn¡¯t hide his discomfort, but his mouth was wide open as he was told. ¡°Aa, open it wider.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Arsene¡¯s fangs caught my eye. Arsene¡¯s fangs, who were only seven years old, looked sharp enough to bite and kill me if he wanted to. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± As I secretly took a step back from Arsene, Arsene frowned. In the meantime, as if trying to hear Arsene¡¯s heartbeat, Mr. Hern looked at him as if in doubt. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Is there any problem?¡± CH 14 Ethan, who was standing next to Arsene, asked with a puzzled face. ¡°His condition has improved. All of a sudden the symptoms were relieved. The flow of abilities is also stable.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± That¡¯s a relief. I was greatly relieved to hear what Mr Hern said. It¡¯s like proving my usefulness. I didn¡¯t seem to be the only one relieved. Ethan¡¯s face turned bright. The old butler looked down at me with friendly eyes and said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the Lady¡¯s ability.¡± Ethan lifted me up carefully. I made eye contact with Mr Hern on Ethan¡¯s hand. The gentle reddish-brown eyes looked at me. ¡°This is the baby bird Lady from Raniero. I heard that she used her skill to treat the Young Master.¡± Then the maids standing in the doorway nodded vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s right, I saw it!¡± ¡°The Young Lady uses her ability, so this room is filled with green smoke!¡± The maids chattered loudly about how great my ability was. ¡°Yes, she treated me.¡± Arsene, who was quietly keeping his mouth shut, also helped. ¡°Chirp!¡± I spread my wings and proudly greeted Mr Hern. He looked at me in disbelief. ¡°This little Lady?¡± Mr Hern held out a finger to me. A rough finger touched the hair on my chest. I put my feet on his fingers without hesitation. Because I don¡¯t think it would hurt if it¡¯s Mr Hern. He lifted me up, seemed to look everywhere, and immediately opened his mouth. ¡°You look younger than ten years old, but you have manifested your ability¡­ How did you bring such a person from Raniero?¡± He said as he was really curious. ¡®Well, that¡¯s understandable.¡¯ It was harder to get Raniero¡¯s treatment than to get a star in the sky. Because receiving Raniero¡¯s treatment was more difficult than picking a star in the sky. My father, Arthur Raniero, sent the sons of Raniero to use their power only on the stronger clans or allied clans. Therefore, the hostile relationship with Arthur Raniero, or the clan who didn¡¯t receive the blessing, couldn¡¯t even receive treatment. But, Arthur Raniero¡¯s enemy, the wolf clan¡¯s mansion, has Raniero¡¯s daughter. It was surprising. I understood Mr Hern¡¯s mind. He looked at every inch of my body. ¡°Can you lift your wings?¡± I spread out my wings quickly and lifted them over my head at Mr Hern¡¯s words. Then, I heard the laughter of the maids around me. Mr Hern also carefully checked the condition of my tail, feathers, and beak before putting me down. I quickly climbed onto Arsene¡¯s chest and settled down. ¡°How old did you say the Lady is?¡± ¡°She¡¯s seven years old.¡± Ethan answered instead. Mr Hern opened his mouth and furrowed his brow as if something was wrong. ¡°Certainly, the Young Master¡¯s condition has been greatly improved. With just one treatment¡ª. we can expect full recovery.¡± Mr Hern¡¯s words brightened Ethan and the maids¡¯ faces. ¡®Full recovery, what do you mean full recovery!¡¯ I also didn¡¯t know how good my ability was, so hearing these words from the deer clan made me very happy. ¡°But.¡± His words silenced the room for a moment. Until a while ago, all the people who were happy were waiting for words to follow, holding their breath. ¡°It can¡¯t be like this. She¡¯s only seven years old. No matter how strong her abilities are, she¡¯s still immature.¡± Mr Hern looked back at me. ¡°Her feathers are underdeveloped. She probably won¡¯t be able to fly properly. Besides, she hasn¡¯t even started molting for the first time¡ªand I¡¯m surprised that she¡¯s so young but she can use her ability.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± The words drew the attention of everyone in the room to me. Mr Hern said as he pulled out well-packaged herbs and medicines from his leather bag. ¡°Besides, the flow of abilities is also unstable. Rather, she¡¯s in worse condition than Young Master. What is certain is that you shouldn¡¯t use this ability by overdoing it any more.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­¡± ¡°If we measure the amount of this ability you used this time around 100, you¡¯d better use about 20 of them. Even if you do that, it¡¯ll feel much better if you try to heal step by step.¡± Mr Hern gently talked to me. His fingers smelled of herbs. I answered with a silent nod. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°Eat well and rest well is the most important thing. Rest as much as you can, Lady.¡± He put his big finger on my foot as if begging me to. I put my little feet on his fingers. Then it looked as if it was shaking hands. The deer¡¯s unique fresh scent pierced the tip of my nose. After giving a prescription to Arsene and me not overdoing it, Mr Hern left the room. While Raniero¡¯s mansion was turned upside down. ¡°Lady Linsy flew away!¡± Adele, Linsy¡¯s personal maid, was the one who brought the message. Adele ran straight to the room of Arthur Raniero, the head of the Raniero family, looking pale and tired. She told him that Linsy was gone and tried to lay her face down. ¡°What do you mean by Linsy flew away?¡± Arthur Raniero said with a frown. Linsy was only seven years old. What does it mean to fly away? ¡°Suddenly, she was transformed into a bird and flew out of the window! The servants went out to look for it right away, but it was so small that they didn¡¯t know where it flew¡­¡± Adele frowned and looked into Arthur Raniero¡¯s eyes. But when she hit the horn, thinking she would lose Linsy, she opened her eyes wide at the unexpected answer. Arthur Raniero was listening to Adele with interest. ¡°Did you say that she succeeded in transformation?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw her flying with my own eyes.¡± Arthur Raniero didn¡¯t care that she flew away. He only asked again if he succeeded in the beast transformation. Linsy is only seven years old. If she really succeeded in transformation, she really has great talent. So Arthur Raniero thought it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for Linsy to fly until then. ¡®I can¡¯t believe she has already been successful in transforming.¡¯ He smiled, admiring his daughter¡¯s talents. Linsy was so smart and talented that it was too bad she was born a girl. If the child were born in a lion clan where even a girl could be the head of the family, it would have been a proud successor. ¡®Usually, successful transformations happen after the first molt, but Linsy has three years to go until the first molt.¡¯ Nevertheless, the fact that she succeeded in transformation meant that the possibilities for this child were endless. Arthur Raniero was proud and ordered the knights of the bird clan to search in the nearby forest immediately. ¡®Because she wouldn¡¯t have been able to fly far.¡¯ At the age of seven, the feathers had not yet grown. At best, she would have fallen to the forest entrance and been crying. But, ¡°I apologize. I couldn¡¯t¡ªfind the Lady.¡± All the knights who went to find Linsy in the nearby forest returned empty-handed. Only then did Arthur Raniero feel that something was wrong. ¡®There¡¯s no way she can fly far away.¡¯ It had nothing to do with Linsy¡¯s abilities or potential. Because it was a matter of basic growth rate. In addition, Linsy was smaller than her other siblings. So the feathers must have grown later than the other siblings. But she¡¯s not in the forest? Arthur Raniero ordered a search throughout the mansion and garden. All the servants came out to the garden and the mansion and started looking for Linsy. The garden at night, always dark, was as bright as day thanks to the torch held by dozens of servants. But uselessly, they found no trace of Linsy. It¡¯s been two days since Linsy disappeared. They searched the forest and the village, but the knights couldn¡¯t even find a single feather from Linsy. ¡°Where did she go?¡± Did she go out into the forest and get kidnapped by others? No, at least in the land of this bird clan, there was no way a child with Raniero¡¯s wheat-colored hair would be kidnapped. As Raniero, the only member of the bird clan who could use this ability, was the object of envy and fear of the clan, like all other races that use this ability. So, where the hell did she disappear to? Just as Arthur Raniero was confused by his missing daughter, a letter arrived from his subordinate. ¡°Lord, this is a letter from that child.¡± Raniero¡¯s aide, Chester, cautiously passes a letter to Arthur Raniero. The letter was tightly sealed in red wax. Arthur received the letter. This subordinate was a henchman he had carefully hidden in the wolf family¡¯s mansion a few years ago. But Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s health has worsened over the past few years, and he hasn¡¯t said anything else. ¡®But a letter all of a sudden?¡¯ Arthur Raniero wondered and opened the sealed letter. [I will deliver it to the Master from Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. Kendrick Yeckhart returned to the Yeckhart mansion with Lady Linsy. Lady Linsy is¡ª] Arthur Raniero, who read the letter, opened his eyes wide in disbelief. ¡®Linsy is in Yeckhart?¡¯ Just how? CH 15 He read the letter. [Her abilities are unstable, so she can¡¯t control how she changes between beast and human. I¡¯m sorry to ask you this question Lord, but did you send Lady Linsy Raniero? It¡¯s different from what I¡¯ve heard before. And the sibling¡ª] No way! He would never send Linsy away or let her go. The most talented of Raniero¡¯s daughters was Linsy. Schville was the child who had to go to Yeckhart. She was a mutant who was born with the wrong ability. She was a child who did nothing right, but if she went to Yeckhart, she would do her part in a clever way. ¡®This is the only card that can cut the bloodline of the great wolf family.¡¯ Because Schville¡¯s power was to take away other people¡¯s life force, not to heal, which was Raniero¡¯s symbol. If Schville goes and does her job, the wolf family¡¯s bloodline will end. And Raniero, who has been working hard to get ready for an attack, will be able to defeat their old enemy Yeckhart. So, of course, he had no reason to even think about Linsy. He doesn¡¯t know what Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s disease was, but Raniero¡¯s healing power could fix almost anything. If Linsy goes, Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s illness will really be healed. And, Linsy was a talented person who could lead Raniero well by helping her older brother, who would take over as head of the family, as long as she appeared as an eagle over the age of ten. ¡®As long as it manifests as an eagle.¡¯ When Raniero¡¯s children are ten years old, transformations are possible from the moment they begin to molt. At first, it looks like a small wheat-colored bird, but as it molts and grows in size, it transforms into an eagle. At times, ¡®the people¡¯ that never become eagles would appear. Judging by Linsy¡¯s strong abilities, it wouldn¡¯t have happened. But send Linsy to Yeckhart? Come to think of it, the time when Linsy disappeared and the time when Kendrick Yeckhart left the mansion in a wagon perfectly coincided. She disappeared two days ago. It was also two days ago that Kendrick left. Arthur Raniero¡¯s face distorted with anger when he thought about it. Kendrick must have kidnapped Linsy. The reason Kendrick visited was also to threaten to give up Raniero¡¯s daughter. Arthur Raniero, who made his decision, tore up the letter and slammed the wooden desk with his fist. ¡°Call the temple right now!¡± ****** ¡®Why do my ears itch so much?¡¯ As if someone was talking about me. I tried to pick my ears with wings. However, I couldn¡¯t even touch my ears with my fluffy wings, so I scratched my cheek against the corner of the bed. ¡®Ah, it¡¯s good.¡¯ After scratching satisfactorily, I laid down on a small bed that fit my body size. The pink bed was a doll bed made by maids by asking the most famous toy craftsman in wolf territory. Fortunately, it fit my body size perfectly. On the bed, there were also small cotton blankets and pillows made by them. I put the pillow and pulled the blanket up to my head. Then suddenly, I was drowsy and sleepy. As I was closing my eyes in the rush of sleepiness, a familiar face suddenly popped into my mind. ¡®How¡¯s Adele doing?¡¯ There was not a single thing that I regretted leaving behind in the mansion, but it was disappointing to leave Adele behind. ¡®I should tell Adele I¡¯m going to run away.¡¯ But if I had told her the truth about this plan, she would have held me back, calling it crazy. ¡®And if I had stayed in the mansion.¡¯ Like in my previous life, I was abandoned after the first molt, and Adele must have been killed too. No matter how much I thought about it, this side was the best for each other. Not for my father, though. ¡®Let¡¯s really sleep now.¡¯ Just as I was about to pull up the blanket, the bright moonlight shone on the bed. I could see a red feather sticking out of the side of my stomach at the same time that the moon was shining. ¡®Ung¡­?¡¯ Did I see it wrong? I pulled up the blanket quickly. Then I flew to the window where the moonlight was bright, and carefully inspected the feathers on the side of my stomach. All of them had fine wheat-colored hair, but one of them had a slight redness. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Molting begins at the age of ten. It was the same for children of all races. I too, without exception, started my first molt when I was ten years old in my previous life. ¡®But red feathers come out this fast?¡¯ No matter how quickly I used this ability, the timing of the first molt couldn¡¯t change¡ª. I looked at my feathers in amazement. It was red no matter how many times I looked at it. It¡¯s only been a day since I came to Yeckhart, and I already have cursed feathers. ¡®If I get caught, I might be abandoned.¡¯ Yeckhart¡¯s wolves seemed quite fond of me, but apart from that, it was difficult to spot already cursed feathers. At least after Arsene was healed, and they owed me. I carefully bit a little fluff on the side of my stomach with my beak. And¡ª. ¡®Iik!¡¯ With both eyes closed, she pulled the feather out with all her might. Tuk. The red feathers were pulled out and rolled randomly on the window. The spot where the feathers were pulled throbbed. My tears welled up. I quickly threw my feathers out of the window and flew back to bed. ¡®It must be the wrong feather.¡¯ There¡¯s no way the molting has already started. Of course. So this would be just a dream. It¡¯s just a bad dream. I tried to sleep with my eyes closed, shaking off the worst thoughts possible. ****** ¡®It¡¯s weird.¡¯ As Mr. Hern said, I rested well for three days, but the transformation didn¡¯t happen¡ª. ¡®I¡¯m still in bird form.¡¯ In the wolf mansion crowded with wolves, the human form was more comfortable than the bird form. ¡®How much longer do I have to rest to get back to being human?¡¯ I moved my body back and forth and kept looking at myself. It didn¡¯t seem like there was anything wrong. Of course, the human form is not particularly uncomfortable, but¡ª. It was uncomfortable not to be able to communicate with the wolf clan. ¡°Chirp, chirp!¡± At best, the only thing I can make is a small bird chirping. And¡ª. ¡®If I keep being like this, I can¡¯t use my ability properly.¡¯ Now my position in the wolf mansion was quite unstable. ¡®In order to get married by contract, I need Raniero¡¯s permission.¡¯ But my father couldn¡¯t have let me go. Somehow they¡¯ll try to bring me back and send Schville away. In fact, from the wolves¡¯ point of view, it didn¡¯t matter whether Schville came or I came. Because to them, I and Schville are the same Raniero with the ability to heal. So maybe if my father continued to annoy me, he might just send me back to Raniero. I clenched my beak. ¡®Never!¡¯ I have to stay at all costs. Of course, as long as I came to the wolf territory voluntarily, my father wouldn¡¯t be able to take me by force¡ª If the wolves decided to let me go, I had to go back to Raniero again. The thought of it made me suddenly depressed. At the same time, my tail drooped. The long tail dragged on the floor. ¡®I wish I could get married soon.¡¯ So that I can really be protected in the names of wolves. At that moment, the sound of footsteps was heard. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I raised my head. Then I saw the maids with worried faces. Four or five maids looked down anxiously at me. ¡°Lady! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The tail is drooping¡­¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s out of energy. Maybe she hasn¡¯t had any snacks?¡± One of them lifted the cushion I was sitting on. Thanks to this, I had to sit on a cushion and bear the burdensome gaze of the maids. Why are they so interested in me? Yeckhart¡¯s maids were strangely interested in me. The maids ran to my room without a break and looked at me. Some people made a small flower crown by weaving grass flowers, and some maids embroidered a handkerchief as a gift. Of course, I appreciate the gift¡ª. But then I asked Betty, who was far away, for help. But Betty just smiled. ¡®It¡¯s too much pressure.¡¯ The wolves¡¯ different-colored eyes were shining as they looked at me with their sharp teeth sticking out. ¡°Please try this almond, and you¡¯ll feel better.¡± ¡°Should I bring you a cup of hot chocolate?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like fruit, Lady? There are piles of fruits.¡± The maids who chirped like a wild bird suddenly offered me snacks. Between them, the one that caught my eye was the almond. ¡°Chirp!¡± As soon as I saw the almonds, my tail went up again. I jumped up and climbed onto the table. Then I picked up an almond on the plate and ate it in pieces. After the sweet chocolate on the outside melted in my mouth, the nutty taste of the nuts in the chocolate almonds was amazing. For a moment I¡¯ve forgotten my concerns about my situation. I ate almonds and looked up at the maids. All of them had their cheeks flushed red. ¡®At first, I thought they were staring at me because they wanted to eat me.¡¯ The wolf clan and the bird clan have been hostile for a very long time. The servants in the mansion wouldn¡¯t be happy with me. But my prediction was wrong. All the wolves in the mansion were kind to me. The maids in particular were more. They always treated me with care, as if I was a small ball of cotton. And they always brought me a mountain of sweet snacks and offered them to me. Thanks to this, I gained weight in three days. I looked down at my chubby belly. But¡ª. ¡®Chubby¡ª?¡¯ Come to think of it, I think Adele read me a fairy tale book about this the other day. The story is about a lion who ate a baby bird in one bite after fattening it up. ¡®Huh!¡¯ When I remembered the story of the fairy tale book, I got goosebumps all over my body. CH 16 The children¡¯s book titled ¡°Don¡¯t Follow the Lion.¡± The book ends when a small and brave baby bird falls into a lion¡¯s trap and is eaten by the lion. It was a fairy tale book that taught me not to follow an unfamiliar family. ¡®As expected, they made me gain weight to eat me!¡¯ Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have brought me so many expensive and delicious desserts! I flew quickly and sat on a window frame close to the ceiling. As I flew away, the maids looked up at the window frame where I sat with a stunned look as I flew away. ¡®Hm, not a chance.¡¯ I came all the way to Yeckhart because I didn¡¯t want to die, but I can¡¯t be eaten in vain. So the boundaries had to be stricter. I blew up my feathers and used my beak to trim my messy tail feathers and flight feathers. After flapping my small wings a few times, a flying feather that seemed to have grown a little stood out. ¡®Isn¡¯t it growing too fast?¡¯ I don¡¯t know why, but it changed from my previous life. Of course, I used to think that the sooner I grew up, the better. It will be easier for me to heal Arsene¡¯s condition as I grow older and better at using my skills. It was a peaceful life just to imagine. But three days ago, on a night when the moonlight was exceptionally bright, the red feathers were discovered and pulled out. I wasn¡¯t happy to grow up fast at all. At this rate, I might even start molting before the age of ten. Of course, Kendrick Yeckhart promised not to abandon me¡ª. Still, I couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious. All grown-ups lie, so I shouldn¡¯t trust them. I looked at the maids with wary eyes. The maid¡¯s expressions seemed quite unfair, but I couldn¡¯t help it. The piled-up dessert looked delicious, too ¡ªI couldn¡¯t help it. I trimmed the tail feathers again, ignoring the maids and dessert. Then, the door burst open. It was Arsene who opened the door. As soon as Arsene came in, he turned his head and looked around. ¡°Hey, Linsy!¡± He raised his chin as if to ask the maids where I was. ¡°Chirp?¡± I let out a noise to announce that I was sitting on a window frame. Arsene came up and looked at me on tiptoe. ¡°What, why are you there? The window frame is dirty, you can¡¯t sit down there. You fool.¡± What? I quickly lifted my foot to check the situation. The pink feet had a little bit of dust on them. ¡®It¡¯s not dirty.¡¯ I raised my feet to show Arsene, meaning it wasn¡¯t dirty. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°What, it¡¯s not dirty. But hurry up and come down. I¡¯m hungry.¡± Is it already time to eat? I didn¡¯t know because the maids fed me dessert all along, but I guess so. Arsene tapped his shoulder as if urging me. I pondered for a moment. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Can I go down when so many wolves seem to want to fatten me up? But I can¡¯t stay on top of the window frame forever. Besides, I wanted to eat. ¡®The stomachs for dessert and rice are different.¡¯ What I¡¯ve eaten so far is dessert, not rice. Eventually, I had no choice but to come down from the window frame. I flew away and landed lightly on Arsene¡¯s shoulder. ****** Arsene took me to his room. Unlike Raniero, who had to eat only at designated places because they emphasized dining etiquette, Arsene usually ate in his own room. Thanks to this, I was able to sit down at Arsene¡¯s table and receive the same table that Arsene ate every time. Because Kendrick said it would be good for me and Arsene to get to know each other quickly, so we had a meal together every day. There was Arsene¡¯s little rebellion, but it soon subsided as if it had never happened. My favorite fruits, fish dishes, and vegetables were all set. Arsene crumpled his face as soon as he saw the carrot in the soup. ¡°¡­I told you to take out the carrot. I don¡¯t want carrots in it.¡± Arsene said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to take it out next time. Please try it today, Young master~¡± The maids were familiar with Arsene. Arsene¡¯s picky eater seems to be more than a day or two. I sat down and crunched on some celery as I watched Arsene work hard to pick carrots. ¡®No, why don¡¯t you eat carrots?¡¯ When I watched Arsene carefully, it wasn¡¯t just carrots. All vegetables such as carrots and celery were excluded and only meat was selected and eaten. Picky eater is the worst eating habit. Picky eating was the root of all diseases. If you only choose vegetables and eat them, your body will become weak¡ª. But he was already weak, he might die suddenly while being picky. If he dies suddenly, I¡¯m done! I quickly jumped in front of Arsene. And I said, pushing down a plate of carrots that Arsene had picked out. ¡°Chirp!¡± Don¡¯t be picky. I can live with you only if you stay alive for a long time. Arsene was born weak, and the fact that he was picky about what he ate made him die faster. ¡°You want me to eat carrots?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± Arsene firmly pushed the carrot plate. It was a strong will, not like a seven-year-old child. I puffed up my feather and squinted at Arsene. ¡°¡­What, why do you look at me like that?¡± ¡°Chirp.¡± ¡°No, I told you I don¡¯t want to eat it?¡± Arsene said. The maids watching our meal did not miss the right time and pushed the carrot plate in front of Arsene. ¡°The Lady asks you to do this, so you still won¡¯t eat it, Young Master?¡± ¡°Oh my, look at how well my Lady eats vegetables.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone eat this well!¡± I was surprised at the compliments from the maids and ate another carrot. Then Arsene stared at the carrot as if he had a desire to win. ¡ªThe carrot will get pierced. ¡®Should I stimulate it a little more?¡¯ I deliberately turned to Arsene and chewed the carrot as if to show off. Then Arsene took a deep breath as if he had made a big decision. Then he picked up a carrot, put it in his mouth, and chewed it quickly. ¡°¡­..!¡± Of course, he drank a lot of water right away. The maids and chefs of the mansion were watching the scene with their hands covering their mouths as if they were thrilled. ¡°Young Master¡ª¡± ¡°He ate carrots!¡± Cheers rang out in Arsene¡¯s room. I looked at the scene awkwardly. How many times has he not eaten a carrot, and when he does, he has this kind of reaction? Arsene ate all the carrots and looked at me triumphantly. ¡°Did you see that? I¡¯m eating carrots now.¡± ¡°Chirp.¡± I gave a rough answer. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can eat it.¡± Arsene raised his chin. Really? What about celery? I slipped a plate of celery in front of Arsene with one foot. The maids quickly noticed what I wanted. ¡°Oh my, even celery?¡± ¡°My Lady is eating celery, she must be a genius!¡± ¡°Oh my, I wish Young Master could eat it, too¡ª¡± It would be nice if Young Master could eat it, too. Arsene opened his eyes again at the word. Then he took a piece of celery and thought about it seriously. The maids were looking at the figure holding their breath. And I laughed at Arsene and ate the celery. CH 17 ¡®Look at this. I can do it too.¡¯ ¡®Linsy, hey, look at this. I¡¯m really good at it.¡¯ Arsene used to say this the most these days. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ Arsene has been unnecessarily competitive with me since that meal. He seemed to think that everything I did was important, so he watched everything I did. When I ate vegetables, Arsene also ate vegetables, and when I took a bath, I took a clean bath himself. ¡°Look, I am cleaner.¡± And brag about useless things. Although Arsene¡¯s competitiveness was annoying for the first few days. ¡®¡­is it rather good?¡¯ I was a smart and ferocious baby bird that didn¡¯t miss a chance. If I put Arsene¡¯s competitiveness to good use, I could help him form a healthy habit. For example, not going to bed right after eating or not picking out carrots. I ate the carrots out of the soup on purpose in front of Arsene. ¡°Chirp!¡± It was a bonus for me to exclaim a few times as if it was really delicious. Then the maids praised me for eating carrots. ¡°As expected, Lady!¡± ¡°How can you eat carrots so well¡ª. Lady is the only one who can do this!¡± ¡°Really, the other kids won¡¯t even dream¡­¡± Then Arsene frowned and followed me with carrot soup in his mouth. ¡°Hey, uh, ugh, look at this. I also eat it, right?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± I ignored Arsene and shot back toward the tomato. Then Arsene¡¯s face was terribly distorted. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat the ugly fruit that explodes in your mouth with weird water, are you?¡± It¡¯s not a fruit, it¡¯s a vegetable. Arsene tightly shut his eyes as if he couldn¡¯t see the tomato. I ignore Arsene and eat the raw tomato. Arsene¡¯s face was terribly distorted. But when Arsene didn¡¯t eat tomatoes even though I ate them, I winked at the maids. Then the maids noticed and stood up for her. ¡°It would be great if the Young Master could eat tomatoes too¡­You haven¡¯t eaten yet¡­.¡± ¡°I never knew there were children who could eat tomatoes!¡± ¡°Lady¡­¡± Then Arsene put the tomato in his mouth with a red face like a cherry tomato. I laughed and watched Arsene¡¯s condition. He certainly seemed to have improved his complexion. If he didn¡¯t have a habit of being a picky eater, he would look so healthy. Instead, maybe he¡¯s sick because of the way he eats. Is it just eating habits? I thought about Arsene, who always went to bed after eating and slept a lot. Arsene¡¯s routine consisted of eating, rolling around in bed, and taking a short walk. Exercise? That didn¡¯t exist in the Arsene Dictionary. ¡®That¡¯s a sick habit, that stupid lifestyle!¡¯ To be healthy, exercise is essential. I remembered Mrs Bellin¡¯s words. ¡®If you don¡¯t exercise, you can never be healthy. So you must not neglect even a single day.¡¯ She was in charge of managing Raniero¡¯s children. ¡®Management¡¯ also included diet management and health management. ¡®I didn¡¯t even eat that much for her to say that.¡¯ Mrs Bellin told us not to eat much, saying that we had to eat well to be healthy. I looked down at my legs, which were too skinny, considering they were birds¡¯ legs. I looked down at my legs which were too skinny to be considered a bird¡¯s leg. I had a body that looked as weak as Arsene. I didn¡¯t exercise, so it was obvious that it was because I didn¡¯t eat well. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s exercise together at this time.¡¯ It will make Arsene healthy, and I will only be able to live well on my own in the future if I am healthy too. Besides, I ate a lot of delicious food at the wolf¡¯s mansion, so I wouldn¡¯t be tired of exercising now. ¡®Yeah, exercise is what we need the most right now.¡¯ He won¡¯t die of illness, but because of how he eats! All right, I clenched my beak. ¡®From today on, my goal is to exercise 30 minutes after a meal!¡¯ I looked at Arsene with my eyes twinkling. I will definitely make him healthy!! ****** Ethan White. The old butler witnessed a strange sight in his later years. He watched the baby bird work hard at push-ups and the Young Master next to her, who was also doing push-ups and sweating a lot. ¡°¡­.?¡± He cleaned his one-piece glasses well. And he looked at them again through the cleared eyeglasses. It was definitely a push-up, no matter how he looked at it. And the figure of the Young Master doing push-ups while glaring at the Lady next to him. It was truly a strange sight. The old butler seemed to be enjoying some of the rewards of having lived a long time. ¡®By the way, I can¡¯t believe they exercise.¡¯ No one in the mansion thought of making Arsene get some exercise. Arsene was sick a lot, and he could easily get a fever by pushing too hard. If he overdoes it, he¡¯ll get sick, and his fever will rise. But. ¡®But since the Lady came, his fever has never gone up.¡¯ To be precise, since the day that Lady Linsy used her powers to heal the Young Master. Even though he was doing that harsh (?) exercise almost every day, he didn¡¯t get sick. So the old butler didn¡¯t stop Arsene from exercising. No, rather, he thought it was a good sign. Kendrick and Ethan, including the servants, were also aware that Arsene¡¯s lifestyle was wrong. It is normal for him to go to bed after eating. Even bad eating habits that exclude all vegetables! All of this was because of how weak Arsene was. ¡®But she can handle the Young Master so well.¡¯ The old butler truly admired it. Lady Linsy had a natural talent for gently encouraging the Young Master. ¡°Chirp!¡± Even though she can¡¯t communicate with him, that little cry could convince the Young Master. Ethan watched it in amazement. A happy smile appeared on the old butler¡¯s wrinkled face. It was the same with other servants¡¯ faces. ****** ¡°Huh, uh, ugh, Linsy¡­ How long are we going to do this?¡± Arsene said, breathing heavily. I spread my wings wide and lay down on the floor, breathing heavily. I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s stop now. I think this is enough. Arsene¡¯s forehead was covered with sweat. The maids came up and handed Arsene a glass of water. Arsene held the cup in one hand and gulped down the cold water. I sat on the edge of the cup and took a sip of water, which went down my throat quickly. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Lady, are you having a hard time?¡± It was hot rather than hard. Because I was in a beast state, my body was covered with hair. Betty fanned me as I opened my beak and struggled to breathe. I felt my feathers fluttering in the wind. ¡®Phew, I think I¡¯ll live.¡¯ I looked at Arsene, who was breathing heavily from the side. His face was flushed red. ¡®Can I make him healthy if I just do this?¡¯ Because of my skills, even diseases that can¡¯t be cured can be treated occasionally, and the rest of his lifestyle just needs to be controlled healthily. Then, even if I grew up and left later, Arsene would be able to live a healthy life. ¡®After I leave, it will be difficult if you come to catch me.¡¯ He might not let me go if he¡¯s not in perfect health. So I had to make Arsene as healthy as possible before I left. ¡®Wait, but if I leave, will I leave completely empty-handed?¡¯ I took a deep breath and jumped up. When people get a divorce, they give alimony to the other person most of the time. The wolves have already promised to pay a high price for Raniero. Hampton River. ¡®You paid a lot to get me here, and when I told you I was leaving, you wouldn¡¯t even pay me alimony!¡¯ I suddenly felt uneasy when I thought that far. I¡¯d be happier on the cliff¡¯s edge than living in Raniero. Still, if I had a little bit of money, I would be able to live a little happier. At that moment, Arsene, who was breathing hard, dropped a button from his sleeve. The button rolled over and fell at my feet. ¡°Oh my, the button¡­!¡± Chloe said, picking up a button that had fallen off Arsene¡¯s shirt. I rolled my eyes and looked at the button. ¡®It¡¯s a button crafted from jewels¡ª!¡¯ I swallowed my saliva and looked up at Chloe. ¡®This, if I collect this!¡¯ It would be incredibly helpful when I left the mansion later¡ª! My body shook gently without realizing it. I want that button! Feeling my passionate gaze, Chloe slowly turned her head. ¡°¡­.?¡± ¡°Chirp¡­¡± Well, I didn¡¯t look for it because I wanted it. I turned my head hurriedly. However, my head kept returning to the shiny button. Gulp. When I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the button, Chloe asked cautiously. ¡°Lady, do you want a button?¡± ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± No? Absolutely not? I¡¯m currently living in a wolf¡¯s mansion, and if I ask for a jewelry button, they¡¯ll think I¡¯m a very shameless person. So I desperately shook my head. Chloe smiled and handed me the little button. ¡°Okay, here it is. Is this what you wanted?¡± ¡­Are you giving it to me? I stared blankly at the button and Chloe rushed me, saying, ¡®Come on.¡¯ ¡°Chirp?¡± Really? ¡°It¡¯s a button, you can put it back on.¡± I carefully bit the button on Chloe¡¯s palm with my beak. A hard, round button touched my beak. ¡®Oh my.¡¯ The buttons seen up close were more shiny and pretty. like a jewel. I carefully put down the button, spread my wings, and ran to Chloe. ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± You¡¯re the best, Chloe! As I spread my wings as much as I could and hugged Chloe¡¯s wrist, laughter burst out here and there. ¡°Do you like it that much?¡± Ung, ung! I nodded eagerly. Now it might look like a single button of nothing but¡ª. I was sure that if I saved it well, it would be a lot of money! I puffed up my fluffy feather and sat down on the button. It was an act of claiming ownership of the button. This is mine now. I¡¯ll collect them, hide them, and take them when I leave the wolf mansion. The next day, Arsene had a new button on his sleeve. CH 18 T But how do I keep the buttons? It was precious, so it was clear that if I left it carelessly, I would lose it. There was also a way to ask the maids to keep it, but¡ª. ¡®No, I can¡¯t.¡¯ I shook my head with my beak closed. ¡®When I get kicked out later, I have to hold the button and go out.¡¯ If I leave it to the maids, it will be difficult to carry it secretly. So the safest way was to hide it well in a place I only knew. ¡®Then the question is where to hide¡ª¡¯ I pondered for a moment. I couldn¡¯t leave it in the room. My room was cleaned by maids every day, and there was no place to hide because it was open. Uhm, I can¡¯t think of any place. I rolled my head again with a button wrapped in wings. Is there no suitable place? Except for my room and Arsene¡¯s room, I have to find a suitable place in the mansion. There were always people coming and going in and out of our room. And it¡¯s impossible to hide it in the room. ¡®Place where the maids don¡¯t clean it well¡ª, It¡¯s hidden enough that people don¡¯t see it¡ª.¡¯ I had to find a place like that. For my precious little button! All right, I can do it. Isn¡¯t there a place like that in this big mansion? There must be a couple of places like that. I¡¯m sure. ¡®Let¡¯s go out and find a place to hide the buttons.¡¯ I spread my wings in a roar. I was thinking of going out for a walk as an excuse to find a place where I could make a nest. It just so happened that Betty was away for a while, so it was the right time. A button hidden underneath my fluffy hair popped out as I sprang to my feet. ¡°Chirp!¡± ¡®Oh, right. I have to hide it before I go out¡ª¡¯ This button was given to me by Chloe, and there was no way Chloe would take it back. But. ¡®Cause the other maids might take it back without knowing it¡ª¡¯ It was quite possible since Chloe and Betty weren¡¯t the only ones coming into my room. As expected, it¡¯s safe to hide it. After making my decision, I bit the button with my beak. And jumped off the bed. ¡°Chirp!¡± A soft pink carpet was spread under the bed. I put the button down next to me. And I pulled the carpet with my beak. ¡°C, chirp! Chirp¡­!¡± Then I lifted the corner of the heavy carpet slightly. ¡®Phew. I did it.¡¯ If I could only release the bird form, lifting the carpet this far would have been nothing. It was very difficult to lift the carpet with the body of a small bird. I took a deep breath and bit the button. And I immediately put it inside the carpet and put the carpet back to its original state. The carpet is thick, so it doesn¡¯t even show that there are buttons inside. All right, this is great. ¡°Chirp!¡± I sighed in satisfaction, then flew straight away. I was going to hurry up and look at the mansion when Betty was away. ¡®Shall I take a look through the second floor first?¡¯ I heard from Betty last time that there are some empty rooms on the second floor. It would be easy to hide the button if it was a room where servants didn¡¯t come in and out often. I flew slowly down the long corridor. I also thought that it would be better to walk to find a place to hide the buttons. ¡®No, as expected no.¡¯ In this state, my legs were extremely short. Because of this, I have to walk a minute for a distance that can be reached in ten seconds by flying. In addition, ¡®I don¡¯t know if they might step on me¡ª¡¯ I glanced back at the servants walking around the corridor. The servants who made eye contact with me greeted me with a smile. Most of the people in the mansion were kind to me, but¡ª. The problem is I¡¯m too small. I would be in trouble if the busy servants accidentally stepped on me. After imagining the terrible scene, I shuddered. As expected, it¡¯s better just to fly around, and the servants would also find it easier to avoid me. Instead, I flapped my wings as slowly as possible to reduce its speed. When I reached the end of the hallway on the second floor, I heard a rumbling sound from somewhere. ¡°Chirp?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ I checked that there were no servants in the hallway and landed lightly. The sound of conversation was coming from somewhere. As I stepped closer to the sound out of curiosity, the sound became clearer. The conversation came from a sunny room at the far end of the second-floor hallway. I jumped up to the door. ¡®Huh? This room¡ª¡¯ It¡¯s the drawing-room on the second floor. The Yeckhart mansion had two drawing rooms. One on the first floor and one on the second floor. It was said that previous heads of the family often used the drawing-room on the second floor to treat their precious guests. In other words, it means that it¡¯s a place that Kendrick rarely uses. I remembered what Betty had said as she showed me the mansion. ¡®The master rarely uses the drawing-room on the second floor. So most of the guests are greeted on the first floor.¡¯ Betty said, opening the door to the second-floor drawing-room. But why is the sound of conversation coming from that room? ¡®Is there a precious guest?¡¯ I flew away out of curiosity and sat on the doorknob. I looked around, but the servants were nowhere to be seen. ¡®Ah, it¡¯s cold! The metal handle was very cold to stand on. Thanks to this, I had to stand on the handle with one foot. I hid one foot in soft wheat-colored feathers and listened to the conversation that flowed out. A familiar voice came from the room. ¡°¡­So¡­ Are you saying you¡¯re here because of that?¡± It was Kendrick¡¯s voice. But, perhaps because he was angry, his voice was stiff, unlike usual. Are they talking about something bad? I overheard the conversation in the room, forgetting to breathe for a moment. ¡°¡­we are also in trouble. Raniero has requested a mediation, so we can¡¯t ignore it. Please attend and¡­¡± Raniero? I blinked slowly at the familiar word. Why is Raniero here? While I was puzzled, the conversation continued. ¡°How many times have I told you I didn¡¯t bring her by force, but she followed me with her own will.¡± ¡°Of course, we believe what you say, but we can¡¯t ignore Raniero¡¯s request to the temple.¡± Huh. I closed my beak with my wings. ¡®It¡¯s the temple?¡¯ Temple of Knut. The temple of Knut had no interest in anything other than worshiping God and managing the nine holy relics. They don¡¯t even carelessly engage in territorial disputes among the clans. The temple comes forward only when there is a problem with God or when the safety of the holy relics becomes dangerous. But did Raniero ask the temple for mediation? I swallowed my saliva and held my ears close to the door. ¡°So, it seems like you have to return Raniero¡¯s child. Without Raniero¡¯s will, the temple can¡¯t even agree to child marriage.¡± I could hear a strange voice clearly outside the door. ¡®Return¡­what?¡¯ I pondered the word return in my mouth, So, it meant that my father asked for mediation at the temple in order to get me back. ¡®N, no way!¡¯ I really didn¡¯t expect him to go to the temple. Because Raniero was in a situation where he had no choice but to accept Yeckhart¡¯s arranged marriage. I thought that it was a matter that the two clans were able to coordinate and put an end to. If they go to the temple, they can¡¯t stop it. Because Yeckhart will have no reason to keep me with the temple. They¡¯ll gladly accept if Raniero says they¡¯ll give them another daughter. ¡®I, I haven¡¯t been able to prove my ability yet.¡¯ For a moment, memories of a past life quickly passed through my head. After the red feathers, my father and brothers completely turned a blind eye to me. After the red feathers, my father and brothers completely turned a blind eye to me. A terrifying series of neglect. Their eyes were pointing at the cursed object. I sometimes wish they¡¯d hit me. Then at least, I¡¯ll know I¡¯m alive. If I were forced to return to Raniero, I would repeat the same life again. It could even happen as soon as I return because the red feathers have already come out. I didn¡¯t even want to die. For a moment, as my eyes turned white, I felt like I had returned to my previous life. ¡®My room,¡¯ where no one looks into it unless it¡¯s the one who feeds me. ¡®I, I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ I instinctively stepped back. The problem is that where I was sitting was on the doorknob. ¡®H, huh!¡¯ ¡°C, chirp!¡± As my foot slipped, I fell to the floor as it was. At that moment. Pong¡ª! A cloud of smoke rose up and wrapped around me. Naturally, the field of vision rose, and instead of the feathers that were wrapped around my body, the hem of the dress was visible. ¡®The bird form is lifted!¡¯ And at this time! The surrounding objects slowly moved out of sight as if time had stopped. I shut my eyes tightly in anticipation of the shock to come. I heard a loud noise, hitting my buttocks on the floor with the bird form lifted. ¡°A, ah¡ª¡± It would have hurt less if it had been a bird form, but it hurt more because the bird form was lifted at this time. At that moment. I noticed that the sound of conversation in the room was suddenly cut off. ¡®A, ah.¡¯ I can¡¯t let go of my bird form at this time! I was on the verge of being caught eavesdropping just as I turned my head to escape. Gulp. The heavy oak door opened. CH 19 I walked slowly into the banquet hall. Then, as if waiting, the heads of numerous nobles headed towards us. My father and Aaron were deflected by their gazes, which stayed on me. ¡®It¡¯s better than I expected, but¡­¡¯ But it didn¡¯t feel so good that it was like a show. I didn¡¯t like the fact that people I didn¡¯t know kept staring at me, whether they had good intentions or not. ¡®They were told that they should only be near the appointed seats before the party officially begins.¡¯ Today was a day when the Emperor didn¡¯t attend, so all of us here must wait for the Empress to arrive. As a result, the nobles sat on both sides of the road from the door to the podium. Among them, women in white dresses were the same as I looked casually. They were young noblewomen who came to make their social debut, which was the main purpose of today¡¯s banquet. The only people who wore white dresses on the first day of the week-long banquet are those who are debuting. My father, Aaron, and I continued walking down the open road. It reminded me of a few years ago when I was learning manners from Fern. ¡ªWhether it¡¯s a grand field meeting or an Imperial Palace banquet, the order in which the nobles line up in the Imperial Palace is according to their rank. ¡ªIs it an absolute order? ¡ªYes, at least in the Imperial Palace. Starting with the gate, the order was Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, and Duke. The Grand Duke was the foremost among the nobles. ¡­It¡¯s not like I¡¯m lining up. Hearing my words, Fern smiled and nodded his head. ¡ªHaha. Well, it¡¯s not wrong to line up. Nobles are sensitive to power. Maybe when you grow up and go to the Imperial Palace banquet, you will feel it. The trembling feeling at that time came back to life. ¡°Your Highness, Aaron, and Lady Erita.¡± I heard a familiar voice as I sat down and stared at the surroundings strangely. ¡°Seian, you¡¯re also here!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it Erita¡¯s social debut? Of course, I should come too.¡± The person who appeared out of nowhere was Seian. Seian greeted my father and Aaron for a moment and walked in front of me with a big smile. ¡°Marquis, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a week since I saw you. How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Oh, I received the flowers you sent me! It¡¯s too much to keep in my room, so I gave some to the maids. I forgot to write it in the letter.¡± When I said I apologize for sharing it without permission, Seian said, ¡°I gave it to you as a gift, so you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s your first debut. Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± He continued. At his question, I frowned slightly and nodded. ¡°Yes, I know I¡¯m going to be nervous, but it¡¯s better than I expected.¡± Perhaps there were no tremors at the first banquet because there¡¯s a clear goal in mind. ¡®¡­Well, I¡¯m nervous for some other reason.¡¯ To be honest, I was more nervous about the beginning of an original work than I was about my social debut. ¡°Then that¡¯s a good thing. You said you¡¯d do the first dance with Aaron, right?¡± Seian¡¯s words, with a happy expression on his face, interrupted my thoughts. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right.¡± Usually, the first dance of the debutant was performed with family or cousins. When deciding who to dance the first dance with, it was still ridiculous to think of the brutal air flowing between my father and my brother. ¡ªSo, which of the two will you have your first dance with? That was the beginning of Fern¡¯s words. I couldn¡¯t pick, and in the end, it was a match between my father and Aaron. I mean, I still don¡¯t understand why the first dance was so heated up. After a brief moment of reflection, I let out a small sigh and even responded to Seian. ¡°My father and my brother had a match for it to be my first dance, but my brother won.¡± Hearing my words, Seian¡¯s gentle eyes widened. ¡°Aaron beat Aslan?¡± There was a nuance of surprise and disbelief in the voice of Seian when he asked that question. I nodded my head and said, ¡°Yes, my brother won.¡± ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°Someone hit my father in the back.¡± Seian¡¯s face, which was in surprise, changed as if he were wondering. I explained briefly and concisely that in the middle, there was a wizard named Fern who used magic on my father. ¡°In any case, Fern¡¯s face was swollen now.¡± Seian understood, so he laughed. Fern didn¡¯t show up today because his face was still swollen. My father seemed to think it was cheap. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why my partner today was my brother.¡± I grinned as I said. Aaron¡¯s gaze, who was talking with my father just in time, turned this way for a while. Then, when our eyes met, he smiled softly and turned his head towards my father again. It was never my illusion that I heard the sound of breathing in from somewhere. ¡®¡­It seems that there are already quite a few women who like Aaron.¡¯ There were many women who looked around and blushed as they glanced at Aaron. ¡°Kyaa~! Aaron laughed!¡± ¡°Oh my! He usually has such a cold expression on his face.¡± It was something I overheard using some magic. As expected, it seemed impossible to hide my brother¡¯s handsome face even with that cold expression. I listened to their reactions a little more, laughed in my heart, and pulled the magic back. My gaze, which glanced around for a moment, directed at the high podium where only the Royal Family could sit. Realistic worries hit me again. ¡®I have to be at least five steps away to use the artifact¡­¡¯ The most difficult task for me was to get close to the Empress in some way for a week. I wouldn¡¯t have seen the Empress in person if it weren¡¯t for this banquet. After that, Ayla in a modest dress would also attend and appear here. And like fate, she would run into Callian, and eventually fall in love. When I thought of Callian, who had not arrived yet, a certain corner of my heart became uncomfortable. ¡®I must not make a mistake while being dazzled like this¡­¡¯ I breathed out to empty my head full of other thoughts. It was then¡­ ¡°Your Majesty, Empress Aisha Lenosen, the most noble of the Empire, Your Highness, Prince Thesis Ruin Elbert!¡± The door of the banquet hall opened with a loud shout of the servant. Then all the gazes that were still on me turned to it. I also turned my head. The colourful dress, which was red like blood, and the shiny blonde, which seems to have melted pure gold, caught my eyes. ¡®¡­The Empress and Thesis.¡¯ I¡¯ve only seen them once, but I¡¯ve never forgotten them over the past eight years. They were far away, so I couldn¡¯t see their faces properly, but the surroundings had already subsided. When their appearance was revealed, those close to the door were the first to put their knees on the floor. Kneeling down was a courtesy dedicated only to the Emperor and Empress. The Empress and the First Prince did not pay attention to such nobles. Stomp¡ª The sound of two pairs of footsteps rose above the marble floor, which was clean enough to reflect light. They walked towards the podium at neither slow nor fast speed. Each time the nobles bowed down to pay their respects. Looking at the two people with low sinking eyes, I thought of one question. ¡®But why did the Empress and Thesis enter together?¡¯ It seems that they entered separately in the original story¡­ ¡®What¡¯s so important about this? How much of the original content has changed now?¡¯ After thinking for a while, I cleared my thoughts. When the Empress and the First Prince ascended to their appointed positions. All the families below, including the Marquis, had their knees on the floor. ¡ªBy courtesy, when you see the Emperor or Empress at the Imperial Palace banquet, everyone except the Grand Duke and the Duchess must kneel. ¡ªReally? ¡ªYes, it¡¯s a courtesy to the Royal Family. You have to bow, too. ¡ªBut why do we only kneel at banquets? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s polite or not. Because there are a lot of nobles coming to the banquet. It¡¯s made to show off the power of the throne, even though I put words to it one way or another. It consolidates the authority of the Imperial Family by announcing who was above the nobility. It was a manner that I once learned from Fern. ¡®They said it was to show off.¡¯ More than two hundred nobles were all on their knees, and no words came out. This was enough to create awe that did not exist. Shaking my head inwardly, I just bowed my head slightly as I had been taught. All the people of the Duke Family who didn¡¯t kneel like us were bowing deeply. ¡®¡­I¡¯m sure our family was great.¡¯ The Krovachatz Family was granted the qualifications required by the First Emperor to have minimal courtesy even for the Imperial Family. Because of that, the Duke did not have to kneel in front of the Emperor, and was able to wear a sword. It was shockingly unusual to see that even other noble families had to return their weapons when they visited the Emperor. ¡°Everyone, get up.¡± The Empress allowed us to rise. She opened her mouth in an elegant upright position. ¡°First of all¡­¡± But she couldn¡¯t finish her sentence with a high voice. ¡°Here comes the Second Prince Callian Ruin Elbert!¡± The loud cry of the servant, announcing the other prince¡¯s position, echoed in the banquet hall. The Empress eyes trembled slightly and the huge door opened wide. My gaze was also directed towards it. Stomp¨C The pace of the footsteps across the quiet, beautiful banquet hall was never slow. Compared to the slow pace of the Empress and the First Prince, it was certainly fast. A gorgeous uniform, shiny silver hair, and a beautiful face with a warm smile. The only thing that changed from what I knew was the colourful clothes and the colour of his hair. ¡®¡­The real Lian was Callian.¡¯ Even though I already knew it, I realised it again. As Callian passed in front of me, I looked down unconsciously. It won¡¯t happen, but I¡¯m afraid if I ever make eye contact, my eyes would tremble without my knowledge. ¡®Then, even if no one else knows, my father or my brother might notice something.¡¯ Fortunately, Callian never slowed down his steps toward the podium. Standing proudly in front of the Empress and the First Prince, he smiled and said, ¡°I greet you, Your Majesty.¡± CH 20 ¡°You¡­ Your bird form has been lifted?¡± Arsene asked more with a look of embarrassment on his face. I nodded my head. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s just lifted.¡± I could see Arsene stumbling and taking two steps back. I hadn¡¯t lifted the bird form in a long time, so maybe it looked unfamiliar to him. ¡®Well.¡¯ After arriving at the wolf mansion, I was in bird form. Except when I healed Arsene, the bird form had never been lifted. I let out a sigh. ¡®By the way, I shouldn¡¯t become a bird every time I treat him.¡¯ Of course, I can use this ability even in bird form, but¡ª. I was afraid I couldn¡¯t control my transformation to bird form. Besides¡ª. ¡®I did my first transformation too quickly in this life¡ª¡¯ If I use this ability too much, it could hurt my body. When I thought about it, I kept sighing. At that moment, Betty said with a stern expression on her face, her hands clasped at her waist. ¡°Young Master, you can¡¯t just come in like this. A nice gentleman always knocks before entering the room.¡± ¡°Ung? Ung¡­ I¡¯m just¡­.¡± Arsene moved his lips to make an excuse, but then stopped. ¡°Okay, you should go now. The Lady has to change her clothes.¡± ¡°Yeah, Arsene, I¡¯ll just change my clothes and talk to you.¡± I looked at Arsene and said. Arsene glanced at me, then hurriedly turned his head and nodded. ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Then please go out now, Young Master.¡± Arsene left my room, as if pushed by Betty. After she kicked out the uninvited guest, she slowly took off my dress. ¡°Come on, raise your hand~.¡± Lightly. I raised my hands high. Then Betty smiled brightly and put me in my pajamas. I could feel the soft pajamas fluttering and covering my body. It was a light yellow one-piece pajama with lace and ribbons. Betty tidied up my dress and hugged me. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll bring Mr. Hern, so you can play with the Young Master first.¡± ¡°Ung, I will.¡± ¡°Can you not go somewhere alone this time?¡± She smiled mischievously and then left the room. There was a knock shortly after Betty left. Knock, knock. ¡°Come in~¡± Soon the door opened a little, and Arsene peeped through it. ¡°Arsene!¡± Arsene timidly entered the room and slammed the door. ¡°You can sit here.¡± I patted the bed and talked as if I was being generous. Arsene ran up to me at my words and fell on the bed. ¡°You, did your transformation lift?¡± Arsene asked with round eyes. ¡°Uhm¡ª, somehow it just lifted.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯re not going to be a bird anymore?¡± Arsene seemed very sad that I wasn¡¯t in my bird form. Well, Arsene liked to walk around with me on his shoulder. I looked at Arsene with glistening eyes and a troubled expression ¡®Who would think of him as a vigilant kid?¡¯ Like the first day I met Arsene. ¡®Get out of my way!¡¯ There was no longer a boy who was wary of me and told me to get out of the way. There is just a boy with his eyes twinkling saying I won¡¯t change back to my bird form. Before, Betty and Chloe had told me not to worry because young children get along quickly. ¡®I guess that¡¯s true.¡¯ I didn¡¯t have any friends my age in my previous life, so I didn¡¯t really know what that meant. ¡®Young children get close quickly?¡¯ Is it possible for Arsene to be so wary of me? I thought they were just trying to comfort me¡ª. Overshadowing my concerns, Arsene approached me the very next day. ¡®Hng, I didn¡¯t come here because I wanted to see you. I just¡ª¡¯ The next day, too. ¡®Linsy¡­ What are you doing?¡¯ The next day, too. ¡®Linsy!¡¯ I was a little surprised to see Arsene approaching me so quickly, but I quickly got used to it. ¡®Because it¡¯s a good thing for me!¡¯ Arsene was indifferent, so I had to get along with the other people in the house to stop worrying about being kicked out. So I spent the day sitting on Arsene¡¯s shoulder and eating snacks every day. Sometimes we work out together. Of course, we also ate together. Betty clasped hands as she saw Arsene hanging out with me almost every day. ¡®The Young Master must really like the Lady.¡¯ ¡®Chirp!¡¯ ¡®Actually, Lady is the Young Master¡¯s first friend.¡¯ It said Arsene was weak and lived only in the mansion the whole time. I nodded as if I knew it, listening to Betty¡¯s explanation. Because he has an incurable disease. ¡®Before I came, I heard they didn¡¯t let him go to the garden because they didn¡¯t know when he might get sick again.¡¯ In that situation, there is no way he can make friends. Listening to Betty, I understood Arsene, who was always chasing after me. I stared intently at the boy sitting next to me, trying hard not to look at me. Then I narrow my eyes. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°What, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Arsene replied in a loud voice. ¡°No. But, do you not like that my bird form has lifted?¡± I said, waving my legs. My yellow dress fluttered from my knees every time I moved my legs. ¡°¡­It¡¯s ugly. The bird form is much better.¡± Arsene muttered, turning his head around. Then, I heard a knock. Arsene and I talked and looked at the door at the same time. ¡°Come in!¡± When I said it out loud, the door opened. Then Mr. Hern, Betty, and Chloe came in side by side. ¡°Hello, Lady.¡± Mr. Hern approaches me and greets me. I jumped out of bed and tried to greet Mr. Hern. But¡ª. ¡°H, huh¡ª?¡± As soon as I jumped down, my body staggered greatly. ¡®I, I¡¯m going to fall!¡¯ It hasn¡¯t been long since I fell on my butt, but already? I closed my eyes reflexively as soon as I stumbled. This is because the bumping was expected. But¡ª. ¡®Huh¡ª? I don¡¯t fall?¡¯ Only then did I open my eyes. ¡°Oh, my. Lady, you have to be careful.¡± Before I knew it, Mr. Hern, who came right in front of me, was holding me. ¡°T, thank you Mr!¡± I hurried out of his arms and greeted him. ¡®It¡¯s weird. What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ I shivered at the strange sensation I had just felt. Strange feeling like my legs aren¡¯t mine. I opened my eyes wide and examined my legs carefully. No matter how much I looked at it, there was no such thing as a wound. Mr. Hern smiled understandably and gave me a hug. Flop. Then he explained, sitting on the bed. ¡°If you stay in the bird form for a long time, it becomes difficult to adapt to the human figure.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It was the first time I heard it. It¡¯s hard to adapt to a human form if the bird form lasts for a long time. Mr. Hern smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course, so you have to be careful not to stay in the form of a bird for a long time. Now, let¡¯s see the conditions.¡± Mr. Hern looks at my body carefully. Not only in the mouth, but also in the eyes, ears, and leg joints. And lastly. ¡°Hmm¡ª¡± Mr. Hern looked at me with a meaningful face. I could tell by instinct. ¡®You¡¯re looking at the flow of my abilities!¡¯ After staring at me for a while, Mr. Hern put his hand on my head. ¡°Your condition is fine, Lady. Just don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°¡­Overdo it?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re still unstable. But, if you don¡¯t overdo it, you¡¯ll be fine for a while.¡± I was tearful at Mr. Hern¡¯s words. Seeing my expression, Mr. Hern opened his eyes wide and asked back. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s¡­because I can¡¯t treat Arsene¡­.¡± I glanced at Arsene. ¡°If Arsene suddenly gets sick¡­ Then¡­¡± Arsene has been in good shape so far. He hasn¡¯t had any symptoms since the last time I gave him too much treatment. It was said that it was the first time since he had the disease. ¡®But it¡¯s not completely cured.¡¯ He might get sick again, but I can¡¯t overdo this ability. I looked down at my hands. I was still not used to using this skill, so I couldn¡¯t control it. When I was treating Arsene, didn¡¯t Arsene¡¯s illness almost take away my abilities? ¡®But if I don¡¯t cure him¡ª¡¯ I¡¯ll be sent back to Raniero. Raniero will probably try to trade Schville with me to send Schville to the wolf mansion. Then Yeckhart just had to send me back. ¡®Cause no one knows what kind of talent Schville has¡ª¡¯ Schville can steal the life force of other people, but only Raniero¡¯s direct descendants know this. So, they could have thought that other children would be more suitable for treatment than me, who would be in bird form every time I used this ability. The thought made me sad all of a sudden. My head drooped. When I felt like I was about to burst into tears¡ª. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s with me again? If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t need treatment.¡± Arsene suddenly opened his mouth. CH 21 I turned my head and looked at Arsene. Arsene was startled when his eyes met mine. However, the boy quickly pretended to be fine and coughed. ¡°If it¡¯s because of me¡ª you don¡¯t have to worry. Because it doesn¡¯t matter being sick anymore.¡± Arsene said quite bravely. It seems that he was very worried because I couldn¡¯t treat him. I looked at Arsene with moved eyes for a long time and then opened my mouth. ¡°But you¡ª you don¡¯t like taking medicine.¡± Arsene looked as if I had hit the nail. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s true, but¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like being sick¡ª¡± Of course, no children like to be sick, but Arsene was one of the most exaggerated. He used to cry for a little scratch on his hand. Of course, it stops when I treat him. ¡°¡­But I¡¯m fine now that I¡¯m used to it.¡± Arsene said straight. Both Betty and Mr. Hern looked at Arsene in amazement. I felt the same way. This is because I didn¡¯t expect this to come out of Arsene¡¯s mouth. Arsene, who had been moving his mouth slightly the whole time, opened his mouth carefully. ¡°But¡ª I don¡¯t want you to get sick every time you treat me.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not sick?¡± I blinked and replied straight away. He was just worried that I would hurt my body later if I overused this ability, but there was no pain. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. They said you shouldn¡¯t overdo it¡­ So, you don¡¯t have to overdo it¡­¡± Arsene continued. ¡°¡­Because you suddenly become a bird. So there is no need to overdo it.¡± ¡°But Arsene, you said you like my bird form more?¡± I moved my hips and sat down next to Arsene. It¡¯s because Arsene was pretty cute talking about me while he was worried. When I said embarrassing things, the boy soon turned red and frowned. ¡°W, when did I!¡± ¡°Just now.¡± Right before Betty came in. ¡°You told me I looked ugly when my bird form disappeared.¡± When I said the right thing, Arsene¡¯s cheeks swelled up. Arsene jumped out of his seat and shouted. ¡°Of course, I like the bird form better! B, but¡­ I think this one is good too! No, I don¡¯t know. Anyway, don¡¯t worry about that, stupid! Got it?¡± Arsene shot back, then ran out of the room like a lightning bolt. I was looking at where Arsene had left with my eyes wide open. ¡°Pft.¡± It was Mr. Hern who broke the silence. Mr. Hern burst out laughing as I blinked. Mr. Hern looked at where Arsene had left and started to laugh. It was a small laugh, like the sound of the wind, and then it grew into a big laugh. ¡°Ahahaha! It seems that the Young Master really likes you.¡± I looked up at Mr. Hern. ¡°Ung?¡± ¡°To hear the Young Master say something like that¡­he is the person who hates taking medicine the most in the world.¡± He laughed the whole time, saying he didn¡¯t know that the Young Master would say such a thing. He really hates it when the Lady overdoes it. Betty, who was watching Mr. Hern burst into laughter, took a step closer to me. And she held my hand tightly. A great warmth hung over the little hands like a roof. ¡°Just as Young Master said, Lady. You don¡¯t have to overdo it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I came here to heal Arsene. When I hesitated because I couldn¡¯t say what I wanted to say, Betty smiled warmly as if she understood everything. It was a smile as warm as the afternoon sun. ¡°Lady, you¡¯re a child, too. I hope you don¡¯t feel too pressured.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°The Young Master must have a harder time seeing the Lady struggling.¡± ¡°Ung¡­¡± ¡°And the master is really healthy these days! It¡¯s all thanks to the Lady, so.¡± Betty continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady, for the time being, eat well, sleep well, and play well. Because that¡¯s the role of a child!¡± Mr. Hern, who was quietly listening next to her, nodded his head as if in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t feel too pressured, Lady. Young Master¡¯s condition is better now than ever.¡± I nodded. My cheeks flushed with relief. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Well, get some rest now, Lady. We will leave.¡± Mr. Hern packed his bag and left. Betty nodded and gently stroked my hair. ¡°Lady, get some sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up later at snack time.¡± ¡°Ung, Betty. And¡­¡± I lifted my head and whispered in Betty¡¯s ear. ¡°Thank you, Betty, really.¡± I meant it. When I hear a lot of good words, I feel like I¡¯ve received a gift. Betty smiled at my words. ¡°Me too, Lady. Rest well.¡± Mr. Hern and Betty quickly left the room. ****** It was evening when I woke up. ¡®When did I fall asleep?¡¯ It was a bright day when Betty, Mr. Hern, and Arsene were there, but when I woke up, it was dark outside the window. ¡®I guess I slept for a long time.¡¯ Betty said she would wake me up at snack time, but I guess I was sleeping so hard that she left it alone. I don¡¯t usually sleep this long, though¡ª. Is it because the state of the body is returning as the bird form lifted? I pulled up my cotton blanket. The inside of the blanket was warm because of my body temperature. ¡®It¡¯s hot¡­.¡¯ I touched my forehead, but fortunately, I didn¡¯t seem to have a fever. I staggered over and stood in front of the mirror. And I looked at my condition. Both eyes were puffy, possibly from sleeping for a long time, and the cheeks were flushed. ¡®Does the heat make me wake up?¡¯ I can feel how hot my cheeks are when I put my hands on them. I felt a little better after using a hand fan to cool my face. I approached the window frame and opened the window a little. Kiik. The window opened, and a cool night breeze blew through my hair. ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯ll live.¡± I put my legs over the window frame and thought about the day. Betty comforted me by saying that there is no need to overdo it. Arsene, who tried to comfort me by saying that he could bear the pain. Even Hern, who always treated me with sincerity and reassured me. They¡¯re really sweet people. I smiled happily, thinking of them. I didn¡¯t want to leave them and return to Raniero. 3 Having accepted the promises of the wolves in the name of Yeckhart, Kendrick will do everything he can to protect me. The problem is that Kendrick is not alone in leading the Yeckhart family. ¡®Yeckhart must have elders like Raniero.¡¯ If I had to make the elders run into the temple, they would have sent me back for sure. Phew, I just keep sighing. I took a slow breath, put my hands together, and tried to use my ability. A group of light green lights moves like smoke on the palm of my hand. It was like a transparent light green or a breeze living in the forest. However, the shape soon swelled beyond control and distorted as if trying to escape from me. I was frightened and stopped using this skill. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with it?¡¯ The state of my ability now is the same as when I first awakened the ability. No, my abilities seemed bigger and more violent than then. ¡°I¡¯m in trouble¡­¡± I muttered as I watched the form of this ability tremble anxiously. From what I saw, it wasn¡¯t normal. Could it have something to do with starting molt early? ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± I jumped off the window frame with my fist clenched. I couldn¡¯t stay still like this. Arsene can be healed only by resolving my unstable abilities. That way, they won¡¯t send me back to Raniero. So¡ª. I need to solve this situation. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s ask Kendrick-nim for help.¡± In such cases, it is best to ask an adult for help. Kendrick might know why my powers are so unstable. And¡ª. Since I overheard the priest and Kendrick talking, I had to talk to Kendrick at least once anyway. Kendrick promised to protect me, so he would help me. ¡®But is it okay if I go now?¡¯ I glanced at the clock. Fortunately, it¡¯s still 8 p.m. It¡¯s not too late. ¡®All right, I have decided.¡¯ I immediately swung the door open. ****** ¡®Phew, I¡¯m nervous.¡¯ In front of Kendrick¡¯s office. I took a deep breath first. My heart kept beating because it was my first time coming to ask for something. I took a breath and knocked on the door of the office. Knock, knock. ¡°Come in.¡± I heard Kendrick¡¯s voice from inside. I carefully grabbed the doorknob and turned it, and the huge door opened gently. I stuck my head out the open door and said. ¡°Kendrick-nim¡­ may I come in?¡± ¡°Linsy?¡± Kendrick looked at me and narrowed his eyes. He said, pointing to the sofa in the office. ¡°What are you doing at this hour? Just come in and sit down.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I quickly sat on the sofa before Kendrick could speak. After organizing the papers he was looking at, he sat on the sofa opposite me and looked at me. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Linsy?¡± ¡°Well, actually¡ª, I have a request to ask, and I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Request?¡± Kendrick raised his eyebrows. CH 22 I nodded my head up and down eagerly and answered. ¡°Yes, my ability is unstable.¡± I put my hands together and used my ability. A light green light came into the room, just like when I used my ability. But the light soon lost its shape and overflowed as if it would eat me again. ¡°It¡¯s never been like this before¡­ I¡¯m confused, so I was wondering if Kendrick-nim knows why.¡± Kendrick stared intently at me, using my ability. My body trembled instinctively at the sharp gaze, but I held it in. ¡°How did you say you kept your ability under control in the meantime?¡± ¡°I¡¯m making it as thin as a thread. So if I put it in someone¡¯s body, I can reach every inch of it¡ª¡± ¡°Have you had any problems before?¡± I nodded my head and answered. ¡°Yeah, no problem at all.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to learn to control again.¡± As I listened to Kendrick, I looked up at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look, Linsy.¡± Kendrick chuckled. The nicely shaped corners of his lips were gently curved. Tak¨C! As he shook his big hand, something that looked like a black marble floated on it. ¡®Yechkart¡¯s ability!¡¯ Shadow. Yeckhart, a member of the Wolf Clan, had the ability to control shadows freely. It was a great ability that could be used in many ways. I¡¯ve only heard of it, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it used in person. No, it¡¯s the second time. Because I¡¯ve seen it once in my previous life. Kendrick pointed at the black bead on his palm with his other hand. A round light was floating around the place. ¡°Look, this is your ability.¡± I nodded as if possessed. The black bead quickly turned into a thread as Kendrick flicked his fingers. ¡°This is how you learn to control. You make your ability like a fine thread and use it. But the problem is¡ª¡± The black thread constantly grew on Kendrick¡¯s palm. The threads that grew unstoppable soon exploded and disappeared. I was blinded by sight before my eyes. ¡°Your abilities are so great that it keeps overflowing, so you can¡¯t control them properly.¡± ¡°Then what should I do?¡± ¡°You have to learn it again, from the beginning.¡± Kendrick stopped his ability and spoke as if it was insignificant. ¡°I heard it happens sometimes. I¡¯ll teach you again.¡± ¡°Kendrick-nim will do it by yourself?¡± ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t leave you in someone else¡¯s hands.¡± He placed his large hand on top of my head. ¡°Is this the end of your favor?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Thank you!¡± I immediately smiled and bowed my head to thank him. It¡¯s a relief. Because Kendrick will teach me how to control this. It was a great harvest. ¡®As expected, I¡¯m glad I came to ask for help.¡¯ If I can control this ability properly, I will be able to treat Arsene without difficulty. Just as I was smiling with joy, Kendrick pulled his hand off my head and said. ¡°Then should we talk now?¡± ¡°Talk?¡± ¡°I will apologize first.¡± The wall, as calm as a lake before the ripples, looked straight at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I let you hear something like that.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± I finally opened my mouth like a fool. The ¡®something like that¡¯ that Kendrick was talking about was the conversation between the priest and Kendrick that I overheard. ¡°If I had known that such a thing happened, I wouldn¡¯t have brought him into the mansion, it¡¯s my fault.¡± Kendrick¡¯s voice was sincere. I opened my eyes and shook my head. ¡°N, no. I overheard it secretly¡ª Kendrick-nim, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°I had to think beforehand that you might hear it. And¡­ Just in case you¡¯re worried, I¡¯m not going to send you back, Linsy.¡± Kendrick hit the nail. ¡°Because I promised, I won¡¯t let you go at any cost. So don¡¯t worry, of course, there¡¯s no need to overdo it.¡± Kendrick told me. ¡®You heard I was worried about being unable to cure Arsene.¡¯ Unlike what my father had told me in my previous life, Kendrick Yeckhart was a sweet and friendly man. ¡°Yes, thank you, Kendrick-nim. But¡ª¡± As I mumbled, Kendrick narrowed his eyes and looked at me. I wiggled my fingers and opened my mouth slowly. ¡°There¡¯s an elder in Yeckhart, right? Like in Raniero.¡± The elders exist in almost every clan. It exists because the head can¡¯t lead the entire family alone. Because Raniero also has that. There wasn¡¯t a single person who had a proper opinion, though. It was only natural that all of them were only vassals who wanted to be seen by my father. ¡°Of course. But why?¡± Kendrick asked back. ¡°Even if Kendrick-nim doesn¡¯t want to send me back¡ª if the majority of the elders object, I¡¯ll have to go back to Raniero¡ª¡± Kendrick¡¯s face hardened at my words. Did I make a mistake? I added it urgently. ¡°T, that¡¯s why I want to learn to control my ability quickly. Then, if I keep showing how to heal Arsene, the elders will recognize me¡ª!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Linsy.¡± Kendrick said firmly. ¡°That¡¯s nothing to worry about. I won¡¯t let you go, and I keep my word. At all costs.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kendrick-nim. I mean it.¡± ¡°Yes, so the child just needs to stay healthy and well. Now don¡¯t worry about useless things and go to bed. It¡¯s late, Linsy.¡± Kendrick hugged me. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me take you to another road in the middle.¡± Kendrick hugged me familiarly and walked away. At first, it was unfamiliar to wrap my arms around his neck, but now I¡¯m pretty familiar with it. Is it because the step is wide? Kendrick arrived in my room twice as fast as usual. Then, he put the cover in place and laid me down. ¡°Oh, Kendrick-nim! I just woke up!¡± ¡°Still sleep more. It¡¯s night time, so a child needs to sleep. And¡ª¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How long have you been so hard¡ª. N, never mind. Go to bed, Linsy.¡± Kendrick closed the window I had left open earlier. I dug into the cover and poked my eyes out. ¡°By the way, Kendrick-nim, I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Elders¡ª Well, you said not to think about it anymore, but still. Are the elders coming to the mansion soon, too?¡± ¡°Yeah, I called them. They¡¯ll come tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± I opened my eyes wide. Normally, when calling the entire elders, didn¡¯t they talk about it a week in advance? The wolf clan is in a different shape. ¡°Yes, tomorrow. You can stay in your room if you don¡¯t want to meet them.¡± ¡°Are they coming to see me?¡± ¡°Of course not. They¡¯re coming to see me, so hurry up and sleep.¡± ¡°Then what time¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s late. Go to sleep.¡± Kendrick put the cover over my head and left the room. I was left alone, pulled down the covers, opened my eyes wide, and looked at the ceiling. ¡®The elders are coming tomorrow?¡¯ Are they scary people? Kendrick alone was not enough to keep me in the wolf family. He promised never to send me back, but if most elders objected, I would have to go straight back. In most clans, the elders¡¯ power was that strong. ¡®So I have to look good to the elders¡ª¡¯ I let out a deep sigh. I have to look good for too many people. No. You can do it, Linsy! I slapped my cheeks hard enough to make a clap sound. Let¡¯s not say anything weak already. I was ready to do anything to survive. ****** The next morning. ¡®But, how¡ª do I show it to the elders?¡¯ I have been suffering from this problem ever since I had breakfast. ¡°Linsy, you¡¯re a little weird today.¡± Arsene, who sneaked up and sat down before I knew it, sighed and said. Arsene came up to me as if he had forgotten all the embarrassing things that happened yesterday. Surely a child was a child. I looked back at Arsene sitting next to me and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t work out in the morning. You used to exercise in the garden with me. ¡°Ah, right. I forgot.¡± I was so busy today. Because I didn¡¯t know when the elders would come, I had been awake since 8 a.m. Even though Betty told me I should just wear my pajamas so I could get a good rest, I put on a dress. ¡®Because I might meet the elders.¡¯ I had to be well dressed in case I ran into them. But what about the elder? Since 8 o¡¯clock, I have been sitting in a seat with a good view of the gate, but not even an ant passes by. I sighed and made eye contact with Arsene. ¡°You know, Arsene. Have you ever seen the elders?¡± ¡°Elders?¡± ¡°Ung, all the old grandpas wearing the same clothes.¡± At my explanation, Arsene clapped to indicate that he understood. ¡°Ah, ung. I¡¯ve seen it. But why?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious¡ª. What do you think about the elders? Are they kind?¡± ¡°Kind? Not at all. They come and nag every time.¡± Arsene shivered with the ¡®Uh,¡¯ sound. ¡°Before, I secretly listened to what the knights were saying¡ª, everyone said they were doing hy¡ªhysterine because I was getting sick all over the place?¡± ¡°Hy¡ª you mean hysteria?¡± ¡°Ung, that¡¯s right¡ª No, I knew that too!¡± When I corrected his mistake, Arsene was angry again with the desire to win. But Arsene wasn¡¯t important now. ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I thought, roughly matching Arsene¡¯s words. ¡®You mean hysteria because you¡¯re sick here and there?¡¯ My eyes glistened secretly. Maybe things could work out. CH 23 After lunch, I ate a lot of snacks. And after 2 p.m., Yeckhart¡¯s gate opened for the first time today. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me?¡¯ I gazed at the gate with glittering eyes. The gate opened, and a fairly expensive-looking carriage entered the mansion. ¡®They must be here!¡¯ I shook Arsene, who was nodding, waking him up. ¡°They¡¯re coming, Arsene!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Who¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°The elders!¡± Arsene opened his eyes and looked out of the window. And he frowned his brows as if he saw a familiar carriage. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s Elder Renox¡¯s carriage.¡± ¡°Elder Renox?¡± ¡°There is¡­ a very strict grandfather¡­ who brings strange medicine every day¡­¡± Arsene yawned loosely. I looked out the window eagerly, whether Arsene was dozing or not. Starting with Elder Renox, a lot of carriages came in. There were so many that it seemed impossible to count them all. ¡°No, it¡¯s a lot, isn¡¯t it?¡± Raniero¡¯s senate consisted of thirty or so at most. However, it seemed to be fifty in Yeckhart. Elders in navy robes were seen rushing into the mansion. They seemed to be heading to the conference hall of the annex. ¡®Hoo.¡¯ Among them, people in blue robes stood out. They looked older than the other elders, and above all¡ª. ¡®There aren¡¯t a lot of blue robes?¡¯ At most, it looks like there are about seven people. Then those people will be the great elders who represent the senate. ¡®All right, what time does the meeting end?¡¯ I looked back at Betty, sitting next to me the whole time. And pretended not to know anything and asked innocent questions. ¡°You know, Betty. Why are they coming?¡± ¡°The elders? The Lord has called and gathered them.¡± ¡°Then¡­ when are they going back?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s different every time¡ª I think they usually have a meeting for about two or three hours.¡± Two or three hours. I quickly looked at my watch. It¡¯s 2 p.m. so¡ª. I guess I¡¯ll have to sit in front of it starting around 5 p.m. I could have run to other elders if I got there too early. My target wasn¡¯t them. ¡®Blue robe!¡¯ People who look like the great elders, no matter who looks at them! Because being good to the great elders was the same as being good to the whole elders. Then I just have to wait two hours. ¡°Linsy, let¡¯s go to the kitchen.¡± Until Arsene became annoying. ¡°Kitchen?¡± ¡°Ung.¡± Arsene quickly looked into Betty¡¯s eyes. Then he lowered his head, put his face to my ear, and whispered softly. ¡°I want to eat cookies.¡± Fortunately, Betty didn¡¯t seem to hear. We were supposed to have only one snack a day. We were only allowed to eat snacks once a day. I used to eat as much as I wanted¡ª. Having eaten so much, Ethan made a new rule. Of course, it was Arsene who couldn¡¯t stand this rule the most. So now he¡¯s begging me to sneak into the kitchen and get a snack. I jumped up from my seat, pretending not to win. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± It was the first time since I went to the kitchen with Arsene after we went in bird form. ***** We lied about going to play in the garden and then secretly headed to the kitchen. ¡°Are you keeping your eye?¡± ¡°Ung, Arsene. But it¡¯s really open here, so what¡¯s the point of keeping an eye on it?¡± ¡°Phew, you fool. I don¡¯t mind getting caught by other maids.¡± Arsene said, pounding his chest with his fists as if frustrated. ¡°There are only four people we have to watch out for. Ethan, Chloe, Betty, and the head maid Rodri.¡± ¡°I got it, so hurry.¡± We barely made it to the kitchen. Standing in front of the kitchen, and already savory smell pierced my nose. They seemed to be baking delicious bread. ¡°Arkim!¡± As Arsene called out loudly, the grim-looking man turned his head. ¡°Young Master!¡± Arkim was a chef at Yeckhart, who was in charge of desserts. He was also a good person who secretly gave Arsene and me snacks every day. Arkim approaches us, wiping his hands over his apron. ¡°Young Master, what brings you here¡ª huh?¡± Arkim opened his eyes wide when he saw me. This is indeed the first time he saw me without my bird form. I smiled awkwardly and said hello. ¡°Hello, Arkim.¡± ¡°Are you a baby bird, Lady? You pecked chocolate muffins¡ªevery day¡ª.¡± ¡°Ung. That¡¯s right.¡± Arkim smiled brightly and went back into the kitchen. ¡°Anyway, I made some cookies to give to the two of you. I baked them nicely.¡± It was a cookie filled with raisins that Arkim confidently drew from the kitchen. ¡°Come on, I just baked it, so it¡¯ll be very delicious.¡± It was then. A familiar voice was heard behind Arkim. ¡°Of course, it is, hoho.¡± Arsene and I stopped at the same time and glanced at each other. And slowly looked back. ¡°What are you doing here, Young Master, Lady?¡± ¡°¡ªEthan?¡± What brings Ethan to the kitchen? Arsene looked at Ethan with an expression that looked like the world had collapsed. ¡°Arkim, the cookie you just baked looks delicious, but Young Master and the Lady won¡¯t eat it.¡± ¡°Ethan!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a snack a while ago? We¡¯ll give you another snack if you have a good dinner.¡± ¡°¡­Ethan.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use looking at me like that.¡± Ethan laughed and raised his glasses with one hand. We stared at the baked cookies with our mouths shut. Then, I had a good idea. ¡°Then is it okay to give a present?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the present?¡± ¡°Ung, I want to give it to someone.¡± I nodded and gave Ethan a desperate look. The same was true of Arsene. ¡°Who are you going to give it to?¡± ¡°They must have been hungry from the meeting¡ª with Kendrick and¡ª uh, uhm, with Betty¡ª¡± I folded my fingers to list the people I wanted to give cookies to. ¡°And Ethan too.¡± ¡°Thank you for taking care of me, Lady. A present would be fine. Arkim, please wrap some cookies.¡± ¡°Wrapping? Yes, I understand~.¡± ¡°Ethan? Me¡ª!¡± Arsene looked at Ethan with his cheeks puffed out as if he was being treated unfairly. But Ethan was determined. ¡°You can¡¯t do it, Young Master. It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re going to eat it all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfair!¡± ¡°If you finish your medicine today, I¡¯ll give you cookies. It¡¯s a good deal, isn¡¯t it?¡± While Arsene and Ethan quarreled, Arkim wrapped the baked cookies well. It was five bags. There were five cookies in each bag. Arkim handed me the bag and asked anxiously. ¡°Can you carry them all?¡± He didn¡¯t forget to tell me that he would lend me the tray if it were difficult to hold. After refusing the tray, I sighed and picked up all the bags. ¡°Yes, of course. Thank you, Arkim!¡± I thanked Arkim and rushed out of the kitchen with the cookies. Arsene, who had been quarreling with Ethan all the time, rushed after me. ¡°Linsy, let¡¯s go together!¡± I checked that Ethan was not around and took out a bag of cookies. ¡°Here, you eat.¡± Then I handed Arsene a well-packaged cookie bag. ¡°You want me to eat it?¡± ¡°Ung, I said I¡¯d give it to someone as a gift. So I¡¯m giving it to you as a gift, so you can eat it. I¡¯m smart, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± You¡¯re smart. Arsene muttered unconsciously and closed his mouth. I looked triumphantly at Arsene. ¡°So you have to listen to me carefully from now on.¡± Arsene looked impressed. Then, he opened a bag and put a cookie into his mouth. We sat in the corner of the garden for two hours and shared cookies. How long has it been? There was a noise near the conference hall, and shortly afterwards, elders in black robes rushed out. I sat quietly and waited for all the elders in black robes to go. And as soon as they almost got out, I jumped to my feet. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I have a place to go. You can eat cookies alone, right?¡± I handed Arsene another bag of cookies and ran quickly. Every time I ran, the hem of my dress fluttered. Thanks to the hard run, I was able to get to the front of the conference room in no time. When I peeped through a gap in the slightly open door, I saw seven elders in blue robes remaining. ¡®As expected.¡¯ The elders always stayed until the last minute to talk to the head of the family. That¡¯s what I was aiming for. There was a commotion in the conference room. One of the great elders raised their voices. ¡°No, my lord! There is no need to take Raniero¡¯s daughter from Yeckhart with such a risk!¡± A loud voice resounded through the hall. I shivered with fear. ¡®I was expecting a reaction like that.¡¯ Still, it feels different from hearing it in person. The other elders also nodded their heads as if in agreement. In the middle, Kendrick was seen holding his temple. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell everyone to leave? The head¡¯s words don¡¯t sound like words, now?¡± Hiik. I breathed in. This is because my legs trembled when Kendrick decided to threaten the elders. The pressure of the head of the wolf clan was truly enormous. I could see the elders faltering. ¡°Then we¡¯ll visit again tomorrow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to come.¡± But the great elders were clear. ¡°We¡¯ll visit again tomorrow.¡± It seemed like they would stick to their opinions until the end. I checked that the elders were coming towards the door and ran quickly to hide. CH 24 I hid myself in the bushes right next to me. The blue robes swarmed out of the conference room. I carefully examine each and every member of the great elders. ¡®Cause I need to look good at them.¡¯ I had to keep track of it as much as I could. But then, one of the last great elders to come out stood out. He was walking with a limp and a crumpled face that looked like it was uncomfortable to walk. ¡®It¡¯s him!¡¯ I ran with my eyes twinkling. Bump! And I bumped into the great elder enough that he didn¡¯t fall over. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± When I lifted my head and stroked it like I¡¯d been hit, I saw an old man with a fierce look. I swallowed my saliva instinctively. He is the Wolf¡¯s Elder, and I should never forget that. I looked up at him trying not to tremble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I bumped into you¡ª. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me, are you from the bird clan?¡± The great elder opened his eyes wide with wrinkles as if he were surprised. I smiled as much as I could and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from a bird clan! But Grandpa¡ª, are you hurt?¡± I fumbled at the great elder¡¯s knee and pretended to touch the spot I bumped into. Unsurprisingly, he made an impression that it hurts just by touching it. ¡°It¡¯s ok¡ª, ehem! It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m late to introduce myself. Lady, my name is Tristan, the great elder.¡± ¡°Wow, hello! I¡¯m Linsy Raniero from the bird clan. But Tristan-nim¡ª¡± I glanced around. Fortunately, there seemed to be no one around here. I grabbed Tristan¡¯s wrinkled hand. ¡°Come, come here!¡± ¡°Yes? No, I have to go¡ª¡± Tristan made a face like he was displeased, but he was still pulled to me. I dragged Tristan and hid behind the bushes. I couldn¡¯t even cover Tristan because of his height, but he could at least cover me. I lowered my voice, whispering even a huge secret. ¡°Uhm¡­ Kendrick-nim told me not to use this ability recklessly¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ability?¡± ¡°But you look like your knees hurt because of me¡ª. I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s a secret.¡± I put my index finger in the middle of my lips. Tristan nodded as if he were possessed by anything. I put my little hand on Tristan¡¯s knee. ¡®I can¡¯t use this ability yet but.¡¯ Tristan doesn¡¯t have a serious illness like Arsene did, so she won¡¯t turn into a bird again. A light green light flashed from my palm in three directions and wrapped around the old man¡¯s knee. And after a while, the old man touched his knees with a surprised expression. ¡°¡­Do you heal me? This old man¡¯s knee¡­ It¡¯s been three years since I couldn¡¯t walk properly because it hurt every time I walked¡­¡± ¡°Um, you got sick because you bumped into me¡ª. And I want to get close to Tristan-nim.¡± I looked up at Tristan. ¡°So this is a secret!¡± Tristan nodded blankly. I quickly gave Tristan a bag of cookies I had. ¡°This is a gift. Please take it, Tristan-nim!¡± ¡°Yes? Yes¡ª. Yes Lady¡ª¡± He looked dumbfounded. And then he left the place, groping his knees over and over again. As soon as Tristan left, I took a breath and wiped the sweat off my forehead. All right, one person succeeded. This was my plan. It¡¯s called, ¡®Cure the chronic disease!¡¯ The elders were all old. As they are old, everyone would have a disease that was not easily cured. Things like joint pain or indigestion. It¡¯s not a serious disease, but it makes them feel uncomfortable in their daily lives. It didn¡¯t even take much trouble to heal that. So, let¡¯s treat and win the favor of the elders. Then it was clear that everyone would see me again. I was pleased with my grand plan, so I grinned. ****** The elders visited Kendrick every day. They all wanted to send me back to Raniero. They talked so loudly that my ears could hear it even though I was playing in the garden. The servants used to cover my ears when the elders shouted loudly. I couldn¡¯t even hear what was being said, but I did so for now. They are kind people. It was the same today. Betty, who was tying my hair, covered my ears. ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯ It was really true. Because I already heal the great elders yesterday. Whoo. Did they say that it was difficult to sit for a long time or walk for a long time because of back pain? ¡°Then¡ªI will treat it. But it will be secret instead, okay?¡± As soon as I healed his back, he looked at me with tears in his eyes. He told me without hesitation that he would buy everything I wanted and give it to me. It was the same as the day before. ¡°I will heal it but¡ª it¡¯s secret. You know right?¡± The day before too. ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± The day before and the day before. ¡°Secret!¡± I had already healed five great elders. As I drank the juice through a straw, I thought. ¡®Have the voices of the elders become quieter?¡¯ At first, the elders in the mansion screamed at him, asking him to change his mind and send me back. Now the sound seemed to have been reduced by half. Of course, the voice is still loud. She took her hand off my ear, tied my hair up, and asked affectionately ¡°Are you going out in the garden again today, Lady?¡± ¡°Ung, let¡¯s go play in the garden.¡± In fact, I spent more time in front of the convention hall than in the garden. ¡®Because I have to look at the dynamics!¡¯ I had to see if the grandpas I treated were really on my side. I can hear a few people defending me these days, so I can tell if my plan really worked. ¡®Okay, good, let¡¯s keep it up!¡¯ I hid behind the bushes and stood up for them. It was the same today. ¡®Who else should I treat today?¡¯ Kendrick has been busy with the elders lately, so I haven¡¯t been able to learn from him how to control my ability. The chronic disease of the wolf elders wasn¡¯t hard to deal with because Raniero could heal it even with our eyes closed. I stood right outside the door of the conference hall and looked around. Fortunately, there was no one nearby. I put my ear to the door of the conference hall with peace of mind and overheard the sound from inside. ¡°¡­That¡¯s why!!!¡± Someone hit the desk. ¡°You can¡¯t return Lady Linsy to Raniero!¡± Huh? I tilted my head and listened to the story flowing out. ¡°That¡¯s right, we need to come up with ways to keep the temple and Raniero from taking her away.¡± ¡°How about going to war with Raniero? A territorial war would seem plausible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea¡­¡± I opened my eyes wide when I heard a sound coming from inside the conference hall. W, war? How can public opinion change in such an instant? Until yesterday, I think there were a lot of opinions that I should be sent back. It seems that the great elders, whom I treated yesterday, did a great job. The elders were now trying not to let me go, saying they couldn¡¯t let me go. It was the other common elders who were confused by them. I grinned as I heard a voice coming from inside. ¡®Raniero¡­.You don¡¯t think I need to go, do you?¡¯ The great elders are so strong that other elders will not be able to give their opinions even if they want to send me back. Good, the operation is a success. I rubbed my hands together and laughed with satisfaction. But maybe it was because I was so happy that I was drunk with joy for a while. I stopped missing the signal that the meeting was over. The door to the conference hall swung open. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± I made eye contact with the elder in the black robe who opened the door and came out. ¡°Uh, uh¡­?¡± At this rate, I¡¯m going to get caught again eavesdropping. As I stood blankly in front of the door, the great elders inside pretended to know. ¡°Oh my, Lady!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Lady Linsy! Why did you come to this place¡ª¡± Kendrick raised his large hand to stop the great elders. ¡°What did you come here for?¡± A low voice echoed through the conference hall. I swallowed my saliva. And I took measures to get out of this situation. I can¡¯t be caught eavesdropping again. If I was caught this time, I will become a ¡®naughty kid who eavesdrops on other people¡¯s stories¡¯ without any excuses. I popped out a bag of cookies in my hand to escape the situation. And I said. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be hungry. So I¡¯m here to give you this¡ª!¡± I took one out and ate it, but they wouldn¡¯t know it because it was packaged so well. As I held out the cookie bag, the elders looked at me with burdensome eyes. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re so nice.¡± ¡°My granddaughter never gave this grandfather a cookie, but well¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re like an angel¡­¡± Kendrick said as he tapped his knee. ¡°Come here, Linsy.¡± I ran quickly and stood in front of Kendrick. And politely held out the cookie bag with both hands. Kendrick rose slowly from his seat and held me in his arms. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. It seems that the week-long meeting has come to an end.¡± And he said with a big smile. As if to protest Kendrick¡¯s words, I could see some of the elders¡¯ faces contorted. But Kendrick didn¡¯t mind and continued. ¡°I attend the temple.¡± CH 25 Author: Tam ¡°I will attend the temple.¡± As soon as I heard it, I breathed a sigh of relief. I managed to hold back my tears. ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ Because I won¡¯t be sent back to Raniero right away. I wrapped my arms around Kendrick¡¯s neck and hugged him tightly. Although I can¡¯t be completely relieved yet. But I was happy to think that I wouldn¡¯t be kicked out right away. After Kendrick¡¯s statement, the conference hall was mixed with joy and sorrow. There were those who distorted their faces and those who were ready to go out with a big smile. Most of the people who smiled brightly were those whom I had healed and conciliated by using my ability. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Lady.¡± ¡°I will visit you often.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Elders!¡± When I bowed my head to say goodbye, the great elders smiled and left the meeting room. In an instant, all the elders left the conference hall, and Kendrick was the only one left in the vast conference hall. ¡°Then I¡¯ll also¡ª¡± I removed my arm from Kendrick¡¯s neck. At that time, ¡°Huh?¡± Kendrick hugged me so I couldn¡¯t jump. I looked at Kendrick while stuck in his arms. ¡°How did you do it, Linsy?¡± The low voice of Kendrick got into my ear. ¡°Y, yes¡ª?¡± Kendrick said with a wrinkled brow when I asked a question as if I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°The great elders suddenly sided with you, and it is unusual for the elders to suddenly change their opinion.¡± ¡°Ah, r, really¡ª? Haha¡ª¡± I smiled awkwardly as if I didn¡¯t know anything. I also scratched the back of my head to show that I didn¡¯t know. ¡®Don¡¯t get caught.¡¯ It hasn¡¯t been long since I was told to refrain from using this ability for the time being. I couldn¡¯t say that my ability had won them over. ¡®Because there¡¯s no way the elders can say that.¡¯ They were people who knew what it meant to be treated by Raniero. So I couldn¡¯t tell Kendrick that I had healed them. I was sweating a lot and trying to avoid Kendrick¡¯s intense look. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± There was a moment of silence in the conference hall. Phew, I can¡¯t breathe. I rolled my eyes and looked into Kendrick¡¯s eyes. It was Kendrick who broke the silence and spoke first. ¡°Yeah, I see. If you are, then you must be. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Fortunately, he quietly retreated. Without wasting time, I quickly nodded my head a couple of times and answered. ¡°Yess.¡± Kendrick hugged me. And he left the conference hall with me hanging around his side. ***** After the elders¡¯ meeting, After Kendrick announced his intention to attend the temple, I had to prepare this and that to go to the temple. The ¡®preparation¡¯ also included fitting a new dress. I was surprised by Kendrick¡¯s words, and I opened my eyes wide and asked back. ¡°New dress?¡± ¡°Yes, because you have to wear it to the temple.¡± ¡°But¡ª I still have enough now.¡± I said, counting the dresses in my closet. There were several dresses in the closet that had not yet been worn because I had always been in bird form. So what do you mean by new clothes? Kendrick listened to me, then pulled the corner of his mouth into a smirk. ¡°I have to let them know that you¡¯re doing well enough in wolf territory.¡± ¡°Aha¡ª¡± ¡°If you dress roughly, don¡¯t you think the wolves will lose face.¡± Hmm, when I gave it some thought, I wondered if that might be the case. I nodded without much disagreement at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, I¡¯d like to call the tailor, Linsy.¡± ¡°Tailor?¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a limit to going to the dressing room and buying it. But I think you¡¯re still a little afraid of outsiders.¡± I recalled what had happened not too long ago in Kendrick¡¯s words. I was playing with Arsene in the hallways of the mansion, and I was very surprised to see a new big servant. Since then, no new servants have been deployed near my room. I pondered for a moment, then nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay now.¡± What surprised me about the servant at that time was why he was so big. He is very big and has a hair that sticks out. Even a big mouth and a thick hand. It was the first time that I thought that someone looked like a wolf even though he didn¡¯t change his form. I thought of the servant¡¯s face for a moment and crumpled my brows slightly. Kendrick asked without hesitation. ¡°If you have any problems, tell me anytime.¡± ¡°Well¡ªI hope he wasn¡¯t a big person.¡± I wriggled my hands and opened my mouth cautiously. Because I¡¯m still scared of the big wolf like the previous servant. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll tell them not to let the big servants come in. Anything else?¡± ¡°No!¡± I smiled brightly and shook my head. ¡®Let¡¯s prepare my hearts in advance.¡¯ Then I¡¯ll be a little less surprised to meet unfamiliar wolves. Then Kendrick put down the documents he was holding and said. ¡°Then, should we talk about your ability now?¡± ¡°Ability? Ah, ah!¡± I nodded as I remembered Kendrick¡¯s promise to teach me how to use this ability again a while ago. ¡°Arsene¡¯s body is weak, so he hasn¡¯t been able to manifest his abilities yet, but Mr. Hern said that he will do it soon. So I wonder if you¡¯d like to take a class with me and Arsene.¡± ¡°Yes, I like it.¡± Being able to work with Arsene was a good thing for me. Because I have a friend that I can take classes with. And, besides, we¡¯re together every day, well! ¡°Then we¡¯ll have class three times a week for two hours each time.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass it on to Arsene. You don¡¯t have to prepare anything.¡± Kendrick said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll get in trouble if you don¡¯t do your work.¡± ¡°Of course! I can do it perfectly!¡± I nodded vigorously. Kendrick laughed pleasantly. ***** The very next day. I sat quietly in the room waiting for the tailor. The tailor was supposed to visit the mansion at 11 a.m. The maids say that it¡¯s a tailor who has a lot of reservations to make. Kendrick Yeckhart said he had told them to go visit her right away tomorrow. Well¡ª. ¡®Cause I have to go to the temple soon.¡¯ The exact date has not been announced yet, but it is likely that it will be visited soon. I sat on the sofa, sipping hot chocolate, and waiting for the tailor. Betty, who was standing next to me, bent her knees and looked me in the eyes. Then she lowered her voice and whispered carefully. ¡°Lady, if you¡¯re scared, you should tell me anytime, okay?¡± She held my hand tightly and spoke as if she was begging me. ¡°Ung. Don¡¯t worry, Betty.¡± I smiled brightly to reassure Betty. Soon after, a knock was heard. The door slowly opened, and a tailor, who looked to be about thirty years old, entered. ¡°Hello, Lady. I¡¯m Serina, the tailor.¡± Serina was a gorgeous wolf with rich brown hair and dark green eyes. Every time she laughed, her dimples were popping in her cheeks. ¡°Hello, Serina.¡± As I greeted her shyly, Serina¡¯s cheeks seemed to have turned a little reddish. ¡°I run a Serina dressing room. Most of the fancy clothes for the Lady of the wolf clan are made by me.¡± Serina¡¯s assistants came in and set up a small dressing room in the room. ¡°Okay, please tell me if you have a style that you like! So should we measure it now?¡± She smiled and held the long tape measure in both hands. I spread my arms wide so Serina could comfortably measure it. Using a tape measure, Serina measured my waist, forearm, and thigh. ¡°They said you were going to the temple, so in a calm style¡ª¡± Then, Betty intervened and said firmly. ¡°It¡¯s not okay to have a calm style. The Lord asked to make it as fancy as possible.¡± Serina asked in disbelief. ¡°She¡¯s going to the temple, but wants it to be fancy?¡± ¡°Yes, I had orders from the Lord.¡± Serina shook her head as if she didn¡¯t understand it, and soon replied with a bright smile. ¡°If it¡¯s a fancy dress, this Serina is the best, just leave it to me!¡± ¡°Please take care of it, Serina.¡± Betty nodded. Serina smiled and nodded to Betty, then turned to me. ¡°Is there any other style you want?¡± ¡°What style do you want?¡± ¡°Yeah, if you¡¯re seven years old, you¡¯re still a bit young to wear trendy dresses, so tell me what style you want and I¡¯ll make it as similar as possible.¡± Serina continued, lifting up the tape measure. ¡°If you ask for a fuller skirt, a lot of lace, or a lot of ribbon, we can take care of it as much as possible.¡± After thinking for a while, I said cautiously. ¡°Uhm¡ª I hope it¡¯s easy to move.¡± Raniero¡¯s dress was made of layers of heavy fabric, so I often lost my balance and fell. I have a bad memory of being scolded when I fall, so I wanted to avoid such a dress as much as possible. But was it too much to ask? I carefully looked into Serina¡¯s eyes. Fortunately, Serina smiled brightly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll make it as pretty as possible and easy to move around¡ª!¡± Serina took my measurements and put some fabrics on me for a while. Pink, yellow, purple. There was also a dull olive color, which was pushed to the corner by Betty¡¯s strong opposition. And finally. Clap. Serina clapped her hands. ¡°When the clothes are finished, I will send them to the mansion!¡± She gave me a nice greeting and then bent her knees to look into my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it.¡± She said with a smile. I answered with a couple of nods. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°It usually takes about two weeks for the dress to be finished, but this time, it¡¯s a special case, so it will be completed in a week.¡± She left the mansion after adding the explanation. ****** And after some time¡ª. The guests from the temple once again visited Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. CH 26 Author: rolypoly ¡°Ten days later?¡± When I asked, Kendrick answered with a quiet nod. ¡°Yes, ten days later.¡± He picked up a butter cookie from the table and put it in my mouth. I chewed my butter cookie while listening to Kendrick. The soft buttery flavor quickly spreads in my mouth, making me feel better. ¡°You don¡¯t have to prepare anything, you just have to go and say that you want to marry Arsene.¡± Kendrick wiped the crumbs from his fingertips with his handkerchief. I quietly listened to Kendrick, and then I tilted my head and asked. ¡°Then do I have to go and talk by myself?¡± ¡°No, Arsene should go with you.¡± Kendrick said firmly. ¡°Even if it is a marriage between families, the temple respects the wishes of the parties the most.¡± So to sum up, I had to go to the temple and hold Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and shout ¡®I want to get married!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fine for me.¡¯ The problem is Arsene. Arsene followed me well, but it was all because I was Arsene¡¯s first friend. Does Arsene know what marriage is? Arsene was only seven years old. He doesn¡¯t even know the meaning of ¡®friend¡¯, let alone marriage. Kendrick said, making me feel better as if he could see right into my heart. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Arsene in advance, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± I put on a serious expression. Arsene obviously followed me well, but that was because of his desire to win. I asked, lowering my voice. ¡°But¡ª what if Arsene tells the temple he doesn¡¯t want to marry me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± Kendrick said firmly. Hearing Kendrick¡¯s story made me even more concerned. So, if Arsene cries because he doesn¡¯t want to marry me in the temple, it¡¯s all over. ¡®What should I do? Should I hold onto his hand from today?¡¯ I seriously thought of that. As I frowned and pondered with a serious expression, Kendrick put another cookie in my mouth. ¡°Why do you look so serious? Even though you have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Arsene is a smart kid, so you won¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± Kendrick said. On his face, I could tell he was sure he wouldn¡¯t send me back to Raniero. I nodded quietly as I listened to Kendrick. Kendrick laughed slowly. He gently stroked my hair with his large hand. ¡°When you get married, you will officially become a member of the wolf clan. When this is done well, I will hold a banquet.¡± ¡°A banquet?¡± I opened my eyes wide. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to introduce you to everyone that you¡¯re part of a wolf family. Arsene too.¡± ¡°¡­Arsene?¡± An unexpected name came out of Kendrick¡¯s mouth. I looked at Kendrick with a puzzled expression. Why are you holding a banquet introducing Arsene now? Raniero held a banquet to introduce the children of Raniero the year they were born. It was an important place to introduce the child to the vassal and noble families of the clan. Not only Raniero, but most of the head families held a banquet in the year the child was born. ¡®But Arsene hasn¡¯t been officially introduced yet?¡¯ ¡°He is sick and has a lot of work to do, so he hasn¡¯t been officially introduced yet.¡± Hearing Kendrick¡¯s words, a memory flashed through my mind. ¡®When I was nine years old¡­ Arsene officially became the successor.¡¯ Arsene was Yeckhart¡¯s only direct descendant, so it was natural for Arsene to be the successor, but¡ª. There was a big difference between being destined to be a successor and being officially announced as a successor. That¡¯s how important the banquet is. ¡®That¡¯s why they said Arsene couldn¡¯t attend the banquet.¡¯ I knew it because my father was bragging about it at mealtime. Arsene was unable to attend the banquet to introduce himself for the first time. Because Schville took Arsene¡¯s life force and made him sick again. The image of an innocent child who said he didn¡¯t mind if he was sick flashed through my mind. I clenched my fists. ¡®This time, I have to let Arsene hold the banquet safely.¡¯ Until then, I will learn how to use this skill again and treat Arsene well. ¡®Then¡ª the banquet will be held two years earlier than in my previous life.¡¯ Maybe the past changed when I came to Yeckhart. Arsene is quite healthy now, and Yeckhart¡¯s atmosphere is peaceful. But the weird thing is. ¡®Arsene is¡­ too healthy.¡¯ I thought of a boy who could now do push-ups with me. It was good that Arsene was healthy and I came to Yeckhart to make Arsene healthy. But. ¡®There is no way that an incurable disease can be cured so easily¡­¡¯ Of course, I did heal Arsene, but that was only once. Since then, I haven¡¯t done it to Arsene. Is this possible? Even I couldn¡¯t help heal because, in the middle, I changed to my bird form. I looked into Kendrick¡¯s eyes for a moment, then opened my mouth carefully. ¡°But Kendrick-nim, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Just ask.¡± ¡°Arsene¡­how often did symptoms originally appear in the first place?¡± I was afraid that Kendrick might get a strange misunderstanding, so I added hastily, ¡®Because I have to treat him!¡¯ Kendrick frowned slightly and opened his mouth. ¡°Well, he usually get sick about once a week.¡± Once a week. Arsene has been fine for almost a month now. ¡®Is the cycle delayed because I treated him?¡¯ Then it was a relief. And since I¡¯ve learned how to use this skill again¡ªI didn¡¯t want Arsene to be sick. If he gets sick before that, I won¡¯t be able to treat him. Kendrick spoke kindly, knowing I was worried. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much, Linsy. Arsene is healthy now. Thanks to you. And¡ªno. I¡¯ll tell you when this is certain.¡± Kendrick opened the door of the office himself, telling me to go up now. In my hand, I held the butter cookie I had eaten a while ago. I nodded to Kendrick and left the office. ****** ¡°What happened to the one I asked you to investigate the other day?¡± Hern nodded his head and looked at his medical chart. ¡°The spots have faded a little, and the curse on the Young Master has been greatly lifted.¡± ¡°Even without treatment.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hern handed the chart to Kendrick. ¡°Even when he wasn¡¯t getting treatment, the Young Master¡¯s curse was still at ease. Perhaps the treatment at that time¡­¡± Hern and Kendrick recalled the incident at the same time. This is the case in which Linsy was forced to use her powers to heal Arsene, and then became a bird. ¡°I think the Lady may have suppressed the curse of the Young Master with the treatment at that time.¡± ¡°But Hern, if you say so¡­¡± It means that Linsy¡¯s powers can unleash the ancient curse. In other words, it also meant that Raniero¡¯s powers had the power to break the curse of Tamar, the cursed land. Hern and Kendrick were silent for a moment. It was Kendrick who spoke first. ¡°Keep your mouth closed.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let it leak, Raniero might be thinking about something.¡± The reason Kendrick proposed to marry Raniero was because of a glimmer of hope. Because there¡¯s no way to break the curse. The hope that the ability, called God¡¯s blessing, will be able to lift this curse. But really, the curse was weakening little by little. It was both good news and bad news for Kendrick. ¡®Did Raniero know about this for a long time?¡¯ Tamar, the ancient land. It was now part of the wolf clan territory, but the temple announced that the Curse-releasing Clan would take ownership of the territory. It was ambiguous to say that it was the territory of the wolf clan because it had long been deserted by the curse. If Raniero had recognized that their powers could lift the ancient curse. ¡®It makes sense that there were so many candidates for succession.¡¯ Raniero had about ten or more direct-line family members, including Linsy. Even though their mothers were different, the blood of Raniero gave them powers when they were born. Rumor has it that he¡¯s obsessed with developing his children¡¯s talents. If it was to break Tamar¡¯s curse, it made sense to some extent. But if he knew. ¡®Why did he accept the arranged marriage in a positive way?¡¯ Had he known that Raniero¡¯s ability could break curses, Raniero wouldn¡¯t have given up his direct-line family to the wolf clan. However, Raniero took political marriage positively. ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can understand.¡¯ As if a large piece of the puzzle was missing, only a series of inconsistent events were being listed. Kendrick decided not to mention it for now. ¡°Take Tamar¡¯s cursed soil. I¡¯ll have to investigate further.¡± The soil that contains the same curse as Arsene. He couldn¡¯t figure anything out when he looked into it a long time ago. Perhaps that¡¯s all, those who came into contact with the spilled soil suffered a curse known as an ¡®incurable disease¡¯ and lost their lives. Since then, Kendrick has stopped investigating Tamar¡¯s curse. ¡®The situation is different this time, so I need to look into it.¡¯ If Raniero was moving, the wolf clan had to prepare. Hern replied, nodding his head. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to find it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous item, so be careful with it. If there¡¯s anything you need, I will give you the support.¡± Kendrick said calmly. But then. ¡°¡ªWhat are you talking about?¡± There was a noise coming from outside. CH 27 I left Kendrick¡¯s room and headed straight for the room. In the meantime, I could only think about trying to persuade Arsene. ¡®Kendrick told me not to worry.¡¯ If Arsene goes to the temple and cries that he doesn¡¯t want to marry me, it¡¯s a big deal for me. The expression reflected in the window was quite serious. ¡®So I have to make Arsene say that he wants to marry me¡ª¡¯ I thought deeply as I walked with my eyes on the ground. The problem is that I had my eyes on the ground, so I didn¡¯t even notice the person walking in stride. And I bump into someone. ¡°Ah, it hurts¡ª¡± ¡°You are not allowed in. The Lord currently in important¡ª Lady¡± I could see Ethan approaching in a hurry in the distance. Ethan came over quickly and put a hand between my armpits and lifted me up. ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Ung! Yes, I am fine. But¡ª¡± I looked up at the person I just bumped into. The old man who bumped into me was staring at me viciously as if he didn¡¯t want to apologize to me. The gaze gave me a sudden chill. I reached out instinctively for Ethan¡¯s arms, and he grabbed me in an instant. ¡°¡­Lady, are you okay?¡± I spread my arms around Ethan¡¯s neck. ¡®¡­Why is he staring at me like that?¡¯ But the old man still didn¡¯t hide his hostility from me. And the moment I met the two eyes, I recognized the old man. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Of the nine Grand Elders, the only one who refused my favor. Ester. Ester had taken the same path all the way to the meeting. However, as he left his seat in a hurry as if he was running away, I failed to convince him. ¡®He was staring at me during the meeting.¡¯ It¡¯s obvious that he hates me very much. But then. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I had seen something wrong. But my eyes were correct. ¡®What is that?¡¯ Behind Ester¡¯s back, an unidentified dark-red air flowed. It was full of ominous energy as if it were about to devour the old man. That was then. The dark red air current in question began to creep towards me. ¡®W, what?¡¯ Seeing Ester standing still, it didn¡¯t seem like he was controlling that air current, it seemed that it was moving against his will. A flow of air that seemed to surround him is now coming toward me. I tried to back away, but I couldn¡¯t because I was held by Ethan. I had only suffocated Ethan¡¯s neck. ¡°Lady, Lady?¡± Ethan noticed that there was a problem with me, and hurriedly called me. But I couldn¡¯t answer Ethan, so I just shook my head and looked pale. ¡®What is that? I don¡¯t want to¡ª¡± To make matters worse, I can¡¯t even speak. I feel like something is stuck in my throat. Ester stood still and stared at me. And at last, the moment when the dark-red air flowed thickly over my head¡ª. Whoosh! A dazzling bright light came out of nowhere and swallowed the dark red air current. In an instant, I could feel the energy leaking out of my body. ¡®W, what is this?¡¯ Ester, who was staring at me, took a step back with a pale face for an instant. However, as if suppressed by some force, it crawled back into Ester¡¯s body. Esther¡¯s face also returned to the same fierce color as before. As I trembled without saying anything, Ethan shook me slightly and called. ¡°L, Lady! Hurry, Mr. Hern¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Ester clicked his tongue. Ethan¡¯s face looked like he couldn¡¯t stand Ester¡¯s attitude. ¡°You are rude. Ester-nim! She¡¯s the person who will be the little Lady of Yeckhart¡ª¡± ¡°Still, she is just a member of the hostile family.¡± Ester responded coldly. But the strange air current I just saw surprised me, and I wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear what Esther and Ethan were saying. It seems that I was the only one who saw that bright light a while ago. The scary currents as well. I glanced behind Ester¡¯s back, frightened, and noticed a more suspicious movement than before. The dark red air current that had entered his body crawled out again, and then it was split into several branches and scattered throughout the mansion. At the same time, I felt an ominous feeling. A cold feeling from head to toe. Not surprisingly, the upstairs immediately became noisy. I struggled to jump out of Ethan¡¯s arms. ¡°P, put me down, Ethan! Put me down!¡± ¡°Yes? No, you need to see Dr. Hern for examination¡ª¡± Ethan answered as if he was in trouble, but he didn¡¯t hold me hard because he was afraid I would get hurt. When I said I¡¯m going to keep struggling and get off, Ethan put me to the floor as if he couldn¡¯t help it. Without worrying about Ester, I ran straight upstairs. ¡°Y, Young Master! No¡ª¡± ¡°W, we need to bring Lady!¡± ¡°But the Lady¡ª she can¡¯t afford to heal the Young Master¡ª¡± ¡°Oh my, Young Master!¡± The maids were busily moving back and forth in front of Arsene¡¯s room. I ran past the maids and went straight to Arsene¡¯s room. Then, there was a hand in my way. ¡°L, Lady¡ª¡± It was Chloe. The maids stopped me for the first time with a look of trouble. They seemed to have heard that my abilities were not stable. But they couldn¡¯t stop me in Arsene¡¯s emergency, so it was clear that he was in trouble. ¡°Get out of my way, get out of the way! I have to go to Arsene.¡¯ There was a sound of breathing through the gap in the slightly opened door. Only then did the maids clear the way. I quickly approached Arsene¡¯s bed. ¡°Arsene, Arsene. Can you hear my voice?¡± ¡°Argh, argh!¡± A cold sweat was streaming down Arsene¡¯s forehead. Tears welled up in his big eyes. The boy¡¯s face distorted in pain. Dark red spots could be seen coming out from between the sleeves of the loose pajamas. At that moment, the ominous atmosphere that flowed out of Ester and spread to the mansion passed through my mind. But there was no time for further thought. It was because Arsene immediately had another seizure. I quickly grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand with both hands. And whispered. ¡°Arsene, wake up, will you? I won¡¯t hurt you¡ª¡± I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and took a deep breath. And I tried to use my power. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± But nothing happened. ¡®W, what¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Is it because I¡¯m flustered? I think it was okay until yesterday? I caught my breath again and put the power into Arsene¡¯s hand. But the power, which has always moved like water, can¡¯t be used as if it were blocked. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong¡ª¡± What the hell is wrong? I¡¯m nothing if I don¡¯t have this ability. It was the same no matter how many times I tried. I went to Yeckhart to treat Arsene, but I didn¡¯t think anything of it because I couldn¡¯t do anything even if Arsene was sick. Arsene, who had been crying in a cold sweat, was now lying in bed without crying as if exhausted. Arsene¡¯s condition, which I saw for the first time since coming to Yeckhart, was worse than I thought. Of course, I thought I could cure Arsene, enough to feel pathetic. ¡°Arsene, Arsene! Wake up, huh? Arsene¡ª¡± Maybe it was because I tried to use my power by force, but the light green smoke appeared and disappeared. ¡®Don¡¯t turn into a bird!¡¯ I haven¡¯t treated him, I can¡¯t turn into a bird. I felt Arsene¡¯s sweaty face with trembling fingers. ¡®Please¡ª¡¯ Arsene looked pale. I¡¯m scared to death because he¡¯s so pale. At that moment, a faint plume of smoke rose up. Pong! Feeling familiar, I closed my eyes tightly. At the same time, the door opened and a familiar man stepped into the room. With a messy face. It was Kendrick and Mr. Hern. But there was no spirit to greet the two of them. I felt my physical condition was unstable. ¡®I can¡¯t turn into a bird¡­¡¯ Then I can¡¯t treat Arsene properly. However, I could feel Arsene¡¯s hand holding each other. I slowly opened my eyes. I definitely felt like I was being transformed into a bird, but my body remained in human condition. ¡®Then¡ª¡¯ I looked at my body slowly. Behind my back, a pair of tiny wheat-colored wings were sticking out. In an instant, my face became pale. The fact that only a part of her body transformed showed that she was unstable. In Raniero, it was considered a great shame to have only a part of the body transformed. But without even worrying about that, someone grabbed my wrist. ¡°¡ªCazy, why didn¡¯t anyone stop you? Ha, at this rate, you too¡ª¡± ¡°Kendrick-nim, this is weird¡ª. My ability can¡¯t come out. I need to treat Arsene¡ª¡± As I continued to stutter, tears flowed down my cheeks. Kendrick raised me up with a sigh. I could feel the protruding wings touching Kendrick¡¯s thighs. ¡°Linsy, calm down. Mr. Hern will check Arsene¡¯s conditions. So¡ª¡± But I shook my head. I came to Yeckhart to treat Arsene. In this way, it seems that she became a failure. Besides¡ª. ¡®Because Arsene is my first friend.¡¯ I really wanted to cure this child. I made sure not to let go of my hand and closed my eyes tightly. ¡®Please¡ª¡¯ At that moment. God answered my prayers. I could clearly feel the hidden ability being opened. A bright yellow-green light split between the hands that were touching and surrounded the room. CH 28 ¡°¡­Linsy!¡± Kendrick hurriedly tried to drop me off, but it was too late. I could already feel the powers flowing into every nook and cranny of Arsene¡¯s body. I closed my eyes, concentrated, and tried to use my powers as deeply as I could. A fresh green wind and rays of light spread through the room in a spiral shape. For a few minutes¡ª. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t become a bird as soon as I did before, nor did I feel as if my vitality was draining away. But it was hard, and I could feel sweat on my forehead. ¡®Still, it¡¯s a relief.¡¯ Because I can treat him. I wanted to remain a ¡®useful child¡¯ in Yeckhart. At least until I become an adult and become independent. With a smile of relief, I focused on Arsene¡¯s treatment. Everyone in the room watched me and Arsene with bated breath. The dark red spots that glanced under the sleeves of the loose pajamas seemed to have become blurred. I could feel the color of her face gradually returning. ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯ Blood returned to her pale, corpse-like face, and warmth returned to her cold fingertips. And at that moment, ¡°¡­Linsy?¡± Arsene slowly opened his eyes. As soon as they saw Arsene who had opened his eyes, Kendrick, Hern, the maids, and even Ethan, who ran late, breathed a sigh of relief. Of course it was the same for me. With tears in my eyes, I pushed my face into Arsene¡¯s. ¡°Arsene, Arsene, are you awake?¡± ¡°Ugh, ung¡­¡± Perhaps because of the pain that pierced through his body, Arsene was still in a state of hazy as if he was drunk. Only then did Kendrick lift me up and hold me in his arms. ¡°Are you okay? You¡ª¡± ¡°Yes? Yes. I¡¯m okay¡ª. N, no.¡± I bowed my head. ¡°I¡¯m not okay¡ª¡± The wings protruding from the back didn¡¯t disappear no matter how focused I tried. I had no choice but to show everyone in the room how embarrassing it was to be transformed like this. ¡®What if they thought I¡¯m a stupid child?¡¯ I thought I was getting a little closer with Yeckhart¡¯s wolves now. Tears came to my eyes when this suddenly happened again. As I burst into tears, Kendrick buried my face in his chest. ¡°Hern, check Arsene¡¯s condition.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s order, Mr. Hern came right up to check Arsene¡¯s condition. Arsene accepted Mr. Hern¡¯s hand obediently. We were able to get out of the room only after Mr. Hern, who had been examining him for a long time, nodded his head. ¡°Other people leave the room. Let Arsene rest.¡± Kendrick held me and strode towards my room. In the meantime, I couldn¡¯t stop crying, so I could feel Kendrick¡¯s chest getting wet. Gulp. Kendrick opened the door of my room and tried to put me down on the bed. But I shook my head and clung to Kendrick¡¯s arms. Maybe it was because so many things happened all at once that I started crying. I probably grabbed Kendrick¡¯s collar around that time. Kendrick eventually gave up trying to separate me and sat on my bed hugging me. And gently stroked the back of my head and talked to me. ¡°Linsy, thank you. But it was a dangerous move. Your abilities were unstable, and you could get hurt.¡± ¡°¡­But, hick, Arsene is sick. I¡¯m here to heal Arsene¡­¡± If I don¡¯t treat him, I¡¯ll be a really useless child. The last words were swallowed up in tears. Kendrick patted me on the back as if he understood. ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s all right, Linsy. Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Why is everyone telling me¡­Hick, it¡¯s dangerous, hick, and don¡¯t treat him? Arsene is the heir to the wolf clan, and I came here to heal him¡­ ¡° The words mixed with crying followed for a long time. Kendrick, who had been quietly listening to me, said, as he stroked my wet cheeks. ¡°Linsy, of course, I don¡¯t like Arsene getting sick. I hope you can heal him. But¡ª, I don¡¯t intend to cure my son if it costs you.¡± ¡°¡­But, hick, Arsene is Kendrick¡¯s son¡­¡± ¡°I know that you are a precious life too. I apologize for making you feel this way. I didn¡¯t mean to bring you in¡­¡± Kendrick sighed. I grabbed Kendrick¡¯s sleeve and shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that. Kendrick-nim, if you keep your promises with me instead¡­¡± Tears kept flowing and words were not coming out properly. Kendrick pulled out his handkerchief and wiped my tears away, said sweetly. ¡°Yes, I will protect you no matter what.¡± ¡°Y, yes, then¡­¡± ¡°Even if there is going to be a war.¡± Yes? Tears welled up at Kendrick¡¯s words. I looked up at Kendrick with my eyes wide open. However, his expression was quite serious as if he were saying that what he just said was not a joke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you even in war. Linsy.¡± ¡°N, , no, you don¡¯t have to¡­¡± Gulp. I swallowed saliva. Just hearing the word ¡°war¡± brought back memories of my past life, and I got goosebumps. ¡®Of course, it wasn¡¯t a war, it was a one-sided massacre¡­¡¯ The massacre happened when the leader of the wolf clan, Kendrick Yeckhart, lost his mind. I didn¡¯t want that to happen this time. I hated Raniero, but I didn¡¯t want innocent people to die apart from that. ¡°Now you¡¯ve stopped crying.¡± Kendrick tapped my cheek with a handkerchief. I couldn¡¯t help but blink, unable to say, ¡®I was so startled by your words that you were going to war.¡¯ ¡°By the way, the wings have come out.¡± I felt Kendrick¡¯s thick hands touching my wings. Then my cheeks started to get hot. ¡®It¡¯s embarrassing.¡¯ Showing this to the people in the mansion. Everyone may have thought that I was a stupid child. ¡°N, no, so¡ªthis¡ª¡± I talked nonsense and tried to fold my wings. However, the protruding wings didn¡¯t turn easily. It seemed like I had lost control of my body because I had run out of energy while using my powers. I reached out to cover my wings, but it didn¡¯t work. As I struggled in embarrassment, Kendrick said, hugging me to keep me from falling. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong with the wings sticking out? Linsy. Calm down, calm down.¡± ¡°Wings¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird that the wings are sticking out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just pretty. Don¡¯t worry, Linsy.¡± Kendrick said firmly. I looked at Kendrick as if I didn¡¯t understand. ¡®Pretty?¡¯ As a beast, it was a huge shame to be partially transformed. At least that was the case with the bird clan and Mrs. Belin taught that it was the same in the other clan. ¡®But is it pretty?¡¯ Blinking in disbelief, Kendrick sighed. And after brushing his hair once, he said softly. ¡°Look, I¡¯m only going to show you once.¡± ¡°Yes? Yes¡ª¡± Kendrick shook his head once, and the gray wolf¡¯s ears popped above his head. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not strange.¡± At that moment, Betty, who had come into the room and watched us, opened her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s right, Lady.¡± Betty smiled and ruffled her hair. Then, from above Betty¡¯s head, brown wolf ears popped out. ¡®Ung¡­?¡¯ I was taught that being partially transformed is incomplete evidence. It¡¯s hideous. But the people of the wolf¡¯s mansion were acting as if it were nothing. I took turns looking at Kendrick and Betty, the hiccups stopped. Behind Kendrick¡¯s back, a huge, thick gray tail was also swaying. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not strange.¡± ¡°B, but it¡¯s obviously disgraceful and hideous to show half transformed¡ª¡± ¡°¡­That head of bird bastard.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Kendrick mumbled something softly. I asked back because I didn¡¯t hear well, but Kendrick didn¡¯t tell me again. He just put a big hand on my head. ¡°It¡¯s not a shameful thing, at least here, in the wolf clan. So you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Kendrick said, bringing his thick tail close to my hand. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not strange.¡± I felt a thick, soft, fluffy tail in my hand. I nodded as if I were possessed. ¡°Yes, and¡­ I, I have something to say¡­¡± I was going to tell Kendrick about what I saw earlier. The dark-red air fluttered behind Ester. But the moment I was about to get it out of my mouth. Ugh. The words didn¡¯t come out properly, as if something got stuck in my throat again. A suffocating sound came out, and my back fell down at the same time. ¡°Linsy, Linsy?¡± Kendrick lifted me up with a worried look on his face. ¡®A, ah, I won¡¯t say it, I won¡¯t say it¡ª¡¯ As I tried to black out the event from my mind, I felt something hanging from my neck slipping away. ¡°What.. is this?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? What¡¯s the matter, Linsy?¡± No matter how many times it was repeated, the result was the same. When I tried to bring up the story, I was unable to speak. CH 29 ¡°A, are you okay?¡± The first memory was intense. A small bird appeared out of nowhere and flew straight to Arsene¡¯s face. In addition, Arsene was in a position under the girl because of the release of the small bird transformation. ¡°W, what is this?¡± Arsene was surprised both the first time he saw a child the same age from another clan and the second time he saw her sitting on top of him. The hem of a rich dress that he had never seen before covered Arsene¡¯s face. The girl hurriedly got up and made Arsene stand up. Then she looked at the palms of his hands with worry. ¡°H, hey. I¡¯m sorry. Please wait!¡± It was treated in a flash. And without time to ask the girl anything, Ethan and the maid appeared. The mysterious little baby bird disappeared into the hands of another maid. ¡°So who is that child?¡± Arsene was curious about the girl who was walking around his house at will. So he grabbed the maids¡¯ skirts and asked, but no one answered properly. And not long after. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to!¡± When he was struggling with the maid because he didn¡¯t want to take the sticky, horrible medicine. A little girl like a mountain bird suddenly appeared in front of Arsene again. ¡°You know, if you listen to me, you can stop taking medicine.¡± The girl suddenly stepped into the bed without Arsene¡¯s permission. ¡°Get out, get out!¡± Arsene shouted, wary of the strange girl, but the girl grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand as if she didn¡¯t care. And she treated Arsene using her own power. Pong! ¡°C, chirp?¡± Of course, while he was being treated, she ended up becoming a bird. Linsy. Arsene, who learned the name of the baby bird, pondered the name. Because he was wondering who the hell was trying so hard to cure himself. Later, the maids said she was going to be Arsene¡¯s friend. ¡®Friend?¡¯ Up until now, his only friends were Ethan and the maids, Chef Akim, and the head maid Rodri. So he¡¯s a friend of his age? Arsene was unfamiliar with his new friend, but he didn¡¯t hate it. That¡¯s because she was the first friend he had in his life. In the meantime, he could never go out of the mansion because he didn¡¯t know when he would be sick. In addition, he was often sick and had no chance to meet other children. But a friend of his age. Arsene has been looking for the little bird since then. A baby bird with soft wheat-colored feathers and green eyes as fresh as grass. Chirp! The baby bird sat on Arsene¡¯s shoulder with a cry. Arsene felt strange about his first friend. He wanted to win over the little bird, but sometimes he wanted to lose to the little bird. He want to win and he want to lose. It was a strange feeling for a seven-year-old to experience it. Arsene and the little baby bird were becoming friends, but Arsene had no idea. In addition. Arsene hasn¡¯t been sick since the baby bird treated him. It was strange when he think that he was sick almost every week. ¡®¡ªIt¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Linsy¡¯s ability is said to be healing. A special and precious talent for healing everything that hurts. Because Arsene was sick, he didn¡¯t know much about the other clans. It was also through Linsy that he first learned that the ability of the ¡®bird clan¡¯ is ¡®healing¡¯. Arsene has been close to Linsy ever since. Of course, the new friend was unfamiliar and he was embarrassed¡ª. Linsy and I ate together and played together in the garden. Like ordinary children of their age, Meanwhile, ¡°¡­No, then¡­Arsene can¡¯t be treated¡­¡± Arsene looked at Linsy. ¡°If Arsene suddenly gets sick¡­ Then¡­¡± Arsene blinked his eyes and looked at Linsy quietly. If he doesn¡¯t get treatment, he¡¯s the one who gets sick¡ª. He doesn¡¯t understand why his little friend had a sad face as if she was the one who sicks instead of him. So, he spits it out. ¡°What, what am I? If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t treat me.¡± As he uttered his words, he saw Linsy staring at him with her eyes wide open. Arsene, who was embarrassed and coughed for no reason, continued. ¡°If it¡¯s because of me¡­ you don¡¯t have to worry. I don¡¯t mind being sick anymore.¡± There¡¯s no way that it¡¯s okay to be sick. Arsene was the child who hate being sick the most in the world. Since he was born, he has been taking medicine because of the disease, so it was terrible if he was sick. But why did he want to comfort his friend with sad eyes so much? He wants to comfort his friend. With that in mind, Arsene is fine for nothing. He shrugged his shoulders. At the time, he didn¡¯t care much because he thought he¡¯d be fine without Linsy¡¯s treatment. ¡®I¡¯ve done well without Linsy before.¡¯ So it will continue to be the case. He thought so. Until a terrible disease, no, curse, devours Arsene again. It was when he was lying in bed and trying to take a nap or sleep for a while. All of a sudden, his eyes changed completely. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Arsene got up. Perhaps it was a hallucination, but he could see dark red smoke continuously rising in front of him. And then, ¡°Gasp!¡± A familiar pain visited Arsene¡¯s body again. Chloe, who was sitting next to Arsene and sewing the buttons, raised her head in surprise. Soon, the house became noisy. The maids went down to call Mr. Hern and brought wet towels and medicine. Arsene broke out in a cold sweat and let out a painful groan. ¡®I, it hurts.¡¯ He was in so much pain that he thought he was going to die. But then, ¡°Get out of the way, get out of the way! I have to go to Arsene.¡± Again, Linsy appeared. Only Linsy¡¯s face, which had another sad look on it, was clear in the blinking vision. A friend¡¯s warm hand grabs his hand. The warmth spreads slowly from where she touched. It¡¯s him who¡¯s in pain, but his friend, Linsy, is crying as if her body hurts. Arsene watched all of it, even though his vision was getting worse and worse. He wanted to tell her he was fine, but the pain prevented him from speaking. Then¡ª. A warmth like a sun radiated from the hands that were holding each other. Arsene¡¯s body was quickly surrounded by this green smoke, which was as fresh and warm as a little girl. Arsene let out a breath in the pain that gradually subsided and looked at Linsy. The pain slowly disappeared, leaving only painful memories. Kendrick took Linsy out, and Mr. Hern remained to check on Arsene¡¯s condition. Arsene thought of HIS friend who was crying sadly in his hazy mind. Linsy. And after pondering the girl¡¯s name for a long time, he fell asleep. Seven years old, He was still a little too young to know many emotions. ****** Arsene¡¯s health got worse, and their visit to the temple was delayed a bit. Kendrick demanded that Arsene¡¯s visit to the temple be delayed due to his health. Fortunately, Kendrick¡¯s request was granted, and Arsene was able to rest a little longer in the mansion. And¡ª. I looked into Betty¡¯s eyes and asked softly. ¡°You know, Betty. Maybe, an ability¡­is there something to make you lose words? Is there an ability to make words disappear?¡± ¡°Yes? It¡¯s impossible, Lady, there is no other clan in the world with this ability.¡± Betty laughed as if it were nonsense. I followed Betty with an awkward smile. But inside, I was anxious. ¡®Then what the hell is this?¡¯ There was something like a small dot around the neck. I looked in the mirror at my neck and at the dots. ¡®I think that¡¯s when I got it.¡¯ Right after I met Ester, It must have been made by the dark red and terrible air stream from Ester¡¯s body. At that moment, spots spread all over Arsene¡¯s pajamas came to mind. ¡°Spot¡­!¡± It may have just been a coincidence, but the spots on Arsene¡¯s body were the same color as Ester¡¯s ominous air currents. ¡®As soon as I found the air current, Arsene was sick¡ª¡¯ So is it because of that too? Phew, I sighed when I feel my head hurt. I¡¯d like to tell Kendrick this story and ask for his advice. When I try to talk, it feels like it was restricted because my throat gets choked. Huh? ¡®Wait.¡¯ Restricted? I had learned from Raniero in my previous life. A long time ago, for a short time, there was an organization that used restrictions. For some reason, they fought among themselves and annihilated, but¡ª. ¡®It may be possible if it is restrictions.¡¯ The restriction was literally magic that forbids doing something. The effect was nothing like the ability, and there were many ways to use it that were dangerous, so it was strictly forbidden. ¡®Then I¡¯m on restrictions?¡¯ I stuttered around my neck with a pale face. ¡°Res¡ªUgh!¡± It was clear. It wasn¡¯t painful or anything, but when I tried to bring up words related to restrictions, I can¡¯t say anything. I can¡¯t. I jumped up from my seat. And asked Betty. ¡°Ugh, you know, Betty¡­ I want to read a fairy tale book.¡± ¡°A fairy tale book? If it¡¯s a book, there are plenty of them here.¡± ¡°Huh? No¡­ That¡¯s. The library! I want to visit the library!¡± I smiled innocently to look like a child as much as possible. ¡°Arsene said, Yeckhart¡¯s library is really big and cool. I want to go to the library.¡± I whined, and Betty said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, Yeckhart¡¯s library is huge and spacious. If you want to see it, would you like to go with me now?¡± Betty smiled kindly and reached out to me. ¡°Ung, ung!¡± I nodded vigorously and grabbed Betty¡¯s hand. Great. Most of the data are usually kept in the family library. And, since most people know about restrictions to the extent that they even teach them to children, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to find the data. All right, let¡¯s go and find some data on the restrictions. I smiled and took Betty¡¯s hand and left the room. CH 30 ¡®Hn, there¡¯s nothing¡ª¡¯ Sitting in the middle of a huge library, I slammed my head into a fairy tale book. Raniero had quite a lot of records of people using ¡®restriction¡¯ in the library. However, there was no book with that title in Yeckhart¡¯s library. In addition, ¡°There aren¡¯t any books you can read over there, so are you choosing from here?¡± Betty said, pointing to a bookshelf full of fairy tales. Eventually, I took a look at Betty and took out a fairy tale book and read it. Phew. A sigh came out. ¡®I can¡¯t tell her, so I won¡¯t be able to ask her to find the book.¡¯ I thought I couldn¡¯t just talk, so I tried to write it on paper. ¡°Betty, Betty! Can I have a paper and a pen?¡± ¡°Are you going to draw? Of course you can.¡± I got a pen and paper from Betty and tried to write about ¡®restrictions¡¯ on the paper. That¡ª. But, as if someone were holding my hand, I couldn¡¯t write it. ¡®Is there no way?¡¯ I wish someone would notice a small spot on my neck. It was so small and faint that people couldn¡¯t see it well if they didn¡¯t see it up close. ¡°Do you enjoy fairy tale books? Do you want me to read it?¡± ¡°Hng? No, I¡¯ll read it by myself¡ª¡± I roughly flipped through the pages of the children¡¯s book. There¡¯s no point in coming to the library. However, there is one thing for sure. ¡®Ester is suspicious.¡¯ The Great Elder Ester. The ominous air current he had and the transparent light that shone dazzlingly in an instant. And Arsene¡¯s seizures, which started as soon as the dark red air flowed in all directions, and even the restrictions in my throat. There are more than a few suspicious things. I need to talk about this to Kendrick. I pounded my chest in frustration. Betty asked, leaning her head slightly. ¡°Do you want me to bring you water?¡± ¡°Ung? No¡­ Juice¡­¡± Orange juice¡ª, I am a baby bird with a firm taste, so I didn¡¯t forget to add. Whoo. I felt stuffy, so I felt like I had to drink something. Betty left for a while, saying she would bring orange juice. Taking advantage of that opportunity, I hurried to the other books. ¡®I looked here before.¡¯ In the corner of the library, there was a bookcase filled with unnamed books. ¡®I haven¡¯t seen the title related to restrictions.¡¯ Among the untitled books, there may be a book with related content. I ran to the front of the bookshelf and looked at the books. The bookshelves were all high, so it was very difficult to climb without a ladder. ¡®Let¡¯s pick the one at the bottom first.¡¯ I snuck up a book that was at the bottom. And looking through the bookshelf. ¡®The history of the wolf clan¡­ not this¡­¡¯ I put the book back in its place. And I immediately pulled out the book next to it. Betty will be right back with orange juice, so I had to sneak a peek before that. ¡®This is¡­ About the powers¡­ This is not too..!¡¯ It was when I was looking at it one by one. ¡°What are you doing here, Lady?¡± ¡°Whoaa!¡± I was surprised by a sudden voice that spoke to me and hit my butt off. ¡°W, who¡ªah!¡± ¡°Are you all right? Now, grab it and get up.¡± The old man reached out to me. I got close to him and grabbed his hand. ¡°Tristan-nim?¡± Hoho, the face that raised me up with a smile was kind. I grabbed his hand and quickly got up and shook my butt. ¡°Did you take out your wings?¡± ¡°A, ah, so, this is¡ª¡± I glanced at the wheat-colored wings behind my back. Although it was covered with a thin blanket, the wings were also clearly visible. Betty, Kendrick, and everyone else said it was okay, so I forgot. I was embarrassed to meet someone else with my wings out like this. Does Tristan think it looks ugly too? But Tristan just smiled. Every time he smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkled. ¡°You¡¯re very cute. You got a new dress for your wings.¡± Tristan said as she looked at my dress, which had an open back. I nodded my head. As soon as Kendrick confirmed that I couldn¡¯t put the wings in, he called Serina back. And ordered her to make a dress that I could wear comfortably right away. Serina made a few pretty little dresses that had a white hole in the back so I could put out my wings and send them to the mansion. The dress was as pretty and light as Serina promised. Every time I moved, my skirt fluttered like a butterfly¡¯s wings. The dress for the temple hasn¡¯t arrived yet. ¡®I look forward to it.¡¯ Serina was a really good tailor. She made these pretty dresses in a short time. I answered Tristan with red cheeks. ¡°Yes, Kendrick got me a new one. But, what are you doing here, Tristan-nim?¡± I asked as if I were really curious. Of course, the Great Elders have access to Yeckhart¡¯s library. This is because I thought it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that he suddenly appeared. ¡°I have something to tell the Lady, so I stopped by on the way after seeing the Lord. If it¡¯s okay, could you come to my mansion next time?¡± ¡°Mansion?¡± I opened my eyes wide. It¡¯s been a while since I came to the wolf mansion, but I didn¡¯t expect to be invited to someone else¡¯s mansion. ¡°Yes, I have a grandchild the same age as Lady¡ª how excited it is to hear from that child want to see you¡ª¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡¯ll see if I can go to Kendrick-nim.¡± ¡°Yes, my grandchild will love it if you come. By the time you come, I¡¯ll call you Baby Madam, not Lady.¡± ¡°Yes? No, no, it¡¯s not Madam¡­ the marriage hasn¡¯t been finalized yet¡­¡± I waved my hand and shook my head. Tristan, who was listening to me, sighed a little. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re going to the temple soon, you¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t be afraid. Just say you want to go and get married, and the Lord will take care of the rest.¡± Tristan¡¯s face, which says so, shows a strong trust in Kendrick. ¡°But¡­ if Raniero¡¯s objection is severe and is not accepted¡­¡± Tristan laughed. Then he bent down and whispered in a low voice. ¡°If you say enough that you want to marry the Young Master, you¡¯ll be fine. The temple originally values the opinions of the parties. If you think things are going wrong¡ª¡± ¡°If things are going wrong¡­?¡± ¡°You can kiss the Young Master.¡± ¡°Yes¡ª?¡± I raised my head in surprise at Tristan¡¯s words. But Tristan spoke with a rather serious face. ¡°The parties say they like each other so much, but what will the temple do? So if you think things get really weird¡ª¡± Gulp. I swallowed my saliva. ¡°Give him a kiss.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± It was shocking to hear again. Kiss Arsene in front of everyone. That too, in front of my father, Arthur Raniero¡ª. I looked away pretending I didn¡¯t hear. But Tristan was quite persistent, so I ended up covering Tristan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ki¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, stop! Stop it! Thank you for letting me know¡ª¡± Tristan laughed as I turned my head as if I couldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°Uh, uh¡ª, Thank you for letting me know¡ª¡± I glanced at the door. Suddenly I can¡¯t wait for Betty to come back with my orange juice. ¡°I will send you a formal invitation next time.¡± Tristan had noticed that I was in trouble, so he left and said that. Then, Betty, who went to get orange juice, came back. ¡°Betty~¡± I rushed to Betty and gave her a big hug. Betty said, handing me orange juice. ¡°Lady, the Young Master is looking for you.¡± ¡°Arsene?¡± Arsene has been lying in bed all this time because of illness. Kendrick prevented me and Arsene from meeting. The reason was that he was worried that I might overdo it with my power. ¡®I don¡¯t know why you keep stopping me.¡® I tilted my head. Kendrick, Arsene, and Yeckhart should be happy if I can cure Arsene even if I force myself. ¡®Don¡¯t overdo it, Linsy.¡¯ ¡®I know that you have a precious life too. I apologize for making you feel this way. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged you in¡ª¡¯ Every time he said that, I stopped myself from using this ability. ¡ªAre they worried about me? When I thought of that, my heart suddenly tickled strangely. I shook my head and looked at Betty and asked. ¡°What does Kendrick-nim say? Can I meet him?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master¡¯s condition seems to have improved a lot.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go see him!¡± I drink the orange juice and put it down. I happened to have something to talk to Arsene. ¡®Although I can¡¯t talk about the restrictions for now.¡¯ We had to go to the temple soon, so I had to talk to Arsene about it at least once. I got up and shook off my dress. CH 31 ¡°Arsene!¡± Arsene, who was sitting on the bed and dozing off, opened his eyes. I quickly ran to Arsene¡¯s bed and sat on it. ¡°Are you okay? Ung? Are you sick¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sick. I¡¯m okay.¡± But Arsene¡¯s face was strange. Both cheeks were red as if he had a fever. The same was true of both ears. ¡®No way, does he have a fever?¡¯ I quickly put my hand on Arsene¡¯s forehead. ¡°Your face is red, do you have a fever?¡± ¡°No, I told you I¡¯m not sick.¡± ¡°Are you not lying?¡± ¡°Yeah, I really am not sick.¡± Arsene opened his eyes in a triangle shape and looked at me. (T/n : triangle shape here has a meaning like straight eyes or eye contact. I think it¡¯s usually used when someone feels angry or uncomfortable.) Then I immediately removed my hand from my forehead. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Arsene kept avoiding my gaze. I tried to make eye contact with Arsene, moving my head to see if it was my mistake. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± It¡¯s not a mistake. It¡¯s true that he avoids my eyes. ¡°Arsene, are you mad at me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not mad¡ª¡± ¡°But why don¡¯t you even look at me?¡± First, it was almost the first time we met since Arsene collapsed. So of course I thought he¡¯d be very happy. Arsene covered himself in a blanket. I pulled up Arsene¡¯s blanket. ¡°Arsene¡ª!¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m not mad!¡± ¡°They said you¡¯re looking for me, but why don¡¯t you make eye contact with me?¡± As I blinked, Arsene made eye contact with me. ¡°No, I¡¯m just¡­ Thank you for the treatment¡­ Huh?¡± Then, Arsene opened his eyes wide. ¡°Y, you, what¡¯s behind your back?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ This¡­¡± I slowly turned my back. On the back of the white drilled dress, a pair of tiny wheat wings peeped out. ¡®Well, it¡¯s Arsene¡¯s first time seeing it.¡¯ I swallowed my saliva. All the time since the wings popped out, I¡¯ve been told by the servants of the mansion three times a day that ¡®Your wings are really nice!¡¯ Still, it may look hideous to Arsene¡¯s eyes. But Arsene¡¯s eyes suddenly twinkled. ¡°Is this a wing? Can you fly?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­ Because I¡¯m a bird? But not in these conditions.¡± I flapped my wings a couple of times. The wings were small and the body was too large to fly in this condition. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s amazing¡ª¡± Arsene looked at me with his mouth wide open. I asked Arsene quietly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that weird?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°¡­My wings.¡± Arsene frowned as if I was talking nonsense. ¡°¡­Your wings are cool. What are you talking about?¡± When I heard Arsene¡¯s compliment, I suddenly felt hot in my face. ¡°Mhm, thank you.¡± Arsene turned his head quite shyly to praise me. I didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to ask. ¡°Arsene, why are you turning your head? Are you embarrassed~?¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­ It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Then. There was another spot between Arsene¡¯s loose pajama sleeves. ¡®That¡¯s right, spots!¡¯ I should have checked with Arsene as soon as I met him, but he was acting strange today and I forgot. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s arm. ¡°Arsene, stay still.¡± ¡°Huh? Hey, hey, what are you doing!¡± I pulled Arsene¡¯s sleeves up. It opened a little, but there were spots left. However, the shape was slightly different from the one on my neck. If the thing on my neck was just a dot¡ª the things on Arsene¡¯s skin were drawn in a cluttered manner, as if it were some kind of pattern. Arsene¡¯s face flushed and he pulled his arm out. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Even I don¡¯t want to look at it. Why are you looking at it however you want?¡± The boy groaned, his face blushing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for looking at it as I please.¡± I glance at Arsene and politely apologized. Arsene stared at me for a long time, then quickly turned his head. I must have done something wrong¡ª. ¡®But I don¡¯t know what it is.¡¯ At that moment, Chloe, who was watching the two of us from the side, suddenly intervened. ¡°Young Master, you said you wanted to see the Lady. so please be kind to the Lady.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°When did I!¡± Chloe laughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop being mad at the Lady and talk about your upcoming outing? The Lord allows you to go out.¡± Outing? I blinked my eyes. Hearing Chloe¡¯s words, Arsene¡¯s face brightened in an instant. ¡°Oh, right! We have a day to go to the temple. We can look around the town on our way back.¡± ¡°Looking around the town?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never been down to town before. But after going to the temple, he allowed me to visit the village with you. Of course, Betty and Chloe¡ª although we have to take the knights with us.¡± While listening to Arsene¡¯s words, Kendrick¡¯s words suddenly came to mind. Kendrick said, ¡®Don¡¯t worry about Arsene.¡¯ That¡¯s what it meant! He seems to have persuaded him to take a tour of the town. And Kendrick¡¯s strategy worked quite well. ¡°So, all I have to do is go to the temple and say a word that I will argue with you.¡± (t/n : So in this part, Arsene misspell ?? to be ??.) ¡°It¡¯s not an argument, it¡¯s a marriage.¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to say marriage. Anyway¡ª aren¡¯t you excited, Linsy?¡± But what do you mean looking around the town? It was a little unfamiliar. ¡®It¡¯s a wolf territory, so of course there are wolves everywhere¡ª¡¯ The thought of facing the unfamiliar wolves made me swallow my saliva. However, I couldn¡¯t say such a thing in front of Arsene, who was looking forward to it, so I swallowed it and changed the topic. ¡°That¡¯s right, Arsene. You know, we¡¯re going to have classes soon.¡± Arsene tilted his head. ¡°Class?¡± ¡°Yeah, Kendrick-nim said he would teach us how to use this ability.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to use abilities yet.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it together in advance, and¡­I have something to ask you¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Arsene shrugged. ¡°Can you kiss me?¡± I asked with a rather serious face. ¡°Cough¡ª¡± ¡°Pft.¡± Then, suddenly, laughter erupted from behind. ¡°¡­?¡± I slowly turned my head and looked behind my back. All three of the maids standing behind their backs avoided eye contact. Well, of course, that would be funny. It would be funny and cute to see only seven-year-old children getting married. ¡®But it¡¯s an important issue for me.¡¯ If something goes wrong in this new journey, I have to be taken to Raniero right away. I didn¡¯t want to die as much as that, so as a last resort, I was going to try the method Tristan taught me. ¡®The parties like each other so much that they want to die, so what can the temple do? If things goes wrong¡ª just kiss the Young Master.¡¯ Tristan is a member of the wolf clan, and he is very old, so it¡¯s probably not a joke. When I asked Arsene seriously, he was hesitant at first, but then he thought seriously. ¡°Kiss¡­ How many seconds do I have to kiss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure? Maybe one second?¡± ¡°I can do it in a second.¡± Arsene nodded with a determined look. Every time he nodded, his pale gray hair shook slightly. ¡°Pft¡ª¡± Without knowing the atmosphere, laughter erupted from behind again. I turned my head to glance at the three maids, who were pretending not to laugh as much as possible. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I nodded and sat down next to Arsene. So Arsene wouldn¡¯t say something wrong in the temple, I stayed with him and taught him. From time to time, I could hear the pleasant laughter of the maids behind my back. * * * ¡°Okay, open your arms, Lady~.¡± The maids of Yeckhart¡¯s mansion have been busy since morning. Because today is the day to go to the temple. Great. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists a few times. When I thought about seeing my father, Arthur Raniero, again, it made me nervous, and I started to breathe faster. ¡®No, it will be fine.¡¯ Because Kendrick promised to protect me. Besides. I suddenly thought of Arsene. Arsene seems to be insisting on not wanting to wear a bow tie for some reason. I followed Arsene for three days and taught him not to make a mistake. So there won¡¯t be a problem. Betty bathed me after putting me in a large bathtub. When I got in and out of the bath smelling like roses, I could smell flowers whenever my hair was a mess. When my hair dried up, Betty dressed me in a dress that arrived the other day. I gently raised my arm, and Betty tucked in the dress from above and tied a ribbon. It was a pretty ivory-colored dress with lots of frills. Even for those who didn¡¯t know the dress well, it was pretty enough to fall in love at a glance. There were a lot of jewelry-like decorations here and there, and it was light and easy to move around. I fiddled with the hem of my dress. Betty carefully combed my hair, tied a part of it with a ribbon and put a cute bonnet over my head. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. Lady.¡± ¡°Ung, thank you, Betty!¡± I smiled brightly and took Betty¡¯s hand and went out. Arsene, who had already finished preparing, was jumping into the carriage. ¡°I don¡¯t like bow ties, so I don¡¯t want to do this.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t, Young Master.¡± Ethan decisively cut Arsene¡¯s grunt. The reason was, ¡®If you go without a tie in the temple, you will not look neat.¡¯ ¡®As expected, I was right.¡¯ I got into the carriage with Ethan¡¯s help. Then I sat down next to Arsene and whispered in Arsene¡¯s ear. ¡°The bow tie is so cool.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± When I smiled brightly and nodded my head, Arsene¡¯s expression improved. Finally, Kendrick Yekhardt got in the carriage and Ethan closed the carriage door. The carriage with three people started slowly. CH 32 I glanced at Kendrick. Kendrick smiled every time we made eye contact. As I wiggled my fingers, Kendrick said in a friendly tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, the conversation will be done by adults.¡± ¡°Yess.¡± ¡°Go playing with Arsene. There is a fountain at the back of the temple, and it would be great to play there.¡± I nodded. In fact, this was the first time I had visited the temple. Once a year, the temple provides a meeting place for the heads of each clan. Usually, the heirs of the family at that time also attend. ¡®Because Raniero¡¯s successor was my half-brother Gale.¡¯ Only the children named as the successors were permitted to follow to the temple. So I¡¯ve never even followed. My heart was pounding and I looked out the window. ¡°And¡­ try not to talk to the priests as much as possible.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± When Kendrick said those words, I turned around and look at him. Don¡¯t talk to the priests? Kendrick said, shaking his hand as if he couldn¡¯t explain anymore. ¡°There is nothing good about being involved with priests.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You too, Arsene.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Arsene gave a rough answer and looked out the window. My neck slightly reflected in the window as I turned my eyes away. It was hidden because Betty tied a ribbon around my neck, but¡ª. The ribbon was lifted slightly, revealing a very faint speck. Phew. I sighed. ¡®I have to deal with this too.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t find a clue in the library, so I had to look for another way. What the hell was that? The dark red air current moved like it was going to swallow Ester. And¡ªa bright light that burst out in an instant. It would have been nice to be able to talk to Kendrick, but it was frustrating. ¡®No, let¡¯s think about this first.¡¯ Of course, the air current and prohibition were also important, but now the meeting at the temple was more important Because I could never, never go back to Raniero. I clenched my fists and fixed my bonnet. * * * We got off at the entrance because we couldn¡¯t take a carriage to the temple. Kendrick held Arsene with his left hand and mine with his right. I followed Kendrick as he walked down the street, widening my eyes and looking around. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Flowers that only grow in the territories of different clans were blooming in clusters in the temple. I looked at the flowers with an enchanted mind, and then immediately raised my head. A huge and magnificent ivory-colored building caught my eye. In front of them stood a statue of a divine beast with a human head, bird wings, a wolf body and a snake tail. ¡®Are you going inside now?¡¯ But Kendrick passed the entrance to the building. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re not going in?¡± I asked, looking at the building entrance and Kendrick alternately. ¡°First.¡± Kendrick led us to the fountain at the back of the temple. A huge ivory fountain with a statue of a divine beast on top. Kendrick said, putting me and Arsene side by side in front of the fountain. ¡°Just play near this fountain, and if you ever need to go far, take the knights with you.¡± Kendrick pointed it back. A little farther away, there were two knights in armor with Yeckhart¡¯s seal standing next to each other. Arsene and I nodded at the same time. ¡°I¡¯ll call you later, have fun.¡± Kendrick laughed and stroked our hair with both hands. No, to be exact, my hair was stroked, and Arsene¡¯s hair was being messed up. Arsene¡¯s bangs, which the maids had neatly groomed for hours, were all messed up. ¡®Chloe will be sad if she sees it¡ª¡¯ I trimmed Arsene¡¯s bangs so that Chloe wouldn¡¯t be sad. Kendrick left, and the knights strode towards us. ¡°Hello, Lady. My name is Aiden. Please feel free to call me anytime.¡± Said the soft-faced knight. I nodded my head. ¡°Ung. Nice to meet you, Aiden.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be standing behind you, so if you need help, call me anytime!¡± The knights left the words and walked away. Arsene and I sat by the fountain next to each other and tapped our feet. It was Arsene who opened his mouth first. ¡°You know, I heard you and father talk last time.¡± ¡°Ung? When?¡± ¡°In the office. But you¡­ If¡­ So if¡­¡± ¡°What if? You have to be straightforward, Arsene.¡± ¡°If the conversation doesn¡¯t end well¡­you will go back to Raniero?¡± Arsene raised his head and looked at me. His small hand grabbed my hand. ¡°Ung?¡± ¡°No, you just said you were going back to Raniero¡ªif something like that.¡± Arsene¡¯s face turned red. Tears welled up in his eyes as if he was about to burst into tears. At times like this, he was a seven-year-old child. I quickly pulled out his handkerchief and wiped Arsene¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then why am I here, fool? i¡¯m not going and we also practiced hard.¡± ¡°¡­Practice?¡± ¡°Yeah, you practiced saying you want to marry me.¡± ¡°Can I just do that?¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all you need to do. Kendrick-nim will do the rest.¡± Then Arsene quietly nodded. I grabbed his hand, not to worry, and Arsene wiggled his fingers. The sun was shining down on the fountain in the afternoon. Arsene and I sat side by side on the fountain, waving our feet and waiting for Kendrick to call us. * * * ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Arthur.¡± Kendrick sat down and greeted him. As soon as Arthur Raniero saw Kendrick¡¯s face, he crumpled his face in displeasure. ¡°Tsk, I have to look at your face¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Wasn¡¯t it you who asked the temple to see me?¡± Then, the Priests came in one after the other and took their seats. Then the High Priest slowly came in and sat down. Kendrick, Arthur, and the Priests set their respects toward the High Priest. The High Priest also showed respect to the two heads of each clan. When the High Priest beckoned, they immediately took their seats. Dispute settlement began immediately. The High Priest recommended that Arthur first explain the situation. Arthur Raniero told the High Priest everything he knew. ¡°Kendrick Yeckhardt of the Wolf clan has kidnapped Linsy Raniero, a child of the bird clan.¡± ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°He purposely visited Raniero¡¯s mansion under the pretext of a political marriage and kidnapped a child of a bird clan, so it is very intentional. Yeckhart has been in need of Raniero¡¯s daughter. I think this is clearly a planned crime.¡± Kendrick listened quietly, then opened his mouth. ¡°By the way, Arthur, aren¡¯t we already talking about a political marriage? Then I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any problem with bringing the children of Raniero¡¯s clan early.¡± It was truly a shameful act. ¡°And by the way, I didn¡¯t kidnap her, she followed me by herself. She said he wanted to marry Arsene.¡± Arthur Raniero was greatly enraged at Kendrick¡¯s actions and said. ¡°Nonsense! When did she meet the heir of the wolf clan and want to get married? You must have lied as much as you possibly could!¡± In front of Arthur, who struggled with his anger, Kendrick had a very unhappy expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s true, but you don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°You have to lie enough. It is right to agree to a political marriage. But I didn¡¯t mean to let her go. I demand Linsy Raniero¡¯s immediate return.¡± The High Priest didn¡¯t rush in to interrupt Arthur and Kendrick¡¯s conversation. It was natural. The temple was involved in this conversation to keep the conflict between the wolf clan and the bird clan from growing. The heads of the two clans stared into each other¡¯s faces with murderous looks. Kendrick spoke first to Arthur in a relaxed manner. ¡°So, would you like me to pretend to set aside the marriage over the Hampton River for nothing?¡± ¡°Political marriage can proceed. But not her. I have another child. I will get this kid ready¡ª¡± ¡°So you mean that you agree to the political marriage itself?¡± ¡°Yeah, the political marriage¡ª¡± Arthur swallowed his words. In fact, it was Raniero who benefited the most from this marriage. The Hampton River flows between the territories of the wolf clan and the bird clan. Because the value of the river was really enormous. So Raniero couldn¡¯t hastily destroy this political marriage. Then, Kendrick said to the clerk who was writing down the conversation between the two. ¡°Did you write it down? He agrees to a political marriage.¡± When the clerk replied that he had written it down, a smile came to Kendrick¡¯s face. ¡°Then let¡¯s hear the party¡¯s opinion.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Since you said you agree with the political marriage, the political marriage of Yeckhart and Raniero has become a fait accompli, and the opinions of the parties are considered the most important in terms of the rules of the several people, so it would be right to listen to the opinions of the parties.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s signal, the huge stone gate slowly opened. Then a little girl and a boy walked in, holding hands tightly. CH 33 I swallowed my saliva. ¡®There are so many people.¡¯ High Priest, Kendrick, and Arthur Raniero were seated in a circle in the center, followed by the priests. As soon as I made eye contact with my father, I took a deep breath. ¡®B, breath¡ª¡¯ Facing my father¡¯s face again reminded me of the terrible memories of my past life. Those eyes that looked at me with contempt. I paused for a moment because I felt nauseous. Arsene grabbed my hand and lowered his head slightly. ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°Ung.¡± I nodded my head. And looked up again. ¡°Linsy.¡± My father, who made eye contact with me, jumped up from my seat with my eyes wide open. The High Priest stopped my father from standing up. ¡°Be quiet, this is the place where God is worshiped. We do not allow any disturbance.¡± At the High Priest¡¯s words, my father sat down again with a dissatisfied expression on his face. I got my courage back and walked over to the round table in the middle where the three were sitting. ¡°Linsy.¡± Kendrick smiled slowly at me as if he had noticed I was nervous. The fine lip rose slightly. As Arsene and I stood still, Kendrick spoke again. ¡°The political marriage between the wolf and the bird clan was decided after consultation with Arthur Raniero, the head of the bird clan, so the temple cannot intervene on this matter.¡± The High Priest nodded. ¡°Political marriage is possible! The point is that he kidnapped Raniero¡¯s child!¡± My father countered with a bloodshot. Kendrick spoke in a soft voice, soothing an angry child. ¡°Calm down, Arthur. I was just about to say that.¡± ¡°¡­Ehem.¡± My father sat down and glared at me. I cast my eyes down in a cold sweat at the stinging gaze. ¡°Since the head of the two clans attended the meeting, the issue was transferred to the temple, right?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± The High Priest nodded. Dispute settlement through the temple is considered as consent to transfer the matter itself to the temple if both clans are present. Clans who oppose this will be expelled from the Federation. Kendrick, who once more pointed out what everyone here knows¡ªexcept me and Arsene¡ª spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s hear from the person involved, Arthur.¡± Kendrick beckoned to me. I took a deep breath and took turns looking at my father, the High Priest, and Kendrick. And slowly opened my mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back.¡± ¡°What?¡± My father hit the round table as if he couldn¡¯t understand it, raising his blood vessels and asking back. I frowned slightly at the grim gaze. ¡°I want to¡­ marry Arsene in Yeckhart.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about¡­ come here now, Linsy!¡± My father shouted at me with his eyes wide open as if he were very angry. My father must have thought I was really ¡®forced¡¯ to be kidnapped. That¡¯s why he asked for dispute settlement. Usually, the temple doesn¡¯t ask for dispute settlement. The right to solve the problem is not only transferred to the temple, but as long as the temple intervenes, it is no longer a problem for the two clans alone. Nevertheless, my father¡¯s intentions for asking the temple for help were clear. ¡®Because he thought I was kidnapped, he asked them to get me out of wolf territory.¡¯ Because he can¡¯t invade the wolf clan¡¯s territory or formally protest against Yeckhart. But when I said I wouldn¡¯t go, he seemed quite surprised. He probably thought that if I met him, I would cry because I wanted to go back to Raniero right away. But there¡¯s no such a chance. I will never go back to Raniero. ¡°It¡¯s a kidnapped child. That kid can be crazy. She¡¯s only seven years old.¡± My father turned his gaze to the Priests and the High Priest and spoke as if appealing. ¡°She¡¯s seven years old, but smart and clever. You better know she¡¯s not the kid who doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about.¡± Kendrick laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to kidnap that little girl¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, be quiet.¡± The High Priest rang the golden bell. His kind gaze touched Arsene for a moment, then turned to me. ¡°Linsy-nim, may God bless you.¡± ¡°May God bless you.¡± I bowed with one hand on my chest. The High Priest laughed. ¡°I think we need Linsy-nim¡¯s help. Did you get kidnapped as Raniero insisted, or did you follow Yeckhart like their claim?¡± ¡°I begged him to take me. I want to go to Yeckhart.¡± Kendrick tucked a note in the center of the round table. It was the note I handed Kendrick the first time I met him. ¡®You still had that.¡¯ ¡°This is the note that Linsy gave me when she first met me. The paper of the note is a high-quality piece of wood that grows only in the territory of the bird clan, which is enough to prove that Linsy wrote it herself before leaving the house. Of course, the handwriting test at the temple has been completed, so I think Yeckhart can get rid of the stigma of kidnapping a child.¡± Kendrick said leisurely. Only then did I realize that last week¡¯s handwriting test was for handwriting verification. The High Priest took the note, narrowed his eyes, and carefully opened his eyes. Kendrick and Arthur were looking at each other without hiding their murderous look. The High Priest, who had been talking with the priests for a while, came back and sat down. I looked at him with a gulp. The High Priest looked at the paper on which I had written something through his one-piece glasses and said. ¡°First of all, there is no physical evidence that Yeckhart intentionally kidnapped her, and I can¡¯t say it¡¯s kidnapping because I can see that it was Linsy¡¯s will. However, she is too young to make a clear judgment, and she still needs her guardian¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Since I agree with Raniero that she is too young to make a good judgement yet, I am sending Linsy¡ª¡± I quietly listened to the words coming out of the High Priest¡¯s mouth, then I opened my mouth slightly. ¡®No.¡¯ No, I can¡¯t go back to Raniero. My father had a triumphant expression on his face as if he had already won. Rarely, Kendrick¡¯s expression was slightly wrinkled. I grab Arsene¡¯s hand. Then I opened my mouth, looking at the High Priest clearly. ¡°I¡¯m Linsy Raniero. I¡¯m seven years old. I don¡¯t want to go back to Raniero because Mrs. Bellin abused me while I was in Raniero¡¯s mansion. I know my situation clearly, and¡ª¡± Arsene must have been very nervous, so he held my hand with a firm expression. ¡°I like Arsene so much that I want to marry him.¡± I glanced at Arsene. ¡®Are you ready?¡¯ As I whispered, Arsene nodded with a rather firm expression on his face. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s cheeks with both hands. The High Priest, Kendrick, my father and other priests, looked at us with bewildered expressions. I bumped my lips with Arsene. It was really short, but everyone in the temple clearly saw us kissing. ¡®Is it working¡­?¡¯ After a short kiss, I glanced back at the others. ¡®Originally, I was only going to tell them that Mrs. Bellin abused me¡ª¡¯ Then only Mrs. Bellin might end up being fired from the mansion. In addition, It was after the age of ten that my father abused me, so there was no trace of abuse left on the body of seven years old. So I used the ¡®secret weapon¡¯ Tristan told me. Poppo. (T/n : ?? means kiss.) ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Everyone looked blankly at the two of us as if they were speechless. It was Kendrick, of course, who broke the silence. ¡°Look, they say it¡¯s good. The political marriage is going to happen anyway, so wouldn¡¯t it be right to marry them, High Priest? Don¡¯t you think so, Arthur?¡± ¡°¡­What the hell have you done to her¡­!¡± My father trembled with rage. I flinched and shivered. Kendrick, keenly aware that I was scared, turned away and said. ¡°Well done, Linsy. You can go now.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? She should be here!¡± Arthur hit the round table. Kendrick narrowed his brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Linsy just said? She said she didn¡¯t want to go back because she was abused in Raniero. High Priest, can you let the children go?¡± ¡°I will allow it.¡± Two priests came up to us and took my hand carefully. Arsene and I walked out of the hall holding the hands of the priests tightly. As soon as I came out, I sighed. The hands that were holding Arsene¡¯s hands were slippery with sweat. ¡°Please wait here.¡± The Priests led us outside and went straight back. Arsene and I nodded obediently. ¡°I, I did a good job, right?¡± ¡°Ung, but why didn¡¯t you ask me?¡± Arsene titled his head. ¡°I thought you¡¯d ask me, so I prepared a lot.¡± ¡°I know, everyone must have been crazy.¡± I looked up at the sky blankly. Now I really had no choice but to pray to God. Please let the High Priest change his mind. It was then. ¡°¡­Linsy?¡± I slowly turned my head to a familiar voice. ¡®No way, this voice¡ª¡¯ Arsene also naturally turned his head along with me. There was a long shadow before me. I looked at the face of the boy who suddenly appeared in front of me and frowned. ¡°¡­Gale?¡± Gale Raniero. He was my half-brother and the next candidate of successor for the Raniero family. Galel, who turns 12 this year, is much taller than me and Arsene. Not to mention the size. We didn¡¯t get along well and Gale hated me unilaterally. It was because I had a strong ability. He was afraid that he would not be recognized as a successor because of me. So he avoided people¡¯s gaze and annoyed me often. ¡®I really hate him.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe I have to meet Gale. I let out a sigh. Maybe he followed my father to the temple. ¡°They said you were kidnapped. But what are you doing here?¡± Gale said this provocatively. He looked at Arsene with sneer. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ with this smelly dog next to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Arsene jumped to his feet. I grabbed Arsene quickly and sat him down. There¡¯s nothing good about fighting Gale in this situation. Kendrick and Raniero must be in talks over me in there anyway. I can¡¯t give Raniero an excuse. Then, Gale was grabbing my wrist. CH 34 ¡°Come here, let¡¯s go home.¡± Huh? Gale¡¯s hand shook my body. If Arsene hadn¡¯t grabbed my hand quickly, I would have been dragged along. ¡°What are you doing, Gale!¡± ¡°Ha? I¡¯m here to save my stupid sister who was kidnapped?¡± Gale raised his eyebrow. I struggled to shake off the grip on my wrist, but it was not enough to defeat Gale by force. ¡°Let go of me! I didn¡¯t get kidnapped! I went by myself!¡± ¡°You go? What are you talking abut?¡± Gale widened his eyes as if he didn¡¯t really understand. Taking the opportunity, I shook off the hand that was holding me and fiddled with my wrist. It was held so tightly that my wrists were swollen. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know. Let¡¯s go, Arsene.¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and quickly tried to get away from Gale. If only Gale hadn¡¯t grabbed my shoulder and pushed me. Thud! ¡°Ah, ha¡­¡± I landed hard on the grass. ¡°You have lost your manner, sister.¡± Gale said, pretending to stroke my hair, then holding it forcefully. When I faced Gale¡¯s eyes, I got goosebumps all over my body. ¡®No, come to think of it, Gale is definitely supposed to be at the Academy right now¡ª¡¯ Why is he here¡ª. I searched through the memories of my previous life. Gale was definitely at the academy at a time when they were talking about Schville and Arsene marriage. But why is he here? No, besides. ¡®Gale is the one who should be happy when I¡¯m gone.¡¯ Gale was the person who bothered me the most in my previous life. He was also the one who was the happiest when I had the cursed feather. ¡®Because he kept my abilities in check.¡¯ Even though Raniero can¡¯t have a woman as their successor. But why is he suddenly saying he¡¯s going to take me? As I sat blankly, Arsene stood in front of me with his arms wide open. ¡°What are you doing now!¡± ¡°What is this? Hey, get out of here.¡± Gale tapped Arsene on the head. Arsene growled. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°What? Ha really¡­ What do you think a puppy, who can¡¯t even transformed into beast, is going to do?¡± Gale raised his fists as if threatening. Then. ¡°They said you did transform into a bird, but you didn¡¯t even do it properly? Are you going to take your wings out like this?¡± Gale smirked after discovering my wings. I instinctively flinched, shivered and stared at Gale. ¡°You didn¡¯t even know this was a shame¡­ Like a stupid little sister, hurry up and put it in, because it¡¯s hideous.¡± Gale said while smirking. My face turned red in an instant. Everyone in the Wolf Mansion said my wings were pretty, but¡ª. Hearing this from Gale made me feel as if I had returned to my previous life. I was embarrassed and wanted to hide in the grass. I tried to hide the wings, but I couldn¡¯t get them in. Arsene was almost on the verge of jumping on Gale. I hugged Arsene tightly around his waist so he wouldn¡¯t rush in. Then¡ª. ¡°Lady¡ª!¡± With good timing, I saw two knights running from afar. Aiden came quickly, lifted me up, and pulled Gale away from me. ¡°Get away. I cannot let you approach the Lady.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? Her name is Raniero. If you want to protect, protect that stupid wolf Young Master over there. I¡¯ll take that kid.¡± Every time Gale spoke, his thick cheeks trembled. But Aiden firmly stopped Gale from approaching me. ¡°You can¡¯t. Back off.¡± Aiden placed his hands on his waist, blocking the gap between me and Gale. Gale stepped back after arguing with Aiden for a long time. ¡°You, you¡¯ll see, Linsy!¡± Gale rolled his eyes at me, then turned around and walked to the other side. ¡°Lady, are you okay?¡± Aiden lifted me up and said. ¡°Linsy, you¡­are you okay?¡± Arsene did the same. He seemed to have seen my face turn pale when I looked at Gale. I smiled and answered. ¡°Ung, I¡¯m fine.¡± But the pretty dress got dirty. Gale had nothing to do with my previous life or this one. Phew. I let out a deep sigh. * * * ¡°I guess it appears that Raniero¡¯s tutor abused the child?¡± Kendrick said. Arthur looked dumbfound as if he had never heard of it before. ¡°She never did. Raniero¡¯s tutors don¡¯t abuse children. That kid is out of her mind right now¡ª¡± Even after Linsy and Arsene left, their opinions were strongly opposed. Half of the people think she should return to her guardian since she is still only seven years old. But they couldn¡¯t send her back as long as they knew she was being abused, and she seemed to want to be protected in Yeckhart, so half of them said to just leave her there. The High Priest looked at Arthur and Kendrick with an expression of displeasure, as if in trouble. ¡®I thought it was because a kidnapping.¡¯ It was made to ask for Linsy Raniero¡¯s return because people thought she had been kidnapped. Also, it was difficult to send the person back when she didn¡¯t want to go. In addition. ¡®She said she was abused¡ª¡¯ Ten priests heard those remarks. As long as the child was directly abused, the temple had a duty to protect the child. Besides. Raniero and Yeckhart¡¯s arranged marriage has also been confirmed. He is sure that the child also wants to get married, so if he lets Linsy go, everything will be fine. So why is he being so stubborn? The priest took a deep breath. After asking Kendrick and Arthur to understand, he took ten priests into a small room. To share opinions and make decisions. The priests who sat around the round table gave their opinions. ¡°Since Linsy is still young, she should be sent back to her guardian.¡± ¡°But, didn¡¯t she say that she was abused? The temple has a duty to protect the child before the name of the Gods.¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t know if that¡¯s true. It could be a child¡¯s lie.¡± ¡°However¡ª, Linsy and Arsene have clearly expressed their desire to get married¡ª¡± One of the priests cautiously opened his mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t intend to break the political marriage, I think it¡¯s fair to stand by Yeckhart because the two parties agree.¡± The high priest listened to the priest¡¯s words and gently pressed the throbbing temple. ¡®There must be a strong backlash in Raniero.¡¯ The temple was receiving a lot of help from Raniero. This is because the current Pope is not in good health. He was weakened by old age, even though Raniero¡¯s healing didn¡¯t make him completely healed. Nevertheless, thanks to Arthur Raniero¡¯s healing, the Pope¡¯s condition was improving. But if they take Yeckhart¡¯s side here. ¡®Raniero may refuse treatment.¡¯ A new Pope who will succeed the current Pope has not been decided. When the Pope¡¯s illness worsens, the situation becomes very difficult. The high priest touched his head. But they couldn¡¯t just tell her to go back to Raniero and ignore Linsy¡¯s opinions. Because, when these kinds of problems came up, the temple always put the parties¡¯ opinions first, as long as they were in line with God¡¯s teachings. The high priest thought for a long time. And quickly wrote something on the paper. The door to the room where the high priest and the priests had all entered burst open. Arthur and Kendrick, who had been arguing, turned to the door. The high priest tidied up his uniform, walked over, and sat down. So did the other priests. Arthur and Kendrick waited until the temple expressed its position on the issue. After the high priest cleared his throat, he opened his mouth. ¡°Linsy Raniero doesn¡¯t want to return to Raniero, and after considering everything else, we¡¯ve decided that Yeckhart¡¯s actions were not ¡®abductions¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Joy and sorrow crossed. ¡°Therefore, according to the doctrine, the temple respects the opinions of the parties, approves the marriage of Linsy Raniero and Arsene Yeckhart, and recognizes the arranged marriage of the two clans.¡± Arthur jumped to his feet. The threatening mood in the near distance can¡¯t be hidden. In response, Kendrick crumpled his forehead and used his ability. Black smoke rose from the tip of the finger and turned into a round sphere to aim at Arthur. ¡°You know what happens to a clan that goes against the temple¡¯s opinion.¡± It was a slow warning. Clans who oppose this will be expelled from the Federation. Arthur quickly stepped back when he remembered the rules about the beasts. Kendrick also concealed his powers. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be on my way. You know, I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°¡­Cough.¡± ¡°I think the Hampton River would be a good reward, but I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so obsessed with Linsy.¡± Kendrick said as if passing by. ¡°We will have to visit the temple again to register their marriage later.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Kendrick-nim.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for your hard work. High Priest.¡± Arthur clenched his fists, shaking his body in anger. Raniero and Yeckhart had been fighting against each other for a long time, so it must have been hard for Raniero to accept that they lost in the temple. Kendrick, who didn¡¯t think much of it, jumped up from his seat. Then, after bowing to the high priest, he left first. Arthur glanced at the spot Kendrick had left, then gritted his teeth and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­I¡¯d like to ask for an audience. High Priest.¡± CH 35 ¡°You can¡¯t do this to Raniero in the temple!¡± Arthur Raniero raised his voice. The room was filled with a harsh voice. The High Priest looked at Arthur with a troubled look on his face and opened his mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Yeckhart kidnapped the child? The situation is different from the words, so the temple is in a difficult position.¡± The High Priest said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a white handkerchief. The main goal of Raniero¡¯s efforts to settle disagreements in the temple, which Raniero helped, was to suppress Yeckhart¡¯s momentum. ¡®The power of the wolves is too strong.¡¯ The wolf clan and the lion clan were the clans that possessed the largest territory as much as they had strong abilities. But before, there was no problem. Because both the wolf clan and the lion clan were favorable to the other clan and the temple. However, the situation changed as Kendrick Yeckhart, the head of the wolf clan, took the position. The movement to reject the temple was coming from Yeckhart. Maybe the reason is¡ª. ¡®Arsene Yeckhart.¡¯ It¡¯s because of that child. Because of what happened 7 years ago, he is still taking revenge on the temple. Ugh, the High Priest sighed and continued. ¡°Besides, she even testified that she was abused in Raniero¡ªit was impossible to send her back to Raniero right away.¡± ¡°She has never been abused! Linsy is still young, so there must be something wrong. Or Yeckhart told her to say it.¡± ¡°Still¡ª didn¡¯t you agree to the political marriage anyway? If that¡¯s the case, then it would be neat to just send Lady Linsy to Yeckhart.¡± The High Priest had a face that he couldn¡¯t understand Arthur Raniero¡¯s attitude at all. Arthur, feeling the gaze, coughed loudly. ¡®They can¡¯t find out Schville¡¯s abilities.¡¯ Schville was a good opportunity to deal with that bastard. The ability to steal the life force of others. The worst mutation that shouldn¡¯t come from Raniero. But Arthur couldn¡¯t easily abandon the child, Schville. It was because he was afraid of the powers that Schville had. If he abandons Schville and the child holds a grudge against Raniero and tries to get revenge, he¡¯ll get in trouble. Even he taught Schville not to use her ability properly. ¡®Of course, she can¡¯t go to the wolf clan without knowing how to use it¡ª?¡¯ Before he sent Shuville, he would tell her what to do and how to use her ability properly. Arthur narrowed his brow. Something he can¡¯t keep or throw away easily. Schville¡¯s position in the house was just that. So, using this political marriage, she tried to eliminate the heir of the wolf clan and deal with the troubled child. Arthur sighed inwardly. The High Priest said as if comforting Arthur Raniero. ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to see the opportunity and bring her back later? For now, let¡¯s leave it for a while. When the time comes, the temple will do our best to help. So¡ª¡± The high priest glanced over the huge stone gate. It was the room where the Pope was resting. Arthur, who understood the meaning of the high priest, washed his face dry. Then he opened his eyes and said. ¡°¡­You promised. The temple will help when the time comes.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Of course.¡± Arthur Raniero, who heard the High Priest¡¯s answer, took a step forward. ****** ¡°Arsene, Linsy.¡± Kendrick approached the children with a smile. Linsy and Arsene looked up to see Kendrick and ran from afar. Behind them were the two knights Kendrick had attached. ¡®I told them to watch from afar.¡¯ Something must have happened to them since they¡¯re so close. Kendrick, who quickly grasped the situation, first called Aiden separately. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Yeah, Raniero¡¯s successor, Gale Raniero, said that he was going to take the Lady so there was a bit of a commotion.¡± ¡°Gale?¡± Kendrick, with his eyes squinted, looked around. Then. A large brown eagle sitting far away caught his eye. It was still smaller than an adult male, but it was close to an adult. ¡®That must be Gale.¡¯ The reason why he dared to turn into a bird might be because he felt that Linsy¡¯s abilities were unstable. So, when Linsy turned into a bird, he probably thought about taking her. Because Linsy was still young, her bird form was still very small. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to take a little bird the size of a chick to an eagle. Raniero¡¯s eldest son is so thoughtless and stupid. Kendrick clicked his tongue after asking Aiden. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Kendrick-nim.¡± Linsy and Arsene cling to Kendrick¡¯s trousers. Kendrick hugs Linsy first and checks her condition. ¡°I heard from Aiden. Your brother came here? Linsy seemed to be looking for a moment, then nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, but¡­nothing much happened.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong!¡± Arsene squeaked as if to respond. Linsy put her index finger to her mouth with a pale, tired face. ¡°Ssh! Be quiet, Arsene!¡± ¡°A terrible eagle came and pushed Linsy. And he tried to take her by force.¡± Arsene ignored Linsy¡¯s remarks and continued with a bright voice. He didn¡¯t seem too annoyed. Kendrick patted his son¡¯s hair gently. ¡°So, are you angry?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Because he wanted to take Linsy?¡± Arsene looked perplexed at Kendrick¡¯s question. The blue eyes shook slightly without knowing. Arsene, who was worried, glanced at Linsy and nodded. ¡°She¡¯s my friend, but he¡¯s going to take her.¡± Arsene emphasized the term ¡®my friend¡¯. Pft, Kendrick burst out laughing and had his hands on Arsene¡¯s head again. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to protect her so no one can take her away. Grow up soon, Arsene.¡± Kendrick¡¯s gaze through his son¡¯s silver hair was as warm as the afternoon sun. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± At the words that came out of Kendrick¡¯s mouth, the girl who had been holding her heart the whole time opened her mouth. ¡°¡­Am I going to be locked up or to the mansion?¡± The wheat color hair, which had been tied up beautifully, was disorganized as it fell. Kendrick answered, roughly trimming Linsy¡¯s hair with his fingers. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll go to the mansion.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± The little girl¡¯s soft eyes shook finely. ¡°Yeah, they won¡¯t say anything for a while.¡± Kendrick smiled and brushed off Linsey¡¯s dress. It looks like she has fallen badly, as there is a lot of grass that hasn¡¯t been brushed off yet. Linsy hugged Kendrick¡¯s neck tightly, as if in disbelief. As if very excited, her tiny wings were flapping. He took Linsy and Arsene to the carriage. The eagle seemed to be watching them from afar, but before he knew it, it flew away. Arriving in the carriage, Kendrick put Arsene and Linsy in the carriage and got on last. When the coachman signaled, the carriage rattled and began to move. A line of knights followed and escorted behind the huge carriage with Yeckhart¡¯s seal. Linsy, who had been staring blankly out of the window the whole time, asked puzzledly. ¡°Really, can I not go back to Raniero?¡± ¡°I told you so.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a relief¡­that¡¯s a relief¡­.¡± Transparent tears were dripping from the small soft eyes. Kendrick familiarly took out a handkerchief and handed it to Linsy. At last, Linsy seemed relieved, wiping her tears and smiling brightly. Arsene, who was watching the scene, smiled along with it. Then. ¡°Father.¡± Arsene raised his head. It seemed as if he had thought of something in a hurry. ¡°Why, Arsene?¡± ¡°You said that if we go to the temple well, you¡¯ll take us for tour of the town.¡± Arsene looked at Kendrick with bright eyes. Kendrick looked alternately at Arsene and Linsy. ¡®Now is the time to leave.¡¯ Arsene had never left the mansion until the age of seven because they didn¡¯t know when the curse would appear. The same was true of Linsy. Since she moved into the wolf mansion, this is the first time she has been outside. Kendrick said with a smile. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s take turns stopping by.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Arsene asked back in disbelief. ¡°Instead, you should play a little and come in. I¡¯ll let you play more next time.¡± As Kendrick spoke firmly, Arsene and Linsy nodded at the same time. Then. ¡°B, but¡­¡± Linsy mumbled. Arsene and Kendrick raised their eyebrows as if waiting for Linsy¡¯s next word. The girl pressed down on the hem of her dress and let it go, then raised her head and said. ¡°Because of the wings¡­ is there no clothes to wear over it?¡± The little wheat color wings flapped behind Linsy. Kendrick let out a sigh as if he hadn¡¯t thought about it so far. ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing, it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s a wolf town.¡± In other words, it¡¯s like a survival instinct. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to stop by the dressing room right away.¡± Kendrick said, staring at Linsy¡¯s cumbersome dress. Clattering. The carriage ran hard and reached the wolf¡¯s territory at once. It was possible because Yeckhart¡¯s seal had the protection of the lion clan, which used wind power. The carriage stopped in the middle of the busy street of Felipe, the capital of the wolf territory. ¡°Let¡¯s get off.¡± Kendrick lifted Arsene up first. Then he reached out to Linsy. Just as Linsy tried to hold that hand. ¡°Huh? Uh¡ª!? No!¡± A scream that seemed to tear the eardrums echoed through the streets. CH 36 I looked back at the reflective sound. The warhorse on which Yeckhart¡¯s knight Aiden was riding raised its hoofs with great excitement. And below that. A small girl with a shabby figure, who looked at least about ten years old, was seen sitting down with a very frightened look. Perhaps a girl was running and blocked the front of the horse, and the horse seemed very surprised. ¡°No! Aiden!¡± All of the knights who were there screamed at the same time. There was no time for anyone to touch it. Everything happened so quickly. The moment the horse¡¯s hoof is about to hit the girl. Paat! A black light flashed near the horse¡¯s body. Then, as the horseshoes fell on top of the girl¡¯s head, a black light hit them and turned them in the air. It was Kendrick¡¯s ability. The problem is. Tak! A huge warhorse has fallen. Aiden, who was riding a horse, also crashed straight to the floor. ¡°Argh¡ª¡± Aiden let out a sharp scream. His face was distorted by pain. ¡°Aiden!¡± I looked at Aiden, who fell to the floor with wide eyes. It was obvious that he had broken his leg bones at the very least, as he had fallen from the back of that huge warhorse. I tried to run straight to Aiden and the fallen horse. If Kendrick hadn¡¯t stopped me. ¡°No way.¡± Kendrick said firmly. He pointed his chin at the people on the street. People were gathering at a certain distance and looking this way. In the first place, there were many people because it was a busy street, and everyone seemed to have flocked to the disturbance that had just occurred. Aiden was focused on me, not the girl in front of him when he fell off the horse. Kendrick asked another escort not to let me move. And. He strode in front of Aiden and the horse to check their condition. ¡°Aiden, are you all right? You there, lay Aiden straight.¡± Kendrick beckoned a couple of knights. The big knights laid Aiden properly. Kendrick quickly approached the knights and placed a hand on Aiden¡¯s chest. Dark shadows gathered around him. The black shadows surrounded Aiden, who was groaning in pain. Soon after, it swallowed Aiden. I widened my eyes and stared at the scene. Aiden¡¯s body slowly disappeared from my eyes, along with black shadows. It was like being buried in the ground. ¡®Yeckhart¡¯s abilities are amazing.¡¯ Can they move people or objects through shadows? Kendrick then stroked the gasping horse and did the same to the horse as he did to Aiden. Even the war horse, which was big and heavy, was hidden by shadows and vanished without anyone noticing. Kendrick, who had roughly cleared the streets, shifted his gaze to the girl. The gaze was sharp enough to cut something. The girl with a shabby appearance was shaking and only looking at the ground. Kendrick beckoned, and the knights knelt down on the girl. However. ¡°¡­A, ah!¡± The girl opened and closed her mouth. It looked like she had hurt her leg when she fell. I tried to run straight away, but a large knight stopped me. ¡°You can¡¯t, Lady.¡± I had no choice but to stand still, pressed by the momentum of the great wolf knight. ¡°Why did you jump in here?¡± Kendrick asked. However, the girl with a shabby appearance only trembled while holding a bunch of small things in her arms. ¡°I asked how did you jump here? I¡¯ll decide your disposition based on your answer.¡± Kendrick¡¯s slow voice sank into my ear. It was almost the first time I¡¯d heard that kind of voice. Disposition I recited the word quietly. Because the girl jumped in, Yeckhart¡¯s knight and the knight¡¯s horse were injured. He probably just couldn¡¯t let it slide. But the girl didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of answering. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡­can¡¯t speak?¡± Kendrick, who was going to say something more, soon sighed quietly. ¡°¡­You can¡¯t see what¡¯s in front of you.¡± She can¡¯t see? I turned my head to Kendrick¡¯s words and looked at the girl on the ground. As Kendrick said, the girl¡¯s eyes had no focus. The white-spread eyes rolled around aimlessly on the ground. ¡°Ha¡­where are your parents?¡± At Kendrick¡¯s question, the trembling girl slowly shook her head. ¡°Do you have no parents?¡± Then. The girl, who had been thin listening to Kendrick¡¯s words, raised her head. And she slowly turned her head and looked at me. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Until just now, I thought she was blind. The girl looked intently into my eyes. And¡ª. ¡°¡­Black, smoke.¡± After muttering, she fell to the side of the road. The knights exchanged glances as if they were in trouble. I thought about what the girl had said as she looked me straight in the eye. ¡®Black smoke?¡¯ Is she talking about Kendrick¡¯s powers? Kendrick¡¯s ability is also in the form of black smoke. But¡ª. ¡®She looked directly at me and said that.¡¯ That moment, Something flashed through my mind quickly. I had seen black smoke and flashing lights coming from the body of the great elder not too long ago. Prohibition. ¡®Perhaps¡ª!¡¯ I quickly ran to Kendrick after getting away from the knight who was blocking my way. ¡°L, Lady!¡± I heard the knight desperately calling for me, but it didn¡¯t matter. I got down on my knees, grabbed the girl¡¯s hand, and said. ¡°Kendrick-nim, what are you going to do with this kid?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll just move on. I don¡¯t think Aiden was seriously injured either.¡± I touch with the thin wrist held in my grasp. It was so thin that I could only touch the bones. I carefully put the girl¡¯s hand down and quickly ran to Kendrick and looked up at him. ¡°Then¡­you said earlier that you would grant my request.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we take her to the mansion and have a look? I think she has hurt her legs because she fell. Maybe it¡¯s our fault that we don¡¯t know someone is here when the carriage and horses are standing here¡ª¡± Kendrick looked down at me with a slightly puzzled face. I jumped and grabbed Kendrick¡¯s arm. And looked up at him. As if Kendrick understood my gesture, he bent down familiarly and brought his ear to me. I put my hands together and whispered to Kendrick¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯ll heal Aiden. And that kid too, can I?¡± Kendrick seemed to think about it for a moment, and then he agreed. ¡°Yeah, just don¡¯t overdo it. Linsy.¡± He stared at me, then flicked his fingers. Then, in an instant again, black shadows gathered together and devoured the girl. ¡®¡­Good.¡¯ I was relieved only when I saw the girl disappearing from sight. ¡®She said something about black smoke.¡¯ And she was looking straight at me too. I thought maybe the girl knew something. At that time. ¡°Whoa¡ª!¡± Kendrick hugged me. ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t walk because you were worried about your wings?¡± I only realized that I had my wings exposed at Kendrick¡¯s words. Because of this commotion, there was no time even to care that the wings were out. It was then that my face turned red. ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in. As promised, I¡¯ll buy you a cloak to cover your wings.¡± ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t we go quickly and treat them?¡± I asked, thinking about the girl, Aiden, and the warhorse Kendrick used to move them. Kendrick shrugged at my question. ¡°If there is Mr. Hern in the mansion, it will be fine. If you¡¯re really worried, let¡¯s take a look and go home.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Kendrick hugged me lightly as I nodded and walked into the dressing room. Arsene, who had been pushed into the dressing room by the knights and was almost trapped, was holding on to the door of the room. ¡°Linsy!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even see your father.¡± Kendrick pulled and stroked Arsene¡¯s hair as he called my name. At that moment, a woman who seemed to be the owner of the dressing room suddenly appeared. ¡°Hello, Kendrick-nim.¡± She was wearing an easy-to-move work suit with a front pocket that held paper and a big needle. ¡°My name is Claire, the owner of this dressing room. It is an honor to be able to serve you.¡± Kendrick, who was getting a light greeting from her, said as he gently put me on the floor. ¡°I need a cloak for this kid right now. I hope the size was a little bigger. As you can see.¡± Kendrick lifted his head and pointed at my wings. I gently turned around to show my wings in more detail. And I flapped my wings a couple of times. Claire gave me a big smile and suddenly appeared with a closet full of cloaks. ¡°Well, if you pick something from this list, I¡¯ll fix it moderately.¡± I examined the display stand carefully. On the display stands, cloaks made of soft material were hung next to each other. At that moment, Arsene chose a cloak with embroidered indigo blue threads. ¡°This, this is just yours.¡± Arsene handed me the cloak. I took Arsene¡¯s cloak and looked closely at it. And. ¡°I want to do this.¡± I held out the cloak Arsene had chosen for Claire. The embroidery is pretty, and I really liked it. Arsene chose for me a cloak with blue thread embroidery. Claire smiled softly, took the cloak, and disappeared somewhere. Her assistants give me and Arsene hot chocolate and Kendrick a cup of hot tea and refreshments. We sip cocoa and wait for Claire to come back. And after some time¡ª. Claire came out with a nicely mended cloak. CH 37 Claire used a piece of cloth to fix my cloak and make sure it covered all of my wings. I came out of the dressing room wearing a cloak that covered my wings. The cloak had a small hat attached to it, and the hat could even cover the face. However, Arsene took off the cloak as soon as we got into the carriage as if it was stuffy. ¡°Well, shall we just buy dessert?¡± Hearing Kendrick¡¯s words, Arsene put on a gloomy expression on his face. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do, you know?¡± Kendrick replied. I was relieved at Kendrick¡¯s words quietly. ¡®I have to go and treat that kid and Aiden.¡¯ It was because I was worried about what would happen if Kendrick didn¡¯t hurry back. However, Arsene seemed very disappointed that he had to go back quickly. I held Arsene¡¯s little hand to comfort him. ¡°We can come back again next time.¡± ¡°Next time again?¡± Arsene¡¯s eyes seemed to be asking, ¡®When is the next time?¡¯ ¡°Because you bought me a cloak¡­ wouldn¡¯t you bring me out again next time?¡± I mumbled loudly for Kendrick to hear. Kendrick then answered with a smile and a slow nod. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll let you come again next time.¡± The carriage headed to the most famous dessert shop on this street. Arsene looked out the window as if he didn¡¯t want to miss anything happening on the street. It was the same for me to look outside. ¡®Cause I¡¯ve never been out of a mansion when I lived in Raniero!¡¯ So, this is the first time I¡¯ve been to such a crowded place. At the time, Arsene said cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s a dessert shop¡­ so is the dessert piled up like a mountain?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s piled up like a mountain.¡± What do you mean by a dessert shop? It was a place I¡¯d never been to before. Thinking of the sweet dessert, I felt a little relieved from the accident I had just experienced. The carriage stopped in front of the dessert shop. The knights opened the carriage door after carefully looking around to prevent an accident. It was a huge two-story building. As famous as it is, there was a long line of customers outside the store. Kendrick took Arsene and me to the dessert shop. The shop¡¯s patissier came out and tried to guide us to the best seats on the second floor. But. ¡°¡­That, Kendrick-nim.¡¯ I grabbed Kendrick¡¯s hem. The dessert shop was a really cool and pleasant place. I could smell sweetness everywhere, so I felt soft even when I didn¡¯t move. But apart from that, Inside the building, many other wolves were looking at us. I squeezed Kendrick¡¯s hand in a cold sweat. Noticing my condition, Arsene pressed the cloak¡¯s hat tighter. ¡°Wrap it up, all kinds of it.¡± Kendrick, who looked at my condition, ordered without even looking at the order book. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± We left the store with our hands full of packed desserts. The knights, who were waiting outside the door, took the dessert boxes Kendrick was holding. We got into the carriage and headed back to the mansion. ***** ¡°Aiden!¡± As soon as I arrived at the mansion, I looked for Aiden, who was injured first. Aiden was lying in bed. At a glance, it seemed that Mr. Hern had finished all of his basic treatment. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked, carefully examining Aiden¡¯s condition. I met Aiden for the first time today, but¡ª. ¡®You saved me from Gale.¡¯ I put the box I was carrying on the side table and looked into Aiden¡¯s wounds. ¡°Yes, i, it¡¯s fine, Lady.¡± Aiden replied with a smile. But his breathing was a bit rough. I looked up at Betty. ¡°Betty¡­Can you go out for a moment?¡± ¡°Lady, don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡± ¡°Ung? Please stay outside.¡± Betty looked at me, then sighed and left the room. I put my hand on Aiden¡¯s leg. And. I slowly use my ability. This ability was used properly, except to cure Arsene¡¯s illness. The green light glowed from the fingertips and flowed into Aiden¡¯s wounds. And not long after. ¡°¡­No way?¡± Aiden touched his legs. As if in disbelief, he untied the bandages that Mr. Hern had carefully wrapped around him. A clean, better leg was revealed. ¡°Lady, you¡¯re only using your ability on me¡ª!¡± Aiden said with his eyes wide open in surprise. ¡°Please don¡¯t use your precious ability recklessly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I did it because I wanted to treat you.¡± I answered casually and pointed to the box on the table. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s dessert. Eat it when it¡¯s better.¡± ¡°What? No, Lady¡ª!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going! Take a good rest!¡± I quickly left the room, leaving Aiden behind, who seemed to want to say something more. Betty followed me with a smile. ¡°Where are you going this time?¡± ¡°You know, Betty. Didn¡¯t a girl this size come with Aiden earlier? She¡¯s about an inch taller than me.¡± I put my hand over my head and said. Betty nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve temporarily laid her down in the empty maids¡¯ rooms for now.¡± ¡°Please guide me, I have to see that kid.¡± Betty nodded. I went with Betty to the annex used by the servants. It was a little far from the main building. Betty opened the room¡¯s door at the end of the hallway on the first floor of the annex. A girl was seen lying down through a gap when a light wooden door was opened. Then I asked Betty to do something. ¡°Betty, stay here.¡± ¡°No, Lady. She was fine when she was with the Knights¡ª, but we didn¡¯t know this child¡¯s identity.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you right away if it¡¯s dangerous, okay?¡± ¡°No. Besides, that kid isn¡¯t a wolf, she¡¯s a mutant¡ª Mr. Hern said that.¡± ¡°Mutant?¡± I blinked my eyes. If it was a mutation, it said that babies born between different clans were born without the characteristics of either clans. In other words, it¡¯s like beasts that can¡¯t transform or birds with rabbit ears. ¡°Yes, so you really can¡¯t.¡± Betty said firmly. I had no choice but to enter the room with Betty. The girl was sleeping like dead. ¡°Did she faint?¡± When I whispered, Betty nodded back. ¡°He said it seems that she passed out from the shock.¡± I gently rolled up the blanket. The leg that Mr. Hern had lightly treated caught my eye. And¡ª. Carefully, I placed my hands on her legs and infused her with my ability. A light green light shone faintly under the thin blanket. Betty let out a sigh as if she couldn¡¯t stop me. Hehe. After smiling brightly, I finished the treatment and put my hand away. It was clear that she would have recovered. ¡®Will she wake up?¡¯ Even though only the girl¡¯s leg was hurt, I waited by her bed for a while, hoping she would wake up. But when she showed no sign of waking up, Betty suggested it to me first. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back first? I¡¯ll tell you when she wakes up.¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°Ung, please tell me.¡± ¡°Of course, Lady.¡± I quietly placed the muffins I had treasured in my arms on the side table. It was bought by Kendrick at the dessert shop earlier. ****** I rejected Betty¡¯s suggestions to go back to my room now. ¡°But Young Master Arsene is waiting for you¡­¡± ¡°Arsene? Arsene¡­ Wouldn¡¯t she be eating first?¡± He must be busy eating the desserts we bought, so it was okay. I headed to the stable in Yeckhart. The grey-haired stablekeeper was cleaning up a huge stable. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this the baby bird Lady?¡± When Betty and I stepped into the stable, the stablekeeper smiled and pretended to know me first. ¡°My name is Gilbert, I¡¯m the stable keeper.¡± Maybe it was almost time to finish cleaning, because the inside of the stable was quite clean. ¡°Yes, Gilbert. By any chance, the horse¡­ Didn¡¯t it come in?¡± I greeted Gilbert and looked round the stable. Gilbert paused his broom and said. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about the knight¡¯s horse? We¡¯re not raising it here but¡­we¡¯re only taking care of it temporarily. Please come this way.¡± Gilbert took the lead. I followed in Gilbert¡¯s footsteps with Betty. The place we arrived at was a small Martha in the innermost part of the stable. In it, a horse was painfully breathing out. Gilbert said as if he were in trouble. ¡°It looks like it broke its leg bone from falling. It needs treatment, but its not usually this ferocious¡ª the knight has entrusted this guy to me a few times, and it¡¯s always such hard work.¡± Upon hearing Gilbert¡¯s voice, the horse snorted and ran through the door with its strong hind legs and kicked up. Hoho. Gilbert smiled awkwardly and stepped back, and Betty clasped me nervously on the shoulder. I stared at the injured horse for a long time, and approached the horse at once and got down on my knees. ¡°Lady!¡± CH 38 It was long enough that I could reach the horse¡¯s head if I stretched out my hand. I looked at the huge horse¡¯s head. Betty freaked out and tried to lift me up. ¡°Lady, Kendrick-nim bought you a bunch of desserts. Why don¡¯t you go eat dessert with the Young Master?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Lady. You might get hurt here.¡± As expected, Gilbert also tried to stop me. However. ¡®I don¡¯t feel like its going to attack me¡ª¡¯ Unlike Gilbert, who got a kick when he approached. Aiden¡¯s horse only looked up at me with gentle eyes. After giving it some thought, I suddenly put my hand into the stable. ¡°Lady!¡± ¡°Right, right, you¡¯re so nice.¡± And I patted the horse¡¯s head. The horse shook for a moment as if it was uncomfortable and soon became calm. Gilbert and Betty looked at me when they saw that the horse was obedient and didn¡¯t move away when I touched it. ¡°Please wait, I will make sure you don¡¯t feel the pain anymore.¡± I give the powers slowly, just like I did with Aiden and the girl. It was a little difficult because I used this ability twice a while ago. However. ¡®I watched them get hurt in front of me, how can I just pass it on?¡¯ Still, it wasn¡¯t as difficult as before. Slowly, a light green ray of light moved from my fingers to the horse¡¯s leg. Reflexively, the wheat-colored wings behind my back twitched slightly. A ray of light penetrated the broken leg and then disappeared without a trace. Then. ¡°Hmm¡­is that enough?¡± ¡°Hiing¡ª!¡± Aiden¡¯s horse jumped from its seat and squealed. Then it put its head down and stuck its nose in my cheeks. ¡°Ah, it tickles!¡± ¡°I think it want to say thank you to the Lady.¡± Gilbert laughed. I hugged the horse¡¯s nose and kissed the soft cheek. The horse stepped in place a few times and seemed happy. ¡°Now, you¡¯re not sick anymore, right?¡± I asked while closely looking at the legs of the horse. Then I smiled. After using this ability to heal the injured horse, Aiden, and the girl, a sense of pride rose. ¡®I wish I could use this ability better.¡¯ Then I can treat more beasts and animals. Hiing¡ª! Aiden¡¯s horse let out a long neigh as if to say hello. ¡°Ung, take care. I¡¯ll be on my way now. Don¡¯t get sick.¡± After greeting Aiden¡¯s horse, I left the stable with light steps. Gilbert saw me off as I went. * * * ¡°Arsene¡ª!¡± I rushed to Arsene, who was sitting sulkily. And sat down right next to Arsene. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡± ¡°Where have you been, and why are you just coming back now?¡± Arsene grumbled and pointed to the dessert. ¡°I wanted to eat quickly, but you weren¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Did you? Ah, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Why didn¡¯t you eat?¡± I thought he would be eating first. It looked like he had been waiting the whole time while I was busy walking around in the mansion. I raised my hand and stroked Arsene¡¯s hair. I can see silver hairs sticking out between my fingers. Chloe came out and pushed a strawberry cake with plenty of whipped cream in front of Arsene. Arsene and I both used a fork to poke the corner of the cake. Then, I carefully scooped the part covered in whipped cream and put it in my mouth. ¡°¡­Whoa..¡± As soon as I put it in my mouth, my eyes were wide open to the melting whipped cream. It was the same for Arsene. When he put the fork in his mouth, his eyes were wide open. ¡°Are you going to eat only one piece of that today?¡± Chloe said firmly. Arsene glanced at the mountains of desserts behind Chloe¡¯s back. ¡°But there are so many?¡± ¡°It would be bad if you eat too much.¡± Chloe spoke firmly and handed them two glasses of juice in a glass. I grabbed the juice cup and drank it all at once. Then. The door opened slowly, and Ethan, an old butler with gray hair, appeared. ¡°Lady, Young Master, did you go out safely?¡± ¡°Ethan!¡± With another bite of the cake in my mouth, I jumped to my feet with a happy feeling. ¡°Hoho, I heard that the discussion with the temple went well.¡± Chloe and Arsene smiled at Ethan¡¯s words. ¡°Ung. That¡¯s right.¡± I smiled brightly and nodded. Today, while walking around the inside of the mansion, I received a lot of congratulations from here and there, so my heart was like whipped cream. When word got around the mansion that they had safely finished talking with the temple, some people started calling me ¡°Baby Madam.¡± Hoho, Ethan smiled and raised his one-piece glasses. ¡°The Lord said he would prepare for the banquet now.¡± Prepare for the banquet? Ah! I remembered what Kendrick said not too long ago. ¡®He said that he will host a banquet to formally introduce Arsene and me.¡¯ Having a banquet meant that I was officially part of the wolf family. My heart tickled as if I had swallowed a feather when I thought of that. Then, Arsene put the strawberry on the cake in his mouth and asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Kendrick-nim said he would hold a banquet.¡± I sat down again, grabbed a glass of juice with both hands, and answered. ¡°Banquet?¡± When Arsene asked again, Ethan answered, bending slightly. ¡°We invite a lot of people to have a party. If you hold a banquet, you will have many new friends.¡± Arsene blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t need a friend.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± Arsene tapped me on the sleeve. ¡°Of course, the Lady is a good friend of the Young Master. But the more friends you have, the better. You can¡¯t just play with the Lady forever¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to play with her.¡± Said Arsene firmly. And he turned his head and looked at me as if urging me to answer. I replied while fiddling with the cup. ¡°Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t mind hanging out with just you¡­ but that¡¯s not the problem. Arsene.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an introduction to you as the successor to Yeckhart. Me too, at the same time.¡± ¡°What do you mean at the same time? The two main characters of the banquet are the Young Master and the Lady, no matter what anyone says.¡± Ethan made a firm correction. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I looked up at Ethan and nodded. Ehem, the old butler, who coughed, once again raised his only glasses. ¡°Yeckhart has a long tradition. The hostess herself decorates the banquet where she is introduced. But since the Lady is too young¡ª. If you want to do it, feel free to say it, or if you don¡¯t want to, feel free to say it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to decorate the banquet?¡± Me, in a huge banquet hall? When I asked in amazement, Ethan laughed and said, ¡°You can just choose the flowers or decorations to decorate the banquet hall. The rest will be ordered by Kendrick and the maids will prepare everything on their own. I¡¯m telling you, Madam of Yeckhart has long since she passed away, and now you¡¯re the little mistress of Yeckhart.¡± I nodded slowly. I didn¡¯t think it would be difficult to choose just the type of flower. Besides, ¡®If it¡¯s something I have to do, of course¡ª¡¯ Then it was right to do it. I didn¡¯t want to be hated for putting off what I had to do. Besides, the elders are on my side, but I still don¡¯t know what the other nobles of the wolf family will be like. It¡¯s better not to do anything that¡¯s worth bothering about. I answered after finishing a short thought. ¡°Ung, okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Now, all that remains is to match the clothes and write the invitations.¡± Ethan narrowed his forehead as if he was thinking hard about something. Arsene and I looked at Ethan calmly while putting the cake in our mouths. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when we have a rough schedule. Then please enjoy your meal.¡± Ethan smiled, bowed, greeted politely and left the room. Chloe smiled softly. ¡°It¡¯s a banquet, and there will be a lot of friends the same age as the Young Master and the Lady. I hope you have fun~.¡± Arsene pursed his lips and replied to what Chloe had said. ¡°I don¡¯t need a friend.¡± ¡°Even so, it would be nice to have one, right?¡± ¡°If I have a friend, it¡¯s just annoying¡­¡± ¡°You, you just like to play with me.¡± Arsene stuttered as if I had hit the nail on the head. ¡°T, that¡¯s!¡± I emptied the plate from the cake and looked at the pile of dessert. There were cakes in there, but there were a lot of muffins and cookies to eat lightly. It was thanks to Kendrick who swept all the desserts in the shop. Thanks to this, the dessert shop was closed as soon as we left the store. The problem is, Kendrick gave it to us as a gift, so other servants couldn¡¯t eat it. So if we don¡¯t eat, all those desserts will be thrown away. I couldn¡¯t leave it alone like that. ¡°The dessert¡­you know, Arsene. I thought of something fun.¡± I beckoned Arsene to bring his ear close. ¡°What is it?¡± Arsene leaned toward me. ¡°Why don¡¯t we give out our dessert? Since there are so many, we¡¯ll be able to share a lot.¡± I grinned. The work at the temple must have worked out well, and I thought it would be good to share it with the servants of Yeckhart as a request to take good care of me. ¡°¡­Share it? To whom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, of course, to the servants. There are two maids, Akim and the maid Rodri¡­ Oh, I thought I¡¯d give it to Ethan as well. I should have given it to him when he came earlier.¡± I thought about how many people I would like to share it with. Arsene, who had been pondering, opened his mouth. ¡°Hmm¡­ You want to share it since we can¡¯t eat it anyway, right?¡± ¡°Ung, that¡¯s right. And, eating delicious food together makes you happier. And also¡­¡± ¡°Also?¡± ¡°I received a lot of congratulations earlier. So, I want to share it in return.¡± I said, pointing to the strawberry cake we just ate. CH 39 Arsene nodded obediently to my words. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good.¡± Chloe, who heard of Arsene¡¯s plan and me, brought a small toy cart from somewhere. And she put dessert boxes on it one by one. ¡°My Lady has a beautiful heart. Now, this would be a little easier to share it.¡± Arsene insisted that he should pull the cart. But I took the handle of the cart from Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡°You can¡¯t. Your body is weak.¡± ¡°What? But I¡¯m all better¡ª¡± I glanced at Arsene and flapped my wheat-colored wings. My wings haven¡¯t even totally disappeared yet. Arsene bit his lip and grudgingly gave me the handle of the cart. I grabbed the cart handle. And Arsene and I walked around the mansion and shared desserts. ¡°Oh my, thank you. Lady.¡± ¡°Then should I call you Baby Madam now?¡± ¡°Congratulations. I will eat well, thank you.¡± ¡°Desserts in town? I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s famous, but I didn¡¯t expect to get a chance to eat¡ª. Thank you for the food. Lady, Young Master.¡± Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t give it to everyone, but I was able to give it to most of the servants who loved me. Arsene, who had been pulling a cart with me, was exhausted and sat down on the grass. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s hard¡­I want to rest.¡± ¡°Me too, it¡¯s really hard.¡± I slumped down next to Arsene. It was unimaginable to sit down anywhere in Raniero. I seemed to have adapted to the free atmosphere of Yeckhart to some extent. Now I looked up at the sky, which was getting darker, and took a deep breath. ¡®Now that I see it, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡¯ The problem was that I wasn¡¯t hungry because, while pushing the cart, I kept eating desserts one by one without Chloe and Betty knowing. Arsene seemed to feel the same way. Then. ¡°Lady? Were you here? I¡¯ve been looking for you for a while.¡± Aiden looked fine as he walked toward me from far away. I wanted to get up and say hello, but I had no energy and had no choice but to sit down and say hello. ¡°Yes, Aiden. Did you rest well?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. And¡ªplease talk comfortably. You are now a member of Yeckhart.¡± I nodded my head as I listened to Aiden. ¡°Ung, then I¡¯ll do it now.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here to say thank you formally, Lady.¡± Aiden was polite and bowed to me. ¡°I heard that you healed my horse. How should I repay this favor¡ª¡± ¡°Then, I have one request.¡± I looked up at Aiden. Aiden looked at me with a serious face, like he was going to listen to whatever it was. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a kid who bumped into Aiden, please don¡¯t get mad at her¡­ okay?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Of course, Kendrick-nim said he wouldn¡¯t punish her, but¡ªI¡¯m afraid Aiden will visit the kid and get angry. She¡¯s in the mansion right now.¡± I looked up at Aiden¡¯s face, wiggling my fingers. Aiden, who was blinking while listening to me, soon waved his hand. ¡°What do you mean angry, Lady? I have no intention of doing so. I heard that she¡¯s a kid who can¡¯t even see¡ª¡± ¡°Her eyes¡­I thought she couldn¡¯t see, but I¡¯m still not sure.¡± I wrinkled my nose slightly. When she was facing Kendrick, she certainly looked like a blind kid. ¡®She was looking at me directly.¡¯ Our eyes must have met. Her eyes were clearly fixed on me, which had been wandering all over the floor. At times like that, I feel like she can see what¡¯s in front of her¡ª. No one knew yet if her eyes were blind or not because she didn¡¯t open her mouth. I looked up at Aiden, who looked at me with puzzled eyes. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not angry. I trusted Aiden.¡± Hehe, when I smiled, Aiden smiled. ¡°I am much more grateful. If you need anything in the future, please let me know. I will help you with all my heart and soul.¡± Then Aiden left first, saying he had to go back. I got up from my seat. Arsene stared at me. ¡°Are you going in?¡± ¡°Ung, we have to go in. We can¡¯t sit still forever.¡± Arsene grabbed my hand and got up when I reached out to Arsene. We pulled the empty cart back into the mansion. Betty smiled and greeted us warmly. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, aren¡¯t you hungry? Kendrick-nim is waiting for you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s waiting for us?¡± ¡°Yes, he just went to the dining room. So come on..Oh, my.¡± Betty, who saw me and Arsene, who were all covered in dirt, covered her mouth. ¡°Lady¡­you said you¡¯d only share the dessert¡­?¡± ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m sorry, Betty. Can we eat later?¡± I smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of my head. Because I couldn¡¯t have dinner with Kendrick with this appearance. Betty sighed and reached out to me. ¡°You¡¯d better wash up first. I¡¯ll tell Kendrick-nim. Young Master too.¡± Arsene was led into his room by Chloe, who held his hand. Betty took me to the bathroom. After pouring a lot of warm water into the huge bathtub, she slowly put me into the bathtub. ¡°If it¡¯s hot, please tell me.¡± I shook my head. It felt good because it was moderately warm. After a clean bath in the rose-scented water, Betty and the other maids wiped me dry. ¡°Come on, raise your arms.¡± Betty changed me into an indoor dress and took me to the dining room. ¡®Kendrick-nim won¡¯t be here, will he?¡¯ It took a long time to wash up, so it was clear that Kendrick would have finished eating first and gone upstairs. I was going to ask about this ability. And what to do with the girl who was brought from the street. I blinked in regret and stepped into the dining room. But¡ª. ¡°Now she is coming.¡± Kendrick was sitting in the dining room. I rushed to the table in surprise and sat down. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡± ¡°I want to have dinner together. The time has come for Arsene to come as well.¡± Arsene, who had been washed away, appeared as soon as Kendrick finished speaking. Arsene naturally sat across from me. As soon as we all sat down, the dishes came out one after the other. I looked at Kendrick with a spoonful of warm vegetable soup in my mouth. ¡®Ack.¡¯ Then, Kendrick raised his head and made eye contact. I smiled awkwardly and put the soup in my mouth. ¡°Today, did you share the dessert?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, there are too many to eat¡­It¡¯s a waste to throw it away.¡± As he nodded, a subtle smile stood on Kendrick¡¯s lips. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kendrick-nim. I really enjoyed the meal.¡± Arsene, who was eating well, also nodded. ¡°Yes, it was delicious.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you again next time. No, it would be better to leave the banquet cake to the store altogether.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t there Akim?¡± ¡°Akim¡¯s dessert is great, too. But I think you guys prefer the dessert at the store.¡± ¡°Yes, the dessert at the store was more delicious than Akim.¡± Arsene spits out the words that would have shed tears if Akim had heard it. ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave the cake for your wedding to the patissier.¡± Saying that, Kendrick seemed to be in a better mood than usual. I nodded, then gathered courage and cautiously called out Kendrick. ¡°Uhm, Kendrick-nim. I have something to ask you¡ª¡± ¡°Tell me, Linsy.¡± I carefully set the fork I was holding down on the table. ¡°About the girl staying in the mansion.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that kid?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you let her stay in the mansion longer?¡± ¡°Tell me why, Linsy.¡± Kendrick stared at me. ¡°Let me ask you¡­ It¡¯s just that personally¡­¡± Kendrick stopped chewing the meat and looked at me instead. As expected, I can¡¯t right? I looked at Kendrick and Arsene, and read the air. There was silence for a while. It was Kendrick who broke the silence first. ¡°Yeah, do it if you want. Then we¡¯ll see what she can do in the mansion. It¡¯s hard to do a lot of things because she can¡¯t see, but¡ª¡± ¡°Really? Thank you!¡± I smiled and nodded lightly toward Kendrick. ¡°Instead, it could be dangerous, so always go with two or more maids whenever you meet her.¡± ¡°Yes? But she looks like my age¡ª¡± ¡°Still, I can¡¯t slow the tension down. Linsy, you are a direct member clan of Raniero, and now you will become Yeckhart¡¯s hostess. It means more and more people are looking for you.¡± Kendrick continued, slowly slicing the steak. ¡°If you need it, I will give you permission, but if you don¡¯t keep this much, I can¡¯t give you permission.¡± Kendrick said firmly. In the end, I had no choice but to nod. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Yeah, good girl.¡± * * * After dinner, Arsene and I got up from the table when our stomachs were full. ¡°I¡¯ll go now, Kendrick-nim. Thank you for the food!¡± ¡°I¡¯m full. Father, bye.¡± ¡°Yeah, go and rest. Arsene, Linsy.¡± At that moment, a maid quickly rushed into the dining room. Arsene and I both stopped on our way out and stared at the maid. When Kendrick asked what was going on, the maid bowed and said. ¡°Lord, the kid is awake.¡± ¡°That kid?¡± I looked at the maid¡¯s face once and then at Kendrick once. ¡°That kid is awake, Linsy.¡± Kendrick looked at me, smiled, and nodded his head. CH 40 Ah!¡¯ You mean the girl. I nodded right away. ¡°Ung, I¡¯m going now!¡± ¡°But the time is already too late¡­¡± The maid glanced at Betty as if in trouble. Betty, who stood quietly by my side the whole time, said firmly. ¡°Not now, Lady. Let¡¯s go see her tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Huh? But you said you¡¯d let me meet her when she wakes up.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t because it¡¯s late. Now you have to go up and wash up and go to bed.¡± ¡°But I just had dinner¡­.¡± ¡°Children need to sleep before nine to grow taller.¡± Betty was determined. In the end, Arsene and I had no choice but to return to our rooms. After I came back to my room, I lay in bed, glancing at the ceiling. ¡®I want to meet her right away.¡¯ I wondered what the ¡®black smoke¡¯ the girl said. Did she see Kendrick¡¯s power or something else? Like the dark-red air that leaked out of Ester¡¯s body. I don¡¯t know if it means that. And what the girl said was¡ª If she was really talking about the black smoke I saw that day¡ª. I jumped up and ran to the mirror. I turned my head around and reflected my neck in the mirror. There was still a clear black spot on the neck. I looked at the spot and bit my lip. ¡®I need to find a way to solve the prohibition.¡¯ Only then could I tell Kendrick the truth about what I saw. Since the black smoke started to flow out, Arsene¡¯s health has gradually worsened. Perhaps it is closely related to Arsene¡¯s disease. Thinking like that, I can understand why it was difficult for me to treat Arsene. ¡®Because he came to me as if he were trying to swallow me¡­.¡¯ And it doesn¡¯t match my strength. I sighed deeply and rubbed the black spot on my neck for no reason. As expected, the spots didn¡¯t disappear. But¡ª. ¡°Ung¡­?¡± There were a few red hairs in between the hairs. Terrified, I pulled my hair out, opened the window, and threw it outside. ¡®I can¡¯t change my hair already.¡¯ I still haven¡¯t been able to tell Kendrick the truth that when I molt, I become a red bird. I jumped on the spot and turned into a bird. And, ¡°Chirp!¡± I spread my wings wide in front of the mirror and looked everywhere at my wings. ¡®Maybe there are red feathers on the wings too?¡¯ When I wasn¡¯t fully transformed, the wings would pop out, so I had to be more careful. ¡®Phew, I¡¯m glad there isn¡¯t a red feather.¡¯ I change back to my human form. It is a mountain beyond the mountain. (t/n: It means once you finish one problem, another one appears.) Phew. My memories of being rejected because I was cursed in a past life were still very clear. So it wasn¡¯t easy to say it myself. I mean that I¡¯ll have cursed. Of course¡ª Kendrick said he wouldn¡¯t abandon me. And Yeckhart¡¯s servants are all kind to me, however¡ª. It had nothing to do with that. Because Raniero¡¯s employees were also kind to me. Until I transform into a red bird. ¡®Let¡¯s not think about it for now.¡¯ I shook my head. What¡¯s important is the dark red air that crawled out of Ester¡¯s body. And the prohibition in my neck. * * * When morning came, I went right to the girl. Betty followed me with a worried look on her face. ¡°Lady, please have a breakfast first and go¡ª!¡± ¡°But, she said she woke up. I want to meet her soon.¡± I almost ran towards the room where she was lying. As promised, Betty and another apprentice maid accompanied me. Betty opened the door to the room I went to yesterday. ¡°Uh¡­¡± A dirty little girl was fiddling with the muffin I had left yesterday. The girl was startled and dropped the muffin on the floor. I quickly ran over, picked up the muffin, and gave it to the girl. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°¡­T, thank you.¡± The girl stuttered and carefully took the muffin. ¡®Are you hungry?¡¯ I waited for a while, wondering if she was going to eat a muffin because she was hungry, but it didn¡¯t seem like that. Because the girl fumbled for the blanket and hid the muffin underneath. She then fiddled with her fingers to make sure the muffins were well hidden. I stared at it and slowly introduced myself. ¡°My name is Linsy, Linsy Raniero. I¡¯m from a bird clan. You?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± But the girl said nothing. I was embarrassed for nothing, so I just smiled awkwardly. Betty stepped forward. ¡°What are you doing rudely? She is the soon-to-be hostess of Yeckhart. Say hello properly.¡± Betty shot back sharply. I grabbed Betty¡¯s skirt and looked up at her. ¡°Betty, don¡¯t do that. Let me talk. Okay? I have something to talk to this kid. Please go over there for a moment.¡± ¡°But, Lady¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. If it¡¯s dangerous, I¡¯ll call you right away. Okay?¡± In the end, Betty stepped aside for a while as if she couldn¡¯t win. Betty and the other maids stood outside the door and looked at me. So it can be stopped at any time if something dangerous happens. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± There was silence for a while. I stared at the girl who was only fiddling with her hands, then slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± ¡°Y, yes¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a relief. If you¡¯re sick again, tell me anytime.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The girl nodded her head. I followed the girl, nodded my head, and asked her a straightforward question. Of course, the sound was kept low so that Betty and the maid who were outside couldn¡¯t hear it. ¡°By the way, about the black smoke. What did you mean by that?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You said that while looking at me. Black smoke.¡± Then, the girl looked up. His eyes, which were looking elsewhere as if they were out of focus, looked at me clearly. ¡°I said¡­ black smoke.¡± ¡°Where is the black smoke?¡± I move to get closer to the girl. Then the girl hesitated for a moment, as if thinking hard, and then raised her finger and pointed to my neck. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°N, neck¡­ Smoke¡­¡± ¡°Can you see what¡¯s on my neck?¡± I asked again with my eyes wide open. The girl nodded slowly. ¡°¡­Then, really.¡± This girl is watching the dark red air that I saw. I swallowed my saliva and asked the girl. ¡°Then, can you tell Kendrick-nim what you¡¯re seeing?¡± ¡°P, prohibition¡­¡± The girl frowned for a moment, then let it go. I asked with round eyes. ¡°Oh¡­ Do you know it too?¡± The girl kept her mouth shut. ¡°But can you talk about it? I can¡¯t say anything because of this.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you speak for me?¡± But the girl turned her head as if she couldn¡¯t speak. Is there something she can¡¯t say? I was frustrated as to why the girl couldn¡¯t say it to me when she didn¡¯t have the same prohibition like me. However, for now, I have confirmed that she can see the ¡®black smoke,¡¯ so my goal has been achieved. I looked at the face that was covered in dirt. Faded gray eyes and dirty white hair. ¡°You¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You have to stay here for a while, so I don¡¯t know what to call you¡­.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t have¡­.¡± The girl hesitated and stuttered. ¡°You don¡¯t have a name?¡± The girl nodded slowly at my question. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll name it for you. What would be good¡­ How about Glene?¡± I spit out the name ¡®Glene¡¯ and opened my eyes wide in surprise. ¡®Why did I think of this name all of a sudden?¡¯ The name Glene popped into my head without realizing it. I had a strong feeling that I should call this kid that way. The girl nodded silently. ¡°Do you like Glene?¡± ¡°¡­Ung.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll call you Glene.¡± The girl, or Glene, turned her head shyly. ¡°But, you know, I have a question. Are you¡­ are you blind?¡± I asked, removing Glene¡¯s shaggy bangs. The focusless eyes looked at me clearly again. ¡°¡­You, I can see you.¡± ¡°You can see me? How about anyone else?¡± Glene shook her head slowly. How is it that I¡¯m the only one she can see? I tilted my head and looked at the girl in front of me. From how she pointed at my neck and her eyes followed my movements, I think she really could see¡ª. ¡®Come to think of it, they said she¡¯s a mutant.¡¯ Is it the nature of a mutant? Mutations were very few and rare, so little was known about them. So maybe there¡¯s such an ability. ¡®But it¡¯s rude to ask such a thing¡­¡¯ Since she was a girl who lived on the street, there was a high possibility that she didn¡¯t even know what her parents were. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you can see me.¡± Glene stared at me who smiling. Then. ¡°Lady, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Betty came up and called me. ¡®She didn¡¯t hear, right?¡¯ I take a quick look at Betty¡¯s face. Fortunately, Betty didn¡¯t seem to hear any of our strange conversations. I jumped out of Glene¡¯s bed with a sigh of relief. There was a wrinkle in the seat I sat on. Tak tak. I shook off the seat I was sitting on and smoothed out the wrinkles, then waved at Glene. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later~, take care.¡± I grabbed Betty¡¯s hand and walked out of Glene¡¯s room. As I walked all the way to the dining room, I sneakily asked Betty. ¡°You know, Betty, is there¡­ a disease where they can only see one person?¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re already saying something romantic, Lady. Have you ever fallen in love?¡± Hoho, Betty laughed. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I waved my hand because it seemed to have caused a great misunderstanding. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not that¡­ Normally, if you can¡¯t see, you can¡¯t see everything, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But now she can see a certain person¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± There¡¯s no way there¡¯s such a disease. Then, Betty answered. ¡°It¡¯s possible if you have other eyes. Like the deer clan.¡± ¡°Ung?¡± ¡°The deer clan don¡¯t have ability, but they have eyes that can see the flow of powers. But it will be possible when those other eyes develop. Because that kid is a mutant¡ª something like that could happen.¡± Betty talked one after another. I nodded quietly. ¡®Mutant¡­ That means the deer clan¡¯s blood is flowing.¡¯ Meanwhile, Betty and I arrived in front of the dining room. CH 41 ¡°Arsene, did you sleep well?¡± I greeted Arsene and sat down at the table. Arsene put a piece of soft bread in his mouth and nodded. ¡°Ung, I slept well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, today is the day we¡¯re going to Kendrick.¡± ¡°¡­Today? Why?¡± I answered, poking the salad with a fork into my mouth. ¡°He¡¯s going to teach us how to use ability again today¡­ So you forgot about it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was today.¡± Arsene puffed out his cheeks and kept eating. Then¡ª. ¡°Lady, Young Master.¡± Ethan bowed his head as he walked into the dining room. Arsene and I were eating and, at the same time, looked up at Ethan. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Ung, good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning~.¡± Then Ethan laughed as he raised his glasses, which are unusually shiny today. ¡°Please pay attention while you eat, because today you have to write an invitation to the banquet. The two of you together.¡± ¡°¡­An invitation? ¡°Invitation?¡± We opened our eyes wide at the same time and asked back. ¡°Because we have to send the banquet invitations to the Young master and the Lady¡¯s friends as well. Kendrick-nim said it would be better to write it yourself.¡± Ethan smiled and answered. As I listened to Ethan, I turned to Arsene. Arsene seemed to be worried for a while and nodded slowly. ¡°But the invitation¡­ I never write it.¡± Because all the invitations to the banquets held in Raniero were written by my father or another adult. ¡°You can write it comfortably. Rodri will help you.¡± After nodding, we quickly finished breakfast and headed to Arsene¡¯s room. ***** ¡°¡­Is this how you write it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­?¡± I looked down at the paper with the word ¡®invitation¡¯ written on it with a confused mind. Arsene insisted that I do it, so I gave it a try. ¡®Are we really going to send out invitations like this?¡¯ I think I¡¯m just being laughed at. Then I took out another luxurious piece of paper and scribbled down an invitation. ¡®I have to say hello first.¡¯ It was hard because I had never written an invitation letter or even a letter. I could feel Arsene glancing over my shoulder at what I was writing. Then. ¡°Linsy?¡± Arsene called me in a curious voice. I turned my head and made eye contact with Arsene. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Did you always have this around your neck?¡± Arsene¡¯s finger pointed exactly at my spot. I opened my eyes wide in surprise and covered my neck reflexively. ¡°This¡­ This¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it was there before.¡± Arsene tilted his head. But how did he know? The spots were so small that I had to squint and look in the mirror for a long time to find them. So I thought no one would know. I opened my mouth to answer about the spots without realizing it. But¡ª. ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, something was hot around the spotty neck, making it hard for me to speak. ¡°Linsy? Linsy? Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I covered my neck with a red face and spat out nothing but a cough. Why, why are you doing this? ¡®I didn¡¯t say anything yet!¡¯ I almost cried out of frustration. Is there a reaction just thinking about talking about spots? With my eyes closed, I tried to shake off spots and thoughts of prohibition. Then. ¡°¡­Hah!¡± The choked throat has been loosened. I felt like the hand that had been squeezing my throat was loosened. I took a quick breath, and Arsene tapped my shoulder and called me. ¡°Linsy, Linsy? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I tried to shake my head. ¡°N, nothing¡­¡± What¡¯s wrong? It wasn¡¯t up to this level last time, but suddenly the prohibition was activated as if it had reacted to something. ¡°Are you sick? Then Mr. Hern¡ª¡± ¡°Why am I sick? It¡¯s not like that¡ª let¡¯s write an invitation.¡± I pointed to the paper, trying to clear my cracked voice. Arsene stared at me suspiciously and soon picked up the pen again. Then I looked at Arsene writing a scribbling invitation. ¡®Strange¡­, I mean, it didn¡¯t react like this last time.¡¯ It didn¡¯t even hurt that much. Besides, I didn¡¯t spit out the words this time, I was just thinking of spitting them out. But the prohibition grabbed my neck so that I could not speak. I sighed and hit my head on the desk. ¡®What kind of trouble is this.¡¯ I¡¯m still worried about many things, but it would be bad if I got entangled with something strange for nothing. I remembered Ester, the Grand Elder, who was strangely hostile to me. ¡®He was the only one who refused when I said I¡¯d treat him.¡¯ One day, he came in with a limp as if he had injured his leg. So I ran to him and said I¡¯d treat him¡ª. ¡°I don¡¯t need it, Lady. It seems like you like to poke your nose into something.¡± Ester hit my hand hard and then limped away. I was embarrassed just to sit there and look at him. ¡®First of all, I think it¡¯s clear that Ester is a dangerous person¡ª¡¯ The problem is that I can¡¯t say that. ¡®I think I need to talk to Glene more¡ª¡¯ After writing the invitation, I had to go see Kendrick in the afternoon, so I didn¡¯t have time to meet Glene. Instead, I glanced at Betty sitting next to us. I thought about going to see Betty secretly, but¡ª. ¡®The prohibition will be back again.¡¯ Phew. I just let out a sigh. At that moment, Arsene suddenly held out a piece of paper on which he had been scribbling hard. ¡°Look at this, how is it?¡± I read the invitation that Arsene had carefully written. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just giving me a rough answer.¡± Arsene asked with his eyes open. It stings. I read Arsene¡¯s invitation carefully again and praised him. ¡°No, it was really well written. Great.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Arsene gave Betty a suspicious look and showed her the invitation he¡¯d written. ¡°Lady, do you write it too?¡± Betty accepted Arsene¡¯s invitation and read it once before saying. ¡°Uhm¡­ Can¡¯t we do it together with Arsene¡¯s invitation? We were thinking together¡­.¡± I poked Arsene with my elbow. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right, we thought about it together and wrote it.¡± Betty narrowed her eyes and looked at us alternately. Then she immediately got up from her seat. ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring it to him like this for now. And¡­do you have a meeting with the Lord after lunch?¡± ¡°Ung. It¡¯s today.¡± ¡°I think it would be perfect if you eat first and then go see the Lord.¡± Betty smiled and stood up. ***** ¡°Bring the kid.¡± ¡°That kid, who are you talking about?¡± ¡°A kid from the street. She bumped into Aiden.¡± Kendrick looked confused as if he didn¡¯t get it right away. Then Ethan nodded his head, ah, opened and closed her mouth slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Ethan left Kendrick¡¯s office. And not long after, Ethan knocked on the door of the office. ¡°Come in.¡± With Kendrick¡¯s permission, the heavy wooden door slid open, and Ethan reappeared. ¡°I brought her here, my Lord.¡± ¡°Let her in.¡± Ethan brought the girl who was standing outside the door into his room. The girl who hesitated to enter her room then bowed her head. Kendrick looked down slowly at the little girl. She might not have been washed yet because a stream of old water was running down her skin and she was wearing a piece of torn cloth. Kendrick clicked his tongue. ¡°Ethan, after the conversation, tell her to wash up and change her clothes. I can¡¯t let her roam the mansion like this.¡± Ethan bowed his head. Kendrick beckoned Ethan as if to go out. After Ethan left the room, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Kendrick asked the girl again. He even lightly threatened that if she didn¡¯t answer this time, he would kick her out right away. The girl thought for a moment, then opened her mouth hesitantly. ¡°Gl, Glene¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Glene. Please roll up your bangs a bit.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s command, Glene pulled up her bangs with a trembling hand. Blurry gray eyes appeared without focus. ¡°When did you stop being able to see?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Glene bit her lips tightly. Kendrick took a deep breath, then glanced back at Glene and thought. ¡®It¡¯s strange.¡¯ She asked him to leave it at the mansion for now, so he did it for her. He has no idea what Linsy was thinking when she asked for such a favor. In addition. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°¡­10 years old.¡± Glene¡¯s answer was stuttering. When Kendrick looked at Glene, he furrowed his brows. ¡®You¡¯re that small, but you¡¯re ten years old?¡¯ Of course, she was bigger than Linsy and Arsene, but Linsy and Arsene were a special case. Arsene¡¯s development was slow because of the curse, and Linsy was born small. However, if it was a child of normal wolf blood, it had to grow faster than that. Kendrick sighed. ¡®Besides, they said she looked like a mutant.¡¯ Kendrick looked slowly at Glene again. Gray eyes and white hair. It¡¯s hard to say what kind of mixed race it is. Kendrick then asked several questions, but Glene shut up each time. Like an idiot who can¡¯t speak. Eventually, Kendrick gave up trying to get any meaningful answers from Glene. And he called the maid outside. ¡°Take this kid, wash her, and find something she can do. I have to leave it in her mansion anyway.¡± After the maid bowed deeply, she took Glene out of the office. Kendrick narrowed his eyes and looked at where Glene had left. CH 42 ¡°Linsy, Arsene.¡± I turned my head reflexively to a familiar voice. Kendrick was walking from afar. Kendrick strode towards us, unbuttoning a couple of buttons as if his shirt was cramped. ¡°Kendrick-nim!¡± As I called him nicely, Kendrick¡¯s fine mouth drew a line. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. I have work to do.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be late next time.¡± Arsene spoke in a sulky tone. He seems to have become irritated after sitting in a hot place for a long time. I, Arsene, and Kendrick were out in the garden now. Originally, we were supposed to take classes in the library, but¡ª. ¡®Come to think of it, it must be a little dangerous to do it in the library. So it would be better to go to the garden.¡¯ So, based on what Kendrick said, we ended up going out to the garden. Even though the maids brought ice water, it was still hot. And Arsene seemed to feel the heat more than anyone else. ¡®Is it because he¡¯s a member of the wolf family?¡¯ Arsene was sitting behind me and saying it felt cool when my wings flapped. I¡¯m dumbfounded, but I fanned Arsene hard with my wings. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m raising a kid.¡¯ I¡¯m not wrong about that, but¡ª. Arsene¡¯s cheeks were flushed from being fanned by my wings. Kendrick swept Arsene¡¯s cheek once and reached out to me. ¡°Get up first, Arsene. You too.¡± I grabbed Kendrick¡¯s hand and jumped to my feet. I then shook off my crumpled dress and spread the wrinkles out. Arsene also followed me and got up from his seat. ¡°First, use your abilities. Linsy.¡± ¡°¡­To whom?¡± I said, looking at the wide garden. Unlike Kendrick¡¯s ability, my ability had to be in direct contact with the opponent to be used. ¡®Do you want me to use it to Kendrick?¡¯ I carefully squeezed Kendrick¡¯s hand. Then Kendrick shook his head and dropped my hand. ¡°Just use it. Close your eyes tightly.¡± ¡°¡­Can I do that?¡± It wouldn¡¯t be¡ª. Raniero had never used an ability like that before. It was natural because our abilities were only manifested when we were in direct contact with the opponent. I looked up at Kendrick. Kendrick shook his head as if that wasn¡¯t the right way to use it. Arsene was also looking at me with a curious expression. ¡®Ah, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ I used this ability with the idea of reaching out my hand into the air and infusing it into the air. But as expected, it couldn¡¯t have worked either. Only grasshoppers buzzed around the area, not a swarm of lights coming from my fingers. I quickly turned to Kendrick. ¡°Raniero¡¯s ability can¡¯t be used that way. I have to make contact with¡­¡± ¡°No, Linsy. It¡¯s possible. Try again.¡± Kendrick was determined. I nodded slowly. Because I didn¡¯t have the courage to refute Kendrick¡¯s words. Furthermore¡ª. ¡®I¡¯m the one who asked him to teach me¡ª¡¯ I had to find a solution somehow to put these wings in. Kendrick leaned on his back, grabbed my wrist carefully, and pretended to reach his arm up into the air. ¡°Now, close your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I gently closed my eyes. ¡°Think of your hands touching a skin. You are touching the patient now.¡± Kendrick¡¯s low-pitched voice fell softly into my ear. ¡®Touching¡­skin¡­¡¯ I wiggled my fingers, then stretched out ten fingers. ¡°Now, try it. There is an opponent in front of you who can use this ability.¡± With my eyes closed, I murmured as if chanting a spell. ¡®There¡¯s an opponent, there¡¯s an opponent¡ª¡¯ And slowly infusing the ability. I could feel the warm wind starting from my fingertips. It¡¯s working! I opened my eyes and looked at the scene unfolding before my eyes. A bright yellow-green sphere was floating in the palm of my hand. ¡°It¡¯s work! It¡¯s working!¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t stop and keep going. Just like now. You¡¯re doing well, Linsy¡­.¡± Kendrick whispered. Before I knew it, Arsene sat right next to me, watching me use this ability. I slowly closed and opened my eyes and kept taking deep breaths. ¡®It¡¯s strange.¡¯ When I was treating Arsene, it was so difficult that I could only use it for five minutes, so I couldn¡¯t control my body. It was possible to infuse the power into the air endlessly as if it were a wave of power. ¡®It seems to be easier than in previous lives.¡¯ I remembered taking care of the Elders, Aiden, his horse, and Glene in turn. Somehow, I didn¡¯t feel it was difficult during the treatment. ¡®I¡¯ve become stronger than in my previous life.¡¯ I stared at the sphere that was constantly growing in size in the palm of my hand. The sphere kept getting bigger and bigger until it was twice as big as my body. Then Kendrick grabbed my wrist. ¡°You can stop now. Try using it as if you were scattering it on the lawn.¡± ¡°You can stop now. Try using it as if you were scattering it on the lawn.¡± ¡°On the lawn¡­How?¡± I looked at Kendrick and stomped my feet. It was the first time I had ever used this ability in this way, so I had no idea. Kendrick seemed to ponder for a moment, then opened his mouth. ¡°You said you had a flower bed with Arsene last time, Linsy.¡± Why is he talking about that all of a sudden? A gardener left a flower bed, so I planted flower seeds with Arsene. I nodded my head vigorously. Then Kendrick said, lightly clasping my wrist. ¡°Think of it as watering with a watering can.¡± ¡°¡­A watering can?¡± I asked again, as if in disbelief. Is he trying to pull a prank on me? I even thought it was like that. But Kendrick¡¯s expression was extremely serious. Eventually, I closed my eyes again. ¡®A watering can¡­ Think of it as watering¡­.¡¯ So that the lawn can absorb this ability properly. When I finished thinking and slowly opened my eyes, a light green sphere floated high in the sky. Then. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The light green sphere twisted strangely, and it eventually resembled a giant watering can. ¡°¡­I, is this right? It seems strange¡­Kendrick-nim¡­¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re doing well, so keep going.¡± I looked at the giant watering can in the air, almost crying. And¡ª. ¡®I think of a watering can.¡¯ I remembered that giant yellow-green watering can be watering the lawn evenly. So let¡¯s give them the power right away. Hah¡ª! Light green rays of light came out of the sphere in the shape of a watering can and wet the lawn. The watering can, which had been watering the lawn for a while, broke up and disappeared into the air. The glittering light green lights in the air continued to fall to the ground. I stared blankly at what I had done, then asked Kendrick. ¡°I, is this right? Why did this ability take the shape of a watering can?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you imagined a watering can. Linsy.¡± I had never learned anything like this in Raniero. Unlike other clans, Raniero¡¯s ability was not an ability that could be used in a variety of ways. Only for healing. It¡¯s an ability used only for that. Kendrick said this as I opened my eyes wide and looked at my palm. ¡°This is the method used by the wolf clan. It¡¯s a little different than this.¡± Another black sphere rose from Kendrick¡¯s hand into the air. And¡ª. As Kendrick lifted his finger, shadows flowed softly from the black sphere. And soon after, it covered the entire mansion, including the lawn. The mansion covered in shadows was gloomy like a rainy day. I kept saying ¡°Wow!¡± as I looked at Kendrick. ¡°Learn how to widen the shadows first. Then learn to control the shadows.¡± Kendrick drew a circle with his index finger. Then, in an instant, the wide-spread shadows came together to make the shape of a huge horse. ¡°The handling of abilities is all the same. All abilities have the same root. But the reason Raniero doesn¡¯t choose this method is because it is inefficient.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°How powerful do you think your ability is in Raniero, Linsy?¡± I pondered for a while. With Gale and my father, Arthur Raniero¡ª probably the third. ¡°Third?¡± But Kendrick shook his head. ¡°I can assure you, there is no one in Raniero who has a stronger ability than you.¡± ¡°Yes? That¡¯s not true. Gale has such a strong ability. And I¡¯ll tell more about father¡ª¡± ¡°The reason why Raniero doesn¡¯t use this method is that the amount of abilities that can be used is small, so they have to pour out all of their abilities to the person being treated.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t get along with each other, Linsy. You have the most powerful abilities in Raniero because you use the method of infusing them little by little.¡± ¡°So¡ªare you saying that I have a strong ability, so I can¡¯t control my abilities and my body?¡± I asked again. Kendrick nodded and pointed to the lawn in the garden. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Raniero¡¯s abilities were this great.¡± I slowly turned my eyes along where Kendrick was pointing. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The lawn where I had released my abilities was growing gorgeously. This can¡¯t be happening? Raniero¡¯s ability was ¡®healing¡¯, not ¡®growth¡¯. I squatted and pulled out a handful of the overgrown grass. It¡¯s not a dream. The grass was really lush. ¡°When there is nothing to cure, excessive powers are poured in, so that must have been the driving force for growth.¡± Kendrick looked down at the lawn as if it didn¡¯t matter. I looked at the grassy lawn and then at my sweaty palms. ¡®¡­Am I that strong?¡¯ CH 43 ¡°If I am that strong¡­ Why couldn¡¯t Arsene be completely cured?¡± I looked up at Kendrick and asked. As Kendrick said, if I had the most powerful ability in Raniero, I should have been able to heal Arsene. However, every time I treated Arsene, I felt as if I had drained all of my abilities. Then Kendrick opened his mouth slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either. Maybe your abilities don¡¯t match Arsene¡¯s disease, or¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Uhm¡­¡± At Kendrick¡¯s words, I looked at Arsene with a depressed look. No matter how strong I am, it doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t heal Arsene. ¡®At first, I was obviously trying to heal him so I could survive.¡® Because I had to heal Arsene so I didn¡¯t get kicked out of Yeckhart. I stared at Arsene, who was standing in front of me. A boy with slightly curly gray hair and impressive blue eyes. And my one and only friend. I have to heal Arsene by all means so that the tragedy of the past life doesn¡¯t repeat itself. Kendrick tapped me on the back. ¡°Come on, try one more time. Linsy.¡± After nodding my head, I once again made a light green sphere. The sphere quickly grew bigger, floated in the air, and changed back into a watering can. ¡°¡­Kendrick-nim, what will happen if I spray this on Arsene?¡± I looked at Kendrick with a curious expression. Since I don¡¯t use it directly, wouldn¡¯t it be okay? The wings on my back fluttered in anticipation that it might be okay. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s too early. Let¡¯s try it after finding out the reason why your ability doesn¡¯t work well with Arsene¡¯s disease.¡± ¡°But¡­ I did improve when I used this ability. ¡° It¡¯s hard for me to use this ability, but Arsene¡¯s condition has definitely improved since I tried to heal him. However, Kendrick stopped me from pouring my powers over Arsene¡¯s head. ¡°Spray the garden, Linsy. Don¡¯t water Arsene.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I poured my ability into the garden once again. A shimmering green light flew in the air like pollen. Arsene stared at the figure with his mouth open. And then. Pong¡ª! The familiar soft smoke enveloped my body once again. And¡ª. ¡°The wings are in!¡± I said while touching the back of the dress, which had lost its wings. ¡°The way you used your abilities was wrong, so your abilities collided inside your body. It¡¯s rare, but there was a case like that in Yeckhart.¡± I looked at my back with joy. ¡°Then, is it possible to freely control my bird form now?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about that, but maybe it will.¡± I jumped a couple of times in place. Then the light green smoke rose around me again. And¡ª. ¡°Chirp!¡± I changed into a small bird with a wheat-colored feather and sat on Kendrick¡¯s shoulder. Then I went straight down to the lawn and stood tall on it, but I couldn¡¯t see well because the lawn grew so tall because of my ability. ¡°Chirp¡ª!¡± I shouted loudly and jumped in place. After that¨C. Pong¨C! Light green smoke enveloped me once again. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± The transformation was released. It seemed like I had some control over it now. I thought to myself while nodding my head. ¡°It was a matter of ability. If you release it often¡­.¡± It is also possible to control the beast¡¯s transformation. ¡®In my previous life, I didn¡¯t have such a strong ability¡­.¡¯ It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t awaken. Because in my previous life, my half-brother Gale had a much stronger ability than me. ¡®Until I was ten years old, I was just like me.¡¯ After molting at the age of ten and after I was locked up in the attic, Gale¡¯s abilities grew stronger with each passing day. However, Gale¡¯s ability, which was so strong, wasn¡¯t that great either. I squinted my eyes. ¡°I told you not to overdo it all the time, but now I have to tell you to overdo it.¡± Kendrick grinned. Hehe, when I smiled and nodded, Arsene came up and stood next to me. ¡°Hey, Linsy¡­¡± ¡°Ung¡­¡± I tilted my head so that Arsene could speak comfortably. Arsene whispered in my ear. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re so cool.¡± Arsene had a very serious look on his face as he said this. I burst out laughing and grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡°If your ability is manifested, you will have a better and stronger ability than me. Just like Kendrick-nim.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Arsene blinked. ¡°Nobody ever told me that I would have the same powers as my father.¡± Arsene, who said so, looked somewhat sad. To some extent, I could guess why no one told Arsene about his ability. ¡®They must have thought he was going to die before then¡­.¡¯ Because he would die before his ability was revealed, and shedding started. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll have more powers than Kendrick-nim, Arsene.¡± I said it in a low voice as if it were a big secret. ¡°Really. So until then, let¡¯s work out hard with me. You can¡¯t be picky either. You have to be healthy.¡± Arsene nodded, and his face was a little bit wrinkled. He was a bit moved by my workout talk, but I shrugged. Then, Kendrick came out and patted Arsene on the back. ¡°Then let¡¯s go in now. I¡¯ll teach you the theory next time.¡± Arsene and I nodded and grabbed Kendrick¡¯s hand. * * * After that, Kendrick¡¯s classes continued. I learned from Kendrick how to control my abilities more delicately. However¡ª. ¡®The shape of the watering can is the same¡ª¡¯ If possible, I wanted to look cool like Kendrick. Phew. What¡¯s a watering can? That day, after hearing Kendrick¡¯s explanation of the watering can and using it differently for the first time, my abilities continued to take the shape of a watering can. Thanks to this, I had to feel as if I was watering everywhere every day, and since I wandered around the mansion and scattered my powers, there was not a single sick person in the mansion. ¡®It¡¯s strange if there is still people who are sick¡ª¡¯ I gave away so much of my power, but if anyone were still sick, I would be in trouble. Of course, Glene still couldn¡¯t see properly, but¡ª. ¡®Because she said she still can see a little bit.¡¯ Maybe because Glene had bad eyesight from birth, I couldn¡¯t cure it completely with my powers. However, because of my power, she could see a little bit of what was in front of her. ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ I sat down on a bench in the garden and looked at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. In preparation for the upcoming banquet, all the servants in the mansion were busy moving. ¡®Will that person come to the banquet?¡¯ Ester. I touched my neck because the skin around my neck was tingling for no reason. When I thought about the prohibition hanging again, my throat felt stuffy. At that time, ¡°Huh? Glene¡­?¡± Glene was stuttering as she cleaned the flower bed off in the distance. I quickly jumped off the bench and ran to Glene. ¡°Glene? What are you doing here?¡± Glene slowly turned towards me. Her white hair, which was cut short, fluttered every time she turned around. ¡°L, Lady¡­?¡± ¡°Ung, Glene!¡± Unlike the first time, Glene smiled faintly. Kendrick also allowed Glene to stay in the mansion at my request. They tried to find work for Glene to do in the mansion, but she couldn¡¯t see, so it was hard to figure out what she could do. In addition, Betty told me that she was working hard and that the servants liked her a lot. Glene and I met on a regular basis. Glene didn¡¯t say anything when I brought up prohibition, so I couldn¡¯t have a meaningful conversation with her. Still, it was comforting to think that there was at least one other person who could see the ¡®black stream¡¯. ¡°What are you doing here? Are you cleaning the flower bed?¡± Glene nodded slowly. ¡°F, flowers¡­ Because I can touch it¡­.¡± It is said that she touched it with her fingertips, got a feel for its condition, and cut it. I smiled brightly. ¡°Okay, Glenn. Fighting! And¡­ eat this!¡± And I took a well-packed cookie out of my pocket and handed it to the girl. Then Glene accepted the cookie and she uttered meaningful words. ¡°¡­Just a little bit, please hang in there.¡± Without stuttering. ¡°Ung?¡± I immediately asked Glenn what that meant, but Glene didn¡¯t answer. She just quietly trimmed the flower bed. At the time, he didn¡¯t know what that meant. That was at that time. * * * The day of the banquet was fast approaching. Ethan and Rodri sent invitations to each family and decorated the mansion splendidly. The mansion was decorated with blue flowers, the same color as Arsene¡¯s eyes, and light green flowers, the same color as mine. Betty has been busy since morning, washing me clean and putting on a pretty dress on me. She carefully tied my hair and decorated it with gorgeous flowers after I put on my shoes. I glanced out of the window. Strangers were swarming outside the mansion like a cloud. Gulp. I swallowed my saliva. My palms kept slipping because I was nervous. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen so many wolves.¡¯ I¡¯ve seen it on the street before, but I didn¡¯t feel this way because I saw it from a distance. At that time. Knock, knock. Someone knock on the door. CH 44 ¡°Linsy¡­¡± It was Arsene who opened the door and entered. He was wearing a pretty navy jacket and a small blue bow tie. I grabbed the hem of my dress and ran to Arsene. ¡°Arsene, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Arsene¡¯s face was pale. Then I glanced at Arsene¡¯s forehead. ¡®I don¡¯t think he has a fever.¡¯ What¡¯s wrong? Is he sick again? I bent my knees and looked Arsene straight in the face. Then I tilted my head and asked. ¡°Arsene, are you sick? If you¡¯re sick, you have to talk now¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, you stupid¡ª¡± Arsene¡¯s voice grew smaller and smaller as if crawling. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s wrist, brought him to my bed, and sat down. Betty, who had finished dressing me, told me to be careful not to crumple my dress and left. ¡°You can¡¯t crumple it, never.¡± ¡°Ung, I know.¡± Betty left the room after looking at me for a long time with suspicious eyes. I moved my hips closer to Arsene and sat down. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, ung?¡± ¡°¡­There are too many people¡­.¡± Ah. It was then that I realized that Arsene also had a banquet for the first time. But, of course, I wasn¡¯t the only one who was nervous because there were so many unfamiliar wolves. I furrowed my brow, then let it go and whispered something into Arsene¡¯s ear. ¡°Actually, me too¡­.¡± ¡°You too?¡± Arsene and I held hands as we sat on the window frame and looked out the window. Carriages were arriving one after another. The huge gate, which was always tightly closed, was now wide open. ¡°What time did you say the banquet was held?¡± When I asked Arsene, Arsene looked at the people blankly and said. ¡°Two o¡¯clock¡­I don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go either, but¡­.¡± The problem was that we couldn¡¯t avoid going there. Because at today¡¯s banquet, Arsene and I will be formally introduced to the wolf clan. I gently brushed Arsene¡¯s hair to tidy it up. ¡°Let¡¯s stay for a while and then leave.¡± At my words, Arsene quietly nodded his head a couple of times. Arsene and I both had a very strong rejection of strangers. Everyone in Yeckhart knew about it. Therefore¡ª. ¡®They said they call out as little as possible.¡¯ And yet, it¡¯s this much. I sighed as I looked down at the crowd of people. I feel like my mouth is dry. Then Arsene asked me with a rather serious face. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we just say hello and leave?¡± ¡°¡­Of course we can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then how about say hello for a while and then come out?¡± ¡°¡­Say hello for a while? Then, if I want to get out, I¡¯ll tap your foot twice. What do you think?¡± ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± We looked at each other and nodded. * * * Whoo. I took a big deep breath. Then, as I stood in front of the banquet hall door, I suddenly felt as if my legs were shaking. Kendrick said softly, perhaps noticing that Arsene and I were nervous. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel comfortable, you can just say hello and go outside to play with just the two of you.¡± ¡°¡­Is that okay?¡± However, they are guests who have come from afar for us¡ª. At that moment, I thought that it might be against the rules. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. Because you are the main character of this banquet.¡± Kendrick said, holding me and Arsene¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°Lord Kendrick Yeckhart is entering!¡± The knights who were guarding the door shouted to announce Kendrick¡¯s position. Then the huge door swung open gently in the hands of the knights. Kendrick walked into the fancy banquet hall, holding our hands tightly. I glanced and looked around. ¡®Wow, so many people¡­.¡¯ It looked a lot more than when I looked out the window. I immediately turned my eyes back to Kendrick because the eyes of countless wolves were reaching Arsene and me. Since we haven¡¯t officially introduced ourselves yet, it seems to attract more attention. ¡®Besides, this is the first time we¡¯re being introduced¡ª¡¯ Perhaps because I was too nervous, I accidentally stepped on the hem of my dress and when I stumbled¡ª. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You have to be careful.¡± Then, Kendrick supported my back so I wouldn¡¯t fall. Hehehe. I smiled and nodded my head to Kendrick. Then Kendrick led us up the stairs on the second floor and stood in the best view of the people. Arsene and I were nervous, swallowing saliva and holding Kendrick¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°First, I would like to express my gratitude to my family who attended the banquet.¡± Kendrick said. ¡°Today, this banquet is the place to officially announce my son Arsene Yeckhart as Yeckhart¡¯s successor.¡± He paused for a moment and then continued. ¡°It is also the place to announce that Linsy Raniero of the bird clan will officially become a member of Yeckhart.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s words, there was silence in the hall for an instant. I broke out in a cold sweat on my palm for no reason and only grabbed the hem of my dress. I felt hundreds of pairs of eyes staring into me. I took a deep breath and instinctively took a step back. But then I regained my composure and stood upright again, grabbing Kendrick¡¯s thick hand. ¡®Don¡¯t be nervous, I¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ Because I have Kendrick-nim. No matter how much Raniero and Yeckhart are in a bad relationship, they won¡¯t be able to treat me badly openly. Thinking about it like that, I felt a little relieved. Kendrick went on to say goodbye to his two children and then walked away, saying he had something to discuss with the others. Arsene and I were left alone. Then¡ª. ¡°My name is Robert of the Patros family. It is an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Young Master. The George family¡­.¡± ¡°The Kanut family¡­.¡± Numerous nobles approached Arsene and asked for a handshake. Of course, none of them greeted me. But it was okay. ¡®Well, this is nothing.¡¯ I¡¯m used to being treated as an invisible person in my previous life. Arsene glanced at the people who had flocked to him, then tapped me in the foot. ¡®Already?¡¯ Does he want to leave already? I glanced at Arsene and shook my head slowly. Because there were so many people who wanted to say hello to Arsene, and it wasn¡¯t polite to go out. Then¡ª. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady, could you please stay out of the way for a moment?¡± A man with torn eyes asked me with a tone of asking for understanding. I looked at Arsene with my eyes wide open and at the man once. ¡°I wanted to say hello to the Young Master.¡± The man said. However, Arsene held my hand tightly as if not to go. As soon as I was in trouble standing in the middle of a nervous battle between a man who asked me to get out of the way and Arsene who asked me not to go. ¡°Congratulations, Lady.¡± A familiar face suddenly appeared in the crowd. I raised my head with a broad smile of joy. ¡°Tristan-nim!¡± As the Grand Elder approached with a smile, the other nobles naturally left their seats. Then Tristan looked at me and Arsene in turn and smiled kindly. ¡°I heard that things went well at the temple. Congratulations, Lady, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°Congratulations on officially becoming a member of Yeckhart. Now, I should call you Little Madam, not a Lady.¡± When Tristan gave strength to the words ¡®Little Madam¡¯ and spoke clearly, the other nobles flinched. ¡°I haven¡¯t even been married yet¡­it was just a banquet held first.¡± ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t even been married yet.¡± Arsene added. Tristan smiled and asked back, ¡°Is that so?¡± and looked around at the other nobles. And then. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Lady for now. By the way, what are you doing without saying hello to the Lady?¡± Grand Elder Tristan. Usually, the Elder is made up of the nobles of the clan by selecting those who have made great achievements. And Tristan was also a Grand Elder and at the same time a high-ranking noble of the wolf clan. When Tristan noticed the other nobles, the nobles quietly greeted me. Then they quickly left their seats. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and stared blankly at the place they left. ¡°If anyone is being rude, punish them at any time. You are now the hostess of Yeckhart.¡± ¡°Um, no. I understand. I don¡¯t think they would like it if the daughter of an enemy family was the hostess.¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to understand. Kendrick himself announced that you were a member of Yeckhart, so those who show rudeness are disobeying the head of the wolf clan.¡± Tristan cut it sharply. I nodded. Then Tristan smiled again. Every time the old man smiled, his face was wrinkled. ¡°My granddaughter also attended today¡¯s banquet. How loudly she said she wanted to the Lady¡­I would appreciate it if you say hello to her once. Maybe she will be a good friend.¡± Tristan whispered. ¡°Tristan-nim¡¯s granddaughter? Where is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s with kids her age¡­ Oh, there she is.¡± I turned my head to follow where Tristan was pointing. I could see children my age gathering and talking. And next to it. ¡°¡­.!!!¡± The child, who was looking at me, widened her eyes as if she was surprised when Tristan pointed at her. CH 45 ¡°That¡¯s my granddaughter. She turned eight years old this year.¡± After saying those words, Tristan left one more congratulation and left. Then I glanced at Arsene, who had kept his mouth shut the whole time. ¡°Arsene, are you tired?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I want to go and rest.¡± Arsene answered slowly and with a voice that sounded like it had been sucked. Considering Arsene¡¯s physical strength, who couldn¡¯t even walk around the garden until he met me¡ª. ¡®It¡¯s a miracle you¡¯ve endured so far.¡¯ I glanced around. Tristan cleaned it up once, but the nobles kept appearing out of nowhere and asking Arsene to say hello. Of course, it was only natural because we were the main characters of the banquet, but¡ª. I could see Arsene¡¯s face suddenly darkening with each greeting he received. We can¡¯t. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°You can go and rest first. As Kendrick-nim said, you can go if you¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± Arsene asked. I swallowed my saliva and looked around. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll stay a little longer.¡± Still, the nobles of the wolf clan didn¡¯t like me. That was clear from a series of things that just happened. ¡®Ah, so you hate me! A person may react bluntly to feelings of liking one. However¡ªit¡¯s easy to notice when people hate them. I could tell for sure. Even though the main characters of the banquet were ¡®me and Arsene¡¯, I was clearly treated as a stranger. To be honest, I wanted to go with Arsene and rest. ¡®But¡­¡¯ They are people who only have bad feelings for me. If I, the main character of the banquet, disappeared so quickly¡ªit was clear that worse words would come out. I couldn¡¯t even use the excuse of being sick like Arsene. A bird clan, Raniero¡¯s daughter. Of course, I can¡¯t heal myself with this ability, but if a clan with the ability to heal were sick, it would seem ridiculous for some reason. I strode to Ethan while holding Arsene¡¯s hand. Ethan, who had been standing in the corner the whole time overseeing the banquet, looked at Arsene and me and raised his glasses. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Arsene says he¡¯s having a hard time, I think he should go and rest.¡± I handed Arsene¡¯s hand over to Ethan. Ethan examined Arsene¡¯s complexion and held the child in his arms. ¡°Then you should go rest, Young Master. You don¡¯t have to overdo it. What about Lady?¡± Ethan asked, patting Arsene on the back, who was exhausted and drooping. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll stay a little longer.¡± I haven¡¯t even said hello to Tristan¡¯s granddaughter yet. Then Ethan smiled and nodded slowly. ¡°If Lady wants to rest, please tell me anytime. You don¡¯t have to overdo it.¡± Ethan left with Arsene in his arms. I was left alone in the banquet hall and blinked. When Arsene left, no one really approached me. ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ I¡¯m from a bird clan, so naturally, the wolf clan doesn¡¯t like me. So there was no need to be discouraged for no reason. I picked up the orange juice on the table and drank it. I was going to spend some time and go back. Then. ¡°¡­Excuse me¡­¡± Someone tapped me on the shoulder. Startled, I put the cup down and looked back. A familiar girl stood behind me, blushing. ¡°H, huh? You are¡­!¡± Tristan¡¯s face flashed across the girl¡¯s face for an instant. ¡°My granddaughter also attended today¡¯s banquet. How much she wanted to see you¡­. I would appreciate it if you could say hello to her once. Maybe you will become good friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ancia Tristan! Lady Linsy¡­ is that right?¡± Ancia shyly blushed and greeted me. I nodded in bewilderment. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Linsy Raniero.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯ve actually been wanting to meet you for a long time. I¡¯ve heard a lot from my grandfather.¡± Ancia¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Let¡¯s play with us, over here.¡± I obediently went where Ancia led me. I could feel the other wolves staring at me with eyes full of suspicion and hostility. ¡®¡­Ugh. I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ I¡¯m used to being invisible, however just because I¡¯m used to it doesn¡¯t mean I like being treated as an invisible person. I clenched the hem of my dress as I followed her. Sweat formed on my palms. When I arrived, children of my age gathered and chatted. Most of them looked my age, but most of them were much taller than me. ¡®Is it because they¡¯re a wolf clan?¡¯ It¡¯s certainly different in size from the children of the bird clan. The children were all wearing pretty dresses and tuxedos, drinking snacks, juice and enjoying their own party. ¡°Look, I brought you the Lady!¡± Ancia shouted to her friends with excitement. Then, the eyes of the other kids who were talking and playing with each other turned to me. ¡°H, hello¡­¡± I say hello awkwardly. But¡ª. Some of the children scattered me up and down first, then turned their heads. And they laughed again, talking about funny things. ¡®¡­Uhm.¡¯ I was embarrassed and just clasped my palms for nothing. Should I go? It is probably not an illusion that the eyes of the children who saw me went cold. Because the parents of the children would have taught them not to be friendly with me. So I couldn¡¯t even understand why Ancia was welcoming me. ¡°Well, have fun. I have something to do, so I will go¡­¡± ¡°Yes? Already?¡± As if she was disappointed, she drooped her eyebrows and held my hand tightly. ¡°Yes, I have something to do.¡± ¡°Hmph, what is it? She just doesn¡¯t like us.¡± ¡°Evelyn!¡± Ancia screamed as if to be quiet. A girl named Evelyn quietly turned her eyes away. It was a child who was much taller than me, looking about ten years old. An impressive child with curly black hair and yellow eyes. She glanced Ancia up and down and even spoke. ¡°Did I say something wrong? My mom said that the bird clan is all bad guys. How can such a bird clan become a member of the wolf clan?¡± Evelyn didn¡¯t even bother to hide her hostility toward me. I listened to the story quietly and turned to leave. ¡®I¡¯ll just go to Arsene.¡¯ Anyway, I was the main character of the banquet, so I stayed because I was wondering if I would hear that it would be rude if I left immediately. However, I thought it would be better to be remembered as a spoiled child than to be treated like this. ¡®I¡¯ll leave when I become an adult anyway.¡¯ Yeah, so it¡¯s fine. Then. ¡°Hmm, look at her running away. So the bird clan¡ª¡± Evelyn snorted. I heard other children laughing behind my back. Only Ancia, who was next to me, was restless. I turned around with a puzzled look. ¡®No, the main characters of this banquet are me and Arsene¡­?¡¯ No matter what it is. Is it okay to insult the main character of the banquet like this? It was my first time at a banquet, so I had a lot of things I didn¡¯t understand. When I looked at Evelyn with an absurd expression, Evelyn snorted. Then, Ancia said cautiously in an apologetic voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ They¡¯re not always like this¡­But Evelyn has a little bit of a bad temper.¡± ¡°Hey! I can hear you!¡± Evelyn screamed sharply. However, Ancia didn¡¯t care and continued. ¡°That group has a bit of a bad temper. Please understand, Lady.¡± ¡°Ha, Ancia. Do you think there¡¯s anything that helps you to get closer to the bird clan? Wake up, you fool. She¡¯ll go back to her own territory right after she treats Young Master Arsene.¡± Evelyn, who shot back at her, looked back at the other children and said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? It¡¯s the bird clan, well. That¡¯s why things with wings¡­.¡± The other children nodded sympathetically. Only Ancia was looking at the children with a look of absurdity. ¡°You guys are so weird. I knew you were originally weird kids, but¡­ what are you doing rudely?¡± ¡°Wake up from your dream, Ancia. Even if you flatter her, nothing will fall on you.¡± Evelyn¡¯s words were very ferocious for a ten-year-old child. ¡°We¡¯re going over there. All right, you guys play amongst yourself. Evelyn, there¡¯s a lot of cookie powder on the hem of your dress. You fool.¡± Ancia, who grabbed me, led me to the corner of the banquet hall. I just wanted to go back to Arsene, but¡ª I followed the lead of Ancia again and again. Finally, arriving in the corner, Ancia said, pounding her chest. ¡°They¡¯re all idiots. The other kids are still young and don¡¯t know¡­and Evelyn is just a bad kid..¡± ¡°That, you don¡¯t have to comfort me. I¡¯m really fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine? To hear something like that¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± The word ¡°fine¡± was real. I was only seven years old now, but I was twelve years old in spirit. It was enough not to be hurt by what a ten-year-old child said. Of course, I¡¯m a little upset, but¡ª. Ancia suddenly brought her face right in front of my face. CH 46 ¡°Really? Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Lady, you are a very strong person¡­.¡± Ancia muttered. I blinked quietly at Ancia¡¯s words. ¡°You know, I actually want to be close to Lady¡­I¡¯ve never met any other clan¡­.¡± Ancia whispered as if it was a great secret. ¡°¡­And, as you can see, the wolf clan kids are a bit stupid¡­.¡± Ancia¡¯s gaze at the other children who were chattering was cold and salty. ¡®You want to be friends with me?¡¯ I blinked my eyes for a moment. After coming to Yeckhart, I have made quite a few friends. The elders who healed me when I was sick, and even Arsene and Chef Akim. However, most of them were people I approached because I wanted to be friends first. And Ancia was the first girl to tell me she wanted to be a friend. It¡¯s my first time making friends, and I would be lying if I said I¡¯m not happy when Ancia says something like this. One side of my heart tickled as I listened to Ancia. ¡°Ung, I want to be friends with Ancia too.¡± ¡°Really? Then can you come to the tea party at my mansion? I will send you an invitation with pretty flowers. I¡¯ll do it around next month. The invitation with Linsy¡ª and only a few kids. Um, except for Evelyn, of course.¡± Ancia continued. ¡°Tea party? Ung. Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ancia asked again in disbelief. I nodded. ¡°I have to get permission from Kendrick-nim, but¡ª if I can go¡ª¡± ¡°Okay! If you can come, you must come, right?¡± Ancia gave me a big smile, grabbed my hand, and shook it wildly. I was slightly surprised by the sudden touch, but I held her hands without showing it. ¡°And speak comfortably, Lady. You are now a member of Yeckhart!¡± Ancia said with her eyes twinkling. She becomes a member of Yeckhart. Being a head family member was like being in the second highest position after the head. ¡®Then it would be a disgrace to Yeckhart if I continue using honorifics¡ª¡¯ At first, I used honorifics because it was unfamiliar. However, after listening to Ancia, I nodded because I thought I shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Ung, I will.¡± ¡°Okay! Then shall we go for a walk together? I think they keep looking at us¡ª¡± ¡°Walking?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to see the garden of Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. They said it was incredibly pretty!¡± Ancia, with her arms open, said. The girl walked around excitedly while her knee-high dress fluttered. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll show you around. But Ancia, what about your friends?¡± I glanced at Evelyn and the other wolf children, who were still staring at us. At this rate, Ancia might be hated by those kids. But she shrugged her shoulders as if she didn¡¯t care. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I must have been crazy looking at Evelyn¡ªlet it be.¡± Evelyn seemed to be the leader of that group of children. I glanced at Ancia. ¡®Ancia¡­ you¡¯re a great kid.¡¯ If Evelyn talks like that, it¡¯s easy to get swept away by the atmosphere. However, Ancia was tenacious. I took Ancia and headed to the mansion¡¯s garden. A place where Arsene and I used to come and go hundreds of times a day. In the garden, blue hyacinths that closely resembled Arsene¡¯s eyes were in full bloom. ¡°Wow¡­it¡¯s pretty!¡± When Ancia saw the hyacinth, she ran straight up and squatted down. I tried to get Ancia up, but she said it was okay, and she patted the seat next to me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I love the scent of flowers. Lady Linsy, do you want to smell it, too?¡± Aside from that, Ancia looked around the garden and uttered exclamations. She also said that she wouldn¡¯t want anything else if she came here often. When I forgot about the banquet hall for a long time and was taking a walk, it was then. Kwang¨C! A black wolf popped out of the bushes and blocked my way. ¡°Whoaa!¡± The wolf opened its big mouth as if it was going to eat me, and I could see its sharp fangs. I gasped in shock at what had happened so suddenly. At the same time, light green smoke rose up and wrapped around me. As soon as I saw the wolf, my eyes went blank, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything. I just thought I should get out of this place. ¡°Evelyn¡ª!¡± I couldn¡¯t even hear Ancia screaming loudly. I wandered around and backed away from the approaching wolf. And¡ª. Pong¡ª! I turned into a small bird and flew away to escape from the wolf. It had been a while since I had used my bird form, so the fly was unsteady. It kept staggering. However, I regained my composure and quickly flew away. ¡®Run, I must run.¡¯ It¡¯s almost the first time I¡¯ve seen a wolf in this form since I first came to the mansion. Because none of the servants in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion turned into wolves out of consideration for me, so this situation was more unbelievable and frightening. Tears welled up in my eyes as I flew away. I heard a shout from behind, but I couldn¡¯t listen to it. Then I snuck into the mansion through the window. But¡ª. ¡®T, there are too many people.¡¯ Perhaps because of the banquet, all the servants in the mansion were busy moving. Most of the doors were open and closed. There seemed to be no place to hide. I rushed down to the basement to avoid the wolves. The problem is. ¡®It¡¯s so dark.¡¯ When I came to a dark place, it seemed that the trauma of my previous life would suddenly come back to me. Then¡ª. A faint light could be seen leaking through the crack in the open door. ¡®There!¡¯ I flew hard. Then I slipped through the gap in the open door and hid behind the boxes. Then I took a deep breath, buried my face in the curtain, and made a crying sound. The problem is. I was sobbing and didn¡¯t notice the door closing. * * * Ancia could hardly believe the sight in front of her. ¡°Evelyn¡ª!!!¡± The same clan could tell right away who was who even though they had transformed. So, Ancia immediately recognized that the wolf in front of her was a figure of Evelyn¡¯s wolf form. The problem was Linsy. Linsy took a deep breath and moved backward as if she was in a panic. Pong¨C! She flew away somewhere with the sound of transformation. Ancia tried to chase Linsy, but it was not easy to chase the small bird that flew quickly. In the end, Ancia asked Evelyn with a bewildered expression. ¡°Why the hell did you do that?¡± Ancia couldn¡¯t understand Evelyn. She knew that the wolf clan and the bird clan were enemies, but¡ª. Still, Linsy Raniero was a child who Kendrick Yeckhart, the head of the wolves, introduced as a member of Yeckhart. This means that Linsy Raniero will later become Yeckhart¡¯s hostess. Moreover, this banquet was held to bless Linsy and Arsene. But she¡¯s doing this? Ancia couldn¡¯t understand. At that time¡ª. Pong¨C! Evelyn goes back to her human form in front of Ancia. The black wolf disappeared out of nowhere, and a girl with a sharp impression appeared. ¡°Hey, look at how she flies in a hurry. It serves her right.¡± ¡°Why did you do that, Evelyn!¡± Ancia pushed Evelyn. The girl¡¯s eyes were now filled with tears and stained with absurdity. ¡°Ha, you really don¡¯t know anything. My dad said it. Lord Kendrick had no choice but to adopt a bird clan as a daughter-in-law.¡± Evelyn continued triumphantly. ¡°He said that it was clear that banquets were unavoidable. Kendrick hates that kid. Would he have left that child in the banquet hall if he liked her? At Evelyn¡¯s words, Ancia narrowed her brows. Kendrick¡¯s actions were hard to understand, leaving only Linsy and Arsene, his two children. However. ¡°You.. don¡¯t really know anything, do you?¡± Ancia laughs bitterly. Ancia¡¯s grandfather was Tristan, one of the nine Grand Elders. Ancia had heard from Tristan how much Kendrick and Yeckhart¡¯s servants loved the ¡®baby bird.¡¯ She quickly turned her head away, as if she didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to tell my grandfather and Lord Kendrick everything. You were rude to Lady Linsy, no, you threatened Lady Linsy!¡± ¡°Oh my, Ancia. Do you think I¡¯m going to be discouraged?¡± Evelyn laughed at Ancia. Evelyn was sure. She was sure that if this was found out, there would be no punishment. Evelyn was only ten years old. In addition, Evelyn¡¯s family, Elijah, was a deep-rooted noble family. Furthermore¡ª. ¡°A girl from the bird clan? Rumor has it that Lord Kendrick hates her very much. Somehow, during the meeting, when he heard the name of the girl, his face hardened¡ª¡± Evelyn chuckled as she recalled what her own father had said. Even if they found out about this, it didn¡¯t seem like she would be punished for it. So Evelyn laughed at Ancia, who looked very tired, and then she left. She didn¡¯t know what would happen because of it. * * * ¡°Lady Linsy! Lady Linsy is gone!¡± Ancia ran straight to the banquet hall and shouted loudly. The nobles who heard Ancia¡¯s voice narrowed their brows. ¡°Did she disappears? Ha¡­at a banquet where she¡¯s the main character¡­¡± ¡°After all, the vulgar blood of the bird clan doesn¡¯t go anywhere.tsk¡ª¡± The nobles quickly lost interest in what Ancia said and turned their backs on her. Ancia looked at them with a puzzled expression. ¡°No, she¡¯s gone! She was startled and flew away¡ª!¡± Then, she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Ancia, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ancia turned her head straight away and shouted loudly. ¡°Grandpa!¡± CH 47 ¡°Lady Linsy, Lady Linsy has disappeared.¡± Tristan comforted the gasping granddaughter with a familiar hug. And when he heard the whole story, he opened his eyes wide. ¡°¡­What? What did¡­ that kid do?¡± Tristan¡¯s voice trembled slightly with anger. Did she surprise the Lady in the wolf form? No matter how immature she is¡ª. This was the same as insulting and ignoring the Yeckhart family. Tristan immediately suppressed his desire to ask the Elijah family and put Ancia down. ¡°Let¡¯s find the Lady first. Let the servants know. Grandpa will tell Lord Kendrick first before coming.¡± Ancia nodded her head once, then twice, and then ran straight away. Ancia first informed the butler, Ethan. ¡°Yes? The Lady?¡± ¡°Ung, we need to find Lady Linsy quickly.¡± ¡°How did that happen¡­ did you happen to see where she flew?¡± ¡°She went near the mansion. After that¡­¡± ¡°I understand. First, I will tell them to search the mansion thoroughly.¡± The atmosphere at the banquet quickly became a mess. At first, the noble thought it was just a mistake by the ¡°immature bird clan lady,¡± but then they realized that the situation was very serious. Only Evelyn and her friends were relaxed. All of the servants began to search the inside of Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. ¡°Lady!¡± ¡°Lady¡ª! Where are you!¡± ¡°Please answer me if you hear me! Lady!¡± Linsy¡¯s bird form was so small that they had to find her before she got hurt somewhere. Fortunately, the banquet started at 2 pm, so it was still daytime. The servants looked everywhere, even behind the sofa and in Linsy and Arsene¡¯s rooms. However, Linsy¡¯s figure was nowhere to be found. ¡°How could this happen¡­.¡± The servants were looking for Linsy with blank looks on their faces as they ran around. Betty, Chloe, Ethan, Rodri, and even Chef Akim and the stablekeeper are searching for Linsy. All of Yeckhart¡¯s servants knew that Linsy was easily frightened. That¡¯s why they¡¯re not sure if she¡¯s crying alone¡ª. All of the servants searched for Linsy with worried faces. And then¡ª. Arsene, who was resting in bed, also discovered that Linsy had disappeared. ¡°What?¡± Arsene jumped up with an annoyed expression on his face. ¡°Linsy was surprised and flew away?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but we¡¯ll find her right away and bring it to you¡­ Oh my, Young Master!¡± Arsene jumped out of his place before the maid finished speaking. Then, he quietly looked in each place he¡¯d been with Linsy. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t find Linsy¡¯s figure. Arsene¡¯s face was stained with bewilderment. ¡°Linsy, Linsy! Hey! Answer me!¡± Arsene walked around the mansion with the servants and called Linsy¡¯s name anxiously. Then. ¡°Explain exactly what this is about.¡± Kendrick asked with a cold face as he looked at the busy servants. Next to him, Tristan stood politely with his head down. The servants who faced Kendrick¡¯s face, who seemed to be firmly angry, lowered their heads. ¡°Lord¡­¡± ¡°Linsy is disappeared? Also¡­ who surprised her?¡± Hah. Kendrick laughed. The servants all held their breath under the terrible pressure. ¡°What are you doing, find her now. And¡­ bring the kid who surprised Linsy.¡± Kendrick said. ¡°I will ask for responsibility.¡± **** After it calms down a little, I look around. The place where I ran away was pitch black with no light. I didn¡¯t know because I was so busy hiding, and it seemed to be a warehouse where things were stored, not a room. It was dark, so I couldn¡¯t see clearly, but there were piles of boxes containing all sorts of things. I frowned. ¡®Let¡¯s quickly get out of here.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to be in the dark for long. So then I jumped in place. Pong¨C! With the familiar sound, the transformation was released, and the field of view increased. Then I ran quickly to the door and grabbed the doorknob with my hand. However¡ª. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The door didn¡¯t open. I grabbed the doorknob and shook it, but the tightly closed door didn¡¯t open. Then. The fact that I was stuck alone in a dark warehouse suddenly came close to me. I felt as if the darkness was creeping up my body from the tip of my toes. Bang, bang¡ª! ¡°H, hey! Please get me out of here! Hello!¡± I knocked hard on the door. I hit and screamed desperately at the door as if I was being chased by darkness. ¡°Please help me! Get me out! I hate it!!¡± Tears welled up. I suddenly felt like I was being chased by a wolf with its mouth wide open as if it was about to eat me. ¡°Please get me out of here!¡± A dark place. When I¡¯m in a dark and narrow place, I feel like I¡¯m burning¡ª. ¡°Save me!¡± It wasn¡¯t even a fire, but I felt like my breath was filled with acrid smoke. Whether it was the smoke or the tears, my vision quickly spread. Bang bang¡ª! I knocked on the door as hard as I could, but the door showed no sign of opening. The flesh of the hand that hit the door was peeled, and it was bitter and painful. I jumped in place. Pong¨C! Light smoke rose, and it turned me into a bird form again. ¡®Ceiling, is there any place to go out on the ceiling?¡¯ At least the ventilation. I quickly flew up to the ceiling and searched for a way out. But not a single place was seen. Not even one. I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from coming out. I sat down in front of the door, covered myself as much as I could with my wings, laid down on my stomach, and cried. And at that moment¡ª. My eyes were darkened. **** ¡°Linsy¡ª!¡± Arsene looked in all the places Linsy could have gone. His own room, Linsy¡¯s room. The garden she used to play in. Into the bushes. But Linsy was nowhere to be found. ¡°Linsy, where are you?¡± At the same time, he was worried that she had bumped into something and got hurt. Linsy was his one and only friend. And at the same time, she was Arsene¡¯s best teacher and doctor¡ª. ¡­She was a precious person. He couldn¡¯t think clearly because his mind was full of worries about Linsy. Arsene ran around frantically looking for Linsy. To the point that he seems like a totally different person than the one who was just lying in bed exhausted. But he couldn¡¯t find Linsy anywhere, so he lost his energy again. Arsene stood blankly in his seat. And he looked at the servants who were busily moving to find Linsy. And¡ª. He looked at the other nobles who were looking at this side like it was none of their business. He was angry and couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡®How could you¡­.¡¯ How could you do this? There were a few rules that must be followed in a society of beasts. The first one is don¡¯t threaten or bully a weaker clan than you. No, it was an ambiguous sentence even to call it a rule. Because it was a natural thing to do, even a four-year-old child knew they shouldn¡¯t bully a clan weaker than them. However¡ª Arsene clenched his fists. The blue eyes turned coldly. And that moment. Whoosh¨C! A black glow rose from Arsene¡¯s fingertips and wrapped around Arsene¡¯s hand. It was faint, but it was definitely light. Arsene looks down at his hand. ¡°This¡­¡± The power of Yeckhart. Mr. Hern said that it was due to Arsene¡¯s unstable physical condition. So when everything gets better, he will also naturally manifest his powers. That¡¯s why he forgot. As Arsene wriggled his fingers, the clump of light shook wildly along Arsene¡¯s touch. Arsene¡¯s ability was unstable because it had just emerged. The evidence was that the light stream couldn¡¯t be in one place and continued to spread. Furthermore, Arsene had never been taught how to use this ability. Even though no one spoke directly to Arsene¡ª. ¡®I know.¡¯ The fact that Arsene is so weak that they doubt he will be able to manifest his powers. Arsene clenched and opened his fists lightly. And¡ª. ¡°Find Linsy.¡± He whispered as if he were asking the ability who had just emerged. He didn¡¯t know how to use this power, so he couldn¡¯t help it. Whoosh¨C! A faint ray of light flickering from Arsene¡¯s fingertips quickly spread out in all directions. The raindrops that stretched out swallowed the shadows of the trees and the benches. And¡ª. The gathered shadows moved for a while, then took on the shape of a small wolf. The shadows gathered in the wolf¡¯s form jumped out of Arsene¡¯s fingertips instantly. Arsene quickly ran after the shadow he had created. Seeing Arsene running after the shadow, the servants widened their eyes. But now, it didn¡¯t matter. The shadow, who had been running for a long time, thought about a bit of trouble in the mansion and then disappeared into the basement. The problem was next. It was dark inside the basement, and the shadows kept getting blurry. Besides, Yeckhart¡¯s basement was like a maze, so it was easy to get lost. Arsene took a step forward, his gaze fixed on the blazing fire and the shadow that appeared near it. Then. The shadow stood at the door. Arsene immediately pulled the doorknob and shouted. ¡°Linsy!¡± CH 48 Rattle. Arsene pulled the door as hard as he could, but the door didn¡¯t open. ¡®It¡¯s locked.¡¯ It was also locked so tightly that it was impossible to open it by himself. ¡°Linsy, Linsy! Are you there?¡± Arsene clenched his fist and hit the locked door. He hit it so hard that the area where it hit was swollen and red. However, there was no answer from inside. ¡®Should I call the adults?¡¯ But then it would be too late¡ª. At the time when Arsene was in conflict. ¡°There¡¯s someone over there!¡± ¡°Oh my¡ª. Young Master!¡± From far away, servants carrying lamps came running. Arsene frowned slightly at the sudden brightening of the field of vision. ¡®How did they get here?¡¯ At that moment, a familiar face entered Arsene¡¯s sight. In front of the servants with lamps, Kendrick stood with an expression that he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Arsene, how are you here¡ª¡± Kendrick, as expected, also feels confused. He used his ability to check where Linsy was and brought the servants right away. Of course, there were some problems that made the search for Linsy to be delayed. However, he didn¡¯t understand how Arsene arrived before him. ¡°¡­Dad.¡± Arsene was about to burst into tears. However, the boy soon closed his mouth, wiped his tears with his sleeves, and said. ¡°Linsy, she¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°Open the door.¡± When Kendrick gave the order, Ethan took a package of keys from his pocket and stepped forward. Then he took out one of the rustiest keys and opened the locked door. Tak. The door opened slowly. In front of the door, a little baby bird was lying down as if it were exhausted. ¡°Linsy!¡± Arsene ran straight up and picked up Linsy. His clothes got dirty, but it wasn¡¯t the time to worry about it. ¡°Linsy, Linsy?¡± The boy gently shook the wheat-colored bird, which was drooping as if dead. Kendrick got closer and placed his index finger near Linsy¡¯s stomach. Even though her breathing is not stable, it¡¯s a relief that she is breathing properly. Kendrick, who confirmed that Linsy was safe, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s take her out, she¡¯ll be fine.¡± Kendrick, Arsene, Ethan, and Yeckhart¡¯s servants quickly moved Linsy into the room. He no longer cares about the banquet. Kendrick strictly controlled access to the banquet hall and ordered that the main culprits of the incident be found and brought in. There was a little backlash, but it quickly subsided in front of Yeckhart¡¯s name. Arsene, who carefully laid down the little bird in the middle of the wide bed, breathed heavily. ¡°Bring me Hern.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s command, two maids quickly left the room. He said with his thick hand on Arsene¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Arsene, let¡¯s go. Let Linsy take a rest.¡± But Arsene closed his mouth and shook his head stubbornly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go out.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to go out so that Linsy can rest comfortably.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going out, I¡¯m staying here.¡± Arsene said stubbornly and turned his head away. The boy¡¯s gaze was fixed on the little baby bird lying as if dead. Kendrick sighed. ¡°Then stay here. The rest of you, go out. I have work to do.¡± Kendrick, who gently stroked his son¡¯s sweaty bangs, turned and left the room. And as he walked through the hallway, he asked dryly. A low voice fell low in the hallway of the mansion. ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°We brought them into the office.¡± Kendrick went straight to the office. He can¡¯t allow this to happen in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion, even if it was a joke of a ten-year-old child. There are pranks that they can do and pranks that they can¡¯t do. Besides, the fact that this happened when Linsy was introduced as a member of Yeckhart¡ª was no different from belittling Yeckhart. * * * ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Evelyn bit her nails in an unusual atmosphere. Obviously, her dad says it. That Lord Kendrick hates the ¡®bird clan¡¯s girl¡¯ so much. That¡¯s why she plays some pranks on her. However, as she disappeared, the atmosphere of Yekhardt was unusual. Of course, the banquet was stopped, and all the servants looked for Linsy Raniero. In addition. ¡°Miss Evelyn, Lord Kendrick is looking for you.¡± Yeckhart¡¯s butler, wearing only glasses, took Evelyn to Kendrick¡¯s office and quickly disappeared. In addition, Evelyn was left alone in his office, so she ruffled the hem of her dress. ¡®This isn¡¯t it¡­.¡¯ She was just trying to see the girl cry. When it comes to the bird clan, it¡¯s hard to be a member of the Yeckhart family, which is the head family of the wolf clan. At that time¡ª. Suddenly, the door opened, and the Marquis and Marchioness Elijah came in with pale and tired faces. ¡°Mom¨C!¡± As soon as Evelyn saw the face of the Marchioness, she cried. The Marquis asked her daughter gently as she hugged her immature daughter. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Evelyn? Huh? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°No I, I just¡­.¡± Tak. The door opened once more, and Kendrick Yeckhart appeared. Marquis Elijah couple and Evelyn stared blankly at Kendrick¡¯s face. He saw Marquis Elijah couple with a crying Evelyn and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s noisy.¡± Then, the mouths of the crying Evelyn and Elijah couple were forced to close. It was a ¡®capacity¡¯ that could be used by the authority of the clan¡¯s head. Kendrick didn¡¯t use his capacity very well. The fact that he used words meant that he was angry with the situation. Kendrick made them all shut their mouths and slowly sat on the sofa. And. ¡°Marquis Elijah, explain how should I take this.¡± As Kendrick¡¯s words fell, the Marquis¡¯ mouth, which had been shut, slowly opened. He was in a state where he could talk. ¡°Yes? No, I don¡¯t even know what the situation is¡ª¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Again, Marquis Elijah¡¯s mouth was forcibly shut. ¡°Then you tell me. Young Lady Elijah.¡± ¡°Yes? No, no, I just¡­¡± ¡°I heard that you appeared in wolf form and threatened Linsy, am I right?¡± When Kendrick spoke, the words made the Marquis Elijah couple¡¯s faces look pale. ¡°Yes? No¡­It¡¯s not a threat¡­¡± ¡°Miss Ancia said, you showed up and showed your teeth at Linsy.¡± There was no emotion and agitation mixed in the dry voice. Evelyn, who was trembling, soon nodded. ¡°Y, yes¡­ I did it, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°¡­But I¡¯m just. I¡¯m just trying to pull some pranks¡­¡± Evelyn grabbed the hem of her dress and stuttered that it was a joke between friends. Kendrick, who was listening, said. ¡°It seems that it¡¯s a trend to show your teeth and threaten your friends these days.¡± Evelyn soon shut her mouth tight. Kendrick laughed as he looked at the figure. Evelyn Elijah was ten years old this year, as far as he knows. Yet, she still doesn¡¯t know how to tell the difference between these things. Even though she is the only daughter that the Elijah family cherishes, how can she be so immature? Kendrick said, looking coldly at Evelyn, who was sobbing and crying. ¡°You will be under probation in your mansion for four months. And make a sincere apology.¡± At the word, Evelyn opens her eyes wide. The four months of probation meant that Evelyn would be treated as an invisible person for four months. She can¡¯t go to a party or invite someone to her mansion. For a ten-year-old girl, the punishment was very harsh. ¡°B, but¡ªhng! Dad obviously said Lord Kendrick hates the bird clan child¡ª!¡± Evelyn¡¯s tears, which seemed to be unfairly holding back her tears, finally burst. ¡°So, that¡¯s why I surprise her a bit, but what do you mean probation!¡± Evelyn sat down and began to cry. Kendrick¡¯s brow narrowed as he looked at it. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°What? No, Evelyn. When did Dad say that, you punk!¡± ¡°You did it! You did!! Hng, I mean, I heard everything Dad was talking about in the study¡ª¡± At Evelyn¡¯s bombshell, the Marquis Elijah¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°E, Evelyn. What do you mean, you heard it wrong.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t hear it wrong¡ªthat¡¯s what Dad really said! And Mom said don¡¯t play with the bird clan, hing¡ª¡± Marchioness Elijah hurriedly tried to shut Evelyn¡¯s mouth, but it was useless. Kendrick, who was listening to the words, soon opened his mouth. ¡°It seems to me that you are the problem, Marquis Elijah.¡± Kendrick¡¯s gaze met the pale Marquis¡¯ face. ¡°You make fun of knowing Yeckhart¡­ And a daughter who doesn¡¯t know how to differentiate is doing this.¡± ¡°Lord Kendrick! It¡¯s not like that¡ª¡± ¡°Marquis Elijah, you will be also under probation for the time being. The disposition will be decided later.¡± Kendrick called in the knights who were standing outside. ¡°Take them out.¡± The knights dragged Marquis Elijah couple and Evelyn out of the office. Evelyn cried and begged that it was her fault, but she was relentless. Kendrick looked at the scene and tried to hide his complexity. ¡®I thought the bird clan, Linsy, would be hostile to the wolf clan¡¯s aristocrats, but¡ª¡¯ It was a big mistake to leave the banquet hall due to work for a while. He doesn¡¯t think they would show how much they despise Linsy at a banquet where she would be introduced. Kendrick sighed. CH 49 But there was something strange. ¡®How did she get into that warehouse?¡¯ There was more unused space than used space in Yeckhart¡¯s basement. The same was true of the warehouse. ¡®It¡¯s definitely a place I don¡¯t use.¡¯ The warehouses located deep in the basement were inconvenient to move around and ordered to be locked. After all, there are many other warehouses, so there will be no need to use such a deep place. Therefore, there was no way that the servants would leave it open while preparing for the banquet. They probably lock up the warehouses and move everything they need, so all that¡¯s left is a bunch of junk. But how did Linsy get in? There were no ventilation holes in the warehouses in the basement, so she could only enter through the door. Then, did the door open? But how? No matter what he thinks about it, it¡¯s strange. Moreover, when Kendrick and Arsene arrived, the door was locked. So who locked her up? Kendrick¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled badly as he thought about it. It¡¯s something he couldn¡¯t understand. In addition, ¡®I couldn¡¯t use my ability properly.¡¯ Yeckhart¡¯s power is shadow. In other words, every dark place where shadows can move freely is in Kendrick¡¯s hands. However, the search for Linsy took longer than expected. If it had been in the basement, it should have been discovered the moment he used his ability to scan the entire mansion. Because there¡¯s no better place to use Kendrick¡¯s powers than the dark basement. ¡®But I couldn¡¯t find it.¡¯ It¡¯s not that Kendrick¡¯s abilities didn¡¯t reach the warehouse where Linsy was. For some reason, it was correct to say that the warehouse where Linsy was locked up was temporarily hidden. Kendrick tapped his knee with his finger. And then he remembered Linsy, who was exhausted and collapsed in front of the door. ¡®If only I was a little late.¡¯ It could have been a real big deal. It¡¯s fortunate that he and Arsene quickly found her¡ª. Wait. ¡®Arsene?¡¯ Kendrick squinted his eyes. How did Arsene find Linsy? Linsy was trapped in a deep warehouse basement that hadn¡¯t been used for a long time. Yeckhart¡¯s basement was deep and wide, and it was a maze, so servants frequently got lost. But how did he find the room where Linsy was locked up in that deep, wide, dark basement? Kendrick¡¯s mouth smiled after thinking that far. ¡®It has manifested.¡¯ Kendrick slowly got up. ***** ¡°I think she collapsed because of stress. Her ability is unstable.¡± Hern said while looking at Linsy with a worried look. The little baby bird was lying on a huge pillow and breathing heavily. Hern¡¯s eyes can see the shaking ability inside Linsy¡¯s tiny body. Light green ability. Her ability, which had always warmly wrapped around Linsy, moved as if it was about to swallow Linsy. ¡®It¡¯s a little strange to say it¡¯s just because she¡¯s surprised¡­.¡¯ The flow of her ability was not normal. So, it was as if something had forced the power to be locked in Linsy¡¯s body. Then, Arsene looked up at Hern and asked. ¡°Then when does she wake up?¡± ¡°Yes? I don¡¯t know¡ª. She doesn¡¯t have any health problems, so we¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡± Hern narrowed his forehead and looked at Linsy, who was sleeping as if dead. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like she¡¯s not going to wake up, right?¡± Arsene asked carefully. The hair, which had been neatly styled for the banquet, was already a mess. Hern smiled as if not to worry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll be up soon. I have to go now. Young Master, please go and rest. You can fall¡­Huh?¡± Hern, who was talking casually while organizing his bag, widened his eyes. His startled gaze met Arsene¡¯s face, and then he climbed down and touched his chest. ¡°¡­Young Master?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Arsene answered bluntly. Hern dropped his bag and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. ¡®Is it a dream?¡¯ Until he saw it a while ago, Arsene had not yet been able to manifest his ability. And¡ªhe thought he would never manifest in the future. It was because the little pitiful Young Master¡¯s body was empty inside. But. What on earth is that power wriggling inside Arsene¡¯s body? ¡°Have you manifested your powers?¡± Hern asked stutteringly. Inside Arsene¡¯s body, a black power could be seen wriggling. It¡¯s faint and weak, but¡ª. It was obviously an ability. Arsene opened her mouth small and nodded at Hearn¡¯s question. ¡°Yes, earlier.¡± Arsene stretched out his hand. Then he saw a flash of black light in his hand. As if in disbelief, Hern rubbed his eyes once more and looked at Arsene. Then. Bump. When the door opened, Arsene and Hearn turned to the door at the same time. On the threshold stood Kendrick. ¡°Arsene.¡± Kendrick, who called his son¡¯s name leisurely, smiled at the light in Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡°Lord! The Young Master, the Young Master¡ª!¡± ¡°Did he manifest his ability?¡± Hern nodded her head madly. Is it possible? No, it was close to impossible. Because Arsene is truly a child with only his life on the line. A pitiful master who bears the ancient curse with his whole body. He thought, at best, that all he had to do was survive. Then, Kendrick strode over and held Arsene in a flash. ¡°When did it appear?¡± ¡°¡­A while ago, when I was looking for Linsy¡­.¡± Arsene replied hesitantly. The black light on Arsene¡¯s hand moved and gathered together. ¡°Because I think I want to find Linsy¡­.¡± As soon as Arsene finished speaking, the black light gathered together and took on the form of a wolf again. The shadow, who had turned into a small wolf, naturally left Arsene¡¯s hand and went to sit next to Linsy, who was lying there, waving its tail. ¡°So, that¡¯s what it looks like.¡± Kendrick stared at him silently. Hern and Kendrick exchanged meaningful glances for a moment. But they didn¡¯t show it in front of Arsene. ¡°Well done, Arsene. Now go and rest.¡± ¡°No, I want to stay with Linsy.¡± ¡°I need to give Linsy some time to rest. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll get up soon, so go and rest.¡± When Kendrick ordered Chloe to come in, not long after, Chloe knocked on the door. ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go now, say hello to the Lady.¡± Arsene, who had kept his mouth shut as if he was annoyed, soon approached Linsy. Then he stared at the sleeping baby bird and whispered. ¡°You have to get up quickly.¡± Arsene looked at Linsy, who had been lying there for a long time, and then he moved on with a shaky step. Then at that time, Linsy¡¯s tail moved slightly. ***** There was darkness all around. I was squatting and sobbing. When I closed my eyes, I was under the illusion that the flames were swallowing me, and when I opened my eyes, I saw a vision of the burning flames approaching. All I could do was hug myself with wings and cry helplessly. ¡®I don¡¯t want to die again¡­.¡¯ Being left alone, then being rejected again, and getting killed. Tears streamed down my face and covered my face. ¡®Red feather is a symbol of the curse.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re my daughter, you¡¯re a disgrace to Raniero. Linsy.¡¯ My father¡¯s words kept ringing in my ears. I shook my head from side to side to shake it off, but it was useless. ¡®Curse feather.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t have been hated by my father. As soon as I thought of that, the surroundings suddenly became bright. And¡ª my figure floated in the air as if everywhere had turned into a mirror. ¡®What is this?¡¯ The moment I touch another side of myself. ¡®¡­¡­!!!!¡¯ My hair, which was a fine wheat color, was dyed red in an instant. I stepped back in surprise, but it was a vain attempt. ¡®They¡¯ followed me tenaciously and stared at me. It¡¯s me with red hair. Then, the people of Yeckhart who had been kind to me came to mind in an instant. Will they all turn their backs on me if they find out I have red hair? Like Raniero¡ª. My fingertips trembled. ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to¡­.¡± Then. [You look worried, my baby] An unfamiliar voice came from somewhere. At the same time, all the illusions in front of me disappeared. I looked around at the empty space. ¡°W, who are you¡­?¡± [Baby, baby. Something peculiar has choked your neck. Poor thing.] It was an unfamiliar and familiar voice at the same time. It was like hearing it for the first time, but it was familiar, as if it were a voice I heard every day. And that moment¡ª. A woman in a fluttering transparent veil appeared in front of me. An incredibly bright light was pouring out from behind her so that I couldn¡¯t see her face properly. I was dazzled and narrowed my eyes. Then she reached out to me with a big hand. Without stepping back, I blankly stared at the giant fingertips. Then her fingertips touch me. [It won¡¯t hurt anymore. But, baby, remember¡­ your feathers are not a curse. I love you¡­] With those words, the light that surrounded me quickly faded away. The figure that was talking to me was no longer visible. Soon after, I felt like I was falling endlessly somewhere. And not long after. ¡°Chirp?¡± I opened my eyes. CH 50 ¡°Linsy. What about Lady Linsy?¡± Ancia grabbed Kendrick, who had come to clean up the banquet hall, and asked. Tristan was startled. He tried to separate his granddaughter, but Ancia grabbed Kendrick by the waist and refused to let him go. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find Lady Linsy. I searched all the way to the bushes, but¡­ they told me to go back to the banquet hall¡­¡± Ancia gave Ethan a resentful look. Then Ethan coughed. ¡°Who are you?¡± Kendrick looked at Ancia with a wary stare. At Kendrick¡¯s question, Tristan, who was soothing Ancia, bowed his head. ¡°This is my granddaughter. She was talking with the Lady earlier, and she seems to be very worry about her.¡± Hearing Tristan¡¯s words, he stared intently at Ancia. Then he patted Ancia¡¯s head gently and said. ¡°I see, Linsy is fine. I found her inside the mansion. And she¡¯ll be fine.¡± The little girl¡¯s face flashed at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell Linsy to contact you later when she wakes up.¡± Kendrick patted Ancia on the head a few more times and moved on. To a spot from which he can look out over the banquet hall. He stood alone in the same spot where Linsi and Arsene had been with him. Silence flowed in the hall. Kendrick opened his mouth slowly. ¡°Thank you very much for attending the banquet.¡± A sharp gaze passed over the arrogant nobles. ¡°However, I am very disappointed with what happened today. I didn¡¯t know that the banquet I was hosting would disregard a member of Yeckhart.¡± There were a few people who were visibly bewildered by Kendrick¡¯s words. He continued speaking without hesitation. ¡°If something like this happens again, I will not let it go. Linsy Raniero is a member of Yeckhart. After the wedding, she will have the surname of Yeckhart¡­.¡± He continued speaking one syllable, one syllable. ¡°If I notice that someone ignoring that child, I will consider them ignoring Yeckhart as a whole and I will definitely punish them.¡± Kendrick looked around the banquet hall, which soon became quiet as if he had died. ¡°Let¡¯s wrap up the banquet here.¡± Kendrick left the banquet hall with a light step after finishing his speech. After he left, the nobles spoke in pale faces at the banquet hall. ¡°Really? Is he really going to make a bird clan member his daughter-in-law?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay to be a daughter-in-law. But didn¡¯t our Young Master has a weak body? But¡­ I didn¡¯t know he would be caught like that.¡± ¡°Watch your words! Didn¡¯t he just warn us? So, how did the Elijah family¡ª¡± ¡°The daughter in that family is immature¡­.¡± The wolf nobles sighed as they stared at the place where Kendrick had left. What do you mean bird clan? They thought it was just an arranged marriage that needed her special ability. The aristocrats left, thinking they should go back and get their children under control. Meanwhile, in the corner of the banquet hall. ¡°Ancia! So? Evelyn, what happened to Evelyn?¡± The children flocked to Ancia to hear the full story of the incident. There were children who were caught and dragged by their parents early on trying to hear from Ancia. Ancia crumpled her face as if it was embarrassing. ¡°Now? You didn¡¯t seem to be interested in Linsy earlier.¡± ¡°That¡­ it¡¯s because she¡¯s a bird clan. My mom told me not to talk to my bird clan¡­.¡± A child stuttered on. Ancia patted her forehead and then looked at the child and said. ¡°She¡¯s a member of Yeckhart, right? You stupid! You¡¯re as good as ignoring Lord Kendrick now.¡± ¡°What? W, when did I say I ignored Lord Kendrick!¡± ¡°You ignored the person Lord Kendrick introduced himself. If it¡¯s not ignoring Lord Kendrick, what is it?¡± Ancia, who spoke clearly, snorted. Then¡ª. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to Evelyn. It¡¯s just that¡ªEvelyn change to her wolf form and scared Linsy. Because of that, the Lady was startled and flew away. That¡¯s all I know.¡± Ancia said with a gloomy expression. She¡¯s supposed to protect her. Evelyn was two years older than Ancia, and she had finished molting. So she could transform to wolf form, while Ancia can¡¯t. Ancia¡¯s shoulders drooped as she seemed to blame herself for what had happened. ¡°Let¡¯s go home now, Ancia.¡± Just then, Tristan and Ancia¡¯s parents called her. Ancia looked at the other kids and then said as if she had driven a wedge between them. ¡°Anyway, today is really¡­I¡¯m disappointed. Are you discriminating against her because she¡¯s from a bird clan? I¡¯m not going to play with you anymore.¡± At the end of the words, Ancia ran and was embraced by Tristan. Only the remaining children exchanged glances among themselves. * * * When I opened my eyes, it was already after sunset. I stared blankly at the ceiling. ¡°I¡­ Did I faint?¡± I remember being locked up in a room and screaming for help. I don¡¯t remember anything after that. How did I get here? My head hurt so much that it felt like it was going to break, so I wrapped my wings around my head and got up. And jumped off the pillow. ¡°Chirp!¡± Betty knew I didn¡¯t like being in the dark, so she turned on the lamp, so the room wasn¡¯t dark and scary. I sat down for a moment and thought about the dream I had just had. I was alone in the dark, It wasn¡¯t long before I appeared with my red-haired. And. [Baby, baby. Something peculiar has choked your neck. Poor thing.] The strange voice I heard in my dream came to mind. ¡®That¡­ What is that? Was it just a dream?¡¯ It said something was blocking my throat. And the existence immediately reached out to me. [It won¡¯t hurt anymore. Baby, remember¡­Your feathers are not a curse. I love you¡­] The warm light that wrapped around my body became clear as soon as those words were finished. ¡®My neck¡­it stop¡­.¡¯ At that moment, something came to mind. Ah! I quickly jumped in place. Light blue smoke rose from under my feet. Soon after, the field of vision increased, and the transformation was released. ¡®¡­The wings have come out again.¡¯ Although it was incomplete, maybe it¡¯s because I collapsed and just woke up. I flapped my wings a few times. And I quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror. ¡°The prohibition¡­ prohibition¡­.¡± A black spot near the neck. The black spots had disappeared as if they had been washed away. I narrowed my eyes once more and looked at my neck. However, there was no prohibition. Then I cleared my throat. And slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Prohi¡­bition.¡± The word prohibition came out of my mouth. My voice was clearly heard in my ears. ¡°Has the prohibition been lifted?¡± Only then did I recall the strange dream I had just had. ¡®Then¡­ it¡¯s not a dream?¡¯ It was clear that the peculiar thing that blocked my throat meant prohibition. Then how¡ª. What was ¡®that¡¯? A being who appeared in my dreams and removed all painful illusions, and even released the prohibition. What on earth is that¡ª. I frowned and thought, and then quickly moved on. Because I had to tell Kendrick about this before the prohibition comes back again. ¡®But, is he sleeping?¡¯ I glanced at the clock. It was obviously daytime before I fainted, but now it was dawn. Perhaps Kendrick was already asleep. ¡®Still¡­He was awake sometimes, so let¡¯s go to the office first.¡¯ I opened the door. But then. ¡°Whoaa!¡± I was surprised to see the person standing in front of my door and fell on my butt. ¡°G, Glene¡­?¡± Glene¡¯s white hair gleamed in the darkness. Her gray eyes slowly turned towards me. ¡°L, Lady¡­¡± Glene got me straight up and cleaned the dust off of my pajamas. ¡°Oh my, Glene, what are you¡­doing here?¡± Glene¡¯s room was in another building. There was no reason for Glene to come here at this hour. ¡°¡­D, don¡¯t get hurt anymore.¡± Glene opened her mouth. ¡°What do you mean don¡¯t be sick¡­ Oh! Glene, is this why you¡¯re here?¡± I quickly dragged Glene into the room and slammed the door. And I showed Glene my clean, spotless neck. ¡°My prohibition has been lifted! Did you know this?¡± Glene nodded slowly. ¡°How did you know? I just found out that now, but how¡­you¡­¡± Glene didn¡¯t reply to that and only bit her mouth tightly. ¡°Glene, do you have a prohibition on you too?¡± I asked, looking up at Glene, holding her hand tightly. ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t talk to Kendrick-nim. What kind of prohibition do you have on yourself?¡± A bewildered light flashed in Glenn¡¯s eyes. She seemed to ponder for a moment, then she sat me down on the bed. And. Tak¡ª. Glene took off her top and showed it to me. It was a skinny back. A huge and hideous spot was engraved on the white exposed spine. It was different in shape from my spots, which were faint and hard to see. When I opened my eyes wide, Glene got dressed again and came closer. ¡°L, Lady¡­ You can¡¯t see it¡­¡± Glene¡¯s face, murmuring constantly, was distorted with pain. ¡°Glene! If you keep saying¡ª!¡± But she didn¡¯t care and put her cheek on my palm. Perhaps the pain was coming up, her body trembled suddenly, and then there was a sound coming up from her neck. Glene, who had been biting her lip as if to endure her pain for a long time, opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, Lady¡­It¡¯s dangerous.¡± I stared at Glene and swallowed my saliva. CH 51 ¡°Is it dangerous? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Glenne left without saying anything more. Then I stared blankly at the place where Glenne had left. ¡®Is the prohibition dangerous?¡¯ Or is it Esther, the one who put prohibition, who is a dangerous man? I stared at the place where she had left for a long time, then came to my senses. ¡®This is not the time.¡¯ I had to tell Kendrick about the prohibition. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see Ester again and get the prohibition again. I took the lamp off of the side table. And with a lamp in my hand, I crept down the dark hallway, relying on the light from the lamp. Then I carefully knocked on Kendrick¡¯s door as I stood in front of his office. Knock, knock. ¡®Is he sleeping?¡¯ Even after knocking, there was no sound in the office for a long time. ¡®He must be sleeping.¡¯ I took a step back. When the sun comes up tomorrow morning, I would run right up to him and talk to him. But then. Kiik¡ª. I heard the door open and immediately looked back. ¡°¡­Linsy?¡± Kendrick called my name slowly. ¡°Oh, hello, Kendrick-nim. Sorry for coming to you late. I ruined today¡¯s banquet, but I have something to tell you¡ª¡± I glanced up at Kendrick, talking back and forth. Just then, Kendrick walked over and put his hand on my forehead. ¡°Are you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, of course¡ªah!¡± I finally realized why Kendrick was looking at me with that expression. ¡®I was knocked down.¡¯ Strange things happened one after another, so I forgot for a while. I nodded quickly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. Really. I ruined the banquet¡ª I¡¯m sorry.¡± I, the main character of the banquet, disappeared somewhere before the banquet was over. Yeckhart¡¯s honor must have been tarnished. I shut my eyes tightly. Then, a soft hand touched my head. ¡°Even though the banquet was ruined, you did great, so don¡¯t worry. And¡­I gave that kid a reasonable punishment.¡± ¡°That kid¡­?¡± ¡°The wolf that threatened you. Evelyn Elijah.¡± Ah. I opened my mouth slightly. That was Evelyn. I nodded slowly, and Kendrick grabbed me in a flash. Then he took me into the office and laid me down on the sofa with a careful hand. ¡°Linsy, it seems like I¡¯m just apologizing to you every time.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you go through this.¡± Kendrick murmured. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should have stayed with you, but I stopped because I heard that there was an abnormal reaction to the holy relic.¡± ¡°What do you mean, abnormal reaction to a holy relic?¡± I asked with my eyes wide open. Holy relic. Nine jewels blessed by God. The central temple and each of the blessed clans divided these relics and kept them in their respective territories. The bird clan keeps a huge green emerald, But what the wolf clan kept was a giant blue sapphire. Managing this ¡®holy relic¡¯ was one of the most important tasks for each clan leader. Each clan used to gather in the temple once a year during the festival to check the safety of the holy relic. But what about an abnormal reaction to holy things? Kendrick waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s back to normal soon. Anyway, that¡¯s why I was away for a while, but I didn¡¯t know it was going to turn out like this. I apologize to you, Linsy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s back, I¡¯m really fine.¡± I nodded. ¡°Really, I know that the wolf clan and the bird clan don¡¯t get along well. I mean¡­that¡¯s a natural reaction. Of course, I think it¡¯s wrong to surprise me by becoming a wolf, but¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not natural. From now on, I will thoroughly manage so that no one does this to you. You are now a member of Yeckhart.¡± Saying that, Kendrick¡¯s face was extremely serious. I swallowed my saliva and nodded. ¡°And I have something to ask you¡­you said you hate the dark.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°Then why did you go into the basement?¡± I blinked a couple of times at Kendrick¡¯s question. ¡°I was surprised¡­I ran into an empty place and went into the basement by mistake. It was too dark to come out, but a light flashed in a certain room, so I followed the light.¡± ¡°Yes, but when I went in, the lights went out and the door was locked when I tried to leave¡­.¡± I trembled. ¡°That¡¯s what happened¡­Right, are you okay now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine now. Thank you for your concern. Oh, and I have something to tell you¡ª!¡± Kendrick looked at me. ¡°Uhm, by any chance¡­are there still people using the prohibition?¡± ¡°Prohibition¡­How do you know that?¡± Kendrick asked in wonder. ¡°That¡¯s, of course¡­ah.¡± It was then that I realized that I was a seven-year-old child. Also, no one talks about ¡®prohibition¡¯ to a seven-year-old child. ¡®I think I learned it when I was about 10 years old¡­¡¯ Kendrick looked at me with a really puzzled look. Ey, never mind. ¡°I learned from Raniero. Once upon a time, there was an organization that used something called prohibition.¡± ¡°Yeah, there was. But why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I have something to tell you¡­but can you believe me for sure?¡± ¡°Yes, just say it. Linsy.¡± Kendrick put his hands on his knees and said. ¡°There was a prohibition on my neck.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know exactly whether it¡¯s a prohibition or not, but¡­is prohibition something like using a technique that restricts the ability to perform certain actions?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s prohibition.¡± ¡°Every time I talked about prohibition, my throat was stuffy and it hurt here.¡± I said, pointing my finger at the neck, chest, and middle of it. ¡°I had a black spot on my neck¡­but it¡¯s gone now¡­¡± ¡°¡­Neck? How did that happen to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s when the great elder comes to the mansion, Kendrick-nim. It¡¯s Ester-nim.¡± ¡°¡­Ester.¡± ¡°At that time, I met Ester-nim in front of the office¡­ and then I saw something strange.¡± ¡°Tell me more, Linsy.¡± Kendrick¡¯s expression became serious. Then I swallowed my saliva and continued. ¡°Behind Ester-nim¡­ There was something like a dark red air current. He saw me and just came over to me.¡± ¡°A dark red air current is coming?¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s right in front of me¡­.the light suddenly flashed, and the air current was pressed by the light and entered Ester-nim. Then it came out and spread to the mansion. And not long after that, Arsene¡¯s condition got worse. I don¡¯t know what it has to do with¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, and Ethan didn¡¯t seem to see that air current¡­I was the only one who saw it.¡± I wrinkled my nose and talked while recalling the memories of that time. ¡°Anyway, something like that happened, and then there was a prohibition on it, so I haven¡¯t been able to talk about that dark red air current ever since.¡± I finished my words in a low voice. ¡°Ester¡­I thought all the men who used prohibition were killed a long time ago¡­.¡± Kendrick¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed. ¡°Thank you for telling me, Linsy. I¡¯ll find out. But¡­ how did you get rid of the prohibition?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Prohibition is a technique that can only be released by the person who cast it, or the person who cast it must die.¡± ¡®Is that such a terrifying technique?¡¯ I was about to tell Kendrick about the dream I had just had, but then I shut my mouth. Because I thought it was a bit of a nonsensical story. Who would believe that the woman in my dreams freed the prohibition? I laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of my head clumsily. ¡°That¡¯s, I don¡¯t know. I just woke up and it suddenly got better. Uhm, perhaps¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­perhaps that person is dead¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, perhaps it was. Anyway, thank you, Lynsey. I¡¯ll find out.¡± ¡°And the kid I brought last time. Glene.¡± ¡°Glene? Ah, the one who bumped into Aiden¡¯s horse.¡± I clapped my hands. ¡°She can see the black stream I saw. She immediately recognized me on the street and spoke to me.¡± ¡°How¡¯d she do that? Isn¡¯t she a blind child?¡± ¡°Yes, but Glene said she could only see me. She said she saw black smoke attached to me.¡± I immediately recalled what Betty had told me and said again. ¡°And Betty said. Even if you can¡¯t see, if you are a mutant mixed with the blood of a deer clan, that¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Kendrick seemed to be agonizing for a moment and then said. ¡°That¡¯s why you asked her to stay in the mansion.¡± ¡°Yes, I think there is a prohibition on Glene as well. It¡¯s like she knows something¡­but I don¡¯t know if Glene will be able to talk about it.¡± I said cautiously, remembering the spot on Glene¡¯s back and the girl¡¯s figure in pain. ¡°Yeah, I will find out. Then go get some rest now, Linsy. And¡­no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It would be better for Arsene to say this in person. Hear from Arsene tomorrow.¡± Kendrick smiled. ¡°Is there any good news?¡± ¡°Good things happen, thanks to you.¡± As Kendrick said that, he seemed very happy. ¡®Is Arsene getting better?¡¯ Kendrick hugged me tightly and told me to go back. ¡°Ah, I, I can go alone!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Kendrick lightly hugged me as I struggled and headed toward my room. He handed me the lamp I was carrying and told me to take it. He gently laid me down on my bed and stroked my forehead. ¡°Sleep well, Linsy.¡± ¡°Yeah, Kendrick-nim too.¡± I closed the door and stared at Kendrick as he left. And then, I quickly rolled the blanket over. CH 52 ¡°Lady!¡± Betty happily called me when she saw me without bird form. I rubbed my sleepy eyes, sat on the bed, and greeted Betty. ¡°Ung, Betty¡­good morning.¡± ¡°Lady! Do you know how worried I was? When I heard that the Lady was surprised and flew away, I was really¡ª¡± Tears welled up in Betty¡¯s eyes as she said that. I was so embarrassed that I squeezed Betty¡¯s waist and puffed her cheeks. ¡°Betty, Betty, are you crying? I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not something you should be sorry about. It¡¯s Miss Evelyn¡¯s fault. How can she surprise you by changing into a wolf when she knows you belong to the bird clan?¡± Betty nodded and continued. ¡®I¡¯m a new clan, so I was surprised by the wolf form¡­.¡¯ But I decided to put up with it because I thought Betty would be angry if I said that. ¡°Lady, I¡¯m so glad. I¡¯ll bring Mr Hern. How worried he was that you wouldn¡¯t wake up¡ª¡± ¡°Ung, please do it.¡± ¡°And is it okay if I bring Young Master Arsene along too? When he hears that the Lady is up, he want to come straight away.¡± ¡°Of course, please bring Arsene too.¡± I nodded, and Betty left the room. And not long after¡ª. Bang! The door swung open, and Arsene, with a disheveled appearance, entered. Arsene¡¯s eyes were swollen as if he had just woken up. ¡°Arsene¡ªack!¡± I stopped screaming at Arsene, who suddenly jumped into bed. ¡°You surprised me, you stupid!¡± ¡°Linsy, you¡­are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Arsene looked closely at my condition with his sleepy eyes wide open. I put my hand on Arsene¡¯s curly gray hair. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no pain. Were you worried?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t worry. No, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t do it. It¡¯s a little¡­.¡± Arsene lowered his eyes and lowered his voice. ¡°I did a little.¡± ¡°Ung, thank you. That¡¯s right, Arsene. You say you have something to tell me?¡± I recalled a story I had heard from Kendrick last night and spoke up. ¡°It would be better for Arsene to talk about this in person. Hear it from Arsene tomorrow.¡± Arsene listened to me and blinked as if thinking for a moment. ¡°Something to tell¡ª? Ah.¡± Then, as if he had just remembered, he opened his mouth slightly. ¡°Look at this, Linsy.¡± Arsene opens his palm. I stared intently at Arsene¡¯s tiny palm. ¡°Look carefully.¡± As soon as Arsene finished speaking, a black light rose from the small palm of his hand and gathered together. I looked at it and asked with my eyes wide open. ¡°What¡¯s this? Did you manifest your ability?¡± ¡°Ung, when you¡¯re fainting.¡± Arsene continued, shrugging. ¡°Look, I can do this, too.¡± As soon as Arsene finished speaking, the black light that had been gathered together took the form of a wolf. I let out a low exclamation. ¡°Wow, you can do this, too?¡± The black shadow, which had gathered in the form of a wolf, came up to me and rubbed its head at me. ¡°Whoa, whoa, are you using your ability?¡± ¡°Do you mean controlling it?¡± ¡°Ung? Ung. Ah, is it normal? It¡¯s your ability, so you must be controlling it.¡± I stroked the head of the shadow wolf that was rubbing against me. It was small and more like a dog than a wolf. The shadow wolf wiggled its tail every time I stroked its head. ¡°No, it just moving by itself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I stopped stroking it with my hand and raised my head to look at Arsene. ¡°Its moving alone?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m just calling out.¡± Arsene murmured, blushing. I looked at Arsene once and alternately at the shadow wolf ¡ª made by Arsene¡¯s ability¡ª acting cute to me. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible¡­? How can this ability be used alone? That¡¯s¡ª that can¡¯t be happening.¡± According to Arsene, that shadow wolf was moving against Arsene¡¯s will. It also meant that the shadow wolf, created by Arsene¡¯s powers, had an ego. ¡®Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡¯ I can¡¯t believe ability can have an ego. Still, Arsene was weak. I clasped Arsene¡¯s hand and spoke in a rather serious tone. ¡°Arsene, stop using your ability.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Send it back. Get rid of it.¡± The shadow wolf who heard me drooped its tail. The ears that were standing upright also drooped. I almost felt a little weak at the sight, but¡ª. ¡°Get rid of it, quickly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arsene obediently gets rid of the shadow wolf. Then Arsene gestured to the air once, and the shadow wolf shattered and melted into the surrounding shadows. ¡°What do you say to Kendrick-nim?¡± ¡°Dad hasn¡¯t said anything yet.¡± Arsene said quietly. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­.¡± I stared at Arsene¡¯s clean face for a long time. If Kendrick didn¡¯t say anything, is that okay? However, it was the first time since I was born that something made with ability moves with an ego. No ability could be used in that way. Then. ¡°Lady, are you awake?¡± The door opened, and Mr. Hern entered the room. ¡°I¡¯m glad you woke up early. Do you feel any pain anywhere?¡± Hern touched my forehead familiarly. I nodded. ¡°Yees, I don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I was so surprised¡­ Please sit down. Let me check your condition.¡± Hern looked over my body meticulously. I quietly entrust my body to Hern¡¯s hand. ¡°Fortunately, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any major problems¡­your ability is also stable. That¡¯s a relief. Now get some rest. Young Master, let the Lady rest¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going out.¡± ¡°No, Young Master has to be out so that the Lady¡ª¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m not going out.¡± Arsene cut Hern¡¯s words twice with an angry expression. He seemed very surprised that I had suddenly disappeared. I stroked Arsene¡¯s hair. ¡°Uhm, I want to stay with Arsene. Ah, and¡­ Betty!¡± When I shouted, Betty, who was outside the door, opened the door and came into the room. ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°I want to see Glene.¡± Yesterday Glene left me with only important stories. Without having time to grab or ask anything else. Of course, I¡¯ve told Kendrick about Glene, so he¡¯ll find out. ¡®I¡¯ll need Glene¡¯s permission to look at her body again¡­.¡¯ Glene may not show her body to Kendrick. However, I want to ask questions if she doesn¡¯t refuse. ¡®But she can¡¯t speak because of the prohibition¡ª I¡¯ll check if she can answer with a nod.¡¯ Looking up at Betty, Betty answered with a light smile. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll get her right away. Lady.¡± Betty left the room, saying she was going to call Glene. After Mr. Hern left, I lay with Arsene on the bed and turned my head to look at Arsene. ¡°Tell me more about the moment your ability manifest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing much¡­it just happened.¡± ¡°It just happened?¡± Arsene seemed to ponder for a moment, and then he opened his mouth. ¡°Just¡­it suddenly appeared while looking for you. I don¡¯t know either.¡± Arsene suddenly blushed in embarrassment. ¡°Yes? Why don¡¯t you know, Arsene~.¡± I clung to Arsene¡¯s back and tickled Arsene¡¯s stomach. ¡°Because I don¡¯t know! It suddenly appeared¡ª¡± ¡°Anyway, congratulations, Arsene! As expected from Yeckhart¡¯s successor! I will work hard and make you completely healed!¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to push yourself too hard.¡± Arsene grumbled. At that moment, Chloe, who was standing next to him, smiled and opened her mouth. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Kendrick to throw a little party? As a commemoration of the Young Master¡¯s ability that manifest.¡± ¡°Party?¡± ¡°Yeah, that kind of party with cakes and lots of cookies and muffins. Lady, because you didn¡¯t eat much at the banquet.¡± ¡°Ung, right. I couldn¡¯t eat much¡­.¡± Party? I grabbed Arsene¡¯s arm tightly with excitement. ¡°Party¡­I won¡¯t do it if there¡¯s a lot of strangers coming again like this time.¡± Arsene said firmly. Chloe smiled and waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a small, small party inside the mansion. Only the Lady and the Young Master. Or, if you have someone you want to invite, you can invite them. If you want to, I¡¯ll ask Kendrick.¡± My eyes twinkled with anticipation. ¡®It¡¯s a small party.¡¯ There must be some delicious desserts like a banquet. The banquet had a huge variety of desserts, but I only ate one cookie and orange juice. While the wolves have been watching me¡ª. ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s have a party.¡± Arsene said softly. ¡°I want to party too.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask Kendrick-nim. He¡¯ll probably say yes.¡± And at that time. ¡°Lady!¡± Betty hurriedly ran into the room with a surprised expression on her face. ¡°Betty¡­? What happened?¡± I jumped out of bed, looked at Betty, and asked. Arsene also had his eyes wide open as if something was wrong. ¡°Glene is disappeared.¡± Betty said as if she was bewildered. ¡°¡­Who is disappeared?¡± ¡°When I went in the morning, they said she wasn¡¯t there. She left all the clothes¡­It is said that only one flower was on top of it.¡± Betty handed me a flower. ¡®This¡­¡¯ Not long ago, when I met Glene on the flowerbed, it was the flower she was taking care of. I took a flower from Betty in a daze. ¡°And the other maid said¡­Glene came to visit at night and she said something.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get sick, she asked her to tell you that she hopes to see you again soon. She heard it in her sleep, so she didn¡¯t know that Glene would disappear¡ª¡± I stuttered as I stared at Betty, bewildered. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for Glene to disappear¡­she talks to me at night¡­ah.¡± Then she talked to me and left the mansion right away? But why? Because my prohibition is lifted? Or is it because I found out about Glene¡¯s prohibition? I couldn¡¯t figure out why Glene had left the mansion. I thought she might like it since I had lifted my prohibition. Ah. I only realized yesterday that Glene was standing right in front of my room. ¡®Then maybe¡­¡¯ Did she come to say goodbye? CH 53 Author: rolypoly ¡°I¡¯ll put it here, miss, so you can see the flowers for a long time.¡± Betty put the flowers Glene had left behind in a pretty vase. ¡°Ung, thank you.¡± I stared intently at the transparent vase placed on a sunny spot. ¡®Why did you leave the flowers behind?¡¯ Is it to say goodbye? I thought about it for a long time but couldn¡¯t find the answer. I went to the servants¡¯ accommodation where Glene stayed with Arsene just in case, but¡ª. ¡°She was suddenly gone, and she was definitely there until last night¡ª¡± ¡°I see¡­Thanks for letting me know!¡± The maids were already cleaning the place where Glene was staying. ¡®I couldn¡¯t even say goodbye.¡¯ If I had known that it would be the last time I saw her last night, I would have said goodbye to her. I chewed on the tuna sandwich and thought about it. Arsene was next to me, picking out the cucumbers in the sandwich. ¡°That¡¯s right, the Lord is not at the mansion today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You say Kendrick-nim isn¡¯t here?¡± Arsene and I both stopped eating our sandwiches and looked at Chloe. ¡°Yes, he said he would be away from the mansion for a while because he had work. Young master, don¡¯t pick out cucumbers and eat them.¡± Arsene trembled at Betty¡¯s words. I took another bite of the sandwich while listening to Betty. ¡®Is he going to find out about prohibition?¡¯ When I told him yesterday, he said that he would investigate separately, so there was a high probability of that. ¡°Then, when will he come back?¡± ¡°Maybe he will be back tomorrow? I don¡¯t know, too. Actually, before the Lady came, the Lord was often absent. At that time, he was away for two or three days, but not these days¡ªso I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Ung, I see¡­.¡± ¡°Right, Lady. Elijah Young Lady sent a letter saying she wanted to apologize¡ªwhat should we do?¡± Betty looked me in the eye and said. ¡°Elijah? Do you mean Evelyn Elijah?¡± At that time, Arsene secretly threw a pile of cucumbers on the floor and said. ¡°Why does she ask something like that? What do you mean by an apology? Tell her not to come forever.¡± ¡°Arsene.¡± ¡°Hey, you fool. Do you want an apology? What trouble did she cause for you?¡± Arsene snapped. ¡°Young Master, please don¡¯t pick cucumbers. And, Lady, if you don¡¯t want to receive an apology, please feel free to tell me. Lady¡¯s mind is the most important thing.¡± I swallowed my saliva. ¡®I should¡­accept the apology, right?¡¯ However, when I think of Evelyn, I keep thinking of that child¡¯s beast form. The black wolf who showed its teeth and threatened me. I trembled. ¡°As expected, I shouldn¡¯t accept it, so tell her I¡¯m done with the apology. Because I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± Then Betty laughed softly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell her so.¡± I gripped the hem of the friendly Betty¡¯s skirt. Then Betty smiled and took my hand. ¡°Why? Do you have any discomfort?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡ª¡± She was no longer afraid of Yeckhart¡¯s servants, as well as Betty, Arsene, Kendrick and Ethan. However. ¡®It might be a little scary if they turn into a wolf.¡¯ Yeckhart¡¯s servants had never transformed in front of me. They know that I am afraid of wolves and take care of me. But. ¡®Then if Betty turns into a wolf, will I be afraid of her?¡¯ Most likely, it was. Because I was a child who was extremely afraid of big wolves. But. ¡®Strangely, I didn¡¯t think Betty would be scary¡ª¡¯ I grabbed Betty¡¯s hand and looked up at her. ¡°You know, Betty. Can you transform later?¡± When they were close friends, asking someone to change into their beast form wasn¡¯t rude. But, wondering if Betty would feel uncomfortable, I looked into Betty¡¯s eyes. ¡°Y, yes? Beast form? Lady, you are afraid of wolves. It just happened yesterday¡ª¡± ¡°Ung, right, so¡­I was really surprised to see Evelyn¡¯s wolf form yesterday.¡± ¡°But you want me to transform to my beast form, Lady?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think Betty¡¯s wolf form will be scary for some reason¡­If I¡¯m scared, I¡¯ll tell you right away. Then you can release the wolf form. Can you?¡± I looked up at Betty with eager eyes. Betty pondered for a moment as if she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Then if you¡¯re scared, you have to tell me right away, okay¡ª?¡± ¡°U, ung, I understand!¡± I nodded vigorously. Betty let out a sigh. * * * ¡°Lady, should I come out?¡± ¡°Ung, I told you to come out.¡± Arsene and I sat next to each other on the bed while we waited for Betty¡¯s wolf form to appear. Betty said from behind the screen. ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯ll do it for you because you want to see it¡­ But if you¡¯re scared, you have to tell me right away, okay? Make sure to do it?¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry, Betty.¡± ¡°¡­Can you not fly?¡± ¡°I know, how many have I told you.¡± ¡°Right, you shouldn¡¯t fly. It¡¯s really hard to find you.¡± Arsene, who had been listening to our conversation, grunted in. ¡°Phew¡­ Then wait a second.¡± As soon as Betty finished speaking, from behind the screen, there was a sound Pong! Soon after, brown smoke rose into the air and spread out. Betty didn¡¯t come out right away and seemed to be simmering. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and wiggled my leg as I waited for Betty. Soon after, the screen was lifted, and a giant wolf appeared. A wolf with curly brown fur stared at me. And then she sighed. I squeezed Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡®I think¡­it¡¯s not as scary as I thought?¡¯ I stared at Betty for a long time, then swallowed my saliva. Then. ¡°Lady~! Wait!¡± Chloe swung the giant brown wolf into the screen. Clank! Then. There was a sound of something breaking, and soon Betty reappeared. There was a large crown on Betty¡¯s head. And there were pretty ribbons and flowers wrapped around her neck. Chloe and the other maids appeared behind the screen. ¡°How do you like it, Lady? You¡¯re a little less scared, right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re still scared, I¡¯ll hang more flowers!¡± The giant wolf stared at the maids with flowers on her body, and then turned to me. And¡ª. Smiling, she pulled the corners of her mouth and tried to smile. ¡°Uhm¡­ I think it¡¯s okay. Is it because it¡¯s Betty?¡± I put my hand carefully on my chest. Of course, my heart was still pounding, It wasn¡¯t at a level enough to run away from it, like when I met Evelyn. ¡®All right, let¡¯s adjust like this.¡¯ There were a lot of people in the wolf family who looked down on me. I could tell just by looking at the banquet yesterday. I mean, there are a lot of people who don¡¯t like me. So maybe the same thing as yesterday will happen again. At that time, I couldn¡¯t escape in a panic. I swallowed my saliva. ¡°Good, I think it¡¯s okay. Betty, thank you for doing me a favor.¡± As soon as I finished speaking, the giant wolf slowly rose. And. Pong¡ª! A cloud of brown smoke rose, and Betty appeared from the middle with a bunch of flowers hanging on her head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Lady. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Ung. I want to practice not to be afraid of wolves.¡± Arsene turned his head and looked at me at my words. ¡°Why do you practice like that?¡± ¡°Because nothing like yesterday should happen. What if I faint because I¡¯m surprised again?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well, then we can make it impossible for them to transform into wolf form in front of you.¡± Arsene said as if it was not a big deal. ¡®That¡¯s¡­a dangerous statement right?¡¯ I blinked and looked at Arsene still. Is it just a feeling that Arsene reminds me of a tyrant? I tapped Arsene on the arm. ¡°You can¡¯t stop transformation¡­ Of course, they shouldn¡¯t do it on purpose like yesterday, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen with people.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯ll stop them from doing it.¡± Arsene jumped up. ¡°Okay, fool. I¡¯ll just get used to it.¡± I talked to Arsene with my eyes glaring. ¡°Uhm¡­ Then, should I change to my beast form once a day?¡± Betty asked, rearranging her skirt. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re scared of me, so I¡¯ll transform for you.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you, Betty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a difficult job. But you have to promise me one thing. You will make sure to tell me if you¡¯re scared, okay?¡± ¡°Ung, I will!¡± When I laughed, Betty smiled after me. Then. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in~¡± As soon as we were finished, Betty opened the door. Outside the door stood an apprentice maid. ¡°Lady, you have a guest.¡± ¡°Guest?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Aiden is here.¡± ¡°Sir Aiden?¡± CH 54 Author: rolypoly ¡°Aiden?¡± I saw Aiden standing there with an anxious face and called him carefully. ¡°Lady!¡± When Aiden saw me, he smiled warmly and bowed his head to greet me politely. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Ung? Uh-huh¡­ I¡¯ve been well.¡± A lot of things happened, but I don¡¯t need to talk about that. I ended my greetings by saying that I¡¯ve been well. ¡°Then why are you standing here? Let¡¯s go in.¡± I grabbed Aiden¡¯s hand and led him to the drawing room. ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­there is something I want you to look at first.¡± Aiden followed me without resistance, and he slowly opened his mouth. I turned my head to look at Aiden. ¡°Is there something I should look at?¡± ¡°Yes, Hector¡­I mean.¡± ¡°Hector?¡± Who is Hector? As I listened to Aiden, I blinked a couple of times and fell into thought. Was there someone I met named Hector? Then, Aiden nodded his head and spoke his words. ¡°Yes, the horse that you treated last time. His name is Hector.¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± I looked up at Aiden, clasping hands together. ¡®The horse¡¯s name was Hector.¡¯ A horse whose leg was severely broken when it collided with Glene the other day. I said, looking at Aiden with a worried look. ¡°But what about Hector? Didn¡¯t the treatment go well then?¡± ¡°No! The treatment went well. But¡­ That punk is in a bit of a bad mood.¡± Aiden sighed. ¡°Really? Is he hurt somewhere?¡± I was worried that the horse I had treated was not in good condition. ¡°I think you have to see it for yourself, rather than saying it.¡± What¡¯s going on? ¡°Is Hector here?¡± ¡°Yes, I brought it.¡± ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go see it!¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes widened in response to my answer. ¡°Is it in the stable?¡± ¡°Yes, I put it in there. I can¡¯t show it from the outside¡­It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go see it now.¡± I strode ahead of Aiden. We arrived at the stable shortly after. But. ¡°Oh, my! Hey, you punk! You¡¯re going to break the stable!¡± Gilbert¡¯s shout came from inside the stable. I rushed into the stable and called for Gilbert. ¡°Gilbert? What happened?¡± ¡°Oh my, Lady¡­I don¡¯t know, this punk is trying to destroy the stable.¡± Gilbert said, pointing his finger at a horse. A horse was making a lot of noise and smashing its back legs against the stable wall. I recognized the horse right away. ¡°Hector!¡± Aiden quickly ran to Hector. He patted Hector gently on the back of his nose. ¡°Hector, stop the violence.¡± ¡°Hector?¡± I followed Aiden and quickly approached Hector and stood in front of him. Then, Gilbert stopped me in a flustered voice. ¡°Oh my, please don¡¯t, Lady, just how fierce is that punk¡ªhuh?¡± Hector still sniffed as if he hadn¡¯t calmed down and immediately put his head on me. I reached out and caressed Hector¡¯s nose. Hector exhaled heavily and rested his head in my hands. ¡°Hector, what¡¯s going on? Ung? Aiden, what¡¯s wrong with Hector?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem, Lady¡­This brat is like that.¡± Aiden sighed and put his hand on his forehead. ¡°Well, I took it to our house and this guy didn¡¯t even eat the vines and bit all the stable keepers. Even trying to run out of the stable, how much trouble¡ª¡± ¡°Did it try to run out of the stable?¡± ¡°Yes, on the very night the Lady treated Hector! At first, I thought there might be another problem, so I called a doctor¡ª¡± Aiden sighed deeply. ¡°He kick the doctor too and doubled the cost of treatment¡ª¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re lying, right? When he¡¯s this gentle?¡± I asked as I watched Hector rubbing its head in my little hands. Hiing¨C! With a pleasant cry, Hector bowed its head and put its nose to me. Behind Hector, I saw the wall of the stable that Hector had cracked by kicking it. ¡°Uhm¡­ That¡¯s not a lie¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. So I¡¯ve been thinking about what¡¯s wrong¡­ How come he hasn¡¯t listened to me since he met the Lady?¡± Aiden sighed. ¡°Hector is a bit of an odd horse. He never puts someone on his back unless he¡¯s the one who allowed it.¡± ¡°Ung, but?¡± ¡°I think this punk liked Lady.¡± ¡°Me? What do you mean?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t eat any food or get on anyone¡¯s hands, and it seemed like it just wanted to die, so I took it to the Lady¡­.¡± Hector chewed the fodder as if it understood Aiden¡¯s words. ¡°¡­L, look at that. He¡¯s pretending to be in front of Lady.¡± ¡°Hector, you are good. Why didn¡¯t you eat the fodder?¡± Hector looked down at me, blinking its gentle eyes. A warm snort exhaled against my neck. ¡°I think he wants to see the Lady. This odd punk¡­I think he was grateful for the treatment.¡± Aiden pretended to hit Hector on the forehead. Hector shook his head and immediately looked at me with a clear gaze. ¡°I wanted to bring him earlier, but I couldn¡¯t because of the banquet.¡± ¡°Then¡­what should I do now? Do I have to feed Hector at every meal?¡± Aiden waved his hand at my question. ¡°No, what are you saying? It¡¯s just¡­do you want to raise Hector?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Aiden put his hand on Hector¡¯s nose. Hector shook its head and shook Aiden¡¯s hand, and glared at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a long time, and I think it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± Aiden continued. ¡°Hector chooses its own rider to ride on its back. So when we first met, it was a very difficult situation. It was raised as a war horse, but no one wants to ride it on its back¡­Then it meets me. That punk give me its back. I didn¡¯t choose this punk, it chose me.¡± Haha, at the sound of Aiden¡¯s laughter, Hector¡¯s tail fluttered. ¡°But¡­Apparently, this guy has decided to choose the Lady now. If the Lady becomes its owner, I think this guy will eat too.¡± Aiden once again tried to scratch Hector¡¯s chin, but Hector stubbornly refused Aiden¡¯s touch. ¡°This naughty punk. Anyway, that¡¯s why I came to Lady, please forgive my rudeness.¡± ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t know how to raise a horse¡­Besides, I don¡¯t know if Kendrick-nim will allow it¡­.¡± I continued stroking Hector¡¯s nose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, miss. Until the Lord returns, this Gilbert will¡­ will¡­.¡± Gilbert glanced at Hector and sighed. ¡°I will take good care of it¡­.¡± ¡°But Hector is Aiden¡¯s horse, if you give Hector to me, what about Aiden¡ª?¡± ¡°I have another horse. Hector isn¡¯t the only one to ride. Of course, it is true that Hector is the best horse I have ever ridden.¡± Hector raised its head toward Aiden this time as if it was going to bite Aiden. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s a famous horse, but how are you going to ride it when you keep doing this? This guy doesn¡¯t like me¡ª¡± ¡°I¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter. Why does it like me?¡± All I did for Hector was fix a broken leg. I was even busy that day, so I fixed my leg and came out right away. Hector¡¯s big eyes were directed at me. ¡°How can I know his heart?¡± Phew, Aiden sighed. I reached high and gently patted Hector¡¯s head. ¡°Kendrick-nim is away today, so I¡¯ll ask him when he gets back.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it at the stable until then. If I leave it at my house, many people will die.¡± ¡°Ung, I will do that then. Gilbert, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ As long as it remains as gentle as it is now, I can manage it.¡± ¡°Yes, Hector. I¡¯ll ask Kendrick-nim when he comes, so will you be obedient?¡± Hiiing¨C! Hector cried for a long time. Hehe, I smiled and stroked Hector¡¯s forehead. * * * ¡°¡­He¡¯s disappeared.¡± Kendrick burst out laughing. ¡°Is this possible, Degon? Both Ester and the girl disappear overnight.¡± Kendrick narrowed his brows. Last night, ¡°Behind Ester-nim¡­something like a dark red air flowed over. It saw me and just came to me.¡± Linsy told him that, and she also said Ester used a ¡°prohibition.¡± So he thought it might be necessary to investigate, so he ordered him to bring Ester. However, those who visited his house returned empty-handed. Kendrick, who had an ominous feeling, came directly to Ester¡¯s mansion. ¡°It was empty.¡± Kendrick said, looking quietly at Ester¡¯s empty room. Since Ester had no family, he couldn¡¯t ask anyone about his whereabouts. No, to be precise. ¡®There was one, and he died.¡¯ After Ester¡¯s son died in an accident, he went away more often. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Kendrick sighed. The people who lived there just said that Ester had ¡®an appointment¡¯ and hadn¡¯t come back yet. That¡¯s already the third day. ¡°First, investigate Ester¡¯s whereabouts. I will go to Fernando.¡± Hearing Kendrick¡¯s command, Degon nodded and bowed his head. CH 55 Author: rolypoly ¡°Long time no see, Lamont.¡± Kendrick lifted the teacup in front of him and opened his mouth. He turned his gaze to the man sitting opposite him, smiling gently. A man with well-combed black hair, sharp eyes, and a great smile. It was Lamont Fernando of the Black Lion, the head of the Lion Clan. ¡°How long has it been, Kendrick? You have come all the way to the lion¡¯s territory.¡± Lamont smiled unexpectedly and put the teacup to his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s been a year, hasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the festival season soon.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a year.¡± Kendrick took an elegant sip of tea, then put down the teacup. ¡°There¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± ¡°What do you mean you want to discuss it?¡± ¡°Have you seen a group that uses prohibition recently?¡± Kendrick asked bluntly. At his question, Lamont¡¯s face hardened in an instant. ¡°What are you talking about, Kendrick? If it was a group that used prohibition, wouldn¡¯t it have been wiped out long ago? ¡°Yeah, it was¡ªbut recently, I heard that someone who uses prohibition has appeared.¡± ¡°You heard that? To whom.¡± Kendrick waved his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know from whom I heard it.¡± ¡°Is this happening inside the wolf clan?¡± ¡°I came to you to find out if it was only happening on the inside, or something bigger than that.¡± Lamont wrinkled his brow. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it yet, are you sure about the information? They may have played a prank on you.¡± ¡°Well¡­ It didn¡¯t seem like a joke.¡± Kendrick put the teaspoon into the teacup and whipped it around, recalling Linsy¡¯s face. Linsy didn¡¯t seem to be lying. In addition. ¡°Someone who was said to be using prohibition is missing.¡± ¡°Missing?¡± ¡°Yeah, I went to his house today, and he hasn¡¯t returned since three days ago.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s gone somewhere for a while, Kendrick. Maybe you¡¯re being sensitive¡ª¡± ¡°If my guess is correct, he would be dead. Lamont.¡± Lamont narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­Linsy said. She suddenly got her prohibition lifted yesterday.¡± ¡°Linsy? The girl from the bird clan that you brought in as your daughter-in-law?¡± ¡°Yeah, she said she had a prohibition dangling around her neck.¡± Lamont snorted. ¡°Kendrick, you said she was only seven years old. What would a seven-year-old kid know? I don¡¯t know where she heard the word prohibition, but it¡¯s probably a lie. Because kids of that age like to lie.¡± ¡°Linsy said Ester put a prohibition on her.¡± Kendrick paused for a moment and then said. ¡°And Ester went missing. So I don¡¯t think this doesn¡¯t have any relation with it.¡± ¡°Well, Kendrick. I think you¡¯re taking it too seriously. Anyway, where on earth did she hear about prohibition? Does Raniero teach that to their children?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. And Linsy is a smart kid.¡± ¡°No matter how smart she is, if she is seven years old, she is the same age as our Leona¡ª¡± Bang! Before Lamont could finish speaking, the door to the study swung open. Kendrick and Lamont shifted their gaze towards the door, no matter who came first. ¡°Dad!¡± The door opened wide. A girl stood triumphantly in front of him with her hands on her waist. A kid with curly orange hair in a ponytail, she is the youngest daughter of the Fernando family. It was Leona Fernando. ¡°Oh my gosh. Lady, I told you that we have a guest. You can¡¯t do this.¡± Soon after, a servant, who appeared to be the child¡¯s exclusive maid, ran to take the child. But. ¡°Dad! I want to go out and play!¡± ¡°¡­Ha, Kendrick. wait a minute.¡± Lamont washed his face dry. ¡°Leon, don¡¯t come in while Daddy is meeting guests¡ª¡± ¡°I want to go out and play! I want to see the downtown area!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going crazy, can¡¯t you hear what Daddy said?¡± Lamont frowned. Leona shakes off her maid¡¯s hand, which was holding her back and trying to stop her from running to Lamont and sitting on his lap. ¡°I want to go out and play, ung? I¡¯ll listen to you¡ª¡± ¡°Seven-year-olds are out of control.¡± Lamont shrugged his shoulders and looked embarrassedly at Kendrick. Kendrick smiled to understand and drank tea. ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done talking to the guest. I¡¯ll talk to you then, all right? Enrica! What are you doing? Without taking this kid!¡± ¡°No, no. Talk to me now! Now¡­But uncle¡­uh, Uncle Kendrick!¡± Only then did Leona recognize Kendrick and look at him with a friendly face. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s been a while!¡± ¡°You have grown so much, Leon.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve grown up a lot. But when are you going to let me meet your son?¡± Leona had yet to meet Arsene even once. She had only heard him of Kendrick and Lamont. So Leona was very curious about Arsene. ¡°Leona, don¡¯t be rude and get out. Hurry.¡± ¡°Arsene? Well¡­ maybe you¡¯ll see him at this festival.¡± ¡°This festival?¡± Leona opened her eyes wide. ¡°Yes, there must be other friends besides Arsene. Leona, you have to play well.¡± ¡°Another friend¡­? Oh my. Dad, I can meet two friends!¡± Leona raised her head and looked at Lamont. The child suddenly lifted her head, and Leona¡¯s head hit Lamont on the chin. ¡°¡­Yes, it would be nice to have friends. So get out, Leon. please.¡± ¡°When was the festival?¡± ¡°The end of next month. You¡¯ll see them soon.¡± ¡°Stop answering her, Kendrick. Because you keep answering, this kid won¡¯t go out.¡± Lamont eventually grabbed his daughter¡¯s back and handed it over to the maid. Leona struggled not to leave, but there was no way she could match Lamont¡¯s strength. Lamont, who had barely let his daughter go, sat down with a weary expression. ¡°Look, seven-year-olds are out of control¡ª. Sometimes they lie and complain. Maybe that kid is a lie too. You¡¯re funny too. You believe in the words of a seven-year-old child and are looking for a group that has long since been exterminated.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re funny as well. The scene of getting hit on the chin by an uncontrollable daughter was very impressive. It¡¯s like the head of a lion family.¡± Kendrick laughed at what Lamont said and put down the teacup. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know anything. I just walked a long way for no reason.¡± ¡°If you come here, why don¡¯t we go eat together? Leona would like it.¡± Lamont shrugged. ¡°Next time, it¡¯s a festival soon anyway.¡± ¡°Yes¡ª. Are you going to bring Arsene to this festival?¡± Kendrick had never gone with Arsene to a public event until now. He, of course, had heard that he had recently introduced Arsene to the rest of his clan and taken him to the temple, but he only showed it to the wolf clan and didn¡¯t even visit the temple openly. Lamont¡¯s eyes lit up with his curiosity. ¡°After taking in a bird clan as a daughter-in-law, it seems like things have really improved.¡± ¡°Lamont.¡± ¡°There was a rumor that you hated the daughter-in-law very much and that you liked her very much¡­I don¡¯t know which to believe.¡± Lamont narrowed his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s nice. So I have no choice but to do so. Is that enough of an answer? See you at the festival, Lamont Fernando.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll contact you if something strange happens within the Lion Clan.¡± Lamont greeted him lightly. Kendrick immediately left Lamont¡¯s study. A girl who was sitting crouching in front of the study came running and grabbed Kendrick¡¯s waist. ¡°Leon¡­¡± ¡°What is that friend¡¯s name? I know about Arsene, and heard a lot¡ªbut what about the other friend? We will meet soon, so I want to memorize the name in advance.¡± Kendrick smiled and patted Leona¡¯s hair softly. Still, he was worried that the children her age would hurt her again, as they had done at the banquet. ¡®She will be a good friend.¡¯ Kendrick thought as he looked at the tomboy lion girl in front of him. ¡°Linsy, she¡¯s called Linsy of the bird clan.¡± ¡°Bird clan?¡± Leona opened her eyes wide. Only then did Kendrick let out a small sigh. The lion and bird clan don¡¯t get along well, so Leona will also tries to reject Linsy. Is it better if they don¡¯t meet? He had been thinking about it for a while. ¡°Lin-sy! Thank you, uncle!¡± Leona immediately nodded, greeted them, and ran into Lamont¡¯s study. Kendrick left Lion¡¯s mansion as it was. * * * ¡°So Aiden gave you Hector?¡± Arsene¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s in the stable now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Hector. It smashed Gilbert¡¯s bone before.¡± Arsene continued speaking as if it was no big deal. Only then did I figure out why Gilbert was so scared when he saw Hector. Last time, he was okay because it came in because it was injured, but this time it tried to break down the stable with a strong body, and he must have remembered what had happened before. ¡°Aha¡­That is a fierce horse.¡± ¡°Fierce? No one else can ride unless it¡¯s Aiden.¡± ¡°But even Aiden asked me now. Aiden says it¡¯s because he likes me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing, let¡¯s go see it together later.¡± ¡°Ung, okay. I¡¯ll have to ask Kendrick-nim once he comes. Hector¡ªcan I raise it?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Stupid, I have to get permission to do this because I live here.¡± Arsene spoke as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°But Dad said you and I are going to get marriedh. Then you¡¯ll be part of Yeckhart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s married not marriedh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep pointing out the little things.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s trivial.¡± Arsene finally rolled his eyes. I reached out and stroked Arsene¡¯s cheeks with the palms of my hands. ¡°By the way, Kendrick-nim should come quickly¡ª¡± ¡°He will be here soon. Dad was originally¡ªhuh?¡± Arsene looked out the window and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Why? Who?¡± I followed Arsene and looked out the window. A girl with dark hair could be seen arguing with Ethan bracingly. ¡°¡­Evelyn?¡± CH 56 ¡°Isn¡¯t she Evelyn?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s right.¡± I exchanged eyes with Arsene at the same time. There was a moment of silence. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Why is she here?¡± It was Arsene who opened his mouth first. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I shook my head and answered and looked out the window at Evelyn. Ethan was strongly blocking Evelyn, who was trying to enter the mansion. People who appeared to be servants of the Elijah family lined up behind Evelyn. ¡®Did she come to apologize to me?¡¯ I didn¡¯t accept her apology the last time, so maybe it is. ¡°Are you going out?¡± Arsene asked. I looked at the whining Evelyn and shook my head slowly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going out.¡± I don¡¯t have to accept everything just because she apologized¡ª. I still broke out in a cold sweat when I heard Evelyn¡¯s name. I wasn¡¯t scared when I saw Betty as a wolf, but I broke out in a cold sweat when I only heard Evelyn¡¯s name. The memory of that time seems to have been quite intense. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out, Betty¡ª. Can I do that?¡± ¡°Of course, Lady. Ethan will send her back soon.¡± Betty looked at Evelyn out the window with her cold eyes. And then she pulled the curtains. ¡°It seems that he knows that the Lord is not here and is acting like an ignorant person¡ª. Do you want some snacks?¡± Betty sighed and looked into my eyes. I nodded my head without missing a chance. ¡°Ugh, snacks. I want some. By the way, Kendrick-nim should have come sooner¡ª¡± ¡°So, when is Daddy coming?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, since he said he¡¯ll be coming soon, won¡¯t he come tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow¡­ I hope he come soon.¡± I turned my head toward the stable and muttered. ¡°I have to tell him about Hector.¡± ¡°You mean Sir Aiden¡¯s horse? But he says it listens very well to Mr Gilbert.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Yes, he said he was surprised at how obedient and gentle it was.¡± Betty laughed. Soon after, she got up and left the room to bring us snacks. Knock, knock. ¡°Come in.¡± A knock was heard. I turned my head and looked towards the door. The door slowly opened, and one of the maids smiled and nodded. ¡°Lady, you have a guest.¡± ¡°¡­A guest?¡± Did Evelyn manage to get into the mansion in the end? Betty asked hurriedly, seeing my face darken rapidly. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ancia Tristan Young Lady. She asked me to tell you that she had come after being contacted by the butler.¡± ¡°Ah, Ancia!¡± It was then that I realized that I was too busy to contact Ancia yet. ¡®She must have been very worried.¡¯ It happened when I was with Ancia. In addition, when I disappeared, Ancia quickly informed the mansion¡¯s servants about the situation so that they could find me quickly. But I forgot about her. I hurriedly got up from my seat. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go see her now. Is she down there?¡± ¡°Yes, I took her to the drawing room. Lady, you can prepare slowly and come down~.¡± The maid slowly closed the door and disappeared from view. I grabbed Betty and asked. ¡°Can I have a snack with Ancia?¡± ¡°Okay, would you like to go with the Lady, Young Master?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡± Arsene tilted his head with his glazed eyes as if he didn¡¯t like it at all. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and said. ¡°Let¡¯s meet together! Ung? She¡¯s a good kid.¡± ¡°How do you know after meeting one day?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s a really good kid¡ªif it weren¡¯t for Ancia, everyone wouldn¡¯t have been able to find me quickly when I disappeared.¡± ¡°Of course that¡¯s true, but¡­.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go together. You¡¯ll be bored here alone, Arsene.¡± Arsene quickly nodded, pretending not to win. ¡°Then please go out for a while, Young Master. The Lady has to change clothes. Would you like to go and change clothes too? I¡¯ll call Chloe.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just meet like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rude to see Tristan Young Lady in pajamas.¡± Betty said firmly. Not long after, Chloe knocked in and took Arsene in his pajamas. ¡°Since it¡¯s in a mansion, I think you can just wear a simple dress.¡± Betty took a pale pink dress with a split back and put it on me. ¡°Is my back open?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know when the wings would come out, so I prepared it like this. Do you want something to wear if you feel uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Ung, like a shawl.¡± ¡°Yes, please wait a minute~!¡± Betty found a little white shawl and covered my back. I smiled happily, took Betty¡¯s hand, and walked to the drawing room. Knock, knock. When I knocked, I heard something rustling inside. ¡°Oh, come in!¡± I opened the door and poked my head through the crack in the door. Ancia, who made eye contact with me, smiled brightly like the sun. ¡°Linsy! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe, how worried I was!¡± Ancia jumped out of her seat, ran over to me, and grabbed my hand tightly. The servants around me seemed a little embarrassed by the reckless appearance, but I smiled as if it was okay. ¡°Thank you, Ancia. It¡¯s thanks to you¡ªand I¡¯m sorry. I should have called you as soon as I woke up.¡± ¡°Yes? no! Ethan has contacted me. On the contrary, I came to you out of the blue, so thank you for meeting me. Outside the front door¡ªthere was a carriage of the Elijah family, so I wondered if I should go back if there was a guest who came first.¡± ¡°Ah, I said I didn¡¯t want to meet Elijah Young Lady. It¡¯s just¡ªI¡¯m still a little scared.¡± ¡°Good job, Linsy. Hmph, Evelyn needs to be beaten up a bit.¡± Ancia said. ¡°Haha¡­Won¡¯t it get better over time¡­? By the way, how did you come all of a sudden? Without contacting me?¡± I asked, looking intently at Ancia. Ancia said, fiddling with her pigtails as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Actually, on my way to the downtown area, I suddenly thought of you and stopped by. I¡¯m sorry I came without an appointment. This one!¡± Ancia pulled a small brooch out of her arms and showed it to me. ¡°Look at this, a little bird-shaped brooch. The jewels in the eyes are replaceable, so I asked them to make them a light green color¡ªisn¡¯t it pretty?¡± ¡°H, huh?¡± I glanced at the brooch Ancia gave me. A small, sparkling bird-shaped brooch had a yellow-green jewel embedded in its eyes. After receiving the brooch, I couldn¡¯t speak for a while, then immediately raised my head. ¡°You¡¯re giving me¡­? All of sudden? You dropped by because you wanted to give me a present?¡± ¡°I thought you were so surprised last time¡ª I thought if you receive a gift, you might feel a little better. Hehe. Perhaps¡ª do you not like it?¡± Ancia asked cautiously. I quickly shook my head. ¡°No no! I really like it. Thank you so much, it¡¯s my first time getting something like this¡ª¡± I carefully grabbed my little bird brooch. ¡°Thank you.¡± And I thanked her once again with a blushing face. It was the first time I had received such a gift, so it was very unfamiliar. Also, it tickled every corner of my chest, and I felt as if a pleasant wind was blowing. ¡®I often feel it when I come to the wolf¡¯s mansion¡ª¡¯ It¡¯s a tickling feeling. At that time, Knock, knock. ¡°Come in~.¡± The door opened, and Arsene, with a hardened face, entered the drawing room. ¡°Arsene~!¡± ¡°Young Master Arsene¡ª? Hello! My name is Ancia Tristan!¡± Ancia hurriedly greeted him. Arsene nodded his head slightly with a nervous expression on his face. ¡°¡­Arsene, Yeckhart.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you!¡± However, Arsene was so nervous that the conversation stopped, and there was only an awkward silence. Then¡ª. Just in time, Betty came in with a tray full of snacks. She placed three glasses of juice, three slices of cake and a plate of cookies on the table, then left us to enjoy. I poked the cake with a fork and cut it into small pieces. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s really delicious.¡¯ Akim¡¯s buttercake was the best I¡¯ve ever eaten. I chewed the cake as carefully as I could. After eating for a while, Ancia was the first to open her mouth. ¡°Right, Linsy! There¡¯s a festival coming up, so of course, you¡¯re going too, right?¡± ¡°Festival? Ah!¡± When I heard the word ¡®festival,¡¯ I turned my head and opened my mouth a little bit. I also opened my eyes wide. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s a festival soon.¡¯ Once a year, a festival held by all clans gathered in the sanctuary with the central shrine to pray for a good harvest under the protection of the Gods. During this festival, the heads of the blessed clan meet at the temple to check the safety of the relics they hold. ¡®I¡¯ve only followed Gale in my previous life.¡¯ Since the festival is enjoyed by all clans, the heads of other clans used to bring their children to attend. ¡®You can¡¯t because it¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ My father took only Gale to the festival every time because it was dangerous where the central temple was located. So I¡¯ve never been to a festival. And maybe Arsene¡ª. ¡°Festival¡­ I want to go, too.¡± Arsene said with a sullen face. CH 57 ¡°Ah¡­ right.¡± Ancia nodded her head slowly as if she had just realized it. Recently, a banquet was held to introduce Arsene as the successor. So, until then, she seemed to know that he couldn¡¯t be in such a public position because he couldn¡¯t be treated as an official successor. ¡®Well, even if it¡¯s not for that reason.¡¯ Arsene was weak, so Kendrick probably wouldn¡¯t have taken him. I put the cookie into Arsene¡¯s mouth, who was depressed. ¡°Can we go this time? We also held a banquet¡­And above all else, I am there, Arsene.¡± I triumphantly stretched my chest and pointed my thumb at me. ¡°I will take good care of you. So maybe this time we can go?¡± ¡°Ung, let¡¯s ask Dad when he comes.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. When Kendrick-nim gets back, let¡¯s ask him.¡± Arsene nodded. Ancia, who was carefully sipping the juice, opened her mouth while looking around. ¡°Actually, this is my first festival, too.¡± ¡°Ancia has never been there, too?¡± Ancia nodded her head shyly. ¡°Yeah, I was young and my grandfather said not until I was eight. And I just turned eight this year.¡± Hehe. Ancia laughed, pointing her finger. ¡°My nanny said that but when I go to a festival, there is a lot of delicious food on the street, and there are fireworks at night. I heard there¡¯s an apple covered with caramel¡ªwhat else is there? Anyway, so I¡¯m going to go get a dress for the festival next week!¡± ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s amazing. Arsene, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to go to the festival and eat an apple covered with caramel.¡± ¡°If you ask Akim to make that apple, maybe he will do it for you¡ª?¡± Arsene rolled his eyes. ¡°Linsy, it¡¯s something I want to eat at the festival. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Ung, okay.¡± Ancia talked about the festival with an exciting face for a long time since then. Arsene and I listened to Ancia¡¯s story with glittering eyes. Because only Gale talked about festivals in Raniero, and there were times when Gale didn¡¯t even talk about festivals at all. ¡®And Arsene¡­¡¯ Perhaps no one has talked about the festival in the meantime because they don¡¯t want to torture this little boy with hope. After the conversation, Ancia got up and said she would go now. ¡°Today was so much fun! Can I invite you to our mansion next time?¡± ¡°Ung, I forgot to ask that. If Kendrick-nim comes, I¡¯ll ask him about it too.¡± ¡°Then I will leave. Linsy, Arsene! See you next time!¡± I saw Ancia off with Arsene. Ancia got in her carriage and quickly left the Yeckhart mansion. * * * Kendrick didn¡¯t return to the mansion for three days. ¡®What happened?¡¯ When I asked the servants about Kendrick¡¯s whereabouts, they only replied that they didn¡¯t know. In the meantime, Betty helped me adapt to the appearance of a wolf by transforming into it every day and decorating it beautifully. I¡¯m pretty much used to Betty now, and I can even touch her fluffy fur. ¡°It¡¯s really soft¡ª. It¡¯s completely different from a bird feather!¡± I said, stroking Betty¡¯s soft brown fur carefully. A huge, gentle brown wolf gently wags her tail. Of course, I was still a little scared, so I had to stroke her twice and rest once. ¡®Still, I¡¯ve made great progress!¡¯ This was a really big improvement. Considering that I was shaking and fainted just by looking at the wolf¡¯s eyes. Of course, if I still see other wolves besides Betty, I likely to tremble and faint, but¡ª. Still, this was satisfactory. Betty allowed me to pat her tail for a while, then release her wolf form. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you seem to have adapted a lot. Whoo.¡± ¡°Ung, it¡¯s thanks to Betty. thank you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Lady.¡± Betty put a flower on my head that she wore when she looked like a wolf. I laughed, hehe, fiddling with the flowers in my hair. At that time. ¡°Lady?¡± Ethan knocked lightly and then opened the door and bowed his head. ¡°The Lord is returning this afternoon. He also wanted me to express his apologies for being late.¡± ¡°Kendrick-nim?¡± ¡°Yes, I thought you were waiting, so I told you.¡± Ethan laughed. I nodded my head over and over again. I have a lot of things to ask Kendrick when he returns. ¡®I have to ask about Hector, I have to ask about the festival¡­ I should also ask if I can go to Ancia¡¯s tea party¡­ And¡­¡¯ I put my fingers in my head to sort it out in my head, then shut my mouth tightly. ¡®As for Arsene¡¯s powers.¡¯ Arsene¡¯s powers seemed to grow in size with each passing day. It was originally in the form of a wolf the size of a very small puppy. Now it has become a wolf the size of a little puppy. ¡®Although it¡¯s only small difference.¡¯ It¡¯s definitely bigger. In addition, there were times when it went against Arsene¡¯s will. It is as if there is really an ego. I was confused about all of this. ¡®In my previous life, I had never heard of Arsene having this ability.¡¯ Maybe it was only natural since Schville took Arsene¡¯s vitality day by day. Anyway, everything was different from my previous life. So, if Arsene¡¯s ability is an ominous sign¡ª. I should be prepared. With the return of the prohibition, we can¡¯t assume that the worst won¡¯t happen. Hmm, after contemplating, I spread my palms out. And¡ª. Whoosh. When I used this ability, a green sphere floated in the air. ¡®I must release this ability once.¡¯ Mr. Hern and Kendrick had spoken to me together. ¡®The size of the bowl is small compared to the amount of power you were born with, so it overflows. You have to keep releasing it so it doesn¡¯t overflow.¡¯ It¡¯s the same as my previous life. One¡¯s own power can be felt best by oneself. To be sure, I had strong abilities in my previous life, but not to this extent. ¡®But why did this happen¡ª¡¯ As I recalled my previous life, Schville and Adele suddenly came to mind at the same time. I hope Adele is doing well. The reason Adele was hated in my previous life was because of me, so now that I am gone, there will be no reason for Adele to be hated. Because she was a reputable maid among the servants. ¡®And Scvhille¡­¡¯ Scvhille¡¯s ability was really dangerous. She has the ability to take away people¡¯s vitality. However, the entire Raniero family may be suspected if it is revealed to the public. In the worst-case scenario, they might destroy the whole family. So my father kept Schville¡¯s abilities a secret. But¡ª. ¡®Sister¨C!¡¯ ¡®Sister Linsy, look at this!¡¯ Schville was only five years old. It¡¯s not her fault she was born with that power. Still, it¡¯s a relief. ¡®Because my father is afraid of Schville¡¯s ability¡ª¡¯ Schville was too young to control her emotions. So, of course, when Schville¡¯s emotions run wild, her terrifying abilities will also run rampant. And although my father terribly despised Schville, he didn¡¯t treat her as an invisible person like he did to me in my previous life. ¡®So it¡¯ll be fine¡­.¡¯ After trying to rationalize myself, I erased both of them from my mind. And not long after that, Kendrick arrived at the mansion. * * * The Yeckhart¡¯s servants lined up to greet the Lord. Arsene and I went out to meet Kendrick as well. Kendrick smiled slowly and walked over to Arsene and me. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been well!¡± ¡°Dad, why are you coming now? You said you would come soon.¡± Arsene said bluntly. Kendrick gently pinched Arsene¡¯s cheek. ¡°I have an urgent business to take care of. I also visited the territory of the lion clan. I¡¯ve been to Tamal for a while. That, handle it carefully. If it falls down, it¡¯ll cause a lot of trouble.¡± Kendrick said to the attendant carrying his luggage. Hearing his words, the servant¡¯s steps became more cautious. ¡°What did you buy? Gift?¡± ¡°There are gifts, too. You can take a look.¡± ¡°Really? Can I take a look?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s take a look together.¡± Kendrick came out and patted Arsene on the back, and headed for the place where the servant had just disappeared with his luggage. Everything Kendrick brought was piled up in his study. ¡°It was given to me by Lamont. Arsene, Linsy. Do you know Lamont Fernando?¡± Arsene and I nodded at the same time. Lamont Fernando, the head of the Lion Clan. He was friendly with Yeckhart and was also hostile to Raniero. So I heard almost nothing but cursing about Lamont. That he¡¯s the head of an ignorant lion family¡ªsomething like that. ¡°Lamont asked me to deliver it. So, Arsene, this is yours.¡± Kendrick looked at the pile of presents as if in trouble, then put Arsene on top of it in disbelief. ¡°And¡­ oh, here it is.¡± Kendrick took out a small box from the pile of luggage. ¡°Now, Linsy, look at this first.¡± Kendrick brought me a small red gift box. CH 58 ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I blinked and opened the well-wrapped gift box. The ribbon flowed gently and fell under my feet. ¡°Open it.¡± Kendrick nodded as he helped Arsene unpack another present. I opened the box carefully. There was a necklace in the box. ¡°Necklace?¡± But the decoration on the necklace was very unique. There was something on it that looked like a round, polished jewel that shone blue, as if the lake had moved to it. ¡°Is this my present?¡± I asked with my eyes wide open. ¡°Oh, and¡ª¡± Kendrick flicked his finger. Then shadows gathered around the necklace. Darkness soon drifted over the necklace¡ª. The blue jewel on the necklace shone brilliantly in the dark. ¡°Whoa¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the necklace. ¡°It only occurs in Fernando territory. It absorbs light and illuminates the surroundings in the dark. Keep wearing it from now on.¡± Kendrick picked up the necklace and put it around my neck himself. I fiddled with the necklace around my neck in a daze. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Y, yes! I like it so much. Thank you!¡± I nodded, fiddling with my necklace. Kendrick put his hand on my head and stroked me. ¡°And¡­ Ah. I told you to put this aside.¡± Kendrick looked at something and sighed deeply. There was a wrinkle on his forehead. At the same time, Arsene and I turned to where Kendrick¡¯s eyes were. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ What?¡± It was a safe that looked incredibly solid. I don¡¯t know what was in it, but it seemed to be important because it was tightly sealed in several layers. Then, I heard a knock. ¡°Come in.¡± At the end of Kendrick¡¯s words, Mr. Hern hurried in and bowed his head. ¡°Where did you put Tamar¡¯s soil? No matter how much I search, I can¡¯t find it¡ªah!¡± Hern looked at the safe mixed with Kendrick¡¯s pile of luggage and then said with a pale face. ¡°I asked you to take care of things like that seriously¡­.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s securely sealed in the safe, it won¡¯t leak. And it¡¯s okay because it¡¯s been transported by ability. Come on, take it.¡± Kendrick held out a small safe to Hern with one hand. Hern took the safe with both hands as if it were of great value. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something dangerous in it, Young Master.¡± ¡°Something dangerous¡ª?¡± ¡°The soil of Tamar. It was hard to get it.¡± Kendrick shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll be on my way, my Lord. Have a good evening.¡± After Mr. Hern left, Arsene and I stayed and opened the gift Lamont Fernando had given us for a long time. It contained a pretty doll, a cookie set, and a small wooden horse. ¡°How can I hold all of this¡­ Ah!¡± It was moved to the shadows like last time. I nodded, and Kendrick nodded to see if what I had imagined was right. ¡°Then let¡¯s stop looking around and go eat. They told me to come to eat in 30 minutes.¡± ¡°Why? A little more!¡± ¡°You can do it after you eat. It¡¯s not late.¡± Kendrick lightly suppressed Arsene¡¯s rebellion and headed to the dining room with Arsene. The chef showed off his skills because Kendrick returned after a long time, and there were a lot of nice dishes on the table. Arsene and I naturally sat on either side of Kendrick and picked up a small fork and knife. First, I cut the grilled steak into small pieces and put them into my mouth. ¡®It¡¯s really good.¡¯ I felt it on the first day, but everything I ate in Yeckhart was delicious. Thanks to this, I was gaining weight as the days went by. My white cheeks looked lively, and I had fat on my skinny wrists. Sometimes I looked in the mirror and wondered if I had gained too much weight. ¡°Gain weight? What are you talking about, Lady? You have to eat better!¡± Thanks to Betty, who was excited, I didn¡¯t think about reducing the amount of food I ate. After eating the steak for a while, I soon turned to Kendrick. And. ¡°Kendrick-nim, I have something to tell you¡ª¡± ¡°You can say it without being too self-conscious, Linsy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, there¡¯s Hector in the stable right now.¡± ¡°¡­Hector?¡± Kendrick stared at me with an expression of who Hector was. ¡°Ah, Aiden¡¯s horse! The horse that I treated last time because it got hurt.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about that horse. But why is that horse in Yeckhart¡¯s stable? What did Aiden ride?¡± ¡°Aiden said he rides different horses. That¡¯s¡­I treated Hector, and since then, Hector seems to like me.¡± ¡°So that horse¡­like you?¡± ¡°Yes, so Aiden asked if I could take care of Hector and then he left Hector in the stable for now. Gilbert is taking care of it now.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve heard that Aiden¡¯s favorite horse was weird. But I¡¯m worried¡­that it might harm you because it¡¯s ferocious¡­ Linsy.¡± Kendrick narrowed his brow. ¡®It¡¯s true that Hector is ferocious.¡¯ Gilbert has also been injured, and now it has partially torn down the stable¡¯s wall. But still. ¡°But it¡¯s gentle in front of me, really. Do you want me to show you later?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go see it after we eat.¡± Kendrick readily agreed. I nodded my head again. ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s fierce, I¡¯ll send it back to Aiden, Linsy. You¡¯re only seven years old. You¡¯re still too young to have a horse.¡± ¡°Yes, I know¡­.¡± ¡°But you say it¡¯s gentle, so let¡¯s check and think about it.¡± So, to finish eating first, Kendrick pushed the salad bowl in front of me. I poked cherry tomatoes into my mouth with a fork. From the other side, Arsene watched me eat cherry tomatoes with a wrinkled face. ¡°Ah, and.¡± Kendrick sent the rhyme. Arsene and I turned to Kendrick at the same time. ¡°There¡¯s a festival soon¡­ Arsene, have you ever heard of the festival?¡± ¡°I heard it from Ancia the other day.¡± ¡°An, who?¡± I added it quickly. ¡°It¡¯s Ancia Tristan Young Lady, she came and went to the mansion for a while when Kendrick was away.¡± ¡°Oh, the one I saw at the banquet. Yeah, she seemed like a good kid.¡± Kendrick nodded. ¡°I should have told you in advance, but I¡¯m sorry, Arsene. There is a festival held once a year by all the clans. It¡¯s an event to pray for more blessings under God¡¯s protection.¡± Kendrick explained the festival to Arsene for a long time. ¡°¡­And this time you¡¯ll be joining us.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really?¡± We said the same thing at the same time and stared at each other. ¡°Yes, Arsene, you are now officially the heir to Yeckhart. And you too, Linsy, are part of Yeckhart, so you have a duty to attend the festival. However, you have to be careful during the festival. Since it¡¯s a place where all the clans members gather, something dangerous can happen.¡± Kendrick said as if pleading. ¡°Of course, the Knights of Yeckhart will escort you during the festival¡ªbut you must be careful. Especially Arsene, you are weak, so if you get sick, talk to me right away.¡± ¡°Ung, I know.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Kendrick grinned. ¡°First, you must attend the event at the temple¡ª. After the event is over, you can play in the festival street. However, Ethan and the maids will accompany you. Of course, the Knights.¡± ¡°That many?¡± ¡°It would be nice for you to play on your own, but there are so many people on the street during the festival.¡± Arsene and I nodded obediently. In fact, I was really happy just to be able to go to the festival. ¡®Festival¡ª. What kind of atmosphere is it?¡¯ Gale said everyone on the street was dancing. Is everyone really enjoying the festival while dancing? Looking at Arsene¡¯s expression with a glance, Arsene also seemed busy imagining the festival. ¡°If you go to the event, you will have many friends of your age. The daughter of Lamont, the head of the lion clan, is the same age as you. The heir of the snake clan is also seven years old. You have quite a few friends, so you won¡¯t be bored during the event.¡± ¡°The lion clan¡¯s girl¡­.¡± I listened to Kendrick quietly, and my face hardened in an instant. ¡°Then will Gale come too?¡¯ The time he tried to drag me away from the temple kept coming to mind. As my face darkened, Kendrick, who noticed what I was thinking, said while cutting the fish and putting it on my plate, as if not to worry. ¡°Of course Raniero will attend, but don¡¯t worry because there will be knights with you. I¡¯ll attach Sir Aiden to you, and he¡¯ll escort you well.¡± ¡°Yees, thank you.¡± ¡°Tell me if your half-brother tries to take you again.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you, Kendrick-nim.¡± I looked up at Kendrick, who laughed and relieved me of the dish. ¡®I have a lot to worry about, but¡­.¡¯ Still, the thought of going to the festival already made me feel like my toes were floating. CH 59 Knock, knock. I clasped Arsene¡¯s hand and knocked on Kendrick¡¯s study door. ¡°Come in.¡± Kendrick¡¯s voice was heard from inside. I carefully opened the study door with Arsene. ¡°Kendrick-nim¡­ Can I go in?¡± ¡°Yeah. Come in.¡± Every time I walked, the skirt of the dress I wore as my pajamas fluttered. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and strode and sat on the sofa. ¡°I have something to tell you!¡± ¡°It looks like that. Tell me.¡± I tapped Arsene¡¯s hand carefully with my finger. ¡°Kendrick-nim, you know¡­Arsene¡¯s ability has manifested.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But it seems that his ability¡­ has developed an ego.¡± When I was done, Arsene opened his little palm. Whoosh¡ª. A black light burst out for a moment, and soon it clumped together to form a sphere. Arsene flicked his finger. Then the sphere moved slowly in the air, turning into a small wolf and howling. I think it¡¯s a little bigger than the last time I saw it. ¡°Arsene said he didn¡¯t control it. Can Yeckhart¡¯s abilities be used in this way?¡± ¡°I was talking about it with Hern.¡± Kendrick flicked his finger and drew a circle. Then the surrounding shadows flocked to Kendrick. And. ¡°Whoa¡ª¡± It turned into a huge wolf and stood tall. ¡°It is possible to make such a thing with this ability. Anything else is possible.¡± Every time Kendrick flicked his finger, the shadows dispersed into the air and changed into different shapes. It became a giant black snake, a human, and a giant eagle. ¡°But this is what I do by putting my own abilities to use.¡± Kendrick flicked, beckoning again. Then, the shadow collapsed and went back to its place. ¡°If you don¡¯t use your ability, it will collapse quickly. But¡ª¡± A shadow wolf, made by Arsene¡¯s power, circled around Kendrick¡¯s feet. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a precedent that moves on its own like this, so we¡¯re investigating it separately. And.¡± Kendrick flicked his finger to recreate the giant shadow wolf just now. Then Arsene¡¯s little shadow wolf approached Kendrick¡¯s wolf and rubbed its head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem dangerous, so we decided to keep an eye on it for now. But Arsene, if there¡¯s a situation where your abilities are really out of control, you have to tell me right away.¡± ¡°Ung, I will.¡± Arsene replied with a nod. Kendrick snapped his fingers and distracted the shadow wolf again. Then Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf spun around in place as if surprised and soon drooped its ears and tail. ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not dangerous¡­and it¡¯s cute.¡± As soon as I was done, the drooping shadow wolf approached and wagged its tail gently. ¡°Right? Isn¡¯t it cute?¡± ¡°Ung, and he listens well. I¡¯m not controlling it, but¡­ I think it¡¯s listening.¡± Arsene flicked his finger. ¡°Sit down.¡± Then the shadow wolf sat in place and wagged its tail gently. ¡°You¡¯re right, the wolf listens well. It¡¯s really cute.¡± ¡°I know¡­it¡¯s fascinating. But when I try to use my ability, it keeps coming out.¡± Arsene grumbled. ¡°I also tried to use this ability, but only ashes come out every time.¡± ¡°You can take your time. It hasn¡¯t been long since it came out.¡± ¡°Yes, Arsene. There is no need to be impatient. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arsene nodded slowly. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything more to say, go to sleep. It¡¯s late, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Kendrick gave me a big hug. And he left the study with Arsene in his other hand. ***** The next day, I go to the stable with Kendrick and Arsene. Originally, I was going to stop by the stable right after dinner the previous day, but¡ª. The meeting with Hector was delayed a little according to Kendrick¡¯s opinion that it would be better to go the next day because it was getting dark. ¡°Oh, my Lord!¡± ¡°Gilbert, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Kendrick greeted the stable keeper Gilbert plainly. Gilbert bowed and greeted politely. Then he moved to the stable where Hector was staying. ¡°I haven¡¯t sent him out on the grass yet, but if he keeps being so docile, I can release him with another horse.¡± Haha, Gilbert, who burst into laughter, opened the stable¡¯s door. ¡°How are you, Hector?¡± I reached out to Hector. Hector gently wagged its tail and pushed me with its huge nose. I hugged Hector¡¯s head with my whole body, then gently kissed the back of its nose. Kendrick, who looked at it quietly, said something strange. ¡°It has become really obedient. Even when Aiden rode it, it was ferocious.¡± ¡°Yes, how obedient it is to the Lady¡­ it¡¯s like an angel separately in front of Lady.¡± Arsene, who watched me stroking Hector, reached out. Hector allowed Arsene to stroke the back of his nose. ¡°Oh, it tickles, Hector.¡± I giggled at Hector pushing his nose, then popped out two sugar cubes. Hector stuck out his tongue and licked the sugar powder off my palm. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll get you a horseback riding teacher soon, Linsy.¡± ¡°Horseback riding?¡± ¡°Yeah, you have to ride Hector. It seems like he wants to run with you too.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s words, Hector responds, ¡®Neigh¡ª!¡¯. I hid my excitement and gently stroked the back of Hector¡¯s nose. And whispered softly. ¡°If you get sick from now on, I will treat you every time.¡± ¡°Neiigh!¡± ¡°Of course you shouldn¡¯t be sick, but¡ªit means that if something like that happens, I will treat you.¡± Hector blinked his gentle eyes. Kendrick, who was looking at the figure, put his chin and hand on Hector¡¯s nose. Hector gave Kendrick the top of his nose without a hint of disgust. ¡°If you tame it well, it will be a good horse, Linsy. Even when Sir Aiden rode it, I thought it was a great horse.¡± ¡°Hector is also a good horse now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about being able to run fast. The lower body is stronger than other horses, so it will be able to run faster. Let¡¯s get it out of the way, Gilbert.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s orders, Gilbert pulled Hector out of the stable. Hector followed Gilbert¡¯s hand. And on the huge ranch connected to the stable, Hector was released. And. ¡°Go play, you punk.¡± Gilbert patted Hector lightly on the buttocks. But instead of running right away, Hector flinched as he glanced at me. ¡°Hey, it looks like you want to run with the Lady. But you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ung, Hector. I¡¯ll learn to ride a horse. Until then, just be patient.¡± Hector seemed to understand me quite well. He bowed his head a few times as if nodding his head and then quickly walked out into the ranch. Kendrick said, looking at him. ¡°Sir Aiden gave a nice present.¡± ¡°Yees, I¡¯m so thankful that I don¡¯t know how to repay it¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ve treated him, and Sir Aiden has repaid you, Linsy.¡± Kendrick nodded lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let Hector play a little longer.¡± ¡°Yees.¡± After answering obediently, I followed Kendrick back to the mansion. In the mansion, Betty and Chloe were waiting for Arsene with me. ¡°Lady, did you have a good conversation with the Lord?¡± ¡°Ung, he gave me permission to raise Hector.¡± I laughed, hehe, fiddling with the ends of the dress. ¡°Hector is so gentle. Betty, let¡¯s go see it together next time.¡± ¡°Yeah, good. My little girl, you must eat well and grow up fast enough to ride on Hector¡¯s back.¡± Betty said in a friendly voice. ¡°Ung, I want to play with Hector soon.¡± I grabbed Betty¡¯s hand and came up to my room and lay flat on the bed. Then ¡®By the way, that flower.¡¯ Not long ago, when Glene left, a flower that was lying on the bed caught my eye. Strangely, the flowers didn¡¯t wither. It¡¯s been a long time since Glene left, and all the flowers in the garden have withered, so this flower should wither, too. ¡®I put it in a vase so that it doesn¡¯t wither too quickly¡ª¡¯ The flowers were kept fresh on the side table as if they had been picked just yesterday. I tapped the petals with my fingertips. The petals shook slightly, but the water didn¡¯t fall off. ¡®I didn¡¯t know you were still alive¡­¡¯ As I gazed at the flowers Glenna had given me, I wondered why she left. I really wondered why she left. Because you told me about prohibition? ¡®Only Glene knows why.¡¯ Arsene slammed my room door open at that very moment. ¡°Linsy¡ª!¡± ¡°Ung?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go out and play. I¡¯m too bored to stay at home.¡± ¡°Ung, okay. Let¡¯s go out.¡± I immediately removed my hand from the flower, turned and ran back to Arsene. So I didn¡¯t see it. When the petals fall one by one. CH 60 ¡°We need to get a new dress for the festival. What color do you prefer, Lady?¡± ¡°Dress?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a festival, so of course we have to get a new dress. The already famous dressing room was fully booked in the first half of last year, but¡ªyou¡¯re a member of Yeckhart!¡± Betty said proudly. ¡°So you can call the designer of the famous dressing room directly to the mansion. Like last time. Should I call Serina again?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Can I go to the dressing room and fit the dress myself?¡± I looked at Betty with sparkling eyes. ¡°Are you going to go by yourself?¡± ¡°Ung, I want to go with Arsene in person. I also looked around the streets¡­ because I couldn¡¯t do it last time¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell the Lord. He will probably say yes.¡± Betty said confidently. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, you should bring a lot of escorts instead.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I know what Kendrick-nim is worried about, too.¡± The wolf clan had bad feelings for me. It was so obvious that I didn¡¯t have to mention it myself anymore. ¡®The problem is¡­.¡¯ Not long ago, Young Lady Elijah was placed on probation for insulting me. I heard that the same disposition was made throughout the Elijah family. So to the other wolves who follow the Elijah family, I will be like a thorn in the eye. ¡®Of course, there are wolves who are friendly like Ancia, but¡ª.¡¯ I was confident that the number would be extremely rare. So there may be wolves who want to take revenge on me. ¡®Or maybe there are wolves who just want to harm me¡ª¡¯ Clan discrimination has often happened, and there is a deeper gap between the wolf and bird clans. So I understood Kendrick¡¯s concerns. ¡°I want to buy another dessert at the shop like the last time. Can¡¯t I go without Kendrick-nim¡­?¡± ¡°Perhaps Sir Ethan will accompany you when you go out. Or I will accompany you. So you can stop by.¡± Betty smiled and brushed my hair hard. I closed my eyes at Betty¡¯s touch and left my hair comfortably. ¡°Oh, the color of the ribbon and accessories is probably blue, so when you match the dress in the dressing room, can you have to say that?¡± ¡°Blue? Is there a reason?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a Yeckhart tradition. When there is an event, a husband and wife match each other¡¯s eye color to their jewelry. Of course, you¡¯re not married yet, but hoo-hoo.¡± ¡°Ung, I see. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not married yet. I thought Kendrick-nim would take care of it as soon as possible¡­.¡± These days, Kendrick has been looking very crazy. He was away from the mansion almost every day, and there were many cases where he disappeared for about three days and returned. ¡®Are you looking for a prohibition?¡¯ After talking to Kendrick about the taboo that day, we never discussed it again. I was unconsciously avoiding it. Because Ester was such a bad memory for me. ¡°Anyway, I hope we get married soon.¡± ¡°Of course, when you get married, I¡¯ll have to call you Little Madam. Right?¡± ¡°I prefer Betty call me Lady.¡± ¡°Hoho, then I¡¯ll call you Lady. If you wish.¡± Betty got my hair done in no time. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Thank you, Betty.¡± I twisted my hair in two ponytails for no reason. My hair was longer than when I first arrived at the wolf mansion, and now it reached my waist. ¡°Okay then, please take a rest. I will go to the Lord.¡± ¡°Ung, please!¡± Betty left to ask Kendrick if I could go outside. * * * ¡°Lady, have a good trip!¡± Betty said as she lifted me and put me in the carriage. ¡°Yes, thank you, Betty. I¡¯ll be back!¡± I smiled brightly and waved to say goodbye to Betty. Kendrick immediately allowed us to go out when he heard Betty. Instead, as expected, five knights escorted our carriage. And. ¡°Please take care of me, Lady, Young Master.¡± The old butler, Ethan, accompanied us on this outing. Arsene nodded. ¡°Then are we going to the dressing room first?¡± ¡°Yes, I think it would be better to stop by the dressing room first and then take a look around the streets.¡± As soon as Ethan finished speaking, the carriage started slowly. The sound of horseshoes sprinting to the ground continued for a long time. I looked out the window. After passing the site of Yeckhart¡¯s mansion, a well-maintained road spread out. Huge houses lined the streets, and people smiled as they walked along the roadside. ¡°The house of the wolf clan is huge.¡± As I felt when I first saw the Yeckhart mansion, the wolf clan¡¯s mansion was really big. It was probably because of the large average build of the clan because wild beasts such as wolves and lions were large even if they weren¡¯t transformed. ¡°Yes, there are many bigger buildings in the downtown area.¡± ¡°Right, it was. Last time, I was so distracted that I couldn¡¯t see properly¡ª.¡± ¡°This time, you can take your time and take a look. You also match the clothes.¡± Ethan laughed. Shortly after the carriage, they quickly entered the downtown area. After passing through a crowded street, the carriage that was entering the alley stopped tall in front of the huge dressing room. ¡°The Lord just called and told them to empty the dressing room, so I don¡¯t think you need to worry about running into other people. Let¡¯s go in.¡± Ethan opened the carriage door and dropped Arsene down first. Soon after, he helped me get out of the carriage and go into the dressing room. The knights seemed to be standing in front of the door without entering the dressing room. ¡°Lady! Young Master! It¡¯s an honor to see you again. Do you remember me? My name is Serina.¡± ¡°Serina, hello!¡± ¡°Hello, Serina.¡± Serina smiled brightly, ran and brought Arsene and me inside. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and walked into the dressing room, where all kinds of dresses were lined up. ¡°Wow, there are so many dresses.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. It¡¯s a lot. Please sit down first. Gina! Give me some refreshments.¡± Shortly after Serina¡¯s words were over, her assistant returned with refreshments. She was the one who accompanied her to the mansion before. Gina placed a plate full of cookies and two cups of cocoa next to Arsene and me. ¡°I bought it from the Roselle Bakery next door. It¡¯s really good, try it.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Roselle Bakery, is that where we went last time?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the place where the Lord bought dessert last time.¡± Arsene and I took each cookie and ate it one by one. Serina, who was watching us happily, clapped her hands. ¡°Now, shall we get to the business? ou said you were going to make a festival dress.¡± ¡°Ung.¡± ¡°Ung, we need something to wear to the festival.¡± The former was me, the latter was Arsene. Serina narrowed her eyes as if thinking for a moment, and then she asked me. ¡°How was the dress I made last time? Were there any inconveniences?¡± I shook my head. ¡°It was very comfortable and it was beautiful. I really like it.¡± ¡°How about Young Master? Were there any inconveniences?¡± ¡°¡­Bow tie.¡± Arsene grunted. ¡°The bow tie is uncomfortable. It¡¯s too tight on my neck.¡± ¡°But, Young Master, that was the loosest size. If you make it looser there, it will become a necklace, not a tie.¡± Serina explains the reason to Arsene well. ¡°But it was uncomfortable, I hope I don¡¯t have a bow tie this time.¡± Arsene said stubbornly. Serina and Ethan exchanged glances for a moment, then whispered carefully. ¡°But this bow tie is important. A jewel of the same color as Lady Linsy¡¯s eyes will be embedded in the middle¡ª¡± ¡°Linsy¡¯s eyes? Ah¡­¡± Arsene¡¯s mouth was slightly wide open as if it was only then that he recalled the traditions of Yeckhart. And. ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll just do it.¡± He said with a low voice. Pft! The people in the dressing room couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and burst out laughing at the same time. I chuckled and grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡°Ung, don¡¯t be uncomfortable. You know it¡¯s a tradition. I¡¯m going to get a hairpin that¡¯s the same color as your eyes too.¡± ¡°¡­You can¡¯t just say you knew.¡± Arsene grunted and folded his arms. Serina showed her clothes design to me and Arsene in earnest. ¡°But, Lady, should I make something with an open back like last time? Actually, it¡¯s a rule not to open the back on a child¡¯s dress, but¡ª¡± Serina said anxiously. I understood Serina¡¯s concern. Most members of the family didn¡¯t dress children in open-back dresses. So it was like a rule. But if I wear a dress with an open back and attend a festival. ¡®¡­Am I going to tarnish Yeckhart¡¯s reputation?¡¯ Kendrick has given me a dress with an open back in the meantime, but that¡¯s because I can¡¯t control the wings very well. ¡®But now that I¡¯m in good control, wouldn¡¯t it be okay?¡¯ I pondered for a moment, then opened my eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I should leave my back open.¡± ¡°Then, instead of making an open back dress, please make two pairs of the same design. We must be prepared for any unexpected circumstances.¡± After finishing his words, Ethan squinted his eyes at me. After choosing Arsene¡¯s robe design, we lightly left the dressing room. CH 61 ¡°The dessert shop is close to here, would you like to walk?¡± Ethan asked. I pondered for a moment, and then shook my head. ¡°I want to go with the carriage.¡± If we walk, all those escorts will follow us on foot. Then it was obvious that the attention would naturally be focused on us. ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ I can already see a carriage with Yeckhart¡¯s name on it. I don¡¯t want to show myself to wolves who hate me. Then Ethan said yes, and lifted me up and put me in the carriage. ¡°I can do it alone.¡± Arsene refused Ethan¡¯s touch and climbed into the carriage alone. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When Ethan finished his words, the coachman drove slowly. The carriage soon arrived at the Roselle bakery where I went with Kendrick last time. ¡°Be careful getting off, Lady.¡± Ethan carefully put me down so I wouldn¡¯t get caught in the hem of my dress. ¡°I can get off alone.¡± Arsene stubbornly refused Ethan¡¯s touch, saying he was quite big now. Arsene and Ethan naturally stepped into the bakery. ¡°Welcome! This is Roselle¡¯s bakery!¡± ¡°Give me a quiet seat on the second floor.¡± Ethan coughed a lot and said. The waiter looked at Yeckhart¡¯s seal on Ethan¡¯s clothes and at Arsene and me. And then. ¡°I¡¯ll show you right away!¡± Smiling brightly, the waiter led us to a sunny seat on the second floor. The partitions were spread out in all directions, making it such a wonderful place that I even thought it was an independent space. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to eat, order as much as you want.¡± Ethan showed me and Arsene the Roselle Bakery¡¯s menu. It was made for customers who sat down and ate. Except for the cookies, I ate earlier, I ordered a piece of cake, an egg tart, and warm milk. ¡°Ethan sit here too. The desserts here are really good.¡± ¡°Right, Ethan didn¡¯t even eat the cookie earlier. let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± We invited Ethan, who was stubbornly standing next to us, to sit down and order dessert, but Ethan flatly refused. Not long after, the waiter came up on a tray with what we had ordered. I had a cheesecake, and Arsene had a chocolate mousse cake that looked incredibly sweet. Next, freshly baked hot egg tarts and white milk with sugar came out. ¡°Wow¡ª!¡± I immediately grabbed my fork and scooped out some cheesecake. My eyes open as soon as I put them in my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s really delicious¡­I think eating at the store tastes better. Arsene, right?¡± ¡°Ung, it tastes better.¡± Arsene nodded his head as he ate the chocolate cake. After taking a sip of the warm milk, I took a bite of the still-warm egg tart. The soft custard cream that fills the mouth is like a work of art. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really delicious. Ethan, eat it.¡± ¡°Hoho, I¡¯m fine. Eat a lot, Lady.¡± Ethan politely declined. I took another bite of the egg tart. Arsene wondered if I really enjoyed the egg tart, so he picked up an egg tart and put it in his mouth. Then. ¡°¡­.!¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious, right?¡± Arsene opened his eyes and chewed the egg tart slowly. We both finished dessert in less than thirty minutes. ¡®It¡¯s really delicious.¡¯ It was a little difficult to match the dress in the dressing room, but the fatigue was fading away. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat this much¡­¡± Ethan looked at us like he was in trouble and then smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be delicious?¡± ¡°Ung, it was really delicious.¡± I wiped my mouth with a napkin and nodded. Then I casually turned my eyes and looked outside. But. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± In the crowd, there was a person staring at the second floor of the Roselle bakery. A man wearing a black hood was standing tall and staring at us without even moving. I looked around in bewilderment. ¡®We are the only ones nearby.¡¯ So now that person is clearly staring at us. ¡°Shall we go now?¡± Ethan asked cautiously. I answered with a sullen look on my face. ¡°Ung¡­¡± ¡°Do you want more dessert?¡± Ethan raised an eyebrow and asked carefully. I shook my head. ¡°No, I was full.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Let¡¯s stop and go now.¡± ¡°Yees.¡± I replied obediently and glanced out the window again. The man was still staring at us, hiding from the crowd behind the outer wall of the building opposite. In an instant, a chill and goosebumps erupted, and my body trembled. And then, ¡°¡­That?¡± From the man¡¯s body, I could see the same black air current that I had seen from Ester¡¯s body the other day. ¡°Huh? Ethan, Ethan!¡± I grabbed Ethan¡¯s sleeve and waved his hand urgently. ¡°Yes? What¡¯s going on?¡± But. After a carriage pulled by an old dark brown steed passed by. The man wearing a black hood was gone. ¡°Lady, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Linsy?¡± I answered with a bewildered expression, with my mouth slightly open. ¡°No¡­Apparently I saw someone over there staring at us¡­¡± ¡°Who was staring at you?¡± ¡°Ung? Who?¡± Ethan looked out of the window, raising his only glasses. I got wrinkles between my eyebrows. ¡°Well, the one in black. But¡­¡± At that time. Black smoke rose in an instant and covered the windows on the second floor of the Roselle Bakery. ¡°Whoa¡ª!¡± It happened so suddenly that I didn¡¯t have time to react. Pong¨C! ¡°Chiirp!!¡± I was so startled that I ended up turn into my bird form. I flapped my wings and flew over Ethan¡¯s shoulder, inhaling. ¡®W, what is that?¡¯ Then, after rubbing my eyes with my wings, I looked out the window again. But. ¡°¡­Chirp?¡± There¡¯s nothing. The windows were clean. There was no black air stream, not even dust. Did I see it wrong? ¡®But it was really¡­¡¯ I took a deep breath and grabbed Ethan¡¯s shoulder with my claws. Ethan turned his head to look at me with his worried look. ¡°Lady, are you okay? If you are not feeling well¡ª¡± ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± I still shook my head and looked out the window again. But there was also nothing. Besides. ¡°Linsy? What¡¯s going on!¡± ¡°Lady, what¡¯s the matter? Anything outside the window¡ª¡± Arsene and Ethan were unaware of the black air current that covered the window in an instant. ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± What is it? At that time, the outside of the partition was noisy. The sound of the transformation, followed by bird sounds, seemed to attract the attention of the guests on the second floor. Arsene naturally held out his index finger to me. I jumped on Arsene¡¯s finger and swept my fluttering chest with my wings. ¡®Really¡­ What is it?¡¯ Come to think of it, Ethan hadn¡¯t seen the black stream flowing out of Ester¡¯s body the last time too. I cried and dug into Arsene¡¯s arms. ¡®I want to return to the mansion soon.¡¯ There was a feeling that something bad was going to happen. When I went outside, another man in a black hood appeared, and felt like he was threatening me. ¡°Linsy, do you want to go home? Did you see anything strange?¡± Arsene asked with a rare, hoarse voice. Then he opened the gap in his jacket and gently put me in it. There were a lot of wolf customers in the bakery, so it was a small consideration to hide me so that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. I cried a little to thank him and stuck my head between Arsene¡¯s clothes. ¡°C, chirp¡­¡± I want to go home¡ª. Oddly enough, I couldn¡¯t control my emotions well if I only turn into my bird form. I¡¯m obviously a 12-year-old kid, but I felt like a seven-year-old or younger. Sniff. I was so startled that tears began to fall down over and over again. As I cried, Ethan held out his handkerchief, bewildered. ¡°Ah¡­Have you seen anything scary? It would be better if we back soon.¡± Ethan said with a worried look on his face. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± I replied with a nod. Fortunately, the black stream was no longer visible. But I crouched down as much as I could so that I couldn¡¯t be seen from the outside. This is because I didn¡¯t want to be caught in bird form by other wolves. But to transform to human form again¡ª. Sniff. ¡®It¡¯s scary¡­¡¯ Arsene¡¯s arms were warm and cozy, so I didn¡¯t want to transform into my human form again. Arsene took steps, covering my beak that stuck out with a handkerchief. Ethan and Arsene took me back to the carriage quickly. The coachman hurriedly set off the carriage, and the constant sound of the hooves of the horses riding by the escorts could be heard. I put myself in Arsene¡¯s arms and thought, holding my breath. ¡®Really¡­ What is it?¡¯ Is it Ester? Somehow, I had an ominous feeling. It feels like bad things are about to happen. CH 62 ¡°Call the child.¡± Arthur Raniero commanded in a low voice. His aide, Chester, nodded. ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± ¡°Call it right now. Right now!¡± Bang! Arthur banged the wooden desk with his fist. Next to it were piles of papers that had been reported so far. Arthur Raniero put a spy inside Yeckhart¡¯s mansion with great care. It was originally intended to be used only to report the situation, but¡ª. ¡®I can¡¯t.¡¯ Arthur struggled to crumple the letters he had received. The letters were wrinkled badly. A vein stuck out from the back of his hand. He can¡¯t delay it any longer. Now that the temple allowed Yeckhart to protect Linsy, there were not many ways to take her out. In addition, Yeckhart had the strongest military power among the clan, and the security around the territory was strict, so he could not cross over it. So he cannot forcefully kidnap Linsi within the territory of Yeckhart. There is no other way. ¡®When Linsy comes out of Yeckhart¡¯s territory, I have to take her.¡¯ For that, now was the right time. Once a year, during a festival held at the Sanctuary. Although the festival takes place inside the sanctuary, it is not possible to stay inside the sanctuary, so those who participate in the festival go to an inn or private residence near the sanctuary at night. ¡®I have to aim for that moment.¡¯ There is no other way except then. If he misses this festival, he has to wait another year. Arthur Raniero gritted his teeth. Linsy Raniero is his own daughter, and he doesn¡¯t understand why he has to go through so much trouble to get her back. ¡®It would have been nice if Schville went as planned.¡¯ If he had, he would have been able to get rid of that trouble with Schville. ¡®I have to finish it before it happens.¡¯ Linsy was essential for Arthur¡¯s grand plans. Because Linsy was one of the strongest of Raniero¡¯s children. Besides, it is said that she continues to heal Arsene Yeckhart¡¯s disease¡ª. He couldn¡¯t let that happen. He can¡¯t let this power be used carelessly in such a trifling place. Because Raniero¡¯s children only had to use their powers for Arthur¡¯s plan. So, none of Raniero¡¯s children could be given away. On the other hand¡ª. ¡®Schville needs to be removed quickly.¡¯ He has to get rid of her before the plans start. Arthur clicked his tongue. ¡°By the way, who is the boy¡¯s siblings?¡± It wasn¡¯t possible to plant another clan¡¯s spy in the Yeckhart mansion. Because of the tight security, it was almost impossible to plant a spy without being caught. But. ¡®Isn¡¯t it enough to just bribe the person who used to work for me?¡¯ Among the workers who worked in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion, there was a worker who had a sick sister. Apparently, he was seriously ill and would die before he came of age. Arthur ordered his servant to become Raniero¡¯s limb in return for healing his sister. He accepted Arthur¡¯s suggestion without any hesitation. So now his sister was being held hostage in Raniero. But he¡¯s worried he won¡¯t be able to handle him how he wants to when he¡¯s fully cured. ¡®Just hold his breath.¡¯ Arthur Raniero ordered his children to do so. Chester, who was taking care of Arthur¡¯s crumpled letter, looked up. The neatly tied hair fell down to the side of the glasses. ¡°The child currently receiving treatment in Raniero¡¯s annex. Young Master Gale visits once a week for treatment.¡± Arthur rolled his eyes. ¡°He hasn¡¯t healed him completely, right?¡± ¡°Of course. The Young Master is adjusting it moderately. However, the Young Master¡¯s ability is strong, so gradually¡ª he¡¯s showing signs of improvement.¡± Chester said with a slight frown as if in trouble. ¡°We can¡¯t see the improvement. Bring Schville in.¡± ¡°If Lady Schville uses her ability, he might die¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think she can do it so that he won¡¯t die? Bring her in with Gale and keep him breathing.¡± Arthur said firmly. Chester hesitated as if to say something for a moment, and then nodded. ¡°I accept orders.¡± Chester left the office. Arthur remained alone, wheezing and holding her breath. * * * Kiik¡ª. The sound of the door opening slowly broke the silence in a room enveloped in silence. ¡°Sophia.¡± Chester called slowly, and the girl who was looking out of her window slowly turned her head. ¡°Mister, are you here?¡± The brown wolf¡¯s ears perked over the girl¡¯s ears. Its droopy tail was waving softly. She had neither the energy to unravel nor the energy to maintain, so she was in a state of vaguely transformed. Chester sighed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet?¡± ¡°I want to see my brother.¡± The girl said calmly. It had already been a year since the girl came to Raniero¡¯s mansion. Arthur Raniero promised the girl¡¯s brother that he would heal her, but after a year, the girl couldn¡¯t be healed. Because Arthur had no intention of treating the girl completely. Sophia. Now she was only fourteen years old. Like children in her age, she likes to laugh, she likes sweet things, and she likes to talk. But if he sees her sitting on the bed helplessly¡ª. Chester sighed and shook his head at a useless thought. ¡°Tomorrow, Schville will come in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The girl nodded obediently. She didn¡¯t know what kind of powers Schville had. ¡®Lady Schville¡¯s ability is¡ª¡¯ It was because she was pulling out her life force without her even knowing it. After several attempts with Schville, Arthur discovers that her power is to drain the life force without her opponent¡¯s knowledge. So, even Sophia wouldn¡¯t know that Schville¡¯s ability was consuming her life force. She just thinks that it¡¯s less healing than Gale. His mouth ached at the thought of it. Chester left the room without any further conversations with Sophia. The Chester family has been serving as a direct aide to the Raniero family from generation to generation. He can¡¯t betray Raniero, swayed by his pity. Power entered his tightly closed mouth. * * * ¡°Don¡¯t use your ability during the festival if possible.¡± Kendrick said firmly. I chewed the food in my mouth and nodded. And. After swallowing it, I asked Kendrick clearly. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t everyone know I¡¯m from a bird clan?¡± ¡°I was talking about not revealing the size of your powers, Linsy.¡± Kendrick nodded his head lightly and asked me to try to use my power. Without hesitation, I spread my palms out. A light green sphere floated on the slightly oiled palm of my hand. ¡°I told you, there is no one in Raniero who has such a talent. Even if they search all the bloodlines of the past Raniero.¡± ¡°Yees.¡± ¡°So, the moment they realize just how strong your powers are, they will try to take you with all their power.¡± Kendrick waved his hand as if it was okay to stop. I popped the light green sphere into my palm. As the light green sphere burst, the glittering light spread all over the place. ¡°I can¡¯t do that¡­.¡± Arsene muttered as if envious. Kendrick put down the knife he was holding and pressed his hand against Arsene¡¯s head. ¡°You should focus more on your body getting better. When you¡¯re all well, you¡¯ll be able to do like Linsy.¡± ¡°Ung, okay¡­¡± Arsene answered with a sullen tone. Perhaps if Arsene was capable of transformation, it was clear that his ears and tail would have drooped. ¡°Did you enjoy seeing the streets?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, ah! I¡¯ve got to tell you something. Can I come to your study later?¡± ¡°Study? Why aren¡¯t you talking here?¡± Kendrick asked curiously. I glanced at the servants standing around and Arsene and continued. ¡°I want to speak quietly¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, come to the study after dinner, Linsy. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Kendrick answered meekly. I smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, thank you!¡± ¡°And, during the festival, we will stay in a mansion outside Sanctuary.¡± Kendrick said that in the forest near the sanctuary, there was another Yeckhart mansion. It¡¯s also said that it¡¯s only used once a year, but the servants always live there and manage it. ¡°There is a stream in the mansion, so you can practice hunting if you want.¡± ¡°¡­Hunting?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t Raniero teach things like fish hunting?¡± I nodded at Kendrick¡¯s question. ¡®Fish¡ªhunt? You catch fish by fishing.¡¯ I blinked as if I didn¡¯t understand what Kendrick said. ¡°I think you can learn together with Arsene this time. Arsene is also weak, so he hasn¡¯t been able to learn.¡± I looked at Arsene. Arsene¡¯s cheeks, which had grown plump, were red and flushed. For some reason, Arsene¡¯s illness and my abilities didn¡¯t match, so I couldn¡¯t always cure him completely¡ª. ¡®But I¡¯m glad he¡¯s getting better.¡¯ At this rate, I believed that Arsene could be completely cured. So. ¡®I need to treat you harder.¡¯ As I watched Arsene eat hard with a fork across from me, I made up my mind. CH 63 I reported to Kendrick in detail what had happened today. From the fact that a mysterious person wearing a black hood was staring at me to the fact that person had a black air current similar to that of Ester. And the air current covered the bakery¡¯s window, which Ethan and Arsene didn¡¯t even notice. Kendrick sighed as he heard my words. ¡°Anyway, after hearing about the prohibition from you, I¡¯ve been looking into it, but there¡¯s no progress. Glene? That child is gone¡­and Ester is also missing¡­.¡± ¡°Ester is disappeared?¡± I rolled my eyes. It was the first time I heard it. ¡®Ester disappeared¡­¡¯ From the last time I saw him in the mansion, his condition had been strange, so did he disappear? Or maybe¡ª. ¡®The air current¡ªit didn¡¯t eat him, right?¡¯ The last time I saw Ester, rather than controlling the air current, it felt like the air current was parasitic on Ester¡¯s body. Kendrick answered, brushing his well-groomed hair slowly. ¡°Yeah, Ester is gone. So I¡¯m guessing that your prohibition was lifted because he died. Of course, Ester¡¯s body was never found¡­.¡± Without sipping the hot chocolate, I put my glass down and swallowed my saliva. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s find out about the man in the black hood you saw. We should also increase your escort.¡± ¡°Yees.¡± I nodded. Kendrick placed his chin on my head. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go to a festival, you don¡¯t have to go. Just tell me comfortably. Above all else, your safety comes first.¡± I pondered for a while. ¡®I think it¡¯s best not to go outside, but¡­.¡¯ I was a little tired from the series of situations that happened now. Of course, there was also the possibility that the black stream I saw was a shadow or an illusion. ¡®But I¡¯ve seen it twice.¡¯ Moreover, when I saw the first air current, Arsene had a seizure. It was as if he had reacted to the air current. So I believed the black air currents I had seen couldn¡¯t be illusions. In such a situation¡ª. ¡®Festival¡ª¡¯ Kendrick, not long ago, officially announced Arsene as his successor and held a banquet to announce me as a member of Yeckhart and Arsene¡¯s fianc¨¦e. And in the annual festival, it was common to attend not only the head of the family but also the head of the family¡¯s successor and spouse if they had one. So¡ª. ¡®If I don¡¯t go, the image will be funny.¡¯ Some wolves who hate me will laugh at me¡ª. I didn¡¯t like that. Besides¡ª. ¡®I want to go to the festival¡­.¡¯ I¡¯ve never been outside in my previous life, and it¡¯s extremely rare this time around. So, I really wanted to go to the festival. If I get kicked out of Yeckhart, I wouldn¡¯t be able to go next year. I looked up at Kendrick. ¡°Will you protect me¡­? At the festival¡­.¡± As I wriggled my fingers and asked, Kendrick smiled and gently stroked my hair. ¡°Of course, and there will always be Yeckhart¡¯s escorts by your side. Don¡¯t worry and shout out loud if anything happens.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Would it be better to buy a flute? Blow it when it¡¯s dangerous. That wouldn¡¯t be bad either.¡± I nodded vigorously as I listened to Kendrick¡¯s words. * * * The day of the festival came fast. We left the mansion the previous afternoon and stayed overnight in a mansion near the sanctuary. ¡°I¡¯m going with Betty, right?¡± ¡°Of course, Sir Ethan is coming with you too. It was decided that familiar servants would go with the Lady.¡± Betty replied with a bright smile. ¡°And look at this, Lady.¡± She took out a small pair of shoes from her little box. They were pretty shoes with flower decorations and large pearls in the middle. ¡°Ung?¡± ¡°It was a gift from the Lord. Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Betty smiled brightly. I stared at the shoes, and then I nodded with a box of shoes in my arms. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s so pretty!¡± ¡°It would go really well with a newly tailored festival dress.¡± I nodded. Serina also finished the dress in one week this time. I haven¡¯t seen Arsene¡¯s robes yet, but¡ª. My dress was in the form of layers of light blue fabric that went well with the blue ribbon, the symbol of Arsene. ¡°Then you should change your clothes now. It¡¯s time to leave in a little bit.¡± ¡°Then you should change your clothes now. It¡¯s time to leave soon.¡± Betty said in a hurry. I nodded obediently. She easily took off my pajamas and put on a dress for going out. It was a light pink dress. ¡°You¡¯re going to the mansion for now, so I¡¯ll tie your hair comfortably.¡± ¡°Ung, thank you.¡± Betty pulled my hair high and tied it up to let it hang down. And she used a pink ribbon to tie my hair back. She looked at me with satisfaction and smiled softly. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it, I¡¯m sure Lady will be the prettiest and cutest at the festival.¡± Betty said firmly. I replied with a blush on my face for no reason. ¡°No¡­There must be many more beautiful girls than me.¡± My half-brother Gale always looked at my face and criticized me for being ugly. The only people who told me that I was pretty were Yeckhart¡¯s servants. Betty opened her eyes, asking who was saying such nonsense. I had to sweat a lot to calm Betty down. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m the cutest¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. The guy who says Lady¡¯s not cute when he sees my Lady needs to dig out his eyeballs¡ª Oops, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ung, Betty¡­¡± I quietly listened to Betty¡¯s violent remarks and then asked. ¡°How much time do we have before we leave?¡± ¡°About an hour left. Do you have any places to stop by?¡± ¡°I want to say hello to Hector.¡± The festival period was a week. It is said that the beast gathers in the sanctuary for a week and enjoys the festival. We, too, were planning to stay for a week in a mansion near the sanctuary. That¡¯s why. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to see Hector in the meantime.¡± I said, blinking my eyes. Gilbert refused, but I always wanted to give Hector fodder in and out of the stables. It was my daily routine to hold straws that would be full of food and fill Hector¡¯s food bin. Hector would also blink as if he felt good when I went. ¡°So, let¡¯s say hello.¡± ¡°Yes, be careful not to get your clothes dirty, Lady. You know, right?¡± Betty grabbed me and spoke firmly. I answered with a sneaking glance. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Lady?¡± ¡°Ung, I¡¯ll try, Betty.¡± I hurried out of the room before Betty stopped me from going to Hector. And headed to the stable where Hector was. There were no horses in the stable. So maybe it was time to let him out. I went through an empty stable and headed for the stable next to it. And. ¡°Hector¡ª!¡± As I called him loudly, Hector ran out of nowhere and gave me his huge nose. I put the fence in between and hugged the big Hector¡¯s head. ¡°Whoa, Hector! It tickles~.¡± I kept stopping by the stable with Arsene these past few days, and Hector would stick out his head and wait for me whenever I came. I patted Hector¡¯s head. ¡°You know, I won¡¯t be here for a week. So take care of the house. Ung? And listen to Gilbert¡ª¡± ¡°Hiiing¡ª!¡± Hector kicked the ground with his back foot as if he understood what I meant. ¡°You can¡¯t complain. We¡¯re going to a festival. I¡¯ll buy you a present when I come instead. If I could get it¡ª¡± I kissed Hector on the bridge of his nose and stopped him before the dress got dirty. I hugged Hector. Fortunately, the dress wasn¡¯t too dirty. Shaking it off, I stepped back to get back to Betty. It was then. ¡°Akim? Why are you coming out there?¡± I ran into Akim from the basement. ¡°¡­Haha, it¡¯s the Lady. I went to the basement to get some food. Where have you been, Lady?¡± Akim greeted me with a calm smile. I nodded my head slowly. ¡°Ung, I see. I went to Hector. I won¡¯t see him for a week now¡ªyou know, will Akim coming with me too?¡± ¡°Me? Of course. If not me, who is going! I¡¯ll make you a lot of delicious desserts when I go.¡± Akim smiled and pretended to spread his arms wide. However, something seemed a little unnatural. I tilted my head slightly, then smiled. ¡°Ung. I will be waiting.¡± Betty looked at my dress with a sharp gaze as soon as I returned. And when she made sure there was nothing wrong with the dress, she took me to Kendrick. ¡°Lord, the Lady has come.¡± As Kendrick tidied up his clothes, he turned his gaze to me and looked at me. ¡°Linsy, you are beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kendrick-nim. The shoes you gave me are so pretty.¡± ¡°I was going to give it earlier, but it was late. I¡¯m glad you like it. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± After Kendrick finished tidying up, he grabbed my hand. Arsene also came and waited outside the door. Arsene pulled his tie uncomfortably, then lowered his hand when he saw Kendrick. ¡°Even if it¡¯s uncomfortable, please bear with it.¡± Kendrick loosened Arsene¡¯s tie a little. Then we held hands and headed to the carriage. Yeckhart¡¯s servants stood in two lines at the mansion¡¯s entrance to see us off. CH 64 ¡°Just take a nap for a while, we¡¯ll be arriving soon.¡± Kendrick said, pointing his chin at the cushion behind me. The maids packed it for me just in case I was uncomfortable on the way. ¡°Yees.¡± I nodded lightly and glanced at Arsene. Arsene was already sleeping on my side. I stamped my feet lightly in my seat, careful not to wake Arsene. Pong¨C! Light-green smoke rose in a lump inside the carriage and then dispersed instantly. I turned into a little bird figure and jumped on the cushion. ¡°Do you feel comfortable sleeping like that?¡± Kendrick asked. ¡°Chirp!¡± Of course! The carriage was wide but not wide enough for two people to lie down and sleep. ¡®No, it¡¯s possible, but¡­.¡¯ If I lay down, Arsene might wake up feeling uncomfortable. Besides, ¡®I think this is more comfortable.¡¯ I worked hard with my beak to tidy up the cotton inside the cushion to make a place for me to sit. And, ¡°Chirp!¡± It¡¯s done. I sat down like a nest in a cushion and buried my head wide on my back. But¡ª. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Where I buried my head, I could see a little red feather sticking out. I raised my head in a cold sweat. Then I made eye contact with Kendrick. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Chirp¡ª!¡± (No¡ª!) I flapped my wings wide open to show that there was no problem. Thanks to this, it became a more unnatural shape. Fortunately, Kendrick quickly turned his head away from me and looked out the window. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡®Phew.¡¯ It¡¯s a relief. Since the spot of the red feathers was on the inside of my back, he couldn¡¯t see it very clearly unless I spread my feathers. I carefully covered the red feathers by arranging the feathers on my back that I had scattered to sleep. ¡®Because I can¡¯t pull it out here¡­.¡¯ If I pulled it here, there would be no place to dispose of the red feathers. If Kendrick finds out, I¡¯ll have to confess where the red feathers came from¡ª. I trembled. ¡®I don¡¯t like that.¡¯ So let¡¯s hang in there and pull it at the mansion. Instead of sleeping with my head buried in my feather, I chose to lie down on a cushion. A blurry smile hung around Kendrick¡¯s mouth when I lay down on the cushion and soon disappeared. ¡°Chirp?¡± ¡°No, go to sleep.¡± Kendrick took a neat handkerchief from his pocket and placed it over me like a blanket. Like the day I first came to the Yeckhart mansion. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± I tossed and turned in the handkerchief Kendrick had covered me and soon closed my eyes. ***** ¡°We¡¯re here. You have to get up, everyone.¡± I slowly opened my eyes to the touch that touched me. ¡°Chirp¡ª?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here. Go to sleep in the mansion, Arsene. Arsene?¡± Kendrick woke Arsene with a weak shake. Arsene, who was complaining as if he didn¡¯t want to get up, slowly rose up. ¡°Linsy, if you¡¯re tired, you can stay that way.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­¡± I shook my head slowly, and soon released the bird form. It¡¯s my first time staying in this mansion, so I can¡¯t sleep in this form. Pong¨C! My hair was a little messy because my hair was pressed down while I was sleeping. Kendrick swept my hair with a clumsy touch. ¡°If you wake up, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yess¡ª¡± I grabbed Kendrick¡¯s hand and jumped off the carriage. Arsene then got out of the carriage and stumbled for a moment. I held Arsene¡¯s arm tightly. ¡°You have to be careful, fool.¡± ¡°Sleepy¡ªit¡¯s because I¡¯m sleepy.¡± I quarreled with Arsene and followed Kendrick¡¯s footsteps. And I looked up at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. I couldn¡¯t see it properly because I frowned a little because of the bright sunlight, but¡ª. ¡®It¡¯s really huge.¡¯ I could tell one thing. I thought it was a small mansion because it was rarely used. It seemed almost as big as Yeckhart¡¯s main mansion. ¡°It¡¯s so huge¡­.¡± As I muttered, Arsene nodded beside me. ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°Right, you said you¡¯ve never been here either.¡± Arsene lived only in the mansion until he met me, so it was Arsene¡¯s first time coming to this mansion. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s my first time seeing it, too¡­¡± Arsene replied in a hazy voice. From the entrance, the servants were seen standing side by side. ¡°Welcome, my Lord.¡± As Kendrick, Arsene, and I stepped into the mansion, the servants bowed their heads calmly. ¡°Welcome, my Lord. And Young Master, Lady. I¡¯m honored to meet you. I¡¯m Joshua, the butler of the second mansion.¡± ¡°Ung, hello.¡± ¡°¡­Hello.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an honor to serve you. We will serve you comfortably during your stay. If you have anything to ask me to do, please feel free to find it.¡± Arsene and I replied with a nod. ¡°Is Ethan coming late?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be there soon. I ordered him to leave right after we left. By the way, the kids look tired, so please show them to their rooms. I have somewhere to go out for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I have someone to meet for a while. If you¡¯re resting, I¡¯ll be back right away.¡± Kendrick came out and stroked Arsene¡¯s head once and left the mansion. ¡°This way, Young Master, Lady.¡± Joshua personally guided me to a room on the second floor. ¡°First of all, the Young Master¡¯s room is over here¡ª¡± ¡°I want to play together in Linsy¡¯s room¡­.¡± Arsene murmured in a sleepy voice. Joshua asked back affectionately. ¡°In the Lady¡¯s room?¡± ¡°Ung, I want to play together in Linsy¡¯s room¡­ Let¡¯s go to Linsy¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s stay in my room together.¡± Joshua listened carefully to our conversation and opened the door to the next room. ¡°The Lady¡¯s room is this way. If you have any inconvenience, please feel free to tell me.¡± The door opened, and I saw a pretty room plastered with pink. The soft-looking bed and wallpaper were all pale pink. The only exceptions were the wool rug underfoot, the bedside table, and the tea table. ¡°Ung, thank you. The room is so beautiful¡­!¡± ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll stay here at every festival. So the Lord told us to decorate it carefully.¡± Joshua smiled and left the room with the words to get some rest. Arsene and I lay down on a fluffy bed first. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sleepy, Arsene.¡± ¡°Me too¡­¡± Maybe it was because the sun was warm, but I kept falling asleep because my body was tired. ¡°Should we sleep like this¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s hold hands and sleep.¡± I stood up half way up and looked at Arsene with my eyes twinkling. Arsene blushed and freaked out. ¡°What? Why? I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even listen to the reason and say you don¡¯t want to.¡± I grumbled, grabbed Arsene by the shoulder and said. ¡°Listen, you know I can¡¯t treat you when your condition gets worse.¡± ¡°Ung.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to treat normally¡ª so let¡¯s hold hands and sleep.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with holding hands and sleeping?¡±¡® ¡°Og my, Mr. Hern said before that even if I don¡¯t use my ability, it always flows around my body. That¡¯s why you¡¯re showing improvement even if I don¡¯t treat you properly.¡± I stuttered through the story that Mr. Hern told me. Before leaving the mansion. ¡°Are you leaving now, Lady? Stay healthy and have a safe trip.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Hern also going with us?¡± I asked with my eyes wide open. Mr. Hern replied with an awkward smile. ¡°I¡¯m not done with the investigation yet. Other doctors will accompany you. And¡­ I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Ung. What is it?¡± ¡°These days, the Lady¡¯s ability has stabilized, and the ability is flowing steadily around your body, which is a good sign. It may be because of this that the Young Master has shown signs of improvement even though the Lady hasn¡¯t treated him.¡± After saying that, Mr. Hearn asked me to stick with Arsene often. ¡°So¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­So, you want to sleep with me?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s sleep while holding hands. If I tell Kendrick-nim, he¡¯ll give me permission.¡± I looked at Arsene. Of course, I knew it was rare for boys and girls to sleep in one room. ¡°We are seven years old.¡± Of course, my mind is twelve years old, but¡ª. Besides, we¡¯re engaged and getting married soon, so wouldn¡¯t that be okay? Arsene rolled his eyes as if embarrassed by what I said. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­Then, okay.¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand. Then, I naturally remembered the first time I held Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡®That time, he was angry and told me not to grab it.¡¯ I laughed for no reason because I felt like we really became close. ¡®I hope Arsene gets better soon.¡¯ Then we can do more together. I opened my eyes wide with surprise at the sudden thought. Before, I didn¡¯t want to be kicked out, so I thought I wanted to treat Arsene in a hurry¡ª. After receiving so much undeserved love from Yeckhart, it seemed that my worries about being kicked out had disappeared a bit. I was satisfied with it and looked at Arsene¡¯s face for a long time with his eyes closed. CH 65 ¡°Did you bring the holy relic well?¡± ¡°Lamont.¡± When Kendrick saw the familiar face, he raised his head and smiled. ¡°Did you bring the kids? Leon was bothering me so much because of you talking nonsense¡­ She¡¯s crazy about making friends. You know, the other kids don¡¯t play with Leon.¡± Lamont said as if he was in trouble. Lamont¡¯s daughter, Leona Fernando, was seven years old this year. However, she was stronger and more playful than her older brothers, and the children of the other clan heads avoided playing with Leona. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to have better stamina than her older brothers.¡¯ Leona¡¯s two older brothers, Aslan and Theovalt, were 15 and 14 years old this year and currently attending the academy. Aslan and Theovalt were both stronger than kids from other families, which was to be expected since they were from the Fernando family. But Leona¡¯s physical strength is more outstanding and stronger than her two older brothers. ¡®It¡¯s not unreasonable to avoid it.¡¯ Lamont nodded slowly as if to admit. There were also things that didn¡¯t match the age. Except for Leona, Arsene, and the snake clan¡¯s heir, Cain, everyone was attending the academy. So it was no wonder that Leona¡¯s eyes lit up when she talked about her friend. ¡°Does the lion clan have no friends?¡± ¡°She said she wouldn¡¯t be able to play with the Lion Clan¡¯s kids because they weren¡¯t on the same level. She didn¡¯t even think that she was a lion¡­¡± What will she do when she grows up? Lamont clicks his tongue. ¡°What do you mean you have a kid who looks just like you when you were young?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t like that when I was young. I¡¯m already afraid of the first transformation. His brothers ate the entire window on the first floor of the mansion during their first transformation¡ªI think Leon will eat the whole mansion.¡± A shadow fell over Lamont¡¯s face. Seeing this, Kendrick laughed lightly. ¡°You have to take responsibility. What can you do when all of your bloodlines are like that? And, of course, I brought the holy relic. Yeckhart¡¯s knights are escorting them with three layers.¡± ¡°Are there any problems with the holy relic?¡± ¡°Lamont, didn¡¯t you decide not to talk about it?¡± Kendrick growled in discomfort. Seven years ago. There was a time when there was a problem with the holy relic kept by Yeckhart, the head of the wolf clan. The very day Arsene was born. At the same time as Arsene was born, the blue sapphire kept by Yeckhart turned black. And at the same time, Kendrick¡¯s wife and Arsene¡¯s mother, Irene Yeckhart, died. Kendrick decided to keep it a strict secret. So Kendrick silenced the knights guarding the relic that day with a word and buried the matter. Of course, he has to take care of the relics, so he has no choice but to tell some people. The Pope and the High Priest at the time, several priests, and even Lamont, his friend and head of the Lion Clan. Except for them, no one knew what had happened seven years ago. ¡®If it had been known¡­.¡¯ Arsene would not have become Yeckhart¡¯s successor. There were many people who opposed making Arsene as the successor because he was born weak with a curse. That is why the appointment of Arsene¡¯s successor has been delayed until now. But if the wolf clan had even known that Arsene¡¯s illness was a curse and that the holy relics were cursed with Arsene¡¯s birth¡ª. ¡®Arsene¡¯s very existence must have been denied.¡¯ Fortunately, the relic returned to normal shortly after. After that, there was no case that the holy relics turned black. However, Lamont often asked if the relic was safe. Despite knowing that it was a question that was purely concerned with no intention of making fun of him, Kendrick always responded sharply. That¡¯s because seven years ago, that accident was nothing short of a deep trauma to Kendrick. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry. By the way, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow anyway, so why did you suddenly come here today?¡± Lamont quickly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special, it¡¯s what I asked for last time. What Yeckhart¡¯s knights are investigating¡­there¡¯s no result.¡± ¡°The prohibition? Kendrick, Ethan already got rid of them decades ago. Didn¡¯t your father exterminate it? But what¡­¡± ¡°I know it, but I lost it.¡± (t/n: I¡¯m not really sure what this means;;) Kendrick asked annoyedly, narrowing his brows, and throwing away his elegant tone. ¡°You know it, but you couldn¡¯t find it even after washing my eyes. I think it¡¯s just that the baby bird got it wrong¡ª¡± ¡°Can you see the prohibition wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what prohibition is, so I can say anything prohibition.¡± Lamont said firmly. Kendrick clicked his tongue and stood up. ¡°As expected, you didn¡¯t know anything. That¡¯s not helpful. See you at the festival tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll see your son for the first time in seven years. Did he grow up a lot?¡± A light flickered in Kendrick¡¯s eyes, which were blinded by the story of his son. ¡°He grows a lot, but is still small. Linsy too.¡± ¡°Linsy? Oh, that baby bird. Raniero¡¯s children are all small. You should feed her a lot, Kendrick.¡± Lamont chuckled. Kendrick left Lamont¡¯s office with a smile. The Lion Clan¡¯s mansion was busy preparing for the festival starting tomorrow. Kendrick glanced at the busy workers and greeted them. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± * * * Lady¡ª! ¡°Betty!¡± As soon as I saw Betty, I ran to her and hugged her. ¡°Oh, did you sleep? Your face is swollen¡­.¡± ¡°Ung? Ung¡­ I slept with Arsene.¡± I put my cheeks on Betty¡¯s skirt and squirmed. ¡°You should go to bed early today, this is problem¡­You can¡¯t stay awake at night. You have to go to the festival tomorrow.¡± Betty naturally soothed me. I nodded. ¡°Yes, I should¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, lady. I¡¯ve got a letter in Lady Ansia¡¯s name¡± ¡°Ansia?¡± Oh, right. I took a deep breath. ¡®I didn¡¯t tell Ansia that I was going to the festival!¡¯ In the meantime, I was busy preparing for the festival, so I forgot about it for a while. Ancia asked me to play with her when I go to the festival. ¡®Look at my mind.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe I forgot twice already. Wouldn¡¯t she hate me now? Terrified, I grabbed the hem of Betty¡¯s skirt and looked up at her. ¡°Where is the letter? Ung?¡± ¡°I have it. Here you go.¡± Betty casually pulled the letter out of her front pocket and handed it to me. On the spot, I opened the envelope sealed with wax and opened the letter. [Dear Lady Linsy. Lady, I decided to go to the festival with grandfather on the day the festival starts. I wore a rich pink dress. What about you, Linsy? My grandfather told me that Lady Linsy was busy with the event. After the event, play with me. I¡¯ll just shorten this, Lady Linsy. see you again later. Ansia Tristan.] Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s eight years old, but her spelling and handwriting are still inaccurate. I quickly read Ancia¡¯s letter and asked Betty. ¡°Ansia wants to play with me after the event, can I play with her?¡± ¡°You should ask the Lord¡­wouldn¡¯t it work?¡± Betty laughed. I nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask Kendrick.¡¯ The last time I heard, the event was held during the morning of the first day. In the morning, the heads of clans blessed by God gather in one place to take out the holy relics they have kept and check the safety of the relics to open the curtain on the festival. Of course, since each clan¡¯s special ability creates a thick barrier, there is no need to worry about losing the holy relic in the middle. ¡®I thought it was really cool.¡¯ I was already looking forward to it. Since the event was said to be over in the morning, I would probably be able to meet Ansia in the afternoon. ¡°Have you look around the mansion? You have to stay for a week now, are there any inconveniences?¡± ¡°Ung, no. It¡¯s really comfortable. The staff are friendly too¡­¡± I smiled and glanced back at the maids who were looking this way. ¡°And the room is pretty and comfortable. They said there is a lake inside the mansion, but I haven¡¯t been to it yet.¡± ¡°You should be able to visit soon.¡± Betty smiled and held my hand. I nodded. ¡®I look forward to it, the festival.¡¯ My heart was pounding already. I also felt like butterflies were flying in my stomach. ¡­For some reason, I suddenly felt like I couldn¡¯t sleep well because I was excited today. * * * ¡°My Lady~ raise your arm.¡± Betty easily managed to dress me in a long dress. The length of the dress was not long like a child¡¯s dress, so the lace at the end reached the shin area. And, as Ethan had requested, the back wasn¡¯t even hollowed out. I thought while fiddling with the pretty light blue dress. ¡®I have to be careful not to let the wings come out.¡¯ It seemed like there was no need to worry, as there was no need to take out the wings unless I were surprised and couldn¡¯t control my transformation or used a lot of my ability. Betty tied my hair up with a pretty dark blue ribbon. The rest of my hair was laid down beautifully, combed meticulously, and a blue flower was attached to my hair. ¡°My Lady, you are very pretty. There will be no one prettier and cuter than the Lady at today¡¯s festival!¡± Betty smiled brightly and held a mirror in front of me. I stared blankly into the mirror. Unlike when I first came here, my cheeks were plump, and I had a red flush. It was definitely in better shape than when I first came. ¡°Ung, thank you Betty¡­ I¡¯m not sure yet¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Lady, it¡¯s true. Don¡¯t you believe me? My Lady will be prettier when you grows up. Look at this fine, pretty wheat-colored hair.¡± Betty said, stroking my hair carefully. Stunned by Betty¡¯s words, I lowered my head for no reason. ¡°Yes¡­Wheat-colored hair¡­¡± And I couldn¡¯t say that I wouldn¡¯t have wheat-colored hair by the time I came of age, so I just mumbled. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re ready, shall we go? I heard that Lord and Young Master are all ready.¡± ¡°Are they waiting?¡± ¡°Yes, they wait downstairs.¡± Betty replied with a smile. CH 66 ¡°Linsy.¡± Kendrick, who was standing in front of the main staircase, noticed me and turned his head to smile. ¡®Whoa¡­¡¯ When I saw Kendrick, I spat out exclamations in my head. ¡®Kendrick-nim looks cool even without any decoration¡­¡¯ He showed off his coolness to the fullest, and his handsome appearance stood out even more. The same goes for Arsene standing next to him. Arsene wore a navy blue robe with a gold pattern and a ribbon with a light green emerald under his chin. Today, Arsene¡¯s always-covered hair was neatly brushed over, which made his clean-looking face stand out even more. ¡°Linsy?¡± As I stood still, Kendrick called me in wonder. ¡°Ah, let¡¯s go now!¡± I grabbed the hem of the dress by the hand and dashed toward Kendrick and Arsene. ¡°Come slowly, you¡¯re going to fall.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you so late?¡± Arsene opened his straight eyes and stared at me. Hehe, I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly with a smile. ¡°I was late to get ready. But Arsene¡­¡± I lowered my voice, brought my mouth close to Arsene¡¯s ear, and whispered carefully. ¡°How are you feeling? Sleeping with me, uhm, do you feel refreshed?¡± Kendrick allowed Arsene and me to hold hands and sleep together. So Arsene slept with me in my room last night, holding hands. Of course, Arsene put a big pillow on his hand, telling me not to come over, but¡ª. When I woke up in the morning, the pillow had already fallen to the bed floor for a long time, perhaps because of my sleeping habits. Then Arsene blushed and said annoyedly. ¡°It¡¯s the same as usual! Don¡¯t talk too close¡­ because I¡¯m surprised¡­!¡± I giggled and held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. Just like when we first arrived at this mansion, servants lined up to see us off. ¡°Have a good trip, lady.¡± Betty said goodbye to me one last time. I nodded eagerly and asked Betty. ¡°Betty, are you going to the festival too?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go today, but I will look around from the second day. I have friends near the sanctuary.¡± Betty said with a smile. I nodded and walked, holding Arsene¡¯s hand. A larger and more bigger carriage than the first one they rode in stood in front of the mansion. ¡°Ung¡­?¡± The carriage was so big that even four horses pulling it at the same time made it seem overwhelming. ¡°It¡¯s the carriage my father used to ride. It is a carriage representing Yeckhart, so it is mainly used for festivals.¡± Kendrick explained to us in surprise, and lifted Arsene and me into the carriage. I sat down in the carriage, careful not to wrinkle my dress. When Kendrick got on, Joshua gently closed the door of the carriage. And. Rattling. The carriage started. The sound of horse hoofs running off the ground was faint. It seemed soundproof. ¡°Linsy, remember what I said, right?¡± Kendrick opened his mouth. ¡°Yess, don¡¯t use my abilities carelessly, and make sure to tell everyone when I go somewhere¡ª scream immediately if I think it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°Actually, the knights will come out before you can scream, but just in case.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Arsene, what about you?¡± Kendrick glanced at Arsene and nodded his head as if to say something. ¡°¡­Stay close to Linsy. And don¡¯t use my ability?¡± ¡°Yeah, both of you remember it very well. I¡¯ll be with you the whole time, but I won¡¯t be able to be with you during the event. There will be Ethan instead.¡± ¡°Yess.¡± ¡°I know.¡± After that, Kendrick narrowed his brows as if he was worried and asked us not to use our ability several more times. And not long after that, the carriage entered the sanctuary. ¡°Whoa¡­ look at the people¡­¡± I opened my mouth wide and looked at the crowd of people in the street with my eyes wide open. Except for the roads where carriages were passing, everything was full of people. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The carriage was full of people all along the way. Everyone was moving towards the temple, laughing and talking. ¡°I know a lot of people¡­.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Arsene¡¯s voice trembled slightly as if he were nervous. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. The carriage quickly arrived inside the temple. It was still too early for the temple to be opened, so only priests were busily coming and going inside the temple. ¡°We were the first to arrive.¡± Kendrick clicked his tongue. He said that he would like to meet the Pope first and asked the priests to guide us. ¡°Take the children to a place where they can rest for a while. Linsy, Arsene. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The priests took the lead, and six escorts followed Arsene one after another. The priests arrived in front of the huge room and slowly opened the door made of heavy wood. Then, small and pretty sofas, large sofas, and small tea tables, as if tailored to children¡¯s size, caught my eye. As I looked up at the priest, not at the things that might be in the temple, the priest smiled and opened his mouth. ¡°Lady Linsy from Raniero, Young Master Arsene from Yeckhart. Is this your first time at the event? It is a space prepared in advance in the temple so that successors can rest.¡± ¡°I see, it¡¯s amazing¡­.¡± ¡°Young Master Cain of the Snake Clan has arrived first, so please talk to him. Then I¡¯ll get going.¡± Arsene and I both looked up at the sofa at the same time. I didn¡¯t know earlier because the sofa head covered it, but a black-haired boy was sitting there. The priests closed the door and left the room. The escort knights didn¡¯t follow when we entered the room prepared by the temple. Arsene and I walked over and sat down in front of the black-haired boy. ¡°Excuse me¡­hello?¡± I swallowed my saliva and said hello. The boy seemed to be our age, but slow energy flowed from his piercing eyes. ¡®As for the snake clan, they said he has the ability to poison.¡¯ That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t go well with Raniero¡¯s ability. I slipped my butt out for no reason. ¡°Who are you?¡± The boy frowned and asked. Arsene glared at him. ¡°Arsene Yeckhart, seven years old.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Linsy Raniero. I¡¯m seven years old. Hello¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Cain Hezeth. Seven years old.¡± After the boy introduced himself, he folded his arms as if he didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. But I kept talking to the boy. ¡°It¡¯s my first time at a festival, and you? Have you been here many times?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.I heard that there are many things to eat when you go to the streets, but is it true? I¡­¡± ¡°Filthy. It¡¯s street food. You really don¡¯t know the dignity or manners.¡± The boy snapped back. I blinked at the way he spoke too maturely for a seven-year-old. ¡°This is why my father told me not to interact with other clans¡­.¡± Then, the door burst open. Then the girl, whose orange hair was neatly pulled back, put her hands on her waist and said. ¡°Hello!¡± It was such a noisy greeting that the whole temple rang loudly. The girl crumpled her face at Cain, and ran quickly at Arsene and me with a big smile. Unlike me, the girl¡¯s outfit was a short dress that reached only to her knees. ¡°Hello, hello! You are from the wolf clan, right? And you are from a bird clan! Nice to meet you!¡± Then he grabbed Arsene¡¯s and my hands and shook them up and down. ¡°Huh? Oh, that¡¯s right¡­ who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The girl widened her eyes and pointed at herself. Arsene and I nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m Leona Fernando of the Lion Clan! Nice to meet you!!¡± The orange-haired girl who introduced herself as a member of the lion clan chuckled. Then a pointed fang caught my eye. As expected, she¡¯s a carnivore. I flinched for no reason and then held out my hand again. ¡°I¡¯m Linsy Raniero of the bird clan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Arsene Yeckhart of the wolf clan.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you! I¡¯ve heard a lot about it. Uncle Kendrick told me about it every day. He said you would be my new friend!¡± The girl who said that looked very excited, ¡°Actually, Brother Aslan should have come here originally, but my brother didn¡¯t come to the festival, so I came instead. Ungg.¡± At that time, Cain, who had closed his eyes as if he was sleeping peacefully, slowly opened his eyes and criticized Leona. ¡°Leona, don¡¯t be rude. I¡¯m ashamed to be friends with you¡­.¡± Leona answered straight away. ¡°Who said we¡¯re friends? Funny. I¡¯m not friends with you.¡± Leona snapped back and grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to be friends with them now. You don¡¯t have to be friends with me.¡± ¡°What? You came to my house to ask me to be friends¡­.¡± ¡°At that time, you¡¯re annoying because you always copy your father¡¯s tone.¡± Leona stuck out her tongue. Cain turned white as if he was shocked to see Leona. ¡°Hey, how can you say such a thing¡­.¡± ¡°Linsy, you know. I heard from my Dad that you already know how to do transformation?¡± Leona lightly ignored Cain and asked with her eyes twinkling. ¡°To me, can you show it to me? I want to see it!¡± CH 67 ¡°Ung?¡± I looked at Leona in bewilderment. Leona asked impatiently, her eyes twinkling. ¡°Is it no? Please~¡± ¡°You met her for the first time today, why are you forcing her so much? So rude¡ª¡± ¡°You be quiet, Cain Hezeth. I¡¯m not talking to you.¡± Leona and Cain fight between me. A sound like a lion growling really came from Leona¡¯s throat, and I flinched slightly. ¡°Thats¡ª¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult to turn into my bird form, but it was a bit burdensome to do it in front of kids who are beasts like Cain and Leona. When I was in trouble, Arsene slapped Leona¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t bother Linsy, you fool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bothering her! I¡¯m asking her! Really!¡± Leona explained as if it was unfair. I watched Arsene and Leona fight again with difficulty. ¡®Uhm¡­ What should I do?¡¯ Fortunately, Leona stopped asking me for more. Instead, she sat down with a sullen look. I glanced at Leona. ¡®Is she sad?¡¯ I felt sorry for Leona because she looks sullen. But now I couldn¡¯t do Leona¡¯s request. Soon after, each clan¡¯s successors came in one by one and took their seats. The fox clan, the bear clan, the sheep clan, and the dog clan entered the room. Most were much bigger than us. They looked to be about fifteen years old, and as soon as they met, they started talking passionately among themselves. Of course, there was no place for us, who were still seven years old. ¡®¡­.Gale will come too, right?¡¯ I looked at the door that hadn¡¯t yet been opened. Gale was definitely going to come to the festival, too, because he was the heir of a bird clan. ¡®¡­What if Gale says something else?¡¯ What if he tries to drag me by force again like last time? But the anxious thoughts stopped there. Even if Gale dragged me out of the temple, there was nowhere for him to take me, and I thought the guards outside would stop it before he did. Just then, the door opened, and Gale appeared with a grumpy face. Gale looked at me, rolled his eyes, and sat down. Fortunately, it seemed that he had no intention of harming me right now. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw Gale sitting alone with his arms crossed. And not long after, the priest came in and told us that we had to move. * * * ¡°Wow, we¡¯re watching from here?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady. You¡¯ll be able to see the Lord well.¡± Ethan chuckled. Arsene took a quick look around the huge venue and opened his mouth. This place, which is not normally used and is only open during festivals, seemed to be able to accommodate over 50,000 people. Arsene and I were escorted to separate VIP seats, so we didn¡¯t have to mix with other prisoners, but¡ª. At some point, more than half were filled with people, and even now, people continue to enter. (t/n: People here are ¡®beasts¡¯ or ??.) ¡°Lady.¡± I looked at the crowd and raised my head at Ethan¡¯s call. ¡°Ung?¡± ¡°Have you met any friends?¡± ¡°No.¡± To Ethan¡¯s question, Arsene answered without any hesitation. It seems that he didn¡¯t like Leona and Cain very much. ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°No, I met then! You¡¯re talking about Leona and Cain. right?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Lamont was worried about you a lot. He doesn¡¯t know if she¡¯s bothering you¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s bothering us.¡± ¡°Arsene! You can¡¯t do that to your friends.¡± However, Arsene still puffed out his cheeks in displeasure and turned his head away. Then, there was a loud noise outside the screen. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t, Lady! If you go in like this, oh my!¡± ¡°Linsy! Hi!¡± Leona, the tomboy girl with orange hair who we had seen before, flipped the screen and come to us. Leona naturally sat next to us and ate the snacks Ethan brought. ¡°Can I watch it with you here?¡± ¡°No! Get out of here! Ethan, get her out of here!¡± ¡°Hoho¡­Miriam, what should I do if you let the Lady come in without permission?¡± ¡°Sorry, Ethan. The Lady is so reckless¡ªLady, Lady, let¡¯s go out!¡± The lion clan¡¯s butler, Miriam, tried to take Leona. However, it was not enough to defeat Leona, who had better physical strength than her lion family¡¯s brothers. Leona said she wouldn¡¯t go out, and Miriam had no way of taking Leona. Eventually, Arsene and Ethan gave up. Miriam stood by Leona with an apologetic expression the whole time. ¡°You really¡­ Do you really have to go out as soon as you¡¯re done?¡± Arsene grunted. Then, Leona grabbed a handful of snacks and covered Arsene¡¯s mouth with snacks. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s starting!¡± ¡°Umph, ughhh!!¡± Then, a loud trumpet blew from somewhere, and a sparkling light fell on everyone¡¯s heads. Arsene didn¡¯t have to be quiet. It¡¯s because the shouts that burst out like thunder immediately deafened my ears. ¡®It¡¯s amazing¡­¡¯ I looked down at the riotously mixed and shouting beast people. It was all the more so because it was the first time I had seen such a variety of beasts mixed together. Usually, only members of the same clan hang out together, and only members of the same clan live together. After the cheers died down, Ethan spoke softly. ¡°Festivals are important. It¡¯s an event that shows that each head of the clan is still alive and well. At the same time, it also serves as a warning not to challenge other clans.¡± After Edan¡¯s words, the nine heads of the clan came up to the podium one by one and took their seats. Among them was my father, Arthur Raniero. I turned my head a little because I thought I had unintentionally looked into Arthur¡¯s eyes. After the nine heads of the clan, the Pope stood tall in the middle. The Pope looked a little tired somewhere. I tilted my head. ¡®Why does he look so tired?¡¯ Is it because he¡¯s old? However, it seemed a little awkward and strange to say that it was only because of old age. I immediately stopped thinking and looked at it. After the Pope¡¯s brief greeting, the heads of each clan raised their heads to the sky at the same time. And. Pong¡ª! They turned into their beast form at the same time. The smoke of all colors mixes in the air, and then something comes out. The smoke cleared, and a great gray wolf, a great black lion, a great black snake, a white fox, a red bear, a blue dog, a golden sheep, a white horse, and a brown eagle appeared. They stood tall, motionless, looking down at the Pope in the middle. And. First, the white fox raised its front foot and put it on the sacred object he had brought. Then, a bright pink supernatural ability spread from the fox clan¡¯s holy relic and formed a thin barrier. Since the holy relic is the blessing itself of the Gods, it symbolizes each clan, but it is also responsible for protecting each clan. The heads of the clan were able to infuse the holy relic with the supernatural ability to open a barrier. Next was the lion clan. As the huge black lion placed its front paw on the holy relic, a pale indigo barrier covered the pink one. Then, one after another, everyone built a barrier above them, and they were no longer visible. I just guessed whose turn it was from the color of the barriers piled up above. Finally, the black barrier completely covered the larger barrier. ¡°Now they will check each other¡¯s holy relics inside it.¡± Ethan whispered to me. Arsene watched the scene with his mouth wide open. Shortly after that, the barriers built one after another exploded at once. And a natural-colored piece of light fell like hail over tens of thousands of people. The shouts rang out again, and the festival curtain rose with the Pope¡¯s congratulatory speech. The beast quickly left the venue. Arsene and I sat absentmindedly, reflecting on the lingering feelings of a while ago. ¡°How is it, isn¡¯t it nice?¡± ¡°Ung, that¡¯s really great!¡± I nodded my head with a blush on my face. ¡°Later, the Young Master has to do it. Keep an eye on what the Lord is doing, Young Master. The Lord also sat here and learned exactly what the previous head of the family did.¡± Ethan spoke softly. Arsene, like me, looked at it blankly and nodded. At that time, Leona jumped up from her seat. ¡°I want to go to Daddy! I couldn¡¯t get my dad¡¯s permission to visit the festival street with my friends. I mean, Dad kept change the subject. Linsy, wait here for a second!¡± ¡°Ung? But I have to go now?¡± ¡°What? Where are you going? Ung? Where is it? Are you going back to the mansion?¡± Leona asked insistently. When Arsene and I were in trouble, Ethan answered instead. ¡°We will go back to the central temple and watch the festival before we go back.¡± ¡°Then~ let¡¯s meet at the central temple. I have to go back to the temple anyway.¡± Leona didn¡¯t even listen to our answer and fled away like the wind. ¡°Come with me, Lady!¡± Miriam, the butler of the Fernando family, followed Leona as she ran out with a voice almost crying. ¡°It is better to change into comfortable clothes when you are walking around the streets. There are two maids here with the Lady and the Young Master¡¯s street clothes. You can change clothes inside the temple and go out to play.¡± ¡°Can I go out and play?¡± ¡°Of course, as long as the escort knight accompanies you. There¡¯s street food, a store that sells strange toys, and there¡¯s a lot of events.¡± At Ethan¡¯s words, Arsene and I twinkled our eyes. CH 68 We went straight back to the central temple. The venue was not too far from the temple, so I was able to return quickly. It is said that the heads of each clan had more work to do at the venue, so only I, Arsene and Ethan had to return to the temple. But then. ¡°Linsy, let¡¯s talk.¡± I naturally turned around at the familiar voice. Arthur Raniero stood tall there. ¡°¡­H, huh?¡± Clearly, all the heads of the clans should have stayed at the venue because they had work to do, right? ¡®Why is my father here?¡¯ Did he sneak out because he didn¡¯t want to? Originally, he was the kind of person who said he hated family gatherings and often skipped meals, so it was reasonable for him to do so. But if that were the case, he would have gone straight back to Raniero. Did Gale say he wanted to play more at the festival? Otherwise, there was no reason for my father to be here. I hid behind Ethan, stuck my head out, and looked at Arthur. ¡°¡­Father?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s talk. Get out of the way. Is everyone doing this because they don¡¯t know who I am?¡± At Arthur¡¯s exclamation, Ethan raised his monocle and stood resolutely in front of me. ¡°I know who you are. But you can¡¯t talk to the Lady. Please go back.¡± ¡°Ha, what does it matter if I say I will talk to my daughter? Linsy, come here.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. Let¡¯s go, Lady.¡± At that time, the knights of the bird clan held their hands behind their backs and obstructed our path so that we could not go. ¡°¡­Get out of the way.¡± At the end of Ethan¡¯s words, Yeckhart¡¯s escort knights raised their hands to the scabbard. However, it was useless because everyone knew well that they couldn¡¯t point swords at each other in the sacred sanctuary. Arthur opened his mouth again. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a minute, Linsy. I will go back soon.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to!¡± I grabbed Ethan¡¯s collar and stood behind him, and shouted quietly. In my words, I could see Arthur¡¯s face stained with ridiculousness. ¡°¡­What?¡± Such a reaction was natural. I was a good daughter who never once said no to my father during my time in Raniero. That was the case with all of Raniero¡¯s children except for Gale. ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I don¡¯t want to talk¡­! So please leave!¡± ¡°Linsy, father is¡­.¡± ¡°Ethan, I want to stop and go.¡± I looked up at Ethan. Then Ethan hugged me. And then. ¡°Please get out of the way. If you don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll draw my sword.¡± Pulling out the sword in the sanctuary also meant a war between the two clans. Raniero¡¯s knights hesitated at Ethan¡¯s momentum. ¡°Pulling out your sword when you¡¯re only Yeckhart¡¯s servant? You don¡¯t even know your subject.¡± A scraping sound came from the throat of my father, Arthur Raniero. However, Ethan answered calmly. ¡°The Lord told me to put the safety of the Lady and the Young Master first. The safety of the Lady and the Young Master is more important than the strict law.¡± The Knights of Yeckhart paved the way around Ethan. Ethan left without looking back, hugging me and holding Arsene¡¯s hand tightly in one hand. I heard my father grumbling behind me, but I couldn¡¯t hear it properly because of the distance. * * * ¡°Lady, are you okay?¡± Entering the room given to Yeckhart at the temple, Ethan put me down and wiped the sweat from my forehead. Arsene looked at me with a worried expression. ¡°Linsy, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ung, I¡¯m fine. But what if I come to see the festival again¡­.¡± ¡°There are a lot of escort knights, so it should be fine. Don¡¯t worry. And besides, the Lord is here too¡­.¡± ¡°Ung?¡± ¡°If you are wearing the necklace the Lord gave you, there will be no problem.¡± Ethan pointed to the necklace made of blue gems hanging around my neck and smiled. I nodded my head. ¡°Ung, I will do that.¡± ¡°Then change your clothes first. I¡¯ll let the maids in.¡± Ethan grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and left, saying he would be out for a while. And Yeckhart¡¯s maids came in with a luggage bag containing my dress. ¡°Lady, let me change your clothes.¡± The maids reassured me with soft voices and slowly changed my clothes. They took off the long dress and put on a yellow dress that was easy to move around. After tying my hair back in pigtails, she carefully placed a small bonnet over my head. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it! You are really, really cute.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you are really cute, my Lady.¡± The maids covered their mouths with their big palms and screamed. ¡°Ung, thank you.¡± Thanks to Betty, I replied with a big smile to the compliment that I am now a little accustomed to. ¡°How can you smile so cute¡­.¡± The maids handed me over to Ethan and took Arsene in to change his clothes. I held Ethan¡¯s hand tightly and waited for Arsene to change and come out. Then. ¡°Linsy, Lin¨Csy!¡± From far away, Leona shouted loudly and ran towards me. And after that¡ª. ¡°Hh, huh, ugh¡­H, hello, so you¡¯re Linsy.¡± A huge man with a huge build greeted me, bending down as if he were out of breath and exhaling his breath in a hurry. ¡°Dad, you can go now.¡± Leona said softly. ¡°It¡¯s no use raising children¡­I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Linsy. My name is Lamont Fernando of the Lion Clan.¡± Lamont glanced at Leona, who caught his breath and greeted me. ¡°Hello, Sir Lamont.¡± ¡°Yes, Ethan. Long time no see.¡± Ethan and Lamont greeted each other warmly. The escort knights lined up in front of the door and respectfully greeted Lamont. ¡°Hello, Sir Lamont. Thank you for the gift.¡± I lifted my dress slightly and greeted politely. The only one who didn¡¯t show respect to Lamont was Leona. ¡°Where is Arsene? Actually, Arsene doesn¡¯t have to be here¡­ Anyway, I think it¡¯ll be more fun to have one. Is it in here?¡± Leona pretended to burst open the door of the room where Arsene was changing. Huh, I took a quick breath and ran to block Leona. And shook my head. ¡°No! He¡¯s changing his clothes!¡± ¡°He¡¯s changing his clothes?¡± Leona said, tilting her head. Leona was wearing comfortable pants, not the dress earlier. Lamont strode over, grabbed Leona by the nape of her neck, and lifted her up. ¡°Leon, I told you not to push your friend like that. When will you grow up?¡± Lamont said sorry as he gently put down his daughter, who looked like a fish that had just been pulled out of the water. ¡°Sorry, Linsy. My kid is a bit rough¡ªstill, I hope you will play well. Be a good kid.¡± ¡°Linsy decided to be friends with me. Right, Linsy? Oh, have you not said that yet? We can do it from now on, well. I¡¯ll say it again! I¡¯m Leona Fernando! seven years old!¡± Leona said proudly, dangling in the air. ¡°Since you¡¯re my friend, you can call me Leon.¡± Just then, the door opened, and Arsene walked in wearing comfortable clothes. But when Arsene saw Leona hanging from the door and Lamont holding her awkwardly, he slammed the door shut again. I quickly opened the door again and called Arsene. ¡°Arsene! Why are you going back in all of a sudden?¡± Arsene sighed and opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re not going with that kid, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with you either, hmph¡ª!¡± Lamont hurriedly shut his daughter¡¯s mouth. And he laughed awkwardly. ¡°Please play with Leona during the festival. Linsy, the lion clan escort knights will be with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need an escort knight!¡± ¡°Because I need you to stay still.¡± Lamont lightly subdued his daughter¡¯s rebellion. I nodded my head obediently after hearing Lamont¡¯s words. To be honest, I was thinking of going out with Leona even if I didn¡¯t have that, but¡ª. If the Lion Clan¡¯s escort knights followed us, it seemed that I wouldn¡¯t have to worry that Raniero¡¯s knights would take me. ¡®Of course, Yeckhart¡¯s knights are trustworthy, but¡­.¡¯ Because two are better than one. When I nodded, Lamont¡¯s face brightened strangely. ¡°Yeah, Linsy. You¡¯re as nice as I¡¯ve heard. Play well with Leon.¡± Lamont carefully put Leona on the floor. Leona brushed off her clothes as if she didn¡¯t care, then ran over and grabbed my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go play, but you know. Can I go to Yeckhart¡¯s mansion? Dad told me to go play in the mansion.¡± I glanced at Lamont at Leona¡¯s words. Lamont sent Leona to me and looked somewhat relieved. ¡°Can¡¯t you see me?¡± Arsene snapped, but Leona listened to Arsene carelessly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go play. The festival lasts for a week, so let¡¯s start with the Sheep Clan area today. Ung, ung?¡± The festival section had separate areas where stores could be opened by clan. Since most of the clans opened stores, the area was incredibly wide and varied. ¡°Let¡¯s go! The sheep clan area is the most fun!¡± I nodded awkwardly and held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. I didn¡¯t even realize that. It means that there are eyes watching us. CH 69 ¡°Right! I need to talk to Kendrick-nim before we go out!¡± When I stood tall, Leona looked at me like she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What? The butler will tell him that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I promised to tell him before I go anywhere. Right, Arsene?¡± ¡°Ung, this kid is just randomly dragged us.¡± Arsene growled as he glared at Leona. Leona also growled at Arsene. ¡®They can¡¯t even transform yet, so why¡­do they look like a beast?¡± I felt like I was with a young lion and a young wolf instead of kids. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I¡¯ll wait until Kendrick-nim comes.¡± ¡°You want to go back? Anyway, this is the entrance to the central temple, so he¡¯ll pass through here. So let¡¯s wait here.¡± Since the temple hadn¡¯t opened yet, the only people inside were the priests and servants that the blessed clan had sent. After thinking about Leona¡¯s words for a while, I sat down on the small fountain at the temple¡¯s entrance. And with Arsene and Leona, I blankly stared at the sky and waited for Kendrick. ¡®Sir Lamont and my father have already returned, so why is Kendrick so late?¡¯ Could it be that something happened? At that time, Cain Hezeth passed in front of us as if showing off. No, he was going to pass. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± We tried to pass by, but stopped and stared blankly at Cain, who glanced back at us. And. ¡°¡­Hello?¡± I greeted Cain first. Then Cain immediately greeted me as if he had been waiting. Then, standing tall next to us, he chinned to the servants who were following him. The servants of the snake clan smiled and disappeared leaving behind Cain. ¡°¡­.?¡± I stared at Cain blankly. Why is he still here? Then, Leona let out a deep sigh. ¡°Phew, I should have gone sooner before Cain came¡­.¡± ¡°Did you mean to leave me?!¡± Cain screamed sharply. The priests, who were busy passing by at the sound, glanced at us. ¡°Yes, I was going to leave it. You don¡¯t like being undignified. I¡¯m going to go to the festival and play with as little dignity as possible.¡± After Leona finished speaking, she stuck her tongue out at Cain. I let out a sigh and spoke up for the kids. ¡°Guys, stop fighting¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide because of Linsy.¡± It was Leona who turned her head first. I waited for Kendrick among the children with an already exhausted face. And. ¡°Linsy? What are you doing here, you¡¯re not going in.¡± Before long, Kendrick appeared, looking a little weary. Kendrick looked at us all standing next to each other, and then he patted my hair, Arsene¡¯s hair, Leona¡¯s hair, and Cain¡¯s hair in turn. ¡°So you¡¯re going to see the festival. Have a good trip. Linsy, Arsene. Did you get the money from Betty?¡± I nodded. Betty stuffed a small pocket around my waist. She also told me that there was enough money to enjoy the festival inside. And the same thing hung from Arsene¡¯s waist. ¡°Okay, have a good time.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to the sheep clan area first. I¡¯ll let you know if anything happens.¡± I looked at Kendrick and said clearly. Even in the midst of this, Leona, Arsene, and Cain were quarreling behind my back. I sighed. ¡°Yes, Linsy. It seems you¡¯re going to have a hard time. The escorts will protect you. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s Sir Aiden. And¡­The Shadow Knights will follow you, so don¡¯t worry too much and play.¡± I opened my eyes wide at the word of the Shadow Knights. I had heard of Yeckhart¡¯s Shadow Knights in my previous life. It was a knights¡¯ order made up of the most elite knights, and they were called the Shadow Knights because they followed and escorted them unnoticed like shadows. I heard that the Shadow Knights are from unknown origins and clans and only escort Kendrick¡ª. ¡°It won¡¯t be dangerous. Because Yeckhart will protect you.¡± Kendrick said. ¡°And Arsene, take good care of Linsy.¡± ¡°Ung, I know.¡± Arsene closed his mouth and nodded vigorously. ¡°And¡­ Leon, don¡¯t bully the kids. Cain, you too.¡± ¡°When did I bully them, Uncle?¡± Leona grumbled with her eyes wide open. Cain didn¡¯t say anything but glared at Leona. Then, in Yeckhart¡¯s carriage, we left the temple. There were so many people that the road for the carriage was cramped. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with the area of the sheep clans. They sell delicious fruit there.¡± Leona said excitedly. Cain frowned at Leona¡¯s words. ¡°The thought of eating such a dishonorable thing¡­.¡± ¡°You get off.¡± Leona said firmly. I barely stopped Leona from beckoning to the coachman. ¡°Leon, Leon! calm down!¡± ¡°No, because he keeps ruining the atmosphere¡­.¡± Hmph, Cain turned his head. Leona growled at Cain again. Arsene has now reached the point of treating them both as almost invisible. ¡®¡­Will it be okay?¡¯ I looked at Leona, Cain, and Arsene with worried expressions. * * * We got off the wagon, looked at the shops on the street, and bought and ate side by side the skewers grilled and sold on the roadside. Of course, everyone was wearing a cape. I wanted to play without being noticed like that, but¡ª. ¡°What are you doing, Lady?¡± Thanks to the Snake Clan, the Lion Clan, and Yeckhart¡¯s escort knights following one after another, a situation where they can¡¯t not know who we are has been created. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I smiled awkwardly. ¡®Still, this is better.¡¯ It was much better to travel this way, almost as advertised than to travel alone and get kidnapped or into trouble. Leona continued to run and lead us as if she was not tired, even after shooting beyond the area of the sheep clan to the area of the dog clan. ¡°There, let¡¯s go there, Linsy!¡± But I stopped Leona. ¡°Leon, wait.¡± And I looked at Arsene¡¯s condition. Even though I held hands tightly with Arsene the whole time, I seemed very tired due to my weak body. I looked at Arsene¡¯s complexion for a long time, touched his forehead, and then put my hands on his waist. ¡°We can¡¯t. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°What? Already?¡± Leona looked at me with pity, but I firmly ignored her. ¡°Arsene is weak. It wasn¡¯t long before he started coming out of the house. So we have to go back.¡± ¡°I will call a carriage.¡± Sir Aiden said quietly. Leona looked sadly at the crowded street, then she shook her head. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t help it. Let¡¯s stay overnight at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion today.¡± ¡°What? No way!¡± At that time, Arsene, who was exhausted and gasping for breath, shouted. ¡°No way! Go to your house!¡± ¡°Arsene, don¡¯t do that to your friends.¡± I tried to convince Arsene, but Arsene didn¡¯t seem to like Leona. ¡°I want to play more, but Linsy says you have to go home. Do you want to go back to the mansion alone then?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Arsene shook his head. ¡°Look, then everyone can go to the mansion and play. Arsene, right?¡± At Leona¡¯s unreasonable words, Arsene opened his mouth slightly for a moment. And. ¡°What are you talking about! No way!¡± But Leona was firm. Yeckhart¡¯s carriage arrives, and Leona casually climbs into the carriage. Cain, who hadn¡¯t said anything the whole time, was the same. Arsene screamed loudly at her to get off, but it was no use. ¡°Come on, Linsy. Get in.¡± Leona tapped the seat next to her as if she wanted me to get on. As if it were Fernando¡¯s carriage, the following actions were very natural. ¡°Ung, I¡¯ll get in.¡± I replied and looked around the bustling festival streets one more time before getting on. People were constantly buying, selling, and distributing things in excitement. ¡®I have to come again tomorrow.¡¯ When it comes to Arsene¡¯s physical strength, we could come the day after tomorrow if Arsene was having a hard time because the festival was held all week. But. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± In the distance, an old man who looked exactly like Ester was mingling with the crowd, staring at me. I closed my eyes, shook my head vigorously, and looked back in that direction. But it was already gone. ¡®¡­Did I see something wrong?¡¯ Lately, I¡¯ve been thinking about Ester a lot lately, so maybe I was wrong. And even if it¡¯s an Ester. ¡®There are so many escorts.¡¯ Ester wouldn¡¯t be able to approach me carelessly. We got into the carriage and headed for the second mansion. Of course, we forgot to tell Leona and Cain¡¯s parents in advance. What I remembered was when the deputy of the snake clan leader arrived at the Yeckhart mansion with a sigh. CH 70 Joshua and Ethan seemed a little surprised when the children arrived at the mansion. As soon as the two butlers saw Leona and Cain, they left, saying they would contact Fernando and Hezeth. And what was surprising and tiring was that the escorts of the lion family and the snake family would be the same. The Young Master and the Lady they were serving suddenly went to the Yekhardt residence, so they would stay overnight in someone else¡¯s mansion. However, Leona went around the mansion as if she didn¡¯t care about those things. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s huge. It¡¯s similar to our mansion. It looks like our mansion is a little older. My brothers have ripped off all the wallpaper.¡± The servants¡¯ faces turned white for a moment. I headed for my room, taking Leona wandering around and Cain standing bashfully. ¡°Lady, would you like some tea and dessert?¡± ¡°Ung, please.¡± I nodded, closed the door, and put Arsene on the bed. And. ¡°¡­Phew.¡± I already felt tired because of Leona was walking around the room excitedly. While holding Arsene¡¯s hand tightly, I patted the bed. ¡°Leon, Leon! Come here. Cain, you too.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Arsene waved his hand as if not to come up to the bed and soon lay down as if he were tired. ¡°Let¡¯s do something fun. What do you think?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a game where the person who moves first loses. It¡¯s going to be fun, right?¡± ¡°¡­Ung?¡± Leona tilted her head for a moment and then fell down next to Arsene. ¡°Yeah. Okay.¡± Cain also crept up and lay down next to me. In his unwavering behavior, I remembered again that Cain was a member of the Snake family. We lay down and stared at the ceiling. Since I met Leona, it has been noisy, but it has been a long time since it was so quiet. I slowly closed my eyes in the momentary peace I had found through my still play. But that¡¯s also for a while. ¡°I lost. Let¡¯s play, Linsy. Ung?¡± ¡°¡­Why did you lose? No, you can win¡­and lie back, Leon.¡± ¡°I lost.¡± Leona jumped out of bed, declaring proudly. Thanks to Leona getting up, the cushion on the bed swayed slightly. Then, with good timing, the maid served tea and dessert on the tray. I welcomed the maid with joy. Because I saw Leona sitting quietly while eating snacks. The maid put four pieces of cake, snacks, and a teapot with juice on the small tea table. Then, I frowned at the tea table with only two chairs. Soon they brought two more chairs from Arsene¡¯s room and let Cain and Leona sit down. ¡°Enjoy your meal~.¡± The maid hurriedly left the room. Arsene was lying on the bed saying he didn¡¯t want to eat the snacks, and Cain, Leona and me sat around the tea table. However, when I saw Leona constantly moving while eating snacks, I finally realized the meaning of Lamont¡¯s smile. A faint smile passed across Lamont¡¯s mouth when Leona asked to play with us at the temple. ¡®¡­It was a sense of freedom!¡¯ It was a sense of freedom to get away from his daughter. No wonder he looked so refreshed while sending his daughter away. I put the cookie in my mouth and chewed it. After being tormented by Leona all day, I didn¡¯t even have the energy to chew a cookie. Then. Knock, knock. A knock was heard. We both looked toward the door at the same time. ¡°Come in~.¡± At the end of the sentence, Joshua came in and bowed his head. And, ¡°The Adjutant of the Hezeth family has arrived. Young Master Cain.¡± ¡°¡­Adjutant? Is Deborah here?¡± Cain¡¯s pupils shook. Cain sighed and stood up from his seat, putting down the cookie he was eating. Cain, who stood up, looked very weak, so Leona and I both stood up together, keeping an eye on each other. However, Arsene was still lying on the bed. ¡°Deborah¡­Hah¡­¡± Leona and I chased after Cain as he walked away. In the midst of this, Leona glanced at Cain and teased him. ¡°Cain, are you crying?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°Stop it, Leon.¡± I stopped Leona. It was because Cain would really shed tears if she did any more. As we went down the spiral staircase, I saw a woman standing tall at the entrance of the mansion. Her hair was neatly tied up high and tucked back, and she was wearing a neatly angled uniform. ¡°Young Master Cain.¡± ¡°Did Dad tell you to bring me?¡± ¡°Yes, there was an order to bring you.¡± Then, Leona suddenly asked. ¡°But why are you taking him? Can¡¯t he sleep here?¡± ¡°Lady Leona, Lady Linsy. I apologize for the late greetings. My name is Deborah, the direct adjutant of the head of the Hezeth family. The Young Master is still in a state where he has not been able to properly handle his ability, and the Lord strictly prohibits contact with people who are not members of the snake family. I ask for your understanding.¡± Deborah said everything, then bowed her head. Leona and I nodded and listened to Deborah. ¡°Has Cain ever made a mistake while using his ability?¡± Leona asked in an innocent tone. ¡°Not yet. But I¡¯m worried¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! It¡¯s okay because I haven¡¯t done that yet. I¡¯ll play more and send it to you. Bye~.¡± Leona dragged Cain with her stubbornness. Cain was dragged along as Leona led her with a bewildered expression. ¡°Huh? Lady Leona! No! Young Master¡­!¡± ¡°Even if he uses it wrong¡­ can¡¯t we just heal it? Linsy, you know how to use your power, right?¡± ¡°Ung, I know how to use it.¡± I nodded. Originally, the snake clan¡¯s poison could be cured with the bird clan¡¯s ability. So, the snake clan was also one of the clans that didn¡¯t get along well with Raniero. ¡®No, actually, if I think about it¡­¡¯ There aren¡¯t many clans that get along well. Raniero repeatedly refused the requests for treatment from other clans or demanded a huge amount of money for treatment. Deborah looked at me once, then at Cain, with a confused look. ¡°Of course, you can heal it, but¡­The head of the family is not the only one who is worried.¡± ¡°That¡­If anything happens, I will heal it. So, just for today, please.¡± I looked at Cain¡¯s face, who was very depressed and talked. ¡°If there is a problem, I will make sure to tell you.¡± Deborah sighed. And asked me carefully. ¡°Then can I stay at the mansion today? I will return home with the Young Master tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Do I have to answer? I looked at Joshua and Ethan standing side by side in panic. ¡°You are also a member of Yeckhart, so you can give permission for it.¡± ¡°Yes, then I will give you permission, Deborah. Have a good rest¡­!¡± I mimicked the tone of Ethan and Joshua and bowed slightly on my knees. Deborah laughed slowly and kissed the back of my hand softly. ¡°Thank you, Lady.¡± ¡°¡­Then, can I sleep here?¡± Cain asked cautiously. ¡°If something happens, I have to deal with it. Young Master, please play comfortably. To the Lord, I¡­ will contact him separately.¡± As soon as Deborah¡¯s words finished, Cain¡¯s face brightened. Leona said, pressing her index finger on Cain¡¯s forehead. ¡°Hey, I helped. You can¡¯t forget it, right?¡± ¡°¡­I know, I know! How troublesome¡­¡± Cain quickly went from being depressed to his usual self¡ªa bit grumpy. We went back to my room in a good way. Meanwhile, Arsene was asleep. After confirming that Arsene was asleep, I put my index finger on my mouth. ¡°Shhh¡­! Arsene is sleeping!¡± We sneaked out and moved to the next room, Arsene¡¯s room. And in the meantime, Kendrick arrived at the mansion. * * * ¡°¡­What is the situation?¡± Kendrick easily guessed the situation when he saw the Lion and Snake clans escort knights standing side by side in front of the mansion. ¡®The kids came to sleep.¡¯ Somehow, Lamont¡¯s expression today seemed somewhat relieved. Tsk. Kendrick clicks his tongue as he steps into the mansion. The servants greeted Kendrick. ¡°How would you like your dinner, my Lord? Should I set it up right away?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to prepare the meal. I ate outside. Just take care of the kids.¡± Kendrick beckoned. At that time, Deborah, who was standing outside the mansion, came in and bowed to Kendrick. ¡°My name is Deborah, the adjutant of Hezeth. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°Are you staying here too? I went out for a while and while I returned, the mansion became an inn room.¡± Tsk. Kendrick clicked his tongue. But Kendrick¡¯s mood didn¡¯t look that bad. ¡°I¡¯m going to be in the study all day, so if anything happens, you can report it. Then go get some rest.¡± Kendrick slipped past Deborah and went upstairs to where the children were staying. Then he opened the door to Linsy¡¯s room, confirmed that Arsene was soundly asleep, and closed the door again. ¡®He must have been very tired.¡¯ It would be the first time today that he would see so many friends his age, so of course, he was tired. Kendrick opened the door to Arsene¡¯s room next door. As expected, Cain, Linsy, and Leona were all asleep. He shook his hand and gestured at the maid, who followed him. ¡°Feed them when they wake up because they¡¯re sleeping soundly. Who cooks?¡± ¡°Akim, the chef of this mansion, was in charge. I¡¯m worried that the Lady won¡¯t be able to eat unfamiliar food well¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, good job. Feed them later when they wake up.¡± Kendrick slowly closed the door and walked to his study. He has no idea what will happen in the future. CH 71 ¡°My Lady, you should have dinner.¡± A hand gently shakes me awake, and I open my eyes. When I jumped up and blinked, I saw Cain, who was still sleeping, and Leona, who was awake and stretching herself. The maids then woke up Cain and Arsene in the next room and brought them water. ¡°Is the temperature okay?¡± ¡°Ung¡­¡± I shut my mouth tightly in my sleep and nodded. The maid washed my face thoroughly. After washing our faces, we held the maid¡¯s hand and went down to the dining room. They prepared four high chairs. I looked around for a moment and asked, seeing that there were only four chairs. ¡°How about Kendrick?¡± ¡°The Lord said that he had eaten and would only eat a simple dessert.¡± Ethan answered, pulling out my chair and putting me on top. Arsene, who was still dozing off, sat across from me, and Leona and Cain sat next to him. Akim brought the dishes on a tray himself. It was a dish with cheese and ham piled on top of a large piece of bread. Akim cut it piece by piece and served it to our plates. ¡®Wow, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this.¡¯ I had heard the story from Gale. There is a must-eat bread during the festival. It was said that all of the beast people shared the bread and enjoyed the festival. But since my father didn¡¯t like festivals, I only heard about them but never had a chance to try the bread. With a fork, I put bread, cheese, and ham in my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± I said with my eyes twinkling. Then, Ethan, who was listening quietly by the side, smiled and said. ¡°This bread is eaten only during the festival, but if you want, Akim will make it even after the festival.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I looked at Akim, who was cutting the bread. But, unlike usual, Akim didn¡¯t smile or say anything nice. Instead, he just cut the bread in silence. I asked again with a slightly raised eyebrow. ¡°¡­Akim?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes. Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Stop thinking about it for a while.¡± Akim smiled awkwardly. For some reason, his face seemed pale. I nodded, chewing bread. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°But it is really delicious. Hey Cain! What kind of bread do you eat like that? Eat a lot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have the dignity to eat, Leona.¡± ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we all get them out?¡± The first was Leona, the second was Cain, and the last was Arsene. Arsene wrinkled his brows as he watched the two friends fighting over the bread. As if to make Arsene happy, I put some salad on his plate. ¡°Hey, Arsene. Between friends¡­ you can¡¯t do that. Eat this to feel better.¡± ¡°If this is the solution, it made me feel worse¡­.¡± Arsene said in a drooping voice, swinging the salad with a fork. ¡°If you want more, I will give you more. Right, Akim?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.Akim? You are strange today.¡± Ethan raised his monocle. Akim, who was serving the next dish, raised his head. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you serve it by yourself¡­That¡¯s weird. Is something wrong? Are you short of manpower?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I just wanted to give it to you myself¡­.¡± Akim stuttered his excuses. I stared at Akim, who behaved strangely, then put the bread in my mouth again and chewed it. When Leona asked him to make more bread, Achim seemed a little uncomfortable. But he quickly made more bread and brought it to me. Of course, I couldn¡¯t eat it all because it was too much. We finished eating and returned to the room. Perhaps because it was during the festival, the mansion was extremely noisy. ¡°Everyone seems excited, doesn¡¯t it?¡± When I said that, Leona shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s a festival. So today, even the knights are allowed to have a glass of festival wine. Maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯re excited?¡± Knights weren¡¯t allowed to drink alcohol while on duty. However, the festival period was an exception. Even during missions, they would distribute the festival liquor so that everyone could drink one glass at a time. ¡°So everyone was excited. It¡¯s good that the mansion is lively, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s just noisy.¡± Arsene still looked as if he didn¡¯t like the festival. It was the opposite of the appearance that was initially inflated with expectations. ¡°Ar¨Csene, you really wanted to come to the festival. But why are you so grumpy? Ung?¡± ¡°I wanted to come, but because of them¡ª!¡± Arsene glared at Leona, who was almost rolling on the bed. ¡°Why? What?¡± Leona shrugged her shoulders as if she didn¡¯t know anything. Then, the maids knocked on the door smartly. ¡°Come in~.¡± When permission was given, Betty and Chloe and the unfamiliar maids entered and bowed. ¡°I will help you change into your pajamas.¡± Arsene, Cain, and Leona each left the room, following the other maids. Betty asked softly. ¡°Would you like to change here? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to go to the dressing room?¡± ¡°I want to change here. I¡¯m tired¡­.¡± I shook my head and said, Betty grinning. She quickly changed me into my pajamas and left the room to rest. And soon after, the children who had gone to change into pajamas returned one by one. Leona was wearing my pajamas, but the size was a little small, so my ankle-length pajamas fluttered near Leona¡¯s shin. Cain wore Arsene¡¯s pajamas, on the contrary, they were too big and loose. The maids looked at my room and said as if they were in trouble. ¡°Do you really want to sleep here? Cain and Arsene should go to Arsene¡¯s room.¡± Arsene and Cain expressed their intention not to go, but the servants stopped the 7-year-old children¡¯s rebellion and took Arsene and Cain out. I stayed with Leona and lay down on the bed. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so tired¡­I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been walking around all day today. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°Ung? Ung, I¡¯m fine. I can go around all day tomorrow, too.¡± Leona laughed. A dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth every time she laughed. I looked at the lovely orange-haired girl smiling innocently for a long time and then laughed together. ¡°Tomorrow¡­not tomorrow. Arsene went overboard today. He look very tired, so he¡¯ll be in the mansion tomorrow.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re staying at the mansion? But¡­¡± ¡°Kendrick-nim said there was a lake behind the mansion. Let¡¯s go swimming together. Do you know how to fish?¡± ¡°Fish hunting? Of course! I can catch even seven a day!¡± Leona glistened at the story of the lake behind the mansion. We promised to go to the lake tomorrow and closed our eyes. It wasn¡¯t long before I fell asleep. * * * Time when everyone is asleep. I suddenly opened my eyes. It was dark inside the room, but somehow there was a commotion outside. ¡°¡­What happened?¡± Is there something going on outside? Looking around, Leona was sleeping soundly. I crept out on tiptoe, careful not to wake Leona. Kiiik¡ª. The door opens slowly. ¡°¡­.?¡± I blinked my sleepy eyes and looked out into the dark hallway. ¡®¡­What is that?¡¯ A huge wolf roamed the hallway. I closed the door slowly so the wolf wouldn¡¯t notice, then leaned back against the door to clear my mind. What did I see? Is what I saw really a wolf? Why in the Yeckhart Mansion¡­ wolves are roaming around? No, since it¡¯s a wolf mansion, it¡¯s natural for wolves to wander around¡­. My thoughts were mixed up and I couldn¡¯t organize them well. I sat down with my messy hair wrapped around me. Then I came to my senses and carefully opened the door again. ¡®Cause I might have seen it wrong¡­.¡¯ Then. ¡°¡­.!!!!¡± The hallway was not visible through the crack in the slightly open door, but a yellow one was visible. Yellow one¡ª. I soon realized that it was the wolf¡¯s pupils and took a step back, gasping. Grrrrrr. A wolf growled. I quickly closed the door again and locked it. Bang! ¡®What¡­What the hell is this?¡¯ It certainly didn¡¯t look like it was joking with me. If there¡¯s one good thing to me is¡ª. Thanks to Betty¡¯s steady transformation and giving me her arms, this time I didn¡¯t panic or faint as before. There was the sound of a wolf kicking the door with its paw. I quickly jumped onto the bed and woke Leona up. ¡°Leona. Leon, wake up, wake up!¡± Leona slowly closed, opened her eyes, and said in a drowsy voice. ¡°Ung¡­Why? It¡¯s already morning¡­?¡± Bang! Once again there was the sound of a wolf kicking at the door. Leona widened her eyes in surprise. I closed Leona¡¯s mouth with both of her hands. ¡°Shh, you can¡¯t talk¡­! First of all, you have to wake up.¡± Leona saw my serious expression and nodded her head. And slowly got up from her seat. I opened the window once. ¡®I might be able to escape by myself, but¡­¡¯ Then what about Leon? I just need to transform into my bird form to escape, but Leona won¡¯t be able to escape. Then that mysterious wolf outside might break down the door and attack Leona. At that time, Arsene in the next room flashed through my mind. ¡®Arsene and Cain are in danger!¡¯ CH 72 Bang! There was a sound like a wolf kicking the door once more. And then. Crack. The door continued to break as if it were biting the door with its teeth. It was clear that the door would open at this rate. ¡°Linsy, what¡¯s that¡­?¡± Leona asked with a pale face. I shook my head urgently. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know either¡­wolf¡­? The mansion was noisy, so I opened the door for a moment, and it was wandering in the hallway¡­¡± I opened the window and looked down. Below, a wolf and a lion were tangled and fighting. ¡°¡­What the hell is going on here?¡± Presumably, those wolves and lions seemed to be servants of Yeckhart¡¯s mansion or knights of the Fernando family. The question was, why were they fighting each other in their beast form? ¡®I have to call Kendrick¡­.¡¯ But Kendrick¡¯s study was on the first floor, and we were on the second floor. So, in other words, it meant that I had to pass the wolf breaking the door, or I had to pass the wolf and the lion fighting under the window to get to Kendrick. ¡®But why can¡¯t I see Kendrick yet¡ª?¡¯ Is Sir Kendrick also walking around in beast form? I got goosebumps when I thought that far. Leona was almost crying now. Then. Bang! Eventually, after breaking down the door, the wolf stood tall on the threshold, exhaling. Grrrr¡ª. The brown wolf stepped into the room, wrinkling his nose as if threatening us. ¡°¡­h, hey¡­ Uh, could you release your transformation? I think you¡¯ve gone a little too far, mother!¡± I tried to talk to the wolf and induce it to solve the transformation, but it didn¡¯t seem to understand me. The wolf banged its foot. I opened my eyes wide in surprise. I held Leona¡¯s hand tightly and took three steps back. And I watched the wolf while almost bumping into the window sill. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ There was nowhere to run. I looked once at the giant wolf and once over the wide open window. But. ¡®¡­That, don¡¯t tell me.¡¯ In the distance, two familiar birds were seen circling. ¡®It¡¯s a peregrine falcon.¡¯ Peregrine Falcon Knights. An elite order of knights made up of peregrine falcons, it was a knights¡¯ order that moved only under the orders of my father, Arthur Raniero. It served like the Shadow Knights of Yeckhart. But¡ª. ¡®But why is the peregrine falcon here¡ªah.¡¯ I finally figured out the situation. ¡®They came to take me.¡¯ Yeckhart¡¯s main residence was heavily guarded, so it was impossible to intrude into the airspace, so there was no doubt that my father was playing tricks during the festival. Because they want to take me back. However, when the situation was not favorable, it seemed to be watching from afar for now. I decided never to transform myself, no matter what. Those peregrine hawks might take me out if I transform into my bird form. ¡®Then the servants who are transformed¡­.¡¯ But is there a drug that forces you to transform into your beast form? If so, how did they feed the people in the mansion? I stepped back from the window and clenched Leona¡¯s hand more tightly. ¡°Leon¡ª¡± Leona was now showing her teeth. If Leona had been able to transform, she would have turned into a lion. Leona, who had been afraid of a mysterious situation the whole time, wiped away tears with her pajamas sleeves. And. ¡°Where¡ª¡± Leona spread her small palm towards the giant wolf. The crimson light clumped from the small palm. Leona¡¯s golden eyes sparkled in the dark. ¡°Obey my word.¡± It was the power of the lion family, obedience. But the problem was that the giant wolf was too big and too strong as an opponent. It was too much for young Leona to handle with her abilities. The lion clan¡¯s ability was as strong as it was dangerous, and there was a disadvantage that the ability did not work on opponents stronger than themselves. Therefore, Leona¡¯s powers couldn¡¯t have worked on the adult individual. But Leona didn¡¯t give up and used her power. ¡°You¡­¡± Leona showed her teeth and growled. I held back Leona. ¡°Leon!¡± Leona stumbled. Suddenly, she seemed tired from using too much of her power. I quickly helped Leona. Grrrrr¡ª. Meanwhile, a more agitated wolf strode into the room. Now the wolf¡¯s snout was really close. It came close enough to swallow me at once if it opened its mouth wide. Then. ¡°Linsy! Ugh!¡± Arsene, who ran to my room, narrowed his forehead when he saw a giant wolf. ¡°What are you doing? Release your beast form right now!¡± ¡°Arsene, it¡¯s no use. I don¡¯t think we can communicate!¡± I stopped breathing for a second. ¡®¡­Can¡¯t communicate?¡¯ But this situation, I¡¯ve seen it somewhere¡ª. Ah. It was only then that I remembered the memory of my previous life. The memories of my past life gradually faded during my stay in Yeckhart, but I had unforgettable memories. I mean, the same day the wolf clan lost their mind and attacked Raniero. When I was dying in the fire¡ª. The wolf in front of me seemed to have lost its mind like a wolf clan at that time. And the wolf and the lion who was fighting under the window a while ago. Seeing that no one is coming to save us even in this situation¡ª. All the servants of the mansion may have lost their minds. But, how¡ª. The reason why the wolf clan lost their mind in a previous life was because it was assimilated with the sadness and anger of Kendrick Yeckhart, the head of the clan. If so¡ª. ¡®What happened to Sir Kendrick!¡¯ I raised my head sharply. At that time, Arsene flinched as if to approach me. ¡°Arsene, stay there!¡± I shouted at Arsene to stop provoking the wolf in front of me. The wolf turned its head, looked at Arsene, and growled at me again. It was only then that I realized. ¡®Ah, Arsene is a wolf clan, so it doesn¡¯t attack him.¡¯ That¡¯s why they¡¯re trying to attack me and Leona. Because we¡¯re not a part of wolf clan. Arsene¡¯s face was white. Cain, who was standing behind Arsene the whole time, opened his mouth. ¡°W, what about I use my ability.¡± Cain took off the gloves he had been wearing all along. But it was faster for the wolf to approach me than for Cain to use this power. The wolf came close to me and Leona and opened its huge mouth. Then. Grrrr¡ª! The wolf, who had been growling and furrowing his nose, let out a howl after being hit in the back of the head by something. I looked up. ¡°Damn, what the hell is going on here?¡± Kendrick stood there in mess. It seemed to appear out of the shadows using his ability. ¡°Linsy, Leon, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°What? Yes, I¡¯m fine. What about you, Sir Kendrick? Kendrick used a command to subdue a huge wolf. They lost their mind, but they seemed to obey the order of the head of clan. The obedient wolf trudged out of the room with blank eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I fell asleep, and the mansion is a mess¡­Arsene, Cain. Come here.¡± When Kendrick called Arsene and Cain, two children rushed to him and held him. ¡°The first priority is to deal with it. The wolf clan has a command, so it¡¯s okay. But¡­¡± The problem was the lion family and the snake family. The escorts brought by Cain and Leona were entangled with the knights of the wolf family and were biting and fighting each other. He even said that there was a knight who was already seriously injured and fell out and was only breathing. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble, I¡¯m going to tie them all up for now.¡± Kendrick crumpled his brows and swept away his sweaty hair. Kendrick easily overpowered wolves, lions, and snakes scattered all over the mansion and gathered them in the front yard of the mansion. The wolves obediently followed Kendrick¡¯s words without needing to be subdued, and the lions and snakes were unable to move because of Kendrick¡¯s powers and shadows. Grrrrr¡ª! I stared at the howling beast, and held Leona and Arsene¡¯s hands. Cain was seen clasping Arsene¡¯s hand with his gloved hand. ¡°We can¡¯t leave it like this, so I have to make them release the beast form¡­¡± The wolf clan followed Kendrick¡¯s words, but didn¡¯t listen as much as to the order to release the beast form. I looked up at Kendrick. ¡°A while ago, I saw Raniero¡¯s Peregrine Falcon Knights. They shouldn¡¯t wander around here¡­ so it¡¯s probably Raniero¡¯s plot.¡± And I spoke clearly. Kendrick listened carefully to me and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll check if it¡¯s still there. We¡¯ll solve this situation first and then¡­.¡± He lengthened his words. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t understand how they could have done this to Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. All of the servants are loyal servants who have worked at Yeckhart for at least ten years. In addition, I told them to inspect their belongings and luggage thoroughly when they leave the territory¡­¡± Kendrick gathered all the people who lost their mind in the front yard and walked around the mansion. In the mansion, more than half of the employees were sleeping as if they were dead. Kendrick murmured softly while looking at the servants who fell asleep quietly and didn¡¯t wake up. ¡°Giles flower¡­?¡± ¡°Giles flower?¡± Kendrick¡¯s face seemed pale. He said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s a flower that makes you falls asleep like death after a few hours if you eat just a small amount. However, if you eat too much¡ª¡± Kendrick nodded. ¡°They lose their mind wit and run wild. They couldn¡¯t have put it in the food of so many people, so the pollen must have gotten into the alcohol and food that was given out at the festival. But¡­ how the hell did they do that?¡± Kendrick said slowly. ¡°The Giles flower is a flower that became extinct a long time ago. There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll show up again.¡± ¡°Then¡­can we detoxify it?¡± I looked into Kendrick¡¯s eyes and asked cautiously. ¡°There is a record that the deer clan succeeded in making an antidote a long time ago, so I should call Mr. Hern first.¡± I listened to Kendrick and asked carefully. CH 73 ¡°It will stand out too much.¡± Kendrick said firmly. Since it was a dark night now, there was a possibility that I would definitely stand out if I used this power. Of course, there was no other mansion near Yeckhart¡¯s mansion, but¡ª. I knew at least that Kendrick wasn¡¯t worried about the public eye. ¡®He¡¯s worried about Raniero.¡¯ He even did this to take me, but when he found out, I had a strong power. He would have spent more energy trying to take me. However. ¡®There are too many injured people.¡¯ There were many people whose bodies were torn here and there because they lost their minds and fought together. There was even a drooping tooth. So, first of all, I had to use my abilities to heal. But¡ª. ¡°I¡¯ve heard before that Raniero¡¯s ability can even cure poisoning symptoms.¡± So, it means I can detoxify if they went crazy because of drugs and not because of Kendrick¡¯s anger and sadness like in my previous life. I stared at the wounded people, then looked up again at Kendrick. ¡°What if they die while Mr. Hern is coming? I can¡¯t just let it go, I¡­ please let me heal them.¡± I could feel Leona, Cain, and Arsene looking at me. Leona nodded her head. ¡°Let her heal, Sir Lawton looks sick¡­.¡± Leona pointed to a struggling lion shackled by shadows. Grrr¡ª! His side had been bitten and was bleeding. Cain also nodded. ¡°Deborah¡¯s tail¡­.¡± Shhh-, shhh. A gigantic snake with its tail almost cut off was hanging limply. Kendrick touched his forehead. ¡°¡­Then don¡¯t overdo it. Linsy, you need to be careful.¡± ¡°Yes, I will,¡± I kept my mouth shut and let go. Then I spread out my palms. Faah¨C! Light green light gathered on the palm like fireflies. Leona and Cain opened their eyes wide and watched me use my ability. ¡®This isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ There seemed to be about a hundred and fifty beasts now tied up in the front yard. So more, more powers were needed. I closed my eyes and concentrated. The green light, like fresh green, came together to form a round sphere, which gradually expanded in size. ¡°¡­Whoa¡­¡± I could hear Leona and Cain¡¯s exclamations from the side. A gentle, pleasant breeze flowed from the top of my palm and brushed through my hair. The sphere soon left the palms and floated above the heads of the beasts. And. ¡°¡­Hehe.¡± It formed the shape of a watering can again. ¡®Oh no, it keeps going like this¡­.¡¯ When I was practicing my ability alone, I tried hard to use my ability in a form other than the watering can. ¡­If it wasn¡¯t in the shape of a watering can, I couldn¡¯t use my ability comfortably. However, I always felt embarrassed whenever I used my ability. Leona and Cain saw a huge light-green watering can floating in the air and opened their mouths. ¡°¡­A watering can?¡± ¡°Linsy, your ability is a watering can¡­?¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet. You fools.¡± Arsene hit Cain and Leona to tell the children to be quiet so that I could concentrate. The children nodded and covered their mouths with both hands. I took a deep breath, concentrated my mind, and used my abilities. Then, a huge watering can that was floating in the air broke off at the top, sending pieces of light over the beasts¡¯ heads. Grrr? Grrrr¡ª! Rawrr! The beasts struggled against the light fragments but couldn¡¯t move because Kendrick had tightly bound them with his powers. I could see the torn skin slowly healing. Deborah¡¯s huge tail was also reattaching. Soon after, the beasts stopped struggling. And instead. Pong¨C! Pong¨C! Here and there, the beasts with their hair wrapped as if drunk came back to their human form after releasing their transformation. There were servants, and there were also knights. Leona was the first to run to the knight of the lion clan whose transformations had been released. ¡°Sir Lawton!¡± ¡°¡­Lady? Why am I here¡­.¡± They came to their senses one by one, and soon they looked as if they didn¡¯t understand what had happened. I finished using my abilities and smiled proudly. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ It was the first time I had treated so many people at once. ¡®But I succeeded.¡¯ Kendrick was convinced that my ability would be the strongest in Raniero. It seems that it wasn¡¯t a lie because even my father wouldn¡¯t be able to treat so many people at once. But the problem is¡ª. The Peregrine Falcons that roamed around the mansion had already disappeared. They probably went to report me to my father. ¡®Phew.¡¯ I sighed. Perhaps, having seen me use my ability, they would try to bring me back more earnestly. I really hated that, but still. ¡°Why¡­Why am I here?¡± ¡°I was definitely sleeping¡­What is this? Why are my armor torn?¡± ¡°You too? My armor is also torn.¡± It was okay because I could treat them. I looked around at the chattering knights and servants who were trying to figure out the situation. At that time, Kendrick spoke in a calm voice. ¡°Wait, attention.¡± It was a command exercised with the authority of the head of the wolf clan. The wolf clan naturally shut their mouths. Then the knights of the snake clan and the lion clan also kept their mouths shut. ¡°Don¡¯t make any more noise, and go back to your position quietly. The situation will be explained tomorrow afternoon. If there is anything wrong with your body, report it immediately.¡± Kendrick paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°If anyone is involved in this matter, we will severely punish them according to the laws of the wolf clan. Until the culprit is identified, no one can leave Yeckhart Mansion. I will close the barrier. Knights, keep an eye out for anyone leaving. If there is an inevitable departure, report it, that¡¯s it.¡± At the end of Kendrick¡¯s words, the servants and knights rushed back to their positions. And I¡ª. Pong¨C! Light green smoke rose, and wings popped out behind my back. ¡°Huh?¡± The back of the pajama was torn as the wings popped out. ¡°Linsy!¡± Arsene covered my back with his arms wide open. ¡®I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m tired.¡¯ This was the first time I had used a large power at once, so I was exhausted. Of course, I had already practiced enough at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion¡ª. ¡®At that time, it was just sprayed in the air.¡¯ This was the first time that I used a large amount of power by choosing an opponent like this. I smiled at Arsene. ¡°Thanks for covering it up, Arsene.¡± ¡°You, be careful.¡± Arsene grumbled. At that time, a huge thing covered me. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Good job, Linsy. Well done.¡± Kendrick took off the jacket he was wearing and covered my back. Hehe. I looked at Kendrick and smiled, then nodded at him. Then, Leona¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Linsy, Linsy! Your wings popped out! Can I touch it? But why did you suddenly take out your wings? Ung? Can I take out only the tail if I transformed?¡± ¡°She¡¯s tired. If she get tired, she won¡¯t be able to control her form.¡± Kendrick answered Leona¡¯s question instead. And he lightly tapped Leona¡¯s forehead. ¡°And don¡¯t use your powers on anyone, Leon. Lamont has taught you.¡± Leona was furious at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°I can use that ability! Earlier, earlier I made a mistake for a while¡­.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Lamont teach you that Fernando¡¯s abilities are incomplete until they reach adulthood?¡± Fernando¡¯s ability, the lion clan, couldn¡¯t subjugate an opponent stronger than themselves. So, the lion clan could only freely deal with this ability when they became adults and had the strongest power. Until then, it was said that they used their abilities as a way to defeat stronger opponents by subjugating weaker opponents as a group. When Leona got angry, Kendrick stroked Leona¡¯s head. ¡°As soon as the sun rises, go back to the mansion. Lamont will be worried. Today¡¯s work is Yeckhart¡¯s mistake, so I will explain and apologize to your father. Cain, you too.¡± Kendrick said, looking over Cain and Leona. ¡°Arsene, Linsy. Tomorrow, the knights and servants of Yekhart¡¯s mansion must be called in to investigate this matter thoroughly, so it¡¯s best to postpone the festival.¡± ¡°Yess.¡± I nodded. This is because I was exhausted after treating all the remaining knights and servants, so I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to go to the festival tomorrow. Kendrick smiled faintly. * * * ¡°What if they die while Mr. Hern is coming? I can¡¯t just let it go, I¡­ please let me heal them.¡± Kendrick smiled at the thought of the little girl whose eyes were sparkling. He was originally going to say no. If it¡¯s detoxification, he can call Hern and have him do it, while other doctors treat the injured. Linsy¡¯s safety has always been his top priority. So he tried to say no¡ª. ¡°Please let me heal them.¡± The moment he saw the light green eyes that shimmered in the dark, he couldn¡¯t refuse. So, it seems that there is a strong power in those eyes. Kendrick smiled as he broke the peregrine falcon¡¯s wings in his grasp. CH 74 I changed my clothes with the help of the maids who woke up first. It was fortunate that the maids had brought open-back pajamas in case the wings popped out. And I went around the mansion and used my power. When I used my ability on the servants who were sleeping all over the place as if they had fainted, the servants quickly regained consciousness. ¡°¡­L, Lady?¡± Betty stuttered up from her seat, her eyes wide open. She asked while touching her head. ¡°Why are you walking around at this hour¡­No, more than that, why am I here?¡± Betty said gibberish. I held Betty¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Ung, Betty. Kendrick will explain it tomorrow. Go in and sleep.¡± Even after that, one by one, the servants started to come to their senses. Those who first came to their senses tried to wake the others who were asleep, but it seemed that they were physically unable to wake them up. In the end, it was only after scattering my powers throughout the mansion that they could wake up all the sleeping servants. ¡°Oh my, Lady, what is this¡­ what¡¯s going on¡­.¡± Ethan asked as if he couldn¡¯t understand the situation. Ethan was asleep as if he were falling down the stairs, but he seemed to have no idea why he was asleep there. Then, Kendrick popped up from somewhere. ¡°Someone fed Giles flowers to the people of the mansion. Some fell asleep and some lost their minds. Ethan, check the number of servants first since the settlement is almost over. From now on, we have to find out who did this.¡± Ethan, who was listening to Kendrick blankly, answered yes and rose up quickly. Then. Staggering. My eyes were turned upside down for a moment. I lost my balance for a moment and then stood up again, thanks to Kendrick¡¯s help. ¡°Linsy, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, I¡¯m fine. I guess it¡¯s because I used too much of this ability.¡± It was a natural result because I had never used this ability so much and for so long. Kendrick hugged me. ¡°Go and sleep. Leave it to me to clean up. Good job today, you were great. And you guys go to sleep too.¡± Kendrick said as he looked down at Leona, Cain, and Arsene, who was following me. Leona¡¯s body trembled as if she was hot. ¡°That¡¯s okay¡­ Linsy is so cool when she uses her ability¡­ I want to see more, but I don¡¯t want Linsy to be sick¡­.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right, it¡¯s cool.¡± Leona and Cain faced each other and nodded. Arsene held Kendrick¡¯s arm tightly and asked. ¡°Linsy, are you sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I shook my head to reassure Arsene. ¡°Now go to sleep. Ethan, take the kids. We¡¯ll fix it later.¡± Ethan followed Kendrick¡¯s orders, leading the three children. My legs fluttered in the air with each stride Kendrick took. ¡°I¡¯m really fine¡­ Not to the point of falling while walking.¡± ¡°You almost collapsed just now, what are you talking about? Just rest well. Don¡¯t think about going out tomorrow, get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± The door to my room was broken down earlier, so Kendrick took me to another room. He quickly arrived at the front of the room and opened the door. Then he gently put me down on the big bed and gently stroked my face. ¡°Thank you, Linsy.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You seem to be of great help to Yeckhart every time.¡± It was dark, so I couldn¡¯t see Kendrick¡¯s expression very well, but I could see that he was smiling softly. ¡°Leon, as soon as you lie down, you should go to sleep. Because Linsy is tired. No, no. She should sleep in another room.¡± ¡°Why? Why? I don¡¯t want to! I¡¯m going to sleep with Linsy! She¡¯s my friend.¡± ¡°Your friend Lynsey looks very tired, so you should sleep in another room.¡± As Kendrick beckoned, Ethan lightly overpowered Leona¡¯s resistance and left with Leona in his arms. Leona struggled, saying she didn¡¯t want to go out but couldn¡¯t overcome Ethan¡¯s power. I muttered as I stared blankly at it. ¡®¡­Ethan, he¡¯s strong.¡¯ In the temple, the maids of the lion clan couldn¡¯t overcome Leona¡¯s power. Kendrick said goodnight, and he slowly left the room. A small lamp was burning quietly by the bedside table. I slowly closed my eyes due to the overwhelming fatigue. * * * ¡°Young Master!¡± Deborah rushed over and hugged Cain, who was about to enter the room. And she carefully checked to see if Cain was hurt. ¡°Young Master, are you okay? Do you hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. But Deborah¡­¡± Cain wrinkled his face, remembering the deep cut in Deborah¡¯s side earlier. ¡°I am okay. Thanks to Lady Linsy¡¯s treatment, I¡¯m fine.¡± Deborah said, opening the door again as she ensured Cain was safe. Arsene lay first on the bed. Deborah lowered her voice and whispered to Cain because she wondered if Arsene had fallen asleep. ¡°I¡¯m glad you weren¡¯t hurt. You didn¡¯t use your ability, did you?¡± ¡°¡­Ung.¡± ¡°Good job. Sleep now. I will go and report to the Lord.¡± Deborah put Cain to bed, saying that she would pick him up tomorrow morning. And she left the room. The servants and knights who got their minds back because of Linsy¡¯s power were busy figuring out what was going on and dealing with the mansion. Broken doors, broken windows, dented walls, and even the dining room with claw marks. Ethan, who was looking at this situation miserably, came to his senses and checked the number of servants and knights with Joshua. But. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you see Akim?¡± Ethan asked cautiously. The other chefs in the mansion shook their heads, saying they hadn¡¯t seen him since dinner last night. On Ethan¡¯s face, there was a moment of doubt. He carefully checked the servants and knights and tried to find Akim. It¡¯s possible that Akim has fallen somewhere and hasn¡¯t been healed yet. ¡®Akim couldn¡¯t have done that¡­.¡¯ Akim had been working in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion for ten years without mistakes. He got along well with the servants of the mansion and quickly became friendly with Linsy and Arsene. However, no matter how much he looked for him while dealing with the situation, he couldn¡¯t find him. Ethan¡¯s suspicions became a reality when he went to the lodging where Akim was staying. Akim¡¯s luggage was not in the room that was attached to the annex. It was clean. As if he never came to the mansion together in the first place. Ethan muttered with a pale face. ¡®That¡¯s why.¡¯ That¡¯s why all the knights and servants in the mansion fell asleep. Because the festival wine and festival food used in the festival got pollen. All of the food in the mansion went through Akim¡¯s hands. So, if it was something that Akim did, all of this was explained. But¡ª. ¡®How could he do this?¡¯ Akim had to take care of his sick younger sister and his sick mother. After working at the mansion for about ten years, his family history will become known whether he intends to or not. Because he believed he wouldn¡¯t do something bad for them. Besides. ¡®I made sure to check all the belongings. All food out of the dining room will also be inspected one more time¡ª¡¯ Ethan moved his steps to report to Kendrick with a confused face. Kendrick stood tall in the middle of the garden and looked around at the disorganized mansion. ¡°My Lord? What are you thinking?¡± ¡°Ah, Ethan.¡± Kendrick smiled and looked behind him. The night wind brushed the shirt Kendrick was wearing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? Why didn¡¯t they take Linsy after all of this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If they took advantage of the mess¡ª¡± When Ethan assumed the terrible situation, he shook his head. ¡°Now that we have captured Raniero¡¯s spies alive, we can ask them. Did you check the number of people?¡± When asked by Kendrick, Ethan closed his mouth and nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, everyone has been identified except for chef Akim.¡± ¡°Even all the lion clan and the snake clan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kendrick narrowed his eyes. ¡°If Akim did this, it would make sense. However, no matter how much Raniero helped, there was no way he could have done this alone. Investigate thoroughly and look for Akim. Find him and bring him to me.¡± ¡°I will take the orders.¡± Ethan bowed his head. Kendrick said, shifting his gaze to the messy mansion. ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t that flower extinct, Ethan?¡± ¡°Yes¡­As far as I know¡­¡± Ethan replied. Kendrick said as if he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°There are many things to find out. It¡¯s complicated. Bring in the other knights and the people of this mansion right now. If anyone complains of headache or dizziness, send them back.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Ethan bowed his head and quickly went back to call them in the mansion. CH 75 Since the place where Yeckhart was currently staying was near the sanctuary, he needed permission from the Pope to station more knights. Kendrick first ordered Ethan to put his knights on standby and contacted the temple separately. In the temple, he immediately dispatched a priest. Kendrick sighed when he saw the priest with a familiar face who ran straight at dawn. ¡°Etran.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, my Lord.¡± Etran smiled and said. Kendrick waved his hand in annoyance. ¡°The mansion looks terrible, so take a look on your own.¡± ¡°Is the holy relic safe? Are you sure it wasn¡¯t a crime targeting a holy relic?¡± ¡°I have the holy relic, but who would attack the servants for the holy relic?¡± Kendrick replied angrily. But Kendrick did understand what Etran was worried about. In the past, there were a lot of crimes that actually targeted holy relics. Besides. ¡®In the record, it is written that there are clans whose holy relics were stolen.¡¯ Since the records were almost erased, it was impossible to identify them accurately. However, it was clear that there was a clan whose holy relic was stolen and that the moment the holy relic was taken away, a big problem would arise for the clan. So, when the heads of the clan brought the holy relics outside for the festival, they never let go of them for a second. Because the holy relics are that important. ¡°Then Raniero must have done it.¡± Etran looked around the mansion casually and said. Deep claw marks here, and there seemed to tell us how much had happened the night before. ¡°Yeah, but they didn¡¯t take Lincy. They even sent the Peregrine Falcon Knights. Besides.¡± Kendrick strode ahead, then stopped and glanced around. ¡°They used Giles flowers.¡± ¡°Giles flowers¡­Isn¡¯t it a flower that only grew in the land of Tamar? It¡¯s now extinct, but how could that be¡­?¡± Etran asked vaguely. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The only thing that¡¯s certain is that they used Giles flowers. The only drug that makes you lose your mind when ingested is Giles.¡± For them, losing their minds was the same as dying. Because a beastman who has lost his reason is just a beast. Only when they have their mind can they live as beastman. For this reason, even when Giles flowers existed in ancient times, those who took Giles flowers or made medicines using these flowers were punished with extreme punishment. At that time, a drug made from Giles flowers was on the market, and the dog clan was on the brink of extinction. ¡®They asked Raniero for help.¡¯ Raniero refused right away, saying that they couldn¡¯t save the whole dog clan without even trying. It was recorded that it took a very long time for the dog clan to revive. ¡®So I was surprised.¡¯ A long time ago, because Raniero had a closed tendency, there was no other way to know other than to be seen externally. So it is not known how the bird clan dealt with those who were addicted to ¡®Giles Flower¡¯. While wondering, a curse fell on the land of Tamar, and the Giles flower became extinct. But. ¡°Before, I heard that Raniero¡¯s ability can even cure the symptoms of poisoning.¡± Linsy said so and used her ability. Linsy showed her healing power by helping people who had been poisoned by Giles¡¯ flowers. The light green light that wrapped around Linsy¡¯s body was like a miracle. ¡®I¡¯m surprised¡­¡¯ Kendrick murmured, recalling his smart daughter-in-law. ¡°I must report to the His Holiness immediately that the Giles flower is back.¡± Kendrick nodded slowly. When Mount Tamar was cursed and the Giles flower disappeared from the land, there were many beasts who were happy. However, while the land of Tamar is still stained with a curse, the Giles flower has returned. This¡ª. ¡®Did Giles flowers grow in other lands too?¡¯ According to the record, Giles flowers could only grow in the land of Tamar. As a result of the researcher¡¯s experiments, it was also recorded that in a land other than the land of Tamar, they quickly lost their power and died. But¡ª. ¡®Someone figured out how to restore the Giles flower.¡¯ At that moment, the things Linsy had been talking about flashed through Kendrick¡¯s mind. Ester, who was said to be using prohibition, and the man in the black hood, who was glaring at Linsy. What the child said may be relevant. At that time, Etran said. ¡°If you have solid evidence that it was Raniero¡¯s, you can ask for the use of Giles pollen. Do you have proof?¡± ¡°We captured two of Raniero¡¯s peregrine falconers alive.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work.¡± Etran crumpled his face. ¡°There should be at least testimonies from those who used and distributed Giles pollen. We can¡¯t hold Raniero responsible for this incident just because we captured two knights alive.¡± Kendrick nodded. ¡°The suspect was identified. So¡­I just need to find it. Anyway, if you¡¯ve looked through everything, I¡¯ll give you a stationing permit first.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I will personally report it to His Holiness.¡± Etran nodded. Kendrick immediately nodded and gestured to Ethan, who was standing next to him. ¡°I¡¯ll go now, so tell everyone to stand by at the training ground.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°Aiden, Degon.¡± Kendrick called out the two knights who were monitoring the situation at the mansion. Aiden and Dagon bowed politely to Kendrick. ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°Control it so that no one can leave the mansion.¡± ¡°Deborah of the Snake Clan said that she should report to the Hezeth family. Should I stop it?¡± ¡°Block her, control access without exception.¡± Kendrick said firmly, and Aiden and Dagon left to find their places. Darkness gathered beneath Kendrick¡¯s feet, but the sun was not up, so no shadow was visible. A shadow soon covered Kendrick¡¯s entire body. Kendrick disappeared into the shadows without leaving a trace. Etran looked at it blankly and then left. * * * I opened my eyes slowly. ¡®¡­How long have I been sleeping?¡¯ I peeked out the window and saw that the sun was rising high. It was already daytime. The servants were cleaning up the garden that had been ruined by the night before. I stared blankly at Leona, who was sleeping soundly next to me and then got off the bed. Then, standing in front of the mirror, I roughly straightened my messy hair. But. ¡°¡­Again¡­¡± I also saw that there was red hair here and there. It was three this time. I was afraid that there might be red hair that I hadn¡¯t seen before. I looked in the mirror and quickly fumbled my hair. ¡°Ouch!¡± Tears welled up in my eyes because the place I¡¯d pulled hurt. It seemed to be more painful because I had just plucked the new hair. When I put the hair on my palm and examined it, it was clearly red. The same color that made me a cursed child in my previous life. Then. Knock, knock. ¡°Lady~ are you awake?¡± Betty¡¯s voice came from outside the door. I was startled and lost my hair. ¡®N, no!¡¯ I quickly got down and tried to pick up my hair, but the window was open so I couldn¡¯t see where the wind had blown it. ¡°Lady? May I come in?¡± I exclaimed urgently. ¡°U, ung! You can come in!¡± Then, I swept my feet across the nearby floor. If there is any hair, it will disappear into a corner. Betty opened the door and came in. ¡°Lady Leon is still sleeping. I thought the Lady might be awake, so I came up and looked. Can I prepare some water for washing?¡± ¡°Ung? U, ung. Water¡­ please prepare it.¡± ¡°Lady, what¡¯s wrong? A cold sweat¡ª¡± Betty strode towards me. I looked up at Betty with a stiff body. ¡°Ung? Nothing happened¡­I just woke up¡­¡± ¡°I guess it was because you overworked yesterday. I heard from Ethan. Lady, are you okay?¡± Betty touched my forehead with a concerned expression. I nodded urgently. ¡°U, ung! It¡¯s really fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re okay¡­Shall I bring Mr. Hern? He¡¯s at the mansion.¡± ¡°N, no. Because I¡¯m really fine¡­ Rather, Leon will wake up.¡± I looked at Leona, who was sleeping soundly, to quickly get Betty out of the room. Leona must have been tired from what happened last night, because she slept well and didn¡¯t wake up when we talked. ¡°Lady Leon needs to wake up too, because¡­you have to eat lunch¡­¡± Betty said, dropping the word lunch. I noticed something strange and raised one of my eyebrows. ¡°Betty¡­? What¡¯s wrong?¡± CH 76 ¡°What do you mean, lady? There¡¯s nothing like that. I¡¯ll bring you water to wash.¡± Betty smiled as if she was in trouble and left the room. But I knew. ¡®That¡¯s a smile adults make when they hide difficulties from children¡­.¡¯ There is a problem with the lunch, isn¡¯t there? Then. ¡°Ung¡­ Linsy?¡± ¡°Ah, Leon. Did you wake up? Leona slowly opened her eyes as she tossed and turned. Leona jumped up and looked around, blinking her eyes. ¡°What time is it now¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­wouldn¡¯t it have been past twelve o¡¯clock?¡± I said, looking up at the sun high in the sky. Leona said as she lay on the blanket in the same posture as when she got up. ¡°I have to go to the festival¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going home instead of the festival, Leon¡­.¡± Today was the day Leona went back to her house. In the first place, Leona was supposed to sleep only for one day, so today, Leona was going to return to the Lion family¡¯s mansion with the Lion family¡¯s Knights. But Leona shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go¡­ Dad would love it if I were here¡­.¡± ¡°Huh? His daughter¡¯s out there. Which father would like it, Leon?¡± ¡°My Dad¡­¡± Leona mumbled, and then she closed her eyes again. Just then, Betty came in with washing water. ¡°Lady, let me wash your face.¡± ¡°Ung, Leon is getting up, too. Please take care of her, too.¡± ¡°Oh, did Lady Leon wake up too?¡± At Betty¡¯s words, Leona pulled the blanket over herself to express her desire to sleep more. But Betty had already called her maid to attend Leona¡¯s morning. Betty thoroughly cleaned my face with warm water. And after combing my messy hair hard, she gathered it together and tied it up. ¡°Pajamas¡­ I need to change my pajamas, too.¡± ¡°You can just wear your pajamas. After all, you will only be in the mansion today.¡± ¡°Ung.¡± Soon another maid came in and gently woke Leona. After washing my face, Leona and I went to play in the next room with Arsene and Cain. ¡°You know, are they still sleeping?¡± ¡°No~. They just woke up.¡± Betty knocked and opened Arsene¡¯s door. Arsene and Cain sat side by side on the bed, staring blankly into the air. Leona ran into the middle of the bed with a shout, ¡®Whoa!¡¯ ¡°Why are you both doing this?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m tired¡­.¡± ¡°What are you doing in the morning with no dignity¡ªhmph!¡± ¡°Phew, you¡¯ve been saying shameless things since this morning again.¡± Leona closed Cain¡¯s mouth. Hmph! Cain¡¯s mouth is blocked all of a sudden. He struggled as if he was suffocating and soon took Leona¡¯s hand off. And he gasped for breath. ¡°You, you¡­ huh? Don¡¯t keep doing this¡­ I¡¯m the heir to the snake clan. My Dad said I should act dignified¡­¡± Cain, who said so, seemed almost crying now. I sat down on the bed and separated between Leona and Cain so that she could no longer bother Cain. And. ¡°Arsene, are you feeling well?¡± Today, I looked at Arsene¡¯s condition, who was sitting with a particularly tired face. ¡°Ung. I¡¯m okay.¡± Fortunately, Arsene¡¯s health didn¡¯t seem to have a problem. ¡®So he¡¯s just more tired than usual because of Leon and Cain.¡¯ That¡¯s understandable. I nodded and looked at Cain and Leona, who was still fighting. But. ¡°Huh? Cain, did you sleep with gloves on?¡± Cain had been wearing small purple gloves since I first met him. It was a pretty glove made of leather, studded with jewels. When I point to the glove, Cain blushes in embarrassment and hides his hand behind his back. ¡°I, I slept with it on¡­¡± ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°He always wears gloves.¡± Leona looked at Cain as if she were fed up. Cain screamed in anger when he saw the gaze. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped! They said I should be careful if I want to control my abilities! Because my abilities are different from yours¡ª¡± Ah. It was only then that I remembered that Cain¡¯s ability is a deadly poison. ¡®Come to think of it, I¡¯ve heard before that Hezeth makes rigorous training for children¡¯s abilities.¡¯ Except for Raniero, the ability of the snake clan, Hezeth, is fatal to all other clans. Deborah was worried yesterday too. I remembered Hezeth¡¯s aide, who hurriedly came to pick up Cain yesterday and immediately asked Cain whether or not he was using his power. So, it seems that he sleeps with gloves on every day. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t have to wear it when I become an adult. That¡¯s what Dad said.¡± Cain said, fiddling with his gloves. I nodded. ¡°Yes, when you become an adult, you will be able to use your ability wonderfully without gloves.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± We sat on the bed and waited a long time for the maids to pick us up. But we didn¡¯t go out of the room. I stopped Leona from wanting to leave the room. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± When I peeked through the window earlier, there were a lot of Yeckhart¡¯s knights in the garden. When they first started out, there were definitely fewer knights. It looks like Kendrick summoned Yeckhart¡¯s knights last night. ¡®Well, it¡¯s an important matter.¡¯ Someone spread Giles¡¯s pollen in the mansion where the head of the wolf clan lives. ¡®But¡­ what is the Giles flower?¡¯ Kendrick said it¡¯s a flower that just eats a little and puts you to sleep, and a lot of it makes you lose your mind. ¡®But it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it.¡¯ If it¡¯s something like that, they would have told me about it when I was training at Raniero. ¡®Maybe I was young and didn¡¯t hear it?¡¯ But I had never heard of such a thing in my previous life. ¡®Maybe I forgot.¡¯ I felt uncomfortable, but I let it go. Then, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Betty opened the door slightly and said with a smile. ¡°Lady, Young Master, let¡¯s have a meal~¡± We moved to the dining room side by side with Betty. It took a long time to get Arsene to eat because he said he didn¡¯t want to because he had no appetite. ¡°Are you not going to eat? Then I¡¯ll have to eat your share!¡± With Leona¡¯s words, Arsene¡¯s rebellion was neatly put together. They prepared four small chairs around the table. ¡°What about Dad?¡± Betty answered Arsene¡¯s question while placing a napkin on my lap. ¡°The Lord is busy, so he¡¯ll eat later. Eat first!¡± And soon after, the dishes came out one after another. But. ¡°¡­Ung?¡± I tilted my head. It wasn¡¯t the taste I had ever eaten. Arsene also tilted his head. Because Arsene¡¯s soup was full of carrots. ¡®There¡¯s no way that Akim doesn¡¯t know Arsene doesn¡¯t like carrots, right?¡¯ The mansion was chaotic today, so it must have been a mistake. Fortunately, Leona and Cain grabbed a spoon and ate it deliciously. After I finished eating, I patted my stomach and led the children back to the room. It was a fact that I found out late that Akim had disappeared. * * * ¡°Kiiik¡ª!¡± The peregrine falcon flapped its wings and struggled on its legs. And. Pong¨C! ¡°Ugh¡­Damn it¡­¡± Soon, the transformation was released, and a man with brown hair and a ferocious appearance collapsed on the floor. Kendrick said, trampling his fingers on his shoes. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s finally released. Then let¡¯s talk, shall we?¡± ¡°Ha, talking about bringing the knights of a bird clan to this point without any justification? I have nothing to say! Arthur will not forgive you!¡± The knight, who still looked young, fought back with a scream. Kendrick stared down at the knight, then opened his mouth in trouble. ¡°I caught a flying animal floating in Yeckhart¡¯s airspace without permission, but there is no justification?¡± ¡°Sounds funny, it¡¯s obviously outside Yeckhart¡¯s airspace¡ª¡± ¡°Is there any way to prove it?¡± Kiik¡ª. There was a scratching sound from the chair Kendrick was sitting on. The candle fluttered, and a short shadow cast over Kendrick¡¯s face. ¡°There would be no way to prove it. Besides, I guess you guys don¡¯t know¡ª if you kill it like this, ask him and take him away pretending not to know, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°So please speak obediently. Did Arthur tell you to kidnap Linsy?¡± As the knights of the bird clan squirmed and flinched, the knights who had been standing behind Kendrick the whole time shuddered as if they were about to jump out at any moment. Kendrick stopped them single-handedly. ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Kendrick sat with his legs crossed and stared at the chained, struggling bird clan. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take Linsy with you?¡± They could have taken Linsy if they had wanted to. Kendrick had also eaten a small amount of Giles¡¯ pollen, and he was sleeping lightly. So it must have been a great opportunity. ¡°U, ugh¡­¡± Raniero¡¯s knight laughed. Then, he bit his tongue. ¡°¡­.?¡± The other knight also bit his tongue and slammed his head on the ground. The other knights quickly raised their heads but in vain. Blood was already flowing. ¡°¡­Mr Hern, no, should I call Lady Linsy¡­¡± Kendrick narrowed his brow. ¡°¡­Enough. I¡¯ll find out. They don¡¯t seem to want to talk anyway, so just let them die.¡± Linsy had used a considerable amount of her ability yesterday. But he can¡¯t make Linsy suffer one more time just to save those things. Kendrick left the dungeon disinterestedly. CH 77 ¡®Why is my ear so itchy?¡¯ I picked up my ears. My ears were itchy for no reason, as if someone was talking about me. I cleared my ears a few more times for no reason, then turned my gaze to Leona and Cain. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not going.¡± Leona said with a troubled face. The maids comforted Leona as if she was in trouble. ¡°Lady Leon, I¡¯m sure Fernando is worried. You have to go back to Sir Lamont.¡± ¡°Daddy would have liked it better without me¡­.¡± The maids made a fuss saying it wouldn¡¯t happen, but I saw. When Leona said she would play with me, Lamont¡¯s mouth blurred into a smile of freedom. Cain, on the other hand, wore nice clothes and had maids serve him. Arsene looked at the two conflicting children and whispered in my ear. ¡°Linsy, tell them not to come now.¡± Arsene doesn¡¯t seem to like Cain and Leona at all. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and whispered in Arsene¡¯s ear. ¡°Arsene¡­You don¡¯t talk like that to your friends.¡± Then, Kendrick slowly opened the door and entered. We both turned to Kendrick at the same time. ¡°Sir Kendrick!¡± ¡°Yes, the knights of the snake clan and Deborah has confirmed. You can go now, Cain. Yeckhart will soon officially apologize to the Hezeth family.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Cain spoke clearly. Kendrick smiled and stroked Cain¡¯s head. ¡°And the Lion clan¡­.¡± ¡°Uncle Kendrick¡­Can I not go back?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t cause any trouble, so if I stay calm¡­.¡± ¡°Leona, I¡¯m not sending you back because it¡¯s you. I¡¯m sending you because there¡¯s a problem with the Yeckhart mansion.¡± Kendrick scolded Leona sternly. Leona was the youngest daughter of Fernando, the head of the lion clan, and Cain was the only heir to Hezeth, the head of the snake clan. So, with security issues at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion, he couldn¡¯t have two children with him. Kendrick resolutely sent Leona and Cain back in the carriage. As the two children left, the Yeckhart mansion seemed to have become quieter. ¡°I hate them.¡± ¡°How can you hate your friend so much? You should be friendly.¡± ¡°But what can I do if I don¡¯t like it?¡± Arsene said firmly. And he squeezed my hand very tightly. I wrinkled my forehead slightly as Arsene held my hand tightly. ¡°Arsene, aren¡¯t you holding it too hard?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arsene has been trying to stick with me ever since yesterday. He showed signs of uneasiness if left even for a moment. ¡®He must be really shocked.¡¯ Well, all the servants went crazy and attacked, but that would be even stranger if he weren¡¯t very shocked. I stroked Arsene¡¯s fluffy hair. ¡°Linsy, try to transform.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± When I asked back, Arsene proudly pointed to his pocket and said. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you around.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I refused three times but finally gave in to Arsene¡¯s sparkling eyes. Pong¨C! As I stomped my feet in place, a cloud of light green smoke rose again. ¡°Chirp.¡± I saw Arsene¡¯s face and cried once, then quietly crawled into Arsene¡¯s pocket. Then Arsene looked a little bit relieved. I examined Arsene¡¯s face meticulously. If shifting my form stabilizes Arsene, I could have done it repeatedly. ¡°Chirp!¡± (Do you like it?) Arsene closed his mouth in satisfaction and nodded at me. * * * ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t find Akim?¡± ¡°Yes, both his old mother and younger sister are missing. But¡­¡± ¡°Say it.¡± Kendrick commanded in a calm voice. ¡°The villagers say that it has been several years since Akim¡¯s old mother and younger sister disappeared. They said Akim has been living alone.¡± ¡°Old mother and younger sister¡ªoh, didn¡¯t he say his sister was sick?¡± ¡°Yes, her sister is sick¡­ don¡¯t tell me?¡± Kendrick and Ethan thought the same thing at the same time and looked down. ¡°After telling him that they could heal his sister, they must have been able to persuade him.¡± Ethan nodded slowly, keeping his mouth shut. He has known for a long time that Akim cares a lot about his younger sister and his old mother. So, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to refuse treatment at Raniero if he had been offered it. And if it¡¯s been a few years¡ª. He couldn¡¯t have thought that Yeckhart would have Linsy Raniero, so the offer would have been sweeter. Kendrick sighed. ¡°Do a thorough investigation. Everything related to Raniero must be rooted out. In a situation where Ester have not yet been discovered ¡­it¡¯s bothering me.¡± Kendrick touched his forehead. Soon, he had to go tell the Pope about the current situation, but the more he thought about it, the more he grew irritated. It was strange to think that only one chef helplessly beat Yeckhart. Besides. ¡®Then why were the kids fine?¡¯ Kendrick himself didn¡¯t eat much, even so, the children should have fallen asleep as if they had eaten. Or, ¡®Linsy couldn¡¯t transform or lost her mind.¡¯ She should have. Linsy didn¡¯t lose her mind, and the other children also woke up quickly as the mansion became noisy. ¡®Is it because of Linsy?¡¯ Is it because they are the children who have been in contact with Linsy all along? Since Linsy has the healing ability to purify the Giles flower, there was a very high possibility. Kendrick thought for a while, then slowly raised his head. ¡°Did you dispose of Raniero¡¯s peregrine falcon?¡± ¡°Yes, the soldiers were buried well. But¡ª I have a question.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°When you captured them, were there only two of them?¡± ¡°There must have been more, but I don¡¯t know since I only captured two.¡± Kendrick said, recalling the memory of capturing a hawk alive using his power. A shadow that rose from the ground grabbed two falcons¡¯ wings. There is a high probability that the other falcons, startled by the movement, ran away. If Linsy¡¯s kidnapping had been planned and staged in the first place, there was no way they would have sent only two of them. There must have been at least one platoon of knights sent. However, unfortunately, only the two of them stood out. ¡®Then why¡­ wouldn¡¯t they kidnap her?¡¯ At that moment, Kendrick raised his eyebrows as if he remembered something. ¡°Did the plan go awry?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°They must have tried to put all the servants to sleep with Giles flowers. However, those who overdose lost their mind and went on a rampage.¡± Kendrick thought of the wild beasts fighting in the garden and inside the mansion, losing their mind. Wolf, lion, and snake. Nothing would be an easy opponent for a peregrine falcon. Wolves also have strong territorial and pack instincts, so they would have tried to drive other clans out of their territories when they were not in the right mind. It was for the same reason that the wolf, having lost their mind, tried to attack Linsy and Leona, leaving Arsene alone. ¡®The birds must have been torn to shreds the moment they entered.¡¯ At that time, Edan cautiously raised a question. ¡°Then¡­Why did they bother to use Giles flowers? They should have used some other sleeping pills.¡± ¡°It must be because there are many people who are not immune to Giles flowers, or.¡± Kendrick tapped the table with his fingers. ¡°They have other ulterior motives.¡± The Giles flower was an ancient extinct flower. They just want to show that the flower has reappeared now. ¡®To us¡­¡¯ Kendrick narrowed his eyes. * * * ¡°¡­What did she do?¡± Arthur Raniero asked with a dumbfounded expression. The eyebrows were raised as high as possible. ¡°Lady Linsy has healed hundreds of servants who have lost their mind by her power¡­.¡± ¡°The kid is only seven years old. But what did she do?¡± ¡°Healing hundreds of people with her power¡­.¡± Bang! Arthur Raniero banged his fist on the desk. ¡°You have to say something that makes sense! She¡¯s only seven years old. But what? Heal hundreds of people? Beasts who lost their mind? Raniero¡¯s powers can¡¯t heal beastmen who have lost their mind!¡± Raniero¡¯s knights looked at each other¡¯s faces with very unfair expressions. This conversation had been repeated for thirty minutes already. Every time the knights report, Arthur just spits out the words that can¡¯t be the case. ¡®But she did it.¡¯ One of the knights got these words up to his throat, but he decided to keep quiet for his own good. Arthur Raniero dropped his gaze in disbelief. ¡°By her power¡­what? No, and explain why the damn wolf mansions were transformed in the first place! Because they transformed¡­.¡± Originally, Raniero planned secretly kidnapping Linsy through the window after putting the servants to sleep. Once they take her to Raniero¡¯s territory, they can¡¯t take it back. To carry out this plan, he obtained sleeping pills made from goat horns, which are said to make someone sleep for a hundred years. But¡ª lost their minds? Besides. ¡®To think Linsy healed them all.¡¯ The gaze, which had been confused, as if the world had been lost, came back to life. ¡°You must bring her back unconditionally.¡± There is no case in the history of Raniero in which someone healed beastmen who lost their mind at the age of seven. So he had to bring Linsy back no matter what. ¡°First, catch that chef when he arrives and investigate.¡± CH 78 ¡°Giles flowers?¡± Lamont, who had barely put Leona to sleep, asked with a tired face. ¡°Giles flower, isn¡¯t it almost a myth? You¡¯ve been picking up the clouds since¡ª¡± (t/n: ???(?) ?? literally means catch clouds. But it means something like doing or seeking something unreal or false.) ¡°Even though all the users of Yeckhart were attacked by Giles flowers, you sat idle. I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s a lion¡¯s clan next.¡± Kendrick asked leisurely as he sipped his tea. Lamont, who had been smiling and shrugging his shoulders, asked with his eyes wide open as if he was serious. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes, half of the servants fell asleep and half lost their minds.¡± Kendrick said. ¡°You know, too. There are only three cases when a beastman loses their mind.¡± First, they lose control of themselves when they¡¯re into unbearable sadness or some other emotion. Second, if the Lord, the mental support of the beasts, loses his mind, the other beasts who followed him also lose their minds. Third, when they inhale pollen from the Giles flower. However, since Giles flowers were buried in history along with the land of Tamar a long time ago, it was only natural that Lamont would react this way. ¡°Do you know what you are talking about?¡± If the Giles Flowers really came back, and Raniero was involved in that. It wasn¡¯t something that other clans could ignore either. Lamont narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll talk about it at the temple soon, but I thought you should know, so I¡¯m here to talk about it in advance.¡± After Kendrick finished his sentence, he set the teacup down with a thud. ¡°And Leon¡­ she use her ability recklessly. You seem to have given the education the wrong way, Lamont.¡± Kendrick said softly. ¡°Leon?¡± The lion clan¡¯s ability, obedience. It was a secret within the Lion Clan that their ability only worked on those weaker than themselves. What Kendrick knew was Lamont¡¯s mistake. It was a fact that had been passed down for hundreds of years only in Fernando. Because the fact that their ability doesn¡¯t work on people who are stronger than them may reveal their weaknesses. So the Lion Clan forbade the children to use their abilities outside until they were strong enough. ¡°I told her not to use it like that¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll talk to her when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay, then I will go now¡ª¡± Knock, knock. The knocking sounded low in the quiet study. Lamont glanced at Kendrick as if asking for permission. Kendrick nodded, pointing in the direction of the door as an answer. ¡°Come in.¡± Kiik¡ª. The door opened, and Clemence, Fernando¡¯s hostess and Lamont¡¯s wife, with blue eyes and curly red hair in a ponytail, came in. Kendrick looked at her and greeted her casually. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Clemence.¡± Clemence, Kendrick, and Lamont were childhood friends who grew up together, and Clemence also knew Kendrick well. ¡°Kendrick, are you leaving already?¡± The wise-looking Lady blinked and asked. ¡°Yeah, now that we¡¯re done talking, I should go. The kids are waiting for me at the mansion.¡± Kendrick nodded. Clemence naturally stood next to her husband Lamont and said. ¡°You won¡¯t stay any longer. But thank you for taking care of Leon.¡± ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m worried that Leon will be surprised at the Yeckhart Mansion.¡± Kendrick wrinkled his face slightly, and Clemence laughed. ¡°Leon said she had a really good time. She always asks for it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He recalled how exhausted Arsene and Linsy were during Leona¡¯s stay and spoke bluntly. ¡°Don¡¯t let her stay again. Maybe because she looks exactly like Lamont, she¡¯s a good player at distracting anyone.¡± He also added that during Leona¡¯s stay, she ran tirelessly around the mansion like a lion cub. At Kendrick¡¯s words, the Fernando couple looked at each other and laugh. ¡°It¡¯s going to be more crazy than her older brothers, so I¡¯m already worried about her first transformation.¡± Lamont laughed and said. During the first transformation, children often failed to control their bodies and caused accidents. There were children who couldn¡¯t easily adapt to their bodies and cried, and there were also children who bit everything in the house. And Leona is¡ª. ¡®It must be the latter even if I don¡¯t see it.¡¯ At the time, he thought he should never let her into the mansion, and then he left the lion¡¯s mansion after leaving a short greeting. It was time to go back to Linsy and Arsene. *** ¡°The taste of the food seems to have changed, Arsene.¡± I poked the cooked carrot in front of me with a fork and said. Arsene tilted his head. ¡°It seems so¡­, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Then I must have felt it wrong. I just shrugged and ate my share of food again. The mansion was still busy cleaning up traces of that day. The torn wallpaper was reapplied, and the claw-marked sofas were replaced. Kendrick told Arsene and me to stay in the mansion until the problem was resolved. ¡®Then wouldn¡¯t it better to just go back to the main mansion?¡¯ ¡®I brought all the knights of the mansion here to solve this problem, so it¡¯s safe here for the time being.¡¯ Arsene and I quietly nodded at Kendrick¡¯s words. It was because we were all exhausted anyway and didn¡¯t want to go out any longer. But. ¡°Arsene, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­Ar¨Csene, are you listening?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± I looked at Arsene with my eyes wide open. Since that day, Arsene has often been absent-minded like that. ¡®Is there a problem?¡¯ Or was the shock of that day too great? Arsene shook his head and put the piece of bread into his mouth again. ¡®Uhm¡­¡¯ I narrowed my eyes and watched Arsene¡¯s actions for a while, then started eating again. After eating, Arsene barely said hello to me and went straight into his room. I entered my room, grabbed Betty, and asked. ¡°Betty, don¡¯t you think Arsene has gotten a little weird?¡± ¡°The Young Master?¡± Betty narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, then shook her head. ¡°I think he¡¯s okay¡­ Does the Young Master look sick?¡± ¡°Yeah. He doesn¡¯t talk to me well, barely eat, and¡­¡± I thought of Arsene, who kept begging me to transform. Only after he put me in his pocket as a bird did Arsene smile with relief. The situation is rather strange. Hmm, I puffed up both cheeks and pondered for a while. Then. ¡°Where are you going, Lady?¡± ¡°To Arsene!¡± I clenched my fist and knocked on the door of Arsene¡¯s room. ¡°Arsene!¡± ¡°¡­¡± But no answer came from inside the room. He doesn¡¯t even open the door. I couldn¡¯t wait for an answer and opened the door. Then. ¡°You surprise me! Linsy!¡± Arsene sat on the bed alone, playing with his hands, and raised his head sharply. I ran quickly and sat down on Arsene¡¯s bed. ¡°Arsene, what have you been doing¡ªah~.¡± I nodded when I saw the shadow wolf slightly poking out from behind Arsene. It seems that he was using his abilities alone. I put my mouth to Arsene¡¯s ear and whispered. ¡°But Sir Kendrick told you not to use superpowers during the festival¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because I¡¯m alone in the room. No, of course, you are here too¡­ I was alone until you came in.¡± Arsene, who spoke at length as if making excuses, pointed to the door and said. ¡°Go and lock the door.¡± ¡°Ung, wait¡ª huh?¡± As soon as Arsene¡¯s command was finished, the shadow wolf sitting on the bed suddenly jumped out. Then. ¡°Huh?¡± It was scattered in a shapeless shadow and floated in the air, but soon gathered black on the side of the doorknob. And. Click. After locking the door, it turned into a wolf again and ran and sat in front of Arsene. ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, just¡­I asked him to do something, and it asked for a snack.¡± Arsene stared blankly at the shadow wolf and said sullenly. ¡°So I ordered this and that, and it listened well.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really amazing. Really¡­it¡¯s so amazing.¡± I watched the shadow wolf wagging its tail in admiration. The shadow wolf was small, so it still looked like a puppy rather than a wolf. Arsene looked at the shadow wolf for a long time with a dissatisfied expression and then used his ability. Paat¡ª! ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°Arsene?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stop and sleep. Linsy, are you going to sleep here?¡± Arsene asked. I nodded with a puzzled expression. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s sleep together.¡± ¡°Then change your clothes and come¡­ Ah, never mind. Let¡¯s go to the door together.¡± Arsene jumped out of bed. I looked at Arsene¡¯s face for a long time with a puzzled expression and then nodded. CH 79 ¡°Did you find Kim?¡± Kendrick asked sharply. Degon answered yes and nodded briefly. ¡°He is currently being transported here.¡± ¡°Report where you found it.¡± ¡°He hid in a small village near wolf territory and bird territory. It seems like he didn¡¯t intend to stay long because he only paid for the room for two days.¡± ¡°He must have tried to leaving soon.¡± Unless Kendrick is an idiot, he can¡¯t not notice that Akim is the one who put Giles pollen on the food. Kendrick sighed. Now it was his turn to ask who had made Akim do this. ¡®Well, there¡¯s no need to ask.¡¯ On the day of the incident, two falcons from Raniero¡¯s order of knights, the Peregrine Falcon Knights, were caught near Yeckhart¡¯s second mansion. In addition, Raniero has wanted Linsy back for a long time, so if he asks, of course, it will be Raniero. The question was, where did Raniero get the Giles pollen? The Giles flower was a flower that became extinct along with it when the land of Tamar was cursed a long time ago. Because Giles flowers could only grow in the soil of Tamar¡¯s land. But. The fact that the flower appeared again¡ª ¡®The reappearance of that flower¡­Are you saying that there is a place where the curse has been lifted somewhere in the land of Tamar?¡¯ Kendrick narrowed his eyes. If that¡¯s the case, he might be able to find a way to break Arsene¡¯s curse. ¡°Report when Akim is transferred. You can go.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± It was time for Degon to greet him and leave the room. Someone lightly knocked on Kendrick¡¯s study door. ¡°Come in.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s brief command, the study door opened slowly. And. ¡°Arsene.¡± Kendrick opened and closed his eyes when he saw a familiar face standing on the threshold. ¡°Dagon, get out. Come in, Arsene.¡± Degon left the room, and Arsene approached with a determined expression and sat on the sofa. Kendrick told the maid to bring him a cup of cocoa, and then he sat across from Arsene. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°¡­I want to learn how to use my abilities.¡± After Arsene struggled to speak, he closed his lips tightly. ¡°Suddenly? You¡¯ll learn with Linsy when you go back to the main mansion.¡± ¡°¡­Now, I want to learn it now. My ability is too weak, so¡­.¡± Kendrick looked surprised at his son¡¯s sudden change of heart. ¡°It seems something happened, Arsene.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk over a cup of cocoa.¡± The maid served hot cocoa with marshmallows. Arsene took a sip of the cocoa, holding it in both hands and puffing. And for a long time, he closed his mouth and said nothing. Kendrick waited patiently for Arsene to speak first. Because pushing a child to talk when they don¡¯t want to won¡¯t help. Arsene wiggled his fingers and played with his hands for a while, then suddenly raised his head. ¡°I hate it because my ability is too weak. I want to learn how to use it.¡± ¡°If you learn gradually, you will become strong enough, Arsene. You don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry.¡± ¡°But¡­ With my abilities, I can¡¯t protect someone like Dad.¡± Protect? Arsene¡¯s words sparked interest in Kendrick¡¯s eyes. Kendrick touched his well-shaven chin with his hand, then opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s because of Linsy.¡± As Kendrick came to a clean conclusion, Arsene trembled. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­.¡± ¡°Is it because of what happened a few days ago?¡± At Kendrick¡¯s words, Arsene, who immediately blushed as if embarrassed, nodded his head. A few days ago, Akim fed Giles pollen to the mansion¡¯s servants. Linsy was almost seriously injured by the servants, who temporarily lost their minds while turning into a beast. If Kendrick hadn¡¯t arrived in time, the accident would have happened. ¡®And Arsene witnessed it up close.¡¯ He is a child who follows Linsy very well, but he has no idea how big of an effect it would have. When he returned to the mansion, he thought he would seek counseling through Hern. But he came here first. Arsene, who stared at Kendrick, had even his small ears dyed red. ¡°Ung, with just this ability. Because I can¡¯t protect Linsy.¡± Arsene opened his palms with a melancholy face. Black light shimmered faintly from Arsene¡¯s palm, and the surrounding shadows gathered and took the shape of a wolf. When the wolf saw Kendrick, it immediately laid down with its stomach open. ¡°Arsene, I told you not to use your ability during the festival.¡± ¡°¡­But, it¡¯s just the two of us in the study.¡± ¡°Yeah, but be careful outside. And¡­¡± Kendrick reached out to Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf. The little wolf saw Kendrick and waggled its tail, then came running and stood tall in front of Kendrick. Yeckhart had never heard of such a superpower in history. Even though Kendrick searched the records in the library where he kept his old books, he couldn¡¯t find them. ¡®An ability with ego.¡¯ If this ego had been an ego against its owner, it would have been a problem. ¡°Do you think it can listen to you well?¡± ¡°¡­It can bring what I ask to bring.¡± Arsene glared at the shadow wolf and dangled his leg. ¡°But I can¡¯t protect Linsy with this ability.¡± Arsene must have been very shocked by that day. Kendrick stared at Arsene¡¯s face and soon opened his mouth. ¡°Arsene, the doctors said you wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest your ability.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°But you have manifested your ability. Think of the moment you first used your abilities.¡± Arsene wrinkled his nose slightly. And he remembered the moment when he first used this ability. The day he ran around the mansion thinking that he should find Linsy when he heard that she was disappeared. Arsene summoned his ability for the first time. And. ¡®Find Linsy.¡¯ He earnestly asked for his own faintly sparkling ability. And Arsene¡¯s ability answered that prayer. He found Linsy. Arsene looked at the shadow wolf circling in front of Kendrick. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Arsene, as you grow up, your abilities will naturally become stronger, so don¡¯t think too impatiently. I¡¯ll teach you how to use your ability when we return to the mansion after this is over. And Arsene, you¡¯ve already found Linsy once.¡± Kendrick said. ¡°You already protect Linsy once. So please don¡¯t blame yourself too much for this, Arsene.¡± Arsene nodded his head slowly. And he gathers his power. Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf quickly dispersed into the air and disappeared. ¡°And Arsene, I guarantee you that when you grow up you will definitely be stronger than me.¡± Kendrick smiled lightly. Kendrick was the head of the family and is now considered to have the strongest ability in Yeckhart¡¯s history. Arsene raised an eyebrow, thinking that his father was making fun of him. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Kendrick smiled. And he beckoned Arsene to say goodbye. ¡°Don¡¯t use this ability as much as possible.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Arsene nodded firmly and left Kendrick¡¯s study. Kendrick stared blankly at the spot where Arsene had left. *** I told Betty about Arsene¡¯s strange behavior. Betty asked, widening her eyes in surprise. ¡°Did something like that happen?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s completely strange.¡± I nodded, leaving my hair in Betty¡¯s hand. But as I answered quickly, my eyes kept going back to the mirror in my hand. ¡®I don¡¯t have a red hair again, right?¡¯ Yesterday, I pulled out seven strands, but there¡¯s a lot of hair, so there may be red hair I don¡¯t know about. ¡®I threw away the ones I pulled up yesterday, right?¡¯ I glanced at the floor of the room. If possible, put the plucked hair in the trash as soon as possible, and if not, blow them out the window. ¡®Of course, I don¡¯t want to throw it out the window, but¡­¡¯ There are no wolves with red hair in the wolf clan, so if they find the hair, they will be suspicious. So, I usually put it in the trash can so that no one can see it. I looked Betty in the eye and hoped she wouldn¡¯t notice if I had red hair. Fortunately, Betty brushed my hair and tied it into two pigtails, as if nothing got caught. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done, Lady.¡± ¡°Ung, thank you.¡± After fiddling with my neatly tied hair for a while, I looked in the hand mirror. I could see the wheat-colored hair that was tied neatly. ¡®So, I have to tell Kendrick about the hair¡­¡¯ Serious things broke out one after another, and I kept missing the time to speak. ¡®I have to tell him soon.¡¯ Before the red hair grows more and is now difficult to pull out. Besides. ¡°Lady, it seems that you are losing a lot of hair these days.¡± Betty said concernedly as she fiddled with my hair. I haven¡¯t reached the age to shed my hair yet, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to shed it¡ª. ¡°Ung? Is that so?¡± I smiled awkwardly and fiddled with my hair. As much as my red hair was growing, my wheat-colored hair continued to fall out. If I continued like this, I would have been caught before I could even speak. ¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ Once this is all taken care of and I¡¯m legally married to Arsene, I have to tell Kendrick the truth. Red hair wasn¡¯t something I could hide even if I wanted to, so it was better to speak quickly and ask for forgiveness. ¡®Let¡¯s just say that I will make sure to treat Arsene.¡¯ I can¡¯t do anything about my hair, so I just have to do what I can. I looked into the hand mirror with a determined expression and nodded. CH 80 Akim was escorted to the prison in the basement of Yeckhart¡¯s villa that afternoon. His hands and ankles were tightly bound so that he could not escape. After hearing that they had put Akim in an underground prison, Kendrick went with the knights to the underground. Because he tried to run away when he was caught, Akim¡¯s face was swollen and beaten. Kendrick stared at Akim, who lay squirming in the dungeon without a glimmer of light. There was no light in the dark walls. ¡°Get up.¡± After Kendrick finished speaking, two knights grabbed Akim by the arms and straightened his collapsing back. Then he got down on his knees and looked up at Kendrick. ¡°¡­Akim.¡± ¡°¡­L, Lord. I, I really¡­.¡± Tears dripped from his swollen eyes. Kendrick sighed and opened his mouth slowly. ¡°Confess the truth from now on. Are you the one who put Giles pollen on all the food in the mansion?¡± ¡°Yes? G, Giles flowers. I¡¯ve never even heard of such a thing. S, so¡­ It¡¯s definitely a sleeping pill.¡± Akim trembled and stuttered. His face was pale. He looked up at Kendrick as he put his hands together, all of which had lost his fingernails. ¡°P, please spare me, Lord¡­ Please¡­ My sister, my sister is trapped in Raniero. So I can¡¯t help but listen, Ugh!¡± Akim cried and vomited blood. The internal injuries appear to be considerable. Kendrick narrowed his eyes and listened to Akim¡¯s words before speaking slowly. ¡°Your sister is in Raniero¡­ What did you give in exchange for treating your sister?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better say it properly, Akim. I tend to have no patience.¡± After Kendrick finished speaking, two soldiers pointed their swords directly at Akim¡¯s neck. Akim opened his mouth, raising his messy hair and tear-stained face. ¡°T, they ordered me to report the situation of the mansion once a week¡­.¡± ¡°How long has it been since you started reporting?¡± ¡°I, it has been about three years¡­ Please spare me, my Lord¡­ My sister is in Raniero. So¡­¡± ¡°Tell me the truth about what and how much you reported.¡± Akim trembled and confessed everything he had done in the Yeckhart family. He had previously reported Arsene¡¯s condition and the atmosphere inside Yeckhart, but he confessed that after Linsy came, he also reported Linsy¡¯s every move. He also said that the sleeping pills were delivered by an unknown blackbird the day before the banquet when everyone was busy. ¡°Where did you get it and keep it?¡± ¡°¡­In the basement storage¡­.¡± Ah. Kendrick slowly closed and opened his eyes as if realizing something. ¡®That¡¯s why the door was left open.¡¯ On the day of the banquet, Linsy entered the room where she was trapped by surprise. But there was something strange. ¡®Linsy hates the dark, so why did she fly into that room?¡¯ Kendrick narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before opening his mouth. ¡°Did you leave the lights on when you went into the storage room?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes¡­ It was dark inside, so I left the light on at the entrance. And when it came out, I turned it off¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Linsy flew in.¡± ¡°Oh, I really didn¡¯t see her go in! It was so dark and hectic, so I just locked the door and left!¡± Kendrick sighed. If Akim had worked in the Yeckhart mansion for a long time, he could have had the keys to the basement. Besides. ¡®You must have known that the warehouse had not been used for a long time.¡¯ It must have been a perfect place for Akim to hide something. Akim, who says he hasn¡¯t seen Linsy, has a really sad expression on his face. Kendrick didn¡¯t trust Akim¡¯s words, but he thought he might be true. ¡®Because Linsy is very small.¡¯ To the wolf clan, a baby bird as small as Linsy was a stranger. So, even in a bright place, it was often difficult to see when Linsy transformed into her bird form. It would have been even worse if it was in a dark place. Kendrick clicked his tongue. ¡°Call Ethan and ask the servants of this mansion to investigate the warehouse where Linsy was trapped.¡± On Kendrick¡¯s orders, the soldier left the underground. Kendrick stood up from his seat. ¡°For now, let¡¯s lock him up. The disposition will be decided after this is over.¡± ¡°P, please spare me, Lord! My sister, my sister is still in Raniero¡­!¡± Bang! The door to the underground slammed shut with a loud bang. Kendrick left Akim, who was almost crying, behind him. *** ¡°Degon.¡± When Kendrick called him, a big knight appeared out of nowhere and stood tall in front of Kendrick. ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°Keep your capture of Akim a secret.¡± Akim confessed that Raniero gave him ¡°sleeping pills¡± and ordered him to put them in Yeckhart¡¯s food. The problem was that there was no way to prove this story. ¡®To prove that Akim and Raniero are related.¡¯ He needs to find evidence that Akim¡¯s sister is, or has been, in Raniero. That way, he can prove the connection between Akim and Raniero. The problem is, ¡®If they knew that Akim was captured, Raniero would immediately try to kill Akim¡¯s younger sister.¡¯ No, maybe they had already killed her. It would have been a waste if she had already died. He can¡¯t reveal that Raniero was involved in this. On the day of the incident, he caught Arthur Raniero¡¯s direct knights, the Peregrine Falcon Knights, near the mansion. ¡®Tsk, they¡¯re all dead¡­¡¯ For no good reason, it was clear that Raniero would be caught if it was known that he had killed the Knights of Raniero straight away. The Peregrine Falcon Knights had been monitoring the area around Yeckhart¡¯s mansion, but there was no evidence that they had invaded the airspace. It would have been better not to create unnecessary trouble because Linsy was involved. So¡ª. ¡®First, I¡¯ll have to check if Akim¡¯s younger sister is in Raniero.¡¯ However, Kendrick couldn¡¯t step directly into the Raniero mansion. It¡¯s because of sacred relics. The clans that possessed the sacred relics were able to use the relics to form a barrier around the mansion, just like during the festival. Raniero would also have a barrier, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to step directly into the mansion without Arthur Raniero¡¯s permission. ¡®I¡¯ll have to send a messenger to Raniero.¡¯ There was no other way but to send a letter of everyday content and mix it with the messenger¡¯s shadow using his power. Of course, the distance could have been too much for Kendrick to handle. But. ¡®There¡¯s no way, so I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ The use of this ability wasn¡¯t known to other members of the clan. Knowing how to use it is tantamount to telling them how to prepare for this ability. So, the other clans didn¡¯t know how far Yeckhart¡¯s ability could be used. The fact that it is possible to spy with the shadow of the wolf clan by mixing the power. If he sent a messenger, Arthur Raniero would let the messenger step into the mansion just to get the letter. At that moment, it was the same as letting Kendrick ability to step through the barrier. Kendrick strode over and stepped into the study. Then he ordered the maid standing outside to call for Ethan. ¡°Ethan.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°I need to send a shadow letter to Raniero.¡± Ethan immediately understood what Kendrick meant. And. ¡°Yes, I will prepare.¡± He left the room with a short word that he would prepare. And not long after Ethan left, Knock, knock. ¡°Come in.¡± Betty opened the door to Kendrick¡¯s office and came in with a troubled look. *** Betty was tidying up Linsy¡¯s room while Linsy and Arsene went out to eat. When the visible areas were roughly cleaned, the other maids came in and meticulously cleaned the inconspicuous areas. Betty first cleaned up the things that had fallen on the floor and wiped the mirror clean. But. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± A strand of hair was stuck to the mirror. Betty carefully picked up the hair. Betty picked up her hair carefully. No matter how much she looked at it, it wasn¡¯t her own hair, but it wasn¡¯t even the hair of the Lady or Young Master. Because. ¡®It¡¯s red, right?¡¯ Because the hair was red. Betty squinted her eyes and looked at the hair in the sunlight. It was bright red. ¡°Why is this in the Lady¡¯s room¡­?¡± Betty covered her mouth. So, does that mean there was an intruder in the Lady¡¯s room? None of the wolf clans had red hair. Then. ¡®It means a different clan.¡¯ Betty wrapped the red hair carefully in a handkerchief. And she searched further around the room. Finally, Betty found several red hairs clumped together in a trash can. Betty¡¯s face went pale. ¡®There must be an intruder in the Lady¡¯s room.¡¯ Otherwise¡ª. Then. Betty noticed that the length of the hair was somehow familiar. It felt exactly the same length and thickness as Lady Linsy¡¯s hair, which she groomed every day. ¡®But, Lady Linsy¡¯s hair is wheat-colored?¡¯ Betty looked down at the hair with her puzzled eyes. ¡®Did the Lady happen to start molting? Did she change color because of molting? But Betty soon shook her head. ¡®She¡¯s only seven years old, what do you mean molting?¡¯ This was not something she should have jumped to conclusions about alone. She narrowed her brows and wrapped the hair in a handkerchief. And went straight down to report to Kendrick. CH 81 ¡°You found red hair?¡± ¡°Yes, red hairs were found in the Lady¡¯s room.¡± Betty showed Kendrick a strand of red hair wrapped in a handkerchief. Kendrick accepted it and looked at it for a long time, squinting his eyes. ¡°It was found in a mirror and in a trash can.¡± Betty thought it might be an intruder¡¯s hair and brought it. However, seeing that the hair was thin, it seemed like a young child¡¯s hair. He is also sensitive about Akim, but this doesn¡¯t seem to be hair from an intruder. Kendrick took out a possibility. ¡°Could it be Leon¡¯s hair?¡± ¡°Lady Leon¡¯s hair? But¡­ Lady Leon has orange curly hair.¡± After listening to Betty, Kendrick looked into the hair once more. Certainly, the hair Betty brought was too bright red to be called orange. ¡°¡­Then.¡± At that moment, a thought passed through Kendrick¡¯s mind. Linsy did transform into her bird form three years faster than her peers. While most children do their first transform and molt at the age of ten, Linsy does it at the age of seven. So maybe the molting started just as quickly. Kendrick asked Betty. ¡°Is there anything strange about Linsy?¡± ¡°There was nothing unusual¡­ah!¡± Betty opened her mouth slightly as if she had just remembered something. And she spoke carefully. ¡°When I brushed her hair, she always glanced at me, as if she was anxious. I thought it was because she didn¡¯t trust me enough to let me take care of her hair¡­.¡± Occasionally, when young beastmen shed their hair, their scalps became sensitive. If that was the case with Linsy, it was understandable that she was anxious when she was brushing her hair. ¡°Looks like Lynsey is molting.¡± Kendrick looked down at her red hair. But there was something strange. ¡®Raniero¡¯s children must be eagles.¡¯ It was known that eagles that are molting usually have brown feathers. Of course, not all those born into the family are born with the characteristics of the family. It was like that when he saw Leona Fernando right away. The Fernando family is a family of black lions with black hair and golden eyes, but Leona was born with orange hair. Like Leona, it was often possible to find cases where a child wasn¡¯t born with full family characteristics. However. ¡®If it¡¯s a red feather, it must be a symbol of a curse in the bird clan.¡¯ The same myth exists among several clans, as well as the bird clan. Kendrick murmured quietly as he looked at the red hair in his hand. Of course, it didn¡¯t matter whether Linsy¡¯s hair was red or brown in the wolf clan. But¡­ ¡°Even if I become ugly later, don¡¯t throw me away and protect me until I reach adulthood.¡± Why does it suddenly make him think of when he first met Linsy? She is a smart, wise, and brave child. She is like a child who knows something will happen to her. She asks to be protected and not abandoned. ¡®If that word was referring to molting¡­.¡¯ She might have been worried beforehand, thinking that having red hair was a curse not only to the bird clan but to ¡°all beastmen,¡± as she did when the wings came out. But¡ª. How does a child know the color of her future hair and say such a thing? Kendrick shook his head as if it were impossible. No matter how much Linsy acts like a kid who knows everything out of age, She wouldn¡¯t have any way of knowing what color she¡¯d be molting. Kendrick said, wrapping the hair in a handkerchief and putting it in his drawer. ¡°First, take a good look at Linsy. I think it¡¯s Linsy¡¯s hair.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord. But¡­ since she¡¯s still seven years old, is it possible to molting?¡± ¡°Since she can transform into bird form at the age of seven, it is possible to molting. Take a good look at it for now, and report it again if it¡¯s not Linsy. I¡¯ll tell them to tighten our guard for now.¡± Betty nodded slowly and left the study. ¡®Molting¡­¡¯ Very occasionally, some rare children were molted before the age of ten. And most of them, like Linsy, succeeded in transforming before the age of ten. Kendrick raised himself, thinking that he should also look carefully at Linsy¡¯s hair from now on. Because he had to prepare to send a gift to Raniero. *** ¡°Chirp!¡± I sat on Arsene¡¯s belly in my bird form and picked out the feathers. And. ¡°C, chirp.¡± When I noticed that there was one red feather, I looked it up and buried it among the other feathers. ¡°Why? Is something wrong?¡± Arsene asked. I tried to pretend to be calm and shook my head. ¡°Now the festival is two days away.¡± Arsene muttered, staring blankly out the window. ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± (Do you want to go to the festival?) I looked up at Arsene and tilted my head. Arsene shut his mouth and shook his head. ¡°It seems too dangerous outside. I won¡¯t be leaving for a while.¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± What¡¯s going on with him? Arsene grew up only inside the mansion, so she always wanted to go outside. But he says he won¡¯t go out for a while because it¡¯s dangerous outside? I flew up and landed on Arsene¡¯s forehead. ¡°Aww, Linsy!¡± Then I spread my wings wide and touched Arsene¡¯s forehead. ¡®He doesn¡¯t have a fever¡­.¡¯ If it were someone else, I would have injected my powers and checked whether he was sick or not. Because it was Arsene, I couldn¡¯t use my powers to see if he was sick. ¡°Chirp!¡± Arsene picked me up. Suddenly, I ended up hanging in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t come up recklessly.¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± I clench my beak and stomp my feet in the air. And. Pong¨C! Light green smoke quickly rose and filled the room. However, it was soon scattered into the air without a trace. I fell on Arsene¡¯s body, half lying on the sofa. ¡°But you¡¯re really weird. Aren¡¯t you sick? You must be hiding that you¡¯re sick, right?¡± I glared at Arsene with an unfair expression and shot at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t really feel sick, so what more do I need to say? It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Why do you keep saying weird things?¡± ¡°¡­Weird things?¡± ¡°No I mean, you said you don¡¯t want to go outside. There¡¯s no way you will be like that¡ª¡± At least, that¡¯s how Arsene I¡¯ve seen so far. Arsene tapped my skirt as if telling me to come down. ¡°What if you transform there¡­¡± ¡°But you lifted it up in the air.¡± I jumped down from Arsene¡¯s stomach with a sharp shot. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve been really weird lately.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah, Betty said you looked a little weird too.¡± I put my hand on my waist and said confidently. These days, he always asks me to transform into my bird form. When I transform, he didn¡¯t even let me go around and put me in his pocket. There were many times when he was absent-minded and fell into other thoughts, and conclusively¡ª. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re doing this just because I said I won¡¯t go outside, right?¡± Arsen raised his right eyebrow and asked in a speechless manner. ¡°Yes, of course!¡± I nodded proudly. Arsene isn¡¯t going outside? That¡¯s impossible. ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t go out¡­ It¡¯s dangerous outside.¡± Arsene murmured. I stared at Arsene. ¡°Did something happen outside?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s right. Truth be told, the inside of the mansion was more dangerous for you and me. Oh, not you, but to me.¡± Hehe, I said with a smile. In fact, Arsen has never experienced anything dangerous outside. Because I was the only one who saw anything dangerous outside. ¡°¡­You can¡¯t go outside though. It¡¯s safer inside the mansion than outside, so¡­¡± ¡°Arsene, what¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m already asking for the third time.¡± ¡°Nothing happened, fool.¡± Eventually, Arsene tapped my forehead. I rubbed my forehead where Arsene¡¯s hand had touched and glanced at Arsene. ¡°You have to tell me if you¡¯re hurt, okay? No, let¡¯s hold hands now.¡± I quickly grabbed Arsene¡¯s small hand before Arsene refused. ¡°Hey¨C! I didn¡¯t say I will hold you yet!¡± ¡°You, won¡¯t you hold hands with me?¡± ¡°No, of course it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, what is it? Think of it as treatment.¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and sat on the sofa, shaking my leg. Arsene wriggled his fingers as if he wanted to remove his hand, but then calmed down. ¡°And since we¡¯re married soon, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Marrieg¡­ when is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a marrieg, it¡¯s a marriage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Arsene pouts his lips. I looked straight at Arsene and then tilted my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. They said that the ceremony will be held as the temple handles it¡­ Is the processing delayed?¡± ¡°It could be because of the festival¡­ Chloe said that the temple is very busy during the festival.¡± Well, to organize a week-long festival, even ten bodies would not be enough. So, will Arsene and I get married after the festival? Then I will really be given the last name Yeckhart. ¡®Of course, I was officially recognized as a member of Yeckhart even now.¡¯ But I was still Linsy Raniero. Since I haven¡¯t gotten married to Arsene. But. ¡®If I have a wedding¡­ I¡¯m going to be Linsy Yeckhart.¡¯ When I murmured the name aloud, I felt a strange sense of freedom. I smiled broadly. CH 82 A subordinate was selected to go to Raniero to deliver Kendrick¡¯s words. Dien Horze. He was the one who usually acted as Kendrick¡¯s clerk. Dien bowed his head deeply. ¡°Dien Horze, greet the Lord.¡± ¡°Yeah, Dien.¡± Kendrick answered briefly, then tapped Dien¡¯s forehead with his finger. Then, black shadows gathered around Dien quietly. And. Without hesitation, the shadows began to enter Dien¡¯s shadow. ¡°You only have to deliver the letter and leave. You don¡¯t have to do anything else, so refrain from unnecessary actions.¡± Dien responded politely to Kendrick¡¯s words. Although Dien¡¯s shadow staggered little by little as if it were unstable, it soon found its place. Dien¡¯s shadow was initially a little larger than his own, but it was barely noticeable unless someone looked closely. ¡°Depart to arrive late in the afternoon. So that the shadows do not show through.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Kendrick made sure Dien¡¯s shadow listened to his commands one last time. As he drew a circle with his finger, the other shadows inside Dien¡¯s shadow scattered all over the place. Kendrick smiled with satisfaction, then turned his finger again and returned it to its original state. Then Dien and a few knights left the mansion. By the time Dien got there, the sun had set, and Kendrick¡¯s use of his ability wasn¡¯t visible in Dien¡¯s shadow. Raniero couldn¡¯t refuse Yekhart¡¯s letter, so he opened the door to Raniero¡¯s mansion. ¡°Please go this way and wait.¡± Mrs. Bellin, the maid of the Raniero Mansion, personally greeted the guests. She took the letter that Dien had brought to Arthur Raniero. And at that moment. Whoosh¡ª. Dien¡¯s shadow shimmered faintly, and soon black shadows escaped and scattered all over the Raniero Mansion. Dien confirmed that his shadow had returned to its original size and secretly let out a sigh of relief. Because the letter didn¡¯t say anything important, Dien had to leave Raniero immediately. Since the only plan was to send Dien to Raniero, it doesn¡¯t come as a surprise that the letter doesn¡¯t say much. Dien left the Raniero Mansion, and Kendrick¡¯s ability hid in the dark and looked everywhere in the Raniero Mansion. Kendrick, who was using this ability, broke out in a cold sweat while locking the study door in the second house of Yeckhart. It took a ridiculous amount of power to use this power in Raniero¡¯s main mansion in the bird clan¡¯s territory. However, Kendrick focused his mind and used his ability to scan all over the Raniero Mansion. ¡®It¡¯s nothing much.¡¯ In fact, Kendrick had already inspected the Raniero mansion in this way several times before, so he had already grasped the structure of the mansion. After looking around most of Arthur Raniero¡¯s room, Kendrick wrinkled his brow. ¡®There is nothing.¡¯ The outbuildings were the same. It is said that Akim¡¯s sister was fourteen this year, but the only fourteen-year-olds were Raniero¡¯s children. He carefully looked for the wolf family but couldn¡¯t find it. That moment. Paat¡ª! Kendrick¡¯s ability was shattered inside the Raniero Mansion by some force. Kendrick stared into the air with his brows narrowed. ¡°Is it because of the barrier¡­¡± Since the distance was absurdly far in the first place, he thought that the ability would only last for a while. But. ¡®I couldn¡¯t find anything.¡¯ The time was too short, and there was no result. Kendrick sighed. At this rate, Raniero would have tried to end this incident with what happened within the wolf clan. If so¡ª. ¡®The tips of the swords of the other clans also point towards the wolf clan.¡¯ If he can¡¯t prove Raniero¡¯s crime, it means that the Giles Flower is circulating inside the Wolf Clan. Then the other clans will think Giles flowers are spreading in the wolf clan¡¯s territory, right? They could have tried to station their troops in wolf territory under the pretext of uprooting Giles flowers. Of course, there was a way to fight and drive them out by force¡ª. ¡®It¡¯s impossible to fight all seven clans.¡¯ Excluding Lamont, the lion clan, there were seven members of the blessed clan with ability. Kendrick sighed. Tomorrow, the day before the festival was over, there was the last meeting of the heads of each clan at the temple. This meeting was held quietly inside the temple, not open to other beastman. He has to talk then. That the ¡®Giles Flower¡¯ had been rediscovered, and Yeckhart had been turned upside down by it. If he doesn¡¯t talk about it now, the other clans could hold the wolf clan responsible for any problems later caused by the Giles flower. It doesn¡¯t work. Kendrick strode toward the dungeon where Akim was imprisoned. ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡± Akim was groaning on the floor as if his leg, which had been injured earlier, was in pain. ¡°Stand up.¡± Kendrick said firmly. A soldier grabbed Akim by the shoulders and held him up. ¡°A, argh!¡± Akim screamed as if someone was pressing on his seriously injured leg, but the soldier didn¡¯t check on Akim. ¡°Akim, you lied.¡± ¡°Yes, yes? W, what do you mean¡­.¡± ¡°Your sister was not at the Raniero Mansion.¡± When Kendrick finished speaking, Akim¡¯s face collapsed in an instant. ¡°What? W, what do you mean? My sister is definitely in R, Raniero¡­.¡± ¡°I checked all of Raniero¡¯s mansions. There is no wolf clan in it.¡± Something resembling a scream echoed from Akim¡¯s neck. Akim shed tears. ¡°How, how could that be¡­.¡± Akim touched his face, which was very messed up, with both hands. On his hand, the traces of the rope that had been tied when he was first caught were still intact. ¡°He said he would treat my sister with lung disease. He said she would get better soon if she was treated at Raniero, but she hasn¡¯t gotten better for years¡­.¡± Akim stuttered and looked like he was about to cry. ¡°T, that can¡¯t be true. My sister definitely went to Raniero. It¡¯s true, I¡¯m telling you. Please use the commandments, Lord Kendrick¡­.¡± Kendrick shook his head slowly. Because commandments can constrain behavior, but it can¡¯t directly make something happen. Not only is it impossible to tell the truth. ¡®I used too much power.¡¯ Kendrick was a bit drained from examining the Raniero mansion. Even stranger was if it wasn¡¯t that hard to inspect another clan¡¯s territory. Kendrick narrowed his eyes as he listened to Akim. ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s lying.¡¯ However, Akim¡¯s sister couldn¡¯t be found anywhere in Raniero¡¯s mansion. So, has she been taken somewhere else already¡ª? Or, as was feared, they might have killed her already. ¡®I¡¯ll have to think again about how to find Akim¡¯s sister.¡¯ As Kendrick took a step back, Akim gave him a look as if the world had collapsed. ¡°L, Lord!¡± Kendrick left prison ignoring Akim¡¯s anxious call. The soldiers slammed the prison door shut. *** ¡°Temple?¡± ¡°Yes, the festival ends tomorrow. So today there is a meeting of the heads of the temple, and the Lord said that he would take the Lady and the Young Master too.¡± Betty tied my hair up while talking. But¡­ ¡®I think she tying to tied it for too long.¡¯ Betty usually finished my hair quickly. But this time, I was getting my hair done for a long time to the point of getting bored. In addition. ¡°¡­Betty?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, Lady~¡± She used a brush to comb through my hair and really looked at it. Feeling uneasy, I held the hand mirror tightly in my hand and glanced behind me. Betty fiddled with my hair for a long time, then tied it back into two pigtails. ¡°Do you like it, Lady?¡± ¡°Ung, I like it.¡± Betty put a pretty pink dress on me and put a little mini hat on top of his head. ¡°Now, be careful not to mess up your hair.¡± ¡°U, ung. Okay.¡± I nodded and headed straight to Arsene¡¯s room. Arsene had changed all his clothes and used his ability in his room. A small shadow wolf let out a long howl and came out of somewhere with a biscuit. ¡°H, huh? How did you do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing, this worked too.¡± Arsene shrugged his shoulders as he accepted the biscuit the shadow wolf had picked up. And handed me a biscuit. ¡°Are you going out on the streets today?¡± ¡°Street? Uhm¡­ Do you want to go out?¡± At my question, Arsene shook his head. Hehe, I replied with a smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s not go out. We can just not go.¡± ¡°You can go out if you want to¡­ because it¡¯s dangerous¡­¡± As Arsene hesitated, the shadow wolf curled up his tail and let his head hang down as if he was uneasy. I looked at Arsene while checking the condition of the shadow wolf. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go out. I¡¯m telling you, all I need is you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°All I need is you.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and said, and Arsene¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t say things like that carelessly.¡± ¡°Ung?¡± What do you say? Just as I was about to ask, there was a knock that could be heard all over the room. We turned our heads at the same time. CH 83 Kendrick strode in. I nodded and bowed to Kendrick. ¡°Do you have a good dream, Kendrick!¡± ¡°Yes, Linsy. I¡¯m glad you slept well.¡± Kendrick placed a large hand on top of my head and stroked it gently. After that, he looked at Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf and spoke sternly to Arsene. ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you not to use your ability until we return to the mansion.¡± ¡°¡­but I was using it by myself with curtains closed and doors closed.¡± As Arsene grumbled, Kendrick let out a small sigh. ¡°Arsene, don¡¯t be too impatient. Soon¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t talk about it!¡± Arsene jumped up and clung to Kendrick¡¯s waist. Kendrick gave a meaningful laugh. I looked at the two and asked. ¡°What do you mean impatient?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, since Arsene seems to hate it.¡± Arsene nodded steadily and puffed out his cheeks. I nodded as well. Kendrick took Arsene and me to a carriage he had prepared. As soon as we were all in the carriage, the coachman slowly moved the horse forward. I heard the sound of horseshoes kicking off the ground for a while, and soon we arrived at the temple entrance. Today, the temple¡¯s depths were open to general beastmen, so it was crowded with beastmen. I gulped at the sight of the huge crowd. And it was the same with Arsene. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t get mixed up with them.¡± The carriage went deep into the temple. After entering to some extent, the Paladins of the temple stopped the carriage for a while and checked the people inside the carriage. They let the carriage go after confirming that it was only me, Arsene, and Kendrick inside. ¡°Where is this?¡± When I first came to the temple, I had never been to a place like this. ¡°It is a place used only once a year when there is a meeting of heads.¡± According to Kendrick, it only opens once a year. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s why.¡¯ That¡¯s why Kendrick brought Arsene and me. He seemed to take me to places I hadn¡¯t been to before. The carriage went deep into the temple, and soon the horse stopped. An escort knight opened the carriage door and lowered the footrests so we could get out comfortably. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get off.¡± Kendrick lifted me up and put me down before I even stepped onto the footrest. Arsene jumped off the ground before Kendrick lowered him in the same way. ¡°Arsene, you¡¯ll get hurt.¡± Kendrick gave him a light scolding, but Arsene acted like he didn¡¯t hear. I naturally grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand. I could feel Arsene holding my hand too. ¡®We¡¯re really good at holding hands now.¡¯ At first, he freaked out when my hand touched him, but now, even when I hugged him, he didn¡¯t push me away. Of course, he has a grumpy face, but¡ª. I looked up at the building of the temple. An enormously large figure of the God of Knut was carved into it. God of Knut had the appearance of a benevolent woman. I followed Kendrick eagerly, looking around at the enormous structures. ¡°Lady, Young Master. Please this way.¡± At that time, two female priests appeared and smiled at Arsene and me. Looking up at Kendrick, Kendrick nodded as if to follow them. ¡°If anything happens, shout right away. There are no escort knights, but¡­ you don¡¯t have to run. Do you understand, Linsy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I pressed my lips together and nodded hard. ¡°Arsene, take good care of Linsy. Don¡¯t use your abilities.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I felt Arsene gripping my hand tighter even as he grumbled, so I smiled. And we followed the priests. On the first day of the festival, just like when we visited the temple, there was a room where successors gathered. This time, the difference was that there were successors from other clans besides the blessed ones. Of course, Gale was included. ¡®Phew.¡¯ I sighed again at the thought of meeting Gale¡¯s face. ¡°You can take a rest.¡± The priest escorted me and Arsene to the room and hurriedly left. Like a small banquet, refreshments were prepared everywhere for children to eat comfortably. There were even priests who walked around and poured juice. However, Arsene and I were unfamiliar with them, so we sat in the corner without thinking about mingling with them. ¡°Arsene, there are so many acquaintances here.¡± I whispered in Arsene¡¯s ear, and Arsene slowly nodded his head. ¡°Ung, a lot.¡± Arsene¡¯s face stiffened a little when he said that, so I cupped Arsene¡¯s cheeks with both hands. ¡°¡­.!¡± ¡°Arsene, are you nervous?¡± ¡°N, no, who¡¯s nervous¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here.¡± I proudly pointed my thumb at him and smiled. To be honest, I was still afraid of strangers, but that was enough to calm Arsene. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m here too!¡± Then, a familiar voice came from behind Arsene. ¡°Leon?¡± It was Leona Fernando, a child with a ponytail of curly orange hair. Cain was standing next to her, looking like he had been hit because his clothes were all messed up. I looked at Cain in surprise. ¡°You, who hit you?¡± Cain glanced at Leona. Apparently, the two of them had a disagreement and fought before they came. Leona frowned and glared at Cain. ¡°You said something unpleasant first!¡± ¡°Ssh, Leon. It¡¯s too loud.¡± I put my finger to Leona¡¯s mouth, looking out for the other successors. Then I looked at the spot where Cain said he¡¯d been hit. Fortunately, there were no injuries, so Leona seemed to hit him gently. Then. ¡°Linsy Raniero.¡± A voice I didn¡¯t really want to hear echoed from behind me. I slowly turned my head. *** ¡°What do you mean Giles flowers?¡± The head of the bear clan jumped up and said, unable to calm down his excitement. ¡°Sit down, Desmond.¡± The head of the dog clan calmed Desmond, the head of the bear clan. The heads of each clan began to say one word at a time. Of course, Lamont, who had heard the story beforehand, kept his mouth shut and said nothing. ¡°Giles flowers, that can¡¯t still exist, Kendrick. Aren¡¯t you dreaming?¡± It was the head of both clans who carefully questioned Kendrick. Kendrick shook his head. ¡°Half of the people who came to Yeckhardt¡¯s second residence lost their minds and went wild. Half of them were asleep. There is only one herb that makes you fall asleep if you take a little and lose your senses if you take too much. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Giles flower.¡± The heads of each clan talked in unison. There was a moment of silence in the dining room. ¡°What do you mean Giles flower? There will be a big mess coming, Kendrick Yeckhart. Did you find out where the pollen was distributed?¡± The head of the fox clan asked. ¡°Besides, how do you cure¡­ those who have eaten Giles flowers in the wolf clan? There is no known cure for those who have eaten Giles flowers. Have you beheaded all the servants of the mansion?¡± At the fox clan¡¯s question, Arthur Raniero slowly opened and closed his eyes. When the Giles flower existed in ancient times, there was no way to detoxify the flower, so the only way was to kill and bury the beastman who had lost their mind. It was for this reason that the faces of the other clans turned pale. Because in ancient times, half of the dog clan died due to the distribution of Giles flowers. Such tragedies may be repeated again. The heads of other clans stared at Kendrick. And. ¡®He knows it.¡¯ Kendrick was convinced by Arthur Raniero¡¯s reaction. That he knew that it was his daughter, Linsy Raniero, who took care of this situation. Arthur must have been nervous now. If it turns out that Linsy was the one who detoxified the Giles flower, the other clans may be targeting Linsy as well. Raniero¡¯s chances of getting Linsy back are getting slimmer. Even now, there is probably not much chance of getting her back from the wolf. But here, to say that Linsy had cured them is the same as putting Linsy in danger, so Kendrick said slowly. ¡°Those who completely lost their minds were killed and buried. But more than half of them got their minds back when it stopped working.¡± ¡°¡­Got their minds back? If it¡¯s really a Giles flower, that¡¯s impossible, Kendrick.¡± Desmond of the Bear Clan once again stepped forward. He slammed the dinner table with his huge fist and said. ¡°Giles flowers do not heal naturally! Aren¡¯t you confused with something else?¡± ¡°I know that there is no natural healing. But I¡¯m just saying what I saw with my own eyes. If it sounds like a lie, you can ask Yeckhart¡¯s servants.¡± Kendrick¡¯s sharp eyes turned to Desmond. ¡°Even though there are doubts, the fact that Giles¡¯ flower is the only herb that makes beastman lose their mind is unchanged.¡± The head of the Fox clan, who was listening to Kendrick silently, put down his knife and asked. ¡°Did you find the culprit who used the Giles flower?¡± CH 84 ¡°We caught the criminal, but we couldn¡¯t find out where he got it.¡± ¡°You caught the culprit and couldn¡¯t find out where the flowers came from? Kendrick, are you kidding me?¡± Desmond opened his eyes and questioned. ¡°Does that make sense? Then how can you be sure it¡¯s a Giles flower? As Desmond said, it could be another herb.¡± Kendrick let out a sigh, then spoke again as if chewing. ¡°It seems like I¡¯ve already said the third time that the only herb that makes you lose your mind is Giles flowers, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m asking for your cooperation because of that difficulty. Where did Giles flowers come from and why are they different from what we know?¡± Kendrick paused for a moment, then continued. ¡°It may have gone extinct and then revived, weakening its effectiveness. If anything else has changed, we need to find out. If the Giles Flower spreads, there will be a disaster, so we need to be safe before that.¡± Then, the dog clan, who had been quiet the whole time, intervened. ¡°I heard that Fernando and Hezeth¡¯s children were caught up in the incident, is it true?¡± Lamont, the head of the Lion Clan, and Creighton, the head of the Snake Clan, looked at the head of the Dog Clan at the same time. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± ¡°I asked if it was true.¡± At the words of the head of the dog clan, the eyes of everyone at the dinner table turned to Lamont and Creighton. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. However, the children were asleep and there was no collateral damage.¡± The head of the Dog Clan nodded. Kendrick stopped eating, and slowly looked around the dinner table, and said, ¡°The resurrection of the Giles flower is a great disaster. We must stop it before it becomes a bigger disaster. So, I ask for the cooperation of each clan.¡± ¡°We should clean up the wolf clan too.¡± The head of the Rat Clan said sarcastically. They were members of an unblessed clan and usually could not even extend their paws to Yekhart. The other heads turned their eyes to him. The head of the Rat Clan opened his mouth with a frown. ¡°Did I say something wrong? The culprit is also a wolf clan, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kendrick agreed. ¡°Yes, the Wolf Clan. Yeckhart¡¯s chef. He claims that what he put in his food was indeed sleeping pills. The man who gave him the medicine only said it was sleeping pills.¡± ¡°Who gave him the medicine?¡± ¡°The culprit said it was Raniero, is that true? Arthur Raniero.¡± Raniero burst into laughter. ¡°Raniero? Bring me the evidence, Kendrick. Are you going to drive Raniero without proof again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because there¡¯s no evidence, Arthur Raniero. If there was evidence, you wouldn¡¯t be eating here.¡± When Kendrick growled, the head of the two clans intervened. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and find out. And the people whose land borders Tamar¡¯s land had better send out more soldiers.¡± Creighton said as he cut the meat. At that, Kendrick and Lamont nodded simultaneously. Tamar¡¯s territory was bordered by only two tribes, the wolf clan, and the lion clan. ¡°And, since we have to investigate the Giles flower, I want to send an investigation team to Yeckhart.¡± As the dinner drew closer, Arthur wiped his mouth with a napkin. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you find out about the Giles flower in the territory of the bird clan?¡± This is what was already expected. Kendrick smiled and nodded his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. The culprits prepared plenty of pollen, so there was some left over. I brought it in small pieces to help you investigate, so take them one by one as you return.¡± Yeckhart¡¯s servants, who had listened to Akim¡¯s words, discovered it by examining the warehouse of the main mansion. However, it was impossible to check whether it was Giles¡¯s pollen. It would be embarrassing if, after recklessly experimenting, the experimented beastmen loses his mind. At Kendrick¡¯s words, Arthur Raniero¡¯s face crumpled for a moment. However, Arthur quickly suppressed his emotions. ¡°Beasts who have lost their minds will appear near the place where Giles pollen blows. According to the records¡­ they can grow without sunlight, so if you feel something strange, it would be good to check out places like caves as well.¡± The heads of other clans nodded as if they had accepted Kendrick¡¯s words. It¡¯s been a long time since they had such a peaceful dinner. Usually, they were busy biting and biting each other, but this time¡­ ¡®Giles flower.¡¯ Because of the catastrophe in front of their eyes, they didn¡¯t have time to point their sharp teeth at each other. That¡¯s how the dinner ended. The heads of each clan agreed to report immediately to the temple and deliver it to each clan if there was any sign of suspicion. And¡ª. ¡°Have you decided on the punishment of the criminal?¡± ¡°I will punish him according to the law of the wolf clan. Don¡¯t mind that part.¡± After Kendrick answered firmly, he stood up from his seat. ***** ¡°¡­Gale? Why? What brings you here to me?¡± I took a step back reflexively. Arsene, Leona, and Cain surrounded me and were wary of Gale for no reason. Gale looked at it and snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not even the successor, where are you here?¡± And as if trying to squeeze me, he strode closer. I closed my eyes reflexively. ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± Then Arsene snapped Gale¡¯s hand. ¡°Ha, this little thing.¡± Gale glared at Arsene, but since Arsene was Yeckhart¡¯s successor, he couldn¡¯t touch Arsene carelessly. Fortunately, the priests came in at just the right time. The priests informed us that we would have lunch with them at a banquet hall. ¡®Together with Gale?¡¯ I¡¯m going to have an upset stomach¡ª I stared at Gale¡¯s chubby face and thought to myself. Anyone other than me would get sick of eating with greedy Gail. At that time, Arsene held my hand tightly. As if it was comforting me that it was okay, I held Arsene¡¯s hand tight. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re lucky. You, just come back to Raniero.¡± After making a lot of threats, Gale headed to the banquet hall with the other heirs, including the Rat Clan and the Cat Clan. I moved with Leona, Cain, and Arsene long after Gale left. ¡°Linsy, Linsy. Are you not on good terms with your brother?¡± ¡°Ung, it¡¯s not good.¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Really? But why does he keep coming to you? When I saw it earlier, he was only looking at you¡­.¡± Well, I don¡¯t like that I went to the Wolf Clan. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t like it.¡± As we talked quietly, Leona widened her eyes. ¡°You say that for just that reason? Your brother is¡­ really¡­¡± Leona thought for a moment, closing her eyes tightly as if she couldn¡¯t find the right words for her. ¡°Are you saying that because you want to say that he¡¯s completely narrow-minded?¡± ¡°Right! Linsy, you are really smart!¡± While talking, we arrived at the banquet hall. Seats for children under the age of ten had cushions on the chairs. Fortunately, Leona and Arsene¡¯s seats were next to each other, and Gale¡¯s seat was at the far end. I tried to ignore Gale¡¯s gaze and put the food in my mouth. ¡°Linsy, he keeps glaring at me. Should I ask him to bite him?¡± Then Arsene stopped chewing the meat and leaned over to ask me. I opened my eyes wide and asked again. ¡°Bite?¡± ¡°Ung, let¡¯s have the shadow wolf do it.¡± Arsene spread his palms as if to use his power. I quickly clasped Arsene¡¯s palm. Because of that wind. Clank! The forks and knives I had set down made a loud noise as they fell to the floor. ¡°Eat politely, vulgar.¡± At that time, the eldest heir of the bear clan looked at me and said. I lowered my head, blushing. And for a moment, I thought about whether to speak formally or comfortably. Then, I suddenly remembered what Kendrick had told me. ¡°Linsy, since you are a member of Yeckhart, you must not lower yourself in public.¡± I reflected on those words and carefully handed over my apology. ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then the bear clan¡¯s successor took his eyes back from me. I put my mouth to Arsene¡¯s ear only after everyone¡¯s eyes moved away from me and Arsene. ¡°Arsene! Sir Kendrick told you never to use your ability!¡± ¡°But he keeps glaring at you.¡± Arsene glared at Gale. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°You can¡¯t be anxious. Give me your right hand. Eat the food with me.¡± I¡¯m right-handed, and Arsene is also right-handed, so I¡¯m in an awkward position. ¡®Because it¡¯s better than having Arsene use his ability.¡¯ Ung, it¡¯s totally fine. Fortunately, the other heirs didn¡¯t have questions about us eating hand in hand. ¡°Are you already holding hands and eating because you¡¯re a married couple? Whoo-hoo.¡± There were also those who laughed as if we were so cute, I nodded roughly and squeezed Arsene¡¯s hand to prevent him from using his power. It was because Arsene and I were still young, so we couldn¡¯t use our powers without spreading our palms. ¡°Linsy, try this.¡± Leona pointed to the fruit salad in front of her and said. She had a meal with me at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion the other day, and she seems to have even figured out my taste. After saying thank you, I put a handful of salad on a plate and ate it. Fortunately, the dinner ended peacefully(?). Of course, Gale did pick a fight with me from afar¡ª. The distance was too far, and I couldn¡¯t hear properly because of the chatter of the other heirs sitting in the middle. It was a good thing for me. After dinner, the adults came to pick up the children one by one. Leona and Cain also disappeared, led by their fathers. The last to appear was, of course, Kendrick. ¡°Sir Kendrick!¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Arsene and I got up from our seats as soon as we saw Kendrick. ¡°Until when will I be Sir Kendrick¡ªno, you won¡¯t be able to call me that soon, anyway.¡± After Kendrick spit out something I didn¡¯t understand, he held Arsene and my hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ung? CH 85 ¡°Kendrick, where are we going?¡± I walked after Kendrick, looked up at him and asked. ¡°To see the Pope.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± When Kendrick answered, Arsene and I both opened our eyes wide and looked up at him at the same time. ¡°W, who?¡± ¡°Because His Holiness the Pope did not keep his promise.¡± ¡°¡­Promise?¡± ¡°Yeah, you will find out in a while.¡± Kendrick¡¯s face when he said that looked pretty angry, so Arsene and I just looked at each other without saying anything. ¡®Do you know what the promise is?¡¯ Arsene looked at me and talked to me with his mouth. I shrugged and answered. ¡®I don¡¯t know either¡­.¡¯ What promises do the Pope and Sir Kendrick make? I rolled my eyes and thought about it, but nothing came to mind. Three high-ranking priests led Kendrick, Arsene, and me to a certain building. As expected, it was where two huge stone statues of the God of Knut were erected. Numerous priests caught my eye as I held Kendrick¡¯s hand tightly and moved my steps. ¡®There¡¯s a lot¡­.¡¯ Is it because it¡¯s where the Pope stays? I could feel the paladins and priests glancing at us. Then. ¡°Sir Kendrick!¡± From afar, the High Priest quickly approached with a white robe fluttering. Arsene and I naturally turned our attention to the High Priest. ¡°Kendrick! Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯ll solve it soon? Until now, the temple has been chaotic due to the health problems of His Holiness¡­.¡± ¡°The last time I sent a letter to the temple, I got the same answer.¡± Kendrick said bluntly. ¡°Before that, you kept telling me to wait, but I just happened to visit the temple during this festival, so you can solve it then. You told me. The High Priest told me himself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ The temple is busy with festival work¡­.¡± Kendrick sighed. A low-pitched voice reprimanded the High Priest slowly. ¡°How long are you going to keep delaying it? I remember that it was the High Priest himself who permitted the arranged marriage between Linsy and Arsene.¡± Ah. ¡®It must have been a marriage problem.¡¯ In the case of an arranged marriage between two clans, the marriage took place only when a marriage license was written at the temple. But. ¡®I was wondering why you didn¡¯t write the papers¡­.¡¯ It¡¯s been a while since the marriage was decided, but Kendrick hasn¡¯t said anything, so I was curious. However, it seems that the temple was delaying the marriage license. Kendrick went to see the Pope because he couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore. When Kendrick turned around, saying that he had to see the Pope immediately, the High Priest hurriedly stopped Kendrick. ¡°His Holiness is not feeling well and is resting. I¡¯ll take care of it now, so please come this way.¡± The High Priest wiped the cold sweat with a handkerchief. Kendrick took Arsene¡¯s hand and mine and tilted his head slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes? yes!¡± I answered quickly and hurried away, still holding Kendrick¡¯s hand tightly. As expected, Arsene was the same. Arsene nodded his head a couple of times, then took Kendrick¡¯s hand and moved on. The place where the High Priest took us was his own room where he usually works. When I left the building where the Pope was staying, I walked a long way past the dining room until I found the High Priest¡¯s office. The High Priest invited us to sit on the sofa and asked the probationary priest to bring some tea and refreshments. ¡°Sit down, Linsy. Arsene, you sit here.¡± Kendrick gave me a seat facing Arsene, and he sat next to Arsene. The High Priest left the room to wait for a while and soon returned with a document. Soon after, the probationary priest brought out the tea. Kendrick was served tea with bluish petals, and we were given tea with pink petals. When I tilted my head because it was my first time seeing it, Kendrick tapped the teacup as if to help me understand. ¡°This is a tea that can only be drunk at the temple. It will be made with flowers grown under the blessing of God Knut.¡± I grabbed the cup with both hands and drank it warm when I was told to. The delicate floral scent drifted in my mouth and then went down quickly. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bad.¡± Arsene said with a frown as he sipped some flower tea with me. At that time, the High Priest held the documents and sat next to me. ¡°You can sign here.¡± In the document handed over by the High Priest, it was written in neat handwriting that Linsy Raniero of the Bird Clan and Arsene Yeckhart of the Wolf Clan were to be married under the blessing of the God Knut. Below that was a place to stamp the Pope¡¯s seal. On the bottom. ¡®There are two spaces?¡¯ There were two spaces for me to sign and for Arsene to sign. ¡°You can do just one space.¡± The High Priest held out the blue ink to Arsene and said. Arsene didn¡¯t know what the High Priest¡¯s words meant, so he kept his eyes wide open. ¡°Come here, Arsene.¡± Kendrick carefully rolled up Arsene¡¯s sleeves and smeared blue ink on his little thumb. And. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± When Arsene put his finger in the document to sign it, the document lit up with a blue light right away. ¡®This is Knut¡¯s oath.¡¯ I had heard of it before. It is said that borrowing the protection of the God Knut through the temple and signing a contract is called the God Knut¡¯s oath. And¡ª. ¡®I said that it could never be broken until the effect expires without a special reason.¡¯ However, since we were a marriage of convenience and married at a young age, the period was specified in the documents. This means that the contract will remain in effect until they reach the age of majority, after which the parties decide on the maintenance of the contract. Kendrick held out the blue ink to me as well. ¡°I will help you.¡± The High Priest sat the whole time with an uncomfortable expression somewhere and then held my hand lightly. With help from the High Priest, I put a lot of blue ink on my finger and made a thumbprint on the paper. Good. ¡°¡­.!¡± The papers once again flared up in blue. ¡°I heard that Lady Linsy can transform into your bird form, is that true?¡± The high priest looked at the documents blankly, then asked me. I nodded. ¡°Yes, transforming is possible.¡± ¡°Then you have to take it in your bird form. Young Master Arsene, you can take it when transforming is possible.¡± I nodded at the High Priest¡¯s words and immediately stamped my feet lightly. Then. Pong¨C! The vision of the High Priest, Arsene, and Kendrick was covered by a light green smoke that rose up from the ground. I quickly turned into a small bird and landed on the sofa. ¡°Chirp!¡± After shouting out loud once, I flew up and landed on the desk. But¡ª. ¡°¡­Chirp.¡± How do I take it if I don¡¯t have a finger? Should I stamp on the wing feathers? I folded my wings with a serious expression for a moment and pondered. Then. ¡°You can take it with your feet. I¡¯ll help you.¡± Kendrick lifted me carefully. ¡°Chirp!¡± I shouted once in gratitude, then stretched out my legs and toes. Kendrick grabbed my body and pressed my feet firmly to the ink. ¡®Ugh, I feel bad.¡¯ When I did it with my fingers, I didn¡¯t feel much, but the crisp feeling of touching the soles of my feet was worse than I thought. Still, it¡¯s a relief. I don¡¯t know what this ink used in the temple was made of, but it disappeared quickly and left no trace. When the blue ink smeared evenly on the soles of my feet, Kendrick lifted me and brought me to the papers. And. ¡°Chirp?¡± ¡°Okay, take it.¡± He waited until I spread my legs before putting the ink on the paper. I pressed the soles of my feet against the papers, holding Kendrick¡¯s hand. Then. ¡°¡­.!!!¡± The papers flared up once more. This time it was red. The High Priest and Kendrick opened their eyes wide at the same time. ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on? This has never happened before.¡± The High Priest took out a monocle from his pocket and put it on, examining the papers carefully again. Kendrick put me down on the desk. ¡®It was blue before¡­.¡¯ Why does it suddenly burn red when I take it in bird form? I wondered if it was originally like that, so I looked at the faces of the high priest and Kendrick. The faces of the two men were very hard. ¡°Linsy, come here.¡± Arsene naturally opened his arms to me. When I was about to release my bird form, I ran to Arsene and sat on Arsene¡¯s lap. Before I knew it, the ink on the bottoms of my feet was gone, so I didn¡¯t need to stain Arsene¡¯s clothes. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡ª I¡¯ll look into it again. This has never happened before.¡± ¡°Just finish signing it and find out.¡± Kendrick looked puzzled when the document first burned red and soon pointed to it and said. ¡°How do I know if you won¡¯t give me the documents right away after taking them because something is wrong with them?¡± ¡°But Sir Kendrick¡­!¡± However, Kendrick signed the document as if he couldn¡¯t hear the High Priest. Then, a black flame burned for the last time. What was left was Raniero¡¯s seat, which was signed by the High Priest himself. It was because, as a result of the previous coordination at the temple, Raniero¡¯s authority was transferred to the temple. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a matter of getting His Holiness¡¯s seal?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. However, His Holiness is not feeling well right now¡­¡± ¡°Then I will meet him personally and receive His Holiness¡¯s seal.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s words, the high priest¡¯s face turned white. He eventually went into the pope¡¯s chambers alone and took the seal and stamped it. Then the papers turned to a soft golden color. It meant that the contract made by the oath of the God Knut had been concluded. At the same time, it also meant that I finally had Yeckhart¡¯s last name. CH 86 Author: rolypoly The papers were supposed to be kept in the temple. He said he would soon send the copy to Yeckhart¡¯s second mansion. Kendrick quickly left the temple on the way. All the heads of other clans had already left the temple. We were the last. I stayed in Arsene¡¯s arms in my bird form the entire time, climbed into the carriage, and changed into my human form. Arsene looked somewhat regretful. ¡®It¡¯s just my feeling, right?¡¯ I tried to ignore Arsene¡¯s disappointing eyes. Yeckhart¡¯s carriage quickly left the temple and crossed the festival streets. Maybe because the end of the festival was approaching, people seemed much more happy. Arsene stared out the window and then turned away. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ I stared at Arsene for a long time with my eyes narrowed and then turned out of the window. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect things to end like this.¡¯ Thinking that I was really married somehow made me feel new. Then, Kendrick opened his mouth. ¡°Since all the document is done, we should have the wedding ceremony.¡± ¡°Wedding ceremony?¡± Arsene asked. ¡°Yes, because you are officially married now.¡± ¡°Then, do we share a bedroom now?¡± I tilted my head and asked. Since I wasn¡¯t officially Arsene¡¯s wife until now, I was staying in a different room. But. ¡®My father always shared the same room with her wife.¡¯ Although the person who shares the same room has changed every time¡ª. At my words, Kendrick laughed. ¡°Come to think of it, you said you¡¯ve been sleeping with Arsene lately.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Hern told me that doing that would make Arsene stable.¡± I nodded. ¡°You can share the same room until you are a little older. Because you are a married couple.¡± Kendrick finished his sentence and then softly ruffled Arsene¡¯s hair. His frizzy hair was disheveled in Kendrick¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­Sharing the same room?¡± ¡°Ung, do you hate it?¡± ¡°I, it¡¯s not that I hate it.¡± Arsene stuttered. I squinted at Arsene. ¡°But you don¡¯t seem to like it, Arsene.¡± ¡°I told you I don¡¯t hate it. Just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Kendrick laughed lightly as he listened to my conversation with Arsene. The corners of Kendrick¡¯s nice mouth lifted slightly. ¡°We¡¯ve taken care of the urgent matters, so let¡¯s think about the wedding slowly.¡± I nodded my head at Kendrick¡¯s words. If it were a wedding, like the last banquet, a lot of wolves would be invited. ¡®..Mmh.¡¯ I still haven¡¯t forgotten the shock of that moment. So I was glad to hear Kendrick¡¯s suggestion to think about the wedding slowly. *** ¡°Lady~¡± ¡°Betty!¡± After arriving at the mansion, I waved warmly at Betty, who was coming to meet me. Betty took off my hat. ¡°Are you hot? I¡¯ll bring you water right away.¡± ¡°Ung, thank you.¡± When I nodded, Betty took my hat and coat and disappeared quickly. Then, Ethan approached. ¡°My Lady, no, now I should call you little Madam.¡± Ethan smiled as he finished speaking. I think he heard from Kendrick that we had signed a marriage contract at the temple today. ¡°Ethan!¡± When I called, Ethan smiled and lifted his monocle. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Ung, yes. I had a good time.¡± I nodded. Arsene opened his mouth, took off his jacket, and handed it to the maid. ¡°I won¡¯t go to dinner next time.¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°¡­There are so many stupid kids.¡± Arsene wrinkled his nose. Then he quickly went into his room. Ethan and I stayed alone and looked at Arsene. Then Ethan lowered his voice and whispered to me. ¡°Did something happen to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ My half-brother Gale was at the dinner table.¡± ¡°Ah, you mean Raniero¡¯s heir.¡± ¡°Yes, but Arsene seems to be upset because Gale keeps touching me.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s what happened¡­.¡± Ethan nodded his head. Then he looked at my face and asked. ¡°Are you okay, Lady?¡± ¡°Yes, I am fine. Just¡­ there were a lot of people anyway, so he couldn¡¯t do anything for me.¡± If no one was around, he might have tried to drag me away like the last time. Gail didn¡¯t try to take me this time, probably because there were a lot of people around. And I gently grabbed Ethan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Ethan, Ethan.¡± ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Ethan asked softly and bent his back. I put my mouth to Ethan¡¯s ear, covered it with my hand, and whispered. ¡°A vow in the name of Knut¡­ It¡¯s my first time doing it today.¡± ¡°Normally there is little to do. Keep talking.¡± ¡°Does the document burn red if you take it in its original beast state?¡± As I whispered, Ethan narrowed his eyes and asked again. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The papers were burning red. It¡¯s because I¡¯m in my bird form¡­.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of something like that¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± I thanked him and went up to my room. Then shortly afterward, Betty came in with cold water. ¡°I¡¯ll change your clothes right away.¡± ¡°Ung.¡± I answered and drank the cold water with both hands. Betty quickly changed my clothes. I changed into my comfortable pajamas and lay down on the bed. Then, not long after, I heard a knock. ¡°Come in~.¡± Arsene slammed the door open and came crashing in, burying his face in the bed. It looks like it was a tiring day. ¡°Arsene, are you tired?¡± I held Arsene¡¯s hand as I asked. Arsene wriggled his fingers and grabbed my hand tightly. ¡°A little¡­ I don¡¯t want to go to such a place in the future.¡± ¡°But now you¡¯ll have to go every year now.¡± ¡°Can I not go?¡± ¡°Ung, you can¡¯t. You are Yeckhart¡¯s successor.¡± I reached out to Arsene and grabbed his hand. I could feel the warmth where they touched. ¡®If I use my ability, I¡¯ll be able to get rid of it again, right?¡¯ I thought as I tickled Arsene¡¯s palm with my finger. I wanted to hurry up and treat Arsene, but it was frustrating because every time, it only calmed down the pain, but I couldn¡¯t cure it. ¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about being kicked out now¡­.¡¯ Since I signed a contract in the name of the God Knut, Yeckhart couldn¡¯t kick me out, at least until I came of age. Even if my hair turns red. I blinked for a second. ¡®I¡¯ll have to tell him when I go back to the mansion this time.¡¯ In fact, the red hair is growing so much now that it is difficult to pull it out every time to hide it. Besides. ¡®That¡¯s why a lot of wheat-colored hair falls out¡­¡¯ If they catch me shedding this much, people will quickly notice that I am molting. Of course, usually, molting is normal around the age of ten. ¡®Because I did transform to my bird form at the age of seven¡­¡¯ Nobody would have found it strange if I had molted earlier. ¡®Because he looks busy right now.¡¯ Kendrick seemed very busy with what had happened the other day. He went out every time, and the knights of the mansion also showed signs of nervousness. It was not a good time to talk about this situation. So. When it¡¯s sorted out. I¡¯ll tell him when it¡¯s sorted. Kendrick may not be angry because he likes me. Yeckhart¡¯s servants also¡ªthey might not turn their back on me like Raniero¡¯s servants. It may be a vain hope. ¡®I want to have even vain hope¡­¡¯ I wanted to believe in the affection and devotion Yeckhart¡¯s people showed me. Arsene asked as if my expression looked depressed while holding my hand tightly. ¡°Linsy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ung? N, no. I¡¯m just tired¡­¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯m tired. Still, we¡¯re going back to the main mansion tomorrow.¡± Arsene said, stretching his legs. Tomorrow was already the last day of the festival. The festival will end at noon tomorrow. I opened my eyes and said. ¡°Arsene, come to think of it, didn¡¯t Ansia say she was going to have fireworks at the festival?¡± ¡°Ung? Ung, I guess it was.¡± I asked, looking at Betty, who was sitting next to me and sorting out the clothes. ¡°Betty, you know. Aren¡¯t there fireworks this year?¡± ¡°Fireworks? They¡¯ll do it tonight at midnight. You can also see it in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. But it¡¯ll be late¡­aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°Ung, ung! I¡¯m not tired. I want to see the fireworks.¡± ¡°I want to see fireworks, too.¡± Arsene jumped to his feet. Arsene and I both shouted at the same, then exchanged glances and giggled. ¡°You just have to look at the sky at midnight. It will embroider the entire sanctuary.¡± Betty said with a laugh. ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Young Master. There¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± Arsene looked very disappointed at Betty¡¯s words. She moved out so the two of us could play. I tapped Arsene on the shoulder, who seemed disappointed. ¡°Arsene, look at this.¡± CH 87 ¡°It¡¯s not fireworks, but¡­I can do something similar.¡± I spread my palms wide, and I used my ability. A small light green light clumped together on my palm. And it floated like a cloud in the palm of my hand. I saw Arsene staring at my palm. ¡°Now, look at this¡­.¡± I focused on Arsene and carefully used my abilities. Then, the yellow-green lights that were small and floating exploded. Pieces of light poured out onto the palm and the bed sheets. I had never seen fireworks, but I imitated them similar to what Ansia described. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Hehe, I asked with a smile, and Arsene smiled lightly and nodded. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s pretty.¡± Arsene¡¯s eyes were strangely fixed on me when he said so. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Is he saying that my ability is pretty or that I am pretty? ¡®If you look at me and say that, I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s pretty.¡¯ I grumbled inwardly and stared at Arsene¡¯s face. And I decided that Arsene was the prettiest, not me or my ability. Curly gray hair, plump, flushed cheeks. Blue and deep eyes like a lake in a fairy tale book. ¡®You look pretty¡­.¡¯ He seemed prettier than me, a girl. I reflexively touched Arsene¡¯s eyelashes. ¡°What, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, just because.¡± Long eyelashes fluttered every time Arsene blinked. Then I said, clasping Arsene¡¯s hands tightly in both hands. ¡°Don¡¯t be sick, Arsene.¡± ¡°All of a sudden?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be sick. I¡¯ll treat you. When you grow up, you can transform¡­. Ung? You can use your ability even better¡­.¡± These days, there are times when I sometimes forget that I was dead once. I had become too accustomed to Yeckhart¡¯s daily life, and what happened at Raniero was gradually being forgotten. Besides, ¡®When I see Arsene.¡¯ When I saw Arsene alive and moving like this before my eyes, I couldn¡¯t believe that he had died in his previous life. Arsene narrowed his brow when I made a random remark. ¡°Linsy, are you sick?¡± Then he put his small hand on my forehead and measured my temperature with a serious expression. I burst into laughter at sight. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sick. It¡¯s just, uh, we¡¯re married now, so I¡¯ll treat you harder.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard to treat me until now¡­.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll treat you harder.¡± When I said it sternly, Arsene laughed. Every time he smiled, the corners of his eyes curved beautifully. Then. Knock, knock. I heard a short knock, and Chloe opened the door and said, ¡°Lady, Young Master. Let¡¯s have a snack~.¡± ¡°Ung, we will.¡± Arsene and I immediately got out of bed and stomped down the stairs. ***** ¡°Keep looking, it may be in wolf territory.¡± Kendrick said sharply. Yeckhart¡¯s knights searched the nearby wolf territory, but they couldn¡¯t find any trace of the Giles flower. Thanks to that, finding Ester was a bit of an afterthought. This is because it was more urgent to find Giles flowers than Ester. At once, a hypothesis came to Kendrick¡¯s head. ¡®Is there a connection between the missing Ester and Giles flower?¡¯ Lamont said there was no way the prohibition would be resurrected, and Linsy must have been wrong. But Kendrick believed in Linsy. It wasn¡¯t because Kendrick cared and adored Linsy. It was because Linsy was too smart and brilliant for a seven-year-old. He never thought for a second that Linsy was wrong. So. Prohibition and Giles flowers suddenly revived. Things that disappeared in ancient times reappeared one by one, and Kendrick didn¡¯t think all of this was a coincidence. If so, it was highly likely that Ester was also involved in this matter. Even the person wearing the black hood that Linsy had seen. Kendrick expanded the range of the search and ordered a thorough investigation of the entire territory of the wolf clan. He ordered a thorough investigation not only of Giles flowers but also of Ester and those wearing black hoods. But. ¡°But, there are signs that someone has entered the land of Tamar.¡± Kendrick narrowed his brow. ¡°Did you find out who it was?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that far, but judging from the length of the stride and the size of the footprints, it¡¯s probably a large adult male.¡± Kendrick narrowed his brow. If someone had entered the land of Tamar, there was a high possibility that he would be cold with a corpse somewhere by now. Even though security was set up to keep them from entering. There were often fearless young men who went into the land of Tamar and lost their lives. ¡°Strengthen the guard. Find and punish those who were on duty at that time. I warned you several times not to let anyone in.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s slow voice, Degon responds with a silent nod. ¡°Increase the security of the land of Tamar. Make sure no one is allowed to enter. No one must enter the land of Tamar until the Giles flower is found.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± Degon bowed politely and left Kendrick¡¯s office. Kendrick leaned his head against the chair, closed his eyes gently, and opened it. ¡®Is it Raniero?¡¯ What, how, and to what extent Raniero¡¯s ability could cure wasn¡¯t disclosed to the rest of the clan. But judging from Linsy¡¯s use of her ability. ¡®Raniero¡¯s ability can suppress Tamar¡¯s curse and detoxify the Giles flower.¡¯ If so, the only family that benefited the most from the resurrection of the Giles flower was the bird clan. But it still didn¡¯t make sense. In this situation, if they use the Giles flower like this, it is obvious that the bird clan will be suspected. ¡®I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that thoughtless.¡¯ Arthur Raniero was certainly an arrogant and stupid man by Kendrick¡¯s standards, but he didn¡¯t think he would do anything this stupid. Since he was also the head of the bird clan, he was obliged to take responsibility for the clan. Kendrick nervously swept his hair. Kendrick¡¯s touch made his gray hair messy. ¡®I¡¯ll find it soon.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t have to be too impatient. Since the heads of other clans were aware of the seriousness of this situation, it would be discovered soon. Everyone will go back to their territory and search everywhere. Besides. ¡®If they¡¯re growing Giles flowers somewhere, they¡¯ll definitely get caught.¡¯ When inhaling pollen from the Giles flower, the beastman falls asleep or loses their mind. Of course, they don¡¯t lose their mind with a small amount of pollen floating in the air. ¡®If it¡¯s growing in a heap somewhere.¡¯ Undoubtedly, the beastman living nearby would show strange behavior. Yeckhart¡¯s knights were also searching for villages where even a little bit of abnormal behavior appeared. So it was to be found soon. Kendrick soon put his thoughts aside and stood up. Kendrick didn¡¯t know until then. That the search for Giles flowers will be longer than expected. ***** ¡°It is said that if you make a wish while watching the fireworks on the last night of the festival, it will come true.¡± Betty laughed. Arsene and I sat side by side on the terrace, looking up at the sky. ¡°You know, can you really see it from here, too?¡± The second mansion was quite far from the sanctuary. So I couldn¡¯t believe Betty¡¯s words. We tilted our heads, and Betty smiled and said, ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°It should look good. It would have been better if you had seen it from the festival street¡ª¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t help it, it¡¯s dangerous to go out now.¡± Of course, it would have been better to see it on the street, but I didn¡¯t want to take the risk and watch the fireworks. The Giles flower incident turned the mansion upside down once, and in Raniero, their eyes were lit to take me back at any time. So¡ª. ¡°It¡¯s better to see it here.¡± ¡°How can my Lady be so mature?¡± Betty smiled softly. Arsene, who was looking up at the sky the whole time, stretched his neck. I asked, staring at Arsene. ¡°What are you going to wish for? Have you thought about it?¡± ¡°Ung.¡± ¡°What is it? I will ask you to be healthy. And¡­¡± Even if I have red feathers, I will pray that Yeckhart¡¯s servants don¡¯t hate me. I couldn¡¯t bear to say it, and I turned it over. After I finished my words, Arsene¡¯s hand, which held my hand, became stronger. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Huh? I told you! There¡¯s no such thing as that, Arsene!¡± ¡°There is, fool.¡± While we were bickering, there was suddenly a very loud noise. We looked up at the sky in surprise at the loud sound we heard for the first time in our lives. And. Pong¨C! It was said that fireworks colored the entire sanctuary, and it seemed that it was not a lie. Huge lights burst from the sky near the sanctuary, embroidering the sky. Pong¨C! And I was surprised and changed into my bird form. ¡°Chirp!¡± I tried to release the transformation again soon, but Arsene stretched out his hand out of habit to me, so I couldn¡¯t do it. I looked up at the sky in Arsene¡¯s arms in my bird form. And. I made a wish to myself. ¡®Please don¡¯t let Arsene get sick, and¡­¡¯ Don¡¯t let me be hated. When I made a wish, the warm wind seemed to pass by for a while. Was it an illusion? CH 88 The next day, we returned to Yeckhart¡¯s main mansion. Last night, half of the servants cleaned up the main mansion, and the other half cleaned up the second. Before noon, Kendrick took Arsene and me into the carriage. ¡°Mmh, come to think of it, I couldn¡¯t hunt¡­.¡± Arsene nodded as I muttered and lifted my legs. ¡°Right, I was so distracted¡­.¡± ¡°When we go back, dig a shallow reservoir inside the mansion.¡± Kendrick said casually. I asked with my eyes wide open. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It would be nice to think of it as a wedding present. Since I haven¡¯t given you anything right yet¡­ it would be nice to dig a reservoir and go boating.¡± Kendrick continued casually. Arsene added a word to Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°Then buy me a boat too.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll buy you one. Linsy, do you need anything else?¡± Kendrick looked at me as if he would buy me anything I really needed. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything, I mean it!¡± ¡°Come to think of it, there was a horse, we should build a horse riding ground.¡± I opened my mouth and looked at Kendrick. Kendrick slightly narrowed his brows as if wondering if he had anything more to offer after the reservoir and the horseback riding ground. I quickly waved my hand. ¡°Y, you don¡¯t have to give me something like that! You gave me a necklace last time, shoes and a dress¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different from a wedding present.¡± ¡°B, but I have nothing to give¡­.¡± Normally, I hear that when you get married, the bride¡¯s side should also send a gift. But all I had was my body. Besides, There was no way my family would send those things. ¡®I can¡¯t even treat him properly¡­.¡¯ I shook my head quickly because I was afraid I would look like a shameless child when I received such things. ¡°Y, you really don¡¯t have to give it to me. Really!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me anything, Linsy?¡± Kendrick closed his eyes slowly and then opened them. I raised my eyebrows slightly at Kendrick¡¯s reaction and asked again. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± ¡°First of all, yes. I¡¯ll have to change the title first.¡± Kendrick clapped his hands. However, the clapping sound wasn¡¯t loud. It was Kendrick¡¯s little consideration for me, who is sensitive to noise. ¡°Title?¡± ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t had a ceremony yet, but now that you are married, let¡¯s call it properly.¡± I saw Arsene looking at me with curious eyes. I pondered for a moment. ¡®What do you mean by a proper title?¡¯ I¡¯m just calling him Sir Kendrick, but was it too rude? But I really couldn¡¯t think of what to call it. After giving it some thought for a while, I carefully opened my mouth. ¡°¡­Sir Kendrick Yeckhart?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Kendrick raised his eyebrows as if he had heard something wrong. ¡°I, is this not it?¡± With a tearful face, I fiddled with the hem of my dress for a long time. ¡®Then maybe¡­¡¯ It will be right this time, right? I felt the inside of the carriage a bit cooler than before and Kendrick¡¯s gaze before I opened my mouth slightly again. ¡°¡­Handsome Kendrick?¡± When I was in Raniero in my previous life, Mrs. Bellin used to love to call herself ¡®the most beautiful woman in the world, Mrs. Bellin¡¯. I remembered that that¡¯s why I called him¡ª. Ugh. I saw Kendrick¡¯s murderous gaze and quickly averted my gaze. As expected. I guess it wasn¡¯t this either. ¡®Then what is it?¡¯ Then, Kendrick sighed. ¡°Sir Kendrick seems too formal. Be more friendly.¡± ¡°F, friendly¡­?¡± Call him in a friendly way? Really? I closed my eyes tightly and said. ¡°U, uncle¡­?¡± Arsene, who was next to me, burst out laughing. ¡°W, what do you mean uncle!¡± ¡°Be quiet, Arsene.¡± But Kendrick¡¯s touch soon calmed him down. I was about to cry. So what is it? Kendrick gave me a lot of hints, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Kendrick spoke slowly, ruffling Arsene¡¯s hair. ¡°You should call me father. Daughter-in-law.¡± ¡°Ah, ah! Father!¡± Then I clapped my hands, dangled my legs, and laughed. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Yeah, if it¡¯s hard to call, you can call me slowly. I won¡¯t force you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I can call it! Father!¡± So that¡¯s what he wants. Well, since I¡¯m Yeckhart¡¯s young Madam and Kendrick¡¯s daughter-in-law now, it¡¯s only natural that I called him that. I was so pathetic that I hadn¡¯t thought of it until now. Kendrick smiled softly as I continued to call him father and father. I made a promise as I looked at it quietly. ¡®I¡¯ll have to tell you soon.¡¯ About my molting condition. I first thought that Kendrick would give me a warm hug instead of reprimanding me. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an illusion.¡¯ The afternoon sun filtered through the carriage windows and fell gently on Arsene and Kendrick¡¯s faces. I watched the picturesque scene with a big smile. Hoping that this peace will be maintained for a long time. ***** As soon as I arrived at the mansion, I changed my clothes and ran to the stable. Hiing¡ª! Hector, who was trapped in the stable, lifted up his hooves to see me. I hugged Hector as hard as I could and rubbed my cheek against Hector¡¯s soft fur. ¡°Hector, how are you?¡± Arsene watched Hector and me hugging and putting his hand on Hector¡¯s forehead. Fortunately, Hector accepted Arsene¡¯s hand gently. ¡°Lady, Young Master. Did you have a good trip?¡± At that time, the stable keeper Gilbert appeared covered in dust as if he was cleaning the storage room. I smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, Gilbert. How¡¯s Hector doing?¡± Then Arsene stared at Gilbert and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not Lady.¡± ¡°Yes? If it¡¯s not Lady¡ª¡± And Arsene pointed the finger at me, then at himself. ¡°We were merry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s marriage¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s all that matters. Anyway!¡± Arsene apparently wanted to tell Gilbert that he and I were married. Gilbert¡¯s face changed in an instant. ¡°Oh my, you finally got married. Congratulations, Lady. No, now I should call you young Lord and young Madam, hoho.¡± My face flushed because I was unfamiliar with the new title, which tickled me. It was the same when I heard it from Ethan, but it felt strange for Gilbert to call me like that. Arsene, who brought up his words first, was also embarrassed to be called the young Lord, and his face turned red. Gilbert laughed at us and turned his gaze to Hector. ¡°No wonder Hector was in a good mood all day today, it must have been because he knew that the young Madam was coming.¡± Hector wagged his tail gently at Gilbert¡¯s words. Arsene rested his chin on the stable as he looked at Hector and asked. ¡°Will Hector understand what we¡¯re saying? Hector can¡¯t turn into a human being.¡± ¡°Yes, Hector is not a beastman, but he understands what we¡¯re saying. It¡¯s a smart horse.¡± Right? I asked Hector and patted the lovely horse on the forehead. Hector wagged his tail once more. ¡°Then let¡¯s tell him we got married too.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he hear Gilbert and us talking earlier?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Arsene seemed to think marriage was an exceptional contract. ¡®Well, Arsene doesn¡¯t know what marriage is¡­.¡¯ He was a seven-year-old child who couldn¡¯t even pronounce the word marriage properly. Of course, Yeckhart¡¯s servants and I explained what marriage meant. ¡®Aren¡¯t you going to know what marriage is later and want to quit?¡¯ I thought that, too, when I looked at Arsene. Soon after, we heard Chloe calling for us to say it was snack time. Arsene and I left the stable after saying goodbye to Hector and Gilbert. ¡°Snack time¡­ Oh my, Lady¡­¡± Chloe looked at my messy chest and was shocked. Hector ate the fodder right before we met, so there was a lot of it stuck to my chest. I ended up being dragged into Betty¡¯s hands and had to wash my face and change my clothes again. In the dining room, there was a plate with cakes and cookies that looked like they had been bought. I sat in a chair with Arsene and put the cookies in my mouth. Then he mumbled and said, ¡°You know, Chloe¡­ uh, did you hear? I married Arsene.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I married Linsy. I¡¯ll live with Linsy forever.¡± Arsene put the cookie in his mouth and said casually. At Arsene¡¯s remark, everyone in the dining room smiled and looked at Arsene. I could feel their affection for Arsene from their expressions. ¡°Marriage? Oh my, congratulations!¡± Chloe and Betty smiled brightly. Of course, Ethan would have told the servants of the mansion in advance, but¡ª. The servants were considerate of us and responded with a nuance that seemed like they were hearing it for the first time. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you young Madam now!¡± I took a deep breath at those words and quickly shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s still too awkward to be called young Madam. For the time being¡­ Can you just call me Lady? How about you, Arsene?¡± Arsene paused for a moment and then nodded as if he agreed with me. ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s awkward¡­ just call me what you¡¯re used to calling me.¡± There seemed to be a faint hint of regret in Arsene¡¯s voice, but it was lost in the congratulatory greetings of the servants. ¡°Yes, then for the time being, I¡¯ll just call you Lady and Young Master!¡± Congratulations on your wedding, my Lady and Young Master!¡± Arsene nodded. ¡°Ung, thank you. But where¡¯s Akim? I have to tell Akim, too¡­.¡± ¡°Right, he went to the festival with us, but I haven¡¯t seen Akim since day one.¡± Akim was last seen from the mansion the day before the ¡®incident¡¯ broke out. I stopped munching on cookies. ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ You haven¡¯t seen him since that incident? When I looked up at Betty, Chloe, and the other maids in case, I saw everyone in trouble. Don¡¯t tell me, Akim is¡ª? CH 89 ¡°Akim won¡¯t be able to come because something happened. Instead, the chef who makes more delicious snacks will come.¡± Betty calmed me down. Arsene asked, widening his eyes. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Akim coming?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ something came up¡­.¡± The servants only mumbled and didn¡¯t tell us properly. But I could tell by instinct. ¡®The culprit must have been Akim.¡¯ Well, it has to be at least a kitchen worker to feed all the people in the mansion Giles pollen. The maids didn¡¯t seem to want to talk anymore, so I didn¡¯t bother to ask. After snack time, I tried to go out to the garden to play with Arsene. But ¡°Arsene? Where are you going?¡± ¡°To Dad, go first.¡± Arsene answered bluntly and went into Kendrick¡¯s study. I didn¡¯t think much of it until then. Until Arsene left me to see Kendrick for almost three days after he returned to the mansion. I grabbed Betty, who brought me the juice and asked. ¡°Betty, did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°No way! What makes you think that, Lady?¡± ¡°Otherwise, Arsene wouldn¡¯t be like that¡­.¡± He was a kid who followed me around to the point of being annoying. He didn¡¯t even take me when he went to see Kendrick, saying it was important. I tried asking Kendrick too. ¡®Because Arsene wanted to keep it a secret. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Only the same answer came back. I hung out with Arsene the whole time, but since Arsene went to see Kendrick every time, I was left alone. There was nothing to do but play with Hector or read fairytale stories with Betty. ¡®I¡¯m bored!¡¯ Since Arsene likes my bird form, should I put myself in Arsene¡¯s pocket in a bird form? Then maybe he¡¯ll take me with him when he sees Kendrick. I put that plan into action right away. ¡°Chirp!¡± After transforming into a small bird, I slipped into Arsene¡¯s pocket. And¡ª. ¡°Chirp?¡± I tried to shout in the cutest voice possible, but Arsene is¡ª. ¡°Now, I have to talk to Daddy. Wait here.¡± With that word, he dropped me on the floor with his jacket and went straight into Kendrick¡¯s study. ¡®Isn¡¯t that too much?!¡¯ So I had to play alone the whole time without Arsene. If there were knights, I would have visited the training ground, but¡ª. ¡®There are hardly any knights in the mansion¡­.¡¯ I heard that Kendrick has been gnashing all over wolf territory for Giles flowers. It seems to be true. The number of knights in the mansion was reduced by half, and the number of training sessions in the training ground was noticeably reduced. ¡®It was fun watching the training ground through the window with Arsene¡­.¡¯ Of course, I can¡¯t go close to see it because I¡¯m scared. Arsene didn¡¯t play with me, so I greatly felt Arsene¡¯s vacancy. In the meantime, workers came and went to Kendrick¡¯s mansion as if he really intended to build a reservoir and a riding arena in the mansion. And¡ª. ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to share the same room?¡± Hoho. Ethan said with a grin. I answered with a nod, and then I sighed. ¡°Uhm¡­ But maybe he¡¯s not going to share a room with me anymore?¡± ¡°Yes? Lady, why did you think like that?¡± ¡°I mean, because Arsene doesn¡¯t play with me¡­.¡± Arsene would either be stuck in Kendrick¡¯s study all day or would be locked in a room by himself. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll want to share a room with me¡­.¡± Phew, when I sighed, Ethan soothed me as if it were impossible. ¡°That¡¯s not true, Lady. It¡¯s because the Young Master is busy these days. To say he doesn¡¯t like the Lady, there¡¯s no such a thing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s just that he has been busy lately. ¡± Ethan then left the room after asking about the size of the bed, the color of the duvet, and what she liked about the room¡¯s overall atmosphere. ***** I had a dream after a long time. I hadn¡¯t dreamed about my precious life in a long time, so when I opened my eyes, I was drenched in a cold sweat. And as soon as I woke up, I knew why I had the nightmare. ¡®So the lights are out¡­.¡¯ When the lights went out while I was sleeping, I often had nightmares. She seemed to reject the darkness unconsciously. I ran out and opened the window. Then the bright moonlight poured into the room. And¡ª. ¡°Here it is.¡± Before I went to bed, I took off the necklace I had put in the narrow table drawer. It was a necklace Kendrick gave me that shone in the dark. When I put it on my neck, my vision brightened. Then I could lie back in bed with peace of mind. But. ¡°¡­I must have grow a lot of hair, right?¡± Every day, the red hair got thinner, but both the rate of hair loss and the rate at which red hair grew got faster and faster. I struggled to get up and walked to the mirror. And. I looked at my hair in the light of the moonlight and the necklace. Sure enough, the red hair stood out. ¡®I have to tell him¡­.¡¯ Originally, I had planned to talk as soon as I got back to the mansion, but Kendrick seemed to be busier than I thought, so I couldn¡¯t. I fiddled with my hair. After having a terrible dream, I resented my red hair for no reason. ¡®If only this wasn¡¯t here.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for this, I wouldn¡¯t have been hated in Raniero. When I thought of that, tears filled my eyes and blocked my view. It wasn¡¯t my fault that I had red hair. But¡ª. ¡®But why did you hate me so much?¡¯ Because red is a cursed color? But it didn¡¯t happen because I wanted to. Tears fell down. Relying on the moonlight, I looked in the mirror and fumbled through my red hair. ¡°Ack.¡± I had quite a lot of hair, so I couldn¡¯t pull them all out. Now, there was a limit to picking and hiding. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him soon¡­.¡± It was then. Click¡ª. The door opened without warning, and I met Betty¡¯s eyes as she brought in a new lantern. ¡°Lady? What are you doing when you¡¯re not sleeping¡ª¡± Betty looked in the mirror once and then at me, holding my hair. And she quickly grasped the situation. ¡°B, Betty? Why at this hour¡­.¡± ¡°I came to change the lamp because it went out, Lady¡­ Did you pull out your hair? Are you okay?¡± Betty put down her lamp and quickly approached me and wiped my tears. ¡°B, Betty. I mean, I¡¯ll explain this¡­ ¡° I stuttered as I tried to explain while holding the red hair I had pulled out in my hand. It was a disaster. I couldn¡¯t take care of my hair because Betty was right in front of me. Then Betty found a bunch of red hair in my hand. In the end, tears fell before I could finish speaking properly. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t I have said this before signing the marriage contract in the temple?¡¯ It seemed like I would be scolded for saying that, and they would say that it was a fake marriage. Of course, judging from the personalities of the servants of Kendrick and Yeckhart, I knew that wouldn¡¯t be the case. Even so. ¡°Hnng¡ª.¡± Tears kept dripping down. It seemed to be because I had a scary dream. A terrible and frightening dream I never want to go through again. It¡¯s easy to be thrown away for things that aren¡¯t my fault¡ª. ¡°Lady, Lady. Are you okay? It¡¯s okay, Lady. Don¡¯t cry.¡± Betty put me in her arms and patted me on the back. At the touch, the sadness and the sound of crying rose. ¡°B, Betty¡­ hngg¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. What were you so afraid of¡­ Lady, it¡¯s okay.¡± Even though I could feel Betty¡¯s clothes getting wet with my tears, Betty didn¡¯t let go of me and hugged me tightly. I burst into tears as Betty held me in her arms. Perhaps because my crying was so loud, one or two of the maids woke up and stood in front of the door. I could feel Betty shaking her head slowly, as if asking the maids to leave. Feeling even more saddened by that trivial consideration, I hugged Betty¡¯s back tightly. And then. ¡°¡­Linsy?¡± ¡°Lord¡­¡± As soon as Betty saw Kendrick, she lifted me up, stood straight, and bowed lightly. ¡°It seems that the Lady had a bad dream. I¡­¡± Tears welled up from my eyes. Even though my vision was a little blurry, I could see Kendrick¡¯s eyes looking right at me. Kendrick looked at me once, and then he looked at the piece of hair I was crying over. And. ¡°Come here, Linsy.¡± He spread his arms to me. Betty handed me over to Kendrick¡¯s arms. Kendrick quietly patted my back without saying anything. He didn¡¯t ask me why I was crying or what I was holding. He just comfort me. The maids lit up the room. And they all left the room as ordered by Kendrick. I stayed with Kendrick and cried like a child in Kendrick¡¯s arms. And. ¡°¡­Hiccup.¡± ¡°You seems to cry all out.¡± CH 90 Kendrick wiped my face with a handkerchief and said. I nodded. ¡°Yes, I, I wasn¡¯t trying to hide it on purpose, so¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about molting.¡± ¡°Yes, molting¡­¡± I was about to continue, but I stopped crying in surprise and looked up at Kendrick. ¡°¡­Did you know?¡± ¡°From before. And look at what you have in your hand.¡± I had a clump of red hair in my hand that I was pulling out. I was so embarrassed that I only touched my red hair. Kendrick¡¯s big hands caressed my hair gently. Then Kendrick asked softly, stroking my hair. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°From the very beginning. I mean¡­ actually, from the first time I came to Yeckhart¡­.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll start moulting in earnest soon.¡± The molt hadn¡¯t even started yet. ¡®So it was possible to hide it by pulling it out like this¡­.¡¯ I knew from before that it would be impossible to pluck and hide it once it started properly. That¡¯s why I should¡¯ve told him in advance. To get caught like this. I could feel Kendrick stroke my hair. I rolled my eyes as I hugged Kendrick in my arms. ¡°D, don¡¯t you scold me?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡­ hid it, uh¡­ and secretly pulled it out¡­.¡± I continued with my head bowed. ¡°Because it¡¯s a red feather¡­.¡± The red feather is said to be a symbol of a curse for all beasts. So I. ¡ªIt¡¯s natural to be abandoned. My father¡¯s voice rang in my ears. I felt my vision blur for an instant. Then. Tak¡ª. Kendrick flicked his finger and made a loud noise. I looked up at Kendrick in a hurry. ¡°Come to your senses, Linsy. There¡¯s nothing wrong with red feathers. At least in the wolf clan.¡± ¡°What? But¡­¡± ¡°It is a superstition that the red feather is cursed only among the bird clan and a few clans. Exactly why such a superstition arose is not known in detail.¡± Kendrick gently patted my back. ¡°It is said that in ancient times, there was a bird with red feathers in the bird clan, and it was said that the bird used some special power to fight and die in a great battle with another clan. It was even defeated so badly that the bird clan was almost wiped out. So, it seems that after that, it is said that the red feathers are a symbol of curse for the bird family.¡± ¡°It is said that in ancient times, there was a bird with red feathers in the bird clan, and it was said that the bird used some special power to fight and die in a great battle with another clan. It was even defeated so badly that the bird clan was almost wiped out. So, it seems that after that, people started saying that red feathers were a symbol of a curse for the bird clan.¡± I listened to Kendrick. ¡°Anyway, since it¡¯s similar to the color of blood, it probably didn¡¯t look very good for beastmen who didn¡¯t have any red color. And there¡¯s a precedent that the bird clan was almost annihilated, so it seems that other clans reject it, but it¡¯s more like superstition. It¡¯s really just superstition, at least to the wolf clan.¡± Kendrick then asked, ¡°Then, were all the bear families cursed?¡± Because the entire chief of the Bear clan had red fur. ¡°¡­Then.¡± ¡°The first fur change is rather something to celebrate. There¡¯s a lot to celebrate after you come.¡± However, Kendrick, who said so, seemed rather pleased than bothered. I hiccupped in surprise and looked at Kendrick. ¡°I¡¯ve been guessing, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d really pick it¡­Linsy, remember. Whether you have red feathers, wheat feathers, or brown feathers, you are Linsy, and Yeckhart will love and support you no matter what you look like.¡± Kendrick spoke softly as if to comfort the child. Then Kendrick¡¯s large hand held mine warmly. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to worry about useless things, Linsy. It won¡¯t happen, but even if you¡­ even if you lose your ability, Yeckhart will love you. Linsy, I, Arsene, and Yeckhart¡¯s users like you and adore you, not just because you¡¯re a child of the bird clan.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a lovely girl, Linsy. You¡¯ve shown your sincerity to Arsene and Yeckhart with your small body. So now it¡¯s Yeckhart¡¯s turn to repay.¡± ¡°¡­Sir Kendrick.¡± ¡°So, Linsy, don¡¯t worry too much. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re so afraid of, and I never will. But I promise you one thing.¡± After Kendrick paused for a moment, he gently swept my bangs. ¡°No matter what happens, I will protect you, and I will fully support you. So don¡¯t worry too much. Linsy, you shouldn¡¯t worry so much.¡± As I listened to what Kendrick said, I suddenly burst into tears again. Because Kendrick¡¯s words are warm. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve wanted to hear for so long. And¡ª. ¡®Because I thought it was something I¡¯d never hear for the rest of my life¡­.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t quite understand why Kendrick showed me so much trust and affection. But one thing was certain. That I would love Yeckhart with all my heart. And¡ª. ¡®I¡¯ll make Arsene better no matter what happens.¡¯ I clenched my fist. I was prepared to heal Arsene even if it meant consuming all of my abilities. As much as Kendrick, Arsene, and the servants of the Wolf Mansion trust and support me, I want to repay them. Because the best gift I could give was to heal Arsene. It should be possible in this life because I have a stronger ability than in my previous life. So. I¡¯ll treat Arsene no matter what. Then. ¡°H, hiccup. Hng¡­?¡± A faint red light suddenly shimmered in my hand, then it disappeared. It seems Kendrick didn¡¯t see it. I looked down at my palms while shedding tears. ¡®Clearly, clearly red light¡­.¡¯ I saw the red light flicker for a while, and then it disappeared¡­? It couldn¡¯t have been a trace of my ability. Because my ability was the same light green color as my eyes. ¡®Is it prohibition¡­?¡¯ As soon as I got back to the room, I decided to check the mirror first. At that time. ¡°Tomorrow, it will be so swollen that you won¡¯t even be able to open your eyes.¡± Kendrick wiped away my tears with his thumb. Kendrick¡¯s face caught my eyes as my tears dried and my vision cleared. A warm heart that looks at me like I¡¯m the most precious thing in the world. When I thought about Kendrick, Arsene, Betty, Ethan, Hern, and the other servants, a corner of my heart kept getting warm and tickling. It was a feeling I had never felt in my previous life. I squeezed Kendrick¡¯s finger. And. ¡°T, thank you. Hiccup! Father¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, The change to the title is done for sure.¡± Kendrick brushed my hair, which was wet with sweat and tears. On Kendrick¡¯s hand, a few strands of wheat-colored hair stood out. ¡°Starting today, ask your maid to comb your hair at least four times a day. It looks like it will start in earnest.¡± ¡°Y, yes¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s red hair¡­. It will suit you. It will go well with the color of your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­I must have looked ugly¡­.¡± When I had red hair, the servants of the bird clan looked at me and said I looked like a monster. That I am ugly and really look like a monster with cursed hair. Since I was scared and trapped in my previous life, I have never looked at my face properly in the mirror. ¡°I guess I should ask them to put a mirror in your room¡­.¡± Kendrick muttered, stroking my tear-soaked cheek. ¡°Pretty, you will look good no matter what kind of hair you do.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, trust me.¡± Kendrick patted me on the back and held me in his arms easily. Kendrick¡¯s warmth spread throughout his body. ¡°You can come if you are afraid to sleep. You know my bedroom.¡± ¡°Y, yes¡­ The room at the end of the second floor¡­.¡± ¡°Arsene¡¯s bedroom?¡± ¡°Next room¡­¡± ¡°Your maid?¡± ¡°The room opposite¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, you are smart.¡± Kendrick asked me to go to anyone and wake them up unconditionally if I was scared. I nodded as I held Kendrick tightly in his arms. *** Kendrick put me to bed and stayed by my side until I fell asleep. The last thing I saw was Kendrick whispering something softly while stroking my hair. I fell asleep and couldn¡¯t remember what Kendrick said. I jumped up and rubbed my eyes. But. ¡°I, I can¡¯t open my eyes¡­.¡± I tried to treat it with my ability, but it didn¡¯t seem to improve because I wasn¡¯t sick. Betty, who came to wake me up in the morning, was startled by my appearance. ¡°Oh my, Lady¡­ Were you very upset yesterday? Are you okay now?¡± ¡°Ung, I¡¯m fine¡­ really.¡± Thanks to Kendrick¡¯s sleepless nights to soothe me, I¡¯m really fine now. I feel relieved to think that starting today, I wouldn¡¯t have to pull out my red hair. ¡°I brought water to wash your face. You will feel better if you wash your face and apply a cold compress.¡± Betty gently scrubbed my face and dried it dry with a towel. And. ¡°Okay now, hold it.¡± She brought a bag of cold water and put it on my swollen eyelids. I held the water bag to my eyelids with both hands. ¡°Betty¡­ How long do I have to do this?¡± ¡°Until it subsides, if you feel uncomfortable, you can do a little bit and remove it.¡± At Betty¡¯s words, I secretly removed the water bag and looked in the mirror. Then, shocked by how my eyes had swollen and made me look like a frog, I put the water bag over them again. I heard Betty giggling. I laughed after Betty and called her carefully. ¡°You know, Betty¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady. Please speak.¡± Betty strode in front of me, bent her knees, and looked into my eyes. Of course, I couldn¡¯t see Betty well because I covered my eyes with a water bag. Anyway. I dangled my legs and opened my mouth carefully. ¡°You know¡­I have a confession to make.¡± CH 91 ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re going to confess?¡± I swallowed my saliva. ¡°You know¡­ I started molt, Betty. You probably know it because you saw it yesterday, but I still want to say it with my own mouth¡­.¡± The voice trembled softly as it went out. Gulp. The sound of swallowing saliva was especially loud. I raised my head and glanced at Betty. I¡¯ll never forget how surprised Betty looked last night. ¡®She must have been very surprised¡­.¡¯ Well, even if it were me, I felt like I would pass out from shock if a child woke up in the middle of the night and started pulling out her hair. Betty looked me in the eyes and smiled softly. ¡°Congratulations, Lady. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a wonderful bird!¡± ¡°U, ung. Thank you.¡± Did Betty not see that I was holding the red feather? Betty brought a hairbrush and carefully sat down next to me. The bed was drooping just as much as Betty was sitting on it. ¡°Then, starting today, I will have to brush your hair five times every day. When you molt, your hair falls out and often gets tangled with your new hair.¡± Betty brushed my hair with a hairbrush as she talked softly. Handfuls of wheat-colored hair were caught on the comb. ¡°I¡¯ve known you¡¯ve been losing your hair for a long time. But I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d really molt.¡± ¡°I never thought I would do it when I was seven¡­.¡± Betty brushed my hair and told me when I gave a sad answer. ¡°It¡¯s one step closer to adulthood, Lady. You don¡¯t have to be afraid. It¡¯s just that everyone goes the same way, just a little earlier.¡± ¡°But Betty¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what color your hair is. There is no such thing as a myth that the red feather is cursed in the wolf clan. So don¡¯t worry too much, Lady.¡± I almost cried again because the words were so sweet. ¡°Ung, thank you. Really. Really.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still this pretty, how much more beautiful you will be when you finish molting, my Lady.¡± ¡°No, pretty¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll look even uglier after I finished molting.¡± When I spoke timidly, Betty said firmly with a stern expression. ¡°My Lady, that will never happen. The Lady is prettier and cuter than anyone I know, so when you grows up you will be the most beautiful in the wolf territory.¡± Betty¡¯s embarrassing compliment made me lower my head and turn red. It¡¯s a compliment I¡¯ve heard many times since I came to the Wolf Mansion, but I¡¯m still not used to it. ¡°Because it¡¯s true. Will you believe it if I show you a mirror all day?¡± ¡°N, no. I believe in you. I believe it.¡± ¡°By the way, speaking of mirrors, the Lord ordered to replace all the mirrors in the mansion. Is there something wrong¡ª¡± Betty muttered in a puzzled voice as she brushed my hair. At that moment, I remembered what Kendrick had said yesterday. ¡°You¡¯re ugly? Looks like all the mirrors in the mansion are broken. I¡¯ll have to ask him to buy a new one.¡± ¡®D, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s real?¡¯ When I turned around and looked at Betty with an eye asking if it was true, Betty nodded. ¡°Yes, it will probably be replaced from lunch. So, it would be better to hang out in the library or in the garden for lunch.¡± I listened to Betty and opened my mouth slightly. So it really was. I thought it was a joke meant to make me happy¡ª. ¡®Father¡­ The scale is too big.¡¯ To change all the mirrors in the mansion just because I said I was ugly. I can¡¯t speak carelessly from now on¡ª. I was reminded of the lesson that I needed to be careful with what I said. And indeed, Kendrick has replaced all the mirrors in the mansion. Including the hand mirror. *** Whether Kendrick¡¯s words were true, the hair lost more and more by the day. I flew over and sat down on a perch hanging from the wall of my room. These days, I spend longer time in my bird form than in my human form. ¡®Because¡­¡¯ Because I need to get my feathers trimmed! Maybe because a new feather was growing there, the place where the new feather grew itched. So these days, I¡¯ve been focusing on getting rid of dead feathers and scratching new feathers with my beak. ¡°Chirp!¡± I trimmed the new feathers with my head turned back. Among the wheat-colored feathers, red feathers stood out little by little. If it had been the same before, I would have pulled it out as soon as I found it¡ª. ¡°Why? I like your red feathers. It¡¯s like a flower.¡± Arsene looked at my red feather and said calmly. Thanks to Arsene and Kendrick and the kind servants of the mansion, I am no longer afraid of my red feathers. And. ¡®It might be better!¡¯ Now that I have a red feather, Raniero might not want to take me anymore. In my previous life, I was imprisoned because birds with red feathers were cursed. So¡ª. ¡®I might be safe from Raniero.¡¯ Thinking about it made my heart swell with anticipation. Then when I was trimming myself with my small beak for a long time. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. I sat on the perch, looked toward the door, and shouted bitterly. ¡°Chirp!¡± Come in! As if he had understood my words, the door opened slowly, and Ethan entered the room. ¡°My lady, you were picking out your hair.¡± I flew and landed on the floor right in front of Ethan. And. Chirp, chirp! After jumping in place a couple of times, light green smoke quickly rose from my body. And soon, the vision suddenly increased. I looked at Ethan and smiled. ¡°Ethan? What are you here for?¡± ¡°Hello, Lady. The Lord is looking for you. He¡¯s also waiting for you, Young Master.¡± ¡°Ken, Hmp. No, you mean father?¡± ¡°Yes¨C¡± Hoho. Ethan looked at me with smiling eyes. These days, I¡¯ve been having quite a headache because the title of father doesn¡¯t stick well in my mouth. ¡®I¡¯d like to call him Father if possible.¡¯ Kendrick had built a riding arena and dug a reservoir in the mansion as a wedding present for me. But the only thing I can do in return is to call him father. I have to practice hard for this. I clenched my lips in determination. Then Ethan laughed. ¡°He is waiting for you in the office. Shall we go together?¡± ¡°Ung!¡± I held Ethan¡¯s hand tightly. His hands were large and warm. Ethan walked slowly, matching my pace. It wasn¡¯t difficult to follow. Knock, knock. Ethan knocked on the office¡¯s door and heard Kendrick¡¯s voice telling him to come in. I grabbed the doorknob, turned it, opened the door, and entered carefully. ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°Yeah. You can leave, Ethan.¡± Kendrick gave an order, and Ethan, who was standing by the door, bowed and left. I walked in and sat down next to Arsene. ¡°The reason I called you guys today¡­¡± Kendrick paused for a moment without speaking immediately. Arsene and I sat side by side and rolled our eyes. ¡°There is nothing to be nervous about. I called to talk about the wedding.¡± ¡°Aah.¡± I just nodded. Arsene also sat down next to me and nodded his head. ¡°Because of the last banquet, I¡¯d like to have a small wedding. I was wondering what you guys think.¡± ¡°I want to be small.¡± As soon as Kendrick finished his words, Arsene answered coldly as if he had been waiting. And he glanced at me once. I also nodded. ¡°It¡¯s better to keep them small.¡± I didn¡¯t have any good memories of the banquet, so I wanted to avoid mixing with so many wolves as much as possible. ¡®I can¡¯t avoid it forever, but¡­.¡¯ But I¡¯m still scared. ¡°But Kendrick, no, father. Is it okay to keep the wedding small?¡± Usually, the wedding of the head family was a festival for the entire clan. Especially if it¡¯s a successor. I heard that making it as big and wide as possible symbolizes the status of the successor. I was worried that Arsene might not be able to enjoy all of his rights because of me. ¡°It¡¯s okay because it¡¯s an early marriage. You can do whatever is convenient for you. Then it would be better to hold it in the mansion on a small scale.¡± Later, when you become an adult, you can do it grandly. Kendrick added something, but I couldn¡¯t hear it because the carriage rattled outside. ¡®Huh?¡¯ I tilted my head for a moment. Kendrick seemed unwilling to repeat it, and he continued. ¡°Is there anyone you would like to invite to your wedding?¡± The person I want to invite¡ª. At first, it seemed like I should call Leona. ¡°Linsy, we are friends!¡± I smiled spontaneously when I thought of the lovely orange-haired girl holding my hand and laughing. If I call Leona, I¡¯ll have to call Cain too¡ª. I glanced at Arsene. It was because the two people seemed to bother Arsene the last time. Arsene, perhaps noticing that I was worried, shrugged his shoulders and said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind calling anyone.¡± CH 92 In the end, it was decided that Leona, Cain, and Ansia were the only friends I would invite. There was no one else to call. At that time, I suddenly thought of Glene. ¡®It would have been nice if Glene was there too.¡¯ She must have smiled as she congratulated me on my marriage. It was a pity that Glene had left. According to Kendrick, the wedding will be a small outdoor ceremony in Yeckhart¡¯s backyard. ¡°Can I not call any of the other adults?¡± I asked Kendrick carefully once again. ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t have to call them.¡± Kendrick nodded in a firm reply. He added that I don¡¯t have to worry about that. ¡°The date should be a month later. That way, we will be able to prepare enough.¡± After our conversation with Kendrick, Arsene and I sat side by side in the garden and practiced using our ability. ¡°I still can¡¯t make anything other than watering cans.¡± I stared at Arsene¡¯s face, and floated a soft light on the palm of my hand. ¡°Who cares, it¡¯s great. It can only ¡®bite¡¯ for it yet.¡± Arsene shrugged and lowered his hand. Then, black light gathered under Arsene¡¯s hand, and soon a shadow wolf appeared. But. ¡°Your wolf, Arsene. Don¡¯t you think it got bigger?¡± ¡°It got a little bigger. It¡¯s going to get bigger in the future.¡± Arsene shrugged and stared at the shadow wolf. The shadow wolf twirled in place and looked at Arsen. ¡°Did it grow up alone? Is it?¡± ¡°No way, I practiced hard. I practiced so hard with my Dad¡­.¡± Arsene made the end of his words longer. I opened my eyes and asked again. ¡°You practiced with your father? Then, no way, when you haven¡¯t played with me in a while¡­.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡± I narrowed my eyes and asked, and Arsene obediently agreed. ¡°I practiced using my abilities with Dad. At this rate¡­ I don¡¯t think I can do it like this.¡± At Arsene¡¯s words, the shadow wolf drooped its tail as if it understood his words. I quickly squatted on the floor, made eye contact with the shadow wolf, and turned to Arsene. ¡°Aren¡¯t you impatient? You¡¯re only seven years old, Arsene.¡± No matter how fast the beastman learns, Arsene seems a bit too smart for his age. As expected, is it because of what happened at the last festival? ¡®Hmm, no matter how fast the beastmen grow¡­¡¯ Arsene was growing day by day. Now, the tiny and sickly figure of before was hard to be found. ¡®He¡¯s also the same height as me.¡¯ I thought he would be much taller than me if he grew up a little longer. ¡°Bite it.¡± Then, Arsene gave orders to the Shadow Wolf. At the time, Wooof¡ª! The shadow wolf, which barked once briefly, quickly drifted into the air and disappeared. And then. ¡°Whoa!¡± After a while, he appeared out of nowhere with a cookie in his mouth. ¡°You can eat it.¡± Arsene shrugged. I already ate a snack today. Can I eat it again? It was clear that I would be scolded if caught. But I¡¯m only seven years old. ¡ªSeven-year-olds are weak to the temptation of snacks. ¡®Of course, I¡¯m 12 years old inside.¡¯ What¡¯s wrong with that? I turned my head to make sure no one was around, and then I took the cookie and put it in my mouth. ¡°Arsene, if you learn a little more about how to use your abilities, you¡¯ll become a really cool person, right?¡± The shadow wolf gently shook its tail again this time as if he understood me. ¡°Ung, but I don¡¯t know how to practice because it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever had this kind of ability¡­. That¡¯s all I can do.¡± Arsene said in depressed. Kendrick said he was helping with the training, but it didn¡¯t seem to work out. Hmm. I thought about it for a while and opened my mouth. ¡°This is just my thought¡­ can¡¯t we just do it as it is now?¡± ¡°Like now?¡± ¡°Ung, this kid can understand you, right?¡± The shadow wolf responded to my words. The shadow wolf jumped up and down as if it was excited and then sat down in front of me. ¡°So, shouldn¡¯t we communicate like we have a pet? I think so for some reason. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s smart enough to understand our words.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. You want me to interact with him?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t just give orders every day. Talk and pet it. What do you think?¡± Of course, that was purely my idea. But. ¡®I feel that way for some reason.¡¯ The feeling that if this shadow wolf continues to communicate with us, it will grow bigger someday. Arsene didn¡¯t seem to like it at all, but he nodded his head slowly. ¡°Okay¡­ I will communicate with him.¡± ¡°Ung, good. Arsene.¡± Hehe, I smiled and turned my gaze to the shadow wolf. And. I spread out my palm and tapped my palm with my fingers. ¡°Should we do a high five?¡± The shadow wolf tilted its head a few times, then placed its black paws on the palm of my hand. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a high-five, but it looked like it gave me a hand¡­.¡¯ Still, it¡¯s better than nothing. It deserves praise just for giving me its hand. And when I complimented it a lot, it twirled in front of me excitedly. It looked more like a puppy than a wolf. ¡®But you¡¯re still cute.¡¯ ***** The invitation wasn¡¯t that hard because it was already my second time writing it. Arsene had almost finished the banquet invitation, so I agreed to write it this time. Rodri, the maid, helped us write the invitations. There was a word with confusing spelling in the middle, so I had to get Rodri¡¯s help. Arsene folded the paper carefully and put it in an envelope when I wrote the letters on pretty stationery. Then Rodri sealed it tightly with gold wax. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s finished!¡± I wrote down the last invitation to Ansia and handed it over to Arsene. Arsene received the letter paper, folded it roughly, and opened his mouth. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the handwriting a little crooked in the last one?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, I write it perfectly! Right, Rodri?¡± ¡°Of course, you have beautiful handwriting, so you¡¯ll be able to write it well when you¡¯re a little older.¡± ¡°The marriage line is not pretty now.¡± ¡°Are you going to keep doing that?¡± I rolled my eyes and glared at Arsene. Arsene giggled. Rodri watched us quietly and soon stood up. ¡°Then I will deliver the invitation in advance. Thank you, Young Master, Lady.¡± ¡°Yees.¡± ¡°Ung.¡± I laid down my pen and fell flat on the desk. Ugh, it¡¯s hard. Even though I had learned to read in my last life, things from that life were getting harder and harder to remember. This could be because I had been back for a long time. So¡ª. There were frequent cases where a seven-year-old body could not control the emotions well. Is that why? ¡®It¡¯s gotten hard to write a letter like now¡­.¡¯ If I had been in my previous life, I would have been able to write this letter quickly. This time, I was confused even with very simple words and had to get help from the maid, Rodri. Of course, I¡¯m only seven years old now, so no one will think it¡¯s strange, but¡ª. After thinking that far, I closed my eyes slowly and opened them. And. Tak tak. I was too lazy to run in place, so I lightly stamped my feet twice. Then. Pong¨C! ¡°Chirp!¡± After blinking my eyes a few times, familiar with the light¡¯s smoke, I climbed on Arsene¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You changed suddenly?¡± ¡°Chirp.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been in my bird form a lot lately, but it was much more comfortable than releasing it. ¡®I guess the period of growth is about to come, look.¡¯ In my previous life, I had the same period of growth around the age of 10. The period when the molt begins and the body grows in earnest. At that time, I felt more comfortable in my bird form, so I think I kept trying to stay in that form. ¡®It must have come earlier as the molting has accelerated.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think much of it, leaned over Arsene¡¯s soft cheeks and picked my feather. Arsene carefully stroked my feather with his index finger. I liked the stroking hand, and the tail went up in an instant. ¡°Chirp¨C!¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± Ung, there. Scratch my cheek. I put my cheek against Arsene¡¯s fingers and rubbed them. There were a lot of feathers sticking out because it was the middle of a molting period. So, my skin kept getting itchy, but there was a limit to scratching with my small beak. But. ¡®Aren¡¯t Arsene¡¯s hands so cool?¡¯ My eyes twinkled as I looked up at Arsene like a windfall. Arsene narrowed his brows, perhaps sensing my burdensome gaze. ¡°¡­What, why?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± Scratch more, more! Fortunately, Arsene seemed to understand what I was saying and continued to scratch my cheek hard for the next 15 minutes. Later, Ethan came in and said that the Yekhart family servants would bring the invitations directly. However. The Lord himself will bring the invitation to the Fernando family.¡± ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Yes, the Lord is scheduled to meet Sir Lamont.¡± I blinked my eyes when I heard Ethan¡¯s words. ¡®He has been seeing Sir Lamont often lately.¡¯ No, he was in frequent contact not only with Lamont but also with the heads of all clans. Except for Raniero. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because of that, right?¡¯ CH 93 The Giles flower. ¡®From what I¡¯ve heard, nothing has progressed yet¡­¡¯ Akim was exiled to the cold northern territories, and no evidence was found to prove his connection to Raniero. Furthermore. He said that it¡¯s a big problem that the source of the flowers cannot be accurately determined. It is necessary to find out who is growing the flower and how it is grown to prevent accidents in advance. Since they didn¡¯t know that, it seemed like the whole clan was in an uproar. So it was natural that Kendrick was busy. ¡®Because the first place to be discovered is wolf territory¡­¡¯ If Kendrick isn¡¯t nervous, other clans may invade the wolf clan¡¯s territory under the pretext of investigating the Giles flower. That would put me in danger, too. I thought that far and soon shook my head. Then, I put my hands on my cheeks and opened my eyes wide. ¡®Let¡¯s not think about bad things.¡¯ Everything will be alright. The prohibition is gone, and people in black hoods can¡¯t get into the mansion. I still haven¡¯t figured out the red light from the palm of my hand before. The next day, when I checked in the mirror, there was no prohibition. I don¡¯t know what the red light was yet, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the prohibition. That¡¯s why¡ª. ¡®So it¡¯s gonna be okay.¡¯ Why do I feel uneasy even if I mutter it so many times? As I put on a rather serious expression, Arsene, who was sitting next to me, glanced at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine.¡± I shook my head right away. But I could still feel Arsene looking at me with a worried look. ***** ¡°I see you often, Kendrick.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see you this often.¡± Kendrick answered back. Lamont picked up the teacup and brought it to his mouth. But Lamont¡¯s teacup was shaking as if it had been an earthquake. Because¡ª. ¡°Daddy, daddy! Are you listening?¡± ¡°Yeah, Leon. Please get out of here¡ª¡± ¡°Dad! I¡¯m talking to you. I have a very important issue right now.¡± ¡°I want you to leave now, Leona Fernando. We have a guest.¡± Leona sat down on the carpet, almost clinging to Lamont¡¯s legs, then turned her head to look at Kendrick. Kendrick, who made eye contact with Leona, laughed. ¡°Mister, are you uncomfortable with me?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Kendrick¡­! Damn it, where on earth is your nanny?¡± Lamont touched his forehead. But Lamont and Kendrick and Leona all knew. The servants of the Fernando Mansion didn¡¯t intentionally leave this little girl out to interrupt the conversation between the two men. ¡°Lady, you have to get out!¡± ¡°Lady!¡± ¡°Lady, you must go out!¡± The servants came in one after another and tried to get Leona out, but Leona stuck to Lamont¡¯s leg and didn¡¯t fall off. And Kendrick enjoys his friend¡¯s suffering quite a bit, so he left Leona hanging on to Lamont throughout the conversation. All the previous stories were useless anyway. But. ¡®It would be difficult to hear it from now on.¡¯ These are stories Leona is too young to hear yet. Of course, it would matter if Linsy heard it all¡ª. Kendrick sensed a huge contradiction between these two sentences. Leona and Linsy are the same age, but why does Linsy feel like a child a few years older? Linsy, who is mainly composed of everything, is merely a child who cries and laughs a lot. ¡®That¡¯s it for the thought.¡¯ Now, the adults could have a conversation only when the little girl, who was hanging on the right leg of the head of the lion¡¯s clan, was sent out. Kendrick clapped and drew Leona¡¯s attention. Sure enough, Leona immediately turned to Kendrick. ¡°Leona, I have a present.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a present.¡± When Leona shook her head, her red cheeks shook slightly. Kendrick smiled slowly at Leona¡¯s answer. ¡°It¡¯s a present from Linsy and Arsene, and if you don¡¯t need it, I¡¯ll have to keep it.¡± ¡°Linsy? Arsene?¡± Leona immediately responded to the familiar name. Leona immediately let go of Lamont¡¯s leg and ran to Kendrick. ¡°Present, give me a present!¡± ¡°However, there are conditions. Leona.¡± Kendrick said, pulling out an invitation written by Linsy and Arsene from his inside pocket. ¡°If you read this in here, it will quickly disappear. So you have to go far away to read it. Yeah, for example¡­ like your bed.¡± ¡°Ung, ung!¡± ¡°Go and ask your nanny to read it.¡± Kendrick handed the invitation to Leona. Leona ran out holding the invitation as if it were a treasure. ¡°You like kids. You must have made good friends.¡± ¡°I wish she would listen to me as well as she usually does.¡± Lamont looked at the spot where her daughter left and clicked her tongue. ¡°She looks like Janet.¡± ¡°Are you saying that again? Aren¡¯t you tired, Kendrick? She¡¯s my daughter, so of course she looks like me¡­¡± ¡°Why, it¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s cute, take it and raise it. If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯d like you to solve it in your wolf¡¯s mansion until the first transformation and bring it to me.¡± Kendrick stiffened at Lamont¡¯s joke. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Lamont.¡± ¡°You said she were cute?¡± Kendrick remembered that Lamont had made a mess of half of the lion¡¯s mansion in his first transformation. Lamont¡¯s paws, which ran wild, and the many servants who chased after him. However, Lamont, the world¡¯s greatest, was calmer than her daughter now. So¡ª. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue how crazy Leona will be.¡± Maybe this time it¡¯s going to destroy the entire lion¡¯s mansion. Kendrick shook his head with a chuckle. ¡°So, nothing came out?¡± The first to change the subject was Lamont Fernando. Kendrick looked at Lamont and slowly shook his head at what he said. ¡°No, I¡¯ve searched all the way to the snowy mountains in the north, but it¡¯s in vain. What about the lion¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°Will it come out from us? I got a report that there were people who lost their intellect, but when I went there they were all older or¡ª it¡¯s just beastmen who are sick or something. It didn¡¯t seem to have responded to the Giles flower.¡± ¡°The movement of the other clans¡­.¡± ¡°Ha, while you¡¯re looking more carefully, Kendrick. They all have the same situation. The other day there was a commotion in the dog clan¡¯s territory, so I checked, and as expected, I couldn¡¯t even see the petals of Giles flowers.¡± Lamont sighed. Because Lamont also knows how big this is. ¡°Kendrick, if the Giles flowers spread, many beastmen will die.¡± ¡°Maybe there will be another place like Tamar.¡± ¡°Kendrick, isn¡¯t that just a legend?¡± ¡°Originally all legends are based on fact, Lamont.¡± There was a legend handed down from ancient times in the land of Tamar. About the fact that a certain clan lived in the land of Tamar. However¡ª. Because the taboo was violated, the entire clan was exterminated, and the land was cursed, making it impossible to live on. And it was the Giles flower that appeared in that myth as well. According to the old book where the legend is recorded, the Giles flower was originally a flower that bloomed only in a very small number of areas in the land of Tamar. It was recorded that when the land of Tamar was cursed, and the clan that lived there was exterminated, Giles flowers burst forth all over the land of Tamar. But it¡¯s literally just a legend. No one could tell if it was true. Lamont laughed. ¡°Kendrick, you must be really in a hurry. You¡¯ve always been rational, why are you acting so impatiently?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because there are more things to protect.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kendrick said calmly. ¡°I said because there are more things to protect. There are some people who are looking for an opportunity to invade the wolf clan using Giles Flower as an excuse, so I have to be impatient.¡± Raniero was also included in those who were aiming for the wolf territory. Raniero must have heard of Linsy¡¯s ability earlier. He¡¯ll be waiting for his chance to take Linsy back someday. So, he had to get this done and make sure the trash never got to the Wolf Territory or Kendrick¡¯s reaps. Of course, before that. ¡°Leon will talk about it later, but there will be a wedding between Linsy and Arsene in the middle of next month.¡± ¡°Now? At this time?¡± Lamont widened his eyes in surprise. If it was a wedding, not only the wolf clan, but other clans would also come and go. It is the wedding of the heir of the wolf clan. To solve such a big problem in these chaotic times? Lamont suppressed the question of whether he was really out of his mind, and asked again. ¡°Are you going to hold a wedding at this time?¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, but I¡¯ll keep it small. It¡¯s like a birthday party for kids. We just finished the paperwork the other day. So, even if I can¡¯t do it grandly, I have to match the selection.¡± ¡°How small? Anyway, it¡¯s the heir¡¯s wedding¡­.¡± ¡°I will do it in the mansion. The guests¡­ Leon, Cain, and a wolf clan girl. A total of three.¡± When Kendrick said that, he looked like he was pleased. So Lamont had to wonder if his friend was finally crazy. CH 94 Preparations for the wedding were made quickly. Since it wasn¡¯t going to be held in a particularly grand way, there was not much that needed to be prepared. The servant bought and planted new flowers and trimmed the bushes to make the garden look prettier. The pretty flowers were picked by the stems and woven one by one to decorate the mansion. I felt like flowers were blooming wherever the hands of the servants touched. And. ¡°Now, should I cut it?¡± I closed my mouth tight and nodded with a pretty grim look. Betty with scissors carefully trimmed my hair. Betty suggested that I get my hair done before the wedding. Because¡ª. ¡®Because my hair is falling out like this¡­.¡¯ As much as the long wheat-colored hair fell out, a lot of new red hair also grew. ¡®This is short¡­.¡¯ The red hair below my ears was only about three fingers long. So, the more red hair grew, the more messy it was. Not long ago, I was so depressed when I saw the mirror of the mansion that was replaced by Kendrick¡¯s instructions¡ª. So Betty suggested that my wheat-colored hair be trimmed to the same length as the red hair. I accepted Betty¡¯s offer, thinking it wouldn¡¯t matter since the hair would fall out anyway. As a result. Every time Betty scissored, goosebumps ran down the back of my neck. Betty proudly said that she has a very long history of getting her hair done, so she is confident in cutting it. I nodded and left my hair to Betty¡¯s touch. Srrk¡ª. I could feel the wheat-colored hairs falling to the floor. However. ¡®It¡¯s amazing.¡¯ In the past, I would have been greatly stressed every time my wheat-colored hair fell out. Is it because the servants just watch my hair change with warm eyes? Even though so many wheat-colored hairs were being cut, I didn¡¯t feel like it was a waste. Ssak, ssak¡ª. Betty uses the scissors very carefully. Every time she cut it, I could see a lot of wheat-colored hair falling. And not long after. ¡°Ta-da, it¡¯s done, Lady! You are really, really cute!¡± When Betty finished my hair, she brought a hand mirror to my face. I stared at myself in the mirror. Short, bobbed hair fluttered around her neck. ¡°Whoa, this is awkward.¡± I had never cut my hair short in my previous life. Of course. My father thought girls should have long and curly hair. But this place is special. I felt everyone cared about me, afraid I would be a little uncomfortable. I carefully examined myself in the mirror once again. A girl with red and wheat hair was smiling in the mirror. As Kendrick said, my red hair grew more and more every day. And Kendrick also said the molt might be over soon. The reservoir and riding arena will be completed by the time my molting is over. Betty combed my hair, which was cut short, then took a little bit of my hair on either side and curled it into a cute tie. ¡°Ta-da, you¡¯re so cute! It¡¯s much easier to move, right?¡± ¡°Ung, it¡¯s really comfortable.¡± I nodded. Arsene and Kendrick also complimented me on how nice my new hair looked. Although I was a little worried that such short hair would suit the dress. ¡®It¡¯s okay because I¡¯m seven years old.¡¯ At the age of seven, my body was short, like a porcelain doll that was a bit chubby. So when I put on the dress, I just looked like a cute girl. Serena also made the wedding dress in the dressing room. She heard about a small wedding in the garden among the spring flowers, so she embroidered frills and jewels that looked like spring flowers on my dress. After that, there was nothing to prepare. I still often took naps with Arsene, and these days I slept holding his hand in the same room and went outside to practice using my ability. Of course, Kendrick was often away from the mansion, so from some point on, the practice of using this ability turned into a time for the two of us to look after each other. Time passes quickly, The wedding day has arrived. *** ¡°Linsy! Lin¨Csy!¡± The first to arrive was, of course, Leona. Leona brought a small gift box and held it out to me. ¡°There¡¯s a wedding present in here. One is yours and one is Arsene. But if you like both, you can have them both.¡± ¡°Hey, how could you do that?¡± ¡°Here it is. It¡¯s up to the person who gives you the gift.¡± Leona and Arsene fought childishly by glancing at each other. Even though I was wearing a pretty dress, I had to get in between them to stop them from fighting awkwardly. ¡°Thank you, Leon. I¡¯ll keep it and open it later.¡± ¡°Ung, and what¡¯s out there is a gift for my Dad.¡± ¡°Outside?¡± I tilted my head at Leona¡¯s words and looked out the window. Outside the window stood a carriage I had never seen before. ¡®Did Leona ride it?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t see anything in particular except a small, fancy carriage. ¡°There¡¯s nothing outside?¡± ¡°Ung? Nothing? It can¡¯t be, ah! There it is, Linsy. That¡¯s a present from Dad.¡± To where Leona¡¯s fingers were pointing. It was the gorgeous and beautiful carriage I had just seen. The carriage was decorated with flowers, and it was shining even from the second-floor window as if it was studded with jewels. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me, a carriage?¡± ¡°Ung, Dad said it was a wedding present.¡± Leona smiled brightly. ¡®Is it because it¡¯s the marriage of the heir of the wolf clan¡­.¡¯ Even though it was a small wedding, Fernando sent Leona as a guest to match the combination. Plus, such a great gift. We thanked Leona, and Arsene and I sat down in the room with Leona. Then, not long after, Betty came in with colorful flowers. ¡°Betty, what is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to decorate Lady Leon with this, the Lady¡¯s is here.¡± Betty put the intricately woven garland on her head with care. ¡°In the wolf clan, when we marry early, we weave a crown of the prettiest flowers and put it on. It means that it is as precious and pretty as the most beautiful flower of the year.¡± Betty placed a garland on my head and combed and carefully arranged my hair. Then, after braiding it, she tied it over with half. It felt like the scent of flowers was pouring into my hair. ¡°Lady Leon has orange hair¡­¡± Betty carefully trimmed the lemon flowers and put them on Leona¡¯s head. Besides Betty, other maids also came in and helped Leona and me get dressed. Meanwhile, Ansia and Cain arrived with an invitation. Ansia gave Arsene and me a beautifully wrapped gift box and told us it was a wedding gift. And Cain¡ª. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mom told me to bring it to you.¡± Cain gave a cold reply and shrugged his shoulders. We looked at the huge carriage behind Cain. ¡°It was a wedding present.¡± ¡°I never thought the snake clan would congratulate me like this. I don¡¯t know what to do. Tell her thank you, Cain.¡± Then, Kendrick popped out of nowhere and patted Arsene¡¯s head carefully. ¡°Looks like everything is ready.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all done!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve already waited for two hours. I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Arsene groaned. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Wait a little bit. There¡¯s not much time left.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± At that moment, Arsene¡¯s face and earlobes suddenly turned red. Arsene turned his head, and soon let go of my hand and walked away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Arsene?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ is he sick? He shouldn¡¯t be sick on the wedding day.¡± Having said that, Leona had a really worried expression on her face. I shrugged. ¡°He won¡¯t be sick. If he was sick, I would probably notice.¡± After I practiced using my ability, I could sense Arsene¡¯s health, even if only faintly. So when I was next to him, I felt like I knew roughly what Arsene and his body were like right now. So I thought it was like that for everyone. ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case again.¡¯ I could only notice how Arsene felt when I was right next to him. I wasn¡¯t sure yet, so I didn¡¯t tell anyone else. Anyway, what is certain is that Arsene is not sick right now. ¡°Arsene, let¡¯s go together!¡± I grabbed the dress with both hands and ran after Arsene. I felt Ancia, Leona, and Cain following me from behind. We entered the mansion, drank cold water, and waited for a while until the servants called us. And not long after. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lady.¡± Ethan came to pick me up and Arsene. CH 95 I took Ethan¡¯s hand and moved quickly to the garden. Since the dress was for a child, it didn¡¯t drag on the ground, so there was no need to hold it with both hands while walking. However, fearing that the dress I had worked so hard to put together might get dirty, I grabbed the dress and walked carefully. And¡ª. ¡°Whoa!¡± I burst into exclamation when I saw the garden that had been beautifully transformed by the hands of the servants. It was so beautiful that it couldn¡¯t be compared to the banquet. Everywhere the eye could see was decorated with flowers, and long blue flowers stretched on both sides of the long Virgin Road in the middle. When the blue flowers swayed, they looked just like a calm lake. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so pretty¡­.¡± ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Arsene also let out a low exclamation. The garden was so wonderful that even the indifferent Arsene reacted to it! ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Everything was carefully prepared.¡± Then. Hnng¡ª. A familiar cry was heard from somewhere. I raised my head. ¡°Hector!¡± I saw a horse with a chestnut mane in the distance. Gilbert smiled happily in the distance, holding the reins, and Hector¡¯s head was also crowned with a pretty crown. ¡°Do you like it? We prepared this.¡± ¡°I like it. It¡¯s pretty¡­.¡± ¡°Ung, I like it. Really.¡± Arsene nodded. Whenever Arsene nodded, his curly gray hair shone in the sun. Soon after, Cain, Leona, and Ancia sat down, and the servants also stood full and looked at us. And. Kendrick stood at the front, in the officiating seat. The officiating table wasn¡¯t anything grand, ¡®But it¡¯s obvious that he paid attention to it.¡¯ Even the chairs on which they were sitting were left untouched by delicate touches. In fact, the wedding was just a small party for Arsene and me to enjoy. Therefore¡ª. It¡¯s like officially recognizing and welcoming me as a member of Yeckhart, A party to give me a sense of belonging and stability. But I didn¡¯t know they would decorate it this sincerely. As the music began, Arsene and I walked down Virgin Road, holding hands tightly. The maids scattered petals and colorful pieces of paper next to us. Under the dazzling afternoon sunlight, everything that was scattered shone beautifully like jewels. As Arsene and I stood side by side in front of the officiating table, Kendrick looked at us like we were the most precious thing in the world. Kendrick¡¯s blue eyes sparkled as if he had scooped out a spoonful of lake water. ¡°Linsy, Arsene. Face to face.¡± I listened to Kendrick and stood facing Arsene. Arsene was surprisingly tense and stiff. ¡®I thought he didn¡¯t even know what a wedding was.¡¯ So I wondered if this would be considered a play to some extent, but it seems that he realized that a wedding is also a kind of event. I smiled softly at Arsene, who was very nervous. Usually, I thought that he was just a friend. But when I put it like this¡ª. ¡®He looks like a cute younger brother.¡¯ A very cute little brother too. Of course, if Arsene had heard this, he might have challenged me to a duel. So I decided to keep these words a secret myself. ¡°Holding hands.¡± I reached out my hands to Arsene. Arsene hesitated for a while, then held my hand tightly. ¡°Linsy Raniero and Arsene Yeckhart, do the two of you promise to love each other for the rest of your lives?¡± Kendrick asked with a smile. There was laughter coming out little by little from here and there. ¡®Well, it must be cute¡­¡¯ So, it wasn¡¯t like being overly self-conscious. Yeckhart¡¯s servants and Kendrick, adored me and Arsene even after a nap. It¡¯s even more if I transform. ¡°Look at these soft feathers¡­ How could¡­¡± The maids always circled around me because they wanted to touch my feathers. But even if I suddenly stick out my wings to let them touch it. ¡°How dare I touch Lady¡¯s precious feathers!¡± And they often stepped away. With people like that, how cute would it look to see seven-year-olds standing in dresses and tuxedos for a wedding. ¡°Yees, I promise.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Arsene?¡± ¡°I, I promise.¡± Arsene stuttered with a red face. Only then did I realize why Arsene kept blushing whenever he saw me. ¡®So you¡¯re embarrassed!¡¯ Well, it¡¯s his daily routine to act like he doesn¡¯t care every day, but how embarrassing it must be to make a promise to love me for the rest of his life. Still, I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and looked clearly at his blue eyes. I couldn¡¯t hear Kendrick¡¯s congratulations properly because I had been looking into Arsene¡¯s eyes the whole time. Bang! After Kendrick¡¯s short congratulatory speech, I heard something explode somewhere. And. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Whoaa~¡± ¡°Whoa.¡± From somewhere, small flowers poured down like rain from the sky. This also seems to be an event prepared by servants. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so pretty. Isn¡¯t that right, Arsene?¡± I put a little flower on my palm and looked for a while, then made eye contact with Arsene and laughed. Arsene nodded as he watched the flower rain fall blankly. ¡°Eung? Yeah¡­¡± ¡°I think you seem a bit dazed today?¡± I brushed Arsene¡¯s bangs away with a worried touch. Arsene¡¯s gray hair had pink flowers stuck to it here and there. I tried to shake off the flowers on Arsene¡¯s head, but I soon stopped. ¡®Isn¡¯t it prettier to put it on?¡¯ Objectively speaking, Arsene had a really pretty face. Of course, he was twice as pretty as me. Long eyelashes, drooping eyelids. His fair skin, red cheeks, high nose, and gorgeous mouth. I often thought he was pretty. ¡®Mhm, I never thought he would be this pretty.¡¯ I glanced at Arsene with a satisfied look. Then. ¡°Linsy, Linsy! You¡¯re so pretty!¡± Leona, who was very excited, came up and held my hand tightly. ¡°I want to get married, too. Cain, do you want to do it with me?¡± ¡°What? Are you really crazy?¡± Cain answered sharply at Leona¡¯s unexpected words. But. ¡®Uhm¡­ Why is he blushing again?¡¯ It¡¯s not like they ate something wrong as a group. I ignored Cain and Leona¡¯s fight and moved on to Ansia. ¡°Ansia, thank you so much for coming today. You know, you were the only one to call because I had no friends in the wolf clan.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for inviting me! That was wonderful! I¡¯ll never see such a pretty sight again¡­!¡± I was going to let Ansia know that she¡¯s still eight, so it¡¯s a little early to say that, but I stop. ¡°I won¡¯t marry you either, you fool.¡± ¡°But why do you say that? You¡¯re such a strange kid, Leona Fernando.¡± In the corner, Leona and Cain were still fighting, glaring at each other. Ansia was at a loss when she saw the youngest daughter of the lion clan and heir to the snake clan growling at each other. To the point I felt sorry for calling Ansia here. ¡°No, stop fighting. Don¡¯t fight at a wedding.¡± ¡°Linsy!¡± ¡°But she¡¯s pushing for a fight first.¡± The former was Leona and the latter was Cain. I was good at talking nicely to seven-year-olds kids glaring at each other. ¡°Still, we don¡¯t fight at weddings. All right? It¡¯s a happy day.¡± ¡°Eung. Okay¡­¡± Leona answered in a drooping voice. If Leona had ears and a tail, it would probably be drooping. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Cain also answered nervously, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Okay, have you made up? Then shake hands now.¡± ¡°Handshake? No! He¡¯s wearing gloves!¡± ¡°Do I wear gloves because I want to, you fool?¡± Cain and Leona ended up fighting again. The quarrel between the two children was eventually settled to some extent only after Kendrick came. ¡°If you keep fighting like this, I¡¯ll send you both home.¡± With that word, the fight between Leona and Cain was over. Then we grabbed our hungry stomach and moved to eat. The meal was prepared on the terrace beautifully decorated by the servants. ¡°Sit down here, Lady.¡± Betty pulled out a chair decorated with pretty flowers. I sat down on the chair. And looked around on the table. There was a three-tiered wedding cake that seemed to have been bought at a Roselle bakery, and all kinds of great dishes lined up on the table. Arsene and I wanted to cut the cake, but the cake was so big that the maid had to cut it. ¡°You should eat only one piece of cake~.¡± She gave us a piece of cake and asked for it. The cake was incredibly sweet and delicious. The whipped cream melted away from the tip of the tongue. Everyone seemed to want to eat another piece of cake, but they couldn¡¯t eat more and finished their meal. CH 96 Ansia, Cain, and Leona all went home after the wedding was mostly over. Leona insisted on sleeping in the mansion, but Fernando¡¯s servants firmly dragged Leona away. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to! Can I sleep here, ung? Linsy!¡± ¡°No, Lady. You can¡¯t make a fuss like this.¡± ¡°The Lord said that if you make a fuss, you won¡¯t be able to come to Yekhardt¡¯s mansion forever.¡± Leona entered the carriage only after the servants had spent a long time appeasing and comforting her. Compared to her, Cain and Ansia were easy to send. Cain was so obedient and gentle that he entered the carriage immediately after the Hezeth servants asked him to go. ¡°Ack!¡± As Ansia walked, a bush caught her dress and tore off part of it, but she was okay. ¡°Oh my, Ansia!¡± I looked at Ancia¡¯s torn dress in surprise. However, Ansia smiled brightly as she hugged the dress. ¡°The dress is a bit torn, but it¡¯s okay since I¡¯ve seen such a great wedding!¡± I don¡¯t know if Ansia¡¯s maids will be okay, but Ansia said she was really okay and left. Then, after all the kids are gone. I felt strangely a little lonely. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt this way when I part ways with a friend before¡ª. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Leona, Cain, and Ancia, but it seems to be because we parted ways quickly. But, ¡®The atmosphere of the clan is not good, so there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡¯ At this point, where the Giles flower sharpens each other¡¯s nerves, The heir of the head family and the youngest daughter sleeping in another clan¡¯s territory wouldn¡¯t have such a good effect. I understood it in my head, but I felt a little disappointed when the children went. The garden where the wedding was held was being tidied up to some extent. However, at Kendrick¡¯s order to leave the flowers as they are because they are pretty, the spring flowers that adorned the mansion to the fullest remained the same. I looked at the flowers for a long time, then turned my steps back. ¡°Arsene, let¡¯s go up.¡± ¡°Mhm, let¡¯s go.¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and went up to the bedroom. Arsene and my room were now combined, so there was no need to go to another room. We flopped down on the bed as soon as we got into the bedroom without asking anyone first. The soft bed was wide enough for two small children to roll over and sleep. I said, yawning profusely. ¡°Oh, I am so sleepy¡­.¡± ¡°Me too¡­¡± Even though sunlight was still pouring in through the window, drowsiness crept in. In the meantime, to hold Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and sleep, I groped for the bed sheet and held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t let go¡­ You can¡¯t let it go¡­.¡± I was sleepy, so my voice kept hushing up. ¡°I know, I won¡¯t let go¡­.¡± It was the same with Arsene. We lay side by side and blinked our eyes at each other. Then, Arsene blinked his eyes slowly a couple of times before opening his mouth. ¡°¡­So, are you my wife?¡± ¡°Ung? Your wife? That¡¯s right¡­ we got married.¡± To be precise, we didn¡¯t do it today. We did it the other day. ¡®Still, the wedding is today, so should it be today?¡¯ I pondered for a while. But I soon gave up on the idea. It seemed faster to go and ask Kendrick later. ¡°So, do you disappear early too?¡± ¡°What?¡± I opened my eyes wide at Arsene¡¯s words and hurriedly got up. However, the person who actually surprised me seemed very sleepy. The twinkling of his drowsy eyes seemed like she would fall asleep any moment. ¡°What do you mean by disappeared early, Arsene?¡± ¡°Like mother¡­ Are you leaving early?¡± Ah. Only then did I understand what Arsene meant. I heard that Mrs Yeckhart died on the day Arsene was born. Therefore, Arsene grew up without ever feeling his mother¡¯s arms. Of course, that¡¯s the same for me. Although I was seven on the outside, I was twelve on the inside and had a second life. So, I lay down next to Arsene again and patted Arsene awkwardly. ¡°What are you talking about, Arsene? I will not disappear.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, really. Where would I go?¡± I really meant it. When I become an adult and leave Yeckhart as promised, I¡¯ll think about it again. First of all, I didn¡¯t have a place to go now. There was no time to go anywhere with Arsen talking in such a sad voice. In addition. ¡°I have to cure you. I¡¯m not going until I cure you.¡± ¡°If I get treated¡­ are you going?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Wouldn¡¯t we have had our coming-of-age ceremony by the time you¡¯re completely cured?¡± I answered a little brightly to get Arsene up. But Arsene¡¯s mood seemed somehow more depressed. I patted Arsene. ¡°I am not going anywhere without you. So don¡¯t worry and take a nap, fool.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going¡­anywhere.¡± ¡°I told you, did you see me lying?¡± At my words, Arsene dozed off and shook his head from side to side. ¡°Yeah, haven¡¯t you seen it? So sleep.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave me, okay?¡­ Yeah, you¡¯re my wife, so now¡­.¡± I laughed while listening to Arsene¡¯s muttering in a daze. Because it was pretty cute when a 7-year-old kid who didn¡¯t even know the word a wife said I shouldn¡¯t leave because I was his wife. I slowly blinked my dim eyelids as I stared at Arsene¡¯s fine sleeping face for a long time. The afternoon sun poured warm and stroked Arsene and my shin. *** ¡°Ung¡­ father?¡± As I stood up and slowly blinked my eyes, I saw Kendrick standing in the doorway. ¡°I woke up a child who was sleeping well.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m awake now.¡± I shook my head and tried to wake up. However. Pong¡ª! Perhaps it was because I was sleepy, but my body became weak, and I turned into my bird form. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been doing transformation lately? I was often abruptly turned into my bird form, but I was neither agitated nor surprised. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± ¡°Now you have quite a lot of red feathers. Let¡¯s get out, Linsy.¡± Kendrick carefully lifted me up with both hands and held me. I felt a huge hand wrap around me warmly. Then I felt like the drowsiness I had fought off for a while was starting to come back. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± I was melting almost like cake dough in Kendrick¡¯s big hands. Kendrick was troubled when he saw me trying to fall asleep again, and soon he spoke carefully to his ear. ¡°Linsy, wake up. I have something to show you.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­¡± I jumped up and blinked my eyes a couple of times to drive away sleep. Then I looked up at Kendrick and made a small cry. ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Linsy.¡± Kendrick walked away with me still in his hand. I said I would climb on Kendrick¡¯s shoulder, but Kendrick wouldn¡¯t send me on his shoulder for fear of falling. The place where Kendrick took me was Yeckhart¡¯s library. The very place where I stopped by to find a book related to prohibition first, but failed and read a lot of fairy tales. ¡®Why did we come here?¡¯ I looked at the situation by rubbing my eyes with my wings even though I was sleepy. Kendrick trudged to the end of the library, then put his hand on the wall. When Kendrick¡¯s hand reached, the library wall cracked, and a huge passage came into my eyes. I looked at the passage with my eyes wide open, forgetting I was dozing off. ¡°Chirp?¡± ¡°I found something.¡± Kendrick laughed and went down the stairs of the passage. As he took one step at a time down the passage, the sound of his footsteps could be heard. I slumped in his palm, staring clearly into the dark passageway without a glimmer of light. Kendrick arrived at another library with a ton of books. However. ¡®They all look like very old books?¡¯ All of them are well-kept, but they show signs of being old, as if they can¡¯t escape the years. ¡°This is the old book kept by the wolf clan, and this is the book brought from the land of another clan.¡± Kendrick said, pointing to the old books crammed into the bookshelves. I nodded. ¡®Looks like they were brought in during the Territorial War.¡¯ As strong as the wolf clan was, there were frequent territorial wars, so many old books must have been brought from the process. Kendrick picked up one of the open books. And then. The sound of papers thinner than a feather echoed every time the book was turned. I sat in Kendrick¡¯s hand and stared at the book he opened. Under the dim light of the library, he carefully turned the book¡¯s pages. And then. ¡°Okay, Linsy. Here it is.¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± What on earth did he want to show me by waking me up and bringing me here? I pulled my head out and looked at what Kendrick pointed at. And I opened my eyes wide. What Kendrick was pointing at looked like a huge bird. And the body and wings of the bird were sparsely coated with red color. I opened my eyes and looked. ¡®Isn¡¯t it a red bird?¡¯ ¡°Chirp?¡± The red bird is a cursed species, so publishing such a book must be strictly forbidden, right? I looked up at Kendrick as if wondering, and Kendrick replied with a smile. ¡°What you believe may not be true. It¡¯s written that way in the book. And it¡¯s old, so I can¡¯t decipher all the letters, but¡­.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± ¡°It is written that this bird was a very good bird, here.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± ¡°By the way, this is a book published by the bird clan a long time ago. That¡¯s all the evidence remains. By the way, nothing like the curse of the red bird is recorded.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­?¡± CH 97 There¡¯s no way. The red bird has clearly been regarded as a symbol of the curse since ancient times because it has been educated like that. Kendrick said that the idea that the red bird is a curse is a myth that only a few clans believe in. So I was relieved to be accepted into the wolf family. ¡®But.¡¯ On the one hand, I¡¯d rather believe that a curse exists. Otherwise¡ª. ¡®Why was I locked up?¡¯ Why did I have to be abandoned in my room alone at the age of ten? Why did I have to die alone, abandoned, and with no one paying attention? I felt like I was being denied every moment of my life. I lost my energy, like when a tower I had worked so hard to build collapsed. ¡°¡­Chirp.¡± I slid down from Kendrick¡¯s palm and released my bird form. Pong¡ª! With a small explosion, light green smoke billowed out, and the field of vision suddenly increased. Kendrick bent down and opened a huge old book for me so I could see. I looked at the page again and again, even though I couldn¡¯t decipher the ancient language in the old book. A picture of a bird that has red paint on it. Kendrick even said that the bird was written under it as ¡°the only bird that is blessed.¡± It was strange. Those words were very different from what I had heard and learned in Raniero. In addition, it was also far from what Kendrick told me before. Kendrick previously said that the clan of red-feathered birds started a war and became a symbol of a curse between the birds and some other clans. In the book, the red bird was described as a special being blessed by God. I brushed the rough surface of the old book with my fingertips. There were many things I couldn¡¯t understand. Is it because I just woke up? I felt like I would cry again, so I raised my head. Kendrick, noticing that my pupils were shaking, quickly hugged me. ¡°Linsy, what is it? Something made you sad.¡± ¡°Yes? N, no. It¡¯s just¡­.¡± I stared at the old book in Kendrick¡¯s arms. The only bird blessed. A red bird. Those words kept going round and round in my head. My head was dizzy. ¡°Linsy, if you¡¯re having a hard time, let¡¯s leave. You can go out and talk.¡± After Kendrick organized the old books, he quickly moved out of the underground library with me in his arms. I was dangling in Kendrick¡¯s arms and thinking about the book he had shown me for a long time. Kendrick hugged me and headed straight for my room. Not the room I slept with Arsene, but my own room. Kendrick sat me down on the bed and started talking softly. ¡°I was looking for some ancient books on Giles flowers. I thought it would help me investigate.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But there is such a book. A book about birds with red feathers.¡± Kendrick paused for a moment, then continued. ¡°It has been in the old book storage room, but I haven¡¯t felt the need to read it in the meantime, but after seeing your reaction last time, I thought about it and found it. If I knew this would be written like this, I wish I had read it beforehand.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Since then, I have been trying to find out if there is any other reason for the bird clan to regard the red bird as a symbol of a curse besides the incident I have told you about. The appearance of a person who used special powers was just a red bird, but the fact that it had a red color wouldn¡¯t have corrupted it, but it wasn¡¯t clear that he came to believe that because of that incident alone. So I felt the need to check the older records. However, upon investigation, there is no such record in ancient times.¡± ¡°¡­Was it really superstition?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure either. However, Linsy¡­ you just saw the old book.¡± ¡°Yes? Yes¡­ I saw it.¡± ¡°Yes, Lincy. There is no mention of the curse of the red bird in it.¡± I nodded. As for the book, even to me, it was a book made by the bird clan. ¡°So, really¡­ maybe there is no curse on the red bird.¡± Kendrick patted me carefully and continued his words slowly. I organized my thoughts in Kendrick¡¯s arms for a moment and then opened my mouth. ¡°I¡­ I mean. It¡¯s all right now, father. I¡¯m telling you, red hair doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I held back my tears and spoke quietly. I shouldn¡¯t cry. And I thought to myself. Because now I really feel like I¡¯m losing when I cry. ¡®I can¡¯t just sit and cry every time something like this comes up.¡¯ Therefore. ¡°So, I¡¯m fine.¡± It was okay that I had red, cursed feather. I couldn¡¯t understand why Raniero taught me so thoroughly that birds with red fur were cursed, or why I was treated that way in my previous life. ¡®At least I have the belief that it¡¯s not my fault, so it¡¯s okay now.¡¯ I courageously wiped away my tears and kept my mouth shut. ¡°Linsy.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded in response and looked up at Kendrick Yeckhart, who was holding me. ¡®I¡¯m in Kendrick¡¯s arms.¡¯ Not Arthur Raniero, the father who rejects me for having red feathers. In Kendrick¡¯s arms, who promised to love and adore me no matter what I looked like. So. ¡®So let¡¯s not cry.¡¯ Now that I¡¯ve made up my mind to believe that I¡¯m not cursed, there¡¯s no need to be ashamed of my red hair. I nodded vigorously. The more I chewed over my previous life and the past, the more I felt unfair and saddened, and the more it pulled me back into those broken memories. So I can¡¯t lose. Let¡¯s not cry. Kendrick must have found that old book with good intentions and showed it to me, but he seemed quite taken aback when I cried. Hehe. I laughed as if to show that I didn¡¯t cry anymore. And quickly changed the subject. He would have wanted me to be happy, but I was sorry because I felt like the atmosphere was down. ¡°Yes, thank you for letting me know about the old books. It really made me feel better¡­ By the way, did you find any information about the Giles flower?¡± ¡°No, just the things I already know. Nothing helps. But we¡¯ll find out soon. Right now, all the clans are searching every corner of their territory.¡± Kendrick nodded. ¡°It will be found unconditionally within three months.¡± Because the heads of the entire clan are looking for the Giles flower by unleashing everything from their superpowers and armies. Everyone thought so. Giles and the one who revived Giles will be caught within three months. However, despite Kendrick¡¯s boast, Giles¡¯s flowers were not found. That is for three years. *** [XX12 03.24 Searched all over the wolf territory. I unleashed the army and used my powers to unleash the shadow army into the forest. I received a report that there were beastman who lost their intelligence, but I knew it was a small happening. Linsy and Arsene rode around the garden in the carriage they were given as gifts. The carriage is pretty. You have eyes to see Lamont.] [XX12 04.01 There is nowhere to search anymore. Even after searching for a private house, it does not come out. It is said that the Giles flower grows even in a barren environment if the environment is right, so it will grow anywhere if the conditions are right. But is that condition possible in a place other than the land of Tamar? Arsene was a little sick today. Linsy treated him quickly. Linsy¡¯s ability seems to be getting stronger day by day.] [XX12 04.23 I think I saw a red light in Linsy¡¯s hand. Is it just my feeling? If it was just a feeling, the papers glowed red even when Linsy took notes in the temple. What kind of unknown power does Linsy have? Giles flower was not found today after all. Everything will be solved by finding the flower first.] [XX12 05.01 Today, I received a report that people who lost their minds were found in the lion¡¯s territory. It would be nice if Giles flowers were found. Now I¡¯m going to go to the lion clan¡¯s territory. And the riding arena and reservoir will be completed soon. I hope the kids will like it. We need to float the boat and release the fish so they can play. Children have not yet learned the hunting instinct. He will have it done when they turn ten and finish transforming. The reason I didn¡¯t ask Linsy in advance was because she was a bird. She¡¯s too small to go into the water] [XX12 06.01 What has discovered in the lion clan¡¯s territory was also just an incident. The Giles flower has not been found even today. Ester is also nowhere to be found. The child who was brought and treated by Linsy left abruptly. At this point, I wonder if it¡¯s all in vain. Linsy and Arsene took a nap today. It was cute.] [XX12 08.23 When on earth are we going to find the Giles flower? The heads of all the clans search their territories, but they are nowhere to be found. Ester is the same. Did Ester die somewhere? I wish he were alive because I haven¡¯t solved the prohibition question yet.] [XX12 12.23 The heads of the clan tried to invade the wolf territory. I defended myself, but my endurance was limited. Giles flowers should be found as soon as possible. The beastman society is in a state of tension due to the wariness of Giles¡¯ flower. Linsy¡¯s ability became a little stronger. It¡¯s just a shame that I couldn¡¯t record it getting stronger day by day. Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf also grew in size. When Arsene asked for it, the weight of the items he could ask for also increased.] [XX13 2.3 No reports.] [XX13 5.23 No reports.] [XX13 6.1 No reports.] [XX13 9.13 No reports.] [XX13 10.25 Linsy and Arsene were cute. The fur became fluffier] [XX13 11.30 No reports] [XX14 2.3 No reports.] . . . . [XX15 2.3 Giles Flower found.] CH 98 Three years later, Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. Yeckhart¡¯s old butler, Ethan, deliberately gave out a stern voice. ¡°Young Master, Lady.¡± Then a little girl who had been putting things off the whole time ran out of the room and stood in front of Ethan. The girl had beautiful red hair down to her waist, light green eyes that looked mysterious, and clear features. Linsy Raniero has grown a lot in three years but is still a cute little girl. Her plump cheeks and still-short limbs proved that Linsy was still young. It was a miracle that Linsy could stay in the Yeckhart mansion for three years. Three years ago. Arthur Raniero suddenly collapsed from an unknown illness. So, Raniero locked the door to the territory of the bird clan and didn¡¯t take part in any events for three years, cutting off all communication. Because. ¡®I could have been fine.¡¯ After Arthur Raniero had fallen, the people of Raniero didn¡¯t bother to take Linsy. People talk a lot about how they need to get ready for war with Yeckhart to get that little girl, who is now Linsy Yeckhart, back. ¡®Because it¡¯s red hair.¡¯ Linsy was regarded as a disgrace to the bird clan. Objects with problems were accidentally sent outside. It¡¯s clear that Linsy Raniero¡¯s ability and anything else wouldn¡¯t matter, so let¡¯s just let her stay in Yeckhart. It was a story that Arthur Raniero would have flagged if he had heard it. Because Arthur knew how great and amazing Linsy¡¯s abilities were. However, he hid it because he worried others would covet that ability. The others in Raniero had no idea that Linsy would have such terrifying powers. Thanks to it, Linsy was able to grow up safely in Yeckhart. ¡°Arsene!¡± Linsy screamed loudly at the closed door, and a rustle was heard inside. ¡°Ar¨Csene! Are you going to be slow?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m on my way.¡± A boy with curly gray hair walked out of the room, pulling his tie uncomfortably. Arsene Yeckhart. The seven-year-old little boy who was sick and small three years ago was now remarkably healthy. As a ten-year-old, he has grown a lot in height. Even in difficult circumstances, he grew up so well that Linsy, Kendrick, and Yeckhart¡¯s servants felt proud whenever they saw Arsene. Before he knew it, Ethan was happy when he looked at the Lady and the Young Master who had grown up. They say children grow up quickly. Linsy and Arsene fought a lot and grew up very fast. When Arsene was sick, Linsy treated him, and on days when Linsy was sick, Arsene nursed her all day. There were days when they rode a small boat together at the reservoir, and there were days when they rode horses together at the horseback riding ground. Arsene and Linsy went down to the village together, and invited Ansia and sometimes Leona and Cain to spend a nice night at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. Like any other kid. And that¡¯s what it is. ¡®It¡¯s what everyone dreamed of.¡¯ Something that the Young Master can play and enjoy like any other child. Rather than worrying about when the disease will reappear, he can go out and run and roll in the dirt. Arsene has only been sick twice in three years. Even with that, Linsy treated him both times, and his symptoms quickly subsided, and the pain was not too severe. If they don¡¯t talk about it now, it¡¯s hard to see him as a sick child. ¡°The condition has stabilized a lot. This could be considered a miracle.¡± Kendrick has kept Linsy and Arsene from going out to some extent over the past three years. It was because the Giles flower had not been found, and the other clans were being stimulated and sensitive. Instead, he allowed them to go down to the village from time to time. In addition, today. ¡°Why are you coming out just now, Arsene?¡± Linsy glanced at Arsene. Arsene laughed dumbfoundedly. ¡°You jumped out too fast.¡± ¡°You prepared it late. I want to go quickly.¡± It was the day Arsene and Linsy went to see a play for the first time. After Ethan confirmed that Arsene and Linsy got on the luxurious carriage that they had been given as a gift for their wedding three years ago, he turned around. *** ¡°What are you doing coming out so late? The preparations have already been completed.¡± As I complained, Arsene looked at me without being upset. ¡°I was just tidying up my clothes for a while. Why are you so impatient?¡± ¡°You are slow, Arsene. Are you going to take responsibility if I¡¯m late for a play?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s late¡­you can watch the next play.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no next play, Ethan said this was the last.¡± Leaning against the carriage window, I met Arsene¡¯s eyes and smiled. Arsene¡¯s face immediately caught my eye. ¡®Hmm¡­ he definitely grew up a lot.¡¯ I remembered the first time I met Arsene. ¡®Hello, my name is Lincy Raniero!¡¯ At the time, Arsene was about two fingers shorter than I was. But now, he was just two inches taller. In addition, at that time, his face was chubby and cute, but now his cheeks are quite slim because he has grown a little. I squinted my eyes and looked at Arsene. ¡®It¡¯s time for Arsene to shed his fur, too¡­.¡¯ The first shed fur and transformation. For the beastmen, the first shed and transformation were great events. ¡®Of course I was an exception¡­.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t wait to see Arsen¡¯s first transformation. ¡®It¡¯s probably a little wolf.¡¯ Will Arsene go around the mansion in the form of a little wolf? Or will he just lie down and take a nap as usual? I kept thinking it would be nice if Arsene could quickly succeed in the transformation. ¡°Is there something on me?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing like that.¡± Upon hearing my answer, Arsene shrugged his shoulders. The carriage ran quickly and arrived at the downtown area. The escort knights first checked how many people were gathered in front of the concert hall, then opened the carriage door and reached out to Linsy. ¡°Thank you~!¡± Linsy jumped down, holding the escort knight¡¯s hand as he was accustomed to. The sky-high dress rustled around Linsy¡¯s shin. ¡°Do you want me to hold you, Arsene?¡± ¡°Enough, I can get off by myself.¡± Arsene grumbled and jumped from the carriage alone, staggering for a moment. But Arsene jumped right to the front and blushed. ¡°Arsene? I heard you can get off by yourself¡±. ¡°Linsy, can¡¯t we sit separately?¡± Arsene raised his eyebrows in an earnest request, but I shook my head brightly. ¡°No, didn¡¯t you hear what father said? You and I, in the VIP seats, just watch the play and come home right away.¡± ¡°I heard, of course, phew. Nevermind.¡± Arsene let out a sigh. As Arsene and I moved on, escort knights dressed rather lightly followed us. We entered the theater and found a VIP seat, and sat down. It was a good spot overlooking the stage. In addition, the compartments were divided, so there was no need to worry about eye contact with the person next to you. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really amazing. Isn¡¯t that right, Arsene?¡± ¡°Yes, but can you speak quietly?¡± Arsene sighed. Only then did I open my mouth and look at Arsene¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is this where we need to be quiet?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you get kicked out if you keep talking with that voice even after the performance starts?¡± At Arsene¡¯s nasty words, I glanced at Arsene and immediately turned my eyes to the stage. Shortly thereafter, the play began. The title of the play is . Women in colorful dresses sang and acted together. Every time they turned round to dance, the colorful dresses spread out like petals. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ It was my first time seeing the play, and it was a new feeling. Arsene, too, seemed very focused, unable to take his eyes off the stage. Arsene patted me. ¡°Linsy, look over there.¡± ¡°There? Where?¡± I stared at the place Arsene was pointing at. However, where Arsene pointed, there was only the floor. ¡°Are you kidding me? This kind of prank¡­.¡± That moment. All the lights inside the theater went out, and soon I heard something collapsing. Then Yeckhardt¡¯s Shadow Knights emerged from somewhere and surrounded Arsene in a circle. Even in the dark, the blue necklace hanging around my neck shone softly. ¡°Take this off!¡± Arsene took off my necklace and put it in his pocket. Because the necklace is shining, it could be a situation that tells them that the target is here. I slowly looked at the situation. At that time. Whoosh¡ª! I could see Arsene using his ability. It was dark, so it was hard to see, but one thing was certain Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf had been summoned in this darkness. ¡°Go after him, bite it.¡± As soon as Arsene¡¯s command was finished, it felt like something was rushing. CH 99 Inside the theater, it was an abyss. There was a sound of people rushing toward the door as they were about to leave the theater. Then, the sound of someone being stepped on and the sound of crying as if they were injured were intermittently heard. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and waited for the situation to calm down. Fortunately, we were in VIP seats, so there was no risk of being crushed by people. But. ¡®¡­I want to go out.¡¯ I still hate the dark, but even more so when the necklace is removed. But at least there are people, so I¡¯m enduring it a little¡ª. I want to go out. I couldn¡¯t stand the desire to leave. When I fidgeted and bit my nails, Arsene told me not to do that and held my hand to calm me down. ¡°Let¡¯s go out now, it seems dangerous.¡± ¡°We will take you. Please come this way.¡± The Shadow Knights opened the way. However, it was so dark ahead that I couldn¡¯t walk properly even though I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. In the end¡ª. ¡°Let me carry you, Lady.¡± A knight carried me on his back and quickly escaped the theater. In front of the theater, people who had heard the news at some point had gathered like a cloud. The knights quickly prepared a carriage in front of the theater. And as soon as the carriage arrived, Arsene and I got on, and the knights got on the horses. I asked, meeting Arsene¡¯s eyes. ¡°What on earth is going on, this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But¡­ I saw something strange on the stage earlier.¡± ¡°Something strange?¡± When I asked back, Arsene nodded his head with a rather serious expression. ¡°It was like a human shadow. And soon after, the lights went out¡­.¡± There was the sound of the set collapsing. ¡®Did anyone get hurt?¡¯ Of course, even if there were, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to cure it because Kendrick asked me not to use my abilities outside¡ª. Still, since my ability is my ability, I was unconditionally concerned when someone was injured. ¡°By the way, we didn¡¯t even know what the situation was, so we left for now?¡± ¡°Mmhm, the knights are because of Dad¡­ they have been ordered to bring us back at once in the slightest oddity.¡± Arsene answered indifferently. I nodded and looked through the carriage window. However. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I saw once again the man in the black hood I hadn¡¯t seen since my last report three years ago. ¡°Wait a minute! Stop! Huh? No¡­!¡± However, the carriage didn¡¯t stop, and the hooded man, who was staring at the carriage, disappeared shortly after. I shuddered with horror. I haven¡¯t had anything like that in the past three years, so I¡¯ve lived peacefully. ¡®I never thought something like this would happen again.¡¯ It seemed that the knights¡¯ goal was to bring Arsene and me to the mansion safely and unconditionally. I endured motion sickness, swaying around in a rattling carriage with Arsene. ¡°By the way, Arsene, is the wolf back?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± Arsene shook his head. Earlier, immediately after the incident, Arsene ordered it to chase after something by using his powers. He ordered it to go after and bite it in the back of the head or neck. I thought of Arsene¡¯s Shadow Wolf once again. ¡®It was so big, the wolf.¡¯ It was as big as a newborn puppy when I first saw it. Now it was as tall as Arsene. As tall as he was, it was smart enough to listen well and do its job well, so I would sometimes beg Arsene to use his ability even in the mansion. ¡°Really¡­ is it fun?¡± ¡°Of course! How cute it is!¡± When I said that, Arsene would use his power to summon the shadow wolf and pretend he couldn¡¯t win. Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf has recently developed to the point where Kendrick praises him. Now, it is possible to subdue and bring one person. However¡ª. ¡°Why is there no news yet?¡± No matter how much it was running in a carriage, Arsene¡¯s ability was a shadow. I wouldn¡¯t know again if it brought it to the mansion faster than a carriage. Maybe something happened to Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf that there has been no news for a long time. Suddenly, an ominous feeling came over me. But, at that time. ¡°Grrrr!¡± I heard Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf somewhere. ¡°Come in.¡± At Arsene¡¯s command, the Shadow Wolf slowly emerged from the air. However. What it held in its teeth wasn¡¯t a person but a piece of clothing. That too¡ª. ¡®This¡­¡¯ It¡¯s familiar clothes. The shadow wolf precisely grabbed the black hood by the neck and tore only the hood. I don¡¯t know how he escaped from the shadow wolf¡¯s teeth, but Arsene¡¯s attack must have surprised him a lot. I put my palm under the shadow wolf¡¯s hand and patted the wolf¡¯s head with my other hand. Then the shadow wolf obediently spits a piece of clothing in my hand. ¡°This¡­ I think this is right.¡± I¡¯ve never seen anyone else wearing a hood like this. Besides¡ª. ¡®I saw it on the street earlier, a man wearing a hood.¡¯ Maybe what this kid snatched was the man¡¯s hat. After Arsene and I praised the Shadow Wolf a lot, we looked at the pieces of clothing. ¡°Linsy, do you know what this is?¡± I nodded my head without hesitation. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a piece of clothing.¡± ¡°No, you fool, who doesn¡¯t know that it¡¯s a piece of clothing¡­.¡± Arsene touched his forehead. I glanced at Arsene and said. ¡°A piece of clothing worn by a man in a black hood. Why, I told you. I¡¯ve been looking at a guy since before. But it¡¯s exactly what he wears.¡± I eagerly nodded while talking, and Arsene narrowed his eyes and looked at the piece of clothing for a while, then nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s take it to Dad. We might find out something.¡± ¡°Mmhm. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± ¡°This is going as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Who asked you to go quickly?¡± After exchanging a few words with Arsene, I turned my head away. The carriage ran fast and arrived at the Yeckhart mansion. When the carriage arrived earlier than expected, surprised servants came out to greet us. Ethan came out first and greeted us. ¡°Lady, Young Master. What happened to the play and you¡¯re already here¡­?¡± ¡°There was an accident in the middle of the play. What about Dad?¡± ¡°Lord Kendrick received an urgent call and left. He probably won¡¯t come back today.¡± ¡°What?¡± I opened my eyes wide when I was told he wouldn¡¯t return today. I have to tell Kendrick right away about a strange thing I¡¯ve been through today. Arsen and I stamped our feet and wondered what to do. ¡®First of all, we should wait?¡¯ I whispered to Arsene, and Arsene nodded his head. ¡®Mmhm, let¡¯s wait for now.¡¯ Ethan watched us carefully. ¡°Is there something happened?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m hungry, can I eat first?¡± ¡°Of course, I will prepare it. Please go and change your clothes first. Betty, Chloe!¡± When Ethan called, Betty and Chloe appeared and took Arsene and me to separate rooms. The piece of clothing torn by the Shadow Wolf was now in Arsene¡¯s hand. ¡®Arsene will keep it well, right?¡¯ It would be a big deal if he lost it, so I¡¯ll tell him to give it to Ethan. While I was thinking, Betty took off my dress and put me on a pajama dress. She tied my long, loose red hair together to make it easier for me to move. ¡°Lady, is there something happened?¡± ¡°Ung? Mmhm, I was watching a play at the theater when I suddenly heard something explode and the lights went out. So we can¡¯t watch the play anymore, and the knights took us right back to the mansion.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ such a thing. Lady, are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Ung? Mmhm, no one was hurt. It¡¯s okay! Come to think of it, my necklace is with Arsene, and I have to go get it.¡± The necklace Arsene took it out and put it in his pocket because he thought it would be a target. It was a gift from Kendrick in the past, so it was a very precious necklace to me. Besides. ¡®Because it shines in a dark place.¡¯ I could see it as a customized gift for me. I grabbed Betty¡¯s hand and went down to the dining room. The sound of dragging indoor slippers sounded especially loud today. Arsene hadn¡¯t eaten yet and was sitting at the table waiting for me. I casually sat down at the table and asked Arsene. ¡°Arsene, how is the clothes?¡± ¡°Mmh, but I left it with Ethan because I was worried about losing it.¡± ¡°Good job, as expected from my friend.¡± I answered back, sliced my share of the fish dish, and put it in my mouth. Arsene still didn¡¯t like carrots and vegetables, so he took another carrot out of the soup and put it to the side. ¡°Right, Arsene. You have to give me the necklace.¡± ¡°Necklace?¡± ¡°Yeah, the one you took out earlier.¡± As I pretended to take it off my neck, Arsene opened his mouth a little and made a noise as if he only knew then. ¡°Ung, it¡¯s in my room. I¡¯ll go up and give it to you.¡± I couldn¡¯t even imagine it until now. The precious necklace would have been broken. CH 100 ¡°The necklace¡­ what¡¯s wrong with the necklace?¡± I was embarrassed when I received the necklace that Arsene had returned. The middle part of the necklace was broken into pieces. As if it had hit something. ¡°Linsy, have you ever bumped into something?¡± ¡°No! I never did. The necklace was fine until just now, you saw it too.¡± I protested, holding the necklace with my eyebrows drooping out of frustration. Apparently, I was fine until Arsene took it off my neck¡ª. ¡®¡­I¡¯m not sure.¡¯ It was the most hectic time when Arsene took off the necklace, so maybe it hit somewhere then and broke. ¡°What should I tell father?¡± Looking at the broken necklace, I asked in a gloomy voice. ¡°I won¡¯t get scolded for breaking my necklace, right?¡± ¡°Of course, he won¡¯t scold you even if you break the wolf statue in front of the gate.¡± ¡°No, we will get scolded, Arsene¡­.¡± The stone wolf statue in front of the gate is a statue commemorating his grandfather. At my words, Arsene shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s what it is.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll get in trouble if I break it. I¡¯m depressed, so give me another analogy.¡± ¡°The milk bottle in the kitchen?¡± ¡°A necklace is many times more valuable than a milk bottle.¡± ¡°Then what on earth should I compare it with? Yeah, uhm¡­ the mirror in my room?¡± ¡°Surely a necklace is more expensive than a mirror, right, Arsene?¡± Arsene was looking at me with an almost fed-up look on his face. ¡°Do it on your own, it¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m not the one who breaks it¡ª.¡± ¡°No, Arsene. Let¡¯s get in trouble together. Mmh? Let¡¯s get scolded together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even the one who break it, why should I?¡± ¡°Listen, you were putting it in your pocket¡­ Couldn¡¯t it have been broken by rubbing against a sharp place somewhere?¡± ¡°A necklace this hard? That would have made a loud noise.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s true, a loud noise¡­.¡± Huh? Arsene and I simultaneously lifted our heads and looked at each other. ¡°A loud noise¡­.¡± ¡°It happened, loud noise! When the lights go out and the set goes over!¡± ¡°Did it break then? For what reason? Then¡­ No way.¡± Arsene¡¯s face turned white. ¡°Are you saying he wants to attacked you?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean? Besides, he would have used a sword or a bow if he had targeted me. You seem to be going too far with a broken necklace, Arsene.¡± ¡°But, there was a loud noise¡­ The necklace is broken¡­ Ey, I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s ask Dad when he comes.¡± Arsene, who had changed into pajamas, lay on the bed and talked. I naturally lay down next to Arsene and tucked myself under the blanket. ¡°Necklace, will you get scolded together?¡± ¡°Because you won¡¯t be scolded for something like that. You still don¡¯t know Dad?¡± ¡°But¡­ you never know. He said it was a necklace he got from the lion territory.¡± So it¡¯s probably a very tricky necklace to get and a very expensive necklace. ¡°Phew. Okay, okay. If Dad scolds you, I¡¯ll get scolded together. Is it enough?¡± ¡°Ung, you¡¯re the best, Arsene.¡± Hehe, I laughed and held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. Although Arsene¡¯s condition has improved considerably now, we have been sleeping hand in hand for three years. ¡®That¡¯s how it feels to be stable.¡¯ I felt like if I didn¡¯t do something, Arsene would get sick. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s just my feeling.¡¯ I still get anxious if I don¡¯t do what I used to do. Sleeping hand in hand was like an unspoken rule between the two of us now. It seemed to be because we slept hand in hand for three years. I lay down, looked at Arsene, and said slowly. ¡°You know, Arsene. That hood¡­ why did the shadow wolf miss it?¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t I train hard these days?¡± Arsene closed his eyes and answered, slowly opening his eyes as if he had been stabbed. ¡°No, you trained well. I saw you train hard. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the shadow wolf¡¯s fault¡­.¡± How did it tear the clothes around the neck like that? Arsene had given the order to grab his head or the scruff of his neck, so he would have gone straight for his neck if it had been severed. ¡®Could it have disappeared in the meantime?¡¯ It could have been. If the shadow wolf had escaped and disappeared in that instant, it would make sense for the wolf to come back with a piece of clothing as a trophy. ¡°¡­It¡¯s really strange. I hope father comes soon, right?¡± ¡°Mmhm, it¡¯s a little scary when he leaves the mansion.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because my dad is the strongest. I¡¯m not as strong as my dad¡­.¡± I was furious at Arsene¡¯s words and said, while pulling off the blanket. ¡°What are you talking about, Arsene! You¡¯re so strong! You¡¯re ten years old now, huh? That¡¯s how much you can use your power. That¡¯s because you¡¯re a genius.¡± ¡°I got it, Linsy¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing. Stop it.¡± ¡°If you repeat the genius three times, I¡¯ll let you sleep.¡± When I giggled, Arsene laughed along as if he couldn¡¯t stop it. *** Giles Flower was found. A report came from the territory of the Lion Clan. Lamont greeted Kendrick as he stepped into the Fernando Mansion with a pale face. ¡°Lamont, tell me slowly what happened.¡± After Kendrick sat Lamont down and calmed him down, he pushed a teacup from the table in front of Lamont and said, ¡°A report came in from the northern mountain range. I heard there are people who keep the beastman who lost their minds. So I sent the knights. However¡­¡± Lamont swallowed his saliva and said. ¡°Many beastmen lost their minds and were imprisoned in the form of intact beasts. There are a lot of them. Not only lions, but wolves, sheep, dogs, bears¡­ Biting and tearing in a cage, there¡¯s no such thing as living hell, Kendrick. But there¡¯s no way to solve it, so it¡¯s more disastrous that I have to let go of my hand.¡± After Lamont had said this far, he let out a short sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of guys they are, but they aren¡¯t the usual vicious guys. And it seems that the place where Giles grows flowers is also nearby. The two knights I sent fell asleep while looking over there.¡± Kendrick nodded as he listened to Lamont. ¡°Tell me who you talked to.¡± ¡°Who am I talking to? I just talked to you now. I didn¡¯t have time to contact anyone else¡­.¡± Lamont sighed. Kendrick nodded briefly, then stood up and tidied up his clothes. ¡°Then come out and go straight away.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me. Do you want to go with your shadow?¡± ¡°Why? Are you scared of throwing up on my shirt again?¡± As Lamont¡¯s face turned white, Kendrick laughed and provoked Lamont. Once upon a time, when Lamont and Kendrick attended the academy together, Kendrick¡¯s shadow power was used to move a long distance, and Lamont vomited on Kendrick¡¯s shirt. Lamont said with a frown as if it was unpleasant. ¡°How long are you going to talk about it again?¡± ¡°Look at what you do. Lamont.¡± As Kendrick snapped his fingers and made a sound, the surrounding shadows slowly gathered around them. Lamont hardened his face as if tired of seeing Kendrick¡¯s ability. Either way, the shadow crawled up and completely covered the two of them. And¡ª. The two disappeared without a trace as if they had disappeared into the ground. ¡°Lord, I brought tea¡­ oh my.¡± Only the maid serving extra hot tea at Lamont¡¯s order stood in the empty office. Kendrick and Lamont soon arrived near the mountains to the north. ¡°I should have brought the Knights, but since you are in such a hurry¡­!¡± ¡°Lamont, would the head of the clan use such a weak word?¡± Lamont didn¡¯t know that Kendrick had broken Lamont¡¯s pride and was only picking on the sounds of chewing. But. ¡®His intention is clear.¡¯ He seemed to want to get Lamont excited by having the two of them find the Giles flower and figure it out. But Lamont had no desire to overturn the northern mountains alone with Kendrick to find the Giles flower. However. ¡®Ah, damn it. I can¡¯t even contact anyone because I don¡¯t have any subordinates.¡¯ Moreover, it was Kendrick¡¯s ability to bring him here, so it was obvious that Kendrick wouldn¡¯t return Lamont to the mansion until he achieved what he wanted. He should have recognized him when he dared to expose the academy. Then. Pong¡ª! Smoke with a subtle mixture of gold and black light exploded! It spread out, and soon a huge black lion appeared between them. Kendrick looked at him and smiled. ¡°Yes, it would be better to look for it that way, you. If you don¡¯t know how to use your head, you¡¯ll have to use your sense of smell. Let¡¯s start at this point.¡± Kendrick pointed to the shack on the map and said, It was the place that Lamont had talked about earlier, where beastman who had lost their minds were said to be confined. CH 101 Kendrick and Lamont moved to the shack where the beastmen who lost their minds were trapped. It was rare for the heads of the wolf and lion clans to move without an escort knight, but it didn¡¯t matter to Kendrick and Lamont. No matter how many escort knights came, none were stronger than Kendrick and Lamont. The two quickly arrived at the shack in question. He could smell the smell of rotting flesh and skin from far away. Kendrick narrowed his brow. ¡°It smells nasty.¡± Since Lamont was in his beast form, his sense of smell was sensitive and painful, so after shaking his head a few times, he soon released his form. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s kind of organized now, but it was worse at first. I would send the knights again as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.¡± The beastmen who lost their wits and ran wild was bound and imprisoned, making them obedient to Lamont¡¯s ability to obey. They didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but it can¡¯t be helped. ¡®Because I can¡¯t calm it down.¡¯ Since it¡¯s impossible to treat, it¡¯s also impossible to bring back the beastmen¡¯s intelligence, and Lamont can¡¯t use his ability on all of them 24 hours a day. It was best for everyone to keep them in separate spaces. Lamont, recalling the terrible situation, moved his steps, frowning at him. ¡°Beastmen were trapped here, and knights were sent to search the area. However¡­ It frequently happened that the knights lost their minds one by one. I called you out of curiosity.¡± Kendrick left Lamont¡¯s words behind and strode toward the shack. As he stepped inside, the stench stung his nostrils even more clearly. Lamont hurriedly followed Kendrick and added his words. ¡°When the sun rises, we must contact the temple and the other clans. Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry because I know.¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s not something we can come and solve on our own, Kendrick. Let¡¯s go back and tomorrow morning with the knights¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to solve it, Lamont.¡± According to Lamont, there was a high probability of a colony of Giles flowers around here. The problem is that if they inhale large amounts of Giles pollen, they lose their minds completely. Fortunately, Lamont¡¯s knights didn¡¯t lose their minds, perhaps because they didn¡¯t get close¡ª. ¡®If we released the knights, the victims will come one after another.¡¯ Kendrick knew from his previous experience that Giles flowers didn¡¯t work well for him. He doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of Linsy or if the effect of the Giles flower that has been resurrected after a long time has gone down. So. ¡®It¡¯s safe for me to find it.¡¯ Of course, there was also a way to completely burn the area without finding it. However. ¡®I¡¯ll have to check the Giles flowers with my own eyes.¡¯ He felt like he had to see with his own eyes that the flower had resurrected to make sense of this whole situation. Furthermore. It is unlikely that Lamont will allow the lion clan¡¯s territory to be burned without proof that Giles flowers exist. Of course, if a colony of Giles flowers was really found, the whole area would have to be burned to ensure safety. Kendrick took one quick look at the stinky shack and went outside. And. Tak, tak. As he lightly hit the ground with his foot, black smoke mixed with purple soon rose and covered Kendrick¡¯s figure. And. Pong¨C! With a slight explosion, the man standing tall disappeared completely and a huge wolf with gray fur stood tall. It was the beast form of the only Alpha Kendrick Yekhart, the head of the wolf clan. Kendrick shakes his head lightly, and several wolves made of shadows stand tall around him. Lamont watched the scene in silence, then narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you really going to find it alone?¡± Kendrick laughed. [Why am I alone when you¡¯re here?] With the power of the head, Kendrick had the ability to communicate with other clans even in his wolf form. That includes Lamont, as well as the heads of other clans. Kendrick nodded, and the shadow wolves scattered into the mountains. [Let¡¯s go.] Kendrick glanced at Lamont, then took a huge front step first. *** Kendrick and Lamont soon found a colony of Giles flowers. The problem is. Because the Giles flower was growing in a dark cave, he couldn¡¯t easily step in. ¡®It is true that Giles flowers don¡¯t work well, but¡­.¡¯ Kendrick was also briefly asleep at the time, so he can¡¯t say it didn¡¯t work. So, in a poorly ventilated cave, if he gets close to the Giles flowers that have grown in piles¡ª. ¡®I might lose my mind.¡¯ If Kendrick Yeckhart lost his mind, it would be a disaster. And if Kendrick loses his mind, the whole wolf clan might also lose their minds. In fact, there are records of such cases in ancient records. Because of this, Kendrick couldn¡¯t step inside the cave and stood outside the cave to look inside. To the dismay, Lamont was the same. Lamont stood outside the cave and, with his handkerchief covering his nose and mouth, gazed at the red Giles flowers in the cave. ¡°I¡¯ll have to burn the whole cave.¡± Lamont said softly. He couldn¡¯t easily investigate this place. It was because there was a high probability of losing mind during the investigation. At Lamont¡¯s words, Kendrick nodded. The location is secured, so there will be no damage while handling it. Kendrick first used his power as a temporary measure to cover the area with a thin shadow film. It wouldn¡¯t last long, but it would keep the pollen from spreading everywhere for a while. However, at that time. [What is that?] In Lamont¡¯s head, Kendrick¡¯s voice was heard. Lamont, who was about to turn his head, looked into the cave again at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± [Hey, something seems to have fallen.] Lamont narrowed his eyes at Kendrick¡¯s words and looked into the cave. There was definitely something. A black figure¡ªso something similar to the shape of a person was placed in the middle of the flower garden. Kendrick immediately commanded the shadow wolves he created with his ability. [Bring it.] At that, the shadow wolves quickly approached and bit the shape into their mouths. And they dragged it along. Pollen flew along the way, but thanks to Kendrick¡¯s ability, it didn¡¯t reach Lamont and Kendrick. And when he finally saw the dragged body, Kendrick couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. A blue robe that can only be worn by nine members of the great elder Wolf Clan. And¡ª. Anyone can see the gray hair and the distorted face. [Ester.] Three years ago, it was the missing great elder Ester. Based on how quickly his body broke down, it didn¡¯t look like he had been dead for long. The huge gray wolf¡¯s brow was wrinkled. ¡°Do you know this person?¡± [Ester is a member of the great elder of the wolf clan. He¡¯s also the one who Linsy claim to use the prohibition. He went missing three years ago.] ¡°Prohibition? Ah, that time¡­.¡± [Yes, I was going to call him and investigate, but he¡¯s already gone. But I didn¡¯t expect to find him in a place like this.] Ester¡¯s face was distorted as if he had faced something terrible. Kendrick looked down at Ester with his brows narrowed, then opened his mouth. [Are you all right? The amount of pollen is considerable, but now.] ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s okay because you covered it with your ability. Besides, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t inhale it directly. It¡¯s much better with a handkerchief on.¡± [I¡¯m worried about how to handle the interest¡­] Kendrick narrowed his eyes and looked at Ester¡¯s corpse. Taking it and examining it was the correct procedure, but Ester¡¯s body was covered with Giles pollen everywhere. Even if the transfer was solved with Kendrick¡¯s ability, there was a concern that it would lead to secondary damage during the investigation. Of course, it¡¯s not like there was no way to deal with such a crisis when it occurred. ¡®Linsy.¡¯ With Linsy¡¯s ability, he could cure those who were poisoned by Giles flowers. However. ¡®I can¡¯t put Linsy in danger.¡¯ The rest of the clan doesn¡¯t know yet that Linsy can use her power to heal people who have been poisoned by Giles flowers. It was clear that Linsy would be in great danger if this fact was known. Because curing people addicted to Giles flowers was such a big deal. Maybe they will try to take Linsy away from the temple. Kendrick narrowed his brows again. He was, in fact, one of those people who didn¡¯t care much about what happened to the rest of his clan. Wolves had the instinct to value only their pack. So, if anyone were targeting Linsy, Kendrick wouldn¡¯t hesitate to show his teeth. ¡®I can¡¯t let Linsy be in danger.¡¯ It would have been better to think of a way to investigate Ester¡¯s corpse without needing Linsy¡¯s ability and then come back to retrieve it. First of all, Kendrick ordered the shadow wolves to return Ester to its original place. It was because Ester¡¯s body was covered with pollen everywhere, so he couldn¡¯t leave it outside the cave like this. He covered the whole area with his power, but since he used his power so extensively, the effect would soon wear off. After confirming that he brought his corpse in, he used his ability once again. As Kendrick let out a long cry, shadows crept in and enveloped Kendrick and Lamont. And the two disappeared in an instant. CH 102 Lamont and Kendrick immediately informed the temple and other clans as soon as dawn broke. The lion clan¡¯s messengers were busy scattering here and there with letters bearing Fernando¡¯s seal. ¡°Do not allow anyone to enter. Also, there may be a colony of flowers, so control access to the entire mountain range around it. Let those who live there stay somewhere else for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Lamont.¡± Knights of the lion clan led the soldiers off to the mountain range. Some of the heads of the clan, who received letters from the messenger, expressed their intention to visit the lion¡¯s territory soon. ¡°There¡¯s nothing going to be solved by coming. Tsk, how troublesome.¡± ¡°They¡¯d like to see directly if Giles¡¯ flower really resurrected.¡± Kendrick answered. A flower that was already extinct long ago. No one knew why the flower was resurrected after hundreds of years. Besides, the real problem was from now on. ¡®Who the hell revived the Giles flower?¡¯ First of all, Ester. He was definitely the first suspect because his activities before his disappearance were also suspicious. Another clan was found in the land of the lion clan, and that one with Giles flowers, so perhaps Lamont has him in mind as a possible culprit. However, since it was found as a corpse, it wasn¡¯t possible to conclude it hastily. ¡®And how?¡¯ It was recorded that the Giles flower grew only in the land of Tamar. A special place in the land of Tamar, such as a place where there is little light and the color of the soil is muddy. But such a Giles flower bloomed outside the land of Tamar. He has no idea how the flower was resurrected. The next problem is the purpose of reviving the Giles flower. This was clearer than the previous two issues. Giles Pollen had power so strong that it could wipe out an entire clan. ¡®It must be for terrorist purposes.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know who resurrected it, but it was never with good intentions. In addition¡ª. ¡®Ester¡¯s corpse¡­.¡¯ Linsy said she saw some strange powers in Ester. Dark red smoke was billowing as if it were going to swallow Ester. She also said Ester had used prohibition on her. Then, the person wearing the black hood threatened Linsy¡ª. It felt like everything was connected. Kendrick narrowed his brows, unable to shake off the ominous energy. ¡®I need to strengthen the mansion¡¯s security.¡¯ Of course, even now, the mansion¡¯s security was at the highest level. Whenever Linsy and Arsene went out, Kendrick¡¯s direct order of knights, the Shadow Knights, escorted them, and another platoon of knights followed. Still, Kendrick couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety. The fact that all the servants of the Wolf Mansion who were poisoned by Giles flowers have been cured, It may have already reached the person who came up with all this. So perhaps the most dangerous in this situation is Linsy. After resurrecting the Giles flower, if they think Linsy might be interfering with their plans, they¡¯ll be the first to get rid of it. Should he keep them from going outside for a while? Kendrick murmured something that would have looked like the world was collapsing if Linsy and Arsene had heard it, then sighed. Still, Giles¡¯ flower had been found, so he should be able to catch his breath for a while. Just how the whole clan suffered because the Giles flower was not found for three years. Of course, he doesn¡¯t know where those flowers will bloom again, so he must be focused and careful, but¡ª. ¡®First, there¡¯s something I can investigate.¡¯ While Kendrick was lost in his thoughts, Lamont was busy receiving correspondence from messengers from here and there. Lamont sighed and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with the beastmen who lost their intelligence. Everything is already bad, and it looks like they will die soon¡­ They should lead them to their own clan.¡± ¡°Is there anyone from the wolf clan?¡± ¡°Yeah. There were five corpses and three who were still alive. But it sounds like they¡¯re going to die soon.¡± Kendrick gently closed and opened his eyes as if thinking for a moment. Could Linsy cure it? Linsy heals persons who have been poisoned by Giles flowers, probably because they have recently been poisoned. Those who are in quarantine now were in bad condition, so it wasn¡¯t known when they were poisoned by Giles flowers. So. ¡®It¡¯s a gamble to let her heal them.¡¯ In this situation, it was necessary to hide Linsy¡¯s ability as much as possible. Because it¡¯s a situation where he doesn¡¯t know how much of Linsy¡¯s ability has been exposed. Kendrick quickly came to a conclusion. ¡°I will take over. I will take them to the wolf clan.¡± He takes them, but he has no intention of making Linsy treat them. If Linsy knew about this, she might want to treat it. He doesn¡¯t plan to tell her anything either. It may be called heartless, but Kendrick had a duty to protect Linsy. Because Linsy was only ten years old child. Lamont replied with a nod. ¡°Yes, I have to hand over the other clans as well¡­ Damn, my head hurts.¡± ¡°When did the others say they were coming?¡± ¡°They said they would visit sometime tomorrow. Today, we plan to hand over the beastmen who have lost their minds and prohibit access and passage in the vicinity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s tomorrow¡­ then.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Just then, the door to Lamont¡¯s office burst open again. Kendrick and Lamont opened their mouths without turning their heads at the familiar situation they encountered every time. ¡°Close the door and get out, Leona.¡± ¡°Yes, Leon. We¡¯re talking about something important.¡± Sure enough, it was Fernando¡¯s youngest daughter, Leona, who stood proudly on the threshold. Leona¡¯s orange curly hair, which swayed from her shoulders, was now down to her waist, and she was a hand and a half taller. It certainly grew fast because it was beastmen, which was clearly different from three years ago. But if there is one thing that still hasn¡¯t changed. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to come in when there are guests¡ª.¡± ¡°Uncle! Uncle, when are you going back to wolf territory?¡± Leona ran quickly and stood tall in front of Kendrick, ignoring Lamont¡¯s words lightly. Then Leona¡¯s nanny and maids ran and stomped their feet at the door. ¡°Lady, Lady! You can¡¯t go in! They¡¯re talking about something important!¡± ¡°Come in and take her.¡± At Lamont¡¯s words, the nanny and the maids rushed in and caught Leona. However, there was no one who could withstand Leona¡¯s power. ¡°Wait a minute, huh? I¡¯ll just ask this. Uncle, when are you going home?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll probably be back today. I have another business in Fernando tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then can you take me with you? I¡¯ll listen carefully, okay?¡± Leona¡¯s eyes twinkled. Kendrick smiled awkwardly. Linsy and Arsene, and Leona and Cain. The relationship between the four children has not changed for three years. The fact that the two children occasionally visit Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. So, in other words. ¡°Didn¡¯t you break the window of the mansion after saying that the other day?¡± In other words, Leona¡¯s accident has not changed. In addition, as she grew taller and bigger, the scale of accidents was getting bigger day by day. When Kendrick squinted and said, Leona rolled her eyes. ¡°That was a mistake. Really, really, I won¡¯t cause any trouble. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve met Linsy and Arsene¡­.¡± ¡°You met last week. What are you talking about, Leon?¡± Leona glared at Lamont as if to be quiet. ¡°Leon, Linsy and Arsene are busy.¡± ¡°Why? Why are they busy?¡± ¡°They¡¯re taking classes these days.¡± Kendrick said slowly. In fact, Linsy and Arsene had been taking history lessons lately. Other children originally started at the age of seven, but Linsy and Arsene were among those who started later because of special circumstances. Leona, who crumpled her brows at the word ¡°study,¡± soon said without caring. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take a class with you. Yess? Take me with you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it once you leave.¡± Kendrick said, looking pitifully at the servants struggling to pull out the tomboy and spoiled girl. ¡°Really? Really? You have to keep your promise, okay?¡± ¡°No, I never promised¡­.¡± However, Leona ran out without listening to Kendrick and Lamont as she did when she first came in. Lamont, who was watching this, cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s time for her to grow up, too, but after the first molt and transforming, she will grow up¡­.¡± ¡°Considering your case, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll grow up. By the way, it¡¯s time for Leona to do her first transforming soon.¡± If Arsene went as planned, he would soon be making his first transformation too. Kendrick hadn¡¯t expected Arsene to have transformed into his beast form and a molt. ¡®Because Arsene is sick.¡¯ However, Arsene became rapidly healthy after meeting Linsy and receiving treatment from Linsy. In addition, Arsene also manifested his powers, contrary to the words of many doctors who said he would never be able to manifest his powers. So he was going to do his first transformation soon. Kendrick smiled at the thought of the two kids waiting for him at the Yeckhart Mansion. **** And soon after, The head of the dog clan quickly visited Fernando. CH 103 Cade Castor, the head of the Dog Clan, asked to lead the Knights to visit the Lion Clan¡¯s territory. Lamont put forward a condition that he could enter as long as a minimum of escort knights accompanied him. Bringing the knights into another clan¡¯s territory was the same as challenging that clan to a duel. Cade accepted Lamont¡¯s request and set foot into the lion¡¯s territory with only a handful of escort knights. ¡°Is it true that the Giles flower was found?¡± A man with long blue hair tied up in a ponytail asked sharply. Cade Castor, the young head of the Dog Clan. Lamont nodded slowly at Cade¡¯s question. ¡°Yes, as reported, it was found east of the Hilton Mountains.¡± ¡°I need to see it with my own two eyes right now.¡± Cade stepped up. Kendrick and Lamont both understood why the dog clan was so sensitive about this. Because the dog clan was a clan that had once been on the brink of extinction due to the Giles flower in ancient times. So, they had no choice but to be more sensitive to the resurrection of Giles¡¯ flower. But Lamont and Kendrick stopped Cade first. ¡°Since others said they would come, let¡¯s go together. For now, there is no hurry because the scene has been well settled. Cade.¡± ¡°Giles Flower is resurrected, but there is no rush? You sound carefree.¡± Cade shot back sharply. He turned his head and glared at Kendrick and Lamont. ¡°Guide me right now, Lamont. I came as soon as I got a call.¡± In the end, Lamont and Kendrick had to take Cade to the Hilton Mountains. The Dog Clan¡¯s escort knights and the Lion Clan¡¯s knights accompanied them. Cade muttered, ¡°He¡¯s crazy,¡± when he saw Kendrick, who came to Lion¡¯s territory without an escort. Cade only realized the seriousness of the situation when he reached the Hilton Mountains and saw Giles flowers blooming in the cave. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It is the corpse of Ester, a member of the great elder wolf clan. He was found dead over there.¡± Kendrick said calmly. Ester¡¯s body was still unrecovered. Cade hardened his face at the sight of a colony of Giles flowers. ¡°Why on earth is this resurrected now? I don¡¯t understand why, as a member of the great elder wolf clan¡­¡± Cade¡¯s sharp eyes turned to Kendrick¡¯s face. ¡°Did the great circle of the wolf family revive the Giles flower?¡± It was the most reasonable doubt Cade could have under the current circumstances. Sensing Cade¡¯s gaze, Kendrick nodded slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know that yet. We should find out now.¡± Kendrick responded softly. Lamont also nodded. Not only Cade, but the heads of other clans visited Fernando one by one. Snakes, Dogs, Deer, Rats and Sheep. The heads of the seven clans gathered, including Kendrick and Lamont. They said they would come a day later, but everyone seemed to gather in a hurry at the news of Giles¡¯ flowers. Only the head of the bear clan, the furthest from the lion¡¯s territory, seemed to arrive late. The heads of each clan, who identified the Giles flowers in the Hilton mountain cave, uttered a word blankly. ¡°This is crazy.¡± ¡°Really resurrected? Who on earth¡­¡± ¡°No, but how? Is it possible to grow outside the land of Tamar?¡± The head of the Deer Clan formally asked for cooperation in the investigation, saying that he wanted to investigate the Giles flower. The heads allowed two flowers to the Deer Clan on condition that they were kept strictly under control so that the seeds and pollen wouldn¡¯t leak out. Kendrick uses his powers to command the Shadow Wolf to pick off some Giles flowers and retrieve Ester¡¯s body. He used his powers to cover the area as carefully as possible so that the pollen wouldn¡¯t spread and cause more damage. And. ¡°Light the fire.¡± Lamont ordered. The Lion Clan knights covered their noses and mouths and set the cave on fire. In addition, it was planned to set fire to the entire mountain range and burn it down. That way, even Giles flower seeds can be completely burned. Lamont Fernando, as well as heads of other clans, agreed to the plan. ¡®I wish there was a bear clan.¡¯ The heads of each clan thought the same thing when they saw the knights setting fire to the mountain. The Bear Clan¡¯s ability could have burned down this mountain instantly. Of course, they can ask for it when the head of the Bear Clan arrives. It was best to start burning things as soon as possible, so the knights had to work hard at first. The heads of the clan left the scene behind and gathered again to discuss future actions. Everyone seated at the round table had serious expressions on their faces. ¡°First of all, the Deer Clan is in charge of investigating the Giles flower, so I will investigate the relationship between great elder Ester and Giles flower.¡± ¡°Yeah, I need to start by checking to see if the effect of the Giles flower has worn off. There is a precedent of being cured once in the Wolf Clan¡­.¡± Kendrick laughed at the head of the Deer Clan¡¯s words as if trying to hide his true feelings. ¡°It would be a big deal if Giles flowers were distributed. Make a thorough investigation, and what about the border of the land of Tamar?¡± To the words of the head of the Snake Clan, Kendrick and Lamont exchanged glances and replied. ¡°Access was strictly controlled. So far, there is no sign of anyone entering or leaving.¡± ¡°The Lion¡¯s territory is the same. No one is there yet.¡± At that word, everyone nodded. ¡°We have to continue the searching for the Giles flowers. Seeing that it has grown like this, it is highly likely that it is also growing elsewhere. We need to investigate more carefully.¡± When the heads of both clans spoke, the others nodded once again. Lamont handed over the beastmen, who had lost their intelligence, to the heads of the clan. There was no one who didn¡¯t know that those who made these beastmen lose their minds and those who resurrected the Giles flower must be related. Perhaps they were sacrificed during the Giles Flower Resurrection stage. With mixed feelings, they gathered the members of the clan who had lost their minds and those who had become cold corpses and went back. ¡°Then I will go back and investigate. I will also take Ester¡¯s body.¡± Ester¡¯s corpse was currently wrapped in Kendrick¡¯s power to prevent the spread of pollen. Lamont nodded at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°If you find out anything, report it immediately, Kendrick. Don¡¯t even think about moving alone.¡± ¡°Yeah, then I will go back.¡± Lamont gave Kendrick the Lion Clan¡¯s carriage and knights. It was because he had to carry the wolf clan members who had lost their minds and the corpses of five people who had already died. Kendrick tried to move with his power, but. ¡°Uncle!¡± He gave up when he saw a kid already dressed in street clothes and waiting for him. ¡°You¡¯re fast, Leona.¡± ¡°My daughter¡­¡± Lamont said awkwardly. Lamont also looked like he had given up on trying to stop his daughter. ¡°Can I take her in this situation?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t let her go¡­ but as you can see, she is so stubborn.¡± Lamont sighed. ¡°There is no way to stop it, so what can I do? But since Leona is not the heir, it should be okay.¡± Kendrick left Leona, who was distractedly saying goodbye to the mansion¡¯s servants before she even got permission, and went back to Wolf territory and roughly checked his work. He was thinking of investigating Ester and handing over the Giles flowers he picked earlier to Hern. ¡®I also need to find out if anything has leaked about Linsy¡¯s abilities.¡¯ All of the servants in the second residence at the time of the incident three years ago were told not to talk about what happened that day. Still, he had to be careful. Because the atmosphere of the beastmen was vicious. Kendrick was even thinking of making a statement to all the Wolf Clan members who knew about Linsy¡¯s ability. Of course, that would take a lot of energy. ¡®It¡¯s better than putting Linsy in danger.¡¯ As Kendrick pondered with a serious expression, Lamont glanced over at Kendrick, thinking it was Leona¡¯s fault. Leona asked with a bright smile, unaware of Lamont¡¯s feelings. ¡°Dad. Can I go?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll let you go if Kendrick allows it.¡± Lamont said as if giving up. At that, Leona smiled brightly and grabbed Kendrick¡¯s hand. ¡°Uncle, can I go too? Aren¡¯t Linsy and Arsene saying they miss me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Leon. It just seemed like Ethan wanted to see you. I heard you came the other day and smashed all the sugar jars.¡± Leona was taken aback by Kendrick¡¯s words. Leona, wearing a blue vest and light brown pants, looked up at Kendrick. ¡°The sugar jar is Arsene and Cain¡­ I¡¯m not alone.¡± ¡°Then you should all get scolded together.¡± Kendrick looked down at Leona and said. Kendrick had no intention of taking Leona to the mansion. Now that the heads of other clans are visiting Fernando, the situation is chaotic by the Giles flowers. Because Leona, the youngest daughter of Fernando, visits Yeckhart too often, which could instill tension in the other clans. However. ¡°Father, when can Leon come again?¡± The way Linsy¡¯s eyes sparkled and her legs moved kept coming back to his mind. ¡®Because she won¡¯t be able to go out anymore.¡¯ For now, until the truth about Ester¡¯s mysterious death is revealed. He was thinking of keeping Linsy and Arsene from going out, so he thought having their friends around might not be a bad idea. Even though it would have been a problem if Leona broke down the mansion every time she came to the Yeckhart mansion. ¡°You have to obey, Leona, or I¡¯ll send you back right away.¡± ¡°O, of course! I really listen very well. I want to see Linsy.¡± ¡°You really listen well? Let¡¯s not talk about that.¡± Kendrick playfully stroked Leona¡¯s curly hair. Then he picked up Leona, put her in the carriage, and got into the carriage himself. Esther¡¯s body was moved after Kendrick used his powers. The carriage left the Fernando mansion shortly after. The sound of the horse¡¯s hooves hitting the ground was especially distinct. CH 104 ¡°Are you here, Lord?¡± Yeckhart¡¯s servants came out and greeted Kendrick. Kendrick ordered the beastmen who had lost their minds to be put on a carriage behind him, quarantined first, and the corpses to be buried well after funeral procedures. Before that. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The soldiers who were approaching to take care of the beastmen who were in the carriage paused for a moment at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°Wait a minute. Let the kids in first. Come on, Leon.¡± Hearing Kendrick¡¯s words, Leona jumped behind Kendrick, who got off the carriage first. ¡°Hello, Ethan!¡± As soon as the soldiers saw Leona, the youngest daughter of the lion clan, they immediately bowed. ¡°Hello, hello!¡± When Leona greeted them, her orange ponytail swayed. Ethan, who was at the front, raised his monocle and said. ¡°Are you here, Lady Leona?¡± Ethan was taken aback when he saw Leona, but soon smiled and bowed toward her. ¡°Linsy? Where is Linsy?¡± ¡°The Lady and the Young Master will come down now. By the way,Lady, you broke all the sugar jars last week.¡± ¡°Ah, it wasn¡¯t me, it was the deal between Cain and Arsene.¡± Leona shamelessly tried to lie without changing her face once. Ethan knew that Leona¡¯s words were lies, but he decided not to interrogate her because it had been a long time. As soon as Ethan finished speaking, a little girl and boy ran down the spiral staircase holding hands. ¡°Father! Huh? Leon?¡± Every time Linsy ran, a lemon-colored indoor dress fluttered. ¡°Leon! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you come and go last week?¡± Arsene asked her in a harsh voice, unlike Linsy, who had greeted her warmly. Kendrick ruffled Arsene¡¯s gray hair as if to comfort him. ¡°What do you mean by that to a friend, Arsene?¡± ¡°But Dad, didn¡¯t she come and go last week?¡± Arsene said it in an unfair tone. Leona stuck out her tongue at Arsene and said. ¡°But I came to play with Linsy? Linsy, didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± ¡°Yes, I missed you. But I think it¡¯s too soon¡­¡± Linsy smiled awkwardly. Kendrick stared at it, then called the head maid. ¡°Take the kids up. Linsy, Arsene, Leona, you have to go upstairs and play quietly. I¡¯m a bit busy today.¡± ¡°Yes, I will. Oh, I have something to tell you. What about that?¡± Linsy asked, widening her eyes. Kendrick stroked Linsy¡¯s red hair. ¡°I will listen after eating, go up.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go, everyone.¡± ¡°Mmhm, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uncle, bye!¡± Linsy then disappeared from Kendrick¡¯s sight, taking Arsene and Leona with her. ¡°Now, take care of it.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s command, the soldiers pulled the carriage and disappeared. Painful cries leaked from inside the carriage. Despite Lamont¡¯s measures to prevent the wolves from biting each other, it seems that something happened in the carriage. Tsk. Kendrick checked it out and clicked his tongue. Ethan took a step closer and said, bowing his head. ¡°Welcome back, Lord¡± ¡°Yeah, call Degon.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Ethan quickly disappeared from sight to summon the knight Degon. Meanwhile, the maids came over and helped Kendrick take off his jacket. Kendrick took off his outdoor clothes, changed his clothes briefly, and moved to the basement. The basement of the Yeckhart Mansion was so vast and complex that anyone who wasn¡¯t familiar with the structure of the mansion would easily get lost. Kendrick, who stepped into the deepest part of it, opened the locked door using his ability. It was a warehouse that was left unattended for a long time. And. Whoosh¨C! As Kendrick used his powers once again, Ester¡¯s corpse wriggled out of the shadows. Because it was covered in pollen, it was not possible to bring it carelessly, so it was moved with his power. There was a reason why Kendrick had to move to this warehouse in the basement. ¡®Because it has good ventilation here.¡¯ There were only a few ventilated warehouses in the basement, and this was one of them. However, to prevent pollen from escaping outside, Kendrick tightly covered the ventilation openings with special features. A thin, fine shadow screen was created to cover the vents. And. Kendrick used his powers again to levitate the body into the air. Dark shadows slowly gathered under Ester¡¯s corpse. ¡®It would be nice to make contact with the bear clan sooner.¡¯ Kendrick muttered to himself as he looked down at Ester¡¯s corpse. While thinking of a way to remove the pollen so that he could examine the body without secondary damage, he came up with the idea of the bear clan¡¯s ability. The ability of the head of the bear clan is fire. Using that ability, he would be able to burn the pollen on Ester¡¯s corpse. The territory of the bear clan is the furthest away from the territory of the lion clan, so they couldn¡¯t come to the territory of the lion clan today. He will probably visit the territory tomorrow or so. Kendrick was thinking of asking the head of the bear clan for cooperation. The wolf clan and the bear clan didn¡¯t get along very well, but he would gladly help with the research about Giles flower. Of course, even if the pollen was removed, it was still dangerous to examine the body, so he had to be careful. He doesn¡¯t know how many days Ester has been left in Giles flowers. But judging by how rotten it is, it must have died recently, so it can¡¯t have been that long since he was left in Giles¡¯ flowers. Perhaps the real criminal who raised the flower was caught in the shack by Lamont, and left Ester to cut off its tail. One thing for sure. ¡®It¡¯s not suicide.¡¯ Because can¡¯t kill himself in a pile of Giles flowers, even if he wants to. He would lose his minds and go on a rampage even before committing suicide, so it was correct to assume that he was killed and moved somewhere. Kendrick locked the door and left Ester¡¯s body in the warehouse. Degon and Hern came first to the office and were waiting for Kendrick. ¡°Lord, have you really found a Giles flower?¡± Hern asked hastily. Hern had been investigating Tamar¡¯s soil for three years, and his eyes had become hollow. In addition, the Giles flower that threatens the beasts is revealed. Even so, perhaps because he had discovered something new to study, only his eyes were very clear. ¡°Yeah, I checked. I also brought Giles flowers. The problem is¡­¡± ¡°The problem is¡­¡± ¡°I found Ester. Degon.¡± Kendrick finished his sentence and looked at his knight, Degon. Hearing Kendrick¡¯s words, Degon blinked his eyes slowly for a couple of times. ¡°Did you say Ester? He¡­ didn¡¯t he disappear three years ago?¡± ¡°Yes, but he was found among Giles flowers. It looks like someone killed him and threw him away. Probably the same person who resurrected Giles Flower.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°So if you dig into Ester¡¯s past, you might find some clues. Clues to those who resurrected Giles Flower. Degon, you re-investigate Esther¡¯s whereabouts three years ago. And Hern¡­¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡¯ ¡°Bring in doctors you can trust. Ester¡¯s body needs to be autopsied.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Take my command. This story should never leak out. Do you understand?¡± At the end of Kendrick¡¯s words, Degon and Hern nodded one after another. Kendrick sent the two out, telling them to get out. *** ¡°What? A necklace?¡± ¡°Shh, shh! Leon, your voice is too loud!¡± Surprised, I hurriedly covered Leona¡¯s mouth and looked around. I was playing in my room with the door closed, so there¡¯s no way other people could have heard it¡ª. ¡°Your necklace is broken? Are you serious?¡± Leona¡¯s voice was twice as loud as a normal child¡¯s, so I needed to be careful. I held out the broken necklace with a grim expression and nodded. ¡°My dad had a hard time getting this, but he didn¡¯t even give it to me.¡± ¡°Really? There¡¯s no way¡­ Did I break something so precious?¡± I was frustrated by Leona¡¯s words. I tried using my power on the broken necklace, but there was no way that an inanimate object could be fixed using my powers. ¡°Well. Linsy, don¡¯t worry. Because he won¡¯t scold you.¡± ¡°What if he gets angry? Arsene, are we going to get scolded together?¡± ¡°I know, I got it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lincy. I¡¯ll get scolded with you too!¡± Leona stretched out her chest and spoke proudly. I shook my head. ¡°Uhm, thank you, but¡­ nevermind. Because you are a guest.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve been scolded more than you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should brag about it, Leon¡ª¡± I looked at Leona, who tilted her head with an innocent expression. I have to tell him that the necklace broke later after dinner. What if he tells me that it¡¯s incredibly valuable and he can¡¯t get it again? I gloomily put the broken necklace into my pocket. ¡°Are you okay? You worry too much.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem too worried, so be quiet¡­¡± After hearing my words, Arsene looked at me with a dissatisfied expression and then nodded. ¡°By the way, Linsy, why does Uncle keep coming to my mansion lately? Of course I like it.¡± Leona said with a smile, sitting comfortably with her legs crossed. I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s still looking for Giles flowers? Of course, I feel like he has been going to Fernando¡¯s mansion a lot lately¡­¡± I blurred my words and looked at the girl sitting in front of me. ¡°Ung? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Just because.¡± I looked at Leona and smiled slightly. Come to think of it, it was time for Leona to do her first shedding hair and her first transformation. ¡®Leon¡¯s first transformation?¡¯ The other day, when Leona asked what he would do if her first transformation was done at the Yeckhart Mansion, she remembered how Kendrick hated it. ¡°Don¡¯t even say that. Leon, do your first transformation at the Fernando Mansion.¡± CH 105 Does he hate it that much? The girl sitting in front of me looked just small and lovely. Of course sometimes¡ªshe was like a little devil when she ran with a broom and broke a window on the first floor, or when she knocked over a jar of sugar¡ª. Leona¡¯s first shapeshift was expected. ¡®It must look like a cute little lion, right?¡¯ When I imagined Arsene and Leona in beast form, my heart fluttered for nothing. When the first shapeshift is successful, they usually throw a small party to commemorate the official status as a shapeshifter. Perhaps Leona and Arsene were also going to have a party if they succeeded in shapeshifting. I hoped the two children would soon succeed in shapeshifting. ¡®Uhm, of course lions are a bit scary, but¡­¡¯ Thanks to the tearful efforts of Betty and the other servants, I was now completely used to the appearance of a giant wolf. Of course, even now, if someone bared their teeth and threatened me, I might fly away in surprise. But at least. ¡®Now I¡¯m not surprised by the way it looks!¡¯ That¡¯s all, I could now take a nap on the backs of the servants who turned into wolves. The huge wolves¡¯ backs were so cozy that I used to fall asleep while playing on them in my bird form. Therefore¡ª. ¡®I hope that Arsene and Leon will soon be able to shapeshift.¡¯ Leona, who made eye contact with me, grinned. The pointed fangs peeped out. I laughed after Leona. I really wanted to see my friends succeed in their first shapeshifting. ¡­Not knowing what will happen in the future. Until now, I didn¡¯t know why Kendrick was so freaked out by her first shapeshift. Until before. *** ¡°I don¡¯t like unpeeled cod dishes. Is there anything else besides this?¡± When Leona grumbled, the servant who was serving the food bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you another one in a minute.¡± ¡°Eung. Linsy, do you like this?¡± Leona tilted her head and poked the cod dish with a fork. I nodded as I poked the cod dish with a fork and stuffed it into my mouth. ¡°Mmhm! How delicious the fish is!¡± ¡°I hate fish, too.¡± Arsene said firmly. ¡°Right?¡± Leona immediately rejoiced and asked back. Arsene and Leona looked at each other and exchanged glances, as if they had found a point of agreement after a long time. I said in a stern voice. ¡°You can¡¯t be a picky eater, don¡¯t you know? Eat it all. Yeah, eat half of it. Otherwise, I won¡¯t hang out with you guys.¡± When I spoke sternly, Arsene and Leona twisted their faces and nodded. I put the dish in my mouth, ignoring the pathetic expressions of the two children. ¡®Come to think of it.¡¯ Kendrick wasn¡¯t present. He looks busy, is he going to skip his meals? I poked a cherry tomato, put it in my mouth, chewed it, and thought. And ¡°You know, what about father?¡± When I asked the servant who was standing next to me, he bent down and answered politely. ¡°He said to eat first. He said he has business to take care of.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Is he really busy? I have to tell him about the strange thing that happened at the theater and the broken necklace. I couldn¡¯t afford to speak. After we quickly finished our meal, we went up to Arsene¡¯s and my room. The bed was very wide, so on days Leona came to play alone, the three of us would sleep side by side on the bed. Of course I was in the middle. Arsene declared that he would rather sleep on the floor than sleep with Leona, and Leona declared that she would rather sleep on Hector¡¯s stable than sleep with Arsene. So I was forced to sleep between the two children. Of course, when Cain comes to play, the story changes. The bed was so wide that four people could sleep, but the maids wouldn¡¯t allow us to sleep in the same bed because it was so narrow that we might fall. Thanks to that, Cain and Arsene used to share the room Arsene originally used when Cain came to play, and Leona and I used to use this room. ¡°But you know, Linsy.¡± Leona was the first to speak. I lay down and slowly turned my head to Leona. ¡°I, I want to see you shapeshift again!¡± Leona said, her eyes twinkling. Leona has been asking me to do shapeshift lately. The reason is that, ¡°I¡¯m going to do shapeshift soon, too, so I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± I¡¯m not sure what Leona¡¯s handprint has to do with my handprint. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± I would mostly listen to Leona¡¯s requests. Then I stomp my feet while lying down, pong¨C! A familiar explosion was heard. A cloud of light green smoke rose and obscured the view. And not long after. ¡°Chirp!¡± The view was lowered and wings were formed. Leona¡¯s eyes twinkled when she saw me in my bird form. ¡°You know, your feathers look really pretty. I wish I could molt into a red lion.¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± A red lion. I wanted to shake my head that there was no such thing. ¡®¡­There are red birds, too?¡¯ Even in the bird family, the red bird was almost an existence that shouldn¡¯t be born. But since I was born, Leona¡¯s dream wasn¡¯t completely absurd either. I flew away and stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself. Inside the mirror, a small bird with a reddish body stood tall. Of course. ¡®It¡¯s a lot bigger than me.¡¯ Compared to when I was seven years old and had wheat-colored feathers, I was in a huge state. I had grown since then, and my beak was now shiny. The legs were also thin enough to break if struck, but now they are a bit thicker than that. ¡°Chirp!¡± I spread my wings once, then flew back to Leona and sat on Leona¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Linsy, you are really cool. When will I shapeshift? Hmm? Ung?¡± ¡°How did Linsy know that, you fool.¡± At Arsene¡¯s scolding, Leona immediately drooped her shoulders. I glared at Arsene, sat on Leona¡¯s shoulder, and covered Leona¡¯s cheek with my wings. ¡°Chirp!¡± You¡¯ll be able to shapeshift in no time! Now that Arsene and Leona¡¯s birthdays were approaching, both children would soon have their first shapeshifting. Leona held out her hand to me. I got used to it and jumped on top of Leona¡¯s palm. ¡°Linsy, you are so cute¡­ look at your feather. It¡¯s soft. Can¡¯t I live in a mansion?¡± ¡°Are you crazy, Leona Fernando?¡± At Leona¡¯s words, Arsene suddenly jumped up in anger and hurriedly stood up. ¡°Chirp!¡± I quickly spread my wings and mediated between the two. And I glared at Arsene once more. ¡®Where did you learn those words?¡¯ These days, we often hang out at the gymnasium, and Arsene seems to have learned from hearing the knights talk. I glared at Arsene, determined to tell Kendrick about Arsene¡¯s tone. ¡°Why? Anyway, Linsy¡¯s house is Raniero. But she lives in Yeckhart. Then, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to live in Fernando as well?¡± Leona again engaged in a war of nerves with Arsene by playing arbitrary logic. Arsene looked at Leona with his mouth open as if he were dumbfounded, and said with a blush. ¡°What are you talking about! Linsy is married to me, so she lives in Yeckhart!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ Linsy, do you want a divorce? How about marrying my brother? My brother is also the heir.¡± ¡°Hey! Are you crazy?¡± Eventually, Arsene and Leona got entangled and rolled on the bed. Fortunately, neither of the children seemed to fight seriously. Pong¡ª! I quickly shapeshifted and stood tall in front of Arsene and Leona. I put my hands on my waist and glared at Leona and Arsene. ¡°Leon, Arsene. Why are you fighting? Father said that if you fight, he will scold you.¡± ¡°But that kid!¡± ¡°Arsene hit me first.¡± The former was Arsene and the latter was Leona. Even though Leona was a girl, Arsene never pushed her back by force. That would be the case, because Leona was the youngest daughter of Fernando, the head of the lion clan, a beast among beasts. If the two of them fought sincerely, it was obvious that Arsene would lose. Arsene is also the successor of Yeckhart, the head of the wolf clan, but Arsene is weak. Furthermore. ¡®It¡¯s not completely cured yet¡­¡¯ All other clans know that Arsene has been cured. Not only that, but also all of the wolf clan. But me, Kendrick and Arsene knew the truth. ¡®Arsene is not completely cured.¡¯ Although I¡¯ve been treating him with care for three years, it¡¯s not completely cured. The spots still remaining on Arsene¡¯s body proved it. With steady treatment, the symptoms are quickly suppressed, so it seems to be cured. Phew, I sighed. Being with Arsene and Leona made me feel like I was taking care of two children. It¡¯s okay to take care of two kids, but¡ª. At that time. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. CH 106 ¡°Come in~¡± At the sound of a knock that came at the right time, I turned my head while shouting happily. Leona and Arsene also turned their attention away from each other and looked at the door. ¡°Lady, Young Master. The Lord is looking for you.¡± The servant who opened the door and entered, bowed deeply to him and said, ¡°Father? ah!¡± It was only then that I remembered Kendrick asking me to talk after dinner. ¡°Eung, I will go now. Let¡¯s go, Arsene.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. Leona Fernando, you stay here.¡± Arsene gave Leona a mean look and said. Every time he laughed, his sharp fangs protruded. ¡°What? I¡¯m coming, too! I¡¯m going to talk to him, too!¡± Leona didn¡¯t like being left alone in her room, so she jumped up after us. Seeing Leona like that, the servant looked very troubled. ¡°It¡¯s not possible. The Lord told me to come only with the Lady and the Young Master¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Leon. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯ll take a long time.¡± ¡°Arsene, why are you being childish?¡± When I criticized him, Arsene made an unfair look. It seemed quite unfair to have a fight with Leona just now. ¡°Can I go too? I¡¯ll just eavesdrop outside the door¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that eavesdropping is a problem?¡± ¡°Be quiet, Arsene.¡± Leona growled again. Arsene also growled at Leona without losing. I watched the two children¡¯s growls and shook my head. ¡®They¡¯re going to shapeshift soon.¡¯ It¡¯s because they make wolf and lion cries so well even when they¡¯re not in their beast form. At Leona¡¯s complaint, only the attendant who had come to pick us up had a puzzled look. Then, Betty appeared from behind the attendant. ¡°No, Lady Leona. He only called the Lady and the Young Master. Instead, I will play with you.¡± Betty smiled sweetly and stretched out her arm towards Leona. Leona nodded her head with a bitter expression. ¡°Betty!¡± ¡°Come on, Lady~¡± Leona hugged Betty tightly and looked at me with her resentful eyes. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ If she looks at me with those eyes, my heart will be weak. But this wasn¡¯t a problem that I could solve if my heart was weak, so I took Arsene¡¯s hand and said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Leon. Let¡¯s go, Arsene.¡± ¡°Mmhm, you stay here.¡± Arsene fought Leona until the very end and then grabbed my hand tightly. Then Arsene and I ran past the attendants and made our way to Kendrick¡¯s office. I walked faster when I thought about Kendrick, who would be waiting. He was arguing with Leona, so they¡¯re running late. ¡°Come quickly, Arsene!¡± As I jumped up, Arsene frowned and followed me. ¡°Don¡¯t run, what are you going to do if you fall?¡± ¡°You sound like an adult¡­¡± I glanced at Arsene, held Arsene¡¯s hand, and walked slowly again. It wasn¡¯t long before we arrived at the door of Kendrick¡¯s office. Knock, knock. As I knocked, I heard Kendrick¡¯s voice from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Without hesitation, I grabbed the doorknob and turned it. Previously, the doorknob was a bit high, so I had to lift the tip to open the door. Now that I¡¯m a little bigger, I don¡¯t have to lift my toes when I grab the doorknob and turn it. ¡°Did you call~?¡± ¡°Did you call?¡± When I slightly bowed my head and greeted him, Arsene followed. Kendrick was sitting at his wooden desk in the office, and then he stood up. ¡°Yeah, you said you have something to say.¡± Kendrick sat down on the sofa accustomed to it, and pointed slightly at the sofa as if inviting us to sit on it too. I quickly sat down on the sofa with Arsene and nodded. ¡°Yes, I have something to say. Many things happened while father was away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, some really weird things happened while Dad was gone.¡± Arsene nodded as if agreeing with me. Upon hearing our words, Kendrick¡¯s eyes narrowed for an instant. ¡°Strange thing?¡± ¡°Yes, Arsene. Take it out.¡± ¡°That? What?¡± ¡°No, you know what the shadow wolf brought.¡± A piece of hood believed to be worn by the criminal who fled the theater. However, Arsene frowned as if pondering for a moment, ¡°Ah, right. I forgot. Ethan is keeping it.¡± ¡°What? You should have brought it earlier.¡± Arsene said, shrugging his shoulders shamelessly. ¡°Dad called me so suddenly that I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Then call Ethan.¡± Kendrick put an end to the situation. He rang the bell and called for Ethan, and Ethan came to the door soon after. ¡°Did you call, Lord?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard you keep Arsene¡¯s things, Ethan.¡± ¡°Young Master¡¯s thing? Oh, you mean that piece of clothing? Of course I keep it well.¡± Ethan returned shortly after, carrying a torn piece of clothing wrapped in blue velvet. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± ¡°Yeah, this is it. Thanks, Ethan.¡± Arsene nodded, Ethan put the piece of clothing on the table and left the room. Kendrick glanced at the scraps of clothing Ethan had left behind. Arsene and I looked at each other¡¯s faces at the same time. ¡®I will tell him?¡¯ ¡®Mmh, tell him.¡¯ Arsene passed it on to me. I nodded, then turned my gaze to Kendrick. ¡°Not long ago, you allowed me to go out to see a play.¡± ¡°Yes, was the play fun?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Actually, I haven¡¯t seen all of them. There was an accident in the middle of the play.¡± ¡°Accident?¡± Kendrick asked. I blinked my eyelids and opened my mouth. ¡°Yes, in the middle of the play, the light in the theater went out and the set collapsed.¡± ¡°It was a mess.¡± Kendrick nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, I received a report from the Shadow Knights. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not hurt anywhere¡­¡± I pondered for a moment. Would it be better to start by talking about the broken necklace or the clothes the Shadow Wolf tore? ¡®As expected, I¡¯d better talk about clothes first.¡¯ I¡¯m not delaying it because I¡¯m afraid of being scolded. I soon made up my mind, pointing to the torn clothes and saying. ¡°Arsene said he saw someone behind the stage before the stage collapsed. So I asked the Shadow Wolf to bite¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°It failed. It just came back with this.¡± Arsene said with a grim expression, pointing to the torn piece of clothing. ¡°The Shadow Wolf missed its target?¡± There was a hint of doubt in Kendrick¡¯s voice. Even so, no one could have imagined that Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf would miss its target. Because Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf was that good. Three years ago, when he first manifested his ability, he only had to ask for a couple of biscuits. ¡®It¡¯s different now.¡¯ The Shadow Wolf didn¡¯t miss the target it had set once, and even would readily ask for an adult man. Until now, Arsene¡¯s Shadow Wolf had never missed its target. Except for getting scolded and stopped by Chloe for trying to steal a basket of biscuits¡ª. But Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf missed its target, Kendrick seemed quite shocked. ¡°Arsene, you know it¡¯s not your lack of ability.¡± Kendrick was first to comfort Arsene, who seemed depressed at first. He seemed worried that Arsene would blame him for this. Arsene nodded his head. ¡°Eung, I know.¡± ¡°And I want to tell you something about these clothes¡­ It¡¯s exactly the same as the person I mentioned before.¡± ¡°The person you said was watching you and wearing a black hood.¡± ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t seen it lately¡­ is he back?¡± When I asked cautiously, Kendrick looked at the torn piece of clothing for a while before opening his mouth. ¡°Maybe it is. Bad timing.¡± He narrowed his brows as if thinking about something. ¡°I will investigate first. Linsy, Arsene, you¡¯d better stay inside the mansion for the time being. The atmosphere of the beastmen society is not good.¡± ¡°The atmosphere? What happened?¡± ¡°Yes, the Giles flower has been found.¡± Kendrick pursed his lips for a moment, as if to say something more, then finally closed his mouth. ¡°So everyone is nervous. Now that I know Giles flowers grow outside of Tamar, I don¡¯t know where else they might grow. We don¡¯t even know how far it has spread in the beasts¡¯ territory.¡± Kendrick¡¯s expression was very serious when he said that, so Arsene and I nodded. ¡°So it would be better to stay inside the mansion for the time being. If you¡¯re bored, ride a small boat with Leona. Or you could ride and play with Hector.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arsene and I answered calmly. Then, Arsene poked me with his elbow. ¡®Eung?¡¯ As I turned to Arsene, Arsene glanced at the pockets and whispered. ¡®You, that thing. You have to say that.¡¯ That thing? Ah, right! Only then did I notice the existence of a broken necklace in my front pocket. CH 107 ¡°Looks like we have more to talk about.¡± Kendrick laughed and talked as Arsene and I exchanged glances. Startle. I smiled awkwardly and held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. And ¡°That, I have something to tell you¡­¡± ¡°Say it comfortably, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Kendrick has never properly scolded me since I came to the Wolf¡¯s mansion. The only time Arsene and I were scolded was when we stole cookies from the kitchen together with Leona. But still, I was a little scared to talk about it. ¡®I heard it¡¯s a very precious necklace.¡¯ Leona said that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Lamont, the head of the Lion family, to get it. But even if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s precious, you can¡¯t break it! However, since I can¡¯t hide it forever, I hesitantly took out the necklace from my pocket. ¡°This one¡­¡± Then, looking at Kendrick¡¯s eyes, I carefully held out the necklace. ¡°Why is this?¡± ¡°That, when the incident happened in the theater, the necklace shone and I took it off my neck.¡± ¡°I told her to take it off, because it looked dangerous with only Linsy visible in the dark.¡± Arsene interrupted. Kendrick briefly praised Arsene, saying he did well, and listened to my story. ¡°I took it off¡­ But later I found out that the necklace was broken.¡± Hearing my words, Kendrick gave me a rare look of surprise. He picked up the necklace and placed it in the palm of his hand, examining it carefully. I glanced at the cracked jewel and buried my face in my palm. ¡®I should have taken good care of it.¡¯ He said it was very precious, so I had nothing to say even if I was scolded. Glancing at Arsene, Arsene raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. ¡®We¡¯re going to get scolded together, right?¡¯ ¡®I told you we¡¯re not going to get scolded.¡¯ As if Kendrick had heard us whispering, he said, lightly holding the necklace. ¡°I guess you were hesitant because you were afraid you would get scolded.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you said it was precious. Besides, Leon also said that it was an incredibly precious necklace¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a precious necklace. But, Linsy, this necklace can¡¯t be broken with your own power.¡± ¡°Yes, I was wrong¡­ yes?¡± I kept my mouth shut and nodded, then raised my head in surprise at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°This is a sapphire with a canned light from a mine in the territory of the lion clan. Not only can it be mined only in that mine, but it is so rare that it rarely comes out in that mine.¡± ¡°The necklace¡­ was so precious.¡± I gulped and looked back at the broken necklace in Kendrick¡¯s hand. Kendrick continued, running his fingers through the necklace. ¡°But there is another reason why this gem is rare. That is, this jewel will never break with any force. Even when crafting, craftsmen must work in a special way over a long period of time. But there is only one occasion when this jewel breaks.¡± ¡°What is it¡­?¡± ¡°It is said that if the owner of the jewel feels a threat to their life, it will break. Although it is a myth passed down in the lion clan.¡± ¡°¡­A threat to life?¡± ¡°Yes, Linsy. I think the jewel was broken because someone tried to attack you.¡± Arsene gave me a resentful look as if asking why I didn¡¯t believe it and pounded his chest. ¡°That¡¯s right, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m giving it to you as a present. I gave it as a gift hoping that nothing dangerous would happen. However¡ª that¡¯s a strange thing. I¡¯ll take the necklace for now. I¡¯ll have to talk to Lamont.¡± ¡°Yes, it is precious¡­I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t keep it properly.¡± ¡°I think I said it wasn¡¯t something to apologize for, but it seems you listen to my words with the back of your ear again. My daughter-in-law.¡± (t/n : Listen with the back of one¡¯s ear means to listen to what others say in a careless and cursory manner.) Kendrick said in a playful tone. I shook my head. ¡°N, no! I didn¡¯t listen with the back of my ear!¡± There¡¯s no way! At that time, Arsene opened his mouth in a triumphant tone. ¡°Look, I said you wouldn¡¯t get scolded, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but if you eat a jar of sugar, you¡¯ll get scolded, so don¡¯t go into the kitchen.¡± Kendrick said firmly. When Leona came to play for the first time, Arsene and I fell for her trick and went into the kitchen looking for cookies, breaking all the sugar pots. Thanks to that, the kitchen was devastated and I heard that the cooks cleaned the kitchen all day. ¡®They must have had a hard time¡­¡¯ Arsene answered yes by nodding his head and looking a little sad. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Then go and rest now, I think Leon is waiting for you.¡± Kendrick said, turning his eyes out of the door. We followed Kendrick and slowly turned our gaze. ¡°Just waiting¡­ No¡­ I know¡­¡± From outside, Leona¡¯s voice could sometimes be heard. It seems that she followed us after all. A small smile crept across Kendrick¡¯s lips. ¡°Go out. Good night, kids.¡± ¡°Yes, good night, father!¡± ¡°Good night, Dad.¡± Arsene and I greeted Kendrick side by side and hurriedly opened the office door. Then. Bang¨C. Apparently, she had been listening to the door of the office, and as soon as we opened the door, Leona fell to the floor. I was surprised, so I asked as I lifted Leona up. ¡°Oh my. Leon, are you okay?¡± ¡°Eung? Eung, I¡¯m fine!¡± Leona immediately smiled broadly and vigorously grabbed my hand and jumped up. ¡°So what if you put your ear to the door and eavesdrop?¡± Arsene grunted and looked at Leona. Leona immediately opened her eyes in a triangle and glared at Arsene. ¡°It¡¯s because you guys aren¡¯t coming out soon. Do you know how much I struggled to get rid of Betty?¡± ¡°Why are you leaving Betty out¡­¡± ¡°Betty won¡¯t let me go. I want to be with you.¡± Leona¡¯s expression when she said that seemed a little depressed somewhere. ¡°Actually, my dad and nanny say that. I might not be able to go to the Wolf Mansion much now. So now, right now! We have to play a lot!¡± ¡°So Sir Lamont too¡­ Kendrick just said the same thing. The atmosphere in the beastmen society must be very bad.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything about the person wearing black hood, in case Leona was worried or scared. We chatted and returned to the room. ¡°So, so what about the necklace? Are you scolded, Linsy?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not scolded. He just said he would find out.¡± I shook my head, and Leona vigorously nodded her head. ¡°That¡¯s a relief! I knew you wouldn¡¯t get scolded, because you¡¯re kind.¡± ¡°But if you break the sugar jar again, they will scold you, Leon. You¡¯re not going to be very nice if you just wake up again.¡± I said firmly. ¡°Eung¡­ okay.¡± Leona immediately shut her mouth and nodded her head. ¡°Eung, good girl. Do you want to get up and go to the riding arena? Let¡¯s play with Hector.¡± ¡°Yeah! You know, my Dad said he would give me a small horse as a gift if I succeed in my first shapeshift.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Eung, maybe not as big and cool as Hector! Still, I¡¯m really looking forward to it!¡± Leona¡¯s eyes sparkled non stop as she spoke. ¡°First shapeshift¡­ Leon, when is your birthday?¡± ¡°Me? My birthday¡­ I have about two months left.¡± The first shapeshift is not necessarily done only on birthdays, Usually, there were many children who had their first shapeshift on their birthdays. ¡°Two months¡­ I have three months left.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it faster! I will become an adult before you.¡± ¡°You fool, doing shapeshifting doesn¡¯t make you an adult. In that sense, Linsy became an adult at the age of seven.¡± Arsene scolded Leona. But Leona didn¡¯t seem to listen to Arsene. She closed her eyes and seemed to be imagining the day she would make her first shapeshift. ¡°You know, it would be really cool if I was shapeshifted. But if I turn into it, will I have black hair?¡± ¡°Because the Fernand family¡¯s characteristic is black hair¡­ What if there¡¯s no big change?¡± Leona raised her eyebrows in regret. ¡°I like my orange hair. Or I want to have red hair like you. Black hair is dull¡­ it¡¯s boring. You have no idea how boring and dull Aslan¡¯s hair looks.¡± ¡°But I heard that black hair is a characteristic of the Fernando family?¡± ¡°My mother said, maybe I won¡¯t inherit the family characteristics! I wish¡­¡± Normally, you would hope to inherit family traits. Leona was a really unique kid. From the fact that she said she couldn¡¯t inherit the family characteristic, it was clear how lovingly and preciously the youngest daughter was raised by Fernando of the lion clan. I smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, you will have your first shed and your first shapeshift with the hair color you want.¡± Leona with black hair, I couldn¡¯t imagine. Leona¡¯s pretty orange hair, like now, suited her well. When I smiled brightly, Leona looked at me and smiled at me. CH 108 Leona wanted to invite Cain and Ancia as well, since they had all met together. However, when Ancia was ten years old, she had to take classes, so she couldn¡¯t come to play often, and Cain¡ª. ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± ¡°W, why?¡± ¡°The Snake Clan territory is too far away. Besides, Cain is the only heir to the Snake Clan. If Cain goes to Yeckhart without a guardian, other beastmen will pay attention.¡± Kendrick said firmly. I understand Kendrick¡¯s point. Leona has an older brother who will take over the position of successor, so it doesn¡¯t matter much if she visits the Yeckhart mansion at this time, but¡ª. ¡®Because Cain is an only child.¡¯ In addition, the Snake Clan¡¯s abilities were dangerous to deal with, so Cain lived wearing gloves every day. So, Cain hadn¡¯t been able to visit Yeckhart¡¯s mansion often before. Even more so now. Last week, it was hard for him to come here, so he didn¡¯t seem to be able to come play for a while. Leona, who took a step back, had a very regretful expression on her face. I whispered in Leona¡¯s ear. ¡°But Leon, you don¡¯t really like playing with Cain.¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s different from that. Aside from how shameless he is, it¡¯s more fun to play with more people.¡± Leona grumbled. Uhm, so that means he¡¯s still shameless¡­ If Cain had heard it, it was a word that would have made him go crazy. After being bitterly rejected by Kendrick, we went back to our room after breakfast. It was because today was the day that Mr. Hern looked at Arsene¡¯s body. Mr. Hern seemed very busy these days, but he used to examine Arsene¡¯s body and carefully examine me and Leona¡¯s body. As I waited for a while in bed, I heard a knock on the door. Knock, knock. ¡°Good morning. Lady, Young Master. And Lady Leona.¡± ¡°Hern, good morning~¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± Seeing us greet each other, Leona nodded and said. ¡°Good morning~.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you¡¯re active this morning. Then¡­ I¡¯m going to check on the Young Master¡¯s condition for a while, so would you mind leaving for a moment?¡± Leona and I nodded without hesitation. This is because I knew that when Mr. Hern examined Arsene¡¯s body, he took off his clothes and checked for spots. Of course, Leona didn¡¯t know that, but when I went out, she would follow me. I grabbed Leona¡¯s hand and jumped out of bed. ¡°Please call me when you¡¯re done!¡± ¡°Please call me when you¡¯re done~.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll call you right away when it¡¯s over, so stay in front of it.¡± We nodded and left the room. Of course, I didn¡¯t forget to close the door tightly. Most of Arsene¡¯s examinations didn¡¯t take long, so Leona and I squatted down in the hallway. Seeing us like that, the maid who was passing by opened her eyes wide in surprise. ¡°Lady, Lady Leona! Why are you doing this? Can I bring you a chair?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay because we¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I nodded vigorously, and the maid passed by with a smile. Arsene¡¯s examination ended really quickly. Click. Mr. Hern opened the door and turned his head from side to side and looked around the corridor. It seems that he couldn¡¯t see us because we were squatting underneath. ¡°Where did they go¡­ that¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± When Leona jumped up immediately, Mr. Hern opened his eyes wide in surprise. ¡°You surprised me. Lady Leona, I was surprised¡­ You can come in now.¡± Mr. Hern smiled lightly and took me and Leona into the room. Arsene was seen buttoning up his buttons again. ¡°What about Arsene? Is he okay?¡± ¡°Yes, he is in very good condition. It¡¯s been several months since he hasn¡¯t had any symptoms. I wish it would go just as it is.¡± Mr. Hern picked me up and put me on the bed when he answered. And he meticulously examined my neck, ears, and stomach. ¡°The Lady is also in good health, it¡¯s a relief. Then¡­¡± ¡°Can I do it again?¡± ¡°Of course, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to get it while you¡¯re here?¡± Leona grumbled, but sat calmly in bed and gave Mr. Hern her hand, perhaps thinking of Lamont¡¯s words. Lamont had heard that there was a deer clan doctor at the Wolf Mansion as the main doctor, and had just asked for Leona¡¯s treatment. It was only natural that he couldn¡¯t meet the deer clan¡¯s doctor at any time. Mr. Hern carefully examined Leona¡¯s body, then narrowed his eyes. ¡°Please open your mouth a little wider.¡± ¡°Like¡ª this?¡± ¡°Yes, oh dear. You have a decayed tooth.¡± Mr. Hern looked at Leona¡¯s molar for a long time and said, ¡°What? Really?¡± I used both hands to hold Leona¡¯s mouth open and look inside it. Indeed, the top of one molar was slightly browned. ¡°You eat sweets like that every time, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ I really haven¡¯t eaten much lately.¡± Leona, who said that, had a very sad expression on her face. I carefully put my finger in Leona¡¯s mouth. And, Tuk. When I tapped Leona¡¯s decayed molars, a group of light green light burst from my fingers and covered the tops of Leona¡¯s teeth. And. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it.¡± As soon as I finished speaking, Mr. Hern looked into Leona¡¯s mouth again. Leona¡¯s teeth were perfectly healed by my ability. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s enough. But Lady Leona, you can¡¯t just rely on Lady Linsy¡¯s ability and eat sweets like that. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Eung, I know¡­¡± Leona nodded her head. ¡®Well, Leon has been eating a lot of things with sugar lately.¡¯ She ate a lot of sweets from Roselle Bakery, and also ate a lot of cakes made by the patissier in the mansion. It would have been more interesting if her teeth didn¡¯t go bad. I fiddled with Leona¡¯s soft cheeks, thinking that I should stop her from eating sweets from now on. ¡°Everything else is fine. Take a good rest now, I¡¯ll go out now. If you need to find me, please call the servants. You can¡¯t come by yourself. I often leave my room these days.¡± Leona, who had been quietly listening to Hern¡¯s words, raised her head and said. ¡°You aren¡¯t in your room these days? Then where are you?¡± ¡°I am in the lab. I mean, I¡¯m a bit busy these days. If you ask the servants to call me, they will come soon¡­¡± ¡°Lab?¡± I saw Leona¡¯s eyes twinkle. Arsene, Hern, and I all felt at the same time that something was wrong with her. ¡°So the lab is correct, but it¡¯s not the interesting place that Leona thinks it is¡­¡± ¡°Lab! I really wanted to go to the lab!¡± Leona eventually brought out ¡®that word¡¯. Mr. Hern looked astonished when he heard Leona¡¯s words. That¡¯s because Leona had a personality that decided to do it only when she had to do it. ¡°Hey, Leon. Wouldn¡¯t the lab be a bit boring? I¡¯d rather go to the reservoir and take a dinghy, Arsene, what do you think?¡± I laughed awkwardly and tapped Arsene with my elbow. Arsene looked at us with an uninterested glance, and soon nodded to match the rhythm. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Hern¡¯s lab. It will be the most boring thing in the world. Let¡¯s go for a boat ride.¡± ¡°The most boring thing in the world¡­¡± ¡°But, I¡¯ve never been to a lab before! What do you do there? I want to go there. Can¡¯t I do that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, there are many dangerous things in the lab¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t touch anything! Can I?¡± Leona nodded vigorously. Hern looked troubled. It was because Leona wasn¡¯t a child who could be stopped. Most of the accidents in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion kitchen were caused by Leona. When the cooks let them come and go without fail, they ate something, and when they weren¡¯t allowed to go in, they sneaked in to eat snacks and got into trouble. So if he doesn¡¯t let them come to the lab, they might sneak in again¡ª. The gazes of Mr. Hern and I met in the air. It seemed that we both had terrible imaginations at the same time. But then. Knock, knock. ¡°Come in!¡± At the sound of a knock to evoke the atmosphere, I called out quickly. Then a maid came in, bowed her head, and opened her mouth. ¡°Sir Creighton Hezeth visited the mansion with Young Master Cain, so I came to tell you.¡± ¡°Cain?¡± I immediately asked back at the unexpected news. It was morning when I heard that it would be difficult to meet Cain for a while, but Cain came to the mansion. The maid nodded. ¡°He is waiting for you downstairs with Sir Creighton.¡± It seems that the head of the Hezeth family, Creighton Hezeth, visited the Wolf Territory because he had something to say to Kendrick. ¡®That¡¯s why Cain must have come too.¡¯ Great! I grabbed Leona¡¯s hand and jumped off the bed. ¡°Leon, did you hear? Cain is here!¡± ¡°Eung, I heard it. We can look around the lab with Cain~. Cain must have been in the lab for the first time, right?¡± ¡°Cain wouldn¡¯t really want to go¡­¡± Arsene, who had been quietly listening to Leona¡¯s words, added a word. I let out a sigh when Leona¡¯s interest in the lab didn¡¯t change despite Cain¡¯s arrival. And it was the same with Mr. Hern. CH 109 I took Leona and Arsene down the spiral staircase. ¡°Leon, don¡¯t run! You will get hurt!¡± Leona seemed excited about Cain¡¯s unexpected arrival, and she jumped up and down the stairs. Leona always said that Cain was shameless or boring, but her friend seems to still be a friend. Creighton didn¡¯t show up, and it seems like he went with Kendrick. Only Cain was in the garden with the Snake Clan knights. ¡°Cain!¡± She waved her hand, calling Cain¡¯s name aloud, and Cain looked at her. The fine black hair fluttered along Cain¡¯s gaze. Cain opened his mouth while touching his hands with blue gloves on. ¡°Hello, Lincy.¡± ¡°Welcome, Cain. How have you been doing?¡± Maybe he spoke awkwardly because Leona made him nervous. We met last week, but Cain didn¡¯t meet as often as Leona did. ¡°We met not too long ago to ask how I¡¯ve been.¡± ¡°He used the annoying tone again¡­ let¡¯s just go.¡± When Leona heard Cain¡¯s words, she looked at him with a bored expression. At Leona¡¯s words, Cain blushed as he rushed after us. ¡°Hey, hey! Go with me!¡± ¡°Come quickly, or I¡¯ll leave you behind.¡± This time it was Arsene. Leona and he fought like that when they were alone, but maybe she gets along well when he teases Cain. ¡°Let¡¯s go together, really¡­¡± ¡°Did you come because Creighton came?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard he was going to the Wolf Territory, so I asked him to go with me. He said I couldn¡¯t come alone from now on.¡± ¡°The atmosphere is not good, so maybe that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m a successor. I was educated in advance¡­¡± ¡°Hern, we have to go to Hern¡¯s lab to play!¡± When Cain shrugged his shoulders again and lifted up to show off, Leona covered Cain¡¯s mouth and said. ¡°Leon, the lab¡­ that wouldn¡¯t be fun, right? I¡¯d rather go to the horse riding arena. Hector will be waiting for you.¡± I tried hard to get Leona¡¯s interest back. I haven¡¯t been to Hern¡¯s lab yet, but¡ª. As it is a laboratory, there must be many dangerous and precious things, but it was difficult if Leon turned everything upside down like the kitchen. ¡°You go to the horse riding field every time, do you want to go to the lab? Even Hern will listen if you ask!¡± That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll beg her until she listens¡ª. I sent a helping eye to Cain and Arsene, but¡ª. Arsene wasn¡¯t interested in the situation, and Cain didn¡¯t seem to mind doing anything either. Leona eventually dragged the three of us to Hern¡¯s lab and knocked on the door. ¡°Yes, I am going~.¡± I hear Mr. Hern¡¯s voice from inside, and it¡¯s not too long after that! There was a sound of something falling and breaking. And then. ¡°Who¡­ Lady? Lady Leon?¡± Hern opened the door abruptly and turned his head left and right to look around, then slowly lowered his head when no one was there. ¡°How did you get here? I never told you¡­¡± ¡°Eung, the maid told me.¡± Leona didn¡¯t bother to say that she grabbed a maid and kept her company until the maid told her where Hern¡¯s lab was. ¡°Hern, Hern! This is my first time in the lab, can I go in? I was bored at the time, but it turned out really well. I want to see the lab!¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t, there are a lot of dangerous things¡­¡± However, Leona had already moved out of the way to go into Hern¡¯s lab. ¡°Ah, you can¡¯t, Lady Leona!¡± Mr. Hern gasped after Leona, but he couldn¡¯t stop her. He gave us a desperate look, as if to ask for help. I, Arsene, and Cain shook our heads quietly. There was no one in this world who could stop Leona. Eventually, Mr. Hern let us into her lab. Instead, there are a lot of things she shouldn¡¯t touch, so he told us to keep our hands behind. ¡°You know right, Lady Leona? If you touch anything carelessly, you¡¯ll be in real trouble. I can get rid of the dangerous stuff, but¡ª¡± Mr. Hern¡¯s gaze touched something like a small box on a wooden desk and soon fell. ¡°Eung, I know.¡± ¡°The same goes for the Lady, the Young Master, and the Young Master Cain.¡± ¡°Eung.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in all this junk.¡± At Cain¡¯s words, it seemed that Mr. Hern¡¯s patience had reached its limit for a moment¡ª. I quietly ignored it and sat on the sofa in the lab. Cain and Arsene were also not very interested in the lab, and they were following Leona, so the two children sat next to me. Leona was excitedly snooping around the lab with her hands behind her back. It was true that everything dangerous had been removed, and apart from a small box on the wooden desk, nothing looked different from Kendrick¡¯s office. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯m sure I bought some snacks the other day, but I¡¯ll be back soon, so you have to stay calm.¡± We nodded eagerly to Mr. Hern¡¯s words. Mr. Hern disappeared from view for a moment to find a box of snacks that he had ¡®well placed¡¯ somewhere. But ¡°Linsy, what¡¯s in this?¡± Leona finally touched the box, unable to overcome her fierce curiosity. ¡°Leon! He said not to touch it! Put your hands behind your back, quickly!¡± ¡°Eung, okay. I will put my hand on my back. But aren¡¯t you curious? The box is very pretty.¡± As Leona said, the box was very fancy. As if it were a jewel box. But I had a feeling I had seen it somewhere. Uhm, is it a mistake? I tried to remember where I saw it, but it didn¡¯t come to mind properly. Anyway, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, Leon! What are you going to do if you get in trouble, really?¡± ¡°Yeah, please stay still. With no dignity¡­¡± ¡°You be quiet, Cain Hezeth.¡± Leona opened her eyes in a triangle shape and glared at Cain. ¡°I won¡¯t touch it, I just want to look¡­ Can¡¯t I take a peek?¡± Leona stood near the box with her hands behind her back. Arsene curled his brows and stood up and blocked Leona¡¯s face. ¡°He told you not to touch it. why are you not listening?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t touch it! I was just trying to watch.¡± ¡°You just tried to touch¡ª¡± At that time. Arsene sighed and lowered his arm, then hit the box with his elbow. And, Clank¡ª! The box fell to the floor with a loud bang. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± ¡°¡­.!!¡± ¡°¡­.?!¡± We looked at each other face to face at the same time. ¡°¡­H, huh?¡± Arsene panicked and lifted the box. I opened my mouth carefully. ¡°Ugh¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be okay since he said he got rid of all the dangerous things? But, once I put it on¡­¡± I scrambled out of the sofa and accepted the box in Arsene¡¯s hand. But¡ª. ¡®Isn¡¯t the cover open?¡¯ I slowly looked down to the place where the box fell, just in case. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± There was a small amount of dirt on the carpet. Leona and Arsene were far away, probably afraid of being scolded. Since Cain didn¡¯t even get up from the couch in the first place, It was my job to organize the boxes. I quickly crouched down to scrape up the fallen dirt and put it back in the box. However¡ª. ¡®The color is strange¡­¡¯ The color was too dark for normal soil. It was black, but it seemed to be slightly reddish. But I didn¡¯t think much of it. It was because it was similar to fertilizer. I¡¯ve seen gardeners use fertilizer, and it looks just like this soil. However, ¡®Why did you put soil in this precious box?¡¯ The doubts didn¡¯t last long. It was because I had to quickly collect this soil and put it back in the box. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was dangerous soil, but¡ª. He said he got rid of all the dangerous stuff, so it¡¯s okay, right? I carefully scooped up the dirt with my fingers. However, Paaaa-!! The moment my fingers touched the soil, light green and red lights burst out from the fingertips. ¡°W, what is this?¡± CH 110 Mr. Hern came to me in a hurry. ¡°N, no, why was it opened? Lady, don¡¯t touch it¡ª¡± There was a moment of silence in the lab. Arsene, Leona, and Cain were only looking at each other. Hern, who noticed the strange atmosphere, said with a despairing face. ¡°¡­Could it be that you touched it?¡± I nodded slowly. I couldn¡¯t make excuses because the box was in my hand and the color of the soil had all changed. ¡°I, I touched it¡­¡± ¡°Lady, are you okay? N, no, what should I do about this, first from the soil¡­ huh?¡± After taking the box from me, Hern stopped in place holding what looked like a brush made of special hair. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t do that on purpose. Suddenly¡­ my ability.¡± I almost cried. Tears welled up at the thought of ruining Hern¡¯s precious research sample. I was just trying to help. But I didn¡¯t cry, I just looked up at Hern. Hern came over blankly and tapped his fingers into the soil that had changed color from my touch. And, ¡°¡­.!¡± Surprised, he squeezed the soil with his fingers. The soil crumbled out of Hern¡¯s hands. ¡°Did you say that the Lady touched it?¡± ¡°Yes? Yees.¡± ¡°Did you use your ability?¡± I looked into Hern¡¯s eyes, then nodded my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t use it¡­ I just suddenly used my superpowers. Like it reacted¡­¡± ¡°H, how is it?¡± Mr. Hern could not speak for a while whether it was a shock that the color of the soil had changed. We only looked at each other. ¡®Yeah, I should have stopped Leon when she said she was coming here¡­¡¯ It was clearly our mistake to think that Leona wouldn¡¯t have an accident. Mr. Hern took the box and examined it carefully. ¡°This couldn¡¯t have been open¡­ which means I¡¯m sure it¡¯s locked. Did you force it open?¡± ¡°No, I dropped it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arsene came out. ¡°It can¡¯t be opened by dropping it¡­ don¡¯t tell me?¡± He opened his mouth a little and sighed as if he had realized something. ¡°That¡¯s my fault. I should have put this away too, no, but¡­¡± ¡°That, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, no, there is nothing to be sorry about. Rather, it is rather a joy. I need to find out more, but first I have to report it to the Lord.¡± Mr. Hern jumped from his seat. And took us all out of the lab. In Mr. Hern¡¯s hand, there was a box with an open cover that fell on the floor a little while ago. *** ¡°Reflect on yourself.¡± Kendrick said softly, flipping through his papers. Across from Kendrick sat Creighton Hezeth, the head of the Hezeth family and Cain¡¯s father. Me, Arsene, Cain, and Leona looked into each other¡¯s eyes and lifted the signs above our heads. Glance. When I looked at Cain, Cain had an expression that seemed like he was going to die of unfairness. We stood with signs in our hands. On the sign I¡¯m holding. [Don¡¯t stop friends.] ¡ªWas written on it, Leona¡¯s sign [Three Accidents a Day] ¡ªWas written on it, On the signs of Arsene and Cain, respectively [Similarly, don¡¯t stop friends] [Just watch my friend¡¯s accident from the side] It was written on it. It was a handwritten sign for us by Kendrick. Mr. Hern immediately informed Kendrick that we had an accident in his lab. As soon as he heard that we had been in an accident, he called us in and punished us. ¡®You don¡¯t listen to me to stay still even if I die.¡¯ But Kendrick, who said so, didn¡¯t seem so angry. First of all, it was like that when I put this playful sign in his hand. ¡®It¡¯s a relief.¡¯ Mr. Hern didn¡¯t tell me why the soil had changed color, but the sample didn¡¯t seem to be damaged much. It was because Mr. Hern and Kendrick¡¯s faces were straightened. We whimpered and listened to the signs. Leona and I humbly accepted our mistakes and held up our signs. Cain and Arsene still looked like they were going to die of injustice. Being punished like this in front of his father, Cain could have been dissatisfied. ¡°Listen, Cain. It is also your fault for not stopping it.¡± ¡°B, but!¡± ¡°I never gave you permission to talk back, son.¡± As Creighton talked, Cain shut his mouth and looked unhappy. Kendrick laughed and said. ¡°Arsene, you look dissatisfied.¡± ¡°I stopped her, but she¡ª¡± Arsene sighed and glared at Leona. Leona also glare ¡°But it¡¯s you who dropped it? I was just going to watch from the side.¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been hanging around, I wouldn¡¯t have dropped it.¡± ¡°¡­Both of you, please be quiet.¡± Leona was the first to speak, then Arsene, and Cain was the last to speak in a liberated voice. I had committed a problem, so I kept my mouth shut and stopped the three children with a glance. ¡°Stop talking, guys!¡± ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t reflected on yourself yet¡­¡± Kendrick had a stern look on his face, but there was a smile around his mouth. We shook our heads quickly, regardless of who came first. ¡°Did you reflect on yourself?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kendrick said with a smile, as we answered in unison. ¡°Hold on more. That way you won¡¯t have an accident like that again. You could have been in big trouble.¡± ¡°¡­Big trouble?¡± ¡°Yeah, there are so many dangerous things in the lab.¡± Kendrick seemed unwilling to explain why the soil was dangerous, perhaps because Creighton was in front of him. Creighton only knew enough that we messed up the research sample in the lab. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t bother asking to take you to the lab.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded and looked at Arsene and Leona. The two children nodded. Cain had nothing to answer. Because he sat on the sofa the whole time and watched everything from the side. Besides, he never said he wanted to go to the lab. He was taken by Leona as soon as he came. So he still looked quite upset. ¡°What the hell did they mess with?¡± Creighton tipped the teacup and spoke to Kendrick. Kendrick didn¡¯t want to answer, so he skipped over it. ¡°Sample study. If the kids touch it, it¡¯ll be a big deal. By the way, are you going to take Cain with you today?¡± ¡°Well, I want to take him, but he seems to want to stay longer. I would be grateful if you could take care of him.¡± Creighton brought up a remark that wasn¡¯t like him today. He was careful to send Cain to Yeckhart, but when he saw him with children his age, he seemed to have changed his mind. ¡°The atmosphere of the beastmen society is bad. You know. If they know that Leona and Cain are here.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay if they don¡¯t know? The only people who know that Cain and I came here are the servants of the Hezeth Mansion.¡± Creighton tipped the teacup and assured, ¡°It won¡¯t leak.¡± ¡°¡­Then leave it. Damn, the Yeckhart mansion is becoming a children¡¯s nursery.¡± Having said that, Kendrick didn¡¯t look too bad. We had to stand with the sign until the two men tipped their teacups and finished their story. It was only when Creighton stood up to say goodbye that we were allowed to take down the sign. ¡°Then, please take good care of Cain.¡± ¡°Yeah, please go back carefully.¡± Kendrick roughly saw off Creighton. All the servants of Yeckhart Mansion came out to see off Creighton Hezeth, the head of the Snake Clan, on his way home. ¡°Cain, listen carefully. My son.¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± Cain grumbled and replied. Creighton Hezeth left the mansion like that. I don¡¯t know what he talked about with Kendrick, but he looked quite satisfied. ¡°Now go and play, stop making trouble.¡± Kendrick said, ruffling Arsene and Cain¡¯s hair. We nodded quickly, afraid if Kendrick¡¯s mind would change. Kendrick waved his hand as if to go. *** Just a while ago. Someone knocked on the door of Kendrick¡¯s office, who was talking to Creighton Hezeth. ¡°Come in.¡± As soon as Kendrick finished speaking, the door opened and Hern entered. There was a lot of noise from the kids who were waiting outside. He never called Hern, but Kendrick looked puzzled at Hern, who suddenly came. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Yes, I have something to tell you. But I can¡¯t tell you here.¡± Kendrick immediately grasped the situation when he saw the box in Hern¡¯s hand. After asking Creighton for his understanding, he went to the study next to the office with Hern for a while. Of course, the children were told to stand quietly in the hallway so that they couldn¡¯t follow. After closing the door to the study, Kendrick, who used his ability to reach the thin film, opened his mouth. ¡°Is it a report on research results?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ actually.¡± Hern paused for a long time as if he was in trouble, then hesitantly opened his mouth. ¡°The soil of the land of Tamar has been purified.¡± CH 111 ¡°The Tamar¡¯s soil has been purified?¡± Kendrick asked in a rare startled voice. It was a natural reaction. Because it was impossible for the soil of Tamar to be purified. ¡°That is impossible. You know, if you¡¯re trying to deceive me¡­.¡± Kendrick lowered his voice and continued. Hern shook his head slowly with an expression he still didn¡¯t understand well. ¡°No, my Lord. I don¡¯t dare to fool the head of the family, really¡­.indeed, the soil of the land of Tamar has been purified.¡± Hern showed Kendrick the metal box he was holding. It was a metal box specially custom-made by Kendrick to hold the soil of Tamar¡¯s land. Since the soil of Tamar¡¯s land was dangerous to handle, it was designed so that no one except Kendrick and Hern could open it. However, ¡°¡­.¡± Kendrick was shocked to see the dirt inside the open metal box. The soil of the land of Tamar was reddish black due to the curse¡¯s influence. That was the case with all the soil in Tamar¡¯s land, and even the soil at the border was dark due to Tamar¡¯s influence. However, ¡°¡­.Aren¡¯t you kidding me?¡± The soil inside the metal box Heron held out was a deep brown color, no different from normal soil. ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯ Kendrick, in disbelief, took the metal box himself and examined it carefully. It was impossible to purify the soil of Tamar¡¯s land in any way. However, ¡°Lord, I swear to you that I¡¯m not joking. It is correct that it has been purified even when viewed through the ¡®eyes¡¯ of the deer clan. I don¡¯t feel any special energy flowing from the soil of the land of Tamar.¡± ¡°How on earth did you purify it?¡± If it was really purified, he had to know what purified the soil of Tamar¡¯s land. And if he figures it out, maybe he can find a way to break the strange curse on those ancient lands. Then, how to cure Arsene¡¯s disease¡ª. ¡°That is, when Lady and Young Master, and Lady Leona and Young Master Cain as well, playing around in my lab.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± Kendrick¡¯s face wrinkled at the sudden name that came out of Hern¡¯s mouth. ¡°The box was dropped, and the cover was opened, but Lady Linsy was picking up the soil and holding it in her hands.¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s open? And¡­ Who touched it with their hands?¡± Kendrick interrupted Hern and asked again, looking at Hern in disbelief. ¡°Young Master Arsene said that the box was opened after being hit by his elbow.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. This box is specially designed for you and me to open.¡± In the locking part of the box, there was a very special metal that could only be found in the territory of the bear clan. As a metal that remembers the owner, only the owner could open the safe made using this metal. However, the metal itself was very rare, so it couldn¡¯t be used in general safes. Even in the bear clan, it was only used in the treasury of the head family. Other clans were only allowed to store particularly dangerous substances. ¡®Just like this box.¡¯ ¡°A kid knocked it open? Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Really. I was looking elsewhere for a cookie to give them for a while, but in the meantime, the Lady, the Young Master, Lady Leona, and Young Master Cain said in unison that something like that had happened.¡± Hern said with a really unfair expression. It was begging to believe in him. ¡°Ha, you took the kids to the lab? Just¡­why? You¡¯ll have to explain that first, Hern.¡± Kendrick¡¯s tone when he said that was sharper than ever. There were so many dangerous things in Hern¡¯s lab. Not only was the soil of the land of Tamar being researched but also Giles¡¯ pollen from Ester¡¯s body and many other dangerous things. ¡°Are you taking the kids to a place like that?¡± ¡°The day before, the dangerous things were moved to the new lab. So, all that was there were research materials and the box.¡± Hern sighed and bowed his head deeply. ¡°I was confident the box wouldn¡¯t be opened and felt at ease. It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°Yes, it is your fault. Nothing related to Tamar should be taken lightly. However¡­¡± Kendrick stared at the box and said. ¡°Arsene said he hit it, and it opened.¡± ¡°Yes, as the lady said¡­.¡± ¡°Maybe it opened in response to Arsene.¡± Arsene is Yeckhart¡¯s only direct successor. He was the only child who inherited Yeckhardt¡¯s supernatural ability, the shadow. So maybe the lock made to react to Kendrick also responded to Arsene. The problem is. ¡°Has anyone else touched it besides Linsy?¡± ¡°I was worried too, so I checked it first, but they said no. I checked the condition carefully just in case, but no one showed any abnormal reactions.¡± ¡°Is Linsy okay?¡± ¡°Lady is fine. She was worried that she had messed up the research sample when the color of the soil changed all of a sudden.¡± Kendrick, who had been quietly listening to Hern¡¯s words, looked down at the purified soil again. Can Raniero¡¯s superpowers really purify Tamar¡¯s curse? However, ¡®Raniero¡¯s ability is healing.¡¯ He heard that children with the ability to lift curses as a kind of healing are often born, but isn¡¯t Tamar¡¯s curse different? Tamar¡¯s curse is not something that can be lifted so easily. However, ¡®But, was Tamar¡¯s soil purified just by touching it once?¡¯ Besides, Linsy didn¡¯t seem aware that she had purified it. Kendrick touched his head. The fact that Linsy could purify Tamar¡¯s soil was great news for Kendrick and Yeckhart. But, ¡®If this fact is known, Linsy will.¡¯ It was clear that clans and groups targeting Linsy would naturally arise. She is a child who lives on the edge of danger with many enemies. That¡¯s why he also hid the fact that Linsy could cure someone poisoned by Giles flowers. Just in case it becomes dangerous. He is deeply sorry for not being able to properly protect her every time, but if there are more enemies in this state. Kendrick couldn¡¯t stand it. Kendrick opened his mouth and pushed the metal box back at Hern. ¡°Keep this a secret. Hern, it¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t cast a spell on you. Of course, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you.¡± ¡°Of course, I understand.¡± Hern nodded solemnly. He, too, was well aware of the impact this would have on the beastmen society if it were revealed. First of all, no one would see Linsy as a 10-year-old girl. Knowing that Linsy could lift Tamar¡¯s curse, it was clear that many people would come out helpless to try to use Linsy to lift Tamar¡¯s curse and abuse Linsy¡¯s ability. Since Hern knew all that so well, Hern pursed his lips and nodded slowly. ¡°I will definitely keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Yes, and the soil of Tamar¡­ I will get it again. Investigate it again.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Hern bowed his head. Kendrick opened his mouth with one last glance at the box containing the thoroughly cleansed dirt. ¡°Then you can leave. It¡¯s hard to be away for a long time because I have a guest.¡± Kendrick nodded. Creighton Hezeth was in the office now. He didn¡¯t come to have an important conversation, but he had to go back because it¡¯s not polite to leave a guest alone for a long time. Kendrick, who was about to turn around first, opened his mouth a little and said, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Send the kids into my office.¡± ¡°Are you talking about all four of them?¡± ¡°Yes, let them in without exception.¡± Kendrick nodded. After foolishly going to Hern¡¯s laboratory and letting it go, it is time to give them a warning. It¡¯s fortunate that Linsy¡¯s touch purified the soil. ¡®If it hadn¡¯t been for that.¡¯ What if Linsy had been cursed by Tamar? Or, if Arsene, Leona, or Cain had even touched the soil, there would have been a serious accident. It¡¯s partly Hern¡¯s fault for not properly managing the metal box, but¡ª. In the first place, the box was made so that only Hern and Kendrick could not open it, so it could not be entirely Hern¡¯s fault. ¡°It¡¯s the troublemakers¡¯ fault.¡± Kendrick clicked his tongue. Without knowing what a dizzying accident they had, a loud noise from the hallway came all the way into the study. Kendrick, who was about to go to Creighton, looked back at Hern once more. ¡°And the fact that the soil was from the land of Tamar and that Linsy purified it¡­ Keep it a secret even from Linsy.¡± Kendrick couldn¡¯t hide his bitter heart, feeling that adults always put too much burden on children. If Linsy finds out that she has purified the soil of Tamar land, ¡®She has a lot of worries, so she might worry about it again.¡¯ Or she could also have offered to purify the land of Tamar. Because Linsy always wanted to help Yeckhart. So he can¡¯t let Linsy know about this either. Hern answered with a slow nod as if he understood. CH 112 ¡°Are you really okay?¡± I looked back at the children with worried expressions and opened my mouth. Kendrick scolded us when he heard we begged to go to the lab, but he said nothing about the messed up sample. ¡®Is it really okay¡­¡¯ From what¡¯s inside the metal box, it sounds like something important. But as soon as Arsene dropped the metal box, I remembered the cover that opened helplessly. And I thought carefully. ¡®¡­Is it not important?¡¯ If it¡¯s important, there¡¯s no way the cover was closed so sloppy. Phew, let¡¯s stop thinking about it. He said it¡¯s okay, so it¡¯ll be okay. We only have to be careful from now on. I glared at Leona. ¡°Now, I won¡¯t take you anywhere even if you beg me.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but because of you¡­!¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯t fair for Cain to be scolded in front of his own father, so he suddenly burst into tears and got angry. Leona glanced at Cain and said calmly. ¡°But Kendrick said it was also wrong not to stop me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that¡­!¡± Yeah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what you should say now, Leon. I said, forcing the two growling children apart to fight again. ¡°Stop fighting! If you two keep fighting like this, you¡¯ll both have to go home.¡± ¡°Yes, you all go home.¡± Arsene, who had been quiet the whole time and had his mouth tightly shut, then said, giving Leona and Cain a slight glare. ¡°Why do you come here so often in the first place? The lion¡¯s territory is close, so even if that¡¯s the case, the snake¡¯s territory isn¡¯t even close.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s, I just followed because Dad said he was coming¡­¡± ¡°Lie, didn¡¯t you beg him to take you?¡± Cain turned his head when Leona asked him a sharp question that hit the mark. ¡°Ugh, stop fighting. Seriously, aren¡¯t you tired of fighting for three years? When are you guys going to grow up?¡± I raised my forehead and shook my head, and said. Is it because I was twelve years old in my previous life? From when I was seven to when I was ten, I wondered when these kids would grow up. ¡°Will you grow up after the first shapeshift? Eung?¡± ¡°Eung, maybe. My Dad said that. After the first shapeshift, you will grow up.¡± Leona spoke confidently. Every time she laughed shyly, sharp fangs stuck out from gaps in her slightly open mouth. ¡°That¡¯s right, my Dad too. He said you would behave like an adult after the first shapeshift.¡± As expected, Cain also nodded in agreement with her. But Arsene said nothing. It must be because no one told Arsene about the first shapeshift. ¡°Looking at you, I think you¡¯re right, Linsy.¡± Cain looked at me and nodded. I looked at Cain and smiled. I¡¯m acting dignified not because of the first shapeshift, but because I came back to the past, but anyway. Because what¡¯s good is good. We sat in the room and chatted for a while, then headed to the stable. ¡°Hector!¡± Hector is now three years older, has more muscle, and his fur is shinier than it used to be. Before, he dug the ground with his hoofs because he wanted to run whenever he saw me, but now he knew how to wait calmly. I kissed Hector¡¯s soft nose and hugged his huge head. ¡°Hector, how have you been?¡± Kendrick gave Arsene and me a riding teacher so we could learn how to ride a horse. Sometimes when he had time, he taught us in person, but Kendrick was usually very busy, so we didn¡¯t learn much from him. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Hector has gotten a little prettier?¡± When I asked, Arsene laughed and shook his head. ¡°What do you mean pretty, it¡¯s the same thing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to Hector.¡± Arsene tried to ride on Hector¡¯s back with me, but he almost fell and got hurt when Hector refused. Of course, thanks to the Shadow Wolf, he wasn¡¯t hurt too much¡ª. ¡®Still, it was dangerous.¡¯ So I understood why Arsene was upset like that. Since Leona and Cain are also receiving horseback riding training, we were able to ride and play together. Of course, we couldn¡¯t play for a long time. It was because we were still young. ¡®Not until you¡¯re bigger. Just ride for half an hour a day, Linsy.¡¯ Kendrick said firmly. We all nodded without saying anything because we knew what an accident could happen if we fell off a horse¡¯s back. ¡®Of course, I can heal it.¡¯ Yeah, getting hurt is another matter. I understand Kendrick¡¯s concerns. Arsene, Leona, Cain, and I played for a long time at the riding arena, and when it was time to eat, we returned to the mansion. We finished our dinner planning a boat ride on the man-made lake the next day. But you never know what will happen the next day. *** After Kendrick brought Ester¡¯s body. The head of the bear clan laboriously reached the Yeckhart family and burned the pollen attached to Ester¡¯s corpse with his powers. With their ability to burn anything, the bear clan managed to burn only the pollen on Ester¡¯s corpse. After that, Hern got a doctor, who was said to be one of the best in the wolf clan, to do an autopsy on Ester¡¯s body. Ester¡¯s corpse has a lot of suspicious spots, so it would have been nice if he could have summoned the deer clan¡ª. ¡®Then I can¡¯t cast a command.¡¯ Kendrick wanted a doctor of the same clan, who he could command and control, to autopsy Ester¡¯s body. So, following Kendrick¡¯s orders, Hern and the Wolf Clan¡¯s doctors meticulously inspected Ester¡¯s corpse. But there was something strange. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Around the nape of the corpse¡¯s neck, black energy shimmered. Hern asked the doctors of the other wolf clans if they could see it, but they shook their heads. It seemed to be an energy that could only be seen with the ¡®eyes¡¯ of the deer clan that Hern had. The black energy wasn¡¯t threatening enough. ¡®Why is this on the corpse¡­.¡¯ Even the energy showed a movement as if it wanted to escape from the corpse. It was grotesque and strange, but nothing was threatening about it for now, so he decided to leave it as it was. However, the problem was that the black energy also transferred to Hern¡¯s fingertips. It was a small amount, but it bothered Hern. ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s threatening¡­.¡¯ Tsk, Hern, who clicked his tongue, left the black energy as it is for now. However, neither the cause nor the time of death could be accurately determined. All he could figure out was that there was black energy around the back of his neck and that he didn¡¯t die because of the Giles flowers. The Wolf Clan¡¯s doctors couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the pollen that Hern had asked the Bear Clan¡¯s head to leave for research. Of course, the pollen was tightly sealed. ¡°It was really Giles flowers¡­! I thought it was a flower in mythology.¡± ¡°Then what will happen? Will the land of Tamar come back to life?¡± The whispers of the two doctors could be heard clearly in Hern¡¯s ears. Giles¡¯ flowers only grow in a specific environment in the land of Tamar, so he wondered if that might be the case. Clap clap. Hern clapped his hands a couple of times, drawing the attention of the Wolf Clan doctors. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking nonsense. You won¡¯t be able to talk anymore if you get caught anyway.¡± ¡°We are just curious¡­¡± The Wolf Clan¡¯s doctor laughed awkwardly. Hern nodded his head in understanding. It wasn¡¯t something that would end to the extent that he was amazed. Because the resurrection of the Giles flower also means disaster. A long time ago, the terrible and cruel history of the beastmen biting each other because of the Giles flower may repeat itself. But still. ¡®Lady Linsy is here this time.¡¯ Hern remembered clearly how Linsy cured people who had been poisoned by Giles¡¯s flowers. And according to the deer clan¡¯s information, Raniero can¡¯t cure Giles¡¯ flower poisoning. It must have been like that since ancient times when Giles flowers existed. Since the bird clan was closed, he doesn¡¯t know exactly how they dealt with those who were poisoned by Giles flowers¡ª. It was obvious that it was not treated. But. ¡®The Lady definitely healed it.¡¯ Perhaps the effect of the Giles Flower weakened as it was resurrected after eons time. However, it was a self-evident fact that it was a dangerous flower, so Hern didn¡¯t let go of his tension. Thus, the investigation of Ester¡¯s corpse ended without revealing any particular facts. Kendrick generously rewarded the two doctors who helped in the investigation. Then, with the authority of the head of the clan, he issued a decree prohibiting them from talking about the matter. Yeckhart¡¯s secrets were growing more and more. Then Hern reported to Kendrick about the dark energy around Ester¡¯s neck. This is the first time he has seen black energy, and he hasn¡¯t been able to figure out what it really is. And he also reported that it was now fluttering at his fingertips. The reason why the black energy that shimmered at Hern¡¯s fingertips disappeared is¡ª. When Hern reached into contact with the red-headed baby bird running around in the Yeckhart mansion. CH 113 After talking with Kendrick, Hern walked down the hallway and looked down at the metal box in his hand. However. ¡®¡­The black energy has disappeared.¡¯ After examining Ester¡¯s corpse, the object that always bothered his fingertips had completely disappeared. Hern lifted his head. ¡®Since when did it disappear?¡¯ He has no idea when or why it disappeared. It must have been shimmering at his fingertips until this morning¡ª. ¡®It can¡¯t be?¡¯ As Hern brushed Linsy¡¯s hand a little while ago, he remembered that his hand had touched Linsy¡¯s. The fact that all the soil of Tamar that Linsy touched was purified. ¡°No way¡­¡± He doesn¡¯t know what the black energy really is, but it¡¯s highly likely that it disappeared because of Linsy¡¯s touch. Hern decided to keep quiet about all of this until he uncovered the identity of this black energy. Of course, he had to hurry up and report to Kendrick Yeckhart, the head of the Yeckhart family. Because he was Linsy¡¯s guardian. Hern¡¯s steps quickened. *** It was the afternoon of the next day that Leona, Cain, and Arsene had a problem. My abilities have grown to the point where I can treat Arsene lightly. At the age of seven, there were cases where the power was absorbed or lost due to incompatibility with Arsene¡¯s disease. ¡®I¡¯m fine now.¡¯ I infused only a little bit of my power into Arsene¡¯s body. When I closed my eyes and used this power, there was a fresh green wind in the room. Arsene held my hand tightly throughout the treatment. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Eung. But¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± With a slightly wrinkled face, Arsene tried to say something but stopped. I quickly pointed at Arsene¡¯s forehead with anxiety. ¡°Does it hurt? Is it because it hurts? Do you think it hurts because I use my power?¡± ¡°No, calm down. It¡¯s just¡­ that I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± ¡°Where do you feel unwell?¡± When Arsene said that, I looked at the little boy in front of me with worry in my eyes. Arsene said with a gesture that seemed to tell me not to worry. ¡°I am just a little tired. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything to worry about.¡± But Arsene¡¯s face looked very weak when he said that, so I looked at him worriedly. ¡°¡­Are you really okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t you believe me?¡± Arsene smiled softly, his blue eyes twinkling. I smiled and messed up Arsene¡¯s hair. ¡°No! Of course, I believe you! But if it hurts, you must tell me, Arsene?¡± I let go of Arsene¡¯s hand only after I received the promise from Arsene five times. However. ¡°¡­Leona? Cain?¡± Normally, these kids should have been running around to play as soon as they finished breakfast, but they were lying on the bed drooping. ¡°Leon, are you sick?¡± I put both of my hands on Leona¡¯s cheeks and looked into her eyes. The girl shook her head slowly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sick, I just¡­Uh-huh, I have no energy.¡± Have no energy? ¡°Cain, are you too?¡± ¡°Eung, me too.¡± Cain lay down, closed his eyes, and breathed heavily. I widened my eyes. ¡®They didn¡¯t eat something wrong again, right?¡¯ Three years ago, I suddenly remembered how the servants lost consciousness or lost their senses after eating food with Giles flowers in the mansion. I looked at the children with a worried mind and wondered if I should bring Mr. Hern. If the three of them are suddenly sick, then something is definitely wrong¡ª. ¡®But why am I not sick?¡¯ I also ate and drank everything Leona, Cain, and Arsene did. If I ate something bad, it was only fair that I got sick, too. But I was too fine. Then¡ª. ¡°Arsene, is there anything else that¡¯s uncomfortable? Eung? Please answer me.¡± ¡°Uncomfortable? My teeth hurt. And, my body is itchy¡­¡± Your teeth hurt and your body itches? I quickly shook Leona and Cain up and asked the same question. Leona and Cain also replied that their teeth hurt like Arsene. My eyes twinkled as I listened to the three children¡¯s answers. Since there were many brothers in the Raniero Mansion, I could see what this meant. ¡®Looks like they¡¯re going to do their first shapeshift!¡¯ In my case, I suddenly tried to shapeshift even though my body wasn¡¯t ready, so I didn¡¯t go through with it. However, usually before the first shapeshift, the body consumes a lot of energy, so it is weak, easily fatigued, and often whines that the body is in pain. Because that was how I was in my last life when I did my first shapeshift. But, ¡®Then Leona and Cain¡­ will have their first shapeshift at the same time as Arsene?¡¯ I widened my eyes. Then I quickly opened the door and shouted loudly. ¡°Betty! Chloe! Ethan!¡± As I wandered around the mansion, Betty, Chloe, Ethan, and the other maids and servants ran to find me, thinking something had happened. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Ethan looked at me and asked. I clenched my fist and nodded. ¡°I think they¡¯re going to shapeshift!¡± ¡°Ah, shapeshift¡­ yes?¡± Ethan nodded calmly, then opened his eyes wide. A look of bewilderment was evident on the old butler¡¯s face. ¡°You think they¡¯re going to do a shapeshift? What do you mean, Lady?¡± ¡°I asked because all three of them had no energy all day, and they said their teeth hurt. They said their bodies were itchy, too, isn¡¯t it time for Leona, Arsene, and Cain to do their first shapeshift?¡± ¡°Yes. In terms of timing, it was time to do the first shapeshift. First, we must see the Young Master, Lady Leona, and Young Master Cain.¡± Ethan, Chloe, and Betty looked at each other and nodded. I proudly led the way to the room where the children were lying. Leona, Cain, and Arsene were all stretched out on the bed. ¡°Ah, Young Master. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Linsy is worrying for nothing.¡± Arsene waved his hand at Ethan. After checking Arsene¡¯s condition, Ethan instructed the maid, who was next to him, to bring Mr Hern. And he smiled. ¡°You will be doing your first shapeshift soon.¡± From the point of view of Ethan, Betty, Chloe, and other servants, it seemed like a symptom before the first shapeshifting. I gently squeezed Ethan¡¯s sleeve and asked carefully. ¡°But can they do the shapeshifting together?¡± Arsene, Leona, and Cain have different birthdays. But judging from the current situation, it seems that all three of them will do their first shapeshift at the same time. Ethan lifted his monocle and laughed. ¡°It often happens among twins, cousins of the same age, or among nursery school children. They say that kids who live together have a high probability of doing the first shapeshift together.¡± ¡°Eung? But they¡¯re not twins¡­¡± But I quickly agreed. It¡¯s because they stick together like twins. Leona, Arsene, Cain and I have been almost like siblings for the past three years. Moreover, this time. ¡®I met everyone last week, so maybe that¡¯s why.¡¯ Since we¡¯ve been together all along, the first shapeshift cycle seems to have been set. I was happy with my friends¡¯ first shapeshift but also worried inside. At the first shapeshift, there would be a fuss because they couldn¡¯t adapt to the shapeshift¡¯s body¡ª. ¡®One baby wolf, one baby lion, and a baby snake¡­¡¯ Will it be okay? When I looked at the maids with a worried expressions, it seemed like the maids were also worried about the three children shapeshifting at the same time. And not long after, Mr Hern arrived. First, he looked confused at the three kids lying next to each other on the bed. ¡°Lady Linsy says they are going to do the first shapeshift.¡± As Ethan talked, he had a faint smile on his face. He seemed happy to hear that Arsene was doing his first shapeshift. ¡°Let me see. Young Master, come here.¡± Hern raised Arsene from lying down and sat her down to examine her condition carefully. It was the same with Leona and Cain. And. ¡°You will be doing your first shapeshift in a day or two. You must prepare well.¡± Hern laughed and said. Ethan, Betty, and Chloe looked genuinely happy. But at the same time, they seemed a little worried. ¡®I heard that the first shapeshift of a carnivore is no joke¡­¡¯ I heard that Leona¡¯s two older brothers broke the entire first floor of Fernando¡¯s mansion during the first shapeshift. ¡®Could it be Leon?¡¯ I glanced at Leona, who was lying quietly like an angel next to me. Not only me but also the staff seemed nervous at the thought of the first shapeshift. A look of concern was evident on their faces. ¡®Cheer up.¡¯ After sending a silent cheer, I patted Arsene. It was because I was proud and amazed to think that Arsene was making his first shapeshifting. CH 114 The story that Leona, Cain, and Arsene were preparing for the first shapeshift quickly spread throughout the Yeckhart mansion. First of all, the servants prepared by blocking the windows with black blackout curtains to prevent them from getting hurt while running around, Kendrick is. ¡°You think they¡¯re going to do their first shapeshift?¡± I sat across from Kendrick and nodded as I ate. Arsene, Cain, and Leona were absent from lunch. I heard that the maids put food in the room instead. So it was just Kendrick and I for lunch. Kendrick said, cutting the meat in front of him and putting it on my plate. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to send Leona and Cain back. I can¡¯t let them do their first shapeshift in a place other than their home.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was a little sad that Leona and Cain were going back, but I still nodded. ¡°You have to do the first shapeshift with your family.¡± Leona¡¯s family and Cain¡¯s family will also want to see Leona and Cain¡¯s first shapeshift. But the problem came next. Lamont Fernando had asked him to take care of Leona for one more week. Kendrick crumpled up the letter. ¡°Lamont, this punk¡ª¡± ¡°That, what¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked after a quick sip of apple juice in Kendrick¡¯s office. Arsene, Leona, and Cain were sleeping because they were tired, so Kendrick brought me to the office because I had no one to play with. It wasn¡¯t bad for me to be with Kendrick now. ¡®No, it¡¯s rather good.¡¯ Kendrick was busy dealing with things, so I had to play by myself. It was quite enjoyable to watch Kendrick at work or take a nap on the sofa in the office. Kendrick looked at me and said with a sigh. ¡°Lamont asks me to keep Leon for another week.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you take care of her for another week?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t take care of. But it¡¯s because Lamont¡¯s intentions are so transparent.¡± I nodded tactfully. Because of what the two sons had done, it was obvious how great Leona, the youngest, would be. I¡¯ve heard Lamont talk about Leona¡¯s first shapeshift as a joke before. ¡®I¡¯m already scared of Leon¡¯s first shapeshift, and this time the whole Fernand mansion may be blown away.¡¯ Lamont smiled like that and added that it would be nice to have the first shapeshift outside calmly. But. ¡®Eung, so that¡¯s what you meant.¡¯ It seems that he was laying groundwork to entrust Leona¡¯s first shapeshift to the Yeckhart mansion. Above Leona, the two older brothers said that they had destroyed half of the Fernando Mansion. So it also made some sense that Lamont didn¡¯t think fondly of his daughter¡¯s first shapeshift. ¡®Fernando¡¯s mansion¡­ if that huge lion¡¯s mansion is half destroyed.¡¯ I guess it wasn¡¯t normal? Hmm. I nodded my head slowly. It was understandable that Kendrick was so upset, and that Lamont had handed over his daughter with nothing more than a letter. Kendrick put Lamont¡¯s letter aside, saying he would charge the family for everything Leona broke this time. But there was a problem. The snake clan also said they couldn¡¯t take Cain right away. I heard that there was a small problem with the Hezeth mansion and snake territory. But ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a small problem, given that they can¡¯t take Cain.¡¯ There¡¯s no parent who doesn¡¯t want to see his son when he says he¡¯s going to have his first shapeshift. However, seeing that they couldn¡¯t take it, it seemed that there was a serious problem with the snake clan. Kendrick didn¡¯t get angry when he received Hezeth¡¯s letter. Kendrick also seemed to have instinctively sensed that something had happened to the snake territory. But he couldn¡¯t go to find out what was wrong with the snake territory. ¡°I¡¯ll protect the mansion.¡± Kendrick said softly. There are three children who are about to have their first shapeshift, but he canceled the promise, saying that he couldn¡¯t leave the mansion. Of course, he was busy working in the meantime. Degon went in and out of the office to report something, and other knights also came in and out of the office often. I ended up stepping aside so Kendrick could work comfortably. When I went upstairs, I saw three children lying down, exhausted. ¡®Are they sleeping?¡¯ I peeked into the room where the kids were sleeping. Leona and Cain were sleeping, and Arsene seemed to have just woken up. Arsene blinked his sleepy eyes a couple of times. I lowered my voice so as not to wake the other children. ¡°Arsene, are you okay?¡± ¡°Eung¡­ lie down here.¡± Arsene closed and opened his eyes, pointing next to him. I pondered for a moment. Because Leona, Cain, and Arsene were lying freely, there seemed to be no place for me to lie down. I thought about it for a while, then stomped my feet a couple of times in place. Then. Pong¡ª! Light green smoke rose with a small explosion sound. As soon as I heard the explosion, I flinched. ¡®Oh, I should have gone outside and shapeshifted.¡¯ Didn¡¯t the kids wake up because of the sound I was making? I flew up and sat down on the bed. The bed was soft, and when I sat down, my feet lightly fell. Fortunately, Leona and Cain were still sleeping quietly. They seem to be saving their energy. I wondered for a moment whether I should wake Leona up now so that she couldn¡¯t get into an accident during her first shapeshift. But it soon stopped. ¡®Phew¡­ I should let her sleep more.¡¯ If there was an accident, the servants of Kendrick and Yeckhart¡¯s mansion would probably take care of it. It¡¯s not a problem for me to worry about. I looked at Leona, and soon jumped and sat next to Arsene. Then Arsene tapped on his stomach. It seemed to mean to come up. ¡°Chirp.¡± I sat on Arsene¡¯s stomach and fluffed up my feather, making a small cry as if to be nice to him. As I fluffed up my feather, Arsene carefully stroked me. ¡°Chirp.¡± ¡°Linsy, you¡¯re not afraid of wolves these days¡­¡± ¡°Chirp.¡± Yes, of course! I answered loudly and then lowered it. With the help of the Wolf Mansion servants, I am no longer afraid of wolves. So, ¡®wolves who have no intention of threatening me¡¯. Arsene seemed to be worried because I was afraid of wolves before. ¡°You know, if you¡¯re scared after I shapeshift, you have to fly away and hide. Okay?¡± Arsene muttered in his sleep, just like when he was seven years old. Chirp, I answered in a small way and moved carefully. On top of Arsene¡¯s stomach, I moved to the side of Arsene¡¯s cheek. Arsene¡¯s chubby cheeks touched the fluffy feather, and he naturally felt better. I pressed my small beak to Arsene¡¯s cheek, yawned and closed my eyes. I also intended to sleep a little with Arsene. . . . ¡°Oh my, Young Master!¡± I woke slowly to the sound of Betty¡¯s voice. What¡¯s going on? But Arsene, who was sleeping well next to me, wasn¡¯t there. Eung? Startled, I opened my eyes and looked around. However. ¡°Chirp!!¡± I was horrified at the sight unfolding before my eyes and covered my beak with my wings. A small gray wolf and an orange lion growled and fought under the bed. ¡®Did you succeed in shapeshifting?¡¯ While I was sleeping? Betty lifted Arsene in a hurry, and other servants came in and stopped Leona. However, Arsene and Leona couldn¡¯t easily calm down their excitement. ¡®It¡¯s because they haven¡¯t gotten used to their body yet.¡¯ So it¡¯s easy to get thrilled. I knew this because I had done shapeshifting in my previous life. But. ¡®Where is Cain?¡¯ I looked around to see where Cain was. Cain, who was lying next to us, disappeared before I knew it. ¡®Did Cain also succeed in shapeshifting?¡¯ I stomped my feet in place. ¡°Chirp!¡± As I stamped my feet with a strong cry, light-green smoke rose and filled the bedroom. And my eyesight increased. I released my shapeshift and ran quickly to Betty. Then, in Betty¡¯s arms, I picked up the little gray wolf, which was sprinting in her arms. ¡°Arsene, are you okay?¡± Hearing my voice, the baby wolf raised its head and looked at me. Arsene¡¯s deep blue eyes stared at me. Then Arsene hugged me and wiggled his tail as if it meant he was okay. Betty breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it. But then. ¡°Huh? Lady Leon! Where are you going!¡± Leona, who was in the arms of another maid, stormed out of the door. ¡®Uhm, so it¡¯s started.¡¯ I thought as I looked at the backs of the servants running after Leona. CH 115 I think I said it a few times, but there were many children who cried at the first shapeshift. They can¡¯t adapt to a different body. It was the same reason to run wild. The changed body is unfamiliar and uncomfortable, so they instinctively run wild. The problem is¡ª. ¡®Leona is a lion.¡¯ Leona was a lion, Arsene was a wolf, and Cain was a snake. I was worried about how they would handle all these kids if they ran wild all at once. Fortunately, Arsene was quiet. ¡°Arsene, are you really okay?¡± I hugged Arsene and asked, stroking his head. Arsene¡¯s fluffy tail wagged. ¡®Then now we have to find Cain¡­¡¯ Did the other maid take him out? When I was going to ask. ¡°You know, Chloe, uh, ack¨C!¡± I was holding Arsene when he suddenly struggled, and I missed him. As soon as Arsene landed on the floor, he stood on all fours proudly, and then ran outside like Leona. ¡®Oh my. It¡¯s a mess¡­¡¯ I feel bad at the servants as I watched Chloe chase after Arsene. Then I grabbed the other maid and asked. ¡°You know, where¡¯s Cain?¡± ¡°Young Master Cain? He was in bed until just now¡­ Huh?¡± The maid looked up and down at the blanket. And as soon as she noticed that Cain wasn¡¯t in the blanket, her face turned white. ¡°No way, he was definitely here just now!¡± The maid frantically searched for Cain. After hearing her words, the other servants searched every nook and cranny of the room. I too bent down to my knees and looked in every nook and cranny to find Cain. But, Clank! There was a sound of something being smashed outside, and the sighs of servants were heard. And that wasn¡¯t all. The sound of something exploding was heard one after another, and the sound of servants hurriedly rectifying it was also heard. ¡®I¡¯m sure you prepared a lot¡­¡¯ Since it was the first shapeshift of the children of the head family, I saw that the servants were also preparing meticulously. Even though they removed all the dangerous things, covered the windows, and prepared as much as possible. Clank! ¡­it seems to have been lacking. I looked outside the door with blurry eyes, then searched for Cain again. There are children who succeeded in their first shapeshift who behave like that, and children who don¡¯t adapt and cry. ¡°¡­I found you.¡± Cain was the latter. In the corner, next to the chest of drawers, I saw a black baby snake covered in dust and coiled up in a circle. I saw a black baby snake covered in dust and circling next to the drawer. ¡°Cain, are you okay?¡± I reached out to Cain. The baby snake stood upright and looked up at me, then wrapped itself around my hand. However. ¡°¡­Cain, are you crying?¡± Tears welled up in the black snake¡¯s eyes. I smiled and gently stroked Cain. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Cain. It¡¯s all right. Everything will pass.¡± Crash! ¡°¡­They don¡¯t look all right.¡± Cain slowly moved his body, wrapping it around my arm like a bracelet. I carefully hugged Cain and peeped out of the room. I saw a messy hallway. ¡®¡­What the hell are you doing to break all the windows?¡¯ Did they get hurt? I tried to go out looking for the children, but the maids stopped me. ¡°Please go in, Lady. It¡¯s dangerous if you¡¯re with me. I think you should stay in the room with Cain.¡± ¡°Eung¡­ did they get hurt?¡± I nodded my head. But then. Bang! The door burst open, and a small orange lion rushed into the room. And. ¡°Roaar-!¡± Seeing the black snake wrapped around my wrist, she cried and exposed her teeth. I was momentarily startled and jumped out of place. Pong¡ª! With the sound of the explosion, the body shrank. Cain, wrapped around my wrist, fell to the floor. The maid hastily hugged Cain. Tears could be seen forming in Cain¡¯s eyes again. ¡®I, it¡¯s a big problem.¡¯ I was fine with wolves, but I don¡¯t seem to be immune to lions, even baby lions. Calming my startled heart, I flew up and sat down near the light. Leona roared for a long time, then ran out again vigorously. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± It was a complete mess. *** It was only three hours later that Leona and Arsene calmed down. The baby wolf and the baby lion went on a rampage to their heart¡¯s content and soon lay down and breathed heavily, as if they were exhausted. However, I did not recklessly approach Leona and Arsene because I didn¡¯t know what kind of disaster I would face. I was sitting on Betty¡¯s shoulder so that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Arsene rushed at me. ¡°Chirp!¡± It¡¯s too dangerous. I thought it would be less dangerous because it¡¯s a baby wolf and a baby lion. The destructive power is almost adult-level¡ª. It seemed that it was because Leona and Arsene were the children of the head family. Yeckhart¡¯s mansion was almost half-destroyed thanks to Leona and Arsene running around, smashing and biting, hitting their heads into anything. The curtains were torn, and the portrait hanging at the end of the hallway had long claw marks. Kendrick sighed as he looked at the completely ruined Yeckhart Mansion. And. ¡°This is good enough.¡± He gave an unexpected answer. ¡°Chirp?¡± I looked at Kendrick in disbelief. ¡®What, father?¡¯ The mansion is now more than half destroyed, but what do you mean good enough? I didn¡¯t know because the bird clan didn¡¯t make a fuss like this even during the first shapeshift¡ª. Is the first shapeshift of carnivores originally normal? Kendrick asked Ethan to calculate and list the broken things thoroughly. It seemed that he was going to claim damages from the Fernando family for the broken things. ¡°Linsy, are you okay?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± I cried to mean that I was okay, and flew to land on Kendrick¡¯s shoulder. A red feather came out and stuck to Kendrick¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yes, as long as you¡¯re all right. What about Cain? Cain, where is he?¡± ¡°Chirp!¡± I pointed with my wing to the blanket where Cain was hiding. Cain went under the blanket and wasn¡¯t coming out. ¡°Cain, are you okay?¡± Kendrick carefully lifted the covers and examined Cain¡¯s body. It seemed that he was worried that Arsene and Leona might have left a claw mark while making a disturbance. The black baby snake slipped out of Kendrick¡¯s hand and hid under the blanket again. Kendrick sighed. ¡°I was going to throw a party for the first shapeshift, but you already threw a big party before I did.¡± At Kendrick¡¯s words, the orange lion and the gray baby wolf, who had been lying still, were startled and shook their shoulders. ¡°Chirp!¡± I flapped my wings in response to Kendrick¡¯s comment about ¡°having a big party.¡± The servants seemed exhausted from chasing after Arsene and Leona the whole time. The sighs of the servants clearing the messy hallways could be heard throughout the room. ¡°Still, you did a good job. All of you.¡± Kendrick said, gently patting Arsene and Leona¡¯s heads. He also tried to stroke Cain¡¯s head, who was hiding under the covers, but Cain shyly refused Kendrick¡¯s touch. The baby lion put her face into Kendrick¡¯s big hand and grinned. ¡°What are you so excited about, Leon? It seems like the first shapeshifting is just good.¡± Regardless of Kendrick¡¯s critics, Leona wagged her tail. The gray baby wolf Arsene, who had been watching her, bit Leona¡¯s hand. ¡°Chirp!!¡± ¡°Arsene.¡± As if they weren¡¯t tired, Arsene and Leona got entangled again and started biting and fighting. Of course, it didn¡¯t hurt because neither of them was fighting seriously. ¡°Stop, stop. Leon, if you keep doing this, I will send you back. Arsene, if you keep doing this, think you¡¯ll be standing with a sign again.¡± When Kendrick sternly warned them, Arsene and Leona wheezed and took a step back. However, as if they had forgotten Kendrick¡¯s words for a while, they soon got tangled up again and growled. ¡®Uh, my head hurts.¡¯ The two of them used to fight a lot even when they were in human form, but when they succeeded in turning into their beast form, they fought even more fiercely. I sighed and watched the situation from Kendrick¡¯s shoulder. Normally, I would have stopped the fight, but¡ª. ¡®If I try to stop that fight now, I¡¯ll be torn apart.¡¯ A lion and a wolf could tear a bird apart. I gulped at the still small but sharp claws of Arsene and Leona. Arsene and Leona, who had been fighting all along, were eventually quarantined in different rooms as a special measure. Only then did peace come back to the wolf mansion. Even though the mansion is half destroyed due to the rampage of the two children. CH 116 A week later, Kendrick arranged a list of things Leona Fernando had broken and decided to charge the Fernando family. ¡°Check every single statue.¡± Ethan lowered his head in response to Kendrick¡¯s command. ¡°But, my Lord, what if I can¡¯t tell the difference between what the Young Master and Lady Leona broke?¡± Kendrick wrinkled his brow at Ethan¡¯s words. Certainly, the main culprits who destroyed Yeckhart¡¯s mansion were Leona and Arsene. Kendrick remembered his son biting at the end of the portrait hanging in the room and tearing it apart. It is impossible to make a claim against the Fernando mansion for the damage Arsene caused. ¡°That¡­¡± Kendrick frowned and pondered for a moment. And soon. ¡°Combine the value of all the broken things, and charge Fernando exactly half.¡± This was the right way because he couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the two children. Ethan nodded and replied to Kendrick¡¯s orders. Two sheets of parchment filled up as he made a list of the things Leona and Arsene broke. ¡°So many¡­¡± The head maid of the Yeckhart Mansion said in astonishment. The children of the wolf clan and the children of the lion clan are special at first shapeshift. ¡®Still, it¡¯s too much.¡¯ Kendrick Yeckhart also destroyed all the decorations in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion during his first shapeshift. ¡®He did less than the Young Master.¡¯ Ethan thought to himself. As Kendrick ordered, he calculated the value of Leona¡¯s damage and wrote an invoice. Afterwards, Kendrick personally visited the Fernando mansion with the bill to take Leona. Lamont paid for the ones Leona had broken as soon as he got the parchments. ¡°She only broke this? Amazing.¡± On the contrary, he even laughed while saying this. Kendrick looked at Lamont, who signed with the parchment in front of him, and soon laughed. ¡°It certainly seemed less than your two sons.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought that Leona would be able to eat the whole Yeckhart mansion and have some leftovers.¡± ¡°The whole mansion¡­So, did you leave your daughter to shapeshift in the Wolf Mansion?¡± To Kendrick¡¯s question, Lamont responded with an impressive smile. ¡°Because there really was a situation. You don¡¯t believe it, do you?¡± ¡°The snake clan couldn¡¯t take Cain for the same reason. I believe in the Hezeth family, but¡­ it¡¯s hard to believe you.¡± To Kendrick¡¯s words, Lamont replied. ¡°Still, it would have been much better for Leona. She likes Linsy so much. She¡¯s been saying she wanted to do her first shapeshift in the presence of Linsy. I only granted my daughter¡¯s wish once. Of course, my wife was a little disappointed, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity, she didn¡¯t see her daughter¡¯s first shapeshift.¡± This is because the first shapeshift is quite a big deal. And even more so with Kendrick. ¡®Because there was a time when I thought Arsene wouldn¡¯t be able to shapeshift.¡¯ He vaguely thought that if he died before he was old enough to do it, or even if he were alive, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. However. ¡°Young Master, Lady Leona, and Young Master Cain play together often¡­ It seems that the first shapeshift cycle has been set.¡± How surprised and happy he was to receive that report. His beloved son. He was born with a curse that everyone said he wouldn¡¯t live long. Then he suddenly remembered the last will of Irene, Arsene¡¯s mother and Kendrick¡¯s wife, left to Arsene. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t hold you for a long time, son. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t hug you for a long time.¡± After hearing the story, Kendrick was determined to protect Arsene no matter what. It¡¯s been ten years since he gave his whole life to Arsene. ¡®But the first shapeshift.¡¯ As much as it was unexpected, the joy was greater. Isn¡¯t it the heart of parents to want to engrave every time their children grow up in their hearts? But the Lion Clan is different. Kendrick didn¡¯t think long. ¡°But surprisingly, the servants of the Fernando Mansion are not sorry. I almost built a new mansion during Aslan and Theobald.¡± Lamont replied with a shrug. Kendrick said, ¡®The Fernand mansion is not broken, so of course it is,¡¯ and soon quit. And although Yeckhart¡¯s mansion was damaged a lot, ¡®It was a pretty decent sight.¡¯ He witnessed the rare sight of the Lion Clan¡¯s child, the Wolf Clan¡¯s heir, and the Snake Clan¡¯s heir making their first shapeshift at the same time. It doesn¡¯t feel bad. Kendrick once again remembered the day Leona, Arsene, and Cain made their shapeshift. *** Grrrrroar¨C! The little orange lion raised its front paws and roared. ¡°No, I mean, you¡¯re still fighting.¡± I sighed heavily, pulled Arsene into my arms, and pushed Leona¡¯s forehead with my palm. ¡°Leon, stop it. Eung? How long are you going to fight with Arsene?¡± Arsene struggled in my arms, then gave up and grabbed the back of my hand. I let out a deep sigh. Arsene was in my arms, and Leona was restless because she wanted to fight Arsene. In addition, Cain was hanging like a necklace around my neck. I asked Betty with a tired expression. ¡°Betty¡­ When will the first shapeshift usually release?¡± ¡°Usually, it will be released in half a day, so please be patient. Lady.¡± Seeing my struggles, Betty and the other maids tried to take care of Arsene, Leona, and Cain. ¡°Shh, shh-!¡± ¡°Growl¡­¡± ¡°Rrrrrroar¡­¡± Because Cain, Arsene, and Leona were against it, I couldn¡¯t leave it up to the other maids. ¡®Even though Leon and Cain are shapeshifting, their instincts have gotten stronger, which makes things difficult for the wolf clan.¡¯ I looked down at Arsene. ¡°Arsene, why are you?¡± When Arsene heard me, he turned away, pretending not to know. I understand about Leona and Cain, but since Arsene is a wolf, shouldn¡¯t he be more comfortable with the other wolf maids? I looked at Betty and said. ¡°Betty¡­ I can¡¯t. Please hold Leon. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s okay for the kids to fight.¡± ¡°Yes, I will. Good girl, Lady Leon.¡± Betty nodded and hugged the little orange lion. Leon seemed to struggle a bit, but when Betty sat down next to me without going far, she sat calmly in Betty¡¯s arms and glared at Arsene. ¡°No, I think they¡¯re fighting more because they¡¯re in their beast state. I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re fighting like this.¡± ¡°At the time of the first shapeshift, aggression increases because you can¡¯t control your instincts, but¡­ I think Young Master and Lady Leona are a little too much.¡± Betty looked at Leona and Arsene with a worried look. I also nodded. ¡°It¡¯s really bad. Besides, Cain¡­¡± I looked at Cain Hezeth hanging limply from my neck. Cain had been in this state since the first shapeshift. I caught him as he was feeling down and trying to crawl into the corner, and I put him around my neck. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s really not that easy¡­¡¯ I tapped Arsene¡¯s moist nose with my finger. ¡°Arsene, don¡¯t you want to go down?¡± The little gray wolf stared at me. I could feel the clear blue eyes staring at me. The baby wolf Arsene cried as he put his small front paws on my arm. ¡°Kngg.¡± ¡°Ung, so it¡¯s a no¡­.¡± I hugged Arsene and really comforted him like a child. During their first shapeshift, instinct came first, and their ability to control their emotions was still immature, so they had to be treated like children. By the way. ¡®It¡¯s so cute¡­ Uhm.¡¯ I often imagined the day when Arsene would make his first shapeshift. I only saw the appearance of adult wolves among the entire wolf clan, who were shapeshifting¡ª. ¡®This is my first time seeing such a small baby wolf.¡¯ I thought to myself and stroked Arsene¡¯s head, then hesitated. ¡®No, I¡¯ve seen it once before.¡¯ At the first banquet, the one who scared me by deliberately shapeshifting and threatened me by surprise. Of course, she¡¯s a little older, but¡ª I looked back at vague memories. ¡®Or not?¡¯ Maybe it felt that way because I was younger and more timid than I am now. As I thought about that memory, I was a bit surprised at myself. ¡®I never thought the day would come when I couldn¡¯t even remember her name.¡¯ At the time, and when I was seven or eight years old, I vaguely thought that I would live with it as a lifelong trauma. Because for me, the shock at that time was very big. I thought while stroking Arsene. ¡®I guess it¡¯s because I was loved in the Wolf Mansion.¡¯ I can¡¯t even remember the traumas that gave me such a hard time when I was seven. I¡¯m still a little scared of the dark, but¡ª. ¡®That, too, will be fine soon.¡¯ Because there are Arsene and Kendrick, the Wolf Mansion, Leona, and Cain. I gently stroked Arsene¡¯s head, an adorable baby wolf. Arsene narrowed his eyes, looked at me for a while, and then rubbed his head in my palm. ¡°It tickles, Arsene.¡± ¡°Kiing¡­¡± Arsene licked my palm. I stared at Arsene. ¡®Ugh. Even if it was the first shapeshift, the rationality would be there, right¡­?¡¯ It¡¯s just that he follows his instincts and doesn¡¯t completely lose his mind. But Arsene was really acting like a baby wolf now. Follow his instincts¡ª. ¡®Is it your instinct¡­ to want to lick my palm?¡¯ I was confused for a moment, but then I hugged and comforted Arsene. CH 117 It was that evening that Arsene, Leona, and Cain¡¯s shapeshift were released. ¡°Ah, finally!¡± Leona shook her head. Her messy orange hair fluttered. ¡°Leona, are you okay?¡± ¡°E, eung. But I have very little memory of when I shapeshift.¡± Leona tilted her head and said. Beside her, Chloe nodded her head. ¡°Originally, there was a case like that when in your first shapeshifting. Are you okay, Young Master?¡± ¡°Eung, I¡¯m fine too.¡± Arsene nodded. However. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Arsene seems to be slightly avoiding my gaze. Is it a mistake? ¡°Don¡¯t you remember it too, Young Master?¡± ¡°I¡­ Eung, I¡¯m not¡­.¡± Arsene blurted out at the end of his speech. ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you remember when you and Leon broke down everything?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t.¡± Arsene firmly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± I thought, nodding my head. Arsene¡¯s face looked a little red, but I quickly forgot about it when Mr. Hern came in. Mr. Hern sat Leona, Cain, and Arsene side by side. And, ¡°All three of you are healthy. But don¡¯t be surprised, as there are times when you suddenly change into your beast form after your first shapeshift. Now you can get some rest.¡± At Mr. Hern¡¯s words, the children nodded their heads at the same time. However, ¡°Lady, please come here for a moment.¡± Mr. Hern said a moment ago, pointing over the bed where the children were sitting and receiving medical treatment. ¡°Eung? But I¡¯m not sick?¡± I widened my eyes. However, since it was Hern¡¯s words, I quietly obeyed. Even though I didn¡¯t feel any pain, Mr. Hern made me sit on the bed and examine every part of my body. I looked into Mr. Hern¡¯s eyes and asked carefully. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking around for a moment because I¡¯m concerned.¡± Mr. Hern¡¯s expression when he said that was quite serious. ¡®Uhm¡­¡¯ I received medical treatment as instructed by Mr. Hern. He said the treatment was over and left the room without saying anything. ¡®Why are you like that?¡¯ But I didn¡¯t think for a long time. I thought that there must have been a reason for everything. Shortly after Mr. Hern left, Kendrick came in. ¡°Father!¡± Kendrick smiled and walked in, staring blankly at Arsene, who was standing quietly by the bed. ¡°Arsene.¡± And after hesitating for a moment, he called Arsene¡¯s name quietly. Kendrick¡¯s affectionate gaze was seen gently examining Arsene¡¯s face. ¡®Since it¡¯s the first shapeshift.¡¯ It was only natural that Kendrick looked at Arsene so fondly. Moreover, Arsene has been told over and over that he won¡¯t be able to shapeshift. After looking at Arsene for a while, Kendrick also looked at me. ¡°You worked hard, Linsy.¡± As he stroked my hair, Arsene, who was standing next to me, looked up at Kendrick. However, unlike Kendrick, who looked at his son affectionately, Arsene looked at his father with a suspicious look. ¡®Eung?¡¯ What¡¯s wrong with him? He wasn¡¯t the kind of kid who usually looked at his dad with soft eyes, but¡ª. ¡®Today is a bit¡­ Doesn¡¯t it seem hostile?¡¯ But there was no reason for Arsene to look at Kendrick hostilely. I looked at Arsene and Kendrick alternately with a curious look. Kendrick also seemed to notice that Arsene¡¯s gaze was a little different than usual. ¡°Ha, Arsene. All right, all right. It¡¯s really the first shapeshift.¡± Kendrick spoke playfully, letting go of the hand that had been stroking my hair and sweeping Arsene¡¯s head. And he said pleasantly. ¡°Since the first shapeshift was successful, we will have a party soon.¡± ¡°Party?¡± Arsene and I weren¡¯t the first to blink at Kendrick¡¯s words. It was Leona. Kendrick, noticing Leona¡¯s sudden interest in the words ¡°party,¡± said as if he couldn¡¯t stop her. ¡°You should go to your house soon, Leon.¡± ¡°But, you say you¡¯re having a party, Uncle! Party, I want to party!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a party at Fernando?¡± ¡°No, but¡­ there is no Linsy and Arsene.¡± Leona said sadly. In fact, Leona and Cain had invited us to Fernando and Hezeth several times, but¡ª. Kendrick told Arsene and me not to go to another clan¡¯s territory without a guardian because it was dangerous. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Linsy.¡± Kendrick said the same thing every time we went with Leona¡¯s invitation in hand. ¡°How about inviting Leon to Yeckhart instead? Since Hector is there, riding and playing with Hector would be nice.¡± Kendrick tried to appease us. I understand Kendrick. ¡®It¡¯s because of Raniero¡­¡¯ Since my father, Arthur Raniero, had fallen, he hadn¡¯t openly targeted me. However, since Raniero is basically a closed family, There was no sound of Arthur Raniero¡¯s current condition, and he said he couldn¡¯t even know what kind of movement Raniero was making. That¡¯s the situation. ¡®You want to be more careful.¡¯ It would be a big deal if they kidnapped me. Both Leona¡¯s cheeks swelled up in the wind. Kendrick asked Cain, pretending not to see such Leona. ¡°Cain, the Hezeth family is coming to pick you up.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s too late.¡± Cain muttered and hid behind me. However. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t grab her.¡± As Cain squeezed the hem of my clothes, Arsene spoke sharply. Cain was taken aback for a moment, but soon he let go of my clothes and stood upright. ¡°Arsene, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I told Arsene. After the successful first shapeshifting, he responded sharply to all kinds of things. Even he showed a sensitive side to Kendrick, so there was nothing more to say. Should I say that I¡¯m glad he didn¡¯t say anything mean to me? Arsene quickly became obedient and calm when I pressed his hand. Cain looked at the figure and dropped his head with a tearful face. It seemed kind of sad that he couldn¡¯t be with his family when he did his first shapeshift. ¡°There was something going on with the Hezeth family, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. You must be sad, but I hope you understand, Cain. Instead, they¡¯re coming to pick you up as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Cain bit his lips and held his head back as if he were holding back his tears. As I listened to the story, I looked up and asked Kendrick. ¡°Did something happen to the Hezeth family?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know exactly. It¡¯s just that something happened right after Creighton went back.¡± After Kendrick explained lightly, he gave Cain a hug. ¡°So don¡¯t get too upset. Your father would have wanted to come pick you up too.¡± Cain nodded. Then Leona popped in. ¡°So when are you having the party? It¡¯s time for the festival to take place¡ªAh, the festival won¡¯t be held.¡± At that moment, a small explosion sounded from Leona¡¯s body. Pong¡ª! Then Leona¡¯s ears and tail appeared. The orange lion¡¯s ears and tail drooped. Talking about the festival seemed disappointing. ¡®Well.¡¯ In the past two years, the festival has not been held even once. Because of the Giles flower, there was a lot of tension in the beast society. ¡®I heard that the Pope¡¯s condition has worsened.¡¯ In addition, Arthur Raniero, the head of the bird clan, has also fallen. The festival was canceled for the entire year because it was considered unreasonable to proceed with the festival according to schedule. Leona tried to match the dress to go to the festival every time but was disappointed to hear that the festival wouldn¡¯t be held twice. ¡®They said it was incurable because it was a chronic disease caused by aging¡­¡¯ At that time, I remembered the image of the Pope I saw at a festival I went to when I was seven years old. The Pope¡¯s appearance was senile and looked somewhat unnatural to be sick. But I didn¡¯t think long and shook my head. ¡®I must have seen it wrong.¡¯ Since the Pope was really old, it would be normal to be old and sick, as everyone knows. I got rid of thoughts of the Pope. More than that. At first glance, Raniero¡¯s ability to heal seems like it could do anything. However, even with Raniero¡¯s power, some things were still impossible. The first was to bring the dead back to life. The second one is, ¡®It¡¯s to prevent aging.¡¯ Diseases caused by aging can also be cured to some extent. Just as I treated the elders of the wolf clan. But anyone, like the Pope, who lives well beyond his life span, wasn¡¯t easy to cure. Few people knew the Pope¡¯s age properly. Everyone just says he¡¯s lived so long that it¡¯s hard to guess. The Pope was a member of the turtle family. ¡®I¡¯ve heard last time that the shell started to crumble.¡¯ It must have been a conversation between Kendrick and Lamont, or I had heard the conversation between the two while passing by. That¡¯s the situation. ¡®To hold the fe festival again this year¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be hard?¡¯ I glanced at Kendrick. Kendrick narrowed his brows as if pondering for a moment and soon put his hand on Leona¡¯s head and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe there will be a festival this year.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, since the matter has been resolved, it seems that the head families are also reviewing it positively.¡± The ¡°matter¡± mentioned here must have been something related to Giles flowers. The eyes of Leona, Cain, and Arsene all sparkled at the same time. But look at Kendrick, who¡¯s saying things have worked out. ¡®That¡¯s a relief. They must have handled the Giles flowers.¡¯ Kendrick had been busy the past few days, worried that Giles¡¯ flowers might have spread to the beastman clan. ¡°Did it work out?¡± ¡°Yes, for now.¡± Kendrick smiled. I also smiled and nodded. I didn¡¯t even know that was the beginning. CH 118 The next day, Deborah, the aide of the Hezeth family, came and took Cain. ¡°Bye! Cain!¡± Leona smiled brightly and saw Cain off. Arsene and I saw Cain off, too. And¡ª It was a week later when Leona returned to the Fernando mansion. Leona said she didn¡¯t want to go and wanted to stay longer, but Kendrick, who had to go to Fernando¡¯s house, took her home. After a long time, all the children went home, and it was just me and Arsene. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m really tired.¡± ¡°Me too¡­I¡¯m really tired.¡± Perhaps it was true that Arsene was tired because he kept dozing off. ¡°Arsene, Arsene, are you sleeping?¡± In front of Arsene¡¯s eyes, I gently shook his palm. Arsene dozed off, slowly lifting his eyelids. And after staring at my face for a long time, he leaned on my shoulder and fell asleep. I gave my shoulder to Arsene and held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly. Even in his sleep, I could feel Arsene grabbing my hand. ¡®You look very tired¡­.¡¯ It seems that it was because he was tired that he continued to be sensitive even after the first shapeshifting was released. I tried to lay Arsene down so he could sleep more comfortably. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Eung? Are you awake?¡± Arsene had to hold me because he shook his head and held me tight every time I moved. ¡®Do you usually get tired this long after doing the first shapeshift?¡¯ I looked back at my memory. I can barely remember the last life, and this one¡ª. ¡®I dozed off in the carriage to Yeckhart, but I don¡¯t think I was tired for days.¡¯ ¡®Are the wolf clan different?¡¯ I looked at Arsene, who was sleeping peacefully, with worried eyes. Arsene seems to have been sluggish the past few days, so Kendrick asked Mr. Hern to take a good look at Arsene before going out. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s very tired, so keep an eye on him, and if there¡¯s anything wrong, pull this right away.¡± Mr. Hern checked Arsene¡¯s condition every time, as Kendrick instructed. He said that the reason why Arsene keeps getting tired is because he put a lot of effort into making his first shapeshift. ¡®So it¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ I put aside my worries about Arsene for a while and stared blankly into the quiet room. After Leona and Cain went back, the mansion seemed strangely empty. It seems that the vacancy for those children is quite large. I fiddled with Arsene¡¯s hand, then closed my eyes. The sunlight was shining through the transparent glass windows. It was a perfect day to take a nap. *** It was already night when I woke up. The moonlight was shining brightly in the room. ¡®I must have been tired too¡­¡¯ Seeing that I slept this long without waking up once. The maids didn¡¯t seem to wake me up at dinner when they saw me sleeping deeply. I blinked slowly. Arsene, who was lying next to me, was in his wolf form. The maids seemed to have put Arsene and me to sleep comfortably, so we were lying side by side on the bed. I looked at the little baby wolf in front of me and hugged it tightly in my arms. However¡ª. ¡°¡­Is the temperature high because of the fur?¡± Arsene¡¯s body seemed a little hot. Is it because he slept covered with a blanket? No, it may be because young children have a high body temperature. I came up with all kinds of thoughts and pointed at Arsene¡¯s head. However, since it was shapeshifting, it was difficult to tell whether it had a fever or not because of its fluffy fur. ¡°Arsene, Arsene¡­ wake up.¡± I gently shook Arsene to wake him up. But Arsene didn¡¯t wake up, perhaps because of a deep sleep. Let¡¯s hold Arsene tightly in our arms in a half-asleep state. ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s hot?¡± It wasn¡¯t because the child¡¯s body temperature was high by covering the blanket, but it seemed that he was having a fever because he was sick. As soon as I noticed Arsene was sick, I was wide awake. I opened my eyes wide and inspected the baby wolf in my arms. ¡°Arsene?¡± I turned Arsene carefully and held him, rubbed his belly gently, and Arsen moved his limbs. However. ¡°He breathes with his mouth open¡­¡± With the exception of a few special clans, when beastmen breathe with their mouths open, it means that something is wrong with their bodies. It means that the condition has gotten bad enough that the person needs to breathe through their mouth. ¡®This is a problem.¡¯ Even Kendrick wasn¡¯t at the mansion today. It was because he said he would take Leona to the Fernando mansion and take care of things nearby. Although he was anxious about leaving the mansion behind Arsene, who had just made his first shapeshift. ¡°I have something to look at, so I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll be right back instead.¡± And he left the mansion. But why today! I came to my senses and quickly pulled the gold cord on the bed. I pull at all costs, which Kendrick had just installed, if anything bad happens. Ring, ring! The bell rang through the mansion as soon as the gold cord was pulled. The maids who woke up burst open the door of my room, looking disheveled. I knelt down on the bed, holding Arsene in my arms and looking at the maids. The person who had just woken up was, sure enough, Betty. ¡°Lady, what happened¡ª?¡± Betty asked in a voice that still sounded sleepy. I lifted Arsene slightly in my arms, brought him close to my face, checked his body temperature, and said. ¡°I think Arsene is sick¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Betty¡¯s eyes widened at my words. The same was true of Chloe and the other maids standing behind her. Arsene being sick meant the whole Yeckhart mansion was in an emergency. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Mr. Hern first!¡± One of the maids rubbed her eyes and quickly disappeared to find Mr. Hern. Chloe approached cautiously and placed a hand on Arsene¡¯s forehead. ¡°He seems to have a fever, right?¡± ¡°Yes, he has a fever¡­ Is it because of the first shapeshift¡­?¡± Chloe looked at Arsene and then left the room saying she would make a wet towel. Betty asked me to put Arsene to bed. I nodded and put Arsene on the bed so that he could rest comfortably. However. ¡°Kngg¡­¡± Arsene groaned as if in great pain. The little wolf trembled with its paws. As if breathing was still difficult, he was breathing with his mouth wide open and his tongue sticking out. ¡°Arsene, Arsene¡­¡± I wanted to use my abilities on Arsene right away, but I held back. ¡®Because Mr Hern hasn¡¯t come yet¡­¡¯ When Arsene¡¯s illness got worse, I couldn¡¯t use my ability without permission from Kendrick and Hern. It was because my ability and Arsene¡¯s illness collided for some reason. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s been fine so far, but¡­¡¯ Arsene had hardly been sick in three years. When he was sick, Mr Hern asked me to heal him with a little use of my ability. As I said, I used my ability with caution. It was a little less than when I was young, but when I treated Arsene, I felt like I was being sucked in. After I explained that I felt that way, Mr Hern asked me not to treat Arsene with my ability without his permission. So. ¡®You¡¯re sick, but I can¡¯t do anything for you¡­¡¯ I looked sadly at the little gray wolf lying there. Arsene¡¯s breathing seemed to calm down when I grabbed the soft pink paws. The maids brought wet towels and wiped Arsene¡¯s body or fur. The lights in Yeckhart¡¯s mansion turned on brightly. And not long after, Mr Hern came running quickly. ¡°Young Master, are you okay?¡± When Mr Hern saw Arsene¡¯s condition, he quickly examined him. After examining Arsene¡¯s condition with the stethoscope he brought, he used the ¡®eye¡¯ of the deer clan to observe the flow of his power. ¡°His ability has become unstable. It¡¯s not because of the disease, but it¡¯s probably because it¡¯s it hasn¡¯t been long since the first shapeshifting¡­.¡± Mr. Hern muttered. ¡°Then, should we just leave it alone?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t because of the Young Master¡¯s ¡®illness¡¯, it would be right to leave it alone¡­¡± Mr. Hern¡¯s eyes shifted to Arsene, who was gasping for air. Arsene was breathing hard as if he would run out of breath at any moment. ¡®I don¡¯t think I can just leave it alone.¡¯ I looked up at Mr Hern with a nervous expression. And fortunately, Mr. Hern seemed to have the same opinion as me. He looked at Arsene for a while, then turned his gaze to me. ¡°Lady¡¯s ability is¡­ very stable. I think you can use your power.¡± As soon as Mr Hern gave permission, I hugged Arsene tightly. Even though I could use my powers by just touching his palm. ¡®I want to do this.¡¯ I opened my eyes, holding Arsene, who was panting in pain, tightly in her arms. And I use my power. A light green light spread from the palms of Arsene¡¯s arms. And not long after, a light green light flowed through Arsene¡¯s entire body. It seemed that it was because I was holding Arsene with my whole body. I opened my eyes more clearly and focused on using my power. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m being sucked in¡­¡¯ It¡¯s usually like that, but it was exceptionally worse today. I felt a cold sweat forming on my forehead. ¡°Lady, don¡¯t overdo it¡­!¡± Mr. Hern tried to stop me, but I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Still, this was fine. Because I have a much stronger ability than when I was seven years old. ¡®So it¡¯ll be okay if I¡¯m absorbed a little by Arsene.¡¯ I kept sending my power through the body of the little wolf. Maybe because I used a lot of power, red wings came out from behind me and tore my pajamas. The maids were looking anxiously at the figure. Then Arsene squinted his eyes. Our eyes met the clear and transparent wall like a lake. CH 119 It¡¯s a strange thing. ¡®I just met Arsene¡¯s eyes.¡¯ It makes me feel like I can use more powers. I gently stroked Arsene¡¯s head and whispered quietly. ¡°Arsene, you won¡¯t feel pain anymore. I don¡¯t lie, remember?¡± I said, remembering the first time I treated Arsene. ¡°You know, if you listen to me carefully, you can stop taking medicine.¡± ¡°¡­Lie!¡± ¡°It¡¯s real, I don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all? If you listen to me carefully, you can go out and play.¡± Even though Arsene didn¡¯t trust me, he entrusted himself to me that day. He must have hated being sick that much. I kept my promise and made sure that Arsene didn¡¯t get sick for a while that day. Are you trying to answer me? The little baby wolf slowly closed and opened his eyes with his tongue out. I hugged Arsene tighter and whispered again. ¡°So, trust me this time too.¡± Now I was getting a little bit out of breath. I knew that it was because I used my abilities excessively. But, ¡®I can¡¯t stop using my powers when Arsene is this sick.¡¯ I glanced over at Mr Hern. He was watching Arsene and me with a very worried expression. It seemed that if I showed signs of overdoing it, he would separate them at any moment. I fixed my eyes on Arsene with my head lowered to hide my troubled expression as much as possible. ¡°Arsene.¡± I didn¡¯t forget to call Arsene¡¯s name over and over so he wouldn¡¯t lose his mind. The little wolf wheezed as I patted his back in my arms as if trying to lift something up. It sounds like something is stuck in your throat. I could see Mr Hern¡¯s expression gradually hardening. But there was a problem. ¡®Why his condition doesn¡¯t get better?¡¯ Originally, my ability didn¡¯t work well with Arsene. The proof was the spots still remaining on Arsene¡¯s body. Arsene¡¯s disease would have been cured long ago if my power had worked. Still, it was enough to calm Arsene¡¯s condition. But now, Arsene showed no signs of calming down. I tried my best to use my power more. I¡¯m still using a lot of power, but¡ª. To some extent, the amount of power used for Arsene now was greater than the amount of power used for the entire servants of the Yekhart mansion. Even so, the condition wasn¡¯t easily calmed down, so I panicked and tried to release my ability more. Let¡¯s do that. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Betty opened her mouth cautiously. Perhaps it was because I used my powers too much, but the room was filled with light green smoke. However, I used my powers while looking at my hand, which was sparkling with light green. And between the green lights¡ª. ¡®¡­This?¡¯ I could see a cluster of reddish lights. I almost let Arsene go because I was surprised, but I pulled myself together. Fortunately, the smoke spread in the room didn¡¯t seem to be turning red, so I rolled my hands as much as possible and hid them. However. ¡°Uhng!¡± Arsene suddenly let out a painful sound, and his body shuddered. ¡°Arsene, Arsene?¡± I hurriedly called Arsene and gathered some of my powers. Is he in more pain because of my power? Mr Hern hurriedly approaches us and separates me and Arsene. ¡°M, Mr!¡± ¡°Not anymore. Something seems wrong. First, let¡¯s try medicine¡­ If it doesn¡¯t work, then we¡¯ll try again.¡± After Mr Hern finished talking, Chloe hugged Arsene. ¡°I¡¯ll lay him down in the Young Master¡¯s room. The Lady is resting here.¡± ¡°Then I will soon make the medicine and follow you. I¡¯ll see how his condition goes in a little while, Lady.¡± Mr Hern said that my condition seemed to be unstable, so I didn¡¯t move and was told to stay where I was. I nodded. In an instant, Arsene and the maids left, leaving me alone with Betty in the room. As I swept the area where Arsene was lying, I felt lukewarm warmth. ¡°My Lady, are you okay?¡± Betty asked affectionately, sweeping my face once. I rubbed my face lightly at Betty¡¯s kind touch. ¡°Yes, I am fine. But Arsene¡­¡± I¡¯ve never had anything like this before. Even if Arsene and my power didn¡¯t match well for some reason, Arsene calmed down if I always used my power. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a little tired. ¡®¡­Is it not a little?¡¯ It was because there were two times when I was completely exhausted and collapsed while using my abilities to heal him. ¡®But if I used this power, Arsene wouldn¡¯t be sick¡­¡¯ As soon as a reddish light shone in my hand, Arsene felt pain. A reddish light. I decided to talk about this with Kendrick when he returned. ¡®Because I can¡¯t hide it.¡¯ Before that, I didn¡¯t carelessly say anything because I was afraid I might have seen something wrong. ¡®I¡¯m sure I didn¡¯t see it wrong this time.¡¯ A reddish light was clearly circulating in my hand. But, all of a sudden, I was terrified. ¡®Could this be a curse?¡¯ Kendrick said that the idea that birds with red fur are cursed is a superstition that circulates only among the avian clan and a few clans. A reddish light shone in my hand, and shortly after that, Arsene was in pain¡ª. I suddenly realized that this could be the ¡°curse¡± they were talking about so much. Still, I couldn¡¯t hide it from Kendrick. ¡®If this is really a curse, I have to say it even if I end up being hated.¡¯ Because that was my own way of repaying the favor I received at the Wolf Mansion. Betty hugged me tightly and patted me on the back. ¡°He will be fine, he has always been fine. Don¡¯t worry too much, Lady.¡± I could feel Betty¡¯s fingertips trembling slightly. Maybe Betty is worried about Arsene too. But just in case I was surprised, she seemed to be trying to comfort me kindly. ¡°Can you sleep alone?¡± Betty asked anxiously. I¡¯ve been sleeping with Arsene for three years now, so it was worth worrying about. I pondered for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Eung, I can sleep alone.¡± Arsene is sick, so all the people in the mansion are busy moving, Since I couldn¡¯t help, I shouldn¡¯t have bothered them. Betty pondered for a moment, then asked cautiously. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I put you to sleep?¡± ¡°Betty?¡± ¡°Yes, you like to sleep with your face buried in that fur when I¡¯m shapeshifting.¡± ¡°Eung, I like it¡­ but are you going to shapeshift?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Betty said with a soft smile. She used to hug me. I wrapped my arms around Betty¡¯s neck. Betty held me and took me to the room I used when I was seven. Arsene was lying in the room next to me, the door was slightly open and the maids were busy coming and going. Maids with wet towels and bowls of medicine hurried through the corridors. Betty held me and she opened the door to my room. It¡¯s been a while since I started sleeping with Arsene, but the room was clean. The maids seemed to clean and manage steadily. Betty gently laid me on the bed, tapping the floor lightly with her foot. Pong¡ª! A small explosion sound was heard, and brown smoke billowed up. And in the midst of it, a wolf with a gentle impression of brown fur appeared. ¡°Betty¡­¡± Betty was the maid who knew best that I was timid. That¡¯s why, now that the mansion was so noisy, it seemed like they were checking to see if he might faint. A huge brown wolf sat on the floor beside the bed and raised its snout onto it. I gently stroked Betty¡¯s hair, then patted the quilt next to mine. ¡°Betty, if you lie down here¡­ can¡¯t you?¡± I felt like if Betty lay down beside me, I could shake off this complicated mind and sleep. I heard some noise from the next room. ¡®No.¡¯ I stood up and held back when I wanted to go to Arsene. It won¡¯t help if I go now. It¡¯ll only disturb them. Betty stared at me for a moment with a troubled expression, then cautiously climbed onto the bed. Even though the bed was very big, Betty was a little bigger, so her lower body almost protruded out of the bed. The huge tail swayed. I was cradled in the warm arms of the brown wolf and buried my face in its soft fur. ¡®Arsene¡­ he¡¯s gonna be okay, right?¡¯ Seeing that it was noisy for a long time and then quieted down soon, I think he calmed down a little. I hugged Betty, hoping Kendrick would come back soon. Betty¡¯s fur smelled good. CH 120 ¡°There was no problem with the snake family¡¯s mansion.¡± Kendrick was now sitting in the office of the Hezeth, the head of the Snake Clan. After finishing his business in Fernando, he came at the request of Creighton Hezeth to stop by the Hezeth mansion. And the story Creighton put out was quite shocking. ¡°I obtained the information that Giles flowers are being distributed and confirmed it.¡± Creighton nodded slowly at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, there is no problem with the snake family¡¯s mansion.¡± Creighton opened his mouth with a face that looked quite tired. ¡°If it became known that the Giles flowers were distributed, the other clans might hold the snake clan accountable, so we issued a gag order. But¡­¡± He added that he couldn¡¯t pick up Cain that day because he was dealing with it. ¡°So, is the information accurate?¡± It was a big problem that Giles Flower was circulating in the beastman society. Once it starts to spread, the damage will be out of control. To Kendrick¡¯s question, Creighton nodded again in response. ¡°Yes, it was secretly distributed on the black market. I¡¯ve already checked.¡± He took out a small, tightly sealed storage box and placed it on the table between the two. ¡°We¡¯ve got the evidence.¡± ¡°Did you check?¡± ¡°Yes, it must be Giles pollen. But¡­¡± Creighton wrinkled his face. ¡°Did you mix something more, or did the Giles flower become less effective with the resurrection¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as powerful as ancient Giles.¡± ¡°What do you mean not powerful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s literally true. Researchers from the Snake family have confirmed that the Giles flowers have a different composition from the one that caused damage to Yekhart Mansion the other day.¡± Kendrick frowned at Hezeth¡¯s words and pulled the locker. Then, in preparation for an unexpected situation, he wrapped the storage box using his power and carefully opened it. To the naked eye, it seemed no different from the Giles pollen Kendrick had obtained the other day. But¡ª. ¡°Fortunately, there don¡¯t seem to be many victims yet¡­ but again, we never know. For now, We need to find out how far this has spread. He shook his head, clutching his throbbing head. ¡°Yes, the black market¡­ I¡¯ll also have to check out the Wolf Clan¡¯s Black Market. The first time I checked, it wasn¡¯t circulating, so I don¡¯t know again.¡± ¡°Yeah. For reference, I said that the effect seemed to have weakened, but I didn¡¯t say that I wasn¡¯t addicted. Three people who lost consciousness due to poisoning and one person who lost their reason were confirmed.¡± Creighton said, counting the victims he had identified in his head. ¡°Have other clans talked about it?¡± Creighton shrugged at Kendrick¡¯s question. ¡°I don¡¯t know, even if it¡¯s just the snake clan, didn¡¯t they hide it for now? The damage might have been greater if the entire family were involved. It¡¯s just that everyone is hiding it.¡± After the Pope lay down, each clan had little interaction with each other. They were exchanging information little by little only about Giles flowers, and other exchanges were almost cut off. So, it was right to see that the entire beastmen society had become closed. Kendrick was well aware of this fact, so he agreed with Creighton that the damage might be greater. ¡®My head hurt¡­¡¯ It was fortunate that only Giles pollen was circulating. But, ¡®If the seeds were distributed.¡¯ Of course, not everyone can make Giles flowers bloom just by getting seeds. If even one person succeeds in growing Giles flowers, it will be a headache. In addition¡ª. ¡®There are already successful people¡­.¡¯ Kendrick recalled the Giles flower fields found in the Lion Clan¡¯s territory. The corpse of Esther, who was lying in the middle, too. When he meticulously searched the Lion Clan¡¯s territory, it was confirmed that there were no more piles of Giles flowers. ¡®There might be another flower garden like that elsewhere.¡¯ Kendrick sighed and washed his face dry. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was going terribly wrong. ¡°By the way, is Cain okay?¡± Kendrick asked Creighton. It was because he remembered that Cain had been depressed all along after his first shapeshift. Creighton nodded his head. ¡°Yes, you must be surprised because you are a wolf clan, but children of the snake clan have a habit of digging into a corner or feeling depressed at the first shapeshift. I should have told you beforehand, but I was distracted by Giles flowers and forgot.¡± According to Creighton, the Snake Clan felt as if their limbs had completely disappeared when they first shapeshifted. That¡¯s why the children of the snake family get especially depressed and sensitive after the first shapeshift. ¡°He¡¯s okay now. I think he adjusted to a certain extent. There was a day when he slept in his snake form.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I asked because Linsy was worried that Cain was depressed.¡± Then. Knock, knock. A knock was heard. Creighton glanced at Kendrick for a moment, as if begging for his understanding. Kendrick brought the teacup to his lips and nodded at him, and Creighton opened his mouth. ¡°Come in.¡± The person who entered was the butler of the Hezeth family. He bowed his head to Kendrick and Creighton and said. ¡°There is a letter addressed to Sir Kendrick from the Wolf Clan. What should I do?¡± ¡°Letter?¡± Kendrick raised an eyebrow. He checked the time. It was already well past midnight because he had come out of the Lion Clan¡¯s mansion late. But, a letter at this hour? Kendrick nodded his head. ¡°Bring it.¡± The butler who heard the order quickly left and returned with the letter. The wolf who brought the letter was also with them. He was breathing heavily without even thinking about releasing his form as if he had been running non-stop from the territory of the wolf clan. ¡°Show him a place to rest.¡± At Creighton¡¯s order, the butler took the wolf clan who had brought the letter with him. Kendrick checked the letter anxiously. As expected. The content of the letter was that Arsene was suddenly ill. In addition, it was written that Linsy¡¯s power didn¡¯t calm him down. Kendrick wrinkled his brow, folded the letter into his pocket and stood up. ¡°What is it about?¡± ¡°Arsene is sick, I have to go. I¡¯ll finish the story next time, I¡¯ll check to see if Giles flowers have been circulated in the wolf clan and contact you separately.¡± After Kendrick finished speaking, he immediately used his power. The dark energy that had gathered slowly rose from Kendrick¡¯s toes and quickly covered his entire body. ¡°See you again soon.¡± Before Creighton could finish his sentence, Kendrick disappeared in an instant. Knock, knock. There was a knock, and the Creighton family butler entered. ¡°As you said, a place to rest¡­ huh?¡± The butler tilted his head and asked. ¡°Did Kendrick leave for a while?¡± Hezeth said, glancing at the teacup Kendrick had drunk. ¡°No, he went back.¡± *** Kendrick uses his powers and quickly arrives at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. When he entered, the servants escorted Kendrick straight to Arsene¡¯s room. After changing Arsene¡¯s wet blankets, massaging his limbs, and slowly giving him medicine, the maids left for a moment so Kendrick could go to Arsene. Kendrick checked the little baby wolf lying on the huge bed and strode up to the bed. And he carefully put a large hand over Arsene¡¯s head. Kendrick¡¯s hands were so large that they covered all of Arsene¡¯s head. Kendrick looked at Arsene for a long time with a worried look and soon turned his head. ¡°Hern.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Hern, who was nursing Arsene, immediately strode out and nodded his head. ¡°Report Arsene¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°Because of the first shapeshifting, I think his physical condition has weakened sharply due to excessive exhaustion. There¡¯s no problem so far¡­¡± Hern, who paused for a moment, opened his mouth. ¡°Lady Linsy tried to use her powers to calm the Young Master¡¯s condition. But after that, his condition quickly worsened, so I had to separate them for now.¡± ¡°Linsy?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Linsy seemed to be having a harder time than usual, too¡­¡± After looking at Arsene for a while, Kendrick asked Hern again. ¡°So, is he feeling better now?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s taking medicine, and we were feeding him little by little. It seems to be a little better than before, but I think we¡¯ll have to keep an eye on it all night.¡± ¡°Yes, I have to ask for nursing care. If his condition gets worse, report it immediately.¡± Kendrick carefully stroked his son, who had no strength to wag his tail. Afterward, he slowly left the room and asked Ethan. ¡°Ethan, what about Linsy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sleeping in the next room with Betty.¡± Ethan carefully opened the door to the room where Linsy was sleeping. Through the slightly open door, he saw a little red-haired girl sleeping quietly in the arms of a giant brown wolf. CH 121 Kendrick stared blankly at Linsy, then carefully shut the door so the child wouldn¡¯t wake up. Then, he used his power to cast a shadow over Linsy¡¯s room door. Then, he used his power to cover the door of Linsy¡¯s room with a shadow. It was supposed to serve as a sound barrier. ¡®The maids will go back and forth in the hallways all morning.¡¯ Kendrick decided not to wake her up because it would be too noisy in the middle of the night. Kendrick asked Ethan quietly as he walked down the aisle. ¡°Didn¡¯t Linsy cry?¡± Rinsey used to be sensitive when it came to Arsene. She was especially sensitive to Arsene being sick. Of course, everyone in Yeckhart Mansion was sensitive to Arsene¡¯s illness. ¡®Linsy is especially like that.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s because she came to Yeckhart¡¯s mansion to treat Arsene. When Linsy was seven, she worried that she would be kicked out if she couldn¡¯t heal Arsene. ¡®As the years passed, that side almost disappeared¡­.¡¯ Still, she still took Arsene¡¯s illness seriously as if it were her responsibility. She seemed to be doing it even more because she knew that she couldn¡¯t completely cure Arsene with her ability. ¡°I¡¯m afraid she might have cried¡­.¡± Kendrick said, blurring the end of his speech. He was worried about the sick Arsene, of course, but I was also worried about Lin Shi, who was surprised to see Arsene not getting better even after using her powers. ¡°I didn¡¯t see the situation at the time, but¡­ According to Mr. Hern, she looked surprised but didn¡¯t cry.¡± Kendrick nodded in response to Ethan¡¯s words. ¡°The baby bird in our house has grown up.¡± It seems like it was just yesterday that she always had tears in her eyes. It is pitiful and admirable to think that a small child would have held back tears with dignity. Kendrick promised to hug Linsy and comfort her when she woke up. As he followed Kendrick down the spiral stairs, Ethan asked. ¡°Did you visit the Snake Territory safely?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard some unpleasant news.¡± Kendrick said as he took his coat off and gave it to Ethan. As soon as he arrived at the mansion, he hadn¡¯t even taken off his coat because he was checking on Arsene and Linsy¡¯s conditions. Ethan accepted Kendrick¡¯s coat familiarly and handed it to the maid beside him. ¡°Do you mean there¡¯s bad news?¡± When Ethan asked, Kendrick wrinkled his face as if he was tired of talking for a while. Ethan took a step back without asking further questions. Kendrick tilted his head slightly and opened his mouth. ¡°When the day comes, we will talk. It¡¯s too late now, and it¡¯s not a problem that can be solved right away.¡± When Kendrick gestured for him to step away, Ethan bowed deeply to him. ¡°Have a good night, my Lord.¡± Ethan quickly disappeared from Kendrick¡¯s sight. Perhaps he wanted to go to see Arsene. Kendrick opened the door to his room. It was a neat and tidy room, as usual. Kendrick loosened his tie and washed his face dry as if tired. Was it because he was tired all the time, or maybe it was because Arsene and Linsy¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t as bad as he had feared, and he was relaxed? Gray wolf ears rose above Kendrick¡¯s head, which had been disorganized. Unlike the bird clan, the wolf clan didn¡¯t have much resistance to being incompletely shapeshifted, so Kendrick didn¡¯t take it too seriously. As Kendrick swept his hair, his gray ears naturally lay down. ¡°I must have been tired too¡­¡± Kendrick murmured and sighed. It was understandable that he was tired. He was nervous all the time because of Giles flowers, then the children¡¯s first shapeshift overlapped, and when they said that Arsene was sick, he even used his powers forcibly and returned to the mansion in an instant. But there wasn¡¯t time to be tired, so Kendrick pushed his ears back even though he didn¡¯t want to. The gray wolf ears quickly disappeared, leaving only Kendrick¡¯s gray hair. ¡®When the day comes, I should look again to see if there are traces of Giles flowers circulating within the wolf clan.¡¯ Of course, in the meantime, there was no trace of it being distributed within the wolf clan. Now that it was revealed that Giles pollen was circulating within the snake clan, he couldn¡¯t be relaxed. After Kendrick changed his clothes, he immediately left the room. He thought of going to Arsene again. *** ¡°What about Arsene?¡± As soon as I opened my eyes, I grabbed Betty and asked. Betty was up and making the bed and cleaning the room much earlier than I was. After confirming that I had woken up, Betty brought me water and said, ¡°Young Master. I think he needs to rest today¡­ Can you play alone?¡± ¡°Eung¡­ Is Arsene still in a lot of pain?¡± Betty said, wiping my face with lukewarm washing water. ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much, Lady, because I hear his condition is getting better. Would you like to have breakfast in your room? Even the Lord doesn¡¯t eat breakfast today, so I think it would be nice to have it in your room.¡± ¡°Is Father here?¡± When I asked with my eyes wide open, Betty nodded. ¡°Yes, last night he got a call that the Young Master was ill and came back right away.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I nodded. I had something to say to Kendrick, so it was a good thing. Betty looked at me with a smile as if to answer where to eat breakfast. ¡°Then bring it to the room.¡± ¡°Yes, then please wait a little.¡± Betty took the water and went out. I sat quietly on the bed and then ran to one side of the room. It was the wall facing Arsene¡¯s room. I was about to guess Arsene¡¯s condition by eavesdropping. However. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t hear anything?¡¯ I frowned and held my breath, concentrating on listening to the sound on the other side of the wall. But no sound was heard. It¡¯s usually soundproof, but it wasn¡¯t to this extent. I soon gave up on eavesdropping, sat quietly on the bed, and waited for Betty. I was thinking of asking to see Arsene after breakfast. ¡®I¡­ shouldn¡¯t use my power.¡¯ I made a promise by squeezing and opening my small palms. I still couldn¡¯t forget the red light that shimmered in my hand. Come to think of it, I think the red light burned for a while when I filled out the marriage papers in the temple. ¡®At that time, I thought it was a problem with the papers or the temple and moved on¡­.¡¯ I had a strong thought that maybe it wasn¡¯t the temple¡¯s problem, it might be my problem. After waiting for a while, Betty came up with breakfast on a tray. Today¡¯s menu was a ham and cheese sandwich, fruit salad, and warm button mushroom soup. Betty set breakfast neatly on the little table next to it. I sat down and took a spoonful of warm soup first. When I put it in my mouth and mumbled it, I felt as if the tension from the night before was relieved a little. As I continued to eat the soup, I held the spoon in my hand and asked Betty. ¡°But Betty. Is Father busy today? You said he skipped the breakfast¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I think he¡¯s busy. But what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Eung? No.¡± I shook my head. If Kendrick was busy, I didn¡¯t mean to take his time and say it. ¡°But Betty, if I have breakfast and wait¡­ Can I see Arsene?¡± Last night, I kept thinking of the little wolf that was in pain. When I asked cautiously, Betty pondered for a moment before answering. ¡°I will ask Mr. Hern. Maybe just a quick look would be fine.¡± ¡°Ung, thank you.¡± I nodded. Soon after a simple breakfast, Mr. Hern allowed me to meet Arsene. Knock knock. I knocked on the door, and a maid from inside opened it. ¡°Lady, please come in.¡± I took the maid¡¯s hand and headed towards the bed where Arsene was lying. Arsene was still in his wolf form. On the large bed, the little gray wolf was still wheezing with his mouth open. I asked Mr. Hern. ¡°Arsene¡­ Is he okay? Because of me¡­¡± ¡°No, Lady. It¡¯s not because of the Lady, so don¡¯t think like that. Besides, he¡¯s slightly better than last night, so he¡¯ll be all right soon.¡± Hern said while looking at me as if to comfort me. I nodded and sat down slightly on the bed Arsene was lying on. ¡°Arsene, are you okay?¡± Carefully stroking his little head, the gray wolf slowly opened its eyes. I could feel the blue eyes staring at me clearly. Arsene rubbed his head slowly in the palm of my hand. However, perhaps because of his lack of energy, he quickly dropped his head. I held back my tears and gently stroked Arsene. ¡°It will be fine, Arsene.¡± You¡¯ll get well soon. I can¡¯t cure you, but¡ª. I had to swallow the latter words behind my throat without being able to spit them out. Just as Mr. Hern said Arsene should get some rest, I had to leave Arsene¡¯s room immediately. At that time, Betty approached from afar and said. ¡°My Lady, the Lord wants to see you, would you like to go down?¡± CH 122 ¡°Father?¡± I nodded. ¡®I have something to tell you. That¡¯s good.¡¯ I had to tell Kendrick about the reddish light I saw last night when I was treating Arsene. ¡°Can we go down now?¡± When I looked up at her and asked, Betty replied with a smile. ¡°Yes, since you ate breakfast, you might want to go now.¡± As soon as Betty finished speaking, I went down the spiral staircase. I saw Betty following me. Betty examined me with care not to let me fall. I stood in front of Kendrick¡¯s office and knocked on the huge door. ¡°Come in.¡± I heard Kendrick¡¯s voice from inside. I grabbed the doorknob and turned it, and the huge door opened slightly. Betty, who was standing behind me, helped me open the door easily. ¡°Thank you, Betty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± I stepped into the office. Kendrick, who was sitting in front of a wooden table and working, looked up. ¡°Come. Sit there, Linsy.¡± Kendrick¡¯s hair seemed a little disheveled today. ¡°Yes.¡± I carefully sat down on the sofa, watching Kendrick¡¯s eyes. However. ¡®¡­Am I mad?¡¯ Kendrick¡¯s expression hardened as he examined the papers. I gulped and waited for Kendrick to come up to me. A minute felt like an hour. I flicked his leg, waiting for Kendrick to go through the papers. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s mad because of me.¡¯ My ability made Arsene¡¯s condition worse, so he might be angry. Of course, I know Kendrick never got mad at me for anything like that, but¡ª. Arsene¡¯s condition looked really serious this time, so there was nothing to say, even if he was angry with me. No¡ª. Arsene was Kendrick¡¯s only son and Yeckhart¡¯s heir, so it was only natural that he be angry. Of course, Mr. Hern keeps telling me that it¡¯s okay because he doesn¡¯t want me to worry, but¡ª. I¡¯m not a fool. I had been treating Arsene for three years while he was sick. It means that I can guess whether Arsene is sick or fine even with my eyes closed. But Arsene. ¡®It didn¡¯t look like things were getting better¡­¡¯ Of course, it didn¡¯t look worse than last night, but it didn¡¯t look like it was getting any better from my point of view. I glanced at Kendrick. Kendrick¡¯s face was still hard. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ Even if he¡¯s angry with me, I should accept it humbly because it is definitely my fault. I clenched my fists and nodded my head indistinctly. ¡®If you hold me accountable for that, I¡¯ll tell you that I was wrong and ask for forgiveness.¡¯ At that time, Kendrick sorted out the papers he was reading and came and sat across from me. ¡°Linsy.¡± Startled, I quickly turned my gaze to Kendrick. ¡°Yes? Yes!¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprised, are you okay?¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry about last night¡­ Yes?¡± I lowered my head and apologized for hurting Arsene, then raised my head at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°Hern said, you look very surprised.¡± Kendrick leaned toward me, stared at me, and soon got up. And sat next to me familiarly. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re okay. You must have been very surprised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m all right.¡± I nodded bravely. Of course. There¡¯s nothing I¡¯m not okay with. Arsene, who is sick, is taking the medicine so bravely. When I said it in a rather confident voice, Kendrick smiled and stroked my hair. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel a burden or a sense of debt just because you couldn¡¯t treat Arsene. You did your best. That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­Yess.¡± ¡°Arsene will be fine soon. Because he is a strong child.¡± Kendrick murmured once more that he was a soft, strong kid. Somehow I felt emotional listening to that. ¡°By the way, I heard you found me as soon as you woke up.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I have something to tell you¡­¡± While nodding my head, I put my palms together and tried to use my ability. Pong¡ª! Round light green spheres floated on top of my palms. The reddish light, like yesterday, was invisible. ¡°I don¡¯t see it today¡­ When you were treating Arsene yesterday.¡± Gulp. I swallowed my saliva and took a deep breath before talking. As expected, it was scary to talk about the ¡®curse¡¯ carelessly. ¡°A reddish light was briefly seen in the palm of my hand, and shortly after that, Arsene¡¯s condition¡­¡± ¡°Arsene¡¯s condition is?¡± ¡°It got worse¡­¡± Kendrick grabbed my hand as I stuttered and looked down. I stopped using powers. Kendrick held my hand and looked at me. ¡°So you must be surprised. It¡¯s a red light¡­I haven¡¯t heard of that yet, but it might have something to do with the color of your hair.¡± ¡°So I wonder if this is a curse¡­!¡± ¡°Linsy.¡± Kendrick sternly cut me off. I closed his mouth and nodded, looking up at Kendrick. ¡°I said, there is no curse. It doesn¡¯t matter if there is. So this is not a matter for you to worry about.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out. For the time being, it would be better to refrain from using your powers.¡± At that time. There was a loud noise outside the door. Kendrick and I stopped talking and turned our heads to look at the door at the same time. Soon after, there was an urgent knock, and as if there was no time to ask Kendrick¡¯s permission, the maid burst open the door and entered. The maid had a fairly pale face. ¡°What is going on?¡± Kendrick asked sharply, and the maid said urgently. ¡°Young Master, Young Master¡­!¡± Kendrick and I both got up from our seats before anyone said anything. *** ¡°Arsene!¡± I ran ahead of Kendrick and ran to Arsene¡¯s room. Arsene was seen struggling with pain in bed. Kngg¡ª! The little baby wolf was writhing and howling in pain. ¡°A, Arsene! Are you okay?¡± I quickly climbed onto Arsene¡¯s bed and tried to give him a hug but soon stopped. ¡®¡­Can my hand touch it?¡¯ Kendrick, who quickly followed me, sat down on his knees and stroked Arsene¡¯s hair. ¡°Arsene, are you okay? Hern!¡± Hern, who was returning with a bowl full of medicine in his hands as if he had been preparing medicine in a hurry, hurriedly jumped in. ¡°Yes, my lord. Here it is.¡± ¡°Why is Arsene doing this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. The condition suddenly worsened. For now, I keep injecting sedative medicine¡­¡± Hern poured the medicine into his gaping mouth with a small silver spoon, breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡°Ugh!¡± Arsene vomited more than half of the medicine that had entered his mouth. ¡°Arsene, Arsene. Calm down, eung? Eating this will make it less painful¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold or touch Arsene, just looking at Arsene restlessly, wondering if my hand would make Arsene¡¯s condition worse. At that time, Betty separated me from Arsene. ¡°My lady, you¡¯d better go back to your room.¡± ¡°B, but Betty¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Linsy. You¡¯d better go back to your room.¡± I knew Arsene¡¯s condition was serious, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this much. I tried to tell them that I wanted to stay with Arsene a little longer because I didn¡¯t want to be split up, but I kept my mouth shut. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Even if I was there, it wouldn¡¯t help. I couldn¡¯t heal Arsene. Far from curing it, the reality is that I can¡¯t even get close to it because I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll harm it. So I quietly nodded. Betty hugged me. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to your room.¡± ¡°Eung¡­¡± I could see Mr. Hern busily wiping Arsene¡¯s body. Kendrick was looking at the little wolf with a confused expression. Not only Kendrick but all the servants waiting in Arsene¡¯s room had mixed faces. I returned to the room we shared with Arsene in Betty¡¯s arms. Because my room is attached to Arsene¡¯s room, and there was an order from Kendrick to rest in the room they shared. ¡°Lady, do you want me to be with you again today?¡± Betty asked carefully. I shook my head. ¡°Eung, no¡­ I will be alone today. You can leave.¡± When I shook my head, Betty looked at me worriedly for a while, then nodded. ¡°Then call me later, Lady. I¡¯ll be back at lunchtime.¡± Betty left, and I squatted on the bed, staring at my palms. Why is my power able to heal everyone else? Why can¡¯t I use my power to heal the person I most desperately want to heal? I remembered the lovely boy with gray hair who grinned at me in my mind. I want to heal Arsene. I buried my head in my lap. But then. ¡°¡­H, huh?¡± CH 123 I opened my eyes wide with surprise at what appeared in front of me. ¡®This¡­!¡¯ The power of Arsene, the shadow wolf. Perhaps because of Arsene¡¯s poor condition, it was so distorted that it was hard to recognize the shape, ¡®¡­.The size.¡¯ Its size had also shrunk to the same level as when it first manifested its superpowers. ¡°!¡± It was obvious to see him running to me and wagging his tail. I hugged Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf. As Arsene¡¯s ability grew, the shadow wolf also grew, and it was three years ago that I last held him in my arms. ¡®It must have gotten smaller because Arsene was sick.¡¯ Rather, it seemed to have become smaller than when it first appeared. More than that. ¡®I don¡¯t think Arsene can use his power right now?¡¯ Isn¡¯t he in a state where it¡¯s hard to even control his own body, let alone use his powers? Perhaps because of Arsene¡¯s physical condition, the shape of the shadow wolf kept getting distorted. ¡®I can¡¯t do this.¡¯ He shouldn¡¯t use his abilities. Continuing to use this power would have drained energy, slowing the speed at which the body recovers. I wiped away the tears that had formed slightly with my sleeves. And with the shadow wolf in my arms, I quickly headed to the room where Arsene was lying. ¡°Lady? Where are you going?¡± The maid I encountered in the hallway asked. I answered, waving roughly. ¡°Eung, to Arsene¡¯s room!¡± ¡°Ah, if you go¡­!¡± The maid seemed to try to stop me, but I was faster than her. I quickly went to the door of Arsene¡¯s room and knocked on the door. Knock, knock. The door opened, and Chloe appeared with a troubled expression. ¡°Lady?¡± ¡°I have something to say to Arsene. It¡¯ll be just a moment.¡± I looked up at Chloe with a shadow wolf in my arms. Only then did Chloe realize what was in my arms and opened her eyes wide. ¡°This¡­ this is Young Master¡¯s.¡± ¡°Eung, that¡¯s why I have something to tell him. It¡¯ll only take a moment¡ª¡± Chloe looked embarrassed, but bowed her head to the sound of footsteps coming from behind and retreated hastily. Kendrick stood tall and looked down at me as Chloe stepped down. ¡°Linsy, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Father. It seems that Arsene¡­ continues to use his powers. That¡¯s why we have to stop him from using them¡­¡± I spoke at length, as if making an excuse, and showed Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf. Kendrick raised his eyebrows as he identified the shadow wolf created by Arsene¡¯s powers. ¡°This is why¡­¡± ¡°I think Arsene continues to use this power. Maybe that¡¯s why the recovery slows down. So tell him not to use it¡­¡± Kendrick once stroked Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf. Then, the shape of the shadow wolf crumbled like dust, and then returned. ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk, Linsy.¡± ¡°Yes? But¡­¡± ¡°Because Arsene won¡¯t hear you.¡± Kendrick¡¯s expression softened as he said that. Confused, I looked at Kendrick. ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s unconscious. He won¡¯t be able to talk to you until he comes back to his senses. So¡­¡± Kendrick continued, staring at the shadow wolf that kept crumbling in my arms. ¡°I can¡¯t even tell him not to use his ability. But I¡¯ve never seen a child who has lost his consciousness use his power.¡± He must be alert to use his powers. This was a fact that everyone knew, needless to say. That¡¯s why I thought Arsene would be awake, so I ran to stop him. ¡®He¡¯s not conscious?¡¯ Then how the hell is he using his power? I slowly lowered my gaze to look at the shadow wolf, and the wolf laughed with a long black tongue. Kendrick stood still in the doorway and said, stroking my hair. ¡°Arsene¡¯s abilities first manifested when you were in danger.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Because he has an ego, he must remember you clearly.¡± The shadow wolf continued to wag its tail as if it understood Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°I think Arsene is unconsciously worried about you, so this power is being used.¡± I listened quietly to Kendrick, and turned to the shadow wolf in my arms. The shadow wolf shook its tail even though it was constantly falling apart, as if it was difficult to maintain its shape. ¡®Arsene is unconsciously worried about me?¡¯ If you¡¯re in pain, you should worry about your own body¡ª. When I thought that Arsene was worried about me and used his power, I burst into tears again. But I bravely wiped my eyes with my sleeve so as not to cry. Arsene doesn¡¯t cry easily even though he¡¯s sick, so I shouldn¡¯t cry. I kept my mouth shut for a long time, then asked Kendrick, making eye contact with him. ¡°Then¡­ I can¡¯t meet Arsene, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll call you back when Arsene wakes up.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, Father.¡± I nodded politely and returned to the room carrying Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf. Then, with the shadow wolf on the bed, I scratched my chin and asked. ¡°You know, you can understand me.¡± The shadow wolf tilted his head for a moment, and soon put his front foot in my hand. Like he really understands me. ¡°Arsene¡ª did you show up because he were worried about me?¡± The shadow wolf just watched me calmly, wagging its tail without saying anything. ¡°I hope Arsene doesn¡¯t get sick, really¡­¡± I wish he was born healthy. Then we wouldn¡¯t have met, but still¡ª. The shadow wolf bit my sleeve and pulled it, as if he had noticed that I was thinking. ¡°Ung, I see. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t think anything strange.¡± When I apologized and grabbed his front foot, the shadow wolf calmly fell down. And how long has it been? All the servants of the mansion went to Arsene, and no one came in or out of my room. Of course, Betty and the maids brought lunch to the room in the middle. No one else visited me except then, so I couldn¡¯t guess how much time had passed¡ª. It seemed quite a long time since the sun had tilted. All that time, I thought of Arsene and played a joke with Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf. Then, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± The shadow wolf tried to pull out the cry for a short time, but he soon dropped his head. Then he looked at me face down, smiled innocently and waggled his tail, Soon. ¡°Huh? N, no!¡± From his tail it slowly scattered into the air. I clutched the shadow wolf¡¯s cheek in confusion. Arsene¡¯s power was a shadow, so it was natural to disperse into the air. In fact, I¡¯ve seen the shadow wolf disappear into the air a few times when Arsene achieves his ability. But why does it feel different today? The shadow wolf was smiling at me even when his body was breaking. Then, Kendrick¡¯s words came to mind. ¡®I think Arsene is unconsciously worrying about you and using his power.¡¯ Seven years old, when I first met Arsene. Arsene told me it was okay not to treat him. I don¡¯t like if you¡¯re having a hard time, so it¡¯s okay not to be treated. Because he used to be sick. I don¡¯t know why, but it hurts when I think about it again. ¡®¡­How stupid.¡¯ I was so frustrated that tears fell when thinking about Arsene who hadn¡¯t changed since then. At the same time that the wolf slowly dispersed into the air, the mansion suddenly became noisy. A maid knocked on the door and said with a troubled expression. ¡°Lady. Even dinner¡­ I think you¡¯ll have to eat in the room. Would that be okay? And the Lord says not to come out of the room as much as possible.¡± ¡°¡­Eung, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± I said with tears in my eyes. It was not that I didn¡¯t know what it meant for the mansion to be noisy. With a dignified nod, the maid smiled and closed the door to my room. When the maid went out and I looked back, the shadow wolf had already scattered about half. ¡®It would be good for Arsene if you disappear quickly.¡¯ Only when the shadow wolf disappears will Arsene consume less energy. But. Now that Arsene¡¯s life is in danger, the wolf¡¯s disappearance seems to be extinguishing the flame of a small life. The shadow wolf licked the back of my hand lightly, meaning not to worry, before it disappeared. And. ¡°¡­.¡± Soon, it vanished into a few shadows under the glow of the setting sun, as if it had burned up. I couldn¡¯t bear to ask about Arsene¡¯s condition. CH 124 There was a commotion in the mansion. Every time Arsene had a seizure, the servant of the mansion became busy. ¡°B, bring a wet towel!¡± ¡°It¡¯s lukewarm. I think we need to change it?¡± Arsene¡¯s seizures were something they had experienced many times before meeting Linsy, But something was different this time. A child who has lost consciousness opens his unfocused eyes and mumbles incomprehensible words. Hern managed to calm down the trembling of his hands and feet. As Kendrick watched Arsene¡¯s condition continue to get worse, he urged Linsy not to see him. He also ordered them to say that it would be better not to leave the room as much as possible. It was clear that Linsy would be sad if she saw Arsene¡¯s condition. After dinner, Kendrick stayed by Arsene¡¯s side the whole time before heading to the office. ¡°Degon is here?¡± ¡°Yes, he says he has something to report.¡± As he left Arsene and went to work, his steps were heavy. But. Arsene¡¯s condition continued to get worse, and there was nothing Kendrick could do. However, it was the father¡¯s heart that he wanted to be by his son¡¯s side as much as possible, ¡®I have to do what I have to do.¡¯ Because Kendrick was the head of the whole wolf clan before Arsene¡¯s father. ¡°The traces of the distribution of Giles pollen have been found¡­. There are also people who are believed to be victims.¡± Degon, who stood tall in the office and waited for Kendrick, hurriedly reported as soon as Kendrick stepped inside. He quickly looked at the documents that Degon had obtained. The document contained records of the purchase and sale of suspicious items. It was not written as Giles pollen, but it was clear that something was secretly distributed. ¡°There¡¯s a victim? Did you figure it out?¡± Degon continued with a short nod. ¡°Two men in their 40s living alone in the east. We are still trying to figure out how they were poisoned.¡± ¡°Eastern country¡­ Isn¡¯t it time for the harvest season to run out of workers?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why the damage is so great. One just lost consciousness, but the other lost his senses and attacked the villagers. At first, the villagers captured them, locked them up, and reported them¡­ but the injured people stopped working. But the harvest is a problem because the injured cannot work.¡± It happened where there was a shortage of workers, so it was natural for the damage to be great. ¡°Let¡¯s find out how to recruit soldiers to help make up for the lack of workers and compensate the remaining damage as much as possible. Have the knights been dispatched?¡± ¡°Yes, we have dispatched knights to the black market where the pollen is believed to have been distributed and to the village where the victim occurred in order to more accurately understand the circumstances of the incident.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll go to the black market myself.¡± Then, a knight burst open the office door. It was truly rude. Degon and Kendrick frowned at the same time. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡± The knight who hurriedly opened the door and entered was a knight guarding the relic room. Therefore, rather than blaming him for his rudeness, Kendrick asked why he suddenly came. ¡°I can¡¯t say it easily!¡± When the knight spoke with a pale face, Degon nodded and stepped back. The inability to speak easily was a signal to Kendrick when he had to make a speech and tell a story about something that couldn¡¯t be spoken out. Kendrick first asked Dagon to leave, and then brought the knight into the office, holding his throbbing temple. Then. Paak¡ª! Using his powers, he quickly covered the entire office with a thin layer. His powers acted as a sound barrier, so the conversations inside wouldn¡¯t leak out. Kendrick, with a simple command, lifted the word upon the knight. ¡°Now tell me.¡± When the order was given, the knight nodded with a pale face and said, ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the relic. Like seven years ago¡­¡± The blue sapphire was blackened. At the words that came out of the knight¡¯s mouth, Kendrick washed his face dry. Of all things, why now? No, maybe now, there might be a problem with the holy relic. The last time there was a problem with the holy relic. ¡®The night Arsene was born.¡¯ It was the night Arsene was born and Kendrick¡¯s wife, Irene Yeckhart, died. He doesn¡¯t know if there is any connection between Arsene and the holy relic¡ª. ¡®Does the holy relic react to Arsene¡¯s physical condition?¡¯ It was a suitable suspicion. Excluding 10 years ago, when he was a newborn, this was the first time that Arsene was so seriously ill. [You are not allowed to say this anymore] Kendrick gave the knight a word again, and then headed with him to the place where he had kept the holy relic. Sure enough. ¡°¡­Just like then. ¡° Half the blue sapphire was blackened. 10 years ago, Just like the day Arsene was born. He can¡¯t hide the ominousness. Something unusual was happening. Kendrick was engulfed in anxiety. The blackened relic and his son Arsene standing between the borders of life and death¡ª. Resurrected Giles flowers and eventually the victims. All this means. Kendrick looked coldly at the blue sapphire, which was the holy relic of the wolf clan. Kendrick¡¯s face was slightly reflected on the sapphire and soon disappeared. **** Late at night. After Arsene¡¯s seizure had calmed down a little, Betty went up to the room to check Linsy. It was because it bothered her that all the servants were paying attention to Arsene all day long, so they couldn¡¯t look at the Lady properly. ¡®The Lady must be upset right now, too¡­¡¯ Is she sleeping with the windows closed? Betty always closed the windows carefully and drew the curtains before Linsy went to bed, and pulled the blanket up to her neck to cover her. Sometimes she woke up and looked at the night sky blankly with the window open. ¡°Lady, are you hot?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Whenever Betty asked, Linsy would stare blankly at Betty, then quickly back into bed and go to sleep. Betty¡¯s steps became faster, wondering if she was still like that today. Knock, knock. She knocked out of courtesy, and then carefully opened the door of the room where Linsy was sleeping. But. ¡°¡­Lady? Are you hot again?¡± Linsy was sitting on the window frame looking out, leaving the window wide open. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to sit there. Come down, Lady.¡± At first glance, it was a risky and dangerous posture. A posture that could easily fall out of the window. And this room is on the second floor, and it¡¯s a flower bed right underneath, although it¡¯s covered with soft soil¡ª. ¡®If you fall, you¡¯ll get hurt.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s possible to do a shapeshift before falling so she doesn¡¯t get hurt. Linsy was almost asleep now. At least that¡¯s what Betty has been watching. Because she often acted like she was awake even when she was asleep. Betty tried to approach Linsy carefully so that she wouldn¡¯t fall and get hurt. But. ¡°Lady!¡± Linsy jumped up from her seat. It became the appearance of standing precariously on the window frame. It was a long window, so her head could stand tall without touching the ceiling. In the night breeze, Linsy¡¯s pajama dress fluttered. ¡°Lady, it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Betty tried to get to Linsy quickly, ¡°¡­.¡± The moment her eyes met Linsy¡¯s, she had no choice but to stop on her spot as if hardened. When Linsy¡¯s gaze met her, her whole body didn¡¯t move as if it had frozen. Betty panicked and tried to shapeshift, but even that didn¡¯t work out the way she wanted. The moonlight poured into the room, and the white pajamas shook like curtains in the night breeze. Linsy, who stood tall by the window and glanced at Betty, with her back in the room, slowly turned her gaze outside. Pong¡ª! A familiar explosion was heard, followed by red wings appearing behind Linsy¡¯s back. It was an incomplete shapeshift form. Linsy flapped her wings a few times, and red feathers rolled around the room. Betty couldn¡¯t stop Linsy, and just stood there like a statue and looked at the child. ¡°¡­I have to go.¡± Linsy, who had been looking out for a long time, turned her head and murmured as she looked at Betty. She wanted to ask where the hell she was going, but her whole body hardened and she couldn¡¯t ask. Then. When Linsy¡¯s gaze moved away for a moment, she was finally able to speak. Betty stammered with a pale face. ¡°What do you mean you have to go? Where on earth are you going, Lady¡ª Come down first, Lady. It¡¯s really, really dangerous.¡± Linsy¡¯s hazy gaze looked around the room for a moment, then to Betty. And then. The child smiled with the happiest expression in the world. After Betty met Linsy, it was her first innocent smile. And after that. Pong¡ª! Linsy turned into a red bird and soared into the night sky before Betty could stop her. She could see the long scattering of red tail feathers. Betty hurriedly ran to the window where Linsy was standing and watched her fly away. ¡°¡­Lady.¡± All that was left was a few red feathers. CH 125 Linsy disappeared. As soon as Betty confirmed Linsy was flying somewhere, she hurriedly ran to Kendrick and informed him of the situation. ¡°M, my Lord!¡± Betty called urgently, and Kendrick looked at the papers and looked up. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°L, Lady!¡± Betty took a breath for a moment, and soon spoke slowly and clearly. ¡°Lady, she flew off somewhere! I went to check the bed, but she was sitting on the window sill¡­¡± She had a look of bewilderment as if she was half stunned. Kendrick listened quietly to Betty, with his pen stopped, and raised his eyebrows. ¡°¡­she flew away?¡± ¡°Yes, she flew somewhere east.¡± Kendrick listened to Betty and jumped out of his seat Then he took the lead and strode to the room where Linsy was sleeping. Indeed, just as Betty had said, the windows were wide open, the curtains fluttering, and red feathers fell on the floor. Kendrick looked at the scene briefly. And soon, ¡°We must find Linsy. Call the Knights.¡± As soon as Kendrick finished speaking, darkness crept over him from all directions. Then it soon became a small bird shape. Kendrick ordered the birds to summon the Knights. The birds, made of shadows, flew out of the window at Kendrick¡¯s command. Since many of the Knights were scattered in the wolf territory at Kendrick¡¯s command, it may be more helpful in finding Linsy. Kendrick¡¯s head was complicated as he gave the order and thought of his next move. ¡®Just why?¡¯ Where on earth did she go? It was more confusing because there was no place for her to go in the wolf territory. Because the only place where Linsy gave her heart was the Yeckhart mansion. So at first, when Linsy¡¯s dedicated maid told him that she had flown away, he didn¡¯t believe it. Since he is still small when it comes to shapeshifting, he wondered if the maid had misunderstood. But. ¡®The scattered red feathers, and¡­¡¯ Linsy¡¯s body scent was clearly continuing out of the window. It certainly meant that Linsy flew out of the window. He didn¡¯t have much time to think about it. ¡°Ethan.¡± Kendrick knocked on Arsene¡¯s door and called Ethan. When he opened the door, the people in the room turned to Kendrick in unison. Ethan, who had been by Arsene¡¯s side all along, quickly approached Kendrick¡¯s side and bowed his head. ¡°Did you call, my Lord?¡± ¡°Yes, this way for a moment.¡± He closed the door of Arsene¡¯s room, called Ethan into the corner of the hallway and opened his mouth. ¡°Linsy disappeared.¡± It was an unusual, urgent attitude. Ethan remained unresponsive for a long time, even after Kendrick¡¯s words. Then. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± He blinked and raised his monocle as if he didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. ¡°There is no time. Linsy flew away. The maid said that she was going east. If east¡­ it¡¯s where Tamar is. We must find Linsy before she reaches Tamar. She¡¯s young, so she won¡¯t be able to fly for long and won¡¯t get very far.¡± Kendrick spoke quickly, then he nodded toward Arsene¡¯s room. ¡°I have to go out to find Linsy. So¡­ please take care of Arsene. I¡¯ll leave a messenger. If there is anything happened, write a letter and deliver.¡± Kendrick waved his hand once in the air, and the shadows came together to form a tiny wolf. It was similar in shape to Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf, but Kendrick¡¯s wolf stood still and motionless like a statue. ¡°If it bites the letter, it will be delivered to me immediately. Ethan, the knights will find Linsy, and the servants will take care of Arsene.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Ethan answered briefly. But the old butler¡¯s face was still full of worry. ¡®Where on earth is she?¡¯ Linsy had never left the Wolf Mansion without Kendrick¡¯s permission during her time here. She was very timid and didn¡¯t like flying at all, so he had seen her fly for a long time and could count the times on his hands. ¡®But she flew away.¡¯ At that time, there was a loud noise in Arsene¡¯s room. Ethan¡¯s head naturally turned toward Arsene¡¯s room. Kendrick blushed and walked over and opened the door to Arsene¡¯s room. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°It seems that the Young Master is not taking the medicine. I¡¯m going to manufacture another medicine.¡± Hern replied calmly. Kendrick¡¯s gaze moved to Arsene¡¯s face, now pale. He couldn¡¯t bear to look away, but there was nothing he could do. He had to leave it with Hern for now and go find Linsy. ¡°Yeah, good job.¡± He let Ethan back in, then went downstairs and grabbed his jacket. The maid helped Kendrick put on his jacket. He tried to control his hand a few times. ¡®Linsy.¡¯ He has to hurry to find her. The land of Tamar has been forbidden since ancient times. A cursed earth that absorbs all life that breathes. No matter how much Linsy had ever cleansed the soil of Tamar¡ª. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ Linsy was only ten years old. Moreover, the soil that Linsy purified at that time was soil that had been diluted with curses for a long time since it had been dug up from the land of Tamar. So, no matter how much Linsy had ever cleansed the soil, it was dangerous. In the worst case, it was clear it would have to risk her life, so Kendrick left the mansion without delay. The knights summoned to the training ground were gathered. Knight Commander Dagon asked with a puzzled look. ¡°What do you mean the Lady has disappeared? Lord, what on earth¡­.¡± ¡°There is no time to explain.¡± Kendrick cut off Dagon¡¯s words. He stood in front of countless knights and gave orders. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have been able to fly for long. Follow Linsy¡¯s traces in the form of a wolf, but if you find her, don¡¯t rush to her and let me know. If you cry twice and I¡¯ll go right away.¡± After Kendrick¡¯s words, the knights responded loudly at the same time. The knight shapeshifts in unison. Huge wolves packed the large training ground of the Yeckhart Mansion. Kendrick looked at them for a moment, then tapped the toe of his shoe on the ground. Then, Pong¨C! There was the loudest explosion that had ever sounded in the training ground. Gray smoke rose thickly and covered Kendrick¡¯s body. Next, A gray wolf, twice as big as the other wolves, appeared slowly in the smoke. A huge sound rang out as he slammed on the floor with his dull front paws. As if the sound was a signal, the wolves all started running in search of Linsy, smelling the faintly lingering body in the air. The trail continued for a long time to the east. *** It was strange. My vision kept blurring, and things in all directions were erased and reappeared like a picture, repeating. This experience was not unfamiliar. It feels like something like this happened once. ¡®You are a disgrace to Raniero, for being my daughter like you. Linsy.¡¯ My father¡¯s voice was scattered in the air, but I didn¡¯t cry or mourn when I heard it. Now, Raniero¡¯s shame couldn¡¯t hurt me anymore. The only thing I¡¯m afraid of is¡ª. Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf appeared before my eyes, and once again, it was scattered like dust in an instant. Where his gaze landed, he saw Arsene lying in pain and gasping for breath. ¡°Arsene?¡± Where my eyes fell, I saw Arsene lying in pain and gasping for breath. When I called, Arsene slowly got up from her seat and looked at me. And then ¡°Arsene!¡± The little body swung backward. I instinctively reached out for Arsene. However, when my hand touched it, Arsene was scattered again like dust. I quietly looked down at my palms. I promised not to cry, but strangely, tears kept coming. The reddish light that hurt Arsene kept flickering in the palm of my hand. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want this¡­¡± I don¡¯t need anything if I can¡¯t heal Arsene. As I sat down and cried like a child, shadow wolves rose from all sides and then disappeared. And in between. [Baby.] I heard a familiar voice once again. Slowly raising my head, I saw a woman with a transparent veil. It wasn¡¯t clear, but I could see the woman¡¯s features dimly. She was obviously sad. [It¡¯s okay, baby. Everything will be fine. So don¡¯t worry¡­] The woman¡¯s words were interrupted for a moment, but then they were heard clearly. [Fly to the east.] If you head east, there will naturally be a place where your wings stop. A clear voice seemed to clean my head. I asked blankly. ¡°¡­What happens if I go east?¡± [You¡¯ll know what you have to do. It¡¯s too early to do it completely, but¡­] A light shone in front of my eyes. [You will be able to achieve what you wish for.] CH 126 Yeckhart¡¯s wolves searched the wolf territory for baby birds. The search continued until dawn and daybreak. It will dawn in a little while. After sunrise, it may be easier to find Lynsey. The knights dispatched to other provinces also meticulously searched for baby birds nearby after receiving orders from Kendrick¡¯s messenger. Kendrick ran after the faint smell of Linsy¡¯s soft down in the air. ¡®¡­it¡¯s cut off.¡¯ He stood tall in place. It was also useful to smell and follow Linsy, who flew into the air. He had followed only the smell of Lincy, which was very faintly mixed in the air. Kendrick¡¯s sense of smell is far superior to that of other wolves. ¡®¡­I remember her smell.¡¯ It was possible because Kendrick clearly remembered Linsy¡¯s soft, fluffy smell. The other wolves followed Kendrick, but when they saw that he had stopped, they did the same. It was then. A huge wolf with black fur stepped forward and bowed in front of Kendrick. ¡®If we go straight ahead¡­¡¯ Members of the same clan were able to communicate even when they were in the human form. Kendrick didn¡¯t look at Degon, but looked straight ahead. ¡®Yeah, it¡¯s Tamar.¡¯ He rushed after her, hoping Linsy wouldn¡¯t arrive until Tamar. Now Tamar was right in front of him. Kendrick sighed. The other wolves gathered around the hesitant Kendrick. Of course, there was no reason for Linsy to suddenly fly to Tamar. Rather, it was more likely to be found elsewhere. ¡®She seemed to be sleeping as if she was dreaming¡­¡¯ ¡®She flew away as if possessed by something.¡¯ Then Betty¡¯s statement that she flew eastward, Traces of Linsy continued in a straight line toward the east. Kendrick felt it instinctively. He thinks he needs to check the land of Tamar. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ As if those words were a signal, the wolves moved in unison. The wolves soon arrived at the entrance to the land of Tamar. The knights who guarded the land of Tamar saw that Kendrick had come and set their example. ¡°Sir Kendrick!¡± They had already been ordered by Kendrick¡¯s messenger to make sure no little chicks flew in. Kendrick asked the knight, looking closely at the borders of Tamar¡¯s land. ¡®Did you see Linsy?¡¯ ¡°Yes, there wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m sure.¡± Kendrick, half relieved by the knight¡¯s words, turned his gaze to the land of Tamar. He looked at the blackened Tamar for a moment, then looked away. ¡®Is there any news from others?¡¯ To Kendrick¡¯s question, Degon took a step forward and answered. ¡®Yes, there¡¯s no news yet. There was no contact from the knights guarding the borders of the territory.¡¯ That meant that Linsy was still in wolf territory. ¡®But just in case.¡¯ As Kendrick lowered his head and raised his blunt front paws, shadows gathered around him. The shadows intertwined, forming shadow wolves. They were the shadow wolves that had been sent to find Linsy all over the territory. When Kendrick made a gesture with his eyes, the shadow wolves ran on the land of Tamar, floating in the air. ¡®My Lord!¡¯ ¡®This much is fine.¡¯ Despite Degon¡¯s warnings, Kendrick didn¡¯t care. There was still a possibility that there was Linsy in the land of Tamar, so he had to make sure. If they touch the Tamar¡¯s land, they will be cursed. However, those who use power could look over the land of Tamar in the same way as Kendrick. But, ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ It consumed a lot of energy and put a lot of strain on the body, so it was a method that was rarely used. Sure enough, Kendrick began to stumble not long after using his powers. The curse of the land of Tamar was threatening Kendrick¡¯s ability and life. In the end, Kendrick couldn¡¯t use it for a long time, and he had no choice but to reap his superpowers after looking at only part of Tamar. And, ¡®¡­If Linsy entered.¡¯ Will she really be alive? Kendrick finally recalled the situation in his mind that he didn¡¯t want to even imagine. That alone made his whole body feel cold. Of course, the knights said they didn¡¯t see Linsy flying, If she flew high and entered Tamar¡¯s airspace, it was possible that she would enter Tamar without being noticed by the knights. Even Kendrick Yeckhart, who is regarded as the most powerful of the heads of the wolf clan, used his powers for a while, and his body was strained like this. It was difficult to expect such a small child to survive in the land of Tamar. Kendrick¡¯s face hardened quickly. Degon, who was standing next to him, looked at Kendrick with a concerned expression. However, ¡°¡­What is that?¡± One of the knights who was examining Tamar meticulously through a telescope after releasing his wolf form and changing into a human form shouted. Pong¨C! Kendrick quickly released his wolf form and took the telescope from the knight. And, ¡°¡­That.¡± In the blackened, cursed land. And there¡ª. ¡°Linsy?¡± Kendrick muttered blankly. In the middle of the black cursed land, there was a spot where green grass grew in a circle. Green grass in the land of Tamar? It was unbelievable. But what¡¯s even more absurd is¡ª. ¡°Linsy.¡± A small red bird was lying curled up in the bush. Kendrick hurriedly passed his telescope to the knight next to him and waved his hand. Then shadows gathered in the air and took the shape of a black wolf. Kendrick snapped his finger, and the black wolf immediately ran in a straight line toward Lynsey. He felt a strain on his body, but he didn¡¯t care. Linsy was lying there with her eyes closed, not even moving. ¡®¡­Don¡¯t tell me.¡¯ Surely it¡¯s not wrong, right? ¡®Please be safe.¡¯ Kendrick¡¯s earnest desire could not come out of his mouth and hovered at the tip of his tongue. He closed his eyes. Kendrick could take in the shadow wolf¡¯s sight, which he possesses through his powers. That means it can move like an alter ego. The shadow wolf quickly arrived and stood tall in front of Linsy. And he looked down at this strange sight. A long time ago, the land was blackened by the curse. Since then, nothing has ever grown in the land of Tamar. The land has become completely lifeless, However, ¡°¡­Certainly.¡± Kendrick muttered. He couldn¡¯t believe it when he saw it through a telescope from a distance. ¡®Because there is no way life can live on the land of Tamar.¡¯ So the grass couldn¡¯t have grown. Kendrick thought he and the knight were mistaken. However, what was in front of him was undoubtedly grass. A few grew high and stuck in Linsy¡¯s feather. Furthermore, ¡®¡­What is this?¡¯ Behind Linsy¡¯s back, there was something that looked like a small sapling. It was very small, but it was clearly a tree sapling. However, its appearance was strange. ¡®It looks like I¡¯m seeing it for the first time since I was born.¡¯ The tree was a light brown color, and the branches were bent and drooping. It looked like a decoration hanging in a child¡¯s room. But that kind of thing is fine. What mattered right now was the safety of this little baby bird. The shadow wolf sluggishly brought its huge snout to Linsy¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­¡± The heartbeat was clearly felt in her chest. Fortunately, it seemed that he was just asleep. Kendrick let out a sigh of relief and controlled the shadow wolf to pick Linsy up. Then he carefully placed it on the back of the shadow wolf and ordered it to quickly get out of the land of Tamar. And, ¡®¡­.¡¯ Seeing life sprout in the land of Tamar, the rest of the clan would surely ask Kendrick what it was all about. While thinking about it, the shadow wolf put Linsy in Kendrick¡¯s arms. ¡°Linsy.¡± Kendrick called Linsy affectionately and tried to wake the child by gently stroking her stomach with his hand. However, Linsy fell asleep deeply and didn¡¯t wake up. Eventually, Kendrick gave up waking Linsy and held the little red baby bird in his arms. Before he knew it, the tail that grew was drooping down, so he had to roll it up well so that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt. Anyway, he has to deal with that. Kendrick murmured, staring in the direction where Linsy was lying. CH 127 ¡°Kendrick.¡± It was Lamont who had the first rhyme. Lamont, who stood the horse in front of Kendrick, jumped lightly from the horse¡¯s back. ¡°Lamont.¡± ¡°I think you need to explain what this is all about.¡± Lamont said, pointing towards the land of Tamar where Linsy had been found a moment ago. It seems that the lion clan has also confirmed that part of the land of Tamar has been purified. Kendrick patted Linsy, who was asleep, frowning as if hurting. ¡°It is as seen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you skipped too much? No matter how close you and I are¡­ Things related to the land of Tamar must be made clear.¡± ¡°Haa. It¡¯s troublesome¡­.¡± ¡°Is it true that this little baby bird purified the land of Tamar?¡± As Lamont beckoned, the knights of the Lion Clan took a step back. Kendrick¡¯s sharp gaze was directed at the knights of the Lion Clan, and then slowly moved to Lamont¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Kendrick, if this is known¡­¡± Kendrick cut Lamont off. ¡°If it is known, the beastman society will be turned upside down. Raniero¡¯s power and morale will rise significantly, and perhaps they and other clans will try to take Linsy. Even if they don¡¯t touch Linsy¡­.¡± ¡°There will be many things they want from Linsy.¡± Lamont answered after Kendrick¡¯s words. Kendrick¡¯s and Lamont¡¯s gazes turned to the baby bird at the same time, which was soundly asleep. ¡°All of them will do anything to purify the land of Tamar. Furthermore, since Giles flowers are being distributed everywhere, those who are addicted to Giles flowers will also flock to seek treatment. It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know, Lamont Fernando.¡± Kendrick put Linsy in his arms and covered the baby bird with her jacket. He didn¡¯t hide the fact that Lamont¡¯s gaze was unpleasant. ¡°So help me. The Wolf Clan intends to put this matter unwritten.¡± If this was revealed, all the clans would be aiming for Linsy. They could take Linsy and try to force her to purify the land at Tmar, and maybe¡ª they could do something harsher. Kendrick didn¡¯t want to let this little child, who was only ten years old, go through such danger. Of course, the Wolf Clan will protect this baby bird with all their might, but¡ª. ¡®Still.¡¯ Even so, the guardian¡¯s heart doesn¡¯t want to leave even the slightest danger. Lamont raised his eyebrows when he heard that he was thinking of putting this matter. ¡°Kendrick, this will come out someday. How long do you think you can hide it? One year? Two years?¡± Lamont turned his attention to the baby bird Kendrick had hidden in his arms. The red tail feathers jutted out between the jackets. ¡°If it is revealed later, it will become more of a problem. The Wolf Clan may be expelled from the beast society altogether. Besides, how many eyes are there¡­ Do you think you can cover everything?¡± ¡°Lamont.¡± Kendrick called his best friend in an annoyed tone. ¡°If you block it with words, there is nothing you cannot hide or cover. If you don¡¯t even know, why are you acting like that? I don¡¯t want you to cooperate for long.¡± Kendrick¡¯s eyes turned to the sleeping baby bird in his arms. ¡°Ten years. I just need to hide this child until she reaches adulthood.¡± Only until Linsy comes of age, and she has the choice of whether or not to stay in Wolf Mansion. Can such a young and weak baby bird withstand the repercussions that this event will bring? ¡®She won¡¯t be able to stand it.¡¯ So at least until she can hold out, He had to protect this child until he grew up to that extent because that¡¯s the parent¡¯s duty. ¡°Ten years¡­ do you think it will be possible? Ha, of course¡­.¡± Of course, he doesn¡¯t know his heart either. Lamont nodded low, then raised his head. It was after the day was bright. As the day dawned and the sun rose, the place Linsy had purified became more visible. Lamont pointed there and asked Kendrick. ¡°What are you going to do about that? It¡¯s so noticeable that you¡¯ll soon be caught by another clan.¡± ¡°There is a way for that.¡± Kendrick held Linsy in one hand, raised the other, and swung it once. Then the shadow wolf that was gathered earlier reappeared. As he snapped his finger, the shadow wolf ran straight toward the purified spot. Just like the time before when he asked for Linsy and brought him out. The knights of the Lion Clan, the Wolf Clan, and even Lamont watched Kendrick¡¯s actions with their mouths shut. Silence fell heavily. Kendrick wrinkled his brow slightly so as not to be seen. When the supernatural power reached the land of Tamar, the crowd came. ¡°Kendrick, no way.¡± Lamont quickly realized what Kendrick was up to and stopped him. ¡°No. You said you were going to hide it for ten years. Ten years in his way, your body won¡¯t last even one year.¡± The shadow wolf soon arrived at the place where Linsy had purified it. And, They crouched carefully on it. Not long after it, the shadow wolf¡¯s body gradually scattered. A shadow covered over the spot where Kendrick had been purified. The land of Tamar was originally a land where everything died and turned black, so it was not visible at all when it was covered by a shadow. Kendrick said as if he was surprised. ¡°There are no curses in a purified place, so it doesn¡¯t seem to put too much strain on my body, Lamont.¡± If he uses his powers on the land of Tamar, the effect of the curse puts strain on his body. However, no group of people went when they covered the place where Linsy had purified it. Lamont sighed in relief at Kendrick¡¯s words. ¡°Ha¡­ yeah. I will help you this time because I have affection as a friend. But Kendrick, when the Giles flowers become more distributed, and the damage becomes severe, I must inform the beast society of this fact.¡± Lamont looked directly at Kendrick. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know the pain you¡¯re going through. But¡­ sometimes you have to sacrifice small things. Of course, I agree with you that the time is not now.¡± After Lamont finished speaking, he turned around and addressed the lion clan. The language of the lion clan echoed loudly across the borders of Tamar. [This matter will be left unresolved. Nothing was seen or heard. It is assumed that there were no lion clans here today.] As Lamont¡¯s voice resounded, the knights of the Lion Clan fell silent at the same time. After that, he seemed flustered for a while, then bowed his head. Kendrick, who had been watching the scene, also called the Knights of the Wolf Clan. When he gathered together all the knights and soldiers guarding the borders of Tamar, the number was quite large. [This matter will be left unresolved.] The head of the Wolf Clan, Kendrick Yekhart, gave the order with the authority of the head. The wolf clan bowed to the head of the clan. Even while all of this was going on, Linsy was sleeping in Kendrick¡¯s arms without knowing it. Kendrick wanted this child to sleep like this for the rest of her life. ¡®Have a nice dream.¡¯ Kendrick, who organized the situation, lifted his jacket and looked down at Linsy, and thought to himself. In the future, He¡¯ll make sure she can only have good dreams. *** Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. Arsene, who had struggled with pain the whole time, calmed down at some point. The maids and Hern were surprised and hurriedly checked Arsene¡¯s condition. ¡°Young Master, Young Master!¡± The maids covered their mouths, terrified that Arsene might have gone wrong. Last night, Arsene¡¯s condition was so bad that it wouldn¡¯t be strange to die right away. However, Arsene¡¯s condition didn¡¯t deteriorate as the maids feared. ¡°¡­.¡± It was definitely getting better. Arsene¡¯s breathing gradually returned to normal. Arsene, who had been gasping for breath with his mouth open the whole time, slowly closed it. The stiffly rigid tail was moving gently before they knew it, Even his expression, distorted by pain, looked peaceful, Just like he was sleeping. Hern hurriedly checked Arsene¡¯s condition, and his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°¡­How could this be!¡± Arsene¡¯s condition was returning to normal. The spots on his back that symbolized Tamar¡¯s curse gradually blurred. ¡°Young Master¡¯s condition is getting better!¡± When Hern shouted, ¡°This is a miracle,¡± the maids burst into tears in surprise. Some even ran out, saying they needed to send Kendrick a telegram immediately. Arsene was sleeping soundly in the middle of that loud noise. Then, Paat¡ª! Arsene¡¯s ability, the shadow wolf, appeared for a moment and then quickly disappeared. ¡°¡­.!!¡± The shadow wolf was wagging its tail excitedly, It disappeared so quickly that no one saw it. CH 128 Nine years later. For nine years, Giles flowers continued to distribute in the dark. There have been a series of victims from the Giles flowers, but the heads of each clan have buried this fact. They feared that the revival of the Giles flower would cause an uproar in the beastman society. Fear would spread easily, and once it started spreading, it would be impossible to stop it any longer. Because that was what those who distributed Giles¡¯ flowers wanted, the heads of each clan gritted their teeth and covered up this fact. They cracked down on the black market more thoroughly and severely punished those who distributed Giles flowers.z However, it has not been revealed where it is still being distributed. For nine years, Giles flowers quietly spread throughout the beastman society. The beastman society becomes sick. The heads of each clan knew the seriousness of the situation, but there was no way they could do anything about it. Fortunately, The extent to which Giles flowers are circulated doesn¡¯t exceed a certain amount. Strangely, for nine years, each clan had the same number of victims each year. As if someone were deliberately spreading Giles flowers. It was fortunately out of misfortune. This means that the damage does not increase beyond a certain level. So, for nine years, it was possible to cover up the fact that Giles flowers spread throughout the beastman society. But the problem was the bird clan. After Arthur Raniero fell, he cut off all contact with the other clans. He cut off the communication and locked the door. So the other clans couldn¡¯t find out what was happening inside the bird clan¡¯s territory. Whether Arthur Raniero had risen from his seat or his son had succeeded him was unclear. Because of this, there was no way to know how many Giles flowers were distributed within the bird clan. The other clans had no choice but to guess that the bird clan wouldn¡¯t have much damage. Not asking for help meant that it could be resolved within the bird clan. Of course, the other clans were concerned about the safety of the bird clan. Opinions kept popping up that something might have happened since they had stopped contacting each other for as much as nine years. However, there was one clan that had been consistent throughout the nine years with the attitude of not caring too much about what happened to the bird clan. It was Kendrick Yeckhart of the Wolf Clan. *** Have you ever heard that children grow up quickly? The servants of Yeckhart¡¯s mansion were keenly aware of those words. Obviously, when she first came to the mansion, ¡®Eung, thank you!¡¯ It was so small that she couldn¡¯t even reach the waist of the servants. She can still clearly see her running around the mansion with her hair tied with a yellow ribbon. However, She had grown up before she knew it, and now she was about the same height as the servants. The fine red hair was well taken care of, and the beautiful light green eyes became clearer. Not only Yeckhart¡¯s servants but no one in the beastman society could deny that Linsy was a great beauty. Besides, when she was young, she was small enough to fit in her hand when she was shapeshifted. ¡®Now.¡¯ Betty was very proud as she watched Linsy sit on a private perch that was decorated with jewels of many different colors. The perch was crafted from a thousand fine gemstones and was a special gift from Kendrick for Linsy¡¯s seventeenth birthday. On the perch sat a great, beautiful red bird, grooming itself. It was hard to see that it was an eagle because it had red feathers, a long tail, a beautiful curved beak, and round eyes. ¡°Chirp?¡± As Betty stared at her, Linsy tilted her head. Even as she grew up, the sound of crying was still there. The long, red tail feathers rustled, and soon. Pong¡ª! There was a small explosion and a nineteen-year-old girl with long hair that hung down to her waist appeared. ¡°Betty? Is there something on my feather?¡± Linsy asked, tilting her head. ¡°No, Lady. I just looked at it for a long time because you are beautiful.¡± When Betty responded with a soft laugh, Linsy laughed shyly. ¡°Betty, really, by the way, why isn¡¯t father coming? He said we were going out today¡­.¡± Betty nodded her head at the word going out. Kendrick often took Linsy and Arsene on outings to places that the servants didn¡¯t know. The servants didn¡¯t know where they were going, ¡°Betty!¡± She thought it would be a flower garden or a scenic mountain because the Lady came with a lot of soil. No one could have guessed that Kendrick was heading with the children to the land of Tamar. Nine years ago, Kendrick informs Linsy that Linsy has purified some of the lands of Tamar. Lamont was strongly discouraged from telling Linsy the truth. ¡®The child has the right to know.¡¯ It was not the right thing to do to hide it from Linsy. And, ¡®We need to make her realize how great her power is.¡¯ By making Linsy more aware, he could protect her more safely. Kendrick calmly explained what had happened that night so Linsy wouldn¡¯t be surprised. In addition, after Linsy purified the land of Tamar, Arsene¡¯s condition improved dramatically. Linsy opened her eyes wide when she heard that. And she remembered the woman in her dreams. [You¡¯ll know what you have to do. It¡¯s too early to do it completely, but¡­] [You will be able to achieve what you wish for.] Linsy pondered for a moment whether or not to tell Kendrick this story. It was because she was afraid that Kendrick wouldn¡¯t believe the story. But, thinking Kendrick should know, Linsy told Kendrick about her dream. Kendrick listened carefully to Linsy¡¯s words and then muttered, ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± Kendrick also told Linsy that the Wolf Clan and the Lion Clan had put this matter unwritten. ¡®Until you come of age, I will be very careful not to let them know about this. So you too.¡¯ Kendrick¡¯s worried gaze turned to Linsy. ¡®You must always be careful when you use your power, Linsy.¡¯ Nothing has been discovered about the black hood that targeted Linsy. So, Kendrick told Linsy over and over again to be careful. ¡®Yes, don¡¯t worry.¡¯ Linsy nodded. Kendrick informed Arsene of this. Arsene is the next head of the wolf clan and Yeckhart¡¯s successor, so he decides that he should know. In addition, ¡®So if anything happens, you must protect her, Arsene.¡¯ Kendrick urged Arsene to make protecting Linsy a priority. Arsene nodded his head with a determined expression, unlike a ten-year-old kid. The two children lived with such a big secret under their tongues. But a strange thing happened. It was because, starting from the land that Linsy purified, the surroundings were purified as if spreading. Besides, the sapling that was found with Linsy the day she first purified Tamar. It seems to be absorbing all the nutrients left in the Tamar, and it keeps growing. Thanks to this, Kendrick had to use more powers to hide the fact as time passed. Of course, it didn¡¯t put too much strain on his body because he only covered the area that Linsy had purified. ¡®It¡¯s a strange thing.¡¯ As the seedlings grew, Tamar¡¯s spots on Arsene¡¯s back disappeared one by one. Furthermore, ¡®¡­.¡¯ The day Kendrick took Linsy for a moment to show her that the land of Tamar had been purified. ¡®¡­F, father!¡¯ Perhaps the land of Tamar opened the way for Linsy, or perhaps the land was purified for a long time in front of Linsy, but a path was created. ¡®¡­.!¡¯ Kendrick looked down the path in disbelief. The land of Tamar gave off an ominous aura, hostile to Kendrick¡¯s approach. But when it came to Linsy, it felt like it was leading her to the center of Tamar as if it were welcoming a child. After noticing that Tamar welcomes Linsy, Kendrick also takes Arsene to Tamar. The land of Tamar didn¡¯t welcome Arsene, but it wasn¡¯t particularly hostile. Because of this, Arsene could enter the land of Tamar with Linsy. Of course, thanks to the more purified places that Linsy went in and out of, the places Kendrick had to hide continued to increase. The purified area was a tiny fraction of the vast land of Tamar, but Kendrick and Lamont thought even that a great deal. Furthermore, ¡®Arsene?¡¯ As time passed in the land of Tamar, Arsene¡¯s spots became lighter and more blurred. Hern went so far as to ask where he had been with Arsene that the boy¡¯s condition kept improving. So, Kendrick would sometimes take Linsy and Arsene to Tamar at dawn when the place was empty. Linsy and Arsene would sometimes follow the path that Tamar had given them, sometimes to the center of the sapling. Of course, this was done with Kendrick¡¯s permission. After returning to Tamar, Arsene¡¯s condition improved, so Kendrick took the risk of being caught by the other clans and sent Arsene and Linsy to Tamar. Linsy often said that she would plant flowers, and she even brought flower seeds, a watering can, and a trowel. The flowers Linsy planted bloomed beautifully the following year and covered the purified land. If they had seen it, they wouldn¡¯t have thought that this was the land of Tamar. Kendrick wrapped the two children in his powers and hid them so that no one could see them enter the land of Tamar. 9 years like that. The area now purified was about the size of a village. The tiny sapling grew frighteningly, now larger than any tree in the wolf¡¯s territory. Linsy and Arsene would often read or take a nap under it. Reading or taking a nap in the middle of the land of Tamar would have been surprising to the rest of the clan. ¡°Linsy.¡± At that time, Arsene, who had finished preparing to go out, knocked on Linsy¡¯s door. ¡°Arsene!¡± Linsy smiled brightly and held the hem of the dress in her hand and turned her eyes. Standing on the threshold was a boy who had grown up and was more than two hands taller than Linsy. The curly grey hair changed close to the shiny silver hair after the hair was changed, and the blue eyes still glistened, unchanged from when they were young. It was a more lively face than before. Arsene scolded Linsy. ¡°What¡¯s taking you so long to prepare?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve always been late so far. Look at you bragging about quick preparation for the day.¡± Linsy rolled her eyes. Arsene looked at Linsy disapprovingly. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Dad coming? We will go soon¡­.¡± Then, before Arsene could finish speaking, a huge shadow wolf thrust its snout at Linsy. ¡°No, why did he come out again?¡± Arsene grunted, but Linsy didn¡¯t mind, and she hugged the huge shadow wolf tightly. ¡°You want to go out soon, too, right?¡± Linsy looked at the shadow wolf as if it was lovely. Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf completely disappeared on that day, nine years ago, when Arsene consumed all of his energy. In front of Linsy¡¯s eyes. Linsy cried for a long time as she watched Arsene and her friend leave. However, ¡®¡­H, huh?¡¯ After Linsy purifies the land of Tamar and Arsene¡¯s condition improves. A small shadow wolf was reborn at Arsene¡¯s fingertips. Although it was unbelievably small for the shadow wolf that Arsene used to be. ¡®Woooo¡ª!¡¯ Arsene and Linsy could recognize at a glance that the shadow wolf was the same as before. After the shadow wolf was reborn, it grew further, and now it was as tall as two wagons. However, his ability also grew, so he could reduce his size by separating some of the shadows. When Arsene and Linisy were stroking the shadow wolf. ¡°Linsy, Arsene.¡± A familiar voice called out to the two of them. CH 129 ¡°Father!¡± I raised my head with a twinkle. Kendrick was seen walking in the distance, tidying up his clothes. He has hardly changed since nine years ago or now. It¡¯s just that he got a little bit of white hair in places that he neatly turned over. However, the original hair color was gray, so the white hair wasn¡¯t noticeable. Kendrick has often left the mansion in the past nine years, saying he has work to do. On the days when he happened to stay at the mansion for a long time, he would lock himself in the office and hardly come out. The only time Kendrick seemed relaxed was when he took us to Tamar. ¡®Looks like you¡¯re busy.¡¯ He didn¡¯t explain it to Arsene and me in detail, but he seemed to be struggling with Giles¡¯ flowers. He said it was working out well at the time. Wasn¡¯t it? He didn¡¯t want to go into detail, so I couldn¡¯t figure it out. The answer is the same even if I ask someone other than Kendrick. ¡®It¡¯s resolved well, so don¡¯t worry.¡¯ Then I secretly asked Leona and Cain about the Giles flower. ¡®Huh? Giles flower?¡¯ Leona seemed to have no idea about the current situation. ¡®¡­What flower?¡¯ It was the same with Cain. Still, it¡¯s a relief. ¡®Because the black hood doesn¡¯t appear anymore¡­.¡¯ That person who appeared in front of me twice when I was young. At the age of seven, he stopped threatening from afar, ¡®When I was 10, I almost got hurt while going to the theater¡­.¡¯ Kendrick worked hard to protect me after that incident, but strangely, he hasn¡¯t shown up even once in the past nine years. ¡®¡­Did I achieve my goal?¡¯ Either way, it was a good thing for me. For the past nine years, Yeckhart¡¯s mansion has been very peaceful. Arsene has never been very sick, and there has never been an accident or even a threat to let me out of Raniero. But if I had to pick one strange thing¡ª. ¡®Flowers placed by the window.¡¯ Strangely enough, the flower that Glene had given before leaving had not withered or rotted in twelve years. I didn¡¯t water it once because it was strange. The leaves were folded for a while, perhaps because of the lack of moisture, but they came back to life as soon as they were filled with water. Arsene has never been very sick, and there has never been an accident or even a threat to let me out of Raniero. A flower that does not wither for 12 years. It¡¯s amazing just by its existence. But a month ago, one petal fell off. Having lived so long, it might be that it¡¯s time to wither and fall off. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Something was ominous. Only one petal had fallen off and was blackened as if to show off. I tried to use my power just in case, but no new petals sprouted from the fallen spot. I felt uncomfortable, but I tried my best to ignore it. Anyway, except for that. ¡®It was quite peaceful.¡¯ The servants were still kind, and the wolf clan still didn¡¯t fully trust or acknowledge me, but it seemed like it didn¡¯t matter. Anyway, soon Arsene¡ª. ¡®Because we might get a divorce?¡¯ When I thought about that, I suddenly felt a new sensation and blinked my eyes. Divorce with Arsene. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve never thought about before, ¡®I¡¯ll be an adult in a month.¡¯ That meant the end of the contract between me and Kendrick. At the same time, A one-time chance given by the temple. It also meant that the time had come for children who had married early to have to choose from the one and only opportunity to divorce. I felt strange all of a sudden, so I closed my mouth and blinked. Kendrick moved closer, looked at Arsene and me, and asked. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re all ready.¡± ¡°Is there anything else to prepare?¡± Arsene answered in a blunt tone. He tapped the shadow wolf on the nose, and the wolf dispersed instantly into the air. I looked regretfully at where the wolf disappeared, then smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, I brought some flower seeds.¡± I said, showing Kendrick a bag of flower seeds and a trowel. There was no need for a watering can. Kendrick looked at my bag, smiled and nodded slowly. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± *** Kendrick used his powers from the entrance to the land of Tamar to completely shield the carriage. And Arsene and I were also covered by his powers so that others couldn¡¯t see us entering the land of Tamar. ¡°Go ahead.¡± As always, Kendrick saw us off in the carriage. For now, the only ones who can enter the land of Tamar are me and Arsene. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Arsene took the lead and reached out to me. I gently put my hand on top of Arsene¡¯s big hand. ¡°We will be back!¡± ¡°Yes, be careful.¡± Kendrick didn¡¯t forget to say to be careful. I hid in Kendrick¡¯s shadow and glanced at Arsene¡¯s hand all the way to the land of Tamar. ¡®His hands got really big. I think you used to be like me¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Now, even his fingers are quite thick. ¡°Arsene.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Call the Shadow Wolf.¡± I waved Arsene¡¯s hand lightly and said, and Arsene glanced at me. And then. Paaaa¡ª! As I waved my hand in the air, the shadows slowly gathered, and a huge wolf appeared. ¡ªNo, when it was about to appear. After looking around for a while, the shadow wolf reappeared with a reduced size. ¡°Wolf, ugh!¡± The shadow wolf suddenly bit me on the back and put me on its back. Thanks to that, Arsene, who was holding my hand tightly, stumbled for a moment. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Arsene asked nervously, but it didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because he likes it? He likes it when he comes here.¡± I gently stroked the shadow wolf¡¯s back and said to Arsene. The shadow wolf really liked the purified space of this land of Tamar. He used to rub his back on the lawn and nap with us under the giant tree. Arsene shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t stop it. When I reached the center of the land of Tamar, the wolf carefully put me on the ground. ¡°Thank you.¡± As I greeted him with a smile and stroked his huge head, the wolf¡¯s eyes narrowed. In the center of the land of Tamar, a large tree stood tall. The tree was so large that it seemed that no tree could be bigger than this, even in the territories of the Wolf Clan or even the Bird Clan. ¡°Are you going to plant flowers again?¡± Arsene said, looking at the land overgrown with green grass and weeds. I nodded bravely. ¡°Eung!¡± ¡°Why do you keep planting flowers? It must be troublesome¡­.¡± ¡°Hey, I planted flowers diligently last year, so you¡¯re seeing pretty flowers like this this year.¡± I scolded Arsene and said. ¡°I like flowers. Planting and seeing flowers bloom makes me feel like this place is really alive.¡± ¡°I got it, I got it. Should I help?¡± ¡°Eung, dig here. I¡¯m going to put flower seeds in. But I¡¯m having a hard time, so you dig a little.¡± When I said it proudly, Arsene looked at me for a long time with a puzzled expression, then ordered the Shadow Wolf to dig the ground. I put flower seeds in each hole and asked them to cover it again. Now, if I use my abilities appropriately, it¡¯s done. A small light green watering can appear in the air and sprayed the ground with my powers. ¡®I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not red.¡¯ I thought while staring at the light green supernatural ability that soaked into the ground. The red light was never seen except when I used my powers to treat Arsene. It was fortunate. Kendrick also said that he couldn¡¯t find any data on the color of my ability suddenly changing. ¡®¡­What would have happened if that kind of power continued to appear.¡¯ I shook my head at the terrifying imagination. The planting of flowers has already ended. In fact, since Arsene and the Shadow Wolf do all the digging and covering, I had little to do. I shook off the flower seeds I brought and planted them all, spread a thin cloth with Arsene and sat down under the shade of a huge tree. ¡°Wha, let¡¯s get some rest!¡± ¡°What have you done?¡± ¡°I planted the flower seeds.¡± ¡°No, to be exact, I did the planting, and you just watered it.¡± Arsene said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at Arsene. ¡°How can you be so similar to when you were seven? Nothing has changed¡­.¡± ¡°You, too, really don¡¯t have to be the same like this. I think you will be the same when you are 30 or 40.¡± ¡°30 years old?¡± I blinked at Arsene¡¯s words imagining the future. ¡°30 years old¡­ Eung, maybe. Arsene, you know.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°What do you think if you divorce me?¡± ¡°¡­Divorce?¡± Arsene frowned slightly as if he were asking what it meant. ¡°Eung, I don¡¯t mean to do it right away¡­ I¡¯m coming of age soon.¡± There was no way that Arsene did not know the meaning of my coming of age. ¡°¡­.¡± You don¡¯t know? Why did his expression become so grim? CH 130 ¡°¡­Eung. Well, there¡¯s nothing to talk about right now!¡± Haha. I smiled awkwardly and changed the subject. I could feel Arsene¡¯s gaze following me relentlessly, but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°By the way, let¡¯s see the spots, come over here.¡± ¡°Why did you do that here?¡± Arsene frowned. I pulled Arsene¡¯s shirt lightly. ¡°I will see it while we¡¯re here. I just remembered. You don¡¯t show your back to me these days.¡± I often took off Arsene¡¯s clothes when I was young to check his spots. Arsene didn¡¯t show me his spots very well once he got bigger and started sleeping farther away from me. ¡®It¡¯s faded..¡¯ I can only guess that Arsene¡¯s spots are gradually fading after listening to Mr. Hern¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s faded. I can barely see it now. Oh, you don¡¯t have to see¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, okay? Are you shy?¡± The eyes of the shadow wolf, who had been listening to me, widened. It seemed as if he was affirming that he was embarrassed. Arsene opened his eyes at the shadow wolf. ¡°What do you mean by shy! Just because, huh? You are a woman, and I am a man¡­¡± ¡°We are a married couple¡­ I think it¡¯s past the time to argue about that. ¡° Maybe¡­ Could it have been around ten years old? When I spoke with a rather serious face, Arsene¡¯s face suddenly changed to a puzzled expression. ¡°You really¡­¡± Arsene unbuttoned his shirt with one hand. Both of his ears were slightly red. Arsene, who unbuttoned and took off his shirt, turned around and showed the spot on his back. ¡°Now, are you done?¡± ¡°Eung, okay.¡± I nodded and touched Arsene¡¯s spots slightly. ¡®It¡¯s definitely faded.¡¯ Is this proof that Arsene¡¯s disease is gradually disappearing? I gently stroked Arsene¡¯s back with my fingertips. When I thought he was almost healed, I felt strange for some reason. The day Arsene and I first met felt far away. I felt proud when I saw Arsene¡¯s physical condition, which continued to progress even without my treatment. I hadn¡¯t used my power on Arsene since I tried to heal him when I was 10 and worsened his condition. Nevertheless, whenever I saw Arsene¡¯s body progressing steadily, I felt a sense of relief. I slapped Arsene on the back. ¡°All right, all right. I saw it all. You can get dressed now.¡± ¡°Ack! Why do you hit me?¡± Arsene opened his eyes sharply and turned his head to look at me. ¡°I thought it was all right, huh? Now you don¡¯t have to sleep with me. Right?¡± I looked at Arsene and smiled. Arsene and I have always shared a room because Arsene¡¯s condition is relieved by sleeping hand in hand. But now that he almost healed, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to share the same room. When Arsene heard it, he narrowed his eyes and asked. ¡°¡­You.¡± ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°Do you hate me now?¡± Arsene asked cautiously, holding his shirt in his hand. I widened my eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? Hey, talk about it after wearing your clothes for now.¡± I glanced at Arsene¡¯s well-muscled bare skin and said, When he was young, he was a skinny baby wolf. Suddenly this big body¡­ I wonder if his body has improved this much! ¡®I don¡¯t know where to put my eyes.¡¯ When I pointed to the shirt, Arsene put it on again and said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking about divorce¡­ and separate room¡­ it¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°No, it is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my wife, why do you use separate rooms?¡± The look on Arsene¡¯s face when he asked that question was as if he really didn¡¯t understand. I pondered for a moment, and soon pressed Arsene¡¯s head. ¡°Eung, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m your wife. Let¡¯s talk about this next time, let¡¯s go home now!¡± Since the conversation was going to be long, I thought it would be better to keep it calm next time. ¡°No, why next time¡ª¡± Arsene spoke as if to protest, but I ignored it neatly. ¡°Do it next time, next time! Wolf!¡± When I called, the shadow wolf came running from afar. ¡°Grrr!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go now, are you done playing?¡± The shadow wolf nodded. Arsene arranged the clothes and packed the basket for me. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s come again next time.¡± ¡°Eung, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Now, say goodbye to the tree.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Say hello, because it¡¯s healing you.¡± I put my hand on the base of a huge tree and said. Arsene followed me with a disapproving look and put his hand on the base of the tree. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s getting bigger, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I thought it wouldn¡¯t grow anymore¡­¡± Arsene muttered and looked up at the tree. I couldn¡¯t even guess how far the giant tree was reaching. ¡°I can recognize it at a glance even from a distance.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Arsene nodded back. After looking at the trees for a long time, we soon walked out without hesitation. Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf ran out first and informed Kendrick that we were coming out. Then, Paat¡ª. Kendrick¡¯s abilities shook the surroundings. He covered me and Arsene so that we couldn¡¯t be seen from the outside. We got into the carriage safely, hiding in Kendrick¡¯s power. ¡°We¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Welcome back.¡± Kendrick was reading a newspaper in the carriage, and he looked up. ¡°Did you have a good time?¡± ¡°Yes, I also planted flowers. But I guess Tamar is Tamar.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I used my power, but the flowers didn¡¯t grow right away. In other lands, if I use my power, the flowers will bloom right away¡­¡± I stretched out my hand, looking outside the door, which was still half closed. As the light power flowed from the fingertips, weeds grew suddenly. Kendrick, who was watching the scene, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°It seems that it has not yet been purified to the depths. I¡¯m glad you had a good trip, let¡¯s go back.¡¯ After Kendrick finished speaking, one of the knights closed the carriage door. Then the carriage started smoothly. I could hear the hoofs of horses running on the ground. I looked out the window. Two escort knights were seen. Kendrick always had the greatest number of escorts, but when he came to Tamar, he brought only a minimum of escorts. Today, there were all three escort knights. It was such an unbelievably few escorts to say it for the head of the clan to go out with. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter because father is strong.¡¯ Kendrick¡¯s power was considered the strongest of all the heads of the Yeckhart family. But then. ¡°Hiiing!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± A huge wolf burst out of the grass and attacked the knight and his horse. The horse suddenly raised its front foot in surprise, and the wolf¡¯s snout pushed back the knight and eventually make him fell off the horse. Crash! The carriage stopped hastily, and the knights were seen pointing their swords at the huge wolf. Kendrick slowly raised his head. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss?¡± He used his power to defeat the huge wolf without difficulty. I opened my eyes in surprise. Arsene pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me. ¡°¡­Is it shapeshift?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Kendrick sighed. The huge wolf, bound by the powers, wriggled and struggled. ¡°It seems to have lost its mind¡­? I¡¯ll treat it.¡± I tried to get up from my seat in a hurry. If it lost its mind because of Giles flower, I could cure it. But Kendrick shook his head firmly. ¡°There is nothing to worry about, Linsy. I¡¯ll take care of it, so go ahead with Arsene.¡± ¡°Yes? But. ¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay, so go.¡± Kendrick left the horse and immediately got off the carriage. The carriage we rode in went straight on Kendrick¡¯s command. Arsene and I looked at each other¡¯s faces with our eyes wide open. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you lose your mind because of the Giles flowers?¡± ¡°Probably so because that¡¯s the only thing that makes you lose your ability.¡± ¡°But why¡­ is he preventing me from treating it? Besides that¡­ I heard that things are working out well.¡± Furthermore, I was perplexed by Kendrick¡¯s behavior, which stopped me from treating him. When I looked at it, Arsene shrugged as if he didn¡¯t know. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard anything either?¡± ¡°You are closer to father than I am¡­ he said he would take care of everything before I took over the position of head of the clan, but¡­¡± Arsene muttered. While we were blankly exchanging glances over the beastman we had just seen, the carriage quickly arrived at the mansion. ¡°My Lady, do you have a good trip?¡± ¡°Eung? Eung.¡± I nodded blankly and grabbed Arsene¡¯s wrist. ¡°Arsene, follow me.¡± CH 131 I heard Betty talking behind me, but I didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to Betty. I hurriedly brought Arsene into the room and locked the door. Click. There was a metallic sound of the door locking. Arsene was standing there, staring at me. I looked up at Arsene. ¡°Did you really not hear anything?¡± I glanced at Kendrick¡¯s expression when the beastman attacked the carriage. However, ¡®It certainly wasn¡¯t a surprised expression.¡¯ It would be surprising if a beastman who had lost his mind attacked the carriage out of nowhere. Kendrick¡¯s expression was not surprised, but rather tired and exhausted for some reason. As if he expected this to happen. Arsene made a rather unfair expression and shook his head. ¡°Well, because there isn¡¯t. If you¡¯re curious about it, you can ask father later after he returns.¡± ¡°Phew, you fool. It¡¯s because father never tells me that.¡± ¡°Do you think he does it to me?¡± ¡°But you know, Arsene¡­.¡± I stiffened my face and looked straight into Arsene¡¯s face. ¡°Did they say that the beastmen who lost their mind because they were poisoned by Giles flowers couldn¡¯t get their mind back?¡± ¡°Eung. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t treat it¡­ they¡¯ll have to live with that condition for the rest of their life. Because I¡¯m the only one who can cure a beastmen poisoned by Giles flowers.¡¯ ¡°Eung.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I looked Arsene in the eye. And, Gulp. After swallowing my saliva, I continued. ¡°Then, what will happen to the beastman earlier?¡± They say that if I don¡¯t treat them, they¡¯ll have to live with a loss of reason for the rest of their life. A beastman who has lost his mind is no different from a wild beast. The beastman who lost his mind before¡­ I¡¯ve even heard of killing in the worst case. But, Kendrick flatly refused to allow me to heal the beastman. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± We stared blankly at each other. No way, could it be killing it? If the beastmen poisoned by Giles flowers get out of control, wouldn¡¯t they have killed them all? When I thought Kendrick might have killed the beastman who crashed into the carriage today, my face turned white. My mind was white. As if Arsene was the same, his complexion turned slightly white. At that time, Knock knock. A calm knocking sound broke the silence in the room. I looked back in surprise. ¡°My Lady, you should change your clothes and have dinner.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be right out!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out for now, it¡¯s not something that¡¯s going to be solved just by us doing this.¡± Arsene said calmly. I nodded. ¡°Yes, for now¡­.¡± *** I changed my clothes and went down to the dining room for dinner. After sitting down and waiting for a while, Arsene came down to the dining room after changing his clothes. Then the mansion became noisy. ¡°Is father here?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Arsene put down the knife he was holding and stood up. I also got up with Arsene. But we didn¡¯t have to go out of the dining room. As we were about to leave, Kendrick stepped his foot into the dining room. ¡°You were eating.¡± ¡°Are you here? But father¡­¡± I was startled when I saw Kendrick¡¯s clothes. Kendrick¡¯s black jacket caught his eye, splattered with dark red blood. I could have guessed whose blood it was without asking. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve done well today, so don¡¯t worry¡­¡± ¡°Is it okay if I don¡¯t treat you? I need to treat it¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t treat me.¡± Kendrick sternly cut me off. Thanks to that, my plan to ask Kendrick something more was ruined. ¡°And Linsy, I have a favor to ask you.¡± Kendrick closed his eyes for a moment, as if his head was pounding, then slowly opened them and asked the maids around him to leave. Then, using his power, he created a thin sound barrier using his shadow. ¡°Can you pick some more flowers next time you visit the land of Tamar?¡± ¡°A flower?¡± ¡°Yes, plenty.¡± I nodded. Ever since I first set foot on Tamar¡¯s land, I¡¯ve sometimes picked Tamar¡¯s grass and flowers for Kendrick. Sometimes there were days when I picked up the leaves of the big tree. It was something I wondered if it would help Mr. Hern for his study about Tamar. Mr. Kendrick and Mr. Hern were very happy, so I would often pick flowers, leaves, and grass ever since. It was for the same reason that I often planted flowers. Since we often pick a basket full of flowers, we need to plant them often to give Kendrick more. But it was the first time Kendrick had asked to bring it to me first, so I nodded blankly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring you plenty next time.¡± ¡°Yeah, get some rest after you finish eating. Leon and Cain are coming to the mansion tomorrow, right?¡± Kendrick said, walking on the soundproof wall and loosening his tie. ¡°Yes, they are supposed to come over tomorrow.¡± Now, Leona and Cain coming to play was a daily routine for the servants of the mansion. Sometimes Kendrick worried about what would happen if my only friends were Leona, Cain, and Ansia. ¡®This is good enough.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter because those three people were playing the role of more than 10 or 100 people. ¡°Yeah, maybe we can meet and talk about the festival together.¡± ¡°A festival?¡± ¡°This year¡­ it seems to be going to be held. It seems that His Holiness the Pope¡¯s condition has improved a bit.¡± Kendrick replied slowly. For the past nine years, the festival has never been held. So, the heads of the beastmen clans were concerned about the safety of each clan¡¯s holy relic. I heard they worry about what if someone lost or misused the holy relic for 9 years. The reason why the festival didn¡¯t take place. ¡®I heard it was because of His Holiness¡¯ health.¡¯ The Pope¡¯s poor health was a story that I¡¯ve been hearing since I was very young, Nine years ago, the temple canceled all events led by the Pope, as if the Pope¡¯s condition had become more serious. And the Pope hid himself in the temple and didn¡¯t appear. It¡¯s already been nine years since he has lived like that¡ª. There¡¯s a festival? I opened my eyes wide, looked at Kendrick, and asked. ¡°Then will there be a bird clan coming?¡± It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve heard of the bird clan, so that¡¯s what interests me the most. I heard that Arthur Raniero fell, ¡®I¡¯ve only heard that far.¡¯ I wonder if Arthur has woken up since then, and if he does, why hasn¡¯t he been looking for me yet? I wondered if Gale succeeded as planned if he didn¡¯t wake up. It wasn¡¯t just one or two questions. ¡®Because if they come to the festival, the head of the clan will have to show up.¡¯ If Raniero attends the festival, I may learn why Raniero has been so quiet over the past nine years and cut off communication with the rest of the clan. Thinking about it made me feel like the days in Raniero were so far away. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Because the festival has not been finalized either.¡± ¡°Aah¡­¡± ¡°It might be canceled again. Like nine years ago.¡± Kendrick said calmly. Nine years ago, the Pope¡¯s health improved, and the festival was said to be held, but it was canceled. At that time, Leona was very much looking forward to it, I heard that the servants of the Lion mansion had a hard time appeasing the disappointed child. ¡°Still, I thought it would really open it this time. It seems that they can¡¯t put off looking after the safety of the sanctuary any longer.¡± ¡°Go and finish your meal. I have no appetite, so I will leave.¡± ¡°Yes, please go in.¡± Arsene and I sat across from each other at the table again. Arsene said, holding a knife and slicing the meat. ¡°It¡¯s a festival, I used to go there when I was young, but I ¡®ve never go there anymore.¡± ¡°By the way, now, if you take over as the head of the clan, you will have to do what your father used to do. What to do if you haven¡¯t been there much? I hope it opens this time.¡± ¡°Yes, by the way¡­ It¡¯s your birthday soon, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Eung.¡± I used a fork to poke a cherry tomato and nodded as I put it in my mouth. When I talked about the coming-of-age ceremony earlier, he made a surprised expression as if he had heard it for the first time. What¡¯s the point of casually bringing up birthdays? I sent a curious glance, but Arsene avoided my gaze and replied. ¡°Is there anything you want?¡± ¡°No, father bought them all a long time ago.¡± ¡°But there must be at least one.¡± After hearing my answer, Arsene wrinkled his brow and said, I paused my mouth for a moment to ponder over Arsene¡¯s words. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± What do I want? I really don¡¯t have one. After much contemplation, I opened my mouth when I remembered that I might have to leave the mansion after this coming-of-age ceremony. ¡°I want¡­ a house?¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± Arsene¡¯s expression hardened in an instant. I quickly finished my story and put the meat on Arsene¡¯s plate. ¡°No, just eat it. I¡¯ll think about it slowly.¡± As expected, was it too much for a house? CH 132 The next afternoon. ¡°Linsy!¡± The Lion Clan¡¯s carriage arrived at Yeckhart¡¯s mansion. The carriage door opened, and a familiar face came into my eyes. ¡°Leon!¡± I grabbed the hem of my dress and ran to Leona with occasional steps. ¡°How have you been, Leon?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been well. Wait a minute.¡± Whoa, Leona jumped off the wagon with a small shout. Leona hasn¡¯t changed a bit since she was a child. Even when she was young, she hated dresses so much, but since she got a little older, she has only stuck to pants as outerwear. Leona was wearing comfortable beige pants and a neat white shirt again today. ¡°How have you been?¡± Leona smiled brightly. A nineteen-year-old girl with lovely freckles was staring at me clearly, blinking her long eyelashes. A nineteen-year-old girl with lovely freckles was staring at me clearly, blinking her long eyelashes. The orange curls that were tied together fluttered around. As the successor of the Lion family, she was a centimeter taller than me. Before I knew it, I grabbed my friend¡¯s hand. Suddenly, I remembered the day when Leona was molting for the first time. Leona finished molting, but she didn¡¯t have the black hair that is the symbol of Fernando. I was worried that Leona might be depressed. ¡®Because I¡¯ve had a similar experience.¡¯ So I tried to comfort Leona, ¡°I used to want to be a black lion too, but now that I think about it, it seems so dull and not so good. Orange is good. Don¡¯t you think so? It looks bright.¡± Leona was only ten years old, but she was dignified and brave. She was a ten-year-old girl who knew very well that being different is not something to be ashamed of. Leona grabbed my hand and looked around. ¡°What about Cain? No way, is he going to be late again?¡± ¡°Eung, I think he¡¯ll be a little late. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± I nodded and took Leona¡¯s hand and entered the mansion. The servants greeted Leona with smiles on their faces as if they were happy to see her. As we entered the room, I saw Arsene leaning against the sofa and reading a book. ¡°Hey, do you not even say hello to your friend who just came?¡± Leona snapped back. Arsene glanced at Leona beyond the book and soon moved his eyes back to the book. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Phew, really.¡± Leona sighed and sat on the sofa opposite Arsene. I was going to sit next to Leona, but I sat down next to Arsene. ¡°By the way, Linsy, did you hear about that? I heard there¡¯s going to be a real festival this time.¡± ¡°Eung, my father told me. I guess it¡¯s a situation where they can¡¯t help but check the sanctuary¡¯s safety.¡¯ ¡° ¡°What¡¯s going on? The festival hasn¡¯t been held all this time. My Dad seems to be very nervous to hear the festival is being held this time.¡± ¡°Sir Lamont is nervous? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But hmm, from secretly hearing, there must be a lot of complicated things in the territory.¡± Leona said as she poked the strawberry with her fork and put it into her mouth. ¡°Complicated things?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know exactly. Anyway, I hope the festival is held. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but when the festival is held¡­ will Raniero come too?¡± ¡°Raniero? Wow, it¡¯s been a while since I heard about the bird clan, so I forgot about it.¡± Leona opened her eyes wide as if the name Raniero was new to her and said. ¡°Maybe they will come? It¡¯s a festival held to check the safety of holy relics. That¡¯s right, Linsy. I heard something.¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± ¡°Raniero¡¯s¡­ head of clan must have woken up. He¡¯s been down the whole time. This is a secret, okay? Got it? Shh, it¡¯s a real secret. I also hid in my father¡¯s study and heard it secretly.¡± So she¡¯s still hiding in her father¡¯s study. I thought so, but I nodded my head without complaining at Leona¡¯s words. ¡°Raniero¡¯s head of clan¡­ so he¡¯s talking about it with my father?¡± ¡°Yeah, but there seems to be talk going around about giving the head of the clan¡¯s job to Gale. Of course, I¡¯m not sure. As you know, Raniero has cut off communication for quite some time¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then Gale may come as the head of the bird clan at this festival.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Of course I¡¯ll be stronger than Gale. And my brothers will be stronger.¡± Leona shrugged her shoulders. Certainly, Leona¡¯s words were not lies. The lion clan¡¯s ability was obedience, and Raniero¡¯s ability was healing. If Leona and Gale fought back, even if Gale was the heir and Leona was only Fernando¡¯s youngest child, Leona would win. And maybe. ¡®She must be telling me this because she know I¡¯m worried.¡¯ Leona grinned as I nodded. Then. ¡°Huh?¡± I looked out the window. The snake clan¡¯s carriage was entering. ¡°Leon, I think Cain is here?¡± ¡°Tell him to come.¡± ¡°Hey, if we do, don¡¯t you know Cain might get upset and go home?¡± ¡°Ugh, he¡¯s like a little boy.¡± Leona grumbled and rose from her seat. Arsene still had his eyes fixed on the book. ¡°Arsene, aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°Why are you going all the way to pick him up? He¡¯s not a child, he¡¯ll come on his own. ¡° Arsene replied coldly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that to your friend?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been talking about that for 12 years now, Linsy.¡± Arsene narrowed his eyes and said. Leona, who had been listening quietly between them, said carefully. ¡°Are you saying that she has been consistently taking care of her friends for 12 years?¡± ¡°Phew, guys. Don¡¯t fight.¡± I interrupted the quarrel between Leona and Arsene. Even though Leona and Arsene have grown up from being seven-year-olds and small children to nineteen-year-olds, they still growl at each other every time they see each other. In the meantime. Knock, knock. I heard someone knocking. The three of us looked back at the door at the same time. ¡°A guest came, but you didn¡¯t even come out to see me.¡± Cain grumbled into the room. Cain Hezeth. Cain still wore black gloves in his hands, and now he was the same height as Arsene. As a member of the snake clan, after shedding his first skin, his pupils also became thinner. Straight eyes, vertically narrow pupils slowly glanced at Arsene and Leona. ¡°How are you, Cain?¡± ¡°Eung, perhaps.¡± Cain replied in a strange way and sat down next to Arsene. Before, four people could easily sit on that sofa, Now, the sofa is full even if only Arsene and Cain sit together. ¡°That¡¯s right, Cain, have you heard anything?¡± As soon as I saw Cain¡¯s face, I immediately asked. Because I was wondering if he heard anything about Giles flowers. Leona may not know because she has an older brother who is the successor, ¡®Because Cain is the heir. If something happened to the snake clan, wouldn¡¯t he know?¡¯ When I asked him the other day, he said he didn¡¯t know, But maybe there¡¯s a new story he has heard. ¡°¡­Story? What kind of story?¡± Cain asked, frowning. ¡°About the Giles flower. Didn¡¯t you hear anything? My father keeps telling me that it¡¯s going well.¡± ¡°Giles flower? I didn¡¯t really hear¡­ Ah.¡± Cain flicked his finger as if he had remembered something. ¡°When Sir Kendrick came last time, he seemed to be talking about Giles flowers with my father. But what did he say?¡­ Anyway, he seemed to be talking about treating a clan poisoned by Giles flowers.¡± ¡°¡­treat? Is that possible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard it roughly, too¡­. I don¡¯t even know how many people are poisoned by Giles flowers in the first place. I didn¡¯t hear this because I was kicked out quickly.¡± I blinked. Is it possible to treat beastmen who are poisoned by Giles flowers? If there is such a way, why didn¡¯t father tell me? The doubts kept growing in my head. I pondered. Cain, Leona, and Arsene could be heard fighting next to each other, but I didn¡¯t care. ¡®Did you¡­ did you make a cure?¡¯ Then, it was understandable that Kendrick wasn¡¯t too surprised when the carriage was attacked by a beastman who had lost his mind yesterday. I jumped up from my seat. ¡°Linsy?¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± ¡°Linsy, where are you going?¡± Leona, Cain, and Arsene looked up at me. I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to visit Mr. Hern for a while. So, can you rest here for a while? I¡¯ll be back soon. Okay?¡± ¡°All of a sudden?¡± Cain asked, frowning. ¡°Yeah, I have something to talk with him.¡± I left three people in the room and headed to Mr. Hern. CH 133 ¡°M, Mr. Hern!¡± I vigorously knocked on the door of Mr. Hern¡¯s room. There was a rustling sound from inside, and Mr. Hern opened the door. ¡°¡­Lady? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Are you busy right now? I have a question for you.¡± ¡°All of a sudden?¡± Mr. Hern looked a little confused. ¡°Yes, can I come in?¡± He told me to wait a moment, then looked around the room. And he let me into the room, as if he judged that there was nothing dangerous. ¡°Then sit here. I will serve you some tea.¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s fine. I will be back soon.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, what you¡¯re asking¡­¡± I looked at Mr. Herne clearly. And I asked. ¡°Is there a cure for Giles flowers?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°On the way back from going out with father¡­ A beastman who lost his mind attacked the carriage. It was like he was poisoned by the Giles flowers.¡± ¡°¡­So something like that happened.¡± ¡°Yes, but father said he didn¡¯t need my treatment.¡± I fiddled with the hem of my skirt. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the beastman who lost mind¡­ you kill them all.¡± As I finished my words, I glanced at Mr. Hern¡¯s eyes. Mr. Hern was looking at me with a slightly troubled expression on his face. ¡°Then, I was wondering if you made a cure.¡± For a moment, there was silence in the room. Mr. Hern scratched his head as if in trouble, then opened his mouth. ¡°The Giles flower cure¡­ not yet. But you can make something that weakens the effect. It¡¯s not perfect, but¡­¡± He sighed deeply and spoke slowly. I looked straight at Mr Hern and said. ¡°If there is such a thing¡­ Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance? Then I would have been relieved. Besides, if there¡¯s a way to alleviate the symptoms, there¡¯s no reason to be afraid of Giles¡¯ flowers like I used to be¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it. I can¡¯t say more than this, either. Actually, I shouldn¡¯t reveal this too, but I just meant that you shouldn¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Sir Kendrick doesn¡¯t kill beastman who has lost his mind. Don¡¯t worry about that. Maybe the beastman who attacked¡­ The head of the family must have solved it well.¡± Mr. Hern comforted me. I slowly nodded my head. ¡°Yes, thanks for telling me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a secret from the Lord. I don¡¯t know how much I can tell you¡­¡± ¡°You can tell me everything!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Mr Hern cut the word flatly. Tsk. He¡¯s not falling for it. I smiled shyly, then got up from my seat. ¡°Are you done with your questions?¡± ¡°Yes, I just needed to know that he doesn¡¯t kill the poisoned beastman. A while ago, father came back with blood on his clothes¡­ I was surprised.¡± ¡°Blood? You could have been surprised.¡± I nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m glad the beastman didn¡¯t die. Father will tell me the rest someday.¡± Kendrick rarely lied to me. He was so considerate of us that even the smallest matters were decided after consulting with us. And he was a very careful person. There must have been a good reason if he didn¡¯t tell me right away. Mr. Hern nodded. ¡°Then go and rest, Lady. Come to think of it, Lady Leona and Young Master Cain came to the mansion to play, right? The two of them have already grown so much¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, would you like to meet them?¡± I glanced back at Mr. Hern and said. ¡°Ah, never mind. It¡¯s better not to see them as much as possible.¡± Mr. Hern smiled and waved his hand. I smiled and nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll really get going now! Thank you for telling me!¡± ¡°Good-bye, Lady.¡± I left Mr Hern¡¯s room and ran straight out to Arsene¡¯s room. *** ¡°Linsy!¡± Leona jumped up and came to me. I said, familiarly holding Leona¡¯s hand and sitting on the sofa. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°To Mr. Hern.¡± ¡°Mr. Hern? Suddenly?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have something to ask him.¡± But then. Pong¡ª! Suddenly, the familiar sound of an explosion was heard, and the room was filled with multi-colored smoke. What¡¯s going on? I blinked. At some point, my vision was very low. I quickly checked my body. ¡®Isn¡¯t it shapeshifting?¡¯ ¡°Chirp!¡± Red hairs came into view. What¡¯s going on all of a sudden? When I was young, except when I was seven years old, there was hardly ever a time when I couldn¡¯t control shapeshift the way I wanted. When I was just blinking my eyes in surprise, ¡°Chirp!¡± Someone stepped on my tail. What! Startled, I jumped up and struggled to get my tail out. ¡°Grrrr!¡± Sure enough, it was Leona who stepped on my tail. The orange-furred lion hurriedly removed her front paws in a panic. ¡°C, chirp!¡± I bruised Leona and jumped in my spot to release my shapeshift. However, ¡®Ah, it won¡¯t work again.¡¯ Just like when I was seven years old, the shapeshifting didn¡¯t work out on its own again. And that seems to be the case with Leona as well. A huge orange-colored lion, with only two eyes wide open, caught my eye. But why did the two of us suddenly shapeshift? I turned to Arsene and Cain to ask for help. However, ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± As expected, Arsene and Cain were also shapeshifting. A huge black snake and a gray wolf stood tall and staring at us. ¡®No, what in the world happened¡­¡¯ That moment when I thought I should hurry up and tell Kendrick. Pong¡ª! Cain success change to his human form. The long black snake on the sofa disappeared, and a black-haired boy appeared. ¡°Suddenly, what¡¯s going on¡­ You guys, too, go ahead and release it.¡± Cain pushed Arsene as if urging him. Arsene looked annoyed and soon tapped the floor with his front foot. Then, Pong¨C! Arsene changed to his human form, and Leona and I stared blankly at each other. Leona then let go of the shapeshift. The giant orange lion disappeared in an instant, and a tomboyish girl with orange hair reappeared. ¡°Linsy, release it now. I think you can release it now¡­.¡± ¡°Chirp.¡± I nodded and jumped on my feet in place. Then, Pong¨C! The loudest explosion was heard, and soon the bird form was released. I straightened my fingers and brushed down my messed-up hair. ¡°No, no, what¡¯s going on¡­¡± Leona stood next to me as I mumbled and straightened my hair. She helped me fix my hair. ¡°Leon, didn¡¯t you use your power?¡± Cain asked in a sharp tone, squinting his eyes. Certainly, obedience, the ability of the lion clan, could turn us into beasts at the same time. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s my power? You saw how she didn¡¯t know what to do because she was shapeshifting.¡± Arsene pitifully looked at Cain and continued his words. ¡°That¡¯s right, I was also shapeshifting. Besides, no matter how obedient my ability is, it¡¯s not strong enough to turn all of you into beasts. Even my brother can¡¯t do that? I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s my Dad¡­.¡± Leona nodded her head. I agree with Leona. Arsene and Cain were the heirs of the Wolf and Snake clans. And I, too, knew that my abilities were strong enough to be among the best among the bird clan. Leona wouldn¡¯t have been able to turn the three of us into our beast form on her own. So what in the world is it? We didn¡¯t say anything for a while, staring into each other¡¯s faces. ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t we bring father first?¡± It was me who opened my mouth first. The room was completely ruined by the sudden appearance of big animals in the room. Besides, my hair and Leona¡¯s hair were messy. It was the same with Arsene and Cain. Arsene scanned the messy room and nodded slowly. ¡°I have to tell my father. Because it¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°But are we, are we the only ones who have been shapeshifted?¡± Then Leona opened her mouth. ¡°No I mean, we suddenly shapeshift. Then, couldn¡¯t it be that other people in the mansion beside us have shapeshifted too?¡± A moment of silence passed. ¡°For example¡­ Sir Kendrick?¡± We opened our eyes wide at the same time. Without anyone saying first, we got up to go to Kendrick. *** ¡°¡­What?¡± And Kendrick, fortunately, didn¡¯t seem to change to his beast form. CH 134 ¡°Suddenly, you shapeshifted?¡± Kendrick asked, narrowing his brows. I kept nodding my head. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Right?¡± As I looked back at the other children and said, Arsene, Leona, and Cain nodded their heads. ¡°I mean, it happened right after Linsy went out for a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I shapeshift at the same time.¡± Cain responded to Leona¡¯s words. ¡°You said you shapeshifted at the same time? Leon, you¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Uncle, really. I said I also shapeshifted at the same time.¡± When Kendrick gave Leona a suspicious look, Leona opened her eyes in a triangle and answered. But Kendrick had reason to be suspicious of Leona. This is because Leona used her powers to turn Cain into his beast form when she was ten years old. ¡®Of course, it was possible because Cain grew up a little later than Leona at that time, so Leona was stronger than Cain.¡¯ Probably not now. Kendrick said he wanted to see if anyone else had experienced the same thing. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kendrick asked, looking at my physical condition first. I nodded. ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t hurt anywhere. Ah¡­ the tail hurts, but that¡¯s fine.¡± It was because Leona stepped on my tail by mistake as she suddenly shapeshifted earlier. Leona smiled awkwardly when she heard me. ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Maybe? It doesn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Arsene, Leona and Cain in turn. ¡°For now, it¡¯s fortunate that there seems to be no problem with your body, but let¡¯s look into it first. Perhaps¡­¡± Kendrick blurred his words as if thinking deeply about something. I blinked a couple of times and looked up at Kendrick. ¡°No it¡¯s nothing. Go back for now.¡± Kendrick sent us out, telling us to talk right away if we had any physical problems. But, As I stepped out of Kendrick¡¯s room, I felt my vision go black for a moment. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Something black appeared on Arsene, Leona, and Cain¡¯s faces. ¡®What is this?¡¯ I rubbed my eyes and looked back, and I saw nothing. ¡°Linsy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Arsene asked, holding my hand. I shook my head slowly. ¡°Eung? No. I must have seen it wrong.¡± It looked similar to the black energy that I saw every time a person in a black hood appeared when I was young. I don¡¯t know because it disappeared quickly. It disappeared so quickly that I didn¡¯t even know what I saw. So I couldn¡¯t talk about it recklessly. I might have seen it wrong. Sometimes when I look at the wallpaper after seeing the sunlight for a long time, my vision goes black. It could just be that kind of phenomenon, so I shook my head. Kendrick called in the men of the mansion to see if they had experienced the same thing at the time that we had been shapeshifted. But, In the mansion, we were the only ones who suddenly shapeshifted. ¡°Only the four of us shapeshift?¡± ¡°How could it be¡­ As expected, Leon.¡± At Arsene¡¯s words, Leona growled straight away. ¡°I said no, you fool. If I did it, would I have changed? Besides, you couldn¡¯t shapeshift with my power.¡± Cain, who stopped Arsene and Leona growling as if they were fighting at any moment, opened his mouth. ¡°But Sir Kendrick was going to say something earlier.¡± ¡°Eung, he did.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know something?¡± ¡°I think so¡­ but there are so many things he doesn¡¯t tell us these days.¡± I answered with a nod. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I want to know that. So I have a guess, but if he hasn¡¯t told us, it might not be as big as you think.¡± Cain said with a serious look. ¡°Is that so?¡± Simple Leona quickly nodded. ¡°So let¡¯s not worry too much. Let¡¯s just think about the festival. Everyone has to go to the festival.¡± Cain continued, shaking his head. ¡°Oh, please. I won¡¯t go to the festival if you tell me to wear a dress.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to the festival?¡± Arsene snorted. Leona soon glared at Arsene again. ¡°Uh, do you know how upset I was when I was asked to wear a dress at the banquet the other day? I ended up wearing pants¡­ Ah, they¡¯ll tell me to wear a dress again at the festival.¡± ¡°Just put on your pants. From what I see¡­ Sir Lamont must have given up on the idea of dressing you up in a dress now.¡± I patted Leona on the back and cheered for her. ¡°What about you? What are you going to wear?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m going to wear it with Arsene, right?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re a married couple.¡± Cain nodded and looked at me and Arsene alternately. I nodded. ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say that you should divorce when you come of age, Linsy?¡± Just then, Leona suddenly intervened. ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s your birthday soon. Shouldn¡¯t you decide now? Divorce with Arsene or stay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Linsy¡¯s birthday is soon.¡± Leona grabbed my hand with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°If you divorce Arsene, you can live in my house. What I said when I was seven years old is still valid¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Leona Fernando.¡± Arsene hit Leona¡¯s hand and grabbed my hand with an uncomfortable look. ¡°And why are you talking about that already?¡± ¡°What do you mean already? It¡¯s not long before her birthday. Let¡¯s say the festival is in two months¡­ isn¡¯t it Linsy¡¯s birthday right after the festival? Right, Cain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you should attend the festival as a couple.¡± Cain replied dryly. Strangely, I felt strength in Arsene¡¯s hand holding my hand. Huh? I rubbed Arsene¡¯s hand with my thumb and tried to slip it out. ¡°Eung, maybe until the festival. If the festival is really going to be held¡­¡± I blinked. I¡¯ve been thinking about divorcing Arsene lately, and it¡¯s complicated in my head. ¡®Where do I live if I divorce Arsene?¡¯ Hmm. In the past, there was a jewel button that I had collected to take with me when I left the mansion. While growing up in a wolf mansion, I forgot all the thoughts related to divorce and couldn¡¯t even remember where the buttons were. ¡®It will be difficult in the wolf territory if we divorce¡­ and the bird territory is also difficult. I¡¯d rather be in deer territory¡­¡¯ As Leona said, it didn¡¯t seem bad to live in lion territory. Of course I didn¡¯t want to divorce Arsene. ¡®Arsene needs to meet his partner.¡¯ Isn¡¯t it said that wolves have only one companion in their lives? Therefore, the choice of companion had to be careful. It means that I, who got married early at the age of seven against Arsene¡¯s will, can¡¯t become Arsene¡¯s partner. Of course, I wish I could continue to be Arsene¡¯s companion¡ª. For generations, the head of the clan had to marry from the same clan. It wasn¡¯t like a rule or discipline, but¡ª. No. ¡®The rules are right. It¡¯s like an unspoken rule.¡¯ Because it was a tradition for the heads of each clan to marry the same clan and succeed the generations of the clan. So when Arsene and I got married early, it was only natural that the wolf clan wouldn¡¯t be happy with me. The only heir to the head family has a bird family as his companion. It was an early marriage, so that¡¯s how much it went. ¡®Perhaps if we said we were really getting married, the opposition would be severe.¡¯ It was clear that Yekhart¡¯s senate, who loved me, would also object this time. That means we are destined to divorce regardless of Arsene and my wishes. I glanced up at Arsene. ¡®He is almost healed now.¡¯ Arsene had grown into a great heir, so the reason for me to stand by him gradually disappeared. Perhaps feeling my gaze, Arsene lowered his head and looked at me. Then, Arsene tilted his head slightly and whispered carefully in my ear. ¡°I¡¯m not divorcing you.¡± ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°Just keep it that way.¡± As Arsene said that, his eyes softened into a half-moon shape. Leona and Cain went back to the mansion after talking about the festival all the time. After Leona and Cain returned, I washed up and lay down to go to bed. And then, let¡¯s look to the side. Arsene was lying next to me with his back showing. ¡°Ar¨Csene.¡± I clung to Arsene¡¯s back and looked up at Arsene. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to divorce me?¡± ¡°Were you thinking of divorcing me?¡± It was me who asked the question, but Arsene asked sharply. ¡°No, uhm¡­ to be honest, I haven¡¯t really thought about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too honest next time.¡± I burst into laughter at Arsene¡¯s words. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t be honest. But Arsene. You don¡¯t have to be with me anymore, right?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Arsene slowly turned around and looked at me clearly. Moonlight was pouring brightly through the window. CH 135 ¡°Why do you keep saying that?¡± Arsene said with an annoyed face, raising his body halfway and looking down at me. I also got up and sat down. ¡°No, that¡¯s. You know, wolves have only one companion in their lives. Besides, you¡¯re from the head family, so of course you¡¯ll have to marry a wolf clan¡­.¡± The way Arsene reacted confused me, so I kept talking nonsense. I could feel his gaze staring at me for a long time. ¡°¡­Anyway? You¡¯re almost all better now.¡± I tapped Arsene¡¯s chest with my finger. ¡°That¡¯s why I said it. Actually, Leona and Cain are right. It¡¯s time to decide¡­¡± ¡°Linsy.¡± Arsene looked at me clearly. ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°I have decided.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± A moment of silence passed. We didn¡¯t say a word to each other for a long time. ¡°¡­I have decided. So you just have to decide. Of course, I like and understand you since I was young, so there¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t respect your decision¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I never once imagined being separated from you, Linsy. That¡¯s it.¡± Arsene¡¯s gray hair glistened in the moonlight. Arsene slowly took my hand and brought it near his mouth. And¡ª He kissed the back of my hand. ¡°I hope you make the same decision as me.¡± The blue eyes glowed sharply in the dark. It was like an order. I was so embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t say anything and just kept open and close my mouth. After Arsene finished his sentence, he pulled me to bed and told me to sleep. I only blinked in Arsene¡¯s arms with the blanket wrapped around me. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Do you wish I had made the same decision? Do you never once imagine being separated from me? Of course, it wasn¡¯t bad for me to live like this with Arsene. ¡­No, it was rather good. However, what I¡¯m worried about is. ¡®If I decide this time, I won¡¯t really be able to reverse it back.¡¯ Later, even if Arsene had someone he loved, I wouldn¡¯t be able to divorce him. That¡¯s what an oath we made before God is like. Moreover, Arsene was the successor of Yeckhart, who was to become the head of the wolf clan. ¡®That¡¯ wolf clan that only has one companion in their lifetime. Therefore, for the head of the family to divorce his partner would be a great disgrace to the clan itself. Arsene couldn¡¯t divorce me. But now Arsene must¡­ ¡®You act like you want to stay with me as a couple.¡¯ I counted on my fingers, counting how many times Arsene avoided talking about divorcing me. Probably more than ten times. Arsene avoided me when I brought up the topic of divorce or turned around to talk about it later. It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t even want to think about divorce. Was it because he didn¡¯t want to divorce me? At the thought, one side of my chest suddenly tickled. ¡®Why are my cheeks feel hot?¡¯ I patted my cheek with the back of my hand. The back of my hand where Arsene¡¯s lips touched, and both cheeks seemed to be flushed red. It was a strange feeling. Perhaps if it were daytime now, Arsene might have caught my red face. It felt like my face had been dyed the same red color as my hair. I stared blankly at Arsene¡¯s face. I could see his eyelashes shaking slightly as if he was pretending to be asleep. But he didn¡¯t pretend to know. *** It has finally been confirmed that the festival will be held this year. Apart from the Pope¡¯s health, he said that he could no longer delay checking the sanctuary¡¯s safety. The nine blessed clans, including the bird clan, clearly expressed their intention to participate, Unblessed clans have also said they will participate in the festival. Arsene and I matched our jewelry with each other¡¯s eye color, just like when we were seven years old and participating in a festival. Arsene wore a cravat studded with light green emeralds, I was supposed to wear a blue ribbon and brooch. Leona sent her a letter saying that she decided to wear pants this time too. It must have been that Lamont had lost the fight against Leona. It was evident that everyone was excited about the festival that had been held for the first time in a long time. Kendrick said he couldn¡¯t go to Tamar during the festival, so Arsene and I often stopped by Tamar. As Kendrick had requested, I picked a handful each time of Tamar¡¯s flowers, grass, and leaves and brought them to Kendrick. ¡®A festival, it¡¯s amazing.¡¯ And maybe according to schedule. This festival was supposed to be the last one when I was in Yeckhart. There are only two festivals in my life, The first festival was celebrated in the year that I came to Yeckhart, and the second festival was celebrated in the year of departure. I felt strange. Kendrick seemed to be worried that there might be a problem at the festival. Because he couldn¡¯t help but take his successor and his wife to the festival after a long time. ¡°Be careful, be careful again. Now that the bird clan has expressed its intention to participate, we need to be more careful.¡± It was replaced by meticulous attention to Arsene and me. ¡°Yes, Father. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m coming of age soon too.¡± I nodded and answered. ¡°That¡¯s right. How long will you treat me like a kid?¡± Arsene responded. ¡°Until you receive the position of head. If you don¡¯t like it, take it over.¡± Arsene remained silent at Kendrick¡¯s firm words. Kendrick chose his words for a while, then opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s your coming-of-age ceremony soon, so they may try to approach you, Linsy. If you see something suspicious, leave the place unconditionally. The escort knights will protect you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The bird clan has never communicated or interacted with other clans. However, this is the first time they appear in public. Furthermore, ¡®Because I¡¯m going to come of age soon¡­¡¯ Arsene remained silent at Kendrick¡¯s firm words. It was obvious that the other bird clan didn¡¯t want to accept me again. Red fur was a symbol of a curse to the bird clan. But really. ¡®If my father had really woken up like Leon said.¡¯ My father might want to take me differently than the rest of the bird clan. Because my father vaguely knows that my ability is strong. So he might want to lock me up like he did in my past life. And when I come of age. Yeckhart¡¯s protection ends. So maybe now was the best opportunity to contact me. I wasn¡¯t unaware of that fact, so I nodded, promising to be as careful as possible. Yeckhart¡¯s mansion was busy preparing for the festival. But I have a question. ¡®It¡¯s a sudden festival, is there anything to enjoy?¡¯ Usually, things like performances and shops are prepared for a festival day during the year. But this time, the festival was suddenly held¡­ When I wondered, Betty replied with a smile. ¡°The festival hasn¡¯t been held so far, but everyone prepares for it every year because they thought it would be held this year. So I¡¯m sure everyone prepared for this year.¡± I nodded. ¡°Eung, I see¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, Lady, can you be careful? You¡¯re not showing up for the first time in a while, so a dangerous person might approach you. So wherever you go, be sure to bring escort knights with you.¡± ¡°Eung, Betty, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Phew, my Lady is so grown up and still looks like a baby.¡± She smiled softly. I honestly wasn¡¯t too worried. ¡®Arsene is there, and Kendrick is also there.¡¯ And there will be escort knights. Probably in a crowded place, no one would try to harm me. But, ¡®¡­Will the black hood appear again?¡¯ Thinking like that made me a little worried. Of course, I¡¯ve never seen it except when I was very young. But still. I was more concerned because I hadn¡¯t seen him in so long. Even back then, people were already using the prohibition. Being quiet might mean that they are doing some tricks behind the scenes. However, ¡°It will be fine.¡± I shook my head and patted both cheeks. Arsene was strong, and I also had a strong ability, so they wouldn¡¯t take it lightly if someone attacked me. And finally, the day before the festival. ¡°My lady, go to bed early because tomorrow morning you have to leave for the second mansion early.¡± Betty said as she packed my things. I nodded. ¡°Eung, I will. Will Betty go too?¡± ¡°Of course. Most of the staff will probably go with you.¡± I heard from Betty that Kendrick is checking the security of the mansion more carefully this time. It seemed that it was because of ¡®the incident¡¯ at the last festival. ¡°Yeah, but what about Arsene?¡± I looked at the empty seat next to me and asked Betty. ¡°Young Master went to see the Lord for a while. Perhaps he will come soon?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I stared at the empty bed, then slid down from the bed. ¡°Where are you going, lady?¡± ¡°Pick up Arsene!¡± Since I was wearing a thin pajama dress, Betty put me on a cardigan. ¡°Because the night wind is still chilly. If the convestation of the Lord and the Young Master seems to be getting longer, please come back soon. You have to go to bed early today.¡± ¡°Okay, Betty.¡± I nodded and headed to Kendrick¡¯s office. After walking down the spiral staircase for a while, I soon came to Kendrick¡¯s office. Since it was the day before the festival, I kept feeling nervous because I remembered when I was seven. So I can¡¯t see properly. Bang! I bumped into Arsene coming out of the office. CH 136 ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°¡­Linsy?¡± Arsene narrowed his eyes and looked down at me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came to pick you up because you didn¡¯t come.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon, what. Didn¡¯t you just come out because you didn¡¯t like sleep by yourself?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m still a seven-year-old child?¡± When I glared at Arsene, Arsene naturally grabbed my hand. ¡°You have to get up early tomorrow morning. Did you hear?¡± ¡°Of course I heard. Do you think I am you?¡± I quarreled with Arsene and climbed the spiral staircase back to my room. Betty wasn¡¯t in the room, as if she had already made the bed and left. Arsene slumps down on the bed, shaking his hand a few times. Then, Paat¡ª! At Arsene¡¯s fingertips, black shadows slowly clumped together, and a huge shadow wolf popped up. ¡°Ack!¡± I glanced in surprise at the sudden use of powers. ¡°¡­.¡± The Shadow Wolf seemed to be flustered and didn¡¯t know what to do. Pong¡ª! It changed into a much smaller form and lay down in front of me, wagging its tail. ¡°Why did you suddenly bring him out?¡± I squatted down and scratched the shadow wolf¡¯s belly and said. Arsene said, pointing to the shadow wolf. ¡°He will be with you throughout the festival.¡± ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put it on you during the festival.¡± Arsene pointed at the shadow wolf. Then the Shadow Wolf jumped up from his seat, Whoosh¡ª. It naturally blended into my shadow. ¡°H, huh?¡± The shadow grew slightly and wriggled. When I stomped my feet in embarrassment, the shadow wolf changed the shape of the shadow as if playing a trick. ¡°You put it on me? Then what about you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay because I can call right away when I need it.¡± Arsene said it didn¡¯t matter. Apparently, the participation of the bird clan in the festival seemed to be bothering her. ¡°If the bird clan talks to you, don¡¯t even respond. Okay? No, just don¡¯t get off my side. Linsy.¡± ¡°Eung, I got it. Are you worried?¡± ¡°Why do you ask such a question? ¡­Of course.¡± Arsene looked at me as if it were absurd, then nodded. ¡°You are my wife.¡± ¡°Huh? Eung. it is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why there might be someone else besides the bird clan. You have to be extra careful. Although father said, he would keep the Shadow Knights attached to you¡­.¡± ¡°Eung.¡± ¡°Still, just in case you don¡¯t know. My ability is stronger than the Shadow Knights.¡± Arsene pointed at the shadow wolf. The wolf, hiding in my shadow, swayed and then slipped out of the shadow. And as if agreeing with Arsene, it waggled its tail. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to go, but I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re the heir¡­ I am the wife of the heir.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going to be as careful as I can. Of course, I rarely get separate from you, but even if I we get separate, he will protect you.¡± Arsene said and scratched the nape of his neck with his hand. However, ¡°Huh?¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Arsene looked at me as if he didn¡¯t understand why and asked. I pulled Arsene¡¯s shirt to check the skin in the hem. However, ¡°Arsene¡­ I, I think your spots have gotten a bit darker?¡± I was confused and stammered. Arsene frowned at those words. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The spots have thickened a bit. It¡¯s strange. This hasn¡¯t happened since you were ten years old¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we go see Mr. Hern right away?¡± ¡°Mr. Herne isn¡¯t at the mansion right now. Let me see.¡± I took a hand mirror and showed Arsene on the shoulder. It was evident that the spots on Arsene¡¯s skin had darkened a little. ¡°Has it gotten thicker? I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s definitely gotten darker. Mr. Hern¡­¡± ¡°It was night, so you might have misunderstood. It¡¯s dark. Let¡¯s see it again tomorrow for now and sleep now.¡± Arsene shook his finger. Then the shadow wolf scattered away into the air without a sound. ¡°But!¡± ¡°Because we have to see Mr. Hern tomorrow anyway. We can say it together then. Other than that, I don¡¯t have any other symptoms. Do I look sick?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. I haven¡¯t been sick in a while. They said it was almost all good. So it will be fine.¡± Arsene soothed me like an adult and lay down on the bed. I looked at Arsene¡¯s shoulder with a very uncomfortable expression, then lay down. *** ¡°Lady! The sunlight is strong. You should wear a hat!¡± ¡°Eung? Eung, okay.¡± The servants were busy. Betty helped me put on a dress and put a hat on his head. She tucked the cloth under my chin and gave me a handkerchief. ¡°If you get on the carriage and go first, we¡¯ll follow right away.¡± ¡°Eung, okay.¡± I answered Betty, and my eyes looked for Arsene. Arsene was nowhere to be seen. ¡®Is he late again?¡¯ At that time, Arsene opened the door and came in. ¡°Arsene, what about your spots?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s fine?¡± Arsene unbuttoned his shirt, but he stopped when he saw Betty and the maids. Then, he gave a chin as if to leave soon. The maids gave me one last helping to change, then left the room as usual. ¡°Eung, come here and see.¡± I took off Arsene¡¯s shirt and checked the area around his shoulder where the spots had thickened last night. ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ It¡¯s blurry again today.¡± ¡°Are you not mistaken, Linsy?¡± ¡°No, it was really clear yesterday.¡± I shook my head. I could be mistaken, but when I looked yesterday, the spots on his shoulders were clearly visible. ¡°Okay, anyway, it¡¯s fine because it¡¯s blurry now.¡± Arsene nodded and buttoned his shirt again. ¡°Yes, but should I tell Dr. Hern just in case?¡± ¡°Eung. The teacher will go with us anyway.¡± Arsene called back the maids who were out. The maids carefully examined my dress once again. When we were ready, we went out for a carriage together, holding hands. ¡°Have a good trip, Lady.¡± ¡°Are you not going together, Ethan?¡± ¡°Yes, I decided to protect the mansion this time. The butler of the second house will take good care of you.¡± Ethan answered, raising his monocle. I nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back!¡± ¡°Be careful, be careful again.¡± The servants came out in a row and saw Arsene off. Because Kendrick had a place to stop by, so he left before us and said he¡¯d go to the second house after he was done. Only Arsene and I had to move. Behind a huge carriage with Yeckhart¡¯s crest on it, dozens of escort knights stood tall. Looking at the escort knights, I tilted my head slightly and whispered to Arsene. ¡°I think there is a lot of escorts?¡± ¡°There will be more on festival days.¡± Arsene answered lightly and held my hand so that I could get on the carriage. I took Arsene¡¯s hand and got on the carriage. The carriage door slowly closed, and soon the carriage departed. ¡°Did Gale take over the position of head of the family?¡± I spoke carefully. ¡°Now we will find out. I haven¡¯t heard anything about the bird clan in the past nine years¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m curious about the kid in that news.¡± I looked out the window and said. Schville Raniero. My half-sister who is now awkward to even pronounce. What happened to her? Schville¡¯s ability was to steal the life force of others. That is to say, it is an ability that can be exploited sufficiently. Would he really have left such a child alone in Raniero? In fact, over the years, I have often wondered about Schville. Since all news about Raniero was blocked, there was no way to find out the news of Schville. There were times when I wished I had brought Schville with me. ¡®In Raniero, they must have abused that child¡¯s ability.¡¯ They must have exploited it in some way. In my previous lives, they were the ones who used Schville to kill Arsene. But taking Schville out was impossible for a seven-year-old me. Didn¡¯t I have a hard time getting out with my body and doing well? ¡°Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Schville, my half-sister.¡± It wasn¡¯t that I was curious because I liked Schville. I didn¡¯t like all the members of Raniero that much. Everyone ignored me when I was ignored and neglected. But Schville. ¡®She¡¯s too young¡­¡¯ The last time I saw her, and when she was killed in my previous life, Schville was too young. So even though I didn¡¯t like Schville, I didn¡¯t hate it either. It was more of a pity. Anyway. ¡®Will Schville be alive?¡¯ She was killed unfairly in my previous life, so maybe in this life¡­ That thought struck me. I turned my eyes out of the window, hoping to hear from Schville at this festival. But, ¡®I didn¡¯t want something like this.¡¯ I muttered. I¡¯ve never wanted to reunite with Schville this way. CH 137 ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The carriage soon reached the second mansion. Arsene got out of the carriage first and held out his hand to make it easier for me to get out. ¡°Hold it.¡± ¡°Eung, thank you. Arsene.¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and jumped lightly from the carriage. In the center of the second mansion, servants were standing in line. I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly and looked around with my eyes wide open. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s the same as back then.¡± I still vividly remember the Giles flower incident and repairing the ruined mansion. Traces of repairs were left here and there. ¡°I¡¯ve managed it thoroughly. Please come in. Lady, Young Master.¡± The butler of the second mansion, Joshua, bowed politely. ¡°Joshua!¡± I smiled brightly and called him. Joshua smiled as if in response. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I¡¯ve cleaned the room you¡¯ll be staying in in advance.¡± Arsene nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll guide you myself.¡± Arsene and I followed Joshua up the stairs of the mansion. ¡°The Young Master¡¯s room is this way, and the Lady¡¯s room is right next door.¡± ¡°Do we use it separately?¡± ¡°Yes, should we prepare the same room for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± I shook my head. Although it was a little awkward since it had been a long time since I slept in a different room from Arsene. Arsene also nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go through the trouble.¡± ¡°Then please rest and I¡¯ll prepare a meal. If you have any inconvenience, please call me anytime.¡± ¡°Are we going to the festival after lunch?¡± ¡°Yes, the festival is in the afternoon. If you are eating, the Lord will arrive.¡± Joshua said, checking the time on his watch. I nodded. ¡°Eung, thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, please take a rest.¡± Joshua went down the stairs, leaving the two of us in the hallway. Then, Arsene grabbed my wrist. ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°Come here, Linsy.¡± Arsene quickly entered the room and sent out all the servants who were unpacking. And, Paat¡ª! A familiar sound was heard, and shadows slowly gathered around Arsene¡¯s palm. And soon. ¡°¡­.!!¡± A shadow wolf smaller than usual appeared in the room. Arsene looked like he was terrified that anyone would even see it. ¡°Arsene?¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet.¡± Arsene waved his hand, and the shadow wolf spun around in place and slowly melted into my shadow. I blinked. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°But why are you doing this in hiding?¡± There must be no one who doesn¡¯t know that Arsene¡¯s power is a shadow. I wondered why he secretly attached the shadow wolf to me, avoiding the gaze of others. ¡°If they know what I put on you, there might be people who attack me. Taking advantage of my weakness.¡± ¡°Are you getting weak? You said you could call it right away.¡± ¡°Of course I can call it. But those who don¡¯t know about it, won¡¯t they think I¡¯ve become weak by handing over my power to you?¡± Arsene was quite serious. ¡®Other people probably don¡¯t know that Arsene¡¯s power is only commanding the shadow wolf anyway¡­¡¯ Besides, even if they knew, at best they thought it was a shadow wolf like Kendrick. They wouldn¡¯t have known that Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf had an ego. I thought so, but I didn¡¯t bother to tell Arsene. ¡°Anyway, ignore it if anyone talks to you.¡± ¡°Ignore it?¡± ¡°Yeah, ignore it, just¡­ It would be useless anyway.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°If something happens, it will protect you, but¡­ still.¡± Arsene grabbed me and explained word by word what to be careful about. Like my guardian. I calmly listened to Arsene¡¯s words. Because I don¡¯t know why Arsene, Kendrick, and the servants of the Yeckhart mansion are so sensitive. ¡°¡­Anyway, did you listen to me?¡± ¡°Eung, of course. And Arsene.¡± I took a small necklace out of my pocket. ¡°What is this?¡± Arsene asked curiously. This necklace was a gift from Kendrick when I was about fourteen. It was a pretty necklace with a pink crystal embedded in the middle. And this necklace had a special ability. ¡®I put my power in it.¡¯ I was able to use my powers more freely now, and it was possible to a certain extent to put my powers into things. In other words, it was a method of treating people by thinly extracting their abilities and absorbing them into objects. When I first figured this out, Kendrick complimented me. ¡®But Linsy, you shouldn¡¯t talk about it anywhere.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ Kendrick sighed and said. ¡®There are many dangerous people in the world. If they know your ability, there will definitely be people who want to abuse your power. Of course, Yeckhart will guard you, but it¡¯s better to make sure that no one is targeting you.¡¯ So Kendrick and I have kept it a secret between us. But. ¡®Because Arsene said he would attach a shadow wolf to me.¡¯ No matter how much Arsene could call, I knew what a great sacrifice it would be to part with him. Therefore, I also put a necklace around Arsene¡¯s neck. It was a little flashy because it was a girl¡¯s necklace, but it didn¡¯t stand out if he tucked it into his shirt. I looked around for a moment, and then whispered in Arsene¡¯s ear. ¡°When you get hurt¡­break the necklace.¡± ¡°The necklace?¡± ¡°Yes, it is a temporary measure, but your wound will heal.¡± If he breaks the necklace, the powers stored inside will flow out. So it could be a temporary treatment. I was worried that Arsene might get hurt, so I prepared it for Arsene. ¡°If you have something like this¡­¡± ¡°My power doesn¡¯t work for me.¡± Upon hearing my words, Arsene put on an expression of ¡°Ah¡±. ¡°So keep it close. Got it? It¡¯s precious, so don¡¯t lose it, and don¡¯t give it to anyone. Don¡¯t even talk about the necklace.¡± I held Arsene¡¯s hand tightly, looked him in the eyes, and spoke clearly. Arsene nodded. ¡°I got it, Linsy.¡± ¡°Eung, okay, good. Because of this, it seems like we just exchanged abilities, right?¡± I held Arsene¡¯s hand and smiled. Arsene nodded as well. Knock, knock. Then, someone knocked on the door. Arsene and I talked for a long time and then surprised. Then I turned to the door. ¡°Come in¡ª¡± ¡°Lady, Young Master. The meal is ready.¡± A maid came in, bowed down, and said it with courtesy. Arsene and I nodded at the same time. *** The meal was over quickly. The meals in the main mansion and food were excellent, but the clothes I was wearing were uncomfortable, so I couldn¡¯t eat much food. Arsene also realized that the food was not going well today. Concerned, I asked Arsene. ¡°You, you¡¯re not sick, right?¡± ¡°Eung, I¡¯m not sick.¡± ¡°Can you tell me if you¡¯re sick? Eung?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not sick. Why are you looking at me like a sick child since yesterday?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I saw that the spots on Arsene¡¯s back had become clearer. I couldn¡¯t help but worry about Arsene¡¯s health. Perhaps Arsene knew that too, he sighed and said. ¡°If I¡¯m sick, I¡¯ll tell you right away, so don¡¯t worry, Linsy. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Eung, okay.¡± As we chatted, Kendrick made his way to the mansion on the edge. All the servants came out to meet Kendrick. ¡°Are you here, Lord?¡± ¡°Yeah, what about the kids?¡± Perhaps Kendrick came in a hurry, his always tidy hair was slightly disheveled. ¡°Father!¡± I walked down the stairs with Arsene and stood in front of Kendrick. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes? Yes, I just need to get my hair done again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s get ready and go. I should have come sooner, but I¡¯m a little late.¡± Kendrick went to his room with the maids to get dressed and get ready for the festivities. Arsene and I also went back to the room to get ready. I didn¡¯t have to change clothes because I wore them in the main mansion. I only had to get my hair done a little messy because I had with Arsene. Since Betty hadn¡¯t arrived yet, the maids of the second mansion had my hair done. My slightly curly red hair was stretched out to the fullest, and half of it was tied back neatly. They put glitter and flowers all over my hair and finished it off with a pretty hat. ¡°Lady, you are really, really pretty!¡± ¡°Seriously, of all the people coming to the festival today, the Lady must be the most beautiful.¡± I think I¡¯ve heard this before, Is it just my feeling? But then. ¡°Huh?¡± I narrowed my brows when I saw a black mouse that disappeared quickly while sitting on a window frame. CH 138 ¡°Excuse me, you know. Is there¡­a rat in mansion?¡± ¡°A rat?¡± ¡°Eung, rat.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be, Lady. This is the Wolf Mansion. There are no rat.¡± ¡°Eung, is that so?¡± It¡¯s strange, I think I just saw it. I blinked and looked at the window frame again. Apparently, the black mouse that had been there just before had disappeared somewhere. Did I see it wrong? However, I see it too often these days to be mistaken¡­ While I was pondering, the maids had finished fixing my hair. ¡°Now, it¡¯s done, Lady! It¡¯s really pretty. Have a good trip!¡± ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be back!¡± I nodded and headed to Arsene and Kendrick, who were waiting for me. Let¡¯s open the door, ¡°Oh, you scared me!¡± ¡°Why are you so late? Come out quickly.¡± ¡°Ah, I came out right away. Do you know how to get a haircut done in the blink of an eye?¡± I narrowed my eyes at Arsene. Arsene reached out to me, unwilling to listen to me. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Are we going holding hands? From here?¡± I pointed my finger at the hallway of the mansion. Arsene nodded. ¡°We only holding hand in the carriage.¡± ¡°I will holding hand in the festival too.¡± ¡°That¡­ Of course.¡± Arsene rolls his eyes at me, then reaches out . ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to hold it?¡± ¡°Anyway, because you have such a short temper.¡± I grumbled and put my hand on Arsene¡¯s. Arsene took my hand lightly and move his steps. At the entrance of the mansion, servants stood in a line to see us off. ¡°Have a safe trip. Young Master, Lady.¡± Joshua smiled brightly and bowed. I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be back safely!¡± Arsene helped me get into Yeckhart¡¯s huge carriage. ¡°Foot, be careful of your dress.¡± ¡°I though I¡¯m your lover, Arsene.¡± ¡°You just stepped on it.¡± ¡°Aww, I think I¡¯m going to fall!¡± Of course, there were some difficulties. We succeeded in getting on the carriage safely. Arsene and I sat next to each other instead of facing each other. Let¡¯s wait a little bit like that ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± Kendrick appeared out of nowhere and got into the carriage. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t wait long!¡± ¡°Then, it¡¯s a relief.¡± Kendrick smiled, climbed into the carriage, and wiped his forehead thoroughly with a handkerchief. Shortly after he got on, one of Yeckhart¡¯s knights closed the carriage door. The carriage soon departed. I could hear the coachman driving the horses, and the horses of the escort knights following the carriage at intervals. ¡°You never think of running away from the escort knights again, Linsy.¡± Kendrick slowly opened his mouth after lowering his eyes in quietly the whole time. ¡°Yes? Yes! Of course!¡± I answered with a loud voice. It was because when I was 15 years old, I went out with Arsene and Leona to play, and Leona tricked me into leaving the escort knights away. So Kendrick deserved to warn me separately like this. I nodded awkwardly. Kendrick¡¯s sharp gaze turned to Arsene. ¡°Don¡¯t be separated from Linsy.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As if Arsene was asking why he asked for something like that, he spat it out and grabbed my hand. ¡°Your necklace is pretty. Did you get a present from Linsy?¡± At Kendrick¡¯s words, Arsene lowered his gaze and touched his necklace. ¡°Yes, Linsy gave it to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lose it.¡± Kendrick knew what powers the necklace possessed. Kendrick¡¯s eyes lit up with a smile when he saw that I had given the necklace to Arsene. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t lose it.¡± ¡°If you lose it, I¡¯ll go home and make another one for you.¡± I whispered to Arsene in a low voice. ¡°But it¡¯s really difficult if you lose it during the festival. Got it¡­¡± ¡°I got it, Linsy. Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± ¡°¡­A little?¡± ¡°You.¡± Arsene¡¯s clear eyes looked down at me. I made eye contact with Arsene for a while, then burst into laughter. ¡°No, I believe you, I believe you!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose it, so don¡¯t forget the promise you made. Understand?¡± Arsene said, holding my hand lightly. ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Yes, you promised not to leave me no matter what.¡± ¡°¡­Did we make that promise?¡± ¡°Linsy.¡± Arsene sighed deeply. I laughed and squeezed Arsene¡¯s hand with both hands. ¡°Ah, okay. Eung, don¡¯t worry. It will never fall.¡± Arsene looked at me in disbelief. *** The carriage quickly arrived at the temple. As expected, people gathered like a cloud from the entrance, and the paladins and priests of the temple were busy controlling those people. The carriage made its way straight through the huge crowd to the temple. I looked out the window at the crowd of people. ¡°Wow, there are so many people.¡± ¡°Yeah, it would be perfect to get lost.¡± Arsene looked at the crowd and nodded his head indifferently. The carriage slid into the temple, and when it got somewhere, it stopped completely. The sound of the horses hooves of the escort knights that followed had disappeared for some time. It seemed like they had gone so deep that escorts knights couldn¡¯t accompany them. ¡°We have arrived.¡± Kendrick said dryly. As soon as the words were finished, a priest gently opened the carriage door. ¡°Welcome, Sir Kendrick, Young Master Arsene, Lady Linsy.¡± The priest politely called our names once and bowed deeply to greet them. After Kendrick nodded, he got out of the carriage first. It was Arsene who got off next. Then I stepped out of the carriage. But then. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± Kendrick and Arsene both reached out to help me get out of the carriage at the same time. The two exchanged glances for a moment, ¡°Get off carefully, Linsy.¡± Kendrick pulled his hand first. I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and carefully got out of the carriage. Kendrick, Arsene, and I entered the temple. Stepping into the magnificent temple, I saw priests moving busily. ¡°Get some rest.¡± After Kendrick¡¯s words, the priest led us into another room with familiarity. ¡°Before, the temple prepared a separate room for the children of the head family. Are we going there?¡± I whispered to Arsene, and after thinking for a while, Arsene answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know because this is my second festival. We will know when we go.¡± The priest led us to a large room. There were no children, and the heirs of the head family were gathered. ¡°Linsy!¡± Leona sat down like she was bored, then jumped up and called me. I smiled brightly and hugged Leona tightly and greeted her. ¡°Leona, you¡¯re wearing pants, hmm?¡± ¡°Yes, I fought with my dad and won.¡± As Leona spoke confidently, I could feel the successors of other clan glancing at Leona. But Leona said it like she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Cain hasn¡¯t come yet. Let¡¯s sit there with me.¡± We passed the sofas and chairs where other heirs sat and rested, and carefully sat down on the sofa at the far end. The festival would start soon, so they would probably have to move soon. I carefully looked over the heirs gathered at the table. ¡®Gale¡­is not here.¡¯ Are the rumors that Gale has inherited the position of the head of the family true? Thinking of Raniero made my heart thump a little. However, when I saw Arsene¡¯s strong hand, I felt calmer. Leona looked at me and asked with her eyes wide open. ¡°Linsy, who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Eung? That¡¯s¡­¡± I gestured to Leona to come closer, then lowered my head and whispered. ¡°There¡¯s no Gale.¡± ¡°Gale? Ah, so is it true that Gale took over as head? Then Raniero is ruined too¡­¡± ¡°Leona!¡± I quickly covered Leona¡¯s mouth in case anyone would hear. Leona closed her mouth and blinked her eyes, then she laughed. ¡°Phew, really. How can you say that so loudly?¡± ¡°But I think most of them are thinking the same thing.¡± Leona said with confidence as she glanced at the other heirs. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t seem to hear our conversation because they were chatting among themselves. ¡°Even so¡­ phew, really.¡± After telling Leona, I looked towards the entrance for a moment. However, ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A familiar face caught my eye. CH 139 ¡®That¡­¡¯ I jumped up from my seat. Short, dark brown hair. Two light green eyes. Drooping eyes, slightly raised corners of the mouth. Even a little young face. ¡®¡­Schville?¡¯ I narrowed my eyes. The dark brown hair was clearly from the eagle, the symbol of Raniero. The same goes for light green eyes. I blinked. ¡®The only girl younger than me in Raniero is Schville.¡¯ So, if what I thought was true¡­ ¡°Schville?¡± As I muttered out loud, Leona and Arsene looked at me at the same time. Then, my eyes meet the girl¡¯s. Bright light green eyes stared at me, then looked away. I hurriedly stepped over to see if the girl was Schville. Raniero¡¯s girl opened the door and went outside. ¡°Linsy, where are you going!¡± ¡°Linsy!¡± I heard Leona calling me from behind, but I hurriedly ran after Schville. Arsene rushed after me. I quickly opened the door and went out to look for Schville. A small girl with short brown hair in a pink dress. However, ¡®¡­Where did you go?¡¯ Obviously, I just saw her go out the door, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. Did she just disappear? I looked back at the priests who stood guarding the door and asked. ¡°Did you see the girl who just came out?¡± ¡°Ah, do you mean the Lady of Raniero? She went outside.¡± The priest pointed outside and answered. I turned my head away. At that time, Arsene followed me and grabbed my wrist. ¡°Come with me, Linsy.¡± Arsene¡¯s hair was a little disheveled, probably because he was running after me. ¡°Eung? I can go alone¡­¡± ¡°I told you to come with me. You promised not to be separated from me.¡± Arsene¡¯s eyes, which spoke strongly word by word, had turned into a triangle. Ugh, is he upset? I hurriedly grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand before he felt upset. ¡°Eung, then let¡¯s go. She just left, so if we go out right away, we¡¯ll see her.¡± ¡°But who are you looking for?¡± ¡°My half-sister.¡± I grabbed Arsene¡¯s hand and hurried out of the temple. And I looked around for the little girl, but¡ª. ¡®She¡¯s gone.¡¯ Schville was nowhere to be seen. Arsene followed me around and looked around, then looked at me and asked. ¡°She¡¯s not here?¡± ¡°Eung, she disappeared quickly¡­¡± ¡°The festival will start soon, so we can meet then.¡± Arsene said as if it were not a big deal. I nodded. ¡°Eung, I guess so.¡± Although I wasn¡¯t sure if the girl was Schville yet. ¡®¡­It was definitely like Schville.¡¯ It was easy to recognize because her face hardly changed much since she was a kid. Even though it bothered me that her expression was a little dark. ¡®Still, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re still alive.¡¯ Schville was someone I deeply worried about. Because in my previous life, she was a poor child who died only at the age of 11. I didn¡¯t want Schville to die. Furthermore, I wished for her to live happily, but I knew it would be impossible in Raniero. I always felt uncomfortable in one part of my heart. I never thought I¡¯d see Schville again here. Did the treatment of Schville change when Gale took over? Then, the door burst open. ¡°Linsy, Arsene?¡± Leona followed and asked, looking alternately at me and Arsene. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Eung, I think I saw a familiar person.¡± ¡°A familiar person? Don¡¯t tell me, it¡¯s not Gale, right?¡± Leona narrowed her eyes and growled. If I answered that it was Gale, she was ready to find Gale and bite him to death. ¡°No, it¡¯s my half-sister.¡± ¡°A half-sister? Did you have a half-sister?¡± ¡°Yes, I told you last time. I have a lot of half-brothers and half-sisters.¡± I nodded, and Leona nodded along and said ¡®Ah~¡¯, opening her mouth slightly. ¡°Why did you follow me?¡± Arsene looked at Leona and asked. ¡°I came out because you guys left. I thought you would come right away, but you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s go in now.¡± ¡°So, you haven¡¯t found your half-sister?¡± ¡°Eung, she¡¯s gone right away. I¡¯ll see it when the festival starts. She¡¯ll be sitting in Raniero¡¯s seat.¡± ¡°Eung, that¡¯s right.¡± Leona nodded. At that time, the priests were busy moving, and the carriages began to arrive in front of the temple one by one. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to move.¡± Arsene murmured as he watched the carriage arrive one after another. Turning around, Yeckhart¡¯s carriage was also standing tall in front of the temple. The same was true of Fernando¡¯s carriage. Leona frowned at Fernando¡¯s butler who got off the carriage. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Cain coming?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because he¡¯s late? We¡¯ll be able to meet him if we go.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be, it¡¯s not because he didn¡¯t attend the festival, right?¡± ¡°No way. The snake clan is a blessed clan. They have to participate in the festival no matter what.¡± I shook my head and comforted Leona. Leona nodded with an expression of disapproval. Since Yeckhart¡¯s knights couldn¡¯t get into the depths of the temple, it was Kendrick¡¯s lieutenant who got off the carriage. ¡°Lady, Young Master. I will serve you.¡± Arsene and I nodded and then greeted Leona. ¡°See you later! Or do you want to ride the Yeckhart¡¯s carriage?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait a little longer. Stupid Cain might come late.¡± Leona shook her head and ran to Fernando¡¯s butler. Arsene and I looked at each other, shrugged, and got on the carriage. The carriage door closed gently, and shortly afterwards the carriage departed. Through the window behind it, I could see the carriages of the other head of families following in a row. ¡°Will father go first?¡± ¡°I guess so. He didn¡¯t come to pick me up today.¡± Arsene looked out the window and said. At the age of seven, Kendrick came to pick us up before the festival began, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because we¡¯re all grown up? He seems busy these days.¡± Kendrick seemed very busy even the day before the festival, so I didn¡¯t feel bad that Kendrick didn¡¯t come to pick me up. I sat facing Arsene, then moved to the seat next to Arsene. ¡°Hey, Linsy, it¡¯s dangerous to move¡­!¡± He was surprised to see me suddenly sitting next to him, Arsene spoke in the tone he used to speak when he was young, instead of the usual adult-like tone. ¡°Let¡¯s go like this only until we arrive. We¡¯re a couple anyway. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Arsene nodded. I reached out and touched the necklace that Arsene had put around his neck. ¡°You can¡¯t lose it. Got it? ¡°If you say that one more time, it¡¯s the hundredth time.¡± ¡°Listen 150 times. You can¡¯t make it again here. I have to go back to the mansion to make it.¡± I grumbled. At that time, the shadow under my feet wiggled a little. Arsene wrinkled his eyebrows and made a sound with his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t come out.¡± At the firm words, the wriggling shadow quickly calmed down. ¡°I guess he wanted to come out.¡± A small shadow beneath my feet wiggled slightly, as if to answer. ¡°It¡¯s because you play with it so well. It pops out all the time¡­¡± When Arsene¡¯s voice sounded annoyed, the wriggling shadow quickly stopped moving and went quiet again. ¡°You discouraged it, Arsene!¡± ¡°It needs to disappear anyway. It pops out on its own.¡± Arsene said firmly. I said, looking at the shadow under my feet. ¡°But, you don¡¯t know how glad I am for you to be back. That¡¯s why I have to play with you a lot.¡± I still vividly remembered the moment when Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf disappeared. Just before Arsene¡¯s breath fall, The moment when the shadow wolf created by Arsene¡¯s powers was crumbling in my arms forever. When the shadow wolf that used to wiggle its tail disappeared. ¡®I thought Arsene was going to die.¡¯ The disappearance of Arsene¡¯s power meant nothing less than that of Arsene¡¯s death. So I don¡¯t know how much I cried watching the shadow wolf that was quietly scattered in my arms. But a miracle happened. As the land of Tamar was purified and Arsene¡¯s condition improved, the Shadow Wolf reappeared. Even recognizing me and wagging its tail, it was true that the wolf that disappeared was not reborn, but reappeared with Arsene¡¯s recovery. That¡¯s why I had a deep affection for Arsene¡¯s shadow wolf. So, ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to him, Arsene. Eung?¡± ¡°Phew. I got it. I got it.¡± While Arsene and I were arguing, the carriage stopped slowly. ¡°Are we here?¡± Arsene said, slightly pulling up the curtains and looking out the window.