CH 14

Leone put his forehead on her shoulder and rubbed his head. It looked like a puppy showing friendliness and showing affection. After a moment of bewilderment, laughter leaked out on its own.

“Hehe. Leone. Do you like me?”

“Yes.”

The low answer came back with a sound that was easy to miss if one didn’t listen carefully.

She raised her hand and stroked his head. He nodded his head slightly, as if satisfied.

“Thank you, Leone.”

She hugged him tightly with a heart full of emotion.

“…sniff.”

Combining it with the information she got from the book, she must have come one step closer to Leone. Knowing even a little about the difference between a dog and a wolf seemed to show what kind of existence Leone was.

She took Leone out of her arms and met his eyes. His clear, deep eyes stared at her.

“Hehe. Leone.”

Unbeknownst to her, a slightly perverted laugh came out.

“Am I like family? So am I good? Did you hunt rabbits for me? Do you think I would like it?”

“Yes.”

Even though he probably wouldn’t understand what she was saying, he always said yes in a friendly voice. She reached into his hair and ruffled his hair. It was soft.

“Really. People have to study, that’s what makes the difference.”

Judging from the description in the book, the wolves seemed to care terribly for their families. Leone thought of her as family and as a comrade he shared food with her!

The moment he was howling, she showed up, and didn’t ignore it so they ended spending the night out together… Didn’t that mean they’re all family!

As if feeling good about her touch, Leone slightly closed his eyes.

‘Haha. Did you see? This is the fruit of 10 years of hard study!’

It wasn’t so quick to get close to Deoksoon. It seems that the virtue of those moments when she removed the threatening object right in front of Leone and blocked Adler and Gourden was great. There were quite a few scars on her body, but that was a record of glory.

“Thank you for accepting me, Leone.”

“Ok… ”

“Come on.”

“Ok.”

“Yes. Oh! You can say thanks! You can do it.”

He looked at her with ignorant eyes and occasionally tried to repeat the words one by one. He seldom try to repeat the word once or twice but he quickly lost interest even when she repeated him to keep trying.

‘Yes, yes, no, no, it’s okay.’ It seemed like those were the only words he did know how to use.

“Thanks. It is a word used when it is good.”

“Yes.”

He burrowed into her arms again, as if he was not interested in her words. His soft hair tickled her neck. Even if it feels good, it can’t be this good! She stroked his hair with both hands and complimented him profusely.

“Oh, oh, oh. You are so nice, Leone!”

Could they become friends so easily? Did he already accept her as family? It’s a little disconcerting because it’s progressing faster than she thought. Well, good was what good ended.

“Tree.”

He murmured softly.

It seemed to be her name. One out of ten times it was called correctly, and the rest were called oddly. Tree, Trish, Uri, Rishi, Teuhi… Fortresses were often called trees. Still, other titles kept popping up, but she understood them as she noticed.

“Yes. What do you want?”

Leone nodded his head and moved his body to rub his nose on the bandage on her shoulder.

“Ah. This? It’s okay.”

“No.”

Until now, the traces of treatment for the affected area had been hidden under the clothes, but it suddenly appeared, so it seemed to be noticed.

“No. The doctor overdid it. It’s doesn’t hurt at all. I’m really fine!”

Leone gently grabbed her hand. At first, he didn’t know how to hold her hand, so he quickly learned how to hold it after she held his hand a few times. Learning with the body seemed to be much faster than talking and thinking.

“But this bandage… How did you know that it hurts?”

More than that, what she was curious about was the point where he noticed something strange when Leone saw her wearing a bandage. It was strange that Leone knew bandages.

“Damn knight.”

“No. Adler didn’t hurt you.”

“Damn knight.”

“Ah, Adler wore them… ah? Has Adler ever worn a bandage?”

As she asked while gesturing with her hands and feet, Leone nodded. But Adler was a knight. It would be natural for him to wear bandages from time to time.

“Trixie.”

A clear sound that comes out once in a while.

Leone called her name and carefully grabbed her left arm. The bandage extended to the palm of the hand and was wrapped around it. She could wiggle my fingers. However, it was difficult to move, so she rarely used it and only used it when minimal help was needed.

“Oh, no need to worry. Really.”

Was he worried? She felt grateful and proud so she smiled. But Leone suddenly bent down and put his mouth on the exposed finger that was not wrapped in a bandage.

Mouth… ? Mouth?

Something hot and soft grazed her fingers. She was so shocked that she couldn’t move my body.

“What, what are you doing-”

He carefully licked her finger. Like comforting her for being sick. It was strange. It was itchy and she just wanted to get her hands off it. She knew that it was a favor in its own way, so she should accept it and praise it, but she felt like running away.

“… eh, thank you, Leone. It’s done now.”

Knowing it was a favor, she endured patiently, but eventually pulled her hand out.

Leone faced her. He was always expressionless, but there were always emotions in those beautiful eyes. The swirls in his eyes were huge enough to notice if one looked closely. I felt concerns, warmth, tenderness, and affection from Leone.

“That, that…”

As she stuttered, Leone lowered his head as if to give her another lick.

“Ah no. That… Do you know that I’m sick? I should rest today! Play well with Uncle Gourden, got it?”

Pretending not to be surprised as much as possible, she naturally pulled out her hand and shouted. Leone looked at her as if her efforts to distract him had worked.

“I mean Mr. Gourden.”

“… ?”

“You know that person.”

“…”

The stubbornly closed mouth made her feel uncomfortable and annoyed. He really hated him…

“Then eat the bones and rest. Ouch, Trixie, it hurts.”

“… yes.”

Even when pretending to be sick, Leone nodded his head with a dissatisfied face.

“Aww, nice. Listen carefully to Mr. Gourden, don’t get angry, and stay there. Mr. Gourden is not a bad person. Good people.”

How to communicate effectively? She wanted to make the most of the words he had learned.

It’s okay, but it seems to be lacking.

She was putting things together…

“He is a good man, huh? A good man.”

He made up a strange word.

“Fine… yes.”

Leone, who usually doesn’t understand and either lowers his head or prostrates himself in his seat, replied slowly as if he understood. But he still had eyes full of hate.

“Even Mr. Gourden won’t come close anyway.”

She had also told Gourden not to get too close if at all possible, so he’dl stand at a distance other than throwing bones.

“It won’t be dangerous. He is not a bad person, it’s a good man.”

“…yes.”

‘Sorry, I had to go inside.’

In her previous life, her dad used to nag her for 3 hours to dry her blood if she didn’t listen to the 3 warnings, and Adler somehow seemed to do that too. A style that makes people tired.

“You can go to the forest and play. Just come home.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, home. You have to come back to me, Leone. Come see Trixie. To home.”

Since she had told Gourden not to follow or block Leone if he wanted to go to the forest, it seemed that nothing big would happen if she emphasized it one more time.

He was frankly apprehensive.

Adler told her not to worry, as Gourden packed his leather clothes and put them on. It should hurt less…

The possibility of an imminent situation could not be ruled out. After such a fight, it seemed that Adler or Gourden, filled with fear, would reflexively bring out the violent tool again.

She tried to convince him that it would be okay if she could only use her arm and be with Leone, but Adler shook his head. He said he wanted to believe in both me and Leone, but he couldn’t yet. What if she got hurter?

But. It’s only for ten days. It must be fine.

As she turned her head, she saw Gourden holding a twig and scribbling on the floor. He looked a bit pitiful…

“Gourden! Stay there. I’ll go. I have something to convey.”

“Oh. Yep!”

She called him loudly and stood up, but Leone bit her skirt with his mouth.

“… no.”

The short words that followed were quite embarrassing. His body trembled with his power. It was faster for her to fall into his arms than for her skirt to tear.

“Ugh.”

It happened in a moment. Leone moved his body quickly. He picked her up in his arms and hugged her from behind while sitting down on the floor.

“Oh my. You surprised me.”

“No.”

“Well… thanks, Leone. But I have to go.”

“No. Rishi.”

Maybe it was because it was the first time she came near him after being ordered to rest. It seemed like he didn’t want to part with her because he accepted her as a family member. His arms were big enough to hold her body with only one of them. A man’s body was touching her back.

She thought her back was itching for no reason, so she pushed Leone’s arm away. But he didn’t let her go.

“Leone. Show me your face, yes?”

After a few more soothing explanations, he loosened his arms. The strength of his fingertips clung to her as if he didn’t want to let her go, but she was able to sit face to face with him.

“You don’t want to part with me?”

“Yes.”

“But this miss has to go to work.”

Leone had an expression of incomprehension.

“If I’m caught this time, I will be scolded. No.”

Having said that, she stood up resolutely. But Leone followed her casually.

“Leone! I said no.”

He looked up at her with innocent eyes, as if asking, ‘What are you talking about?’

‘This child…’

Wasn’t he pretending he didn’t know when he knew everything? She had a reasonable doubt.