CH 15

“What is it?”

Adler asked in bewilderment. And it was normal since the person who said he would go out for a while and meet Leone came wearing Leone.

“Because Sir Leone didn’t want me to leave…”

Adler’s face hardened as she smiled awkwardly.

“Are you saying Sir Leone-sama doesn’t want to separate from you?”

“Yeah…”

“How… then… !”

He was speechless with an expression full of horrified sadness.

“He had only fought with me for five years…”

“… Well, this was an accident.”

“Sir Leone… Do you hate me that much…? So it’s really like that… !”

She tried to comfort him, but he didn’t seem to hear her.

He said that he had never properly communicated with Leone, so it must have been even more shocking to him. Adler’s scream made her feel sorry for taking away his son. She didn’t think Adler would have wanted to live fighting Leone like that.

“Well then, I’ll go upstairs. I think it would be nice to rest together in Sir Leone’s room.”

As she was walking outside, she came in to report, fearing that Adler might strike her, but seeing Adler’s mental breakdown, she felt he had to run away quickly. She wasn’t feeling well either, so she chose indoors as a place to escape. She quietly went to Adler’s side and held the book she had left earlier in his arms. And quickly headed for the stairs. Leone followed her.

“Nonsense… ”

Adler’s trembling voice came behind them as she climbed the stairs.

“It’s the first time I’ve gone to Leone’s room.”

Every time Adler came early in the morning to wake Leone, and even in the evening, he just said hello and moved to the annex.

Leone quietly followed her. They opened the door and entered.

“Wow…”

Since it was an unmaintained mansion, she thought Leone’s room would be the same. Of course, it was similar to the rest of the house in that the wallpaper was torn everywhere and the furniture was not functioning properly, but she knew it the moment she entered. Leone was really loved. The walls of the large room were painted a pale turquoise color, giving it a forest-like feel. Thanks to that, her mind was at peace. There was a wide bed on one side, and there were several pieces of furniture.

“But what is that… Hey?”

She froze as she looked around the room, which was probably touched by Adler or Gourden’s touch every day. The beautiful ivory color next to the bed… It looked like a temple. No, if one looked at the roof covered with that size and the big lock, one should call it an animal cage. The cage, which looked like a scaled-down temple with many marble pillars, was wide enough for six people to lie down, and the cushions inside were lovely and colorful.

“What is that, Leone?”

He didn’t answer, but went to a corner where the sun was shining, took a seat, and lay down. He closed his eyes as if he was drowsy, but he didn’t take his eyes off her.

“Don’t go out. I will be here.”

She said reassurance, but he didn’t turn his head or close his eyes.

“Yes. Myr Deoksoon was like you too. It would be nice if the two of you could be friends.”

“… Kreung.”

“He looked a bit like you.”

She went over to the cage and looked inside.

Seeing that the bed was not very worn, the cushions were a bit depressed, and the golden hair had fallen… She guesses he slept there.

“Yes. Well. Because everyone has circumstances.”

Considering Adler’s methods so far, it wouldn’t surprise her if he had Leone imprisoned.

“Is this okay?”

She shook my head, getting dizzy for a moment from the complicated common sense and moral concepts that were filling up in her head. It was better to give up the idea there. After looking at the sieve, she went to Leone’s side and sat down. The carpet on the floor was very soft.

She thought the carpet in the annex was also really good, but the one in Leone’s room was as soft and fluffy as a bed, probably because it was used by the royal family.

Leone put his face on her legs. Suddenly, it became his lap pillow. She lightly stroked his hair.

“Leone. Is this, by any chance, similar to you?”

She opened the book she was still holding on to and set it down on the floor. Leone, who had been absent-minded, showed interest when she put the book down. He got up and looked at the book.

“Aww-”, he howled.

The picture of the wolf in the book was described quite precisely. Since Leone seemed to be close to a beast, she intended to have him sit down and show him the pictures one by one to ask him what kind of animal he was. But what was this reaction?

“You are a wolf.”

Leone looked at the book to see if he could hear her or not.

“How are you, Leone?”

He couldn’t take his eyes off the book. It was as if he wanted wolves to come out of the book. She wondered if it was her mistake to feel the light of longing in his eyes.

Leone stared at the picture of the wolf for a long time.

* * *

She couldn’t go back to the annex until evening because of Leone who immediately followed her when she tried to leave.

“Are you asking me to live here?”

She asked softly, but of course there was no answer. To live according to the beast as a man… It’s hard work. She already knew that while raising Deoksoon, but even more so.

Adler, who at first expressed concern about a man and a woman sleeping together in the same room, was suddenly seized with a deeper despair when she explained that Leone had accepted her as a family member. Adler walked around with a gloomy face, then with a dazed face, he brought the blanket over.

‘Does he consider you family? Then it will be fine’, he added.

It seemed that he was covered in sadness, but he seemed to be holding onto his reason.

Indeed, he acted as a knight who practiced daily life.

“Even if it is a family. I’ve slept alone since I was six.”

“Grrr.”

She grumbled and said a word to Leone, but what came back was a rough cry.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

She asked in bewilderment at the vigilant appearance. Leone jumped up and glared at the door. She turned her head towards it too.

Knock, knock.

Surprisingly, as soon as her eyes landed on the door, she heard a knock.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Teacher.”

It was Gourden. Hearing the sound, Leone became more vigilant.

“Ugh. Leone, you can’t be like that.”

Leone leaned forward towards the door. Why was he acting like that all of a sudden? Although puppies were wary of strangers and people outside the house…

“Are you guarding the house right now?”

“Crr.”

When Gourden came in, it seemed like Leone would run right into him.

“Gourden, please don’t come in, I’ll go out.”

“Yep.”

When she got up, Leone came after her unsurprisingly. She opened the door just enough for her to get out and squeezed her body through it. It was a gap that Leone, tall and broad-shouldered, could never cross.

“Teacher, why do you come out like that?”

“Because Sir Leone looks a bit dangerous.”

“Ah.”

“What is it, Gourden?”

“I brought it because you need to eat, nothing else. Same with Leone.”

“Oh my goodness. Sorry. What should I do?”

“No!”

Gourden smiled proudly.

“Thanks.”

After a light chat, she went back into the room with the tray. There, Leone was sitting right in front of the door, waiting.

“Leone, let’s eat.”

After placing the tray on the low table in front of the sofa, Leone’s plate was put down on the floor. Leone sniffed it and approached the tray of raw meat. It was a scene that she would never get used to. Her portion of the plate was neatly arranged with bread, grilled vegetables, meat, quality butter, jam, and scrambled eggs.

“… Monster.”

But Leone muttered quietly while approaching.

“Yes?”

“Crr.”

It was an instant. Leone frowned and reached out his foot, no, his hand, and snatched the roasted mushrooms off her plate.

“What are you doing?”

It was a bit bewildering. It was a grilled mushroom that kept its shape well and looked very appetizing…! Leone even hid the mushroom behind himself.

“What’s the matter?”

“Grrr.”

What happened? Why did he take them? Did he want Mushrooms?

“Yes, you eat.”

What if he liked them? Couldn’t she give them up? It was strange that a child who usually ate raw meat would covet grilled mushrooms but…

When she lost interest and turned around, Leone walked toward the window.

‘Why is he like that.’

Leone threw the mushroom through the slightly open window.

“Hey, why are you throwing that… !”

That bad guy. Whether she was surprised or not, Leone returned to his seat as if satisfied.

“You don’t like mushrooms?”

“Sniff.”

“Or, is there something wrong with the mushrooms?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“No.”

She knew very well that he disliked it, but not why.I know very well that you hate it.

‘Oh, I’m so frustrated I’m dying.’ She didn’t even know if he reacted like that because the mushrooms were ragged or… She tried to understand Leone’s heart and take good care of him but she kept getting blocked by a wall like that.

In the first place, she just hoped that he would be at peace. She kept thinking that she didn’t know anything.

* * *

That night.

“… eww.”

Is it because it is a strange place? It was a small noise, but her eyes opened naturally. The moonlight streamed in transparently through the window.

“Ah… eww.”

A painful groan could be heard. She turned her head towards the source of the sound.

“…!”

Right next to her, Leone had curled up and fell asleep.

Obviously, he must have come near when she fell asleep. That’s why she had to wake up.

The moon reflected in his sleeping face, that was too close.

‘Why are you so handsome?’

In her opinion, Leone couldn’t be an extra character. Why did the artist endow such a character with that beauty?

The tension of seeing something beautiful ran through her body. She grabbed her beating heart and tried to get herself up. Sleeping on the sofa seemed better.

“Ugh, uh… ”

At that time, Leone’s long eyelashes trembled and a little more breath flowed out.

“Leone!”

Unknowingly, she walked closer to him and looked at him. He seemed to be suffering from a nightmare, but he was frowning as if waking up was not easy. What was Leone dreaming of?

She patted the child’s back carefully. It was a pity that her hands felt very small on the big back. She wanted to cover him with warmth.

“What’s so hard?”

She wanted to know about the nightmare, but the story of Leone, a supporting character among supporting characters, couldn’t have appeared in the original story.

Why was he dreaming that? Where did it hurt?

The nightmare was only for Leone. So she couldn’t know for sure what he was dreaming of. But she was sure of something, and that was that she wanted him to be at peace. She just wanted him to sleep well and be happy. She didn’t even dream of making him human from the beginning, she just wanted Leone’s existence to be acknowledged.

But the more she stayed with him, the more he became at peace… Maybe she could make a person of him. That seemed like the only solution.

“It’s okay, Leone. It’s okay.”

She whispered a spell and patted his back. The night passed just like that.