CH 89

She didn’t ask why, she just stepped back pretending to pack her notebook, thinking she should get away from Leone.

“Haha. Okay? We have to go to our next class, Leone.”

“Reason. Aren’t you curious, Trixie?”

“Huh? Well, because I’m busy right now, maybe later.”

“Hmm.”

To put her efforts to shame, Leone approached her in a hurry.

“Master, they say, means owner.”

“I see.”

“Then, Trixie has me.”

The face of Leone, who came right in front of her, became even more… It seemed out of this world.

“Ha ha ha ha ha. That’s right. You learned something good, Leone. Let’s go to class! Class.”

After answering mechanically, she got away from him. Fortunately, Leone didn’t come any closer and followed her.

“Oh, is it already this time?”

The next class was a swordsmanship class taught by Adler. It was a newly added class to Benjamin’s suggestion that a friendly match might be held someday and that it should be taught as it was one of the basic skills as a member of the royal family. There was also archery and spearmanship.

“Adler? Why is the arm… !”

A small gymnasium was in the villa where they arrived for class. As soon as she saw Adler, she was taken aback and her voice rose involuntarily. He was healthy until yesterday, but a bandage was wrapped around his right arm now.

“Nothing. It’s only slightly cracked. It’s better to rest. Even after training for this much-”

“Knight.”

“Yes, Lord Leone.”

“Who did that to you?”

Leone asked in a low voice.

‘Hey, no way, Adler got hurt… Are you angry?’

“I should have told you right away. Sorry for the late report. Time has been delayed because of treatment. Yesterday, an assassin unit broke in.”

Adler sighed.

“…you?”

Leone paused and asked. Leone, who had fought Adler countless times, knew how strong Adler was. It seemed that he didn’t want to admit it, seeing that he’s suffocating.

“Ah, the wound is my negligence. I didn’t know there would be that many people, so I went to check it alone… Isn’t there a saying that there is no business for the majority? Of course, I won in the end.”

Adler said in a shy voice.

“Where?”

“We found and dealt with them before crossing the wall in front of the palace.”

“It’s close.”

“…yes. I didn’t know until I got closer to the palace. I have no face.”

Adler bowed his head and Leone fell into trouble. There was nothing she could do in this atmosphere. She just had to keep her mouth shut and watch. It happened several times in the original work, so it was only natural that the assassins continued to attack the imperial castle. Even if it was obvious, when she thought of the assassins who came to the Meto Mountains, chills ran down her spine. Because of them, Leone was seriously injured.

“Is this your first time?”

“Yes?”

“Is this the first time an assassin has come?”

“…that.”

“You didn’t report, there is something-?”

Adler shut his mouth.

“Sirh-.”

Leone called out to Adler in a cold voice. It was the most honorable title given to Adler as a lord. Adler being called ‘Sir’ by Leone? Nobody did know that this day would come. Adler also had a very puzzled face. It was embarrassing to see Leone so angry that Adler was injured.

“How did you know…”

“Sounds and smells. I couldn’t- I couldn’t.”

To the question posed in a crawling voice, Leone answered calmly.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was going to tell you before the welcome ceremony. But I thought I was bothering you for no reason, so I tried to deal with it on my own-”

“Explain.”

Leone’s voice was toxic.

“All… Let me explain. But I would like to move a bit.”

“We will.”

They went to Adler’s makeshift office. Only Leone and Adler were inside.

Left alone in the hallway, she became agitated for nothing. If they’re talking about assassins, they’re going to be talking about the villain Archduke, but it’s probably a little too much to say that to her. In fact, telling a commoner like her that it was the Archduke who sent assassins to target the prince didn’t do much for the imperial family. And what, she already knew all about it.

After a while, the door to the office opened.

“Trixie, come here.”

After opening the door, Adler looked tired and Leone looked lost in thought.

“Leone. Can I finish today’s class with this?”

“Okay.”

“Yes, don’t worry too much I’m blocking it somehow. I will not risk it.”

“… okay.”

Leone cast his gaze on Adler for a moment, then walked out into the hallway.

“There is no class today, Trixie.”

“Ah yes, Lord Leone.”

“And Trixie.”

“Yes.”

“Today.”

“Yes.”

“…no. The two of us – let’s talk.”

“Yes. Where shall we go?”

“My room-“

She hadn’t been in Leone’s room yet. Adler said that if she wandered around the room, strange rumors somehow spread. And she agreed.

“No. Go to the first floor.”

She was about to answer that it was difficult, but Leone corrected his suggestion. The place she went down with him was a small drawing room in the corner of the first floor. Moving to a safe place to talk about secrets, choosing a time and place. She felt like he was going beyond people and becoming a politician.

“Sound, inaudible. Stay away.”

Upon entering the drawing room, Leone closed the door with a simple command. She felt like she would be scolded by Adler for having the two of them like this. Still, in broad daylight, it’s not even a room, it’s a drawing room, and she was being treated like a teacher and a disciplinarian by the attendants, so wouldn’t this be okay? Just because they had been together for a while…

“Trixie.”

“Yes, no. Huh. Leone.”

He came up to her and took her hand.

“Today.”

“Huh?”

“Today, sleep with me.”

“…huh?”

“At night, I go to Trixie’s room. I’ll go.”

She was so flustered that she just froze.

“Lee, Leone. That joke is… ha ha ha.”

“I’m serious.”

“No. Leone. That… Grown-ups sleep separately. Didn’t you know Leone is also all grown up now? You can’t sleep with me. That’s how the world rules.”

Even though she knew that she was an existence that couldn’t be fooled by words like this anymore, she unknowingly said nonsense and tried her best to avoid this situation.

“Am I a puppy?”

“That’s just a nickname. Nickname.”

“For relatives and younger siblings, right?”

“Ah, that’s a metaphor. It’s a metaphor.”

“Then- Trixie. I am neither a dog nor a brother to Trixie.”

“…”

She was speechless. Leone’s eyes seemed to tighten her throat.

“That is. That… Because there are many people who will misunderstand it in the imperial castle. We have to be careful, right?”

Leone looked at her quietly, then nodded his head. For some reason, a smile seemed to hang from his lips.

“Trixie, please.”

The laughter quickly disappeared, and Leone continued with a serious face.

“I am anxious.”

“Are you anxious?”

She was surprised. Yes, every time Leone tried to sleep with her, it was ‘due to anxiety’ but… Recently, he was so calm.

“Are you anxious? Suddenly?”

So she came to realize this feeling.

“Is your anxiety aroused, really?”

“…huh.”

She got the feeling that Leone wasn’t asking her to sleep with him because he was anxious. Rather, Leone seemed to have succeeded in getting rid of all his anxiety on his own. So what was he thinking now?

“I want to get help from Trixie.”

‘I think he’s lying.’

Was Leone lying to her? There were more and more things to hide, and she couldn’t read his mind. Perhaps this confusion was a natural step. Refusal was impossible. Even if she asked if it’s a lie, it’s enough to say no, and if he refuses to ask for help, it’s the same as not being qualified as a caring guardian.

‘If I decline here, he’ll find out that I’m refusing for personal reasons.’

That’s why she had to go into the tiger’s den.

She let out a deep sigh.

“Okay. Instead, I am the sofa and you are the bed, got it?”

“Trixie is in bed. I’m the bottom.”

“…You want the prince to sleep on the floor?”

Leone nodded his head as if asking for something obvious. His head was pounding so she just said okay. He’s a fox, not a wolf. Fox.

* * *

Leone sneaked out to the balcony of his room window when no one else was watching. Then he climbed down the big tree next to the palace and came to her room. There were many eyes to see, so she asked him to visit her this way. So even though she knew he was coming, she was startled by the large shadow knocking on her window. Even after that, he often came to sleep in the quiet dawn and disappeared early in the morning. Every time he didn’t come close, he was on the floor or on the couch and went. He must be tired but he always came, always saying the same thing.

‘It’s because I’m anxious.’

At first, the fact that she slept in a room with Leone was a problem, even though it was like this on the outside, she was a grown adult from her previous life, so she was busy driving out the adulterous demon trying to enter her body. Thanks to that, she had to pray and meditate all night long.

But at some point, she felt that something was wrong with her. It looked like Leone was standing guard. Because of Leone’s anxiety, he didn’t come to her to help himself, but it seemed that Leone came here to help her and protect her. From what, for what?

“Trixie.”

Knock, knock.

The night the welcome ceremony was a week away. Leone came to her room again and knocked on the window. When she opened the window, Leone jumped down from the tree branch and came inside. Its movement was so light that she wondered if he had wings on its back.

“Leone, come on. You are very late today.”

“Huh. Class has been busy.”

“Okay. Let’s sleep. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Huh. Good night, Trixie.”

Leone patted her head and replied. Since when, she stopped stroking Leone’s hair, and he started stroking her hair more. It was a particularly dark day, with the moonlight obscured by dark clouds. She turned off the lantern and went to the bed to lie down.

“Trixie.”

Leone’s voice calling her was unusual.

“Under the bed. Go in.”