“…I have taken care of everything until now.
Lastly, I hope you won’t forget my promise, Your Excellency.
-Reiya Aquila”
“Aquila, the little lord, has gone mad.”
Zeroth, who was looking at the letter stamped with the emblem of a falcon, chuckled softly.
“This is exactly why women shouldn’t become lords. They get caught up in their emotions and can’t make rational decisions.”
“Have you talked about the Vièche military operation again?”
“Yes.”
Upon Cerdin’s words, Zeroth lightly shrugged his shoulders.
“Certainly, the condition for Lady Aquila’s inheritance is…”
“When I ascended to the throne, I would have to eliminate the Squalus family to ensure the safety of the Vièche military.”
Of course, the whale shark family is strong. Even after the defeat of the First Prince, they remain firmly in place.
However, Zeroth had no intention of leaving them alone once he took the throne. Aquila, fully aware of this, had set that as a condition.
Zeroth clicked his tongue.
“It’s a shame. You have so much ability, but you only love a single man and cling so desperately to me.”
Anyway, the wandering whale shark has no interest in Lady Aquila. There’s no way he’d do anything for Reiya.
“Lady Aquila is quite quick in handling things. Cerdin, how are you doing?”
“I’ve mostly eliminated them.”
“Mostly?”
Zeroth narrowed his brow, showing his dissatisfaction.
“…Some have gone on trips. Some moved without submitting their certificates.”
“This is why those who are uneducated… don’t understand procedures, procedures.”
“We’re doing our best to find them. Please wait a little longer.”
“And what about my father’s matter?”
“Huh?”
Cerdin looked at him, unable to understand at once, and showed a frustrated expression.
“…What’s the status of killing the Emperor?”
Perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to say he was going to kill his father, so he replaced the word with “the Emperor.” Cerdin’s gaze automatically shifted around.
“There’s no one. Why are you so anxious?”
“…It’s progressing well. Here is today’s report.”
Zeroth snatched the letter from Cerdin as if grabbing it. His eyes quickly scanned the text, but his lips moved with a different message.
“Finally. How’s the job of retrieving ‘that guy’ from the basement going, Cerdin?”
“Your Excellency, but that person—”
“Anyway, the Emperor is going to die.”
With a sharp sound, Zeroth loudly placed the letter on the table.
“Besides, that guy is just a beast with no teeth left. If I set the conditions I want, he’ll obediently follow my orders.”
He looked toward the dark, shadowed turret far northwest of the Imperial Palace.
Usually, when a noble who committed a serious crime is imprisoned at the very top, a monster is kept locked in the basement—one that must never escape. That was about to be released.
“Cerdin, bring ‘the White Tiger’ to me.”
~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~
“Miss, what’s going on with you lately?”
“Woof~…”
“Not transforming into a human for a week now. Or is it that you can’t transform?”
I couldn’t say anything in response to Anna’s words. I could only sigh repeatedly.
Sigh… Puuuuung…
It wasn’t that I couldn’t transform, but that I wouldn’t. If I had to humanize myself, I probably could.
‘But… but what if Ban comes again…’
He comes once a day, they say. At night. And then bites my nape again… again…
“Keemyaang~! Keemyaang~!”
Once again, embarrassed by the memory, I looked up at the sky and flailed my feet.
Oh no, oh no. The feeling of the mark on the back of my neck being so strange. Can I keep doing this?
Fortunately, Ban, who had declared he would come every night, hadn’t come tonight.
“Miss, really, what are you doing?”
“Is something wrong…?”
I ignored Anna and Haley, who were wide-eyed beside me.
“…Oh?”
But suddenly, Anna, who was looking out the window, stood up abruptly.
“Woof?”
“Someone’s here?”
Huh, gasp?! Could it be Ban?
“Keemyaang~!”
No. I. Absolutely. Hate it.
I quickly sat up, cringing, and slid behind the sofa.
“No, miss. Why are you acting so strange!? You haven’t even shed your mermaid tears.”
Of course not. I knew myself well. If I spoke, I’d definitely blurt out something that would give me away.
I pretended not to hear anything, curled up under the bed, and buried my head inside.
“Woof.”
Then Anna peeked her face out from under the bed.
“Miss, you should come greet the guest.”
“Mmmhm!”
Absolutely not! I will never meet Ban!! I barked desperately.
Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate—
The person who arrived at the carriage in the duke’s estate was not Ban. Well, related to Ban, but…
“Hello, I am Reto Crow. Lady Swan asked me to craft a ring, so I’ve brought it.”
“Woof… Woof.”
This person—do I know them?
Reto Crow. A gemstone craftsman with black hair, black eyes, and tanned skin. And, being a ‘crowkin,’ he loves shiny things like gemstones.
Especially if given gold, he’s incredibly loyal and extremely discreet.
‘So, I was supposed to be under the command of the Squalus top brass, but why is he here?’
Reto grinned and extended a small box to me. The smooth, dust-free, reddish box looked exactly like a ring box. Anna, who saw it first, shouted in surprise.
“Th-this, is it a ring!?”
“Yes.”
“Wow…! Is this finally the ring from Lord Swan for our lady?”
“Woof.”
Guessing what Anna was thinking, I calmly patted her side.
—Anna, calm down. Lady Crow, I think what I asked for has arrived. Please open it.
“Yes.”
As soon as I heard “I asked for,” Anna immediately looked disappointed.
—Anna, what exactly are you thinking?
“Um… well…”
“Look at this.”
But her gloomy reaction changed 180 degrees once she saw the ring inside. Of course, so did I.
“Wow…”
“Woof~!”
It was so beautiful I couldn’t believe such a ring existed. At the same time, it had a simple, engraved design.
A design that was both ornate and minimal—how wonderful.
The divine stone, shrunk with magic, was attached like a petal on the golden ring, sparkling brightly. I gently stroked the ring, mesmerized.
—It’s really pretty. Thank you, Lady Crow.
“Don’t mention it. I am truly honored that the Lady of the Lycans is wearing my work.”
Reto, smiling boldly, had a large golden earring swinging on his ear.
“And, Lady, she also asked me to deliver this.”
“Woof?”
“It’s a message.”
Ugh.
“Wooof.”
I immediately hiccupped. I had been ignoring his recent messages, so naturally, the only means of communication was a handwritten letter.
‘Should I consider myself lucky that he didn’t come directly?’
Hesitating whether to read it or not, I subtly looked at Reto. She immediately made a sympathetic face.
“Lady, if you do not accept this, it means you haven’t completed your mission. You won’t get paid. So, please…”
“Woof.”
Are you threatening me with this, you petty black lion?
Mumbling to myself, I carefully accepted the letter.
Somehow, she knew I’d be in a ‘Woof~’ state, so she sent me a letter perfectly suited for that. Easy to open.
I rolled my eyes and glanced at Anna and Reto. Luckily, neither of them cared whether I read the letter or not.
‘Why am I so cautious when I haven’t even done anything wrong?’
I sighed and began to read the letter.
「Lady, I can already picture what you’re doing right now. Surely, you’re just trying to avoid me by constantly transforming into a beast.
But there’s no need to be embarrassed. It’s just the mark you wanted.」
‘That’s true… but… you seem so unconcerned, but I found it to be an incredibly intimate act.’
Thinking that I might be the only one feeling so embarrassed, I suddenly looked downcast. I continued reading the letter, somewhat discouraged.
「But I admit it might have been a little sudden, so you might be surprised. Also, doing this once a day might be too frequent, people say.
So from now on, I’ll do as you wish. So…」
“…Woof?”
「…Please leave the terrace door open. Even if you break the barrier, it’s just saying you shouldn’t come in if the terrace door is closed.
Let’s see each other face to face.」
‘Huh? You came to the terrace while I wasn’t looking?’
Momentarily surprised, I let out a faint laugh at the last sentence. I forced the corners of my mouth down and rubbed my cheek with my paw.
‘Just to see my face… hmm hmm hmm.’
Hmph, anyway, I don’t find them cute. Who do they think will forgive them?
“Myaaht. Myauhung. Myauhung.”
“Miss? Why are you laughing so strangely?”
“Gyaaang!!”
Oh, that startled me. Before I knew it, Anna had come close, wide-eyed. I quickly crumpled the letter, backed away, and stuck to the back of the sofa.
—Ah, it’s nothing.
“…? You dropped another piece of letter paper here.”
Gasp. A sheet of letter paper was lying on the spot where she had been sitting earlier. Luckily, Anna wasn’t interested, and as soon as she handed me the paper, I snatched it eagerly.
Phew…
Honestly, why do I have to be so nervous just reading a single letter?
Mumbling, I read the last sheet of paper. The final part was an unimportant postscript.
“P.S. By chance, I got involved with Vièche, and I asked a craftsman he knows well to do some work. Since he’s tight-lipped, there’s no need to worry.”
Not exactly unimportant—this was actually the most critical part!
“Woof?!”
Getting involved with Vièche? Could it mean… we’re on the same side now?
‘Original… destruction?’
~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released on January, 5.
See you then!!
