Chapter 14
The Young Male Lead Appears
“I-I didn’t mean….”
“Are you going to abandon me then?”
“……”
Abandon? Jania froze, unable to answer.
She knew in her head that the man in front of her was really Alex, the wolf she had raised with care. But her heart couldn’t accept it.
Her chest felt tight, her eyes stung as if tears might fall.
“A-abandon you? You’re not just an animal, you’re a beastman!”
“No, I’m your Alex.”
“Ugh….”
Talking to him was hopeless. And before Jania could protest again, Rupert suddenly changed back into his wolf form.
The exact same Alex she had lived with every day was now in front of her.
Jania’s stomach sank.
The shameless male lead’s father became even bolder. When Jania stood there stunned, the big black wolf brushed his body against her leg like he had always done.
“H-ha… what is this even….”
Her mind went dark.
***
Meanwhile—
Noah led his knights deep into the Cursed Forest.
A heavy fog hung between the trees, making the air thick and unsettling.
‘So this is the forest that resists beastmen.’
Just as he thought, Noah felt his strength being weighed down, his brow furrowing.
He was carefully searching when—
“Master!”
“……!”
Felix’s sharp cry made him turn his head.
At the same time, Noah caught a faint smell.
Blood.
There had been a fierce battle nearby. No life remained, but traces of it lingered in the air.
“Hurry!”
“Yes, sir!”
At Noah’s order, the knights rushed forward. Soon, they reached a wide lake—only to stop in shock.
The ground was littered with monster corpses.
The sight made their eyes widen, but they quickly forced themselves to stay calm, scanning the area.
“Looking at these wounds… it must have been done by a beastman.” Felix bent down, speaking firmly.
Noah nodded. None of the monsters were killed by blades. Their bodies were ripped apart by sheer power.
“…It’s Father’s scent.”
Noah narrowed his golden eyes. This had Rupert’s mark all over it. Who else could slaughter monsters like this?
“We’ll follow Father’s trail.”
They quickly set off, and it wasn’t long before they arrived at a large mansion surrounded by high stone walls.
“…Here?”
The knights were stunned. A house like this in the middle of the cursed forest?
The walls were tall and solid, built to keep everything out. It looked more like a fortress than a home.
“There are people inside,” Felix noted.
“I can sense that too.”
The presence was faint. Only a few people, maybe even just one.
Then—faint rustling by the gate.
“What should we do?” Felix asked.
Noah frowned. The presence was too weak to tell if it belonged to a human or beastman. But if it were Rupert, he wouldn’t reveal himself so carelessly.
That meant someone else was here.
“Should we break the gate?” another knight muttered.
“No.”
The knights were ready to draw their swords, but Noah calmly stopped them.
This was no place for reckless moves. Until they confirmed Rupert’s safety, he wouldn’t risk it.
“We’ll knock.”
“…Knock?”
“Yes.”
Felix fell silent. Who would suggest something so normal in this cursed place?
But Noah simply raised his hand and pounded on the gate.
“Is anyone there?”
“……”
No answer. The faint rustling had stopped as if frozen in fear. Just as Noah was about to knock again—
“Wh-who’s there?”
A startled woman’s voice called out.
Noah tilted his head in surprise. The voice was unguarded… and young.
A woman, here, in the middle of this cursed forest? Still, he masked his surprise and spoke politely.
“Forgive me, I have a question. Could you open the gate for just a moment?”
Silence. Whoever she was, she was cautious.
Understandable.
Living here, she would know how suspicious her situation looked.
But strangely, Noah didn’t feel like forcing the gate open. His instincts told him not to. And his instincts were rarely wrong.
“…Alright. Please wait.”
“…!”
The answer came quicker than he expected.
Moments later, the heavy gate creaked open.
“Good day.”
“Huh?”
Noah greeted her politely, but the woman—Jania—stared at him with wide eyes.
Does she… know me? Noah’s gaze sharpened.
“I’m just passing through, but I have something to ask.”
“O-oh, what is it?”
Jania tried to act calm, but her voice trembled. Noah smiled faintly.
“Have you seen someone who looks like me? An adult man, with golden eyes.”
***
Oh no.
Jania’s heart nearly stopped.
‘That’s the male lead!’
Standing before her was Noah Fernando, the protagonist of the novel—only much younger than she ever expected.
‘Rupert being alive made me think things were off, but I didn’t expect Noah to be this young!’
He looked like an elementary or middle school boy. Beastmen grew faster than humans, so he might be younger than he appeared. In the novel, he only showed up as an adult… which meant this was far earlier in the timeline.
“Y-yes, I think I did.”
“You did?”
“…Yes.”
Jania swallowed hard, glancing nervously at him.
‘He looks exactly like Rupert….’
Though she’d been told Noah was Rupert’s nephew, in person he looked like Rupert’s perfect miniature copy.
If someone said he was Rupert’s son, no one would doubt it.
“Where is he now?”
“Um…”
Jania hesitated, glancing around. She didn’t dare let all these beastmen inside her house.
Sensing her unease, Noah softened his voice.
“If he’s here, then I’ll go inside alone to check.”
“Master!” Felix nearly shouted.
But Noah’s eyes were firm.
“Would you have all these men storm into a house where a lone woman lives?”
“But still—”
“Stop treating me like a helpless child, Felix.”
“……”
Felix bit back his words. It was insulting to doubt a beastman like Noah just because he was young.
Still, this place was suspicious, and the woman before them seemed too harmless.
Humans could be deceiving—witches, especially, wore harmless masks.
If Noah went in alone and the woman revealed her true colors, he could be in danger.
Felix was torn, but Noah’s glare grew sharp. Before things escalated, Jania quickly spoke.
“Then… Sir Knight, you can come in too.”
“…Very well.”
At least this way, Felix could protect him.
“Both of you, come in.”
She opened the gate wider, enough for grown men to enter.
Noah and Felix stepped in, their bodies tense.
“…Hm.”
The wide courtyard greeted them. It looked plain—grass here and there, and on one side, a shabby doghouse.
“…Father?”
Noah froze, eyes wide.
Inside the doghouse, lying casually, was a black wolf with golden eyes.
