Prologue + Episode 1
A long time ago, didn’t someone say that even if you enter a tiger’s den, you’ll survive as long as you keep your wits about you? Honestly, in this day and age, where would a tiger’s den even exist? But I thought it was just a metaphor for being able to navigate through a dangerous situation… at least, that was what I believed—until just about thirty minutes ago.
“Th-this… this is really a tiger…”
To be precise, it was a tiger beastman. Mellis swallowed hard, bowing her head deeply. The so-called golden tiger beastman radiated an overwhelming presence and pressure. He was Duke Severus, the lord of this mansion and the very reason she was in a state of terror.
Humans and beastmen must not discriminate against one another.
Yet here he was, openly violating Article 1 of the Continental Law, a human-hater who executed countless humans who trespassed on his domain. Everyone on the streets—even the kids—knew that he looked at humans as if they were insects. And now, Duke Severus stood directly in front of Mellis.
But it wasn’t just him. Eagles, deer, weasels, and more—countless beastmen’s ears and tails filled her field of vision in a dizzying blur, overwhelming her senses.
Somehow, Mellis found herself standing dumbly in the middle of the tiger’s den—or rather, in the heart of Duke Severus’s mansion. The only stroke of luck was that no one seemed to be paying attention to her. Their focus was entirely on the child who had returned home after a week.
“Waaah! I was wrong! I won’t cause trouble again!”
Amid all the emotion of their reunion, Mellis bowed her head low, silently hoping that if she remained invisible, these people might forget she existed.
“Brother, I have a favor to ask.”
Garulus, the child who had dragged her here, had stopped crying and spoke in a clear, intelligent voice. Immediately, the previously chaotic hall fell silent.
“Alright. Just say it. What’s your request?”
The silence was broken by the Duke’s low, cavernous voice. Just hearing it, Mellis could vividly imagine her head being chopped off by a guillotine.
Unable to even look him in the eye, Mellis shut her eyes tightly, as if burying her face into the ground.
“I would like to have Mellis as my caretaker.”
“Huh?”
But Garulus’s single remark was enough to lift Mellis’s head from the brink of collapse. And in that moment, she met dozens of pairs of eyes all staring at her.
She had never received so much attention in her life. Not even when she had slipped in the academy cafeteria and covered herself in leftovers was it like this.
“You mean Mellis, the woman who brought you here?”
“Yes. A female sheep beastman. A sheep beastman! But since she had nowhere to stay, I told her to live at our house!”
Garulus emphasized the “sheep beastman” part with deliberate care, nearly bringing tears to Mellis’s eyes. Just then, the Duke’s cold golden eyes fixed on her.
Her heart pounded faster than ever at his chilling gaze. She desperately prayed he would reject this absurd request.
“Very well, if you want her, Garulus, there’s no reason I can’t allow it.”
“Waaah! Thank you! Mellis, did you hear? Now we can live together!”
While Garulus jumped for joy, Duke Severus had completely wiped the smile from his face.
His cold gaze, which didn’t match the previously gentle tone, locked on Mellis.
“First, I should understand what trick you used to capture my brother’s heart.”
Unable to withstand the pressure, Mellis collapsed to the floor. Even as her vision blurred, she could only hope, and hope again, that this was all a dream.
“No… no…”
After all, Mellis Fortier was just a normal human disguised as a beastman.
So, to tell the story of how Mellis walked into the tiger’s den herself, we have to go back about a week.
At the Fortier estate in the kingdom of Tarin, she was born the daughter of a minor noble family tucked away in a rural village of a small kingdom. Her life was far from smooth.
Her mother died young from a chronic illness, followed by her father’s remarriage to a stepmother she barely knew. Not long after, her father died in an accident.
Naturally, the abuse and neglect from her stepmother began.
Now, about ten years later, like many girls who shared a similar fate, she was about to enter an arranged marriage set by her mother.
Typically, these situations fell into two categories: reluctantly arranged marriages where the suitor is stunningly handsome and love blooms at first sight, or marrying a rich, lecherous older man, marking the start of a second hell.
“…Hic, milady. Everything is ready.”
The reaction of the maid in charge of her preparations made it clear: unfortunately, Mellis’s case was the latter.
“….”
She looked at herself in the mirror. Her bright yellow hair was piled high, and she wore a pristine veil and wedding dress. Even she had to admit she looked extraordinarily beautiful. No matter how she thought about it, she was far too lovely to become the second wife of a man approaching fifty.
“How could someone as fine as you marry Sir Gadget…”
“I have no choice. It’s for the family.”
“My poor lady!”
A bitter smile formed on Mellis’s lips, and the maid watching her couldn’t hold back tears.
“Could you give me a moment alone? I want to gather my thoughts one last time…”
“Yes, of course.”
Today was the last day she would remain here. As her gaze slowly swept the room with fondness, the maid readily stepped aside.
“….”
After confirming the door had closed, Mellis pressed her ear to the hallway. She squinted, focusing on the outside, and soon heard fading footsteps.
Satisfied that the maid was far enough away, she hurried to the window. She had at most five minutes.
How hard she had worked, living obediently and quietly for months, all for this day. Memories of past struggles flashed before her eyes. Opening the tightly locked window, a cold breeze rushed in.
“Ugh…”
Early spring brought unexpectedly chilly weather. But Mellis ignored it and retrieved a large box she had hidden under the bed.
It contained the clothes she had been secretly gathering since deciding to escape this cursed house, sneaking through the laundry room like a little mouse.
“This might actually work.”
She tied one end firmly to the foot of the bed and threw the rest out the window. It almost reached the ground. Her nights of sewing and mending had paid off.
“Wow…”
Though she had prepared herself, the height of her room was greater than expected. The thought of falling made her neck tingle with fear. True to her reputation as a coward, her heart raced.
Closing her eyes, she pictured Sir Gadget: his round, almost rolling body, the bright crown of his head in sunlight, his hazy gaze sweeping over her, and his rough breathing.
“Alright! I can do this!”
Sir Gadget was perfect motivation. Just as she was about to swing her leg onto the windowsill…
“Mellis!”
Bang—the door flung open violently. A piercing voice and eyes that seemed ready to devour her. Her stepmother, Sandra Fortier, stood there. This was entirely unexpected. Just meeting her eyes sent shivers down Mellis’s spine.
“M-Mother…”
“What are you doing! Come down immediately!”
As Sandra lunged forward, yelling, Mellis quickly climbed onto the windowsill.
“D-Don’t come closer!”
“Mellis! Can’t you hear me?”
Her body shrank at the sharp voice. Normally, she would have cowered and bowed, but now she could not.
“If you come down now, I’ll pretend this never happened. Don’t bring greater shame to the family—come down while I’m still being reasonable.”
Sandra gritted her teeth, trying to control her anger. Her fully exposed eyes signaled that she was ready to slap Mellis several times.
“…No.”
Swallowing hard, Mellis put on the firmest expression she could. Hesitation would change nothing. This was her only chance to escape her stepmother. She gripped the cloth, ready to jump.
“I won’t marry! I won’t live according to your wishes anymore!”
As she shouted and leaned halfway out the window, Sandra finally softened, pleading.
“Mellis! Please! How could you be so rude to Sir Gadget? Think again, for my sake! You know what kind of man he is!”
Sandra’s feelings were understandable. Sir Gadget had a fiery temperament and abundant hair. Surely he would wreak havoc if the marriage failed. But what did that have to do with her now?
Realizing how close she had come to marrying such a man only fueled her anger.
“If you like Sir Gadget so much, then you marry him yourself!”
She raised her middle finger as high as she could, making Sandra’s face turn red and blue. As Mellis leapt out the window, a sharp yell echoed.
“Is there no one outside? Bring Mellis back immediately!”
Looking down, Mellis realized she would be caught before even leaving the estate.
“Persistent to the very end, aren’t they?”
Reluctantly, she drew out a hidden scroll and, without hesitation, released the cloth. As she fell, ready to tear the scroll, she caught sight of Sandra’s contorted face below.
Seeing her mother’s twisted expression, Mellis couldn’t help but smile brightly.
“Goodbye, Mother!”
Swoosh—the scroll tore, and white smoke enveloped her. Undoubtedly, this was the greatest rebellion of her life.
