Chapter 36
Laria didn’t say anything.
Taking her silence as permission to continue, Rodit went on.
“When I went to the Crassium Duchy at your request the other day…”
Hearing Rodit’s words, Zenox recalled the memory.
That day, when Laria visited the Crassium estate, assassins had invaded in broad daylight.
They smashed through the windows and rushed at Zenox all at once.
They knew that if they fought him one-on-one, they didn’t stand a chance.
But what echoed through the mansion was not Zenox’s scream, but the assassins’ dying cries.
The intruders’ eyes belatedly widened in horror, unable to comprehend what had happened.
Zenox had snapped a fully armed man’s neck with his bare hands.
An overwhelming power no other race could compare to—innate combat ability etched into his very blood.
That was the ability possessed by the Black Wolf beast-men.
“Ghhk…”
Before anyone realized it, Zenox had partially transformed.
His claws, harder than steel, shredded his enemies like sheets of paper.
His movements were so fast that the assassins didn’t even know how they died before their lives ended.
His golden eyes, gazing down at the corpses strewn across the floor, were filled only with boredom.
Even the dullest of books would be more entertaining than this.
Without a flicker of emotion, Zenox slaughtered the assassins and then sensed a presence outside the study.
Soon, the butler’s voice followed.
“Master. A guest has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
The door opened, and the butler appeared with an unfamiliar man.
“A guest?”
Zenox’s bloodstained hands itched for more.
A voice inside his head urged him to kill.
If not for the butler’s next words, he might have slit the man’s throat right then and there.
“He has brought a letter from Lady Laria Rohan.”
Zenox paused for a moment before snatching the letter from him.
The familiar name written on the envelope caught his eye.
Laria Rohan.
The name reflected in his golden eyes was clear and sharp.
He quickly skimmed the contents and let out a short laugh.
“…Show him in.”
Thinking back on that day, Zenox clicked his tongue inwardly.
I really should have silenced him.
At present, Zenox was feigning gentleness in front of Laria.
Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered to hide his true nature and would have threatened her outright, but this time, he had chosen a different approach.
It was because of the butler’s advice—that sometimes persuasion worked better than intimidation.
Above all, if Laria became frightened of him and started to avoid him, that would be troublesome.
Especially since he still wasn’t sure whether she truly had Hayang with her.
“I almost died that day!” Rodit exclaimed, pouring out his frustrations over the bloody incident.
“Did His Grace try to kill you?”
“If it hadn’t been for the lady’s letter, I’d be dead.”
Just recalling it made his tail shiver violently.
Zenox swallowed hard and waited for Laria’s reaction.
She was a noble young lady of the capital, someone far removed from murder and war.
From the way the Rohan family treated her, she had clearly been raised like a flower in a greenhouse.
She would most likely be horrified at the idea of killing, afraid of Zenox, and possibly insist on breaking their contract.
While Zenox imagined the worst-case scenario, a calm voice reached his ears.
“You wouldn’t have killed anyone without a reason.”
There was no fear in her voice or expression.
Instead, there was trust—directed at him.
“Did Your Grace perhaps kill a servant?”
Rodit hesitated before shaking his head.
“They seemed like assassins, though…”
“Then killing them was justified.”
Her matter-of-fact response left both Rodit and Zenox momentarily dumbfounded.
“To think, you’ve accumulated so much hatred that assassins would come all the way to your home.”
Laria said nothing more, which seemed to imply her agreement.
Emboldened, Rodit pressed on.
“My lady, you might end up in danger as well.”
“I can protect myself.”
“Ugh…”
No matter how much he argued, Laria remained unshaken, leaving Rodit sighing in frustration.
Exhausted, he slumped his shoulders.
“I understand your worries. But His Grace isn’t as bad as you think.”
“…How can you be so sure?”
“I just know.”
Zenox, who had been secretly eavesdropping, was also curious.
Why was she defending him?
Was it simply because of their contract?
Yet her eyes seemed sincere, almost too convincing to be an act.
Even Zenox nearly believed it himself.
…Perhaps I should return to the bedroom.
He was about to quietly slip away before she noticed him.
But at that very moment, Laria turned her head in his direction.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Why—why are you here?!
Rodit also turned his head and froze in disbelief.
Hurrying over, Rodit bent down to examine Zenox closely.
“…A puppy?”
“Y-Yes, a puppy,” Laria quickly answered in his stead.
At the same time, she pressed her finger to her lips, signaling Zenox to stay silent.
Zenox remained perfectly still, like a doll.
Thankfully, the foolish dog beast-man couldn’t even tell the difference between a wolf and a puppy.
Lowering his head slightly, Zenox avoided suspicion.
“I’ve never seen this puppy before. Did it get lost?”
Rodit looked around curiously.
Stepping forward, Laria calmly lied.
“I brought him home from my outing the other day.”
“You did, my lady?”
“Yes. I plan to find his owner soon.”
“He’s cute, but… he seems dangerous.”
“…He listens well.”
Seeing Rodit’s skeptical look, Laria crouched down and held out her palm.
“Shake.”
Thinking of all the things…, Zenox obediently lifted a paw and placed it on her hand.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“See?”
Her oddly excited expression struck Zenox as somewhat adorable.
Rodit gaped in astonishment.
He too held out his hand just as Laria had.
“Shake!”
Zenox swatted Rodit’s hand away without hesitation.
Rodit looked utterly betrayed.
“He doesn’t listen to me.”
“…He’s still a pup, so maybe he’s shy around strangers.”
But he listens to me, Laria seemed to say as she gave another command.
“Lie down.”
Suppressing a sigh, Zenox lowered himself to the floor.
Rodit, impressed yet again, soon frowned in disappointment.
“Well, thank you for worrying. I’ll head in now.”
With one arm, Laria scooped Zenox up, and with the other, she ruffled Rodit’s fluffy hair.
His fur flattened beneath her touch and sprang back up again.
Zenox wrinkled his nose in irritation as he watched.
Rodit chuckled sheepishly but caught Zenox’s glare.
What are you looking at?
Zenox bared his teeth.
Sensing the intimidation of a higher predator, Rodit whimpered and quickly looked away.
“See? He seems dangerous after all.”
“What nonsense. He’s perfectly gentle.”
Laria looked down at Zenox.
With round, innocent eyes, the little wolf wore the face of a harmless creature.
In an instant, he looked like he couldn’t even hurt an ant.
Rodit’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
After parting ways with Rodit, Laria carried Zenox into her bedroom.
Locking the door, she placed him on the bed.
“You heard everything?”
“What do you mean?” Zenox feigned ignorance.
“I came out just now because you weren’t showing up.”
She didn’t seem fully convinced but didn’t press further.
“He’s just loyal, that’s all.”
Her defense of Rodit only darkened Zenox’s mood.
If he opened his mouth now, he’d only say something spiteful.
“I’ll brush your fur.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
His voice came out sharper than he intended.
“Because you brushed Rodit’s tail?”
“I got a new brush,” she explained, almost defensively.
Does she think I’m sulking because I didn’t like the old one?
The thought was absurd, yet Zenox himself didn’t understand why he was so irritated.
Feigning indifference was difficult enough—this childish behavior was unacceptable.
Suppressing his annoyance, Zenox lay down.
Do it, if you must.
Taking the brush, Laria gently combed through his fur.
The bristles glided smoothly along the direction of his coat.
He thought it would mean nothing to him, but the sensation was unexpectedly soothing.
His senses focused on her touch, his body melting into a languid calm.
Was this how Hayang felt, too?
Every time he brushed her fur, had she felt this same comfort?
If his touch had truly made her happy, nothing would please him more.
The next time he found Hayang, he would sit her on his lap and brush her fur all day long.
Barely clinging to consciousness, Zenox lifted his heavy eyelids.
He caught sight of Laria’s gentle smile.
Since he had transformed into a wolf, it seemed he was seeing her smile more often.
It was the first time he’d even seen her laugh aloud.
Zenox recalled the words she had spoken earlier.
“His Grace isn’t as bad as you think.”
He himself had never once thought of his kind as good.
With so much blood on his hands, he knew he would never rest peacefully in death.
And yet… this woman he had barely known for long had spoken up in his defense.
It left him with a strange feeling.
What a peculiar woman.
Even so, Zenox had already begun to loosen his harsh judgment of her—something he himself hadn’t yet realized.
