Chapter 020
She thought he had returned to his bedroom, but Calion was not there. After searching his room for a while, Shaila belatedly headed to the dressing room.
“Don’t tell me you’re still here?”
She looked under the vanity and found Calion there, looking extremely sullen.
“Shasha is late…”
“When exactly did I leave?!”
Had he spent more than twelve hours here alone? Shaila’s dressing room was connected to the walk-in closet, so there were many people coming and going: from maids cleaning to servants moving items at Shaila’s request.
“How can you stay here without eating?!”
When Shaila couldn’t care for him herself, the chef would place a food cart in front of Calion’s room at mealtimes. Although he rarely went out, he wouldn’t turn down a meat dish brought to his door, so he usually ate regularly.
But today, Shaila realized he had gone hungry all day, and she felt a pang of distress.
“Sigh… come here, quickly.”
“There’s no one else, right?”
As she expected, that was the reason he stayed hidden. Calion avoided facing others, which was becoming a headache for her.
“There’s no one!”
She shouted in a nervous tone unintentionally, and Calion emerged from under the table with a frightened face.
“I’m sorry for making you worry, Shasha.”
Her chest ached seeing his round eyes turn into triangles from sheer caution.
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry…”
Imagining this fragile creature hungry on this cold, hard floor caused her great pain. Shaila carefully gathered the precious little wolf into her arms.
“Were you waiting for me all this time?”
“Yes.”
He responded to her touch by tilting his ears and lifting his nose, then suddenly looked up.
“What is this smell?”
As if he had never been depressed, his eyes suddenly lit up as he sniffed Shaila’s hand.
“Sniff, sniff, sniff.”
“Leon?”
Calion ignored her voice as he circled her, sniffing as if searching for something.
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“…”
But this time too, Calion did not answer. The fur from his forehead to his tail stood straight up.
“Shasha, there’s a strange smell on you. A very disgusting smell.”
The way his fur stood up made it seem like he was furious. Even his beautiful eyes were filled with a kind of madness.
‘This boy… is truly a wolf!’
Shaila was secretly surprised as she watched Calion’s transformation. The boy who had looked like a puppy in her lap now seemed like a true beast.
“Who is it?”
“What?”
“Who is the one who stained Shasha with this filthy smell?”
At 그 moment, a scratching sound was heard at the door, and the hallway outside became noisy.
“What’s going on out there?”
“Little Lady, it’s…”
Shaila feared something had happened to the Duke, so she left the angry Calion and opened the door. The servant gestured with his eyes toward the spotted dog he was carrying, with an embarrassed yet fond look.
“It seems he followed the Little Lady.”
“Ah…”
It was the spotted dog that had followed the refugees. How had it followed her from the castle courtyard all the way here after she gave it some snacks and a few pets? While Shaila reached out her hand in surprise and delight—
“No! Don’t touch it!”
Calion lunged from behind like lightning and attacked the dog.
“How did this wolf get here…!”
The servant was terrified by Calion, who attacked while baring his fangs, and he dropped the dog he was carrying. In an instant, Calion bit the neck of the dog, which was half his size.
“Don’t cling to Shasha!”
The dog yelped in pain, crying out. Shaila rushed to pull Calion away.
“Leon, what are you doing?!”
As soon as the small dog was freed from the little beast’s jaws, it fled into the hallway in a panic.
“Don’t show yourself in front of Shasha again! I’ll kill you!”
Shaila almost collapsed while trying to soothe Calion, who was growling as if he were about to give chase.
‘I’ll kill you?’
Did my little one really say that? Did I not mishear?
‘Was he always this strong…?’
She could barely stop him with all her strength, even falling to the floor as she held onto him.
“Little Lady, get away!”
The servant, who had suddenly disappeared, returned holding a broom.
“This thing is very dangerous!”
He was talking about the little wolf in Shaila’s arms. Shaila, trying to calm the raging Calion, was in a state of complete disarray, from her elegant hair to her dress.
“He must be driven out immediately! He is an evil creature; if we don’t, he will cause more trouble!”
“An evil creature…”
What was this servant saying? And how was she supposed to explain Calion to him? While she was thinking of what to say—
“Get out of here.”
“!”
Shaila’s mouth hung open as she looked at Calion. Did those words come from her pampered little one? And what was with that deep, growling voice?
‘Who are you…?’
It felt as though she were seeing him for the first time.
“Oh my god, it wasn’t an illusion! Look, he’s talking like a human now…”
“I said get out, now!”
“Ah!”
When Calion bared his fangs fiercely, the servant threw the broom and ran away.
“You…”
Shaila looked at Calion as if seeing something alien. He suddenly shut his mouth and looked away as if he hadn’t done anything. His manner of speaking felt familiar. The harsh words, the terrifying fangs, the growl that frightened others… this wasn’t the first time he had done it.
“How can you bite something smaller than you?”
“…”
He seemed like he had something to say as he twitched his nose, but he fell silent when he saw Shaila’s wide eyes. At this moment, Shaila felt as though she had been struck with a hammer on the back of her head. She had thought he was just a good boy who lacked social skills, but now he seemed like a ticking time bomb. It seemed the servant had witnessed Calion causing trouble before. Perhaps those “troubles” were…
“Have you bitten people before?”
From the servant’s reaction, it was obvious.
“Are you going to do it again?”
“…”
“Won’t you answer?”
Shaila lifted his front paw to prompt a response, and Calion gave her a sidelong glance, saying in a complaining tone:
“I don’t know. I just want to be the only one by Shasha’s side.”
Oh my goodness…! Shaila let out an internal sigh at his bad manners.
“That’s what marriage means, isn’t it? You’re the one who said that, Shasha!”
“…It can’t be like that, Leon.”
Calion suddenly jumped from her lap, his eyes filling with tears, and shouted:
“What?! Didn’t you say I would be your closest partner? The closest person to you is me!”
He seemed to have forgotten his beastly anger, barking with sadness and frustration, pawing the floor as if he had been wronged. He looked exactly like a puppy. In the past, it would have just looked cute, but now… it felt fake.
“You’re acting now, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. I’m not…”
Calion suddenly sat down, blinking his round eyes. That image looked as cute as a doll, and Shaila almost said, “Alright, alright,” and let it go. This was all calculated. She was shocked.
‘Duke, you should make this boy an actor in a theater troupe instead of the ruler of the North.’
Even when they first met, his threatening “Waa!” was just a cute act.
‘I’ve been deceived all this time.’
That angry voice that shouted “Get out” and the sharp fangs… this was his true face! A long silence passed between them.
“Come here for a moment.”
“Okay.”
She moved her fingers, and Calion rushed over, wagging his tail as if he had been waiting for the invitation, with an enthusiasm that was exaggerated compared to his usual self.
“Lie down here.”
“Okay.”
She patted her knees, and Calion jumped up without hesitation and exposed his belly without being asked. Usually, he was very proud and required a long session of petting before he would roll over, but today he was strangely obedient. It was clear he was monitoring her reaction.
“Say ‘Ah’.”
“Ah.”
He was very quiet as he folded his four legs and opened his mouth gently. Who would believe this was the fierce wolf from a moment ago?
“I saw fangs the size of my finger here just a moment ago.”
“I don’t have any…”
“You don’t? You’re the one who crunches on cow bones!”
“I suck on them…”
My god, and he’s brazen too! The more he spoke, the more convinced she became that he was a pretender.
“Stay still!”
When Shaila poked around his mouth, his soft tongue began licking her fingers as if to obstruct her.
“Shasha, shall I show you my paw pads?”
“Paw… jelly?”
Shaila paused for a moment and showed interest, so Calion quickly extended his paws.
“!”
Even the color of the pink jelly had changed slightly. The change was noticeable and exciting, and the soft texture of the jelly was very addictive. This was the first time this proud boy had shown his paw pads. Shaila couldn’t miss the opportunity.
“When I’m pampered like this, it tickles.”
“Ah, sorry…”
While she apologized, Shaila’s hand did not stop stroking the jelly.
‘Cute! So cute!’
Shaila snapped out of it late while she was petting Calion’s pads. Ah, this was no time for playing.
“You…”
“You can touch my tail too.”
“…”
His soft white tail swayed as if tempting her. His long, soft tail was different from other dogs, very thick.
‘Of course, he’s a wolf.’
His fur was coarser than a dog’s, but it was full of down, so it felt like she was hugging a soft doll.
“Can I eat your ears?”
“Yes, eat them.”
Shaila embraced Calion fully and gently bit his protruding ears.
“Nom nom.”
She pretended to bite the soft cartilage, and Calion giggled as he laughed.
“It tickles me, Shasha.”
“Sorry, you’re just so cute…”
“I’m cute?”
“Yes, very cute. So lovable and beautiful.”
“More than that thing from before…?”
“Of course.”
Calion smiled as he faced her, imitating her glowing smile. His eyes looked calm as if his fit of rage had been a lie. Shaila looked at him with a deeper smile, stroking his face as if touching a precious treasure.
“When I look at you like this, I see that you’ve grown a lot, Leon.”
His ears were now almost even. He had indeed grown. The servant had called him a “wolf” immediately.
“Strange… in my eyes, you still look like a little puppy.”
“I’m still a puppy.”
He replied quickly and took the opportunity to lick Shaila’s face.
“Ah!”
“I’ll be Shasha’s puppy forever.”
“Stop it!”
Shaila never imagined that she, a lady in an elegant dress, would sit on the hallway floor and exchange silly talk and play in such a childish way. She didn’t think she would enjoy herself like a child when she came to the North… she had never dreamed of it. Shaila fell into the trap of this strong and cunning little wolf and found herself lying on the hallway floor with Calion still licking her chin and mouth.
“If you continue to lie and don’t repent…”
“What if I don’t?”
“I won’t play with you anymore.”
“But you’re the one who broke the promise first, Shasha…”
“When did I do that?”
“How can you ask when?! Didn’t you promise? Marriage is a promise to the Ruler.”
“You didn’t even attend the wedding.”
That wedding was fake, illegal, so which wolf was insisting on it?
“In any case, you promised, you are my only partner. You can’t play with others.”
Shaila couldn’t continue scolding him.
“You dummy.”
That spotted one was a female. It couldn’t be my partner forever… How could she talk to this fool who didn’t know the basics, who at seven years old dared to challenge a nine-year-old?
“Shasha, I’m alone… only I…”
“Leon, promise me.”
She saw signs of tears in his eyes, so she hugged him quickly to stop him from sobbing.
“Promise me not to bite people again.”
“Hmph.”
“Violence is bad. The worst thing in the world. I hate people who use violence more than anything.”
“What is violence?”
“Hurting others. Like biting with your teeth or striking with a whip.”
Not only physical violence is violence. Sometimes, words carry more weight.
“Things like ‘You shouldn’t have been born, you’re useless, it’s better if you die’… these are all violence.”
“I didn’t do that…”
“Don’t bite! And don’t growl.”
Although he still avoided appearing before people, who knew how he would change later? He shouldn’t build a bad reputation now.
“Leon, if you use violence against people again…”
Shaila paused, and fear began to seep into Calion’s face. He held his breath, waiting for her next words, appearing quite serious.
“I might hate you.”
“Okay, I won’t….. I’ll do as you say, Shasha.”
Shaila decided to trust him this once as he nodded his head enthusiastically.
