‘Young Master Serge?!’
The husband, who had used being sick as an excuse to skip the banquet, suddenly appeared.
“Wait, why are you here…?”
It wasn’t just Railey who was flustered; even Walter muttered in surprise without thinking.
“Woof woof!”
The little fox barked again.
Looking closer, a handkerchief had fallen at his feet.
It seemed the fox had carried the handkerchief all the way here to announce its presence, dropping it and making noise.
“Ah… you’re that puppy I saw earlier.”
Feeling reassured, Railey naturally began to play along.
“Are you feeling better? Did you want to bring me the handkerchief?”
“Woof, woof!”
Since beastfolk heal quickly, it was likely he was feeling fine now.
Although she couldn’t understand why he went through the trouble of bringing the handkerchief all the way here, she bent down on one knee to pick it up.
‘Huh?’
The moment she picked up the handkerchief, something small rolled out from it.
“What’s this…?”
It was a small, rough sphere, about the size of two finger joints.
A mineral that gleamed with intertwined red and yellow colors—a Core Ruby.
“Wha—?! Why is this here…?”
“It seems like the little one is giving it to you as a gift. He’s quite smart, you know.”
Walter said with a wry smile as he watched from the side.
A Core Ruby of this size would be worth about half a year’s living expenses for an average middle-class family. It was far too valuable to accept simply as thanks for tying a handkerchief around his leg.
“But… it’s hard to believe a Core Ruby would just be lying around on the ground. Maybe he picked it up from somewhere in the house? I feel bad just accepting it…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. As the head of the household, I give you my permission.”
“…Thank you.”
When Railey hesitated but finally thanked her father-in-law, the fox barked again.
It seemed to be protesting, as if saying, “I’m the one who gave it to you, so why are you only thanking Walter?”
Realizing belatedly, she quickly turned to Serge and expressed her gratitude to him as well.
“Ah, thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
“Woof woof.”
Sure, she could exchange it for money later and use it as escape funds if necessary, but Railey wasn’t so heartless that she would sell off the very first gift she received from her husband.
Feeling genuinely grateful, she gently patted the little fox’s head.
She did it without thinking—treating him just like a real puppy—and immediately realized her slip.
However, unexpectedly, the little fox obediently pressed his head against her hand and purred softly.
Unlike his human form, where he was extremely shy around others, he seemed surprisingly affectionate when in his animal form.
Seeing such an adorable side of him, it was hard to believe the original story’s depiction of him falling into madness and committing massacres.
To keep up her act, Railey turned to her father-in-law and asked,
“Is this little one the family’s pet?”
“Hm… Not exactly. We don’t officially raise him—we just let him come and go around the mansion like a stray cat.”
“I see.”
If they claimed they were formally raising him, it would be hard to explain why he appeared so irregularly. It seemed like a hasty excuse to avoid contradiction.
“What’s his name?”
“Since he’s not officially a pet, we never gave him a name.”
Walter added with a small chuckle.
“If you don’t mind, why don’t you name him?”
Railey looked down at her husband, who was rubbing his head against her hand.
Assuming that she truly didn’t know he was human, and naming him based on that…
“…Blackie?”
“..……”
“……..”
Both her father-in-law and husband fell silent at the same time.
“Nice to meet you, Blackie.”
“…….”
Perhaps he didn’t like the name, because not even a bark came in response.
Well, to be fair, Blackie wasn’t exactly a fitting name for the heir to a prestigious duke family.
‘Still, it’s better this way since he’s supposed to be an animal!’
If she gave him a more human-sounding name, she might accidentally call her actual husband by it someday and cause confusion. It was safer to choose a name that was unmistakably animal-like.
The newly named Blackie turned his body away sharply, dodging Railey’s hand as if sulking.
“Oh, you’re leaving?”
“Woof.”
“See you again soon, Blackie.”
“……Yip.”
Letting out a long, grumbling whimper as if dissatisfied, Blackie ran off.
Even though he seemed upset, his little tail wagging as he disappeared was still utterly adorable.
“He’s usually a picky one, but it seems he’s taken quite a liking to you.”
“I-I guess. I only helped him a little earlier because he looked hurt…”
“Well, be sure to keep being friendly whenever you get the chance.”
“…Yes, Father-in-law.”
Watching Walter laugh heartily, Railey sighed inwardly.
‘We absolutely cannot let him get exposed, but is it really okay for the heir to be this reckless?’
Now that she had even given him a name, it seemed inevitable that she would encounter her husband in his fox form more often from now on.
***
Later that night, Walter stood on the terrace, bathed in moonlight, gazing out at the garden.
In the deep stillness, a shadow emerged from the corner of the terrace.
Without showing much reaction, Walter glanced over lazily.
“What brings you here so late at night?”
“I thought it would be better to get it over with tonight rather than be interrogated by you tomorrow morning.”
The boy remained in the shadows, his figure only faintly visible.
Walter gave a mocking snort toward his son.
“True enough. As your father, it’s my duty to scold a son foolish enough to reveal himself in fox form.”
“.……”
“I heard you even did it during the day? What a brilliant start from the very first day.”
“And you, Father… you seemed awfully relaxed around her yourself.”
“What do you mean, relaxed?”
“There was no need to bring up Mother.”
“……..”
Walter paused for a moment before replying.
“……It was merely a warning.”
“For a warning, it seemed like there were personal feelings mixed in.”
“.……”
“You’re still mentally trapped by Mother. Honestly, it’s pathetic.”
“Enough.”
Walter’s pupils narrowed vertically, and a heavy wave of dominance, like pheromones, spread into the air.
The atmosphere turned chillingly cold, and Serge immediately fell silent.
Not because he was scared by his father’s show of authority, but because he didn’t want to waste energy continuing a pointless fight.
“No more useless talk. Make sure you’re present for breakfast tomorrow. We don’t want the daughter-in-law thinking anything strange.”
“There won’t be any sudden transformations, if that’s what you’re worried about. More importantly…”
“…….?”
“Are you planning to join us at breakfast too?”
“Of course. It’s a family meal.”
“Wouldn’t it be suffocating for her to have to deal with her father-in-law constantly? Maybe back off a little.”
“….…”
Walter widened his eyes briefly before letting out a small laugh.
“I suppose there’s no need to kick her out immediately. Seems like you’ve taken quite a liking to her.”
“There’s no need to kick her out, sure. But it’s not like I like her.”
“Is that so?”
With a bored gesture, the boy brushed back his bangs, revealing golden eyes that gleamed sharply under the moonlight.
“You know how I feel. I hate humans. They’re a hassle.”
“…….”
“Starting with my mother—do you really think there’s any reason for me to like humans?”
The sneer twisting the boy’s face was an exact mirror of his father’s.
“As long as I don’t feel disgusted dealing with her, that’s good enough. As for earlier… I just didn’t want to owe her anything, so I paid it back.”
“….…”
“And breakfast tomorrow? Honestly, I just don’t want to sit across from your face while eating.”
“Well, fine.”
Walter shook his head, as if he had given up trying to say anything to his son.
“Maybe, in the end, it’ll be the daughter-in-law who runs away first, sick of dealing with someone like you.”
“As we agreed, if that happens, just let her go. I have no need for a mate.”
“And you—just like we agreed—don’t you dare make her suffer on purpose.”
“That won’t be an issue.”
Leaving those few curt words behind, Serge melted back into the darkness.
Walter let out a deep sigh.
When they decided, following family tradition, to bring in a temporary daughter-in-law, it was Serge who had made a condition.
He didn’t need a mate.
If the woman couldn’t stand life in the fox family and left on her own, that would be the end of it.
In fact, one of the reasons they had chosen Railey Vitence was precisely that.
To put it bluntly…
The weaker the bride’s family background, the less incentive she would have to leave, increasing the chances she might endure and stay with the ducal family despite her difficult husband.
Walter understood his son’s feelings, yet he couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted.
His son’s mother had betrayed the family and died.
And Walter himself had been too broken afterward to properly care for his son.
It was no surprise Serge had come to loathe humans so deeply.
“I guess, in the end… I can’t help but resent you, Rima.”
Walter murmured softly, brushing his hand over his face.
As if trying to tear away the lingering image of the woman he could neither forget nor forgive.
***
The next morning.
Railey woke up early, only to be met with some unexpected news.
