After the Ending, I Received the Second Male Lead as a Gift

“Are you okay where you got hit by the stone, Lu?”

Although there was still a bit of distrust in his eyes, it seemed like he no longer had any intention of running away.

Soon, as if to show that he was fine, he smiled and wagged his tail gently. On the contrary, it seemed like he was worried about me, as he groaned and checked me over.

‘Ugh. He’s cute.’

This was a problem.

I needed to get rid of him as soon as possible, but day by day, I felt like I was falling for his cuteness more and more.

Just today, how many times had I thought he was cute?

The investigation into Ludwin by Laplace Garden was still ongoing.

They found out that something dangerous happened to him involving beastmen in Margrave Drew’s territory, but they still hadn’t figured out exactly what it was or what his current condition was.

Nor why he still couldn’t return to his human form.

“What am I going to do with you?”

Though he was acting like he couldn’t live without me right now, it was likely just his beastmen instincts.

A behavior similar to what one does to earn food, I guess.

Sooner or later, when he returned to his original form, he’d probably leave without looking back, wearing his usual emotionless expression.

That was the Ludwin I knew, and it was the natural thing to expect…

Still, maybe I’d grown a bit attached to him during this time, so I felt a little sad.

I tapped his nose with my index finger.

“It would be nice if you could like me, even just a little, like those others do.”

Of course, there was no need for him to be obsessed with me.

But in my four years of knowing him, Ludwin had always kept his distance from me.

‘Do I give off some kind of villainess vibe?’

If so, that would be a little sad.

Whine.

When I suddenly became quiet, Ludwin softly licked the back of my hand. With his clear eyes, he gazed at me as if trying to comfort me.

‘Are you okay?’

That’s what it felt like he was asking.

In that moment, I remembered the beautiful smile I saw in my dream, and my cheeks flushed.

I quickly stood up and grabbed the door handle.

“Oh, look at that! It seems busy outside!”

At my sudden movement, Ludwin jumped up in surprise and followed me.

“Shall we go help out too?”

Woo!

Ludwin wagged his tail enthusiastically, howling in response.

‘I’ll deal with everything else later.’

We opened the door and went out to the shop.

 

*****

 

After a busy, hectic day, and tidying up for quite a while, we were finally able to head home.

It was already past 10 p.m. It was so late that I already sent the carriage home.

Since Ludwin was with me, I figured taking a hired carriage wouldn’t be a problem.

“Boss, what’s with this pot?”

As I was closing the windows after cleaning up, Loren, who was on closing duty tonight, came out of the back room holding a blackened, dead plant pot.

“Ugh, you found that?”

“Yes, I noticed a plant I hadn’t seen before.”

I gave a sheepish smile and turned my head. I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to explain or not, feeling a bit awkward.

“That was in my room. I thought you guys might be able to save it, so I brought it here, but I couldn’t bring myself to mention it, so I left it in the corner…”

Hearing this, Loren looked noticeably troubled.

“You want to save this?”

Then he muttered softly.

“It looks like it’s beyond human help.”

He probably meant for me not to hear, but unfortunately, my hearing was a bit sharper than most.

“Is it really hopeless?”

I sighed softly.

Even I could see that the plant, blackened as if it had come from the underworld, with its drooping, withered tendrils resembling a demon’s tentacles, seemed beyond saving.

I had enthusiastically tried growing a plant again to celebrate the flower shop’s opening, but as you can see, it ended in a tragic failure.

‘Is there poison in my hands or something?’

Even healthy plants tended to die within days of being in my care. I followed the instructions for watering, sunlight, and airflow, yet they always ended up like this.

Seeing me downhearted, Loren quickly tried to comfort me.

“No, I’ll give it a try. There’s still some life left in this part, so there’s hope.”

He clenched his fist with determination, like a knight preparing for battle, ready to revive the dying plant.

“Please take care of it, Loren.”

With that, we left the shop—me, Loren holding the dying plant, and Ludwin by my side.

The night air felt strangely chilly.

“Ugh, it’s a bit cold tonight.”

Even though spring was well underway, the evenings were still a little cold after sunset.

I pulled my shawl tightly around me and shivered.

“Are you cold? Would you like to use my coat?”

I laughed out loud at Loren, who was so naturally reciting lines that a boyfriend would say.

“I’m fine. Save that line for your girlfriend later.”

“What’s wrong with lending a coat to someone who’s cold, even if they’re not my girlfriend?”

Just then, Ludwin, who had been walking a bit ahead, came right up next to me. As he drew closer, I could feel warmth radiating from him.

‘Wow, he’s so warm.’

His large size made walking slightly awkward, but it was definitely warmer than before. The cold that had seeped into my body and hands melted away.

“I have Lu with me, so I’m okay.”

At my words, Loren’s expression turned a bit strange.

Meanwhile, Ludwin wagged his tail proudly, as if victorious.

‘What’s with this atmosphere?’

Confused by the subtle tension, I tilted my head slightly but kept walking, heading toward where we could catch a hired carriage.

“Ah, this way’s a bit of a shortcut.”

“Really?”

Though the path looked a little dark and narrow, I figured it would be fine with two men(?) beside me.

The late hour made me feel a little rushed anyway.

As we passed through the alley, Loren spoke quietly.

“Boss, just because you have the dog with you, don’t let your guard down. You should ride your family’s carriage.”

“Hm? It’s fine. Our territory has good security. Besides, I’d feel bad making the knights wait for hours.”

“Dilucia’s security certainly seems better than other estates. I had a hard time moving here.”

“Really?”

I tilted my head, wondering if our territory’s relocation procedures were complicated.

“By the way, Loren, where do you live?”

“I wrote it in my resume…”

“Oh, sorry. I don’t remember.”

To be honest, I didn’t read the addresses. I only looked at the names and experience of the people recommended by Jeffrey.

‘I didn’t even check their genders.’

Loren chuckled softly, adjusting his grip on the plant pot.

“I live on Albas Street.”

“Albas? That’s…”

That area was close to the slums. No matter how good the security in Dilucia was, we couldn’t help everyone in poverty.

However, I was a bit surprised that well-dressed Loren lived there, even if he hadn’t been in the area long.

“I was in a hurry, so I couldn’t be picky.”

“I see. It sounds like you had to move quickly.”

“A little, yes.”

Although I was puzzled, I told him.

“If you ever want to find a new place, let me know. I know someone who’s good at that.”

If it were Laplace Garden, they’d find the perfect place for Loren.

For some reason, I worried about Loren a little more than the other employees. He had a bit of an airhead quality about him.

He gave me a bitter smile at my words.

“You’re very kind, boss.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. Humans don’t usually go out of their way to take such detailed care of someone they’ve only known for a few days.”

‘Humans?’

His choice of words felt odd.

“Loren, you’re my employee. It’s only natural for me to take responsibility for you.”

Loren gave another bitter smile at my response.

“What’s wrong? Did I say something strange?”

“No, it’s just…”

Loren, who usually had a rabbit-like demeanor, suddenly showed a self-deprecating expression, and the atmosphere grew awkward.

“I really am sorry, boss.”

“For being scared of Lu? If you know that, then stop running away from him every morning…”

I tried to break the tension by responding in a playful tone.

But then I sensed something strange.

‘When did we stop walking?’

On top of that, we were standing in the middle of the alley, where the streetlights didn’t reach.

“Loren?”

He avoided my gaze, looking somewhat anxious.

‘Is he waiting for something?’

My stomach dropped.

A chill ran down my spine.

This wasn’t the first time I’d felt this way. It was the same sense of danger I’d felt when I was starting Laplace Garden or during the fierce competition over patent rights.

‘This is bad.’

It was the same gut feeling I’d had when helping young Pedro.

Growl.

Sensing the threat, Ludwin crouched down next to me, growling lowly.

‘Someone’s here!’

In a panic, I shouted to Ludwin.

“Lu, run!”

I let go of Ludwin’s leash and started sprinting forward.

The alley was narrow, and as I turned, I accidentally hit the plant pot Loren had been carrying.

Pain shot through my elbow, and soon after, I heard the sound of the pot shattering loudly.

Instinctively, I resisted the urge to look back and just kept running forward.

‘Damn it! I got too careless after the ending!’

I didn’t know who was behind this, but I never expected Loren to betray me. He was the one who said he really wanted to work for me and had been the most diligent of all the staff!

‘I was fooled by that rabbit-like face!’

I didn’t get far before I had to stop.

Just as I was about to round the corner, four men wearing berets emerged from the shadows.

Unfortunately, tonight was a crescent moon, and the lack of light left the alley shrouded in darkness. The streetlights weren’t much help either.

I made a mental note to replace all the streetlights with brighter ones when I got back, and quickly scanned my surroundings.

‘Who are they?’

They didn’t look like robbers or kidnappers. There was something unfamiliar and unsettling about them that sent a chill down my arms.

They were all of different builds, but they wore the same dark brown coats as that suspicious man I had seen recently.

‘What the hell are these guys?’

I hesitated and took a few steps back.

This was definitely a dangerous situation.

The largest man among them flashed a grin under his beret, his glowing red eyes gleaming. His blood-red lips curved into a smile, revealing fangs that glinted menacingly in the moonlight.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

In a voice that sounded like metal scraping, the man spoke.

“Found.”