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

“Nothing major happened, the security guard just took a simple statement because of that troublesome customer.”

“A security guard?”

‘Did someone report it already?’

Although puzzled for a moment, the two nodded in agreement, thinking it was understandable.

“Other customers also gave statements diligently, so it ended quickly, and nothing else happened.”

“I see. Thanks for your hard work.”

As the two went behind the counter to work, I casually looked around the flower shop.

Except for the staff, there was only one customer in the shop.

‘As expected, Loren didn’t show up.’

Although we had only been working together for a few days, I liked him quite a bit. I never thought he would conspire with the beastmen to stab me in the back.

As if reading my thoughts, Leria paused trimming the flowers and asked worriedly.

“But boss, will Loren not come anymore?”

“Yes, he didn’t show up yesterday without any notice. So, I went to his house after work yesterday, but no one was there. The lights were off.”

Nina, carrying a large flowerpot, said to me as she passed by.

Her strength was impressive, but what she said was more surprising.

“Nina, do you know where Loren lives?”

“Of course I do!”

Leria added an explanation.

“Oh, didn’t you know? He’s well-known for being timid but very kind and sociable. Almost everyone knows Loren.”

Then the two laughed together.

‘Right, Jeffrey also recommended Loren.’

Actually, he was a really nice person. He was cheerful, hard-working, and even cute.

‘A grown man like a rabbit…’

At that moment, a certain thought struck me, and I gasped.

Recalling Ludwin next to me and the ‘beastmen’ card he showed, a hypothesis that seemed absurd yet plausible formed in my mind.

Seeing my reaction, Ludwin, who was standing quietly beside me, tilted his head as if asking what was wrong.

‘Ah, cute… no, that’s not it!’

I leaned slightly and whispered to Ludwin.

“Could Loren be a beastmen?”

When I asked, Ludwin shook his head as if my breath tickled and then looked at me intently for a moment.

‘Is he not?’

But then Ludwin sniffed and nodded.

‘What! Loren is a beastmen?’

Imperials rarely see beastmen in their lifetime, and besides Ludwin, none appeared in the original story.

‘Loren… is a beastmen?’

He looked indistinguishable from a human, so I had no idea. His actions were rabbit-like, but I thought it was just his character.

Come to think of it, Ludwin also didn’t show any signs of being a beastmen in human form.

‘Ah! That’s why Ludwin disliked Loren, and Loren feared Ludwin?’

It felt like pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

Rabbits are prey, and dogs are predators.

Of course, Ludwin wouldn’t eat a troublesome rabbit.

‘The ones who attacked us were also said to be beastmen.’

By now, I could roughly understand the situation.

The drug used on Ludwin.

That drug must have been made by the beastmen.

There was no need or reason for the Empire to make or distribute a drug that affects the transformation of beastmen.

If it were discovered that they made such a dangerous thing, it could lead to war with the beastmen kingdom.

‘Why did the beastmen kingdom make such a thing?’

“Boss?”

While I was lost in thought, Leria called out to me curiously.

“Are you okay? Did Loren do something wrong?”

She looked as if she was worried Loren might get fired.

“It’s nothing. And as for Loren….”

Just then, the flower shop door burst open, and someone came running in. We all turned in surprise.

“Loren?”

“Loren?”

The person who came rushing in almost breaking down the door was none other than Loren.

His well-groomed pink hair was dusty and messy, and his clothes were dirty with soil.

Moreover, he was out of breath with an anxious expression on his face, as if he was being chased by someone.

“Oh my, Loren! What happened?”

“Mrs. Mawson! Where is the boss?”

Leria approached in surprise, but Loren ignored her and looked around for me. It seemed I was hidden by the flower piles inside the shop.

Just as I was about to say I was here, Ludwin answered first.

No, he dashed forward before even barking.

“Huh? Ah, boss… Aaaaah!”

Noticing me, Loren turned around and went pale as a ghost.

Ludwin pounced on Loren and pinned him down.

Loren screamed in fright.

“W-Wait! Dog! Please listen to me! Aaaaah!”

I stepped forward, pretending not to see the scene.

“Sorry, we’ll be closing the shop now. I apologize.”

I quickly sent out the only customer in the shop and changed the sign to ‘Closed.’

Then, I pulled down the blinds to block the view from outside.

‘Good, this should be a sealed… no, no one can see inside.’

Satisfied with the tightly closed windows, a scream burst out behind me.

“B-Boss! Please, do something about this dog!”

Loren, pale and trembling, looked just like a rabbit caught by a tiger. But annoyed with him, I told Ludwin.

“Ludwin, press harder.”

Woof!

At my words, Ludwin pressed Loren’s shoulder harder and growled.

“Eek!”

Loren, terrified, flailed his limbs and then fainted, foaming at the mouth.

Our close interaction seemed to bewilder Nina and Leria greatly.

“L-Loren?”

“Boss?”

I turned to them with a smile.

“You both can go home for today. I’ll give you paid leave.”

Leaving the two behind, who were confused to whether they should laugh or cry at my words, I entered the room with Ludwin, who was holding Loren’s collar.

And an hour later.

“Gasp!”

Loren, who had been laid on the sofa in the back room of the flower shop, woke up, flopping as if he were a freshly caught fish.

“You’re finally awake.”

Sitting next to the sofa, I closed the book I was reading with one hand.

Startled by the sound, Loren flinched and looked at Ludwin next to me, recoiling again.

“S-sir Dog. And boss.”

His eyes were dark as if he’d had a nightmare during that time.

Knowing he was a beastmen made him look even more like a rabbit with drooping ears.

“It’s surprising you still call me boss.”

I shook the book in front of him and scoffed.

“People say you’re timid, but you seem to have guts?”

At my sarcastic tone, Loren flinched again. He couldn’t even meet my eyes, clenching his fists tightly and lowering his head.

When he lured me to the attackers, he didn’t hesitate. Now he showed a guilty face.

It was somewhat irritating.

“I never thought a beastmen would be so close. You hid it well.”

At my words, Loren’s head shot up in shock. His red eyes were filled with astonishment, as if asking how I knew. Then he quickly turned his head towards Ludwin.

“C-Could it be that dog told you?”

“Is that important?”

Cutting off his question with a cold tone, Loren flinched again.

“A-Are you going to report me?”

His voice was filled with fear. There was no custom in the Empire to hunt down beastmen. There was no national interaction with them at all.

But for a beastmen who caused trouble, the treatment would be different.

Attempted kidnapping of a noblewoman.

Even if they were foreigners or people of another race, they would not be overlooked. Rather, if they were from another empire, there was a high possibility that they would be punished more severely.

I looked at Loren with narrowed eyes, recalling the recent events at the Drew Estate.

“Why should I let go of a beastmen who tried to kidnap me?”

“T-That’s because…”

Loren couldn’t continue, stammering.

“Besides, if you failed, you should have run away. Why show up in front of me again? Do you take me lightly? Why? Planning to kidnap me directly this time?”

Of course, with Ludwin around, it’s out of the question.

I was a little surprised, but honestly, this wasn’t the first time I’d been attacked like this.

Despite that, I reacted more sensitively this time because it happened in the flower shop where I planned to relax after everything ended.

Having my reward, my future, my dreams interrupted made me angrier than expected.

When I spoke sarcastically, unlike my usual tone, Loren was startled and threw up his hands.

“That’s absolutely not true! Because of the threats, I had no choice…”

“Threats?”

When I asked, Loren, startled again, immediately shut his mouth.

‘No, what am I supposed to do if you’re surprised no matter what I ask?’

It seems that he didn’t have any intention of confessing, even though he came here on his own.

I held out my palm towards him.

“Hand it over.”

“What?”

“That smoke drug you used.”

“Oh.”

Understanding what I meant, Loren hesitated and spoke reluctantly.

“They didn’t give it to me. It’s very rare.”

“Tch! Useless.”

I deliberately clicked my tongue loudly, and Loren flinched again.

At that moment, Ludwin, who had been quietly sitting next to me glaring at Loren, suddenly placed his front paws on the sofa. Then he began sniffing Loren’s body here and there.

“Eek! Please don’t do this, sir dog!”

Loren, turning pale again, struggled.

But Ludwin ignored him and sniffed around until he brought his nose to Loren’s waistband.

“Lu?”

Ludwin then scratched at that spot with his paw, and Loren shrieked.

“Aaah! Please, save me! Aaah!”

It was hard to describe the sight of the flower-like young man struggling with a pale face.

If someone saw this, they would think I was going to pounce on him.

I took advantage of the moment when Ludwin was pinning Loren down and picked up the pouch hanging from his waistband.

“Hey! Th-that’s my wallet!”

Panicked, Loren reached for the pouch, but it was too late.

I turned the brown cloth pouch upside down right there.