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

Feeling my face heating up, I tried to move away, but Ludwin grabbed for me again.

However, this time he reached into the air and stopped, as if unsure where to hold.

“This gown will do for now… More importantly, you, my lady…”

“Me?”

Somehow, Ludwin seemed embarrassed. Why? I was wearing pajamas.

Then, looking down, I realized my pajamas were thin and slightly see-through.

When I remembered that the one in front of me wasn’t dog Lu, but human Ludwin, my face burned even more.

‘Oh no!’

I hurriedly shook off his hand and ran into the small closet attached to the room.

‘A gown, the thickest gown!’

The one I usually wore had been given to Ludwin, so I needed to find another thick one, but I didn’t know which one that was.

As someone who had no interest in clothes and always wore whatever was given to me, I couldn’t tell.

Reluctantly, I pulled out something that looked thick enough, but something slipped out and fell.

“This is…”

It was the pink ribbon Ludwin was wearing the first day he arrived.

I threw away the box, but I told them to keep the ribbon because the color was so pretty, and it looks like they left it here.

But now wasn’t the time to admire it, so I put it back on the shelf.

Then, putting on the gown, I left the closet.

Ludwin was sitting rigidly on the sofa.

Meeting him properly as a human for the first time in nearly four months felt extremely awkward.

Moreover, for some reason, Ludwin’s gaze wouldn’t leave me.

‘Why is he looking at me like that? I’m wearing a gown.’

I decided to start with a simple greeting.

“Are you alright? It seemed like you inhaled that smoke again during the day.”

“I’m fine. I didn’t inhale it that time.”

“That’s a relief.”

I sighed deeply in relief.

The memory of him transforming mercilessly the day we were attacked had left a significant impact on me.

“Well then, Lord, are you going back home now?”

“…What?”

“Now that you’ve returned to your human form, there’s no reason for you to stay here any longer. I’ll get you clothes and travel expenses, so it would be best if you left tonight without attracting attention. I’ll figure out how to explain Lu’s disappearance… huh?”

I was mumbling, trying to send him away quickly, thinking this was the perfect opportunity. Then I felt something strange and turned my head.

I saw Ludwin looking at me with a stunned expression, like he’d been stabbed in the back.

“Lord Rivolte?”

He moved his lips several times before finally speaking in a subdued voice.

“Was I…”

“Pardon?”

“Did I make you feel very uncomfortable?”

Ludwin’s expression became gloomy.

“First of all, I would like to apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused by my reckless behavior.”

“Oh, no! That’s not it…”

“Although it might sound like an excuse, I couldn’t control my instincts in my dog form…”

“Not at all! You weren’t uncomfortable at all.”

In fact, it was quite difficult to endure his unexpected cuteness. I had a hard time holding back.

Taken aback by his unexpected reaction, I waved my hands in denial.

“It’s just that you didn’t come here by choice. Now that you’ve returned to your human form, I thought it would be better for you to go back to Rivolte…?”

I trailed off, unable to continue after seeing his expression.

‘He looks like he might cry if I say anything more…’

His expression, with his eyebrows drooping and his lips tightly pressed together, left me speechless.

The image of Ludwin as a dog, with his ears and tail drooping sadly, overlapped with the current Ludwin.

A pretty man making such an expression made me feel like I had done something wrong.

‘I guess that drug has side effects.’

Maybe it makes a sword master soft.

Otherwise, why would a man, who used to give me cold stares and make my blood run cold, now act like a sad puppy?

While I was puzzled by the gap between the original story’s Ludwin and the puppy-like Ludwin before me, he hesitated for a moment and then proposed something with a determined look.

“I have a favor to ask.”

‘A favor?’

He straightened up and looked at me directly.

“If it’s not too much trouble… may I stay at Dilucia for a while?”

“What? At our house?”

His request was unexpected.

‘Why? Could it be… does he intend to kill me while staying at our house like I predicted?’

As my imagination was about to run wild again, Ludwin provided the answer.

“They will surely attack again.”

“Ah.”

His words brought me back to my senses.

I remembered the suspicious beastmen who attacked us last night.

Their strange eyes, voices, and threatening behavior sent chills down my spine.

‘So, they will come again?’

Ordinary soldiers or knights couldn’t fend off beastmen. According to the original story, only top-tier aura users or sword masters could handle them alone.

Ludwin, with a furrowed brow and a serious face, clasped his hands together.

“I don’t know why, but they are targeting you, my lady.”

I realized this from the recent attack. They even knew my name.

But I couldn’t understand why. Had I somehow harmed them without knowing?

My head felt dizzy.

“They are persistent and won’t give up easily.”

Lost in thought, Ludwin’s voice sounded distant.

‘No matter how I think about it, the only connection between me and the beastmen is Ludwin.’

The supporting male lead, blackened after being abandoned by the heroine, who became lethal in all matters.

I was an extremely dangerous person who held the weakness of Ludwin, the successor to the Duke’s family.

Even now, I could use the crown prince and his wife to control his future.

But now, even though I didn’t know the cause, some beastmen were targeting me.

Unidentified enemies. Unexplained incidents.

It was indeed a good opportunity for Ludwin.

But now, in this situation, he was asking to stay at our house.

Suddenly, the image of Loren staring at me from a dark alley flashed through my mind.

These pieces coming together led to a conclusion that left me in despair.

“…They said there was no one they could trust.”

“What?”

“So, I guess I am the problem.”

“What do you mean…?”

I bit my lip in betrayal.

I had come to feel close to Ludwin while living together.

I was more upset than I expected.

“Because I know your secret, My Lord. It’s a problem for an outsider to know the secret of the great noble Rivolte family, isn’t it? So, you plan to take advantage of the beastmen targeting me and…”

Ludwin was visibly taken aback by my words.

“Now, wait a minute. What do you mean? So you’re saying that I’m going to harm Tia…”

I thought he was playing dumb and felt even more upset.

“Don’t you hate me? You always frown and run away whenever you see me.”

I was about to burst into tears from the unfairness. I had saved him when we were kids!

Sure, I ran away because I was afraid of being killed, but he also frowned and avoided me. If that’s not dislike, then what is?

I couldn’t bring myself to say it all out loud, but the unfairness made tears pour from my eyes.

Although he pretended not to, he seemed secretly hurt.

“T-Tia.”

Seeing me cry, Ludwin looked flustered. His old self was visible.

That made me even sadder.

‘He was so cute when he was young!’

I was particularly concerned about Ludwin, whom I met for only ten days, compared to the other protagonists.

It always bothered me that I left him alone in that cold tower when he was still so young.

The clear amber eyes of the little boy who had blindly followed me suddenly came to mind.

Despite promising myself many times not to care because he was the most dangerous character, in the end, I continued to receive reports on Ludwin’s growth from Laplace Garden.

I was secretly happy when I heard that he was growing faster and more beautifully than the original.

‘And yet!’

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and let out a sad breath.

Ludwin was still looking at me with a confused expression.

“You were the one who pretended not to know me first. So I…”

Ludwin looked a little aggrieved.

“Of course, I did! I might die, so it’s natural!”

“Why is that natural?”

“Because I know your secret!”

“Why would I harm you for that! You’re my benefactor!”

His unexpected words made me open my eyes wide through my sobbing.

“…Benefactor?”

“Ha.”

Ludwin covered his face with his palm, muttering, ‘Where on earth did it all go wrong?’

Then, in that state, he asked gloomily.

“Is it so uncomfortable for you to let me stay here? That you would say such things…”

“No, if you’re not going to kill me, I don’t mind you staying.”

“Why would I…!”

Lifting his head sharply to refute, he sighed deeply again.

Seeing him like that made me feel like I had done something wrong.

‘Did I misjudge? Did he not intend to kill me? Was knowing his secret not the problem?’

Maybe I had misunderstood him from the beginning.

Wiping my eyes with my gown sleeve, I cautiously observed him.

“So, you’re not going to kill me? Even though I know you’re half beastmen?”

“I won’t kill you.”

He replied with a rare, harsh tone, almost growling.

“No matter how much of a beast I am, I am not trash enough to harm my benefactor.”

“Don’t say that. Our Lu is so cute!”

How could you call our cute Lu trash! I taught him not to belittle himself! I was happy he wouldn’t kill me, but still, that was too much!

Then Ludwin’s face turned bright red.

“Lu? Why… Ah!”

Suddenly, I realized what I had called Ludwin.