Episode 127

“Ugh, my back hurts.”

Yvonne was faking it. Yurian had teased her so relentlessly that she was still embarrassed just thinking about it. If things continued like this, she was sure she wouldn’t even be able to step outside the room.

“It’s been over three days since I last left the bedroom.”

“I see.”

“Yurian, don’t you have work?”

“I was on leave for three days.”

“And today?”

“Today is extended leave.”

Yurian answered shamelessly. He hadn’t expected things to go this way, but that didn’t mean he’d been neglecting his duties. He simply finished what needed to be done while Yvonne was asleep and returned right away.

He wanted to be the first thing she saw when she woke up. So he often handled urgent paperwork at the door and quietly watched her sleep while working inside the room.

“You’re insane.”

“Yes. I love you more than anything in this world.”

“Ugh…”

Yvonne couldn’t think of a sharper comeback, so she just left it there. She felt his strong, firm arm beneath her ear. When Yurian’s heart rate sped up, she could hear the thudding of his heartbeat echoing clearly in her ear.

“Good grief… what am I going to do with you?”

“Hahaha.”

Yurian gazed into Yvonne’s eyes as she looked up at him and said,

“Still, if you stay indoors too long, it won’t be good for you.”

“Of course not.”

Watching her sit up, Yurian rose from the bed as well.

“Would you like to walk in the garden?”

“Sure.”

Yurian glanced at Yvonne’s clothes scattered on the floor and smiled slightly, then opened the wardrobe. Most of her clothes were stored in the dressing room, but they usually kept a few things for the day in the wardrobe.

“What kind of outfit would you like?”

“Something simple.”

“Then how about this?”

“That works.”

Yvonne crossed her arms and answered with a bit of defiance. After all, what Yurian had shown her was just one of her tunics.

“Taking a walk in just that sounds light and refreshing.”

She said that as if refusing to back down, and reached out to take the tunic Yurian had picked up.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and give it to me.”

“…”

Yurian gripped the tunic more tightly, deciding again that teasing her was impossible.

“I apologize. I’ll bring you something proper to wear.”

“What’s wrong with that one?”

“I don’t want other men seeing you like that.”

“Like what, exactly?”

“The way you are in front of me now—undressed.”

“Pfft…”

Yvonne let out a soft laugh at his blunt honesty, her tension fading. Realizing she might’ve been a bit much herself, she slipped her arm through Yurian’s and leaned her head against him.

“Then shall I wear only that tonight—for fun?”

“Yes.”

Yurian grasped her hand tightly, as if he truly meant it. Amused by his seriousness, Yvonne grinned brightly and gave his hand a squeeze in return.

* * *

“Yurian, you’re really shameless.”

“I suppose I have a bit of shameless charm.”

Yurian said as he hugged Yvonne tightly.

“You said we were going for a walk.”

“And we are walking, aren’t we?”

“My feet aren’t even touching the ground—how is this a walk?”

“Well, we’re moving together, so it’s still a walk.”

Yvonne was being carried in Yurian’s arms. With a bit of playful spite, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Yurian, noticing the pressure, acted like he was choking—but stopped when he saw her expression wasn’t so lighthearted.

“If you want to go somewhere, just steer me there.”

“Then go that way.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Yvonne pointed toward a building that looked dangerous even at a glance.

“What’s that place for?”

“That’s where we keep the beasts.”

“The beasts? Why?”

“For experiments.”

She looked puzzled. Though the Bricesys Empire did sometimes handle beasts, she had never seen one in person. Most of their military power came from knights, not monsters.

“Aren’t monsters rare?”

“Would you like to see one?”

“Yes.”

He hesitated. Of course, he didn’t mind getting hurt himself while fighting beasts—it was easy enough to subdue them—but the thought of Yvonne getting hurt terrified him.

To Yurian, Yvonne was someone strong in spirit when she wanted to make him happy, but physically delicate—like glass, always seeming as if she might break. He could protect her from the monsters, but ensuring she wasn’t harmed at all might be more difficult.

Still, he wanted to grant her every wish. Yvonne wasn’t reckless, and he knew she wouldn’t ask for anything unreasonable.

“If you get hurt, I think I’ll want to die.”

“Why do you have to twist your words like that just to say no?”

“I’m not refusing. I’m just afraid you might get hurt.”

“Then I’ll stay hidden safely behind you.”

“…Understood.”

Yurian, trusting her words, began heading toward the beast containment facility.

Yvonne could feel his tension, which made her nervous too. She had only heard of monsters—like something out of a legend.

“So, what kind of experiments do they do?”

“For those with physical enhancement abilities, beasts are essential. Even after awakening, constant training is needed.”

“Then are the monsters yours?”

“To say they’re mine…”

Yurian hesitated to find the right word for Yvonne. He knew she disliked vulgar talk and crude behavior, so he wanted to distance himself from the violent image he had on the battlefield.

And since he was more used to dealing with men, he didn’t really know what kind of elegance women liked. He regretted not preparing himself better—he should’ve learned proper manners.

“What I use doesn’t last long. So, no, none are really mine.”

“Why don’t they last?”

“Yvonne… doesn’t like ignorance, does she?”

“…Do I come off that way?”

“Yes.”

Yurian’s pace slowed slightly, prompting Yvonne to think for a moment before responding.

“I used to be like that.”

Yurian had been anxiously waiting for her next words, but even after he took five more steps, she said nothing.

“But you’ve already shown me plenty of your rough side.”

“…I see.”

“So it’s fine. It’s not as bad as I thought.”

Relieved, Yurian’s heart calmed down, and he resumed walking forward. The warehouse holding the beasts wasn’t far—but since he’d been dragging his feet, it had taken a while.

“Put me down.”

“Yes.”

Once Yvonne was out of his arms, she stood behind him. When she gently grabbed the back of his coat, his hand trembled.

“Show me the last one you saw.”

“Yes.”

Yurian pulled a lever, and the door creaked open. Yvonne followed closely behind as he led the way.

The interior was fairly bright. But despite being a freestanding building, it felt damp and ominous, as though underground.

“What was that lever earlier?”

“If anyone unauthorized tries to open it, it’s dangerous. Be careful.”

“Isn’t it just a regular handle?”

“No. If someone unapproved tries to open it, they’ll burn on the spot.”

“Oh…”

Yvonne realized even as a joke, trying to open doors here would be a bad idea. Her cautious reaction seemed to amuse Yurian, who chuckled softly as he continued ahead. He thought about taking her hand—but knew that would only make it harder to get her out of here quickly.

He just wanted to show her a little and leave. After all, this place was dangerous.

“The ones I use most are in the center.”

“I see.”

As they passed through a long corridor, a low growl echoed in the silence.

Grrrrr…!

“Yurian, I think I heard something.”

“They can’t get this far. And they’re all contained—don’t worry.”

Yurian was thankful for the spatial distortion here. Just one step beyond the corridor, and the warped vision would clear. Then she would see the countless cages piled around them.

Since Yvonne had never seen a monster before, he thought of showing her one of the tamer ones. But then she might be shocked later upon learning what they really looked like.

“They’re probably disgusting… are you really okay with seeing them?”

“Yes.”

With no choice, Yurian continued on. When they finally reached the center, a dark wall blocked their path.

“They’re really going to be ugly.”

“Just open it.”

Though Yvonne felt overwhelmed by the constant growling in the background, her curiosity about seeing a monster didn’t fade.

“Understood.”

Yurian looked at her once, sighed, and pulled the lever at the end of the corridor.

Creak.

With a loud sound, a creature came into view. It had the limbs of a person, but was as large as a beast, with protruding fangs.

“Ah…”

Grrrrrr!

“Take off its collar.”

“…What?”

“Quickly.”

Strangely, Yvonne could feel her magic stirring inside her chest.

It felt as though she might be able to control the monster.