Failed to Train the Beast Male Lead

“…What?”

At the sudden question, Carol noticeably hardened her face. In fact, she still didn’t know how to react.

She thought it might be better to keep her distance in this disheartened state.

However, through this incident, Carol had no choice but to acknowledge that there were limits to what she could do alone.

‘If Louis wasn’t there, things wouldn’t have been handled so well.’

Not only did he call a doctor, but Louis also participated in nursing the two people. By the time it was morning and the birds were chirping, Louis took over the nursing duties.

Louis was now a noble. He couldn’t be asked to do trivial things. The Carol of younger days, who thought their carefree relationship would continue, was no more.

But when Carol said he didn’t have to do that, Louis rejected Carol’s refusal, saying it was even more hurtful to draw a line like this.

[I want to be helpful. You’d want to help me when I’m in trouble as well, right?]

[Even so.]

[Oh no. I’m going to be upset!]

[…Thank you.]

During the nursing, Louis didn’t mention anything about the Duke’s Mansion. When the siblings were okay and it was time to breathe a sigh of relief, Louis left.

She had to talk to him properly, and she had to say thank you.

“No, not yet. I was going to say hello properly yesterday… I didn’t know I would fall asleep. You should have woken me up.”

“He said he had urgent business and left, asking not to wake you up.”

“That’s true, and you can’t have a direct conversation in a sparrow state.”

Dylan responded to Kevin’s words, tearing at the tough bread.

“But…did you guys say hello?”

“Yeah, we did.”

“Good. Well done.”

Carol paused with a spoon in her hand, lost in thought.

Even if the two of them were like that, it was not enough for Carol to just say thank you.

‘Should I buy a decent gift?’

Although most things wouldn’t be lacking in Louis’ castle, she still wanted to show her sincerity.

‘I didn’t think Louis would think that far…’

The academy sponsorship was for talent cultivation, but she wasn’t naive enough to believe that straight away.

“About the academy…did you guys know?”

“No, we really didn’t know.”

“He said he wouldn’t have told us if it wasn’t for this.”

At the two people’s fervent advocacy, Carol nodded without much thought.

“Yeah…”

She was wondering when to ask for time.

Knock knock.

A knock sounded at the house where no one was supposed to come.

Kevin and Dylan quickly exchanged glances. Dylan, who was near the door, jumped up.

“There’s no one to come, who is it?”

Carol’s question was answered soon. Dylan grinned and laughed.

“When else are you going to wait until your day off? He’s not always here.”

Bang.

As Dylan opened the door, Louis entered, apologizing with a gesture at Dylan’s gaze as if he had finally arrived.

Carol blankly looked at Louis who had come in and tilted her head.

Why are you here?

“…Louis?”

“Good evening.”

Louis greeted naturally.

I thought I wouldn’t see him for a while because it was said he was busy. I thought I would only see him inside the Duke’s Mansion.

At Carol’s bewildered expression, Louis asked in a flustered voice.

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“Because I didn’t know you were coming.”

She didn’t know he was coming, but something was different. Louis, whom she saw yesterday, seemed like a stranger today.

‘…Just like when I first saw him at the Duke’s Mansion.’

It was the figure of Louis Dean, not the young Viscount of Walden. Louis, well-dressed, seemed somewhat unfamiliar. Louis approached Carol.

“You didn’t know? Kevin, Dylan.”

Louis snorted at the two of them.

“We must have forgotten because we were sick until yesterday.”

The two shrugged their shoulders and turned their eyes to the soup, saying they were hungry.

“I only boiled enough potato soup for our share…”

At Carol’s words, Kevin quickly poured his share onto her plate.

“I’m hungrier than usual because I’ve been cleaning.”

Carol moved her gaze to the pot where she was boiling the soup.

“There’s still a lot of soup left.”

“With that amount, I’ll eat it all.”

Dylan stood up abruptly and checked the amount of soup.

“…”

She could feel the two people’s determination to create an opportunity, even if it was awkward.

At the extreme attitude of Kevin and Dylan, Carol had no choice but to surrender.

“You can make time next time.”

At Louis’s affectionate tone, Carol nodded her head and picked up her coat.

“No, it’s a bit late. I’m worried the restaurant might be closed.”

“Do I look like someone who would worry about that when I’m out with you?”

Louis grinned, showing his teeth.

When the door opened, there was a carriage in front of the house. The carriage was small because the road to the inside was narrow, but it was a splendid carriage.

“Get in.”

Louis extended his hand politely.

“Gladly.”

Carol matched Louis’s pace, took his hand, and climbed into the carriage.

“But where are we going?”

“Secret.”

“I didn’t dress properly, is that okay?”

“I have to make sure there’s no place that would reject you, even if you’re wearing rags.”

“Thank you, even just for saying that.”

At Louis’s exaggerated tone, the tension eased.

‘I was secretly worried about where Louis was taking me.’

Louis wouldn’t go to the shabby restaurant he used to go to when he was young anymore.

‘My friend.’

He was the first friend she made here.

Even though he must have noticed that she felt awkward because he had changed, she was grateful for him treating her the same.

It’s natural to change as you grow up.

Rattle.

Every time the carriage shook, their knees brushed against each other. At Carol’s gaze, Louis coughed and asked.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No… I was thinking about the old days.”

“The old days?”

“In the old days, you used to hate beastmen.”

“…When was that.”

That was a time he didn’t want to talk about.

****

The Dean family became a beastman-friendly family, thanks to the help received from a beastman to the first head of the family.

However, it was extremely rare for a human noble, not a beastman, to help, so the beastmen were always on guard rather than being grateful.

As a child, Louis found such a family frustrating.

[Why should we help if they don’t even appreciate it?]

The Dean family was a family whose power was declining to the point of being embarrassing to call them nobles.

Although they hardly had the capacity to help others, the head of the family put all his effort into helping the beastmen.

[It’s because of the favor we received in the past.]

He thought it was enough to have repaid it over several generations. The balance was not right.

[This winter is particularly harsh. If we give everything away, we’ll have a hard time getting through the winter.]

[Thus there will be more people who desperately need help.]

Louis frowned at his father’s answer.

He disliked the foolish beastmen who only knew to be on guard and didn’t know gratitude.

In the past, they used to send supplies with a porter and only occasionally showed their faces, but now even that was not possible, so the head of the family had to personally drive the carriage.

[…It’s almost father’s birthday, isn’t it?]

[That’s why we decided to go together instead of a gift, right? Cough.]

[…Just going together instead of a gift. You’re not even in good health.]

[Thank you for worrying.]

It was upsetting that his voice was getting worse due to the dry air and the coughing, he didn’t even think about taking care of his health.

[Didn’t you enjoy meeting friends your age every time you went?]

[I just go along with it.]

Whether it was the half-beast who couldn’t change into a human, or the twins who were always chasing after the half-beast, they were nothing but annoying.

From a young age, Louis was able to objectively evaluate himself.

He was too talented to stay in a small territory in the north.

There had been talk of sending him to study in the capital early on, but Louis stayed in the territory.

Because he liked his poor but generous father, and the family with warm ideals.

[I’ll just follow.]

[Okay.]

Despite the grumbling words that were contrary to his true feelings, a tender answer came back.

That day, like any other day, he fit in moderately and then laid down the gauntlet that he would be in the carriage.

In fact, Louis had a different plan.

[We’ve arrived… Are you just going to stay in the carriage?]

[I thought you said you’ll only be here for a few hours and then you’ll come back.]

[Okay. Come in whenever you want.]

[Okay.]

First, he confirmed through the window that his father was among the beastmen. It was a group that greeted his father among the beastmen on guard.

When the Baron Dean entered, a small bird peeked out between the old curtains.

[What are you looking at!]

Louis quickly closed the curtain.

It would take at least a few hours for his father to return to the carriage.

Louis slipped out of the door on the opposite side of the carriage. Then, without hesitation, he began to walk up towards the highest ground.

Before coming here, he had read the herbal medicine textbook several times to check. He designated the destination by feeling the terrain of the place he had been before.

If he could find a herb good for the throat, it would definitely help his father.

Looking at the sky, the clouds were thick, but it was not snowing. He thought it was fortunate and moved his steps diligently.

Every time he stepped on the snow, there was a crunching sound. Because it was a place where people rarely went to, his feet sank deeply.

It was cold when he started walking, but soon he was sweating enough to loosen the scarf he was wearing.

[Huff… Huff.]

The expectation that he could find it soon was nicely sidestepped.

It was said to be a common herb in the snow forest of the highlands.

[It’s not there.]

But buried in the snow, and he couldn’t see anything but snow.