Failed to Train the Beast Male Lead

But Noah quickly explained why he had hesitated, assuring the Duke had not misheard.

“But, well, I’m of low status and this is our first meeting, so if I just asked to sit on the bed…I was afraid you’d think me rude.”

“…I don’t think it rude.”

“Then may I sit?”

“Yes.”

With the Duke’s permission, Noah climbed right onto the bed. Rather than keeping some distance, he plopped down directly next to the Duke, their clothes touching.

The Duke stiffened. In his unpleasant imaginings, he had seldom envisioned a child accepting him like this.

“Hehe.”

But he had not expected this. Noah had already become completely at ease, showing a shy, fidgety side he hadn’t displayed even to Carol.

To have family treat him with such decorum for the first time – did his appearance really matter?

“Hah…”

Carol exhaled at Noah’s unexpectedly innocent demeanor.

She should feel glad he accepted it well, yet her feelings were mixed.

It felt like a slightly prickly but affectionate cat had left her to rub against and fawn over someone else.

‘Still, I’m relieved.’

Carol looked at the two seated side-by-side. Though seeming completely different species, they somehow appeared alike too.

If these two, who had families yet not proper ones, could become each other’s support, what more could she ask for?

“Noah, why don’t we have dinner together here? If that’s alright with you, Your Grace?”

“…I’m fine with it.”

“I’m fine too!” Noah promptly replied. Though unseen, the Duke could sense how small the child beside him was.

“Then I’ll let Mrs. Wells know and be right back.”

Carol briefly excused herself. Once alone, the Duke posed the question lingering on his lips.

“…Aren’t you afraid of me?”

The Duke’s extremely cautious tone put Noah more at ease.

“At first I was startled, not scared.”

The Duke let out a wry chuckle at Noah’s serious tone.

“I see.”

“Were you born like this?”

The servants who had seen the Duke years ago in the annex unanimously raved about how remarkably handsome and radiant his appearance used to be.

“No, it became like this due to a curse.”

It was an ancient tradition of the Winternox family, a weight to bear to uphold the family’s honor. The Duke did not offer this explanation first.

It was something Noah would eventually ask about, but not on the first day.

Noah also could not deeply ponder the curse yet. He was more curious about the visible features.

“…Did the horns hurt when they grew in?”

“…Yes. More than I thought my remarkable patience could endure.”

“And now?”

“It’s fine now.”

“That’s a relief.”

Noah stared intently at the horns. The more he looked, the less scary and almost impressive they seemed.

‘Since the horns have no feeling, it should be okay to lightly touch them, right?’

He still sensed the Duke feeling burdened. So he couldn’t bring himself to ask if touching was allowed.

He just intended a very light touch.

Noah reached out his hand. The height was more than expected, so his hand didn’t immediately reach the horns.

Noah leaned his weight back as he stretched out his arm.

“Whoa…!”

The moment he nearly touched the horn, he lost his balance. Flailing to avoid falling, Noah gripped the first thing his hand contacted.

The instant he felt something solid in his grasp, his view abruptly shifted to the ceiling.

“…What are you doing?”

Startled by his horn being touched, the Duke stood up from the bed.

The rocking motion sent Noah tumbling backwards.

For a moment he nearly pushed the small child with full force.

‘Now he’ll surely be afraid of me.’

The Duke rubbed his forehead. Just when he thought things were going well, this happened.

“Sigh.…..”

The Duke rubbed his forehead.

‘I overreacted.’

He could have simply endured and moved past it.

But one’s most sincere actions tend to come when acting without awareness.

Just like others screaming upon seeing the Duke’s appearance.

The Duke disliked his own horns. They were his least human part.

He moved toward the window, rubbed his face with his hand.

He feared what the child might say. That he acted monstrously violent, as expected?

But once again, the Duke’s expectations were pleasantly defied.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to reach out like that.”

Rather than being scared, Noah was disappointed in himself. He had clearly seen Mrs. Wells scold Norman.

Unable to follow Noah’s train of thought, the Duke asked.

“Why are you apologizing?”

He couldn’t make sense of Noah’s thinking at all. One moment he seemed afraid, then abruptly clung close, then suddenly tried touching, and now he was apologizing after being pushed away.

“I did something you dislike.”

“Children naturally make mistakes. My reaction was excessive.”

Better to have an innocent exterior than the reverse. To Noah, the Duke was one of the few proper adults he had known.

Though they had just met, Noah felt a desire for the Duke to view him as favorably as he viewed the Duke.

“Did I upset you?”

“…I was a bit startled.”

Worried Noah might feel cold, the Duke closed the slightly open window.

Instead of returning to the bed, the Duke sat before that window.

“Actually, I really think the horns look cool. May I touch them?”

“…!”

The Duke cleared his throat at Noah’s brazen words.

Even Mrs. Wells, Norman, and Carol avoided rashly commenting on his appearance, an unspoken rule.

A child’s innocence lightly shattered that rule.

“Is it difficult?”

“No, but……”

This time, Noah seemed firmly resolved to wait for permission before acting, unmoving on the bed.

Though unseen, the Duke felt the child’s intent gaze.

Ultimately, he had to concede. The Duke slowly returned to where he had been seated.

“Very well, you may.”

Only after being permitted did Noah carefully rise.

With each rocking motion, the Duke’s heart swayed too. Getting on his knees, Noah lightly gripped the Duke’s shoulder.

The Duke tilted his head slightly toward Noah.

“You truly don’t find me frightening, it seems.”

The Duke remarked again in wonder, a mutter close to a whisper. Yet Noah dutifully replied.

“Mrs. Wells and Carol said you’re a kind person. Talking to you, I can tell it’s true, so I’m not scared.”

Noah’s clear voice could not be forced by anyone.

His cautious touch met the horns. As Noah expected, they felt more like hair than skin.

He felt the touch but no major sensation. After feeling the horns a few times, Noah carefully withdrew his hand.

His chest felt tingly. It was a pleasant feeling, but he was still a bit dazed.

It was his first time accepting someone so quickly and easily.

The child’s transparent emotions extinguished even the last flicker of doubt trying to arise in the Duke’s heart.

Knock knock.

Carol returned with the knock.

“Shall we have dinner now?”

Since the table beside the bed couldn’t seat three, Carol naturally set the places on the sofa side.

“Yeah.”

At Carol’s words, Noah promptly got up and scampered over to her.

The Duke soon followed, rising to join them on the sofa.

Today’s menu was beef Wellington. Slicing into the premium beef cooked in a mushroom paste, ham, and pastry revealed the bright red meat inside.

Beside it were mushroom risotto, carrot purée, and roasted parsnips.

“Norman must have worked really hard today.”

“It smells absolutely luxurious.”

“A fitting holiday menu.”

After carefully portioning everything onto one plate and drizzling it with red wine sauce, Carol handed the dish to the Duke.

Once they all had their plates, Carol naturally initiated conversation.

“It seems you two conversed a lot while I was gone?”

The Duke smiled at her remark.

“Indeed. By the way, I heard quite well what you’ve said about me.”

“…Huh?”

What had they discussed alone? She was only gone briefly, yet they had instantly grown close.

Realizing her comments played a role in their newfound closeness, Carol glanced at Noah.

“…Noah, what did you say?”

“Just what Carol had said.”

“Which was what, exactly?”

“Who knows?”

Noah shrugged and picked up his fork. Carol turned back to the Duke.

“What did I say?”

“Who knows.”

The two laughed, and eventually Carol joined in the laughter too.