Failed to Train the Beast Male Lead

Carol set down the tea and bowed her head, stepping back.

Her face turned bright red, as if her heart had moved to her face.

Although the novel described him as having beauty that could captivate the young ladies of the capital’s social circle in an instant…

‘He’s way too handsome!’

Carol bit her lower lip hard. His appearance was beyond what the novel’s description could convey.

His silver hair shone as if the moon had been finely shattered and sprinkled over it, and beneath it were neat, well-defined features.

However, he didn’t look frail or like a priest at all.

And the glimpse of ennui on his ascetic-looking face made it impossible to take one’s eyes off him.

His pronounced jaw and the fierce-looking body that asserted its presence even through his clothes made him appear like a predator at the top of the food chain.

Noah had said he’d give her a chance to see him up close, but she hadn’t expected to see him this close.

It was fortunate that they met on the last day as planned.

If she had to work for a few more days after seeing the Duke’s face, she would have surely made countless mistakes.

Carol hoped the Duke wouldn’t look her way. Those eyes, the color of the sun at its most fiery red, seemed truly harmful to the heart.

Thump.

Thump.

She should leave with her head bowed, but her feet wouldn’t move easily.

‘Get a grip, Carol.’

Carol moistened her dry lips and forced her unmoving feet to step.

She clenched her fists so tightly her hands turned white.

Just as she finally managed to move her heavy feet…

Step.

Step.

A voice, cracked from heat, stopped Carol in her tracks.

“Teacher.”

She felt as if her heart had plummeted from the top of her head to her feet.

Only after Carol abruptly stopped did she realize her mistake.

“I’ve finished my task, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Carol spoke, forcibly lowering her voice.

Then she turned, bowed her head, and headed towards the door again.

Click.

Just as Carol opened the door halfway and was about to hurry out…

Slam.

But before Carol could step outside, the Duke had somehow followed and closed the door.

Trapped within the Duke’s arms, Carol stood still, unable to reopen the door or turn back.

She had thought he wouldn’t recognize her. It was natural. The Duke had never seen Carol’s appearance before.

“…You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

“Mistaken? You say?”

The Duke grabbed Carol’s shoulders and turned her to face him. His trembling fingertips touched Carol’s cheek.

It was such a gentle touch that it seemed it would give way if she pushed even slightly, but Carol couldn’t push him away.

“You say I’ve mistaken you?”

“……”

The Duke chuckled. If it had been a feeling light enough to mistake for someone else, it might have been better.

“Please don’t say such things.”

The Duke whispered, almost pleading. Carol stepped back, but soon felt the cold touch of the door against her back.

“……”

Carol suddenly realized what was at the end of his gaze.

He was looking precisely at the point where his hand touched Carol.

What the Duke saw was none other than herself. The point of contact felt as hot as if it were burned.

His intense gaze was unlike anything Carol had ever experienced before, making her momentarily forget even to breathe.

“I’m not the teacher……”

Even to herself, her voice lacked conviction. The Duke’s voice, hoarse with heat, enveloped Carol.

“Every night, I’ve been thinking about the moment I touched the teacher’s cheek.”

He whispered as if revealing a secret. His breath was hot against her cheeks.

“……”

His prominent knuckles gripped her wrist.

“How could I mistake you?”

“……”

She couldn’t bring herself to ask what exactly he had done.

“How easily my resolve to act like a gentleman, which I repeated hundreds of times, crumbles.”

The Duke clicked his tongue at his own lack of patience, but he didn’t seem to dislike this fact.

Just as she was about to move her lips, not knowing what to say.

“If you want to avoid this, avoid it now.”

The Duke’s face slowly approached.

Countless reasons to push him away came to mind. But despite that, the desire to continue prevailed.

Instead of pushing him away, Carol closed her eyes. The Duke, taking this as permission, lowered his head deeply.

Their lips met, and their breaths mingled.

The Duke firmly held her waist and the back of her neck. Carol’s wandering hands, after flailing in the air, clung to his back as if holding on.

“…Mmph.”

Their first kiss tasted like the tea they often shared.

The kiss, which started gently, turned persistent.

“Haa… Haa…”

Only after the Duke briefly parted his lips did Carol breathe heavily. He traced her glistening lips with his finger.

His lips lightly brushed Carol’s, and the Duke pressed his forehead against hers.

“Carol.”

He called her name in a low voice. Carol wanted to call his name in return.

“Ed…”

Creak.

The door right behind Carol opened unexpectedly. Startled, Carol turned around and lost her footing.

The Duke caught Carol.

“Be careful.”

“…Thank you.”

“Oh, Carol?”

The person who opened the door was Noah, who had said he was going to the restroom. Noah was equally surprised to find Carol there as soon as he opened the door.

The moment her eyes met Noah’s, Carol snapped back to her senses.

She shook off the Duke’s arm.

“I’ll take my leave first.”

Carol hurriedly left, taking quick steps. Once she turned the corner in the hallway, she began to run.

Thud, thud, thud.

Every blood vessel in her body was racing.

‘He recognized me.’

Joy that she hadn’t been forgotten, shame at being caught disguised even as a maid.

Though she was out of breath, Carol didn’t stop running.

She had thought that seeing the Duke with Elisha Chesworth would make her give up cleanly.

How arrogant she had been.

The feelings she believed were cooling off returned to their place in an instant.

****

Noah watched Carol’s retreating figure with a dumbfounded expression as she hurried away.

“Noah.”

The Duke was also standing right in front of the door. Anyone could see they had been standing face to face.

“…Yes?”

“So this is what you meant earlier.”

As the Duke narrowed his eyes and spoke to Noah, Noah felt guilty and tried to deflect.

“I only granted a request. But since I’m the one who granted it, if you’re going to be angry, be angry at me.”

Noah said, squeezing his eyes shut to protect his little friend.

“I’m not angry.”

The Duke ruffled Noah’s hair.

“…You’re not angry?”

“Not at all. I should be grateful, actually.”

After all, he had waited needlessly in front of Carol’s tutoring place when she was right here in his house.

The Duke returned to his seat and drank the half-cooled tea. Noah also sat down awkwardly.

“How did you know the teacher was here?”

“Well… A servant threw away the scarf I brought, and by chance…”

Noah answered diligently to the Duke’s naturally started interrogation. It was something the Duke could easily figure out even if Noah didn’t answer.

“I see. So that’s what happened.”

“That’s how it went.”

“But you didn’t pretend to recognize her right away, I suppose.”

“Carol showed signs of disliking it.”

“Then how did you make contact? There must have been many eyes watching.”

“…That…”

Noah, who had been answering diligently, hesitated for the first time. Seeing this, the Duke spoke in a casual tone.

“I suppose she transformed and visited your room.”

“Yes… What?”

Noah, who had nodded in agreement to the Duke’s nonchalantly uttered words, soon sprang up from his chair like a spring.

“That…!”

Over the years, Noah had come to understand why Carol had asked to keep her beastman identity a secret.

Having known Carol first and then learning about the prejudice against beastmen, Noah had almost no aversion to beastmen. But the Duke would likely be different.

“So you knew about it too, as I thought.”

Contrary to his expectations, Noah sat back down at the Duke’s calm attitude.

“As you thought…You knew about it too, Duke?”

“Yes.”

The Duke smiled, recalling the small feather in his room.

He thought of her, timid yet careless in covering her tracks.

“…Then what was the problem?”

Noah couldn’t understand. Don’t they like each other, and hasn’t the Duke already known about the most problematic fact?

“Problem?”

“Didn’t Carol just leave angrily?”

“I acted too hastily.”

The Duke admitted his mistake, leaning back in his chair.

Noah couldn’t bring himself to ask what the Duke had done to admit fault so readily.

The usually meticulous Duke became more human when it came to Carol.

Noah glanced at the teacup on the trolley. He thought he should drink his tea back in his room.

Noah remembered Carol asking him to keep her secret.

“Did Carol tell you directly that she’s a beastman?”

“Ah.”

“…Does Carol know that you know?”

“I suppose I should tell her that too.”

The Duke had forgotten about it, already not caring whether Carol was fierce-looking or a monster.

‘Though she’s too cute to be called fierce-looking.’

The Duke stood up first. Even if she were fierce-looking, anyone who knew Carol’s personality couldn’t help but love her.

And to think she was cute on top of that.

Recalling the lips he had just tasted, his body grew hot like a boy going through puberty.

He felt impatient.

The thirst after having had a taste was even worse than when he didn’t know at all. It felt like his throat was burning up.