I Received the Beast Male Lead as a Birthday Present

Episode 7

 

After finishing the disastrous bath, about a day and a half passed.

 

During that time, I began my work by going to find Michael.

 

The tasks I had when meeting Michael were simple.

 

Monitoring whether he finished the provided meal.

 

And applying the herbs separately sent by Eren to his wounds.

 

For me, who had been idling and indulging in luxury without daily tasks, it was a quite refreshing routine.

 

“Good morning, puppy.”

 

As usual, I went to the reception hall for work and greeted Michael with a cheerful smile.

 

Since he hadn’t been released from the demon’s leash yet, he maintained his small size, just like when he entered the bath.

 

“…”

 

Whether he greeted or not, Michael didn’t even spare me a glance and made a disgruntled noise.

 

Seeing his cold reaction, it seemed that he still harbored a grudge from the incident at the bath a few days ago.

 

‘Well, I guess I was a bit harsh back then.’

 

Even so, I didn’t ask for a full-blown “bang” sound.

 

Thanks to Michael surprisingly obediently following my commands, I unknowingly ordered too many things, which turned into a nuisance.

 

“Puppy.”

 

“…”

 

Seems like the term “Puppy” still didn’t sit well with him. Michael narrowed his fish-like eyes and glared at me.

 

I responded with a cheerful smile and showed him the medicine bottle I had received from Eren.

 

“Since we need to apply medicine to your wounds, could you come over here for a moment?”

 

“Tsk.”

 

As soon as Michael saw the medicine bottle, he clicked his tongue and got up from his spot.

 

It was the only time he obediently complied, unlike his usual stubbornness.

 

‘He probably knows that this medicine is effective.’

 

I swallowed a smirking laugh and watched him emerge from the cell.

 

Until Eren mentioned sending herbs, I had wondered how effective they would be.

 

But once I received them and tried using them, it was clear that Michael’s wounds were healing quickly.

 

‘Honestly, I wasn’t very convinced at first… But by now, I can’t deny it.’

 

Recalling the last image I had of Eren, I let out a sigh inwardly.

 

Since the incident where I had chased him out of the bath, I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him separately.

 

‘For now, let’s focus on Michael and deal with Eren’s matters later.’

 

While I was lost in various thoughts, Michael slumped in front of me with a sullen face.

 

I pet his head as a form of praise and then began applying the herbs to his wounds.

 

Normally, such tasks would be assigned to a subordinate, but because the servants were too afraid of Michael, I ended up doing it myself.

 

“Even if it stings, bear with it.”

 

I carefully applied the crushed herbs like an ointment onto Michael’s wounds.

 

Throughout the process, Michael didn’t show a hint of pain and obediently entrusted his body to me.

 

“It’s all done, puppy.”

 

After applying the herbs and stepping back, Michael got up from his spot as if he had been waiting.

 

He lightly shook his body and then walked to the sunny spot near the window, where he lay down comfortably.

 

As the sunlight touched his fur, his golden hair shimmered brilliantly.

 

‘After a thorough wash, you do look pretty.’

 

Before giving him a bath, he had a somewhat disheveled appearance.

 

Now, simply lying down, he looked naturally beautiful.

 

‘Even as a wolf, he looked like that. I wonder how he appeared as a human.’

 

I got lost in trivial thoughts as I observed Michael from a distance.

 

Since I had never seen him in his human form, I was very curious about what he looked like.

 

‘But he’s still the lord in name, so he must be handsome, of course.’

 

Although it’s a bit disappointing that I’ve never seen that handsome face even once and will have to let him go without seeing it.

 

However, I couldn’t just abruptly ask Michael to show his face.

 

‘Well, I might have a chance to see it at least once in my lifetime, right?’

 

Of course, I had no intention of approaching Michael first.

 

Even though I was currently taking care of him, my determination to not get involved with the protagonist remained unchanged.

 

‘Michael probably wouldn’t want to get involved with me again.’

 

If I were Michael, I wouldn’t want to meet someone who treats me like a dog and calls me “puppy” again.

 

‘…By the way, he looks really content.’

 

I glanced at Michael with a sidelong glance.

 

Basking in the warm sunlight, he had his eyes closed and seemed to be in a pleasant state, not even moving a muscle.

 

‘He should enjoy the sunlight properly outside, if possible.’

 

With a sudden thought, I slowly closed and opened my eyes.

 

‘…Should I bring up the topic with Father later?’

 

If I could persuade him well, maybe he would allow us to take a stroll in the garden in front.

 

‘Staying indoors all the time isn’t good for the body either, so I should let him get some fresh air this time.’

 

Thinking that, I slowly moved to the window seat next to Michael.

 

As I stood by the glass window, warm sunlight touched my face.

 

‘…It does feel nice.’

 

Like Michael, I closed my eyes and savored the sunlight for a moment.

 

Perhaps it was the morning, I felt a bit drowsy too.

 

‘Maybe I should take a short nap before going to lunch….’

 

* * *

 

Sensing a presence beside him, Michael quietly opened his eyes.

 

When he turned his head, he saw Cynthia standing in front of the window, her eyes closed in quiet contemplation.

 

Under the sunlight, she looked like a painting come to life.

 

Because of that, Michael found himself unconsciously staring at her.

 

And that’s when it happened.

 

“…!”

 

Feeling his gaze, Cynthia suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him.

 

Caught off guard by the unexpected eye contact, Michael quickly averted his gaze.

 

He felt as if he had been caught even though he hadn’t been stealing glances.

 

‘By the way, that woman keeps coming without getting tired of it.’

 

Michael cleared his throat softly and once again glanced at Cynthia from the corner of his eye.

 

It had already been the third day since he had come to stay in this place.

 

During that time, Cynthia had been visiting him every day without fail.

 

Why bother paying so much attention to a beast bought with money?’

 

No one would argue against her dedicating care even if he were left untreated.

 

To others, he might be nothing more than a mere animal.

 

However, Cynthia Evergreen poured an excessive amount of care into him, going beyond what was necessary.

 

As if there was a reason he had to get better.

 

‘…Is she feeling sympathy for me?’

 

Even among his subordinates, there were those with a soft spot for injured animals they couldn’t simply pass by.

 

Cynthia Evergreen might be one of those types of people.

 

‘From what I’ve seen so far, she doesn’t seem particularly weak-hearted…’

 

At least, she didn’t seem to have a cruel hobby like he initially thought.

 

‘Regardless of the reason, I seem to owe the lady.’

 

Thanks to her meticulous care, he was recovering faster than he had expected.

 

The poison that had lingered in his body was now almost completely purified.

 

‘If she weren’t the lady, the situation would be much worse than it is now.’

 

I don’t particularly like being treated like a dog.

 

However, given the assistance I’ve received so far, I could overlook that level of impoliteness.

 

‘Now, I just need to find the right opportunity to escape.’

 

As he thought that, he was about to close his eyes again.

 

Instinctively, Michael rose to his feet at the sense of a presence from afar.

 

‘…From the sound of footsteps, they all seem to be armored knights. Why are they suddenly gathering?’

 

He remained alert, focusing on the approaching sound of footsteps.

 

“Why are you acting like that, puppy?”

 

Seeing him abruptly stand up, Cynthia asked curiously.

 

And eventually, it was the moment she approached Michael.

 

Bang!

 

With a loud noise, the grand doors of the reception hall, which had been tightly closed, swung open.

 

‘They’re here.’

 

Michael let out a low growl and blocked Cynthia’s path.

 

It was a move made out of a fleeting thought, but in the end, it turned out to be a pointless action.

 

“I was wondering where our daughter had gone. Turns out she’s here again.”

 

The unexpected intruder was none other than Duke Evergreen.

 

* * *

 

“…Father?”

 

‘Why is Father here at this hour?’

 

I stared at Father with wide eyes before quickly turning my head.

 

It was a belated realization that Michael was outside the bars.

 

‘Perhaps he’s angry.’

 

I discreetly gauged Father’s reaction.

 

Sure enough.

 

As soon as Father spotted Michael standing in front of me, his expression stiffened.

 

The knights who had been following Father also noticed Michael and hastily gripped their sword handles.

 

Tension filled the reception hall in an instant.

 

“…Cynthia. Why is the wolf that should be inside the cell, outside?”

 

Unusually serious, Father asked me.

 

“Well… I thought he might feel frustrated being trapped inside all the time, so I let him out for a moment.”

 

Keeping an eye on Father’s expression, I discreetly moved closer to Michael’s side.

 

Seemingly not pleased with the threatening attitude of the knights, Michael was growling softly and subtly shaking his head.

 

“Puppy, hush.”

 

As a gesture of obedience, I patted his head, feeling him flinch.

 

Continuing to move my hand, I whispered softly, making sure only he could hear.

 

“If you don’t want to make this situation worse, stay quiet.”