Episode 9

The moment Cynthia wrapped her arms around him, Michael involuntarily stiffened.

‘Isn’t this too close?’ he thought.

Even when he took on the appearance of a human, he had never been this intimately close to someone before.

Given the circumstances, he couldn’t help but tense up when Cynthia leaned against him.

‘How long do you plan on staying like this?’ he wondered.

As time passed without any sign of her moving away, he sneakily glanced to the side and saw Cynthia with her eyes closed, still leaning on him.

‘Asleep? In this situation?’ Michael couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

Even if she was holding a leash, it didn’t change the fact that there was a wild beast next to her.

‘Now she really seems to think of me as a dog or a cat,’ he mused.

‘Come to think of it, seeing her up close like this is a first.’

Michael stared at the soundly sleeping Cynthia, who was leaning on him.

Her peaceful, gently breathing face was so serene that he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

‘She seems tired, so maybe I’ll leave her like this for a while.”

He adjusted his position slightly to make Cynthia more comfortable and then quietly rested his chin on her front paw.

Closing his eyes, a pleasant sense of drowsiness washed over him.

* * *

Some time later,

I woke up from my slumber with a great deal of confusion.

‘..What? Did I actually fall asleep leaning on Michael?’

I quickly sat up, and Michael opened one eye to look at me.

His expression seemed to ask, ‘Are you satisfied now?’ I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

“I must have been quite heavy. Sorry about that.”

I stood up, brushing off my dress with both hands.

“Thank you, puppy. Thanks to you, I slept well.”

I smiled as I petted his head, and Michael flicked his ear with a contented expression.

“So, shall we head back inside now?”

As much as I wanted to extend our walk a bit longer, it was soon time for lunch, so there was no choice.

I took the leash in my hand, and Michael slowly got up from the ground.

I gave his head one last pat before taking a leisurely step toward the banquet hall.

* * *

The day after my walk with Michael.

It was a morning like any other when I got up early and was preparing to go to the banquet hall.

“Um, Lady Cynthia. How about going out into the city today? It’s been a while.”

One of the maids who had been fixing my hair spoke hesitantly.

“Into the city? Why all of a sudden?”

“Well, it seems like you’ve been staying indoors all the time these days. Wouldn’t it be nice to go out and get some fresh air once in a while?”

The maid spoke awkwardly, glancing at me.

It was quite obvious that she was speaking under someone else’s orders and was forcing the conversation.

I examined her expression in the mirror and calmly replied, “Father requested it, didn’t he?”

“What? H-how did you know? Ah!”

The maid quickly closed her mouth, looking even more surprised by her slip.

“As expected, Lady Cynthia, you’re quite perceptive.”

At that moment, another maid who was carrying a jewelry box burst into laughter.

Her name was Silly, and she had been working under me as a maid for the past three years.

“Could it be that Father said something to Silly too?”

“Yes, Lady Cynthia. He was worried that you spend too much time indoors.”

Silly replied cheerfully and placed a jewelry box in front of me.

Unlike the upset maid from earlier, she seemed to be enjoying the situation.

“Well, Father is quite peculiar.”

“That’s because the Duke loves you, Lady. If he didn’t care for you, he wouldn’t pay any attention.”

I trailed off, lost in thought for a moment.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t gone out at all this week.”

I used to go out often, combining shopping and taking a leisurely stroll.

Recently, I hadn’t even thought about going out because I was constantly by Michael’s side.

“Since we’re talking about it, maybe I should go out once?”

I can always stop by Michael after going out.

It seemed like a good idea to take a break and go out for a change after a long time.

“Silly.”

“Yes, Lady Cynthia. Please tell me.”

“I’m going to the city today, so please help me get ready.”
Silly smiled and nodded at my words.

“I understand. I’ll let them prepare the carriage.”

A while later,

After finishing my preparations, I boarded the carriage waiting in front of the mansion.

* * *

Upon arriving in the city, I was greeted by the familiar hustle and bustle.

It seemed like everyone in the town had excited faces, perhaps because a spring festival was about to begin shortly.

“Where would you like to go, milady?”

The escort knight who had disembarked from the carriage with me asked quietly.

His name was Karl, one of Elliot’s direct subordinates.

“Let’s start by getting something to eat.”

I replied casually and began to walk right away.

“Probably around here.”

The first place I visited was a large dessert shop in the center of the city.

I ordered a small lemon pie the size of my palm and some tea at the counter, then took a seat in a inconspicuous spot.

Since it was a bit early for a full meal, I decided to fill my stomach with pie for now.

“How about sitting together and eating, Karl?”

I suggested sharing with Karl, but his response was a polite decline.

“I’m fine, milady. Please enjoy.”

“Is that so?”

And so, I ended up eating the small lemon pie all by myself.

“It’s really delicious.”

As I cut a big piece with a fork and knife and put it in my mouth, a delightful, tangy sweetness filled my mouth.

It was a taste that warranted an exclamation of praise.

“As expected, their lemon pie is the best here.”

With a satisfied expression, I continued to savor the lemon pie but then paused as I gazed at its sparkling yellow surface, suddenly reminded of someone’s face.

‘I wonder how Michael is doing’

At this time, he should have been at the western annex, as it was the usual time for him to be there.

‘I hope he’s not upset that I didn’t come’

As I imagined Michael looking disappointed, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well, that’s unlikely.”

“Shall we move to another place now that you’ve finished everything?”

“Yes, let’s.”

I got up from my seat after finishing both the remaining lemon pie and tea.

“Now that I’ve filled my stomach, how about going shopping?”

I thought as I stepped outside.

Thud!

With a dull sound, I collided head-on with a man who happened to be passing by the store at that very moment.

‘Ah’

I was pushed backward in the blink of an eye, and I winced slightly, clutching my shoulders.

It felt like I had collided with a rock, and I could sense the dull ache as if I had.

“Milady, are you alright?”

Karl, who had been behind me, looked at me with a concerned expression.

I nodded to indicate that I was fine and then turned my gaze toward the man standing in front of me.

As our eyes met, the man muttered in a meaningful tone.

“Wolf, huh.”

“…Wolf?”

I made a puzzled expression at the sudden word, and the man smiled as if it was nothing.

Soon, he politely bowed and apologized to me.

“I’m sorry. I should have been looking ahead… You’re not injured, are you?”

“Well…”

I trailed off and slowly examined the man from head to toe.

‘This guy is really tall.’

He seemed to be at least six feet tall, and his entire body was tightly packed with muscles.

Perhaps that’s why I felt like I had collided with a rock earlier.

‘Moreover, he’s quite handsome.’

While Elliot and Aaron had a pretty-boy vibe, the man in front of me exuded a sense of wildness.

With his jet-black hair, sun-kissed skin, and yellowish-tinted irises, he had an exotic appearance that was not easily found in the Empire.

‘…But why does he feel so familiar?’

With such a distinctive appearance, I should remember him if I had seen him before.
No matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t recall where I had seen him before.

‘Well, maybe I saw him somewhere while wandering around.’

I thought it was not a big deal and opened my mouth again.

“I couldn’t see ahead either, so let’s just consider it a mutual mishap and move on.”

I was about to conclude it casually and pass by, but unexpectedly, the man blocked my path.

“By any chance, do you not remember me?”

“…?”

What’s this all of a sudden?

“…Well, do I have a reason to remember you?”

I looked up at the man and replied with a somewhat distant tone.

At that, the man, who had been gazing at me with a meaningful expression, lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“If you don’t know, that’s fine.”

With those words, the man quietly stepped aside, clearing the path for me.

‘…He’s a strange person.’

I glanced at the peculiar man with a bewildered look and then turned away.

There was no reason for me to linger here any longer.

“Let’s go, Karl.”

“Yes, milady.”

With a vigilant gaze, Karl quickly followed me as we left.

And so, I hurriedly left the scene with Karl.

* * *

Meanwhile, Berlot, left alone on the street, quietly licked his lips as he watched Cynthia disappear into the distance.

“It seems like there was a hint of a wolf’s scent on that woman’s body.”

Berlot closed his eyes and took a long breath. Then, he faintly sensed the familiar scent he had detected from Cynthia.

“Indeed, I wasn’t wrong after all.”

Berlot, who was slowly licking his lips, revealed a wicked smile.

Between his slightly parted lips, sharp fangs were revealed.

“Well, our brother would be upset if he found out about this.”