~Chapter 11~
Do I need to clear up this misunderstanding?
But if I don’t, it seems like I could get divorced.
I didn’t even know Zeno could turn into a human.
If I had known, I would’ve been more cautious!
“So, here’s what happened…”
Where do I even start?
I found a branch imbued with divine power, which turned out to be a sacred item with Zeno’s power as a divine beast. That led to me awakening special abilities, allowing me not just to communicate with animals but also to use the divine beast’s power. Would he even believe me if I told him all of this?
I couldn’t exactly reveal everything to someone who was already thinking about divorcing me. But if I became the Duke’s wife having an affair with a wolf, I’d never be able to show my face again.
I’d be the subject of gossip everywhere.
‘And this was all after he went to war to gain freedom for the North, and then married someone like me…’
It would be a huge scandal that would rock high society.
I glanced at Zeno.
The real culprit behind all this chaos, who was now glaring at Cedric like he was about to eat him alive.
‘That’s an animal in human form, not a person.’
Zeno didn’t let his guard down as he kept eyeing Cedric, still standing protectively by my side.
I didn’t want to divorce Cedric dishonorably, so I had to explain myself.
“Your Grace, the beast-like creature here is Zeno.”
“You’ve become close enough to call him by name?”
His face twisted in displeasure. I quickly thought up an explanation.
“Zeno is a wolf spirit. I only recently realized he can turn into a human. Do you believe me?”
This was the truth, without lies.
When I glanced at him, he seemed doubtful. But I really had no idea Zeno could transform until now. I had no intention to deceive him.
‘That sly creature, was he living in my room like a human?’
Why hadn’t he turned into a human before? If I thought about it for a second, it became clear.
The moment I awakened my abilities, Zeno must have formed a contract with me, breaking the seal on his powers.
That’s when his transformation ability was released too.
“I found a branch with divine power. I think that’s what unlocked his powers.”
“You’re trying to make excuses now?”
“I wouldn’t deceive you, Your Grace. It’s better to let you misunderstand.”
Why would I waste such a good opportunity to clear things up with someone who was already thinking of divorce? But still, it wasn’t the right thing to do.
His cold blue eyes looked like they could freeze me.
“If you don’t believe me, what can I do? Let go of my hand.”
Zeno suddenly stepped forward and grabbed my hand, standing between Cedric and me. Now I was stuck, unable to move or speak.
‘I’m losing my mind!’
There was no one to help me. As I was pacing in frustration, shadows suddenly appeared on the ground, moving quickly toward us.
“Chirp, chirp.” (Stop bothering her!)
“Why don’t you go away?”
The birds swarmed and started pecking at Zeno. He was furious and waved his hands at them.
“Chirp, chirp!” (Don’t make things difficult for Claire!)
“Why is it only me? Do you want to get eaten by me?”
Zeno let go of my hand and started chasing after the birds. Transformed into a wolf, he ran wild to catch them.
Cedric and I stood there, watching Zeno’s antics, as he scurried around trying to catch the birds. Even the animals in the garden joined in, chasing Zeno together.
‘You guys…’
Chirp.
I felt a swell of warmth in my chest. You guys really understand, don’t you?
“See? I took in Zeno, who was in the form of a wolf, not a man.”
“…”
Cedric’s expression relaxed a little. Zeno, jumping around and battling with the animals, seemed to have completely forgotten about me.
“Anyway, I didn’t get a chance to tell you something important because you came back so suddenly.”
I smiled brightly at him and grabbed his hand.
“I’m so glad you made it back safely.”
That was the truth.
***
Cedric and I entered the Duke’s residence together.
It had been so long since we were sitting face-to-face that it felt awkward, almost unbearable.
There was a small stir outside the room. It was probably because of the Duke’s sudden return, causing a bit of a commotion.
“Aren’t you sitting too far away, wife?”
Cedric grabbed my chair and pulled it closer to him.
In an instant, the distance between us had closed, and the air between us felt tense. Cedric had something on his mind, his mouth opening as if to say something.
“Wife.”
“…I’m sorry.”
I quickly apologized.
It was my fault for creating a situation that could be misunderstood.
“Forget about the wolf, what’s with this branch imbued with divine power?”
“Do you remember when I said I had something to find in the forest?”
Cedric nodded.
“I needed that branch. As you know, I don’t have any special abilities, so I thought having a branch with divine power would be the only way to protect myself.”
“Are you saying it really exists?”
“I was able to find it because Zeno helped me.”
I felt guilty.
The truth was, I did have powers, but I couldn’t tell him everything. I needed to keep a few things hidden.
“There’s no way a divine beast would be here.”
“I was surprised by that too, but if there’s no word about it, maybe the royal family doesn’t know about it yet.”
Judging by Zeno’s injuries, he must have escaped from the royal family. I didn’t know why he had come all the way to the North.
“Do you think the royal family will find out?”
“If they see Zeno, they’ll know. But if we take action before they get here, we’ll be fine. The divine beast must never fall into the hands of the royal family.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it’s better for you, Your Grace.”
It’s good for me too.
“Others don’t know that Zeno is a divine beast. He’s never turned into a human at the Duke’s residence. I just saw it for the first time…”
“I see.”
Is that it?
The Duke didn’t say anything else. But if the Duke is here, that means other knights have come as well, right?
I quickly jumped out of my seat.
“We can’t just sit here! We need to have a welcome party! Have the knights arrived?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. They’re coming tomorrow.”
“…Tomorrow?”
How can I not worry about that? I tried to move toward the door, but his hand stopped me.
“Huh?”
I turned to look at him, and his smile, with the corners of his mouth pulled up, caught my attention. Then, his large hand wrapped around my waist, and in one swift motion, he pulled me into his arms.
“Are they more important?”
“…What?”
“More important than me, right in front of you.”
“Well, the welcome party is my responsibility, after all.”
“Then shouldn’t we take care of our duties as a couple first?”
“…What?”
I froze in his arms. He let out a low laugh and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck.
The space between us was so close that our lips seemed like they would touch any second.
I didn’t know what triggered his obsession, but I was struggling to calm my pounding heart.
In the end, Cedric and I didn’t kiss.
If the butler hadn’t told us dinner was ready, I probably wouldn’t have eaten.
There was a separate dining room, but today, they brought the meal to the room. It seemed like the Duke still had things he wanted to discuss.
‘Even other people are getting involved!’
Cedric didn’t take his eyes off me.
At this rate, I might be eaten.
“So, how did the battlefield end?”
He focused on cutting the meat, never taking his eyes off me. How could he cut it so perfectly without even looking?
For some reason, I felt a chill down my spine.
“By the way, why did only the Duke come first?”
“Good question, I wonder why.”
He mumbled to himself, and I tilted my head. What was I supposed to say if he answered like that?
“I came early because I was curious.”
“Curious about what?”
“If you ran away, or if you had other thoughts.”
“Ugh.”
I startled and patted my chest. I definitely felt guilty about something.
Cedric smiled faintly and handed me some water.
I gulped it down, but my racing heart didn’t calm down.
‘No way, he couldn’t have read my mind, right?’
He met my gaze as he popped a piece of meat into his mouth. Then, slowly and leisurely, he chewed it while smiling softly.
“By the way, wife…”
I nibbled on my food and listened carefully to Cedric.
“I heard you called him a wolf cub.”
“Yes… I did.”
“Doesn’t he look too big to be a cub? Or did he look like a baby to you?”
“…He was very small back then.”
He wasn’t small, but definitely not this big.
I shrugged awkwardly and laughed.
“I hope he didn’t stay in the same room as you.”
“T-That’s not possible…”
Following his gaze, I turned my head and became speechless. I saw the cushion where Zeno had curled up.
Squeak.
Suddenly, I heard a faint noise.
