Chapter 16
At night, Zeno and I checked the clock.
Cedric seemed to be busy, as he hadn’t moved from his office. The longer he stayed there, the less time Zeno and I would have to move.
I had no choice but to bite my nails and quietly head toward his office.
Knock knock knock.
I gently knocked on the door, and footsteps were heard.
“Your Grace, may I come in?”
As I entered the office, Cedric looked up and stared at me, surprised by my sudden visit.
“Ah… it seems like you’re working late, so I thought I’d check on you.”
“I’m sorry. I left you alone as soon as I got back.”
He stood up from his seat, looking apologetic, and came over to me.
He opened the door, checked the hallway, and then smiled before pulling me in and closing the door.
“Your Grace?”
I blinked, trapped in his arm with my waist held.
“I don’t think you came just to see me. I was curious about what you were up to,” he said, his voice soft.
Who says something like that out loud?!
Caught off guard, I made a flustered expression while still in his hold.
“…Well.”
I didn’t want to lie, but I hesitated because his gaze on me was so intense, almost burning with heat.
I glanced at the desk, and it was piled high with work.
‘Maybe going to the forest is a bit much?’
There weren’t any monsters there, and I could go alone.
But I couldn’t say that out loud. He probably wouldn’t let me go alone.
“Claire.”
His voice was soft and kind, and it crept into my ears as he came even closer.
I slowly lifted my gaze and met Cedric’s blue eyes.
“I can see all the thoughts running through your mind.”
His large hand grabbed my chin, holding my gaze so I couldn’t look away.
“Why do you always have so many thoughts?”
“…”
“Whether you like me or not, that’s not important.”
I swallowed hard, blinking. Looking into his burning eyes made me feel like I was going to spill all my hidden thoughts.
“No matter what you do, I won’t divorce you, so give up.”
He gently tapped my forehead with his finger, making me feel both frustrated and helpless.
For some reason, I felt like Cedric was being more patient with me. Was he getting more patient because of me?
I may have misunderstood, but the thought of divorce was still there, so his words weren’t entirely wrong.
“That’s not why I’m here.”
I gently pushed against his chest.
Being in his arms felt dangerous. Cedric always smelled so pleasant. It was like a scent only he had.
When I smelled it, I couldn’t help but feel comforted, almost entranced, and I ended up giving him the answers he wanted without even thinking.
I knew I shouldn’t, but sometimes I just wanted to hit my own mouth when my words didn’t match my thoughts.
“So, you came here to tell me you missed me, or that you were curious about what I was doing, or maybe because you’re lonely waiting for me to come back?”
When I didn’t answer, Cedric closed the space between us and continued speaking.
“Then why did you come to me tonight? You didn’t come because you missed me, so tell me honestly.”
If I said I came because I missed him, would he like that?
Seeing his face, I couldn’t help but give in.
“Honestly…”
I pulled at his collar, pulling him closer as I smiled and squinted my eyes.
“Can you handle it?”
“…Of course.”
Cedric’s ears turned bright red. He was always teasing me, but now, with me making advances, he was shy?
He was cute like this.
The more I got to know him, the more charming he became. How much would Isabel regret losing him if she knew what a great catch he was?
“Yes, that’s right. I came because I missed you.”
Cedric buried his face in my shoulder, laughing softly.
“Impossible.”
He said it quietly, but it was loud enough for me to hear. It was obviously meant for me to overhear.
I decided to tease him a bit more.
“Then come home early. I’ll wait for you. Sleeping alone is lonelier than I expected.”
I acted a little spoiled, hoping for a positive response from Cedric.
“…I don’t believe everything my wife says.”
He raised his head, looking at me intently.
Cedric’s large hand gently stroked my cheek, and his breath was close enough to make me shiver. When his lips were almost about to touch mine, he turned his head and whispered in my ear.
“If you keep this up, I might not be able to work tomorrow. As much as I want to stay up with you, I think I’ll have to sleep first tonight.”
“Oh, am I being rejected now?”
“Rest well tonight. You might not be able to sleep tomorrow.”
His words made me remember the night we had spent together. My face grew hot as I recalled our first night together, which I had forgotten.
‘…I definitely won’t be able to sleep.’
Thinking about it, I realized it would be better for me to go back to my room quickly.
“Well then, I’ll sleep alone tonight. You should work hard!”
“It’s a shame, but I’ll do that.”
Cedric couldn’t take his eyes off me as I left his office. His eyes were filled with regret, and he seemed like he wanted to follow me, his body twitching slightly. But he was a responsible person, so he didn’t follow me.
“Let’s go, Zeno.”
After finishing my disguise, Zeno and I quietly left the room. The night had fallen, and the lights were still on in the office.
Just in case, I made a shape of myself lying on the bed with pillows, to trick anyone who might look.
As we cautiously headed toward the garden, Zeno and I hid in the darkness when we saw a guard.
“Wow.” (Why is this taking so long?)
“Shh, shh. Be quiet. Your crying is too loud.”
I quickly covered Zeno’s mouth. His loud voice would get us in trouble at times like this.
“Woo.” (How can I not cry, I’m an animal! You’re saying I shouldn’t talk?)
“Can’t you communicate using your powers? Like through resonance? Or communicate in our minds?”
We whispered in the darkness.
“Woo.” (I have limits. Our contract isn’t complete yet.)
“Are you really going to be like this?”
I suddenly hugged Zeno’s neck and covered his mouth.
He shivered in frustration, then quieted down. His soft fur felt firm under my touch, and his skin was soft.
Startled, I pulled away from him and almost screamed when a large hand covered my mouth.
“Shh. Do you know how weird it would be if we got caught?”
I nodded slowly.
“You’re a wolf, so don’t cry. You’re just in a human form to communicate.”
“…I didn’t say anything.”
“I can see you cursing me with your eyes.”
“You’re really something.”
I wasn’t the only one losing my mind. Only Cedric and I knew about Zeno’s human form. If anyone else saw this, I’d be in trouble.
“You think we should move instead of arguing?” Zeno smiled with his yellow eyes and grabbed my hand.
We slowly moved into the garden, staying out of sight. Once we were hidden, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright, let’s send the smaller ones first without drawing attention.”
“I’m not sure if they’ll be okay.”
“They will be.”
Zeno crossed his arms and looked at the rabbits and deer. They seemed worried too and stared at me, almost in tears.
“Kiing.” (Do we really have to go?)
“Don’t worry. I’m not just sending you away. I’ll still take care of the monsters…”
I glanced at Zeno.
He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth in surprise.
“Zeno will protect you every day.”
“…Master?”
“You’re a divine beast, right? This should be easy for you.”
“…Why do I have to do this? I only need to protect one person.”
“Well, it’s because of you that these animals lost their home.”
I tilted my head slightly and narrowed my eyes. Zeno was partially responsible too.
At that, the animals seemed relieved and began walking into the forest.
“So we have to do this until the old man comes and goes?”
“That’s the only way.”
“…Sigh. What do you think of me?”
“Well, I think of you as a small, cute wolf.”
Zeno’s yellow eyes narrowed, and I knew exactly how to make him feel better. Even though he was in a human form, his instincts were still the same.
I reached out and gently placed my hand on his head. In the dark, his black hair almost looked silver when it caught the light.
As I stroked his hair softly, his tense expression relaxed.
“Don’t do that.”
He slapped my hand away with force, causing a sting in my palm.
“Ah.”
“I told you not to do that.”
Startled, Zeno quickly grabbed my hand. His surprise was more noticeable than the pain in my hand.
‘So prickly.’
If I pretended to be hurt, Zeno would pretend to care. I couldn’t help it.
“Does it bother you if I touch your head?”
“…No.”
Zeno took my hand and placed it back on his head.
“You can touch it anytime. I’ll do anything you want.”
“You’ll help the animals, right?”
“Yeah, just don’t send me back.”
“I won’t.”
I smiled calmly and continued to stroke his hair. Eventually, Zeno lowered his head and accepted my touch.
I finally felt like I had tamed the wolf.
