#21

If you’re going to lie, at least stick to it until the end!

His overly honest and nonchalant response made me feel like the foolish one.

Zerakiel turned his gaze away and remained silent. An awkward atmosphere seemed to fill the room, although it felt like I was the only one who noticed. He looked as calm and content as if he had just woken from a pleasant nap.

‘It’s because of you that I passed out!’

Remembering the pheromone battle that took place just before I fainted, I felt a surge of anger. I was about to protest when Zerakiel suddenly looked at me, his face filled with curiosity.

“But ChiChi.”

“…”

“Did you leave this on purpose?”

He cautiously pointed to something on my head. Tilting my head in confusion, I asked what he meant. Zerakiel replied,

“Your ears are showing.”

Ears?

At that moment, I felt a twitch on my head. My ears seemed to be positioned unusually high.

With a sinking feeling, I reached up to touch my head, my eyes already wide with alarm.

What I felt was not a human ear. It was the soft, furry ear of a weasel.

* * *

“Don’t, pfft, be too disheartened, pff, hahahaha!”

Ivan, who had been barely holding back his laughter, finally doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. His lack of effort to stifle his amusement was incredibly annoying.

“You’re still, pfft, cute, pff, hahaha!”

His tone was clearly teasing, and I glared at him.

My joy at successfully transforming into a human was short-lived, as I found myself unable to shake off the gloom.

I had dreamt of a bright future as a proper beastman, but discovering the weasel ears on my head left me in despair.

What is this?

I felt my ears droop as my energy waned, which only made me feel more dejected.

I had endured extreme growing pains only to end up with a half-completed transformation. My pheromones were supposed to be remarkable, unique! Why was the world doing this to me?

Just when I thought I might burst into tears, Melina spoke up.

“Don’t be too disappointed. Over time, your ears will transform to look human as well.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“When will that happen?”

“Well…”

Melina faltered, unable to give a definite answer. Her evasive glance suggested she didn’t know either.

“Ugh.”

I let out a deep sigh, and my ears drooped in tandem, adding to my embarrassment.

At least my tail hadn’t come out. If it had, I might have dunked my head into a bowl of water in sheer mortification.

Zerakiel seemed fascinated by my constantly moving ears, glancing at them frequently. Seeing the curiosity in his sparkling eyes, I covered my ears with my hands and growled.

“Stop looking!”

“How am I supposed to not look at something that’s right in front of me?”

Zerakiel tilted his head, feigning ignorance. His drowsy eyes twinkled with amusement, making me shiver.

He’s enjoying my embarrassment!

It was something I’d sensed before—Zerakiel was truly unpredictable. Every time he exhibited a hint of his original character, my heart raced nervously.

Then Melina, trying to lift my spirits, spoke with an overly cheerful tone.

“Oh! It might be because we’re in Hebel. This place imposes many restrictions on beastmen, so it could have influenced your transformation process.”

“Will it get better if we leave here?”

“Probably…?”

Her uncertainty showed as she trailed off and smiled. It was a blatant lie meant to comfort me.

So Melina doesn’t know either! Is a pretty smile all it takes?

I let my hands fall limply from my ears, feeling defeated.

“Still, congratulations on your successful transformation. They say the first step is the hardest. Since you’ve transformed once, you’ll naturally learn to control it better with time.”

Melina handed me a mirror as she encouraged me. It dawned on me that I hadn’t yet seen my own face.

I cautiously looked into the mirror.

As I had expected, my hair was a snowy white, soft and silky to the touch. Despite the cute ears perched on top, it didn’t look too bad.

My eyes were a clear pink, resembling cotton candy. My appearance, adorable and childlike, seemed to be around ten years old in human terms.

Zerakiel was about a head taller than me. It made sense—black lions and white weasels would have different growth patterns.

My body was small and delicate, befitting a weasel. My skin was soft and supple, like dough.

I stared at my reflection for a long time before grabbing a handful of my long, untidy hair and turning to Melina.

“Can I cut this?”

“Of course. It’s too long to be practical, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“How short would you like it?”

“A bob cut!”

Short hair would be easier to wash and dry than the cumbersome long hair.

In my past life, I hadn’t had the time or interest to style myself. I was always busy with something else.

So, for now, a bob cut was practical. It would be easier to manage, especially if I had to run away.

“Just a moment.”

Unaware of my thoughts, Melina smiled and fetched a pair of scissors.

The sound of snipping hair filled the room. Ivan, still chuckling in the corner, was looking for more reasons to tease me, but I ignored him.

Zerakiel, for some reason, remained silent, just watching me intently.

“All done!”

“Thanks, Melina.”

I glanced at my reflection again, running my fingers through my now short and manageable hair.

The bob cut suited me well, making me feel lighter and more refreshed. I smiled at Melina, grateful for her help, and tried to push aside the lingering embarrassment.

I thanked Melina, who had shown skills rivaling those of a professional stylist, and looked in the mirror. I was quite pleased with my much shorter hair.

Given my sharp features, the bob cut suited me perfectly. Seeing myself in the mirror made my transformation feel real.

“Hehe.”

I was now a beastman who could transform into a human.

Though not perfect yet, I could speak, and I wouldn’t be panting just to get from the bed to the door.

That alone made me so happy that I couldn’t stop smiling. Seeing this, Zerakiel spoke up.

“Why do you keep smiling?”

“Because I’m happy.”

“Strange.”

Zerakiel muttered, furrowing his brow.

He calls me strange to my face! He’s the real weirdo here!

It was a rather offensive remark, but I was in such a good mood that I let it slide. I snorted lightly and turned my head, meeting Ivan’s gaze. He smirked and said,

“Congratulations. You’ve gone from a single bite to a proper two bites.”

“Do you want to get punched by this ‘two bites’?”

I clenched my fist, and Ivan leaned in with a sly grin.

When he even mimicked biting, my anger flared, and I tried to smack his annoying face. If Zerakiel hadn’t stopped me, my swift move would have hit its mark.

“Huh?”

Ivan made a strange sound as he looked at Zerakiel, who had stepped in to protect him. Then, with a grateful expression, he clasped his hands near his mouth.

“I didn’t know you cared about me this much, Lord Zerakiel. I, Ivan Carly, will continue to serve you with all my heart.”

I looked at Ivan’s exaggerated display of loyalty with narrowed eyes. People who say things like that in movies are usually the first to betray.

Of course, Ivan remained loyal to Zerakiel throughout the original novel. He just had a tendency to run his mouth too much.

Ivan’s flowery speech was more extravagant than in the novel, making me realize how much the story had filtered out.

I gave Zerakiel a look that clearly asked why he had stopped me. He held my hand and grumbled,

“Only I get to be hit by you.”

So that was it.