#26.

‘Hang in there, Chichi!’

Ivan cheered for Chichi, seemingly to the air. Honestly, when Zerakiel said he wanted to keep a weasel beastman, Ivan had thought it was half a joke.

He never imagined Zerakiel would go as far as imprinting. When they were summoned by Zakari because of it, Ivan had felt a fear like his whole body was being torn apart.

Anyone who had seen the fierce gleam in Zakari’s eyes would understand how his mere gaze could choke you.

Ivan had sweated coldly in that perilous situation. Just when it seemed something terrible was about to happen because of Zerakiel’s stubbornness, Zakari’s declaration to make Chichi his daughter-in-law had almost made Ivan fall over in shock.

‘Like father, like son.’

Ivan wanted to slap his forehead at the completely unfathomable train of thought.

After following Zerakiel for quite some time, they eventually reached the plaza, where they spotted a hyena in front of a well and stopped abruptly.

“That person is…”

Ivan trailed off, recognizing Hiscleif first. Why, of all places, was he here?

From the moment Zerakiel spotted Hiscleif, his demeanor had become noticeably tense.

Zerakiel stared at Hiscleif. Hiscleif sat by the well as if he were standing guard. And Chichi’s energy was definitely coming from the well.

Could it be that she had set the hyena to guard the well? If so, she had incredible courage.

How many wild beasts did she plan to command?

Of all the guards she could choose, it was a hyena, the young master of Page’s household.

The most unsettling part was that the hyena was complying so willingly.

Why was that hyena always wherever Chichi was?

And why did he find that fact so unpleasant?

Whatever they were doing at the well, the mere idea of Chichi being with the hyena while he was around irritated him.

Considering they were about to get married, he couldn’t stand any notion of infidelity.

Zerakiel, not bothering to hide his discomfort, tilted his head and muttered lowly.

“You again?”

* * *

Hiscleif remained unfazed by Zerakiel’s sudden appearance. Finding someone you’ve imprinted on wasn’t a difficult task.

The only curious thing was…

“Yeah, it’s me again.”

Zerakiel’s unusually keen sensitivity towards the weasel beastman.

His reaction was fresh and intriguing. On the surface, he seemed relaxed as if he had come out for a casual stroll, but there was a faint trace of annoyance underlying his demeanor.

Hiscleif recalled the conversation he had with his father. Rudy had mentioned the weasel in the process of reporting his confrontation with Zerakiel.

‘From what I hear, the pet that the young master of Jabisi is raising is a beastman. He even lavishes pheromones on it as if it’s something precious.’

‘I guess Rudy forgot to mention that it looks like he’s about to devour her. Today, he almost ate her front paw.’

‘That’s because you don’t understand Jabisi. They don’t bother marking their prey with pheromones. They enjoy hunting and eating them directly.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes. Keep a close watch on that weasel beastman. She might prove useful. She could be the black lion’s weakness.’

His father had always had a particular dislike for the Jabisi family and was eager to exploit their weaknesses at every turn.

At the time, Hiscleif had thought his father’s suspicions were excessive. But seeing Jabisi’s imprint with his own eyes, he was convinced.

That white girl would be Zerakiel’s weakness.

He had assumed it was just a fleeting fancy, but it turned out otherwise.

If she were merely a toy, Zerakiel wouldn’t have personally come all the way here to find her.

Seeing Zerakiel now, it seemed his father’s instincts were spot on.

Hiscleif glanced around.

‘It’s a good thing Rudy isn’t here.’

If Rudy were here, his life might become quite complicated. Rudy followed both his and his father’s orders.

He didn’t mind if Zerakiel faced difficulties, but he didn’t wish the same for the white-haired girl in the well.

Shaking off his thoughts, Hiscleif looked at Zerakiel. Then he realized Zerakiel’s gaze had been fixed on the well the entire time.

It was as if he didn’t care about Hiscleif at all and was only interested in what was inside the well.

Revealing such an obvious interest in front of an enemy meant one of two things. Either the person inside the well wasn’t significant, or Zerakiel completely disregarded the enemy before him.

Neither possibility was particularly pleasant.

“I know you don’t like me, but if you’re looking for her, wait here.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

Zerakiel smiled crookedly, tilting his head. Despite the lazy look in his eyes, the chill from his gaze was enough to send shivers down Hiscleif’s spine.

“If you keep doing whatever you want, no one will stay by your side, Zerakiel Rune Jabisi.”

“Here comes the lecture.”

Zerakiel clicked his tongue in annoyance. How had such a stubborn young man come from the scheming head of the Page family?

Now it was clear. He definitely had Page blood. He was just as interested in Jabisi’s affairs.

“I decide who stays by my side.”

“Is that why you forcibly imprinted on her?”

Zerakiel’s smile faded at Hiscleif’s provocation. Hiscleif continued.

“If you’re just playing with her, stop. That’s not right.”

Then he firmly blocked the path to the well.

It was clear Chichi didn’t understand the significance of the imprint.

Normally, an imprint was something done with a mate. They wouldn’t mark a simple pet or snack with a pheromone-infused tattoo.

Zerakiel didn’t seem to have imprinted on her out of affection, either.

There must be another reason.

Zerakiel Rune Jabisi was a twisted being.

Especially since the Jabisi family was known for their strong possessiveness. They completely rejected anyone outside of their circle.

Getting inside their circle wasn’t easy.

Even if you made it inside, you couldn’t rest easy. They could easily grow tired of you and cast you out without a second thought.

Wasn’t Zerakiel’s mother expelled in such a manner?

So the imprint on Chichi was likely a whim. Maybe it was just a way to bind and possess her immediately.

But Zerakiel’s unexpected words left Hiscleif dumbfounded.

“I’m not playing with her.”

If anything, she’s playing with me.

Zerakiel folded his arms and smiled languidly. The whole situation of confronting over Chichi was absurd, yet it kept becoming more serious.

He didn’t like the hyena acting as Chichi’s guard.

Was he now planning to act as her protector too?

It was ridiculous for someone who hadn’t known Chichi for long to act as if he understood their relationship.

But it seemed Hiscleif was determined to get involved.

“You didn’t even explain the imprint to her, and you say you’re not playing with her?”

Is that supposed to be a bad thing, Hiscleif seemed to imply. But what does that matter? The real issue is this hyena hanging around Chichi.

Zerakiel didn’t understand why Chichi was still trying to escape from him after he fed, clothed, and even saved her.

What more could he do?

Chichi was the first person he had cared for so much, which surprised Zerakiel himself.

Thinking about it, the hyena in front of him was the biggest problem. Zerakiel muttered crookedly.

“You’re the one who caused this mess.”