#33

“Well, yes.”

Zakari replied with a weary expression, but Hilla, not noticing, continued to ask questions with a curious face.

“Which family is she from? She looks like a white ferret.”

“What does her family matter when she’ll be part of Jabisi? Besides, we don’t consider the bride’s family when discussing marriage.”

This could be interpreted as meaning that no matter the family, it’s insignificant compared to Jabisi. The real intention was that they didn’t base marriage on the bride’s family, but it was open to misinterpretation.

“Such arrogance.”

Hilla quickly lost interest, popping a cherry into her mouth. However, Devon, the head of the Page family, didn’t let it go.

“Didn’t your son keep a ferret as a pet? That girl seems like a ferret beastman too.”

“Oh, did he keep a beastman as a pet?”

“Kept her in his pocket, did he? So, she can humanize too?”

The question was clear: Is that ferret the same one your son kept as a pet? A seemingly simple question but intended to expose Jabisi’s cruelty in treating beastmen as pets.

Zakari had no defense for this. No one could have predicted that the ferret his enigmatic son brought home would successfully humanize.

Not only that, but his crazy son even imprinted on her. Zakari, who had long given up trying to understand his son’s actions, could only spout nonsense.

“Falling in love doesn’t depend on how it starts. A pet can become a companion, and a companion can become a partner. Why nitpick when it’s all between beasts?”

Zakari smiled, hoping to deflect the unwelcome interest. Predictably, Devon responded.

“Even so…”

“That’s enough. Stop meddling in others’ family affairs. Anyone would think you wanted to marry into our family.”

“What did you say?”

“Of course, I would decline. You’re not my type.”

“I don’t like you either!”

Devon jumped up, gulping down his drink. His red face showed how angry he was at Zakari’s remarks.

That’s what happens when you make unnecessary provocations. I’m already stressed enough.

Just as Zakari was about to turn away, he locked eyes with a familiar figure, and his demeanor instantly shifted.

“Elder.”

He stood up immediately. The person before him was Wilhelm Han, head of a family and Rachel’s father.

Wilhelm, who hadn’t spoken to him throughout the conference, had approached him first. Since their fallout, Wilhelm had avoided him, making this situation even more surprising.

“What brings you here?”

Zakari asked respectfully, still bewildered. Wilhelm, exuding an intimidating presence, spoke briefly.

“Let’s talk outside.”

* * *

“You need to eat everything.”

Zerakiel returned with a plate full of desserts, smiling brightly. I appreciated the gesture, but this was my third plate.

“I’m full.”

“You’ve been eating too little lately. You didn’t use to be like this.”

Zerakiel glanced at my stomach and murmured.

‘That’s because I was starving back then!’

In the wild, I would eat as much as I could whenever food was available since I never knew when I’d get another meal. It was a survival strategy for when hunting failed.

But now, with abundant meals served daily, I didn’t need to stuff myself to the point of bursting.

“I can’t eat any more.”

“Finish it.”

“No, you eat it!”

Zerakiel looked taken aback by my refusal, but he quickly recovered, placing the plate back in front of me.

“You’re not leaving until you finish.”

“Why are you so insistent?”

“Because I care about your well-being.”

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard, and I found myself staring at him, unsure of how to respond.

As I thrust the fork toward Zerakiel, he blinked, his gaze briefly shifting behind me before he relaxed and smiled.

“Alright, then.”

He responded smoothly, taking a bite of the cake from the fork I held out. He didn’t forget to gently grasp my wrist either.

Just as I started to feel uneasy about his too-cooperative demeanor, Zerakiel grinned.

“If you wanted to feed me, you should have said so.”

“Huh?”

“No shame in front of everyone, huh?”

Zerakiel blushed, playing the part of a bashful lover, making it look like I was forcefully feeding him.

What nonsense is this madman spouting?

Just as I was processing his bizarre behavior, someone else interjected into our conversation.

“You two seem close.”

“Hiscleif?”

When did he get here?

I knew he was at the banquet, but I hadn’t dared approach him with Zerakiel nearby. I had hoped to greet him later, but he came to us unexpectedly.

Could it be…

I glanced suspiciously at Zerakiel, wondering if he had seen Hiscleif coming and put on this whole act.

“Hi.”

Hiscleif greeted with a broad smile.

“Long time no see. You’ve been hard to find.”

“Haha, hi.”

As I awkwardly raised my hand to wave, Zerakiel grabbed it and pulled it down.

“Oh.”

“…”

Is he really doing this right now?

I couldn’t understand why Zerakiel reacted so sensitively around Hiscleif. Clearly, his faux shyness was an act put on because he saw Hiscleif approaching.

“You feed him.”

“It tastes better when you do it.”

Oh, come on!

Living as a normal ferret among these crazy lions was excruciating.

Especially being humiliated like this in front of the male lead was mortifying.

‘Fine!’

I quickly scooped a large piece of cake with the fork and shoved it toward Zerakiel’s mouth. Unfortunately, some cream fell onto my hand in the process.

“Oops!”

“So clumsy.”

Before I could react, Zerakiel’s head moved towards my hand. His golden eyes looked at me intensely, and for a moment, time seemed to slow down. I forgot to move away.

Then, I felt the soft touch of his tongue on my hand, and I realized what had happened.

“!!”

My face flushed as I pulled my hand away and stepped back.

“W-What are you doing?! Why did you eat that?”

My voice trembled with shock. Zerakiel, nonchalant, licked the remaining cream off his lips and spoke.

“Weren’t you giving it to me?”

“…”

“I thought you did it on purpose. I like the taste of your hands.”

He was unbelievable.

Standing there, mouth agape, I was at a loss for words. Ivan chimed in.

“Well, our young master certainly enjoys Chichi’s touch.”

“Indeed.”

“He’s exceptionally skilled at licking like a dog.”

“And didn’t you like my touch too, Ivan?”

“Absolutely not.”

Ivan took a step back, crossing his arms to signal refusal. Zerakiel looked at him for a moment before shrugging.

“Well, opportunities will always come.”

“Please help me, Lady Chichi.”

“No way.”

“You’re so harsh.”

Ivan pretended to wipe a tear from his dry eyes with a handkerchief. I glared at him, noticing Hiscleif’s stunned expression.

Were you shocked? I’m amazed every time too…

Sending him a sympathetic look, Hiscleif muttered with a reflective expression.

“You two really do get along well.”

“…”

Do you think this is getting along?

In reality, it was just lions obsessed with teasing me, but to Hiscleif, it seemed different.

“Anyway, I’m glad you seem well.”

“What would you do if I wasn’t well?”

“Zerakiel, don’t pick a fight.”

“Indeed, there are many eyes watching.”

Ivan, in a rare moment of acting like a proper aide, supported my statement. Ignoring Zerakiel, Hiscleif handed me something.

“This.”

Inside the box was a familiar hat. It was the yellow hat I had lost at the well.

“I picked it up just in case.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I took the hat. I hadn’t expected to see it again. My heart warmed at Hiscleif’s thoughtful gesture.

“Thank you, Hiscleif. I was worried I’d never see it again.”

Zerakiel’s eyes narrowed as he watched the exchange, but he said nothing.

Feeling a strange mix of relief and gratitude, I realized that even amid the chaos, there were moments of genuine kindness and connection.