#51

Zakari’s symptoms began suddenly, and they say he couldn’t even recognize his wife or his son. He had become a beast, driven only by the destructive instinct to eliminate the irritating pheromones around him.

Rachel recalled how it felt as though he had turned into another person, and even now, thinking back to that time made her body tremble.

‘In the original story, Zerakiel often displayed unpredictable behavior. It turns out that was one of the symptoms of his madness.’

If Rachel hadn’t been the mother, Zerakiel might have died that day. The resilience and strength of the Honey Possum tribe had saved both herself and her newborn child.

Zakari eventually regained his senses, but he abruptly left the castle and did not return until Zerakiel had undergone his humanization.

‘He seemed fine for a while, so I didn’t pay much attention to it… But then suddenly, he tried to keep me and Zerakiel apart, as if I had no place beside him. When he acted so possessive, like I was the only one who should be by his side, it drove me crazy. We ended up clashing often because of it.’

‘…’

‘Later, he told me to leave. He said it was because he didn’t want to lose control and hurt me.’

Rachel fell silent, staring into the distance, her dark eyes sinking deep. After a moment, she shook her head, as if trying to clear her complicated thoughts, and then spoke again.

‘I had a big fight with him and stormed out of the castle, just to get some fresh air. But somehow, without me realizing it, I ended up divorced. That damned Zakari was determined to separate us, no matter what.’

Even now, Rachel’s fists trembled with anger as she recalled that time.

‘I learned later from Duke’s letter that there are stages to the madness, and Zakari was progressing through those stages incredibly fast.’

‘…’

‘He apologized, saying he couldn’t keep me by his side because he never knew when he might go mad.’

Rachel’s face, usually brimming with confidence, was now clouded with sorrow. But she wasn’t just sad.

‘It’s ridiculous. What did he see me as, to make such a decision on his own? Did he think I’d be grateful? If he thinks he can get rid of me that easily, he’s dead wrong! I’ll track him down to the ends of hell and knock his teeth out!’

Rachel’s outburst was fierce, like a raging demon, but what was even more surprising was Kiera’s reaction.

‘…So that’s why you get so riled up whenever you see Lord Zakari.’

Her expression suggested she had finally understood her mistress’s strange behavior.

‘So, you want to return to him?’

‘If I could have come back, I would have done so already! But that damned Zakari is doing everything he can to stop me. How am I supposed to return?’

On paper, they were officially divorced, leaving Rachel in a situation where she had been caught off guard. Feeling her frustration, I spoke up.

‘Would you like me to help?’

‘How could you possibly help?’

‘I just thought of a very good way.’

Rachel’s eyes sparkled as she listened to my plan, and she grinned.

‘You’re surprisingly good at giving people a hard time, aren’t you?’

With that ambiguous comment, Rachel quickly left to prepare for the task I had given her.

“She was like a storm.”

I muttered, summarizing my impression of Rachel, and then rolled around on the bed.

Strangely enough, the more I heard Rachel’s story, the more Zerakiel weighed on my mind.

In the end, it seemed that the one who suffered the most from their broken relationship was their child, Zerakiel.

He had become a source of conflict between his parents from the moment he was born.

It wasn’t his fault. He was just born.

That’s why I ended up getting involved in their affairs.

In the original story, Zerakiel was always alone, standing like an ancient tree in a desolate field, never relying on anyone.

But the current Zerakiel felt different from the one in the original story. It wasn’t just because he had reached adulthood.

The years that passed in deprivation had stunted his growth. Just because someone’s body grows doesn’t mean they fully become an adult.

When I first saw how Zerakiel interacted with Zakari and Rachel, I was puzzled. It didn’t feel like he was dealing with his parents, but rather with strangers.

But after hearing about the family’s circumstances, I finally understood Zerakiel’s reactions.

From the moment he was born, he nearly died at the hands of his father, and after he underwent humanization, he was abandoned by his mother—an unfortunate heir indeed.

Zerakiel, who had been neglected due to the adults’ issues before he could even form any attachment, likely never saw his parents in the same light that most children do.

Moreover, he was also a Jabis. The Jabis family was known for their indifference and hostility toward others.

Especially Zerakiel, who inherited the strongest power of the Jabis, might show symptoms even faster than Zakari.

In the original story, Zerakiel’s obsessive attachment to Ella might have been due to the severe pain he was in.

After all, the deeper the madness, the more it was accompanied by intense pain.

‘In the end, the real problem is the madness.’

Only the direct lineage of Jabis and the Orban family, the family’s personal physicians, knew the details of this madness.

If I wanted to learn more about it, visiting the Orban family would be the quickest way.

However, my health was being handled solely by Melina. My pheromones were still a secret from the Orban family.

Of course, as long as the Pearl of Purification was within me, they wouldn’t easily find out, but there was no harm in being cautious.

‘The other option is to ask Zerakiel about it…’

He might tell me, though he could also demand some strange favor in return.

Just as I was hoping to avoid that, there was a knock.

The moment I heard it, I instinctively felt a sense of caution.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

There was only one person who would knock on my door at this hour.

When I didn’t respond, a voice accompanied the knock.

“Chichi?”

There he was again.

I sighed deeply and glared at the door.

After our marriage was confirmed, Zerakiel and I started sleeping in separate rooms, following Zakari’s orders. For a while, I was happy because it meant I could avoid being tormented in my ferret form.

But that happiness was short-lived.

Zerakiel kept coming to find me, at any time, to pester me! Last time, he barged in while I was sleeping, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest!

Still, I guess I should be thankful that at least this time he didn’t burst in without knocking.

While I was debating what to do, Zerakiel murmured softly.

“I know you’re in there.”

“Chichi’s not here!”

“Then is the Chichi who just answered a ghost Chichi?”

“Tch.”

Clicking my tongue lightly, I slid off the bed and stood in front of the door.

There was no way to send Zerakiel away without seeing him now that he had come all the way here.

I opened the door just a crack and peeked out, asking bluntly.

“What do you want?”

“Do we need a reason to see each other?”

Zerakiel replied with a grin, wedging his foot into the door to prevent me from closing it on him.

“Father said we should sleep in separate rooms until the wedding.”

“He did.”

“Then why do you keep coming?”

“Well…”

Zerakiel tilted his head as if wondering why I was even asking such an obvious question.

“Because you don’t come to me.”

“…”

“So I have no choice but to come to you.”

His radiant smile left me speechless. How could I possibly throw a stone at someone with a smiling face?

Just then, I noticed a familiar flower tucked into his front pocket. It was the one I had given him quite some time ago, still looking fresh.

It seemed he had used pheromones to keep it from wilting. Casually, I muttered.

“You must have liked that flower.”

“I did.”

You did?

So, does that mean he doesn’t like it anymore?

As I tilted my head in confusion, Zerakiel suddenly leaned in close.

“Because.”