#69

“Hahaha.”

Zerakiel let out a hollow laugh, staring into space with a bewildered expression. He felt like he’d been thoroughly played by Cersia.

The man who once feared nothing now found himself faced with something he was afraid of.

Zerakiel’s gaze remained fixed on Cersia.

The daring white weasel who had unknowingly stolen his heart now snored away, completely unaware of what she had done—even giving him a kiss by accident.

To top it off, she let out a little snort, a bubble of snot forming at her nose, and Zerakiel ran a hand over his face in exasperation.

“…Seriously.”

What am I supposed to do with this weasel?

Zerakiel’s face flushed a deep red, and he couldn’t stop the faint smile that kept breaking through.

He felt torn between wanting to hold this small being tightly in his arms, keeping her close, and the desire to let her roam freely, just so he could stand by her side and watch her.

A strange feeling—someone who stirred up both his destructive instincts and his protective urges all at once.

He had never imagined encountering such a person.

“This is driving me crazy.”

The corners of Zerakiel’s mouth couldn’t stop curving upward. After finally managing to calm his wildly beating heart, he muttered under his breath.

“I might really lose it if she ever tries to leave.”

Yeah. If he put in so much effort to keep her safe only for her to vanish, he might just lose his mind completely.

Just moments ago, Zerakiel had been considering the idea of sleeping separately, but he swiftly abandoned that thought. He knew he could only sleep soundly with Cersia by his side.

Zerakiel lay down beside Cersia. He reached out a hand, gingerly touching the tip of his nose, as if trying to recapture the lingering sensation from earlier.

His fingers moved slowly, tracing the air where the touch had been. His golden eyes, maintaining a careful distance, never left her sleeping form.

After a while, he gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and whispered softly.

“Well, it’s not a bad replacement for a first night together.”

Anyway, it wasn’t long before they’d be doing far more than that.

Now that he had publicly declared her as his white weasel and partner, she was, without question, a true part of the Jabis family.

Of course, he’d have to wait for her to fully mature before fulfilling what he truly desired, but beastfolk grew quickly anyway.

He could wait that long.

In that moment, a rather vivid and mischievous thought took shape in Zerakiel’s mind. Meanwhile, unaware of the thoughts running through his head, Cersia instinctively snuggled closer to him in her sleep.

Zerakiel’s body stiffened, and he let out a long, deep sigh.

“See? It’s always like this.”

He wasn’t sure if he could continue restraining himself at this rate.

But then again, so what?

Zerakiel reached out, pulling Cersia closer into his embrace, holding her tight as if to ensure she’d never slip away.

The warmth in his arms was incredibly comforting. As he breathed in her scent, a wave of contentment washed over him.

“Sleep well.”

With those words, Zerakiel closed his eyes. And so, their first night as husband and wife passed quietly, marked by a white weasel’s mischief and a black lion’s patience.

* * *

Grrrrroooowl.

A thunderous rumble came from my stomach. Unable to ignore the hunger any longer, I sluggishly rose from bed.

I found myself in a familiar bedroom.

I vaguely remembered being with Zakari in the secret garden, but the details after that were hazy.

It seemed that, exhausted, I had fallen asleep, and Zakari must have carried me back to the bedroom.

Holding my empty stomach, I bent over.

“I’m starving.”

The hunger was even more intense than usual. It was likely the aftermath of overusing my pheromones.

As I sat there dazed, a delicious smell reached my nose, making me lift my head.

“Oh!”

A table in the corner of the room held a spread of food. Steam still rose from the dishes, indicating that a warming spell had been cast on them.

I eagerly sprang to my feet, plopped into a chair at the table, and tore into a piece of bread, dipping it into the soup. After being so hungry, every bite tasted heavenly.

After polishing off the soup, I suddenly remembered something I needed to do.

“Oh, right.”

I spoke up, remembering my task.

“Tabby!”

At my call, Tabby appeared, her silver fish form flicking her tail as she swam through the air.

The moment she circled around me, I found myself standing once again in the Room of Choices, the place where I had first met her.

She must have brought me here to speak privately since time barely moved in this place.

The octagonal space felt familiar now, thanks to my previous visit. Tabby floated up to me, cutting in front of my line of sight as she spoke.

— Did you sleep well, sleepyhead?

“What happened?” I asked bluntly, and Tabby burst into a fit of laughter. Her casual response made me cross my arms and speak with a frown.

“You disappeared out of nowhere, and then you showed up right when things got messy. Why?”

— Because if I hadn’t intervened, you’d have died.

“What?”

— You were about to die, you know.

Tabby’s blunt statement made me flinch.

I had sensed it too, faintly. In that moment when the pheromones inside me exploded, every instinct I had screamed danger.

Lost in thought, I decided to start with the part that puzzled me the most.

“I managed to stop Zakari’s rampage. Was that because of some hidden power of mine?”

— You’re half right and half wrong.

Tabby floated around me in a slow circle.

— The pheromone poison that spread through the air was purified by my power. But I borrowed your strength to briefly return to my true form to do it.

It seemed that Tabby wasn’t yet strong enough to stay in her true form for long.

“So, you’re not in fish form by choice.”

— Well, this form isn’t so bad. My true form is too big and conspicuous.

“Yeah, thanks for that. I ended up in a pretty tight spot because of it.”

I shivered, remembering how the priests of Hebel had interrogated me. I had nearly been dragged off to Hebel by force.

Though Zerakiel wouldn’t have allowed that, it had still been a major hassle.

“Is Zakari okay now?”

I thought back to the secret garden, where his flower had stopped wilting. The frost-covered white flower had looked almost vibrant.

— He’s fine. Thanks to you, Jabis won’t be letting you go anytime soon.

After all, it wasn’t just that I had stopped his rampage—I had also dispelled his madness.

If the Orban family, the medical line of the Jabis, found out about this, they might try to use me as a test subject.

A chill ran down my spine at the thought. Zerakiel might even harbor hidden hopes that I could cure his Flower of Frenzy too.

Of course, if it were possible, I wanted to help.

“Do you think my power can eliminate the Flower of Frenzy?”

— Hard to say.

Tabby gave a vague answer, floating around me.

— It’d be difficult for now.

“…?”

— If you used that power again, you’d be on a one-way trip to the afterlife.

Can she stop talking about death already?

Having already faced death once, her words sent a shiver down my spine. Then Tabby dropped a bombshell.

— Honestly, even now, your condition is unstable. I managed to keep it in check, but without proper measures, you might not make it past the next month.

“W-What?!”

I was shocked by her casual declaration of my impending death.

“B-But you said you saved me earlier!”

— I did. I bought you a bit more time.

“…”

— Forty-nine days. You’ll definitely die within that time frame.

“What are you talking about?!”

I grabbed the fish with both hands, my face paling. Tabby’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

But I didn’t care and, overwhelmed with shock, shook Tabby furiously.

“Take responsibility! I don’t want to die!”

How hard I had worked to find some peace in this life!

— Eek! W-What are you doing…?!

Tabby wailed, her eyes spinning like a snail’s shell.

Ignoring her protests, I squeezed her harder, my hands clamping down firmly. Tabby cried out in desperation.

— Th-There’s a way! Ugh! I swear!

I stopped shaking her, my eyes flashing with urgency.

“What is it?”

If her answer was unsatisfactory, I was ready to start shaking her again.