#72
“Are you still unwell?”
Zakari shook his head but then sighed heavily. Gulping down water as if to clear his frustration, he exclaimed.
“Rachel is ignoring all my messages. Even when I try to see her, she won’t meet me, only responding through Kiera under the excuse of the lawsuit.”
Ah, so that’s what’s been bothering him?
At last, I understood why Zakari had been pacing like a restless puppy. Ever since Rachel filed for custody a few days ago, it seemed he hadn’t been able to see her once. I responded nonchalantly.
“Well, I did tell you to be more receptive.”
“That was the best decision at the time. I don’t regret it, not for a second.”
He muttered stubbornly. It was a familiar reaction that made me bite back a laugh.
So that’s where Zerakiel got it from—he was just like his father.
“Is that so.”
I teased, savoring another bite of sherbet that melted like honey on my tongue.
“Then I suppose you don’t need my help, fearless father-in-law who regrets nothing?”
“What?”
“In fact, Rachel and I are on quite good terms. We spoke just yesterday.”
Zakari’s eyes sparked with interest. He made a clumsy attempt to reach for my hand, but Zerakiel intervened, swiftly clasping both my hands in his own, leaving Zakari empty-handed.
Zakari growled, eyes blazing.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I don’t like other hands on what’s mine.”
Zerakiel replied with a sly smile, holding my hands firmly. I could only watch helplessly as my sherbet melted away.
As I gazed at the sherbet in mild despair, a voice, tinged with desperation, whispered in my ear.
“Please… help me.”
Zakari had turned my chair toward him completely.
“Just arrange for me to talk to her. That’s all I need.”
His empty eyes, once devoid of attachment, now shone with flickers of anxiety and jealousy. No wonder, considering that foxy suitor could still roam Rachel’s estate at will.
“Well, I don’t know….”
I recalled my recent conversation with Rachel.
— So, Zakari is all right now.
‘Yes, so now’s the time! If we strike now…!’
— Forget it. I’m done.
‘Pardon?’
— I’m saying you don’t need to bother anymore.
Rachel’s response was colder than I’d expected. I thought she’d be delighted now that the barrier between them had finally disappeared, yet she seemed even more closed off.
‘She must be deeply hurt.’
I recalled Zakari’s cold treatment toward Rachel at the banquet, even taunting her to make merry with that fox. Considering that, it was understandable that she wouldn’t meet with him now.
But if this dragged on, their relationship might be beyond repair.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
For Zerakiel’s future, they couldn’t remain at odds. Zerakiel had already strayed far enough from his original path; there was no need to give him further reason to spiral.
I pulled an invitation from my bag and placed it on the table. A fitting excuse had just come to mind to bring Zakari and Rachel face-to-face.
“Actually, Rachel invited Zerakiel and me to Ilanbore for a hunt in a few days.”
“What?!”
Zakari stared at the invitation with longing. I gently nudged it toward him.
“Would you like to join us?”
“But they’re not likely to just let me in,” he replied, sounding defeated.
True enough, considering he’d been turned away at her doorstep repeatedly, it wasn’t as if they’d welcome him into Ilanbore with open arms. He looked like a dejected pup, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Well, not if you go as you are now.”
“What do you mean, ‘as I am now’?”
“Didn’t you hear me? It’s a hunting trip,” I said, blinking innocently. Zakari tilted his head, still looking confused.
Then, as the realization dawned on him, he gasped in horror.
“Don’t tell me… are you saying I should transform and play the prey?”
“That’s exactly it!”
I clapped my hands and grinned. “Though I can’t be there with you, I can let you know where the hunt will take place. All you have to do is wait there and let Rachel ‘catch’ you. How about that?”
I gave him my most encouraging smile, but Zakari’s face twisted into an odd expression. He looked over at Zerakiel, almost pleading.
“It seems your wife’s influence has driven you as mad as she is. What nonsense is this?”
“Why don’t you think it’s a good idea?”
Zerakiel tilted his head, a slight smirk on his face.
“To me, it sounds like a perfect plan.”
* * *
At that moment, Zakari pinched the bridge of his nose, looking at his white weasel of a daughter-in-law spouting mad ideas, and his son nodding along in agreement.
This couldn’t be real.
His son’s antics weren’t surprising; he’d been half-mad for as long as Zakari could remember. But why, oh why, was she falling into madness too?
Zakari sighed, brushing his forehead in exasperation. Right, he should’ve known better than to discuss anything with these two.
It was just as he staggered back to his seat that Ivan sidled up to Cersia, practically rubbing his palms together in admiration.
“Our Lady Chichi is truly brilliant! How did you come up with such a fantastical idea?”
“Hehe,” Cersia giggled.
What was he so pleased about now?
Zakari glanced over at Cersia, whose cheeks had gone rosy with delight, and decided that thinking about it any further was pointless. Any longer in this company, and he’d lose what little dignity he had left.
Zakari shot to his feet, declaring firmly, “Absolutely not.”
There were plenty of things a head of the household should do, but transforming into a beast and dashing into his ex-wife’s hunting grounds as prey was not one of them.
“Yes… that’s what I thought….”
Zakari sighed deeply, staring at the yellow potion in his hand.
The shimmering liquid would change the color of his fur. Seeing that Zakari was still hesitating, Ivan—who had snuck out of Rachel’s estate—pushed him.
“Hurry and drink it, or Lady Rachel will arrive any minute.”
“Do we really have to go this far?”
Was this really the best option?
Zakari’s gaze wavered with uncertainty, but Ivan merely prodded him further.
“It’s better to be a yellow lion than to stay a black one—your survival chances will be higher.”
“No, what I’m asking is why I should even be prey in the first place.”
“Because it’s Lady Chichi’s ‘perfect’ plan. Are you really going to reject the flawless plan of Chichi, the lady of Jabis and the savior of your life?”
Zakari shot Ivan a withering look, irritated by his response, which left no room for objections.
‘Anyone watching would think he’s following an order from his lord.’
Ivan, who had seemingly transformed into Cersia’s faithful servant, now showed unwavering loyalty, albeit fueled by the thrill of watching Zerakiel’s struggles from a close vantage.
Ivan puffed out his chest. “If you stay a black lion, you’ll be caught instantly. And Rachel… well, she might ‘accidentally’ kill you on the spot.”
“You’re right.”
Zakari swallowed hard, realizing that Rachel was entirely capable of such an “accident.”
Finally, Zakari, having made up his mind, gulped down the potion. The moment he did, his signature black hair began to turn golden.
Now with golden hair and eyes, Zakari awkwardly ran a hand through his new mane.
‘Rachel always liked my black hair best.’
It was because of her preference for long hair that he had so carefully grown it out. But now, he had to face her in this ridiculous get-up. How was this supposed to work as a seduction tactic? It felt like nothing was going to go as planned.
As Zakari wrestled with these thoughts, Ivan gave him a hearty shove, urging him forward.
“If you’ve finished, transform into a beast already! Why the delay?”
Should he just end him here and now?