#73

“I can’t exactly kill him, can I?”

Zakari raised his hand in frustration, prompting Ivan to scurry a few steps back, crossing his hands over his chest in a defensive “X.”

“Let’s talk this out, shall we?”

You should’ve kept it to talking in the first place.

Zakari had plenty to say, but punishing Ivan wasn’t the priority right now. After calming himself down with some effort, he lowered his voice in warning.

“We’ll see each other soon enough.”

“Oh, that’s terrifying. Maybe I should… head straight to Lady Rachel… actually, never mind,” Ivan, who’d been teasingly clueless, suddenly realized the danger and took a step back.

With a dangerous glint in his eyes, Zakari’s body shimmered as he shifted form.

Now, a towering yellow lion with an unmistakable scowl stood where Zakari had been. Noting Zakari’s displeasure, Ivan crept forward and whispered,

“Here’s hoping you make it out alive.”

Then, with an exaggeratedly solemn expression, Ivan clasped his hands together in a mock prayer. Zakari’s temper flared, and he let out a roar that echoed like thunder.

“Grrr… (Get lost!)”

“Oh dear!”

Ivan’s face fell as he turned tail and dashed away, flapping his arms in a most undignified manner as he fled. Watching the display, Zakari muttered to himself,

‘He’s not exactly normal either.’

Of the lions he knew, Ivan was the boldest, which was why he’d tolerated him so far. But recently, Ivan had been growing cocky.

He’d thought it was better than seeing him trembling with fear all the time, but now he was reconsidering that stance.

‘Ah, my lot in life…’

Zakari sighed, tearing at some nearby grass in resignation.

Who would’ve thought he’d go along with such an absurd plan?

Still, if it meant he could make peace with Rachel, he could endure this humiliation. After all, the one who’d hurt her the most had always been him.

Now, all he had to do was wait for Cersia to bring Rachel to the area.

How much time had passed? Zakari, sprawled out in boredom, perked up when he sensed Rachel’s pheromones in the distance.

His relief was short-lived, however, as he caught a familiar, irritating scent beside her.

‘That rat….’

Erhardin Rodin.

There he was, clinging to Rachel and fawning over her. Zakari’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

‘If I “accidentally” bit him… maybe just the tip of that wagging tail….’

Zakari’s thoughts turned sinister as he quietly melted into the shadows, hiding his presence.

—

Ilanbore was as warm and inviting as a retreat, its land nestled between the eastern sea and the dense forests to the west.

“Welcome,” Kiera greeted us, her face set but tinged with a trace of irritation.

It seemed Rachel had been causing her some stress. Glancing around, I asked,

“Where’s Mother?”

“Well…,” Kiera hesitated, uncharacteristically sighing.

“She’s speaking with a guest who arrived earlier.”

“A guest?”

“Is it the fox?” Zerakiel muttered.

Kiera’s eyes widened slightly, confirming his guess. Zerakiel continued in a low tone,

“I could smell his unpleasant scent from here.”

“Yes, Lady Rachel is currently with Sir Erhardin.”

“He’s been quite active around here, hasn’t he?”

Despite Zerakiel’s probing questions, Kiera answered them all without flinching.

“Yes, he’s been staying here for some time now, as Lady Rachel hasn’t been feeling well.”

“He’s staying here?” I blurted out, startled.

“Well, we have plenty of rooms to spare, so nothing inappropriate has happened,” Kiera replied calmly.

“Whew.” I let out an audible sigh of relief, which prompted Kiera to change the subject.

“Allow me to give you a tour of the estate—”

But before she could lead us, the door suddenly swung open, and Rachel stepped out.

“No need.”

“Mother? …And the fox, too.”

I was about to greet Rachel warmly but stopped short, noticing Erhardin standing beside her.

Sensing my gaze, Rachel answered,

“Erhardin will be joining us for the hunt.”

I’d expected Rachel to look worn out, with swollen eyes, but she appeared more composed than I’d anticipated. In fact, she seemed even calmer than usual, which made her seem even more unsettling, like a calm before a storm.

“Ah, we meet again?”

At that moment, Erhardin extended his hand with a friendly smile, as if he wanted to shake hands. I stared at him, a bit taken aback.

‘Why the sudden show of friendliness?’

At the wedding, he hadn’t even looked in my direction. I hadn’t acknowledged him either, so this sudden shift in behavior was suspicious.

Moreover, there was a smug air about him, as if he’d already walked down the aisle with Rachel. His attitude made me feel strange, like he was some kind of rival to my father-in-law.

I felt like my own plan was backfiring—my jealousy tactic had brought them to the brink of ruin instead of reconciliation, and now my head was pounding.

‘This is all Father’s fault…’

I grumbled inwardly as I replied with a forced smile, “It’s nice to meet you, Erhardin.”

“Please, call me Erhen,” he said smoothly.

“That’s a bit….”

I trailed off, hinting that there was no need for such familiarity between us. But Erhardin replied with a snake-like grin.

“Oh, but we may be family soon enough.”

Excuse me?

“Besides, we might even live together. Wouldn’t it be better to start off on friendly terms?”

It seemed he intended to settle down as a live-in son-in-law after remarrying Rachel. And with the custody lawsuit going on, the idea of living together wasn’t entirely far-fetched.

‘This isn’t going well…’

I glanced over at Rachel, feeling uneasy. She looked utterly drained, as if she didn’t even have the energy to deny the prospect of remarriage.

And, of course, the fox was being so forward it was downright inconvenient.

If I didn’t intervene, they might actually get married.

Oh no…

I was about to protest when Erhardin cut in, trying to sound considerate. “Then, I’ll call you Lady Chichi.”

Just then, Zerakiel’s hand rested ominously on his sword hilt.

“What did you just say?”

“Uh?”

“Say it again,” Zerakiel murmured, a dark threat hanging in his voice. Ivan, who had returned just in time, shook his head knowingly.

“People usually regret opening their mouths carelessly.”

You’re one to talk, I thought, casting a skeptical look at Ivan as Erhardin, oblivious, continued.

“Oh? I mean… I’d just like to be close to Lord Zerakiel, too.”

Actually, no—he wasn’t oblivious at all. Erhardin was now turning his charms on Zerakiel, clearly playing some kind of angle.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Rachel. Would you mind if I called you Ricky? …Oh, I-I apologize!”

It seemed, however, that he lacked the courage to back up his antics. When Zerakiel drew his sword just a fraction out of its sheath, Erhardin immediately cowered.

After all, tricks only work on sane people. A mad black lion like Zerakiel wouldn’t hesitate to cut first and ask questions later.

“I’ll just call you Erhardin,” I said firmly, trying to establish some boundaries. He accepted, albeit reluctantly.

“Yes, understood. But, there’s always a chance to grow closer, isn’t there?”

Clearly, he wasn’t one to give up easily.

No wonder he’d persisted through all of Zakari’s interference.

Soon after, we headed to the hunting grounds owned by the family. Located west of Ilanbore, it was known for its dense forest cover.

“Rachel, come over here. That harsh sun might burn your delicate skin,” Erhardin cooed, pulling Rachel close in an overly affectionate gesture. Strangely, Rachel didn’t push him away.

‘Mother’s being unusually docile…’

Normally, she’d have scoffed at such sickly-sweet words, but she showed no reaction this time.

And it wasn’t just me who noticed—Zerakiel didn’t look pleased either.

I glanced at Kiera, who merely shrugged, indicating she was as puzzled as we were. The more I thought about it, the more suspicious it all seemed.

‘Something isn’t right.’