CH 7

“Sir. Take a good look here.”

She held out her hand a little closer to him. Leone was watching her movements with a blank face. Just before her hand touched his hair, he grabbed her arm in surprise.

“Ouch!”

‘Isn’t it against the law to suddenly use your hands while walking on all fours?’

A new pain crept into her wrist.

“OMG… it’s okay, it’s okay, Leone.”

Perhaps he was startled by the loud noise, so she hurriedly comforted him, and his purple eyes shook violently.

The moment she thought that the light in his shapely eyes was unrealistically beautiful, he gave strength as if he would break her wrist.

That time, she gritted his teeth and swallowed her screams. And she smiled hard at Leone.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Soon, his pupils lost their way and wandered.

“Uh… uh.”

Leone sighed and quickly stepped back. As the weight that weighed down her body disappeared, the belated pain disappeared.

It was a moment when she understood why famous trainers had well-built bodies.

Of course, her body couldn’t grow like them even if she exercised, so it was a story that was far from her.

“I-I… ”

With a restless voice, she cautiously winked at Gourden, who opened his mouth. 

‘It’s okay, just give me a little more time.’

Gourden looked impatient but kept his mouth shut.

“Oh… ”

She got up slowly to not surprise Leone. However, the try did not go well, so getting up was cumbersome. As she struggled to get up, the distance was close enough that she could see herself reflected in his eyes.

As soon as Leone met her eyes, he took a step back.

“Are you surprised? Sorry.”

Was it an illusion to think he was surprised for hurting her? It’s a beast that was said to have turned someone into a half-asshole.

But in her eyes it looked like that. It was a face that seemed frightened, not knowing what to do.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

She waved her wrist lightly. He didn’t really intend to break it, but even with a crushed shoulder or leg, she was fine.

In the meantime, his eyes were scrutinizing her.

He seemed confused, but she held out her hand again and that time he didn’t avoid it. As she stroked his hair, his soft hair wrapped around her hand.

“Leone. What was so hard for you?”

He made a surprised face as she stroked his hair.

The expression on the borderline was so lovely that she almost burst into laughter.

She wanted to let him know that the touch of subjugation and the touch of kindness were different.

“… yes.”

Leone made a small sound as if to answer.

She moved her hand again and held it out for him to sniff. She also relaxed her body and kept a smile so that she could convey that she had no intention of attacking.

“Wow. Well done.”

She handed a bright compliment to him who quietly sniffed.

“No barking and no anger! He knew right away that I was not the prey. You’re so smart. Great, Leone, very well done. You are the best.”

The point was a bright smile.

“Oh, good!”

It was an attitude of calmly sharing affection while sticking out the chin and spitting out rude words.

Clearly enough even a dumb beast would understand right away that she was being kind… 

“What kind of harmony is this…?”

Gourden looked back and forth between her and Leone, as if he didn’t understand the situation yet.

Leone didn’t show his aggressiveness, just sat down and looked at her.

‘Oh this sensation… !’

“Hey, it’s our Leone a good boy? Be nice!”

After a compliment, it’s best to give a reward. She opened her mouth, raising her head towards Gourden.

“Gourden. Are there any snacks Sir Leone likes to eat?”

“… ”

“Gourden?”

Gourden’s face looked quite complicated when he turned around because he didn’t have an answer.

“Gourden!”

“Ah, yes, eh. Yes! Teacher.”

“Aren’t you the teacher?”

“Ah, that… I’m so moved right now how you do this… ”

His reaction was understandable since it was a place where there was no concept of communication with animals.

But to call her teacher… In fact, at that time she thought she was lucky. Leone might have just been taken aback when she gave him an unfamiliar reaction.

Deoksoon also did not calm down at once. She went through a lot of trial and error, and it was a long time ago, so she didn’t remember very well. That time just fit right in.

“Call me Trixie. More than that, do you have any snacks that Leone eats?”

“Yes? A snack? There is no such thing, he just eats raw meat twice a day, sometimes four times a day.”

“Birds, raw meat?”

“Yes. Originally, he preferred to hunt and eat it himself, but that was too messy. The young master managed to persuade him, and now I’m giving him what I’ve trimmed. But after a while, he doesn’t want to eat it. He only likes the fresh catch of the day.”

Raw meat directly hunted… It was really difficult to see him as something different from a dog.

Her first impression of him was more like a wolf rather than a dog.

“… bone.”

There was one word that suddenly passed through her mind.

“Do you have any bones left from today’s slaughter?”

“Bone? I think they probably dumped it in the forest. Today’s bones might still be there.”

“Can you get me some of that? It’s better with a little bit of lean meat on it.”

“Yes, yes.”

Gourden, who had been afraid even of her being face to face with Leone, ran to the annex without delay.

“Shall we wait a minute, shall we?”

She pushed her hips and sat down next to Leone.

They were very close. So much that when she felt Leone staring at her, she turned her head and their gazes met in midair. His chin was close enough to almost touch her shoulder.

Leone took a deep breath. His chest swelled greatly. He sat down.

She reached out and touched his cheek. It was surprisingly soft and smooth.

“Leone?”

Was it because of her hand? As if Leone was startled, he stepped aside and widened the distance.

“Monster, monster.”

“A monster?”

What he said was quite unexpected. She didn’t understand what he was talking about, so she thought about it for a while, but Leone stepped back.

“Me”

“Leon? What’s wrong?”

Leone had a face he had never made.

Like a human face… 

The frowning eyes, slightly flushed face, and tightly shut mouth showed a complex tangle of emotions.

Unsure of what he was thinking, she took a closer look, and Leone backed away.

“Monster. Beast.”

Before she could catch him, he disappeared into the woods. At the end she didn’t understand the words he said.

Was it because he hated the way she touched his cheek?

Later, the pain in her shoulder set in.

* * *

“Please stay until the treatment is over. It’s our fault for being careless.”

Adler sighed.

Her wrist was bruised, and even if there was nothing wrong with the bone in her shoulder, it was quite swollen, so she guessed she would have to be carefull with it.

The resident doctor at the mansion sighed and bandaged her. When she said that it hurted because he wrapped it too tightly, he added, ‘Then you should have been careful, young lady!’

“Really? Wouldn’t it be all right if I took care of it…”

“It’s an accident involving Leone-sama.”

His face was very dark.

At her words, Adler’s face grew darker.

“It was a big mistake.”

“Yes?”

“I should have watched closely.”

“No. Rather, I pushed too hard.”

“I heard from Gourden. It was hard to understand because he was excited, but it seems you calmed Sir Leone down.”

“Ah, that.”

“Of course, Gourden is not one to lie but… It’s hard to believe because I haven’t actually seen it.”

His face was complicated. She looked up and let out an awkward smile.

“I just want one favor.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be too reckless. Even if you are confident, step back. Isn’t it difficult to bet you will have the same good luck in the future?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to go through anything like this again.”

His mouth was tightly shut. With those words, she could understand why he didn’t trust me.

Adler would have worked hard for Leone for a long time, and many things would have been sacrificed in that effort. Some people get hurt, some people get sick. Above all, it was easy to guess that his life confined to this mountain hut was the biggest sacrifice.

His mouth was bitter

“… sorry.”

“No, you must have been tired from the first day, you can go to rest.”

“Yes, Mr. Adler should rest too.”

Adler closed the door and left.

In the silence, she thought of Leone. His face, as if he had been burned, was astonished and distant.

Some time passed.

Knock, knock.

“… yes?”

Was Adler back? She straightened her back, and the door opened.

“Trixie, are you okay?”

Several servants who she hadn’t even gotten acquainted with their faces entered the room.

As servants whose names she didn’t know flocked to pour out their worries, she wondered how much more paradise-like that place could become.

They wiped the dirt off her body with a towel, changed her clothes, and even cut her food into bite-size pieces.

“What should we do if you get hurt like this? This can ugly a young lady.”

“It’s okay.”

The room became quiet again after the servants left, when she told them to rest.

That was… Really.

Could that be her lifelong job? She couldn’t be sure that not only hell would unfold in the future… 

No, even if it were hell, it would be worth living in a hell like that. The desire to leave that day began to lean toward wanting to be there somehow. Or, until she was healed at last since she wanted to get paid.

For now it was okay even if they only gave her 1 gold, since with that she wouldn’t have to go back to Jamie after leaving.

Her wrist had already sunk quite a bit, probably because the medicine was good. It seemed to be able to do a simple cleaning.

If she receive even half of the daily wage, it would be a very large and precious money to her.

Maybe that was God way of giving her a chance not to leave right away.

It would be nice to take a little more. Dreaming of a happy future, she buried her face in the bed and sniffed.

The smell of the crisp, well-dried duvet was pleasant.