CH 17

Visten rubbed his forehead, “Still, I think you deserve a different reward.” 

“I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“I don’t think you should leave this mansion. You will have more work to do here.”

“Uhm.”

Alexa seemed to think for a moment, then she shook her head. 

In fact, Alexa had no intention to stay in the mansion. It’s saddening and she will also miss the people here, but wouldn’t it be enough to come here often to play? Besides, it would be too risky and shameless of her to stay in this mansion. 

She had no idea what the human Ysildus, not a wolf, who had lost his memories, would do, and she couldn’t stay in the mansion as she had to make room for Selina’s return. Although Selina isn’t here now, she will appear in the castle before Ysildus completes his second growth process and return to his human self….

‘Isn’t it just right?’

It was a bit unsettling, but it was hard to think that the female lead deviated from the novel’s plot. After all, Alexa will disappear after Selina arrives. Alexa was just renting the place here Selina should be and was only staying here for a while, so she wasn’t able to answer without giving it much thought. 

“I don’t want that, Lieutenant.”

“W- what?” Visten’s lips trembled. 

Why did I forget about this? Alexa was a girl who was strong enough to discuss her salary and decide where to live. Why did I overlook that she wouldn’t stay at her own will? It was a little embarrassing.

And that was what Visten had been suffering from…. 

However, it was Terrun who was more shocked, not Visten.

“Alexa, where are you going?”

“I’m going to my house. I only came here as a guest for a while.”

Alexa nailed it down again, smiling brightly. Terrun’s mouth opened.

“B-but… I don’t like it.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t like Alexa leaving.”

Visten was surprised for another reason, thanks to Terrun who clearly stated his argument. Terrun can speak so accurately like that? The child who always had an unclear attitude and was only nodding his head while answering yes, yes?

Knowing his father’s surprise, Terrun shook his head as he grabbed Alexa’s sleeve, “Don’t go.”

Thanks to Terrun who was sulking with a sullen face as he said the same thing over and over again, Alexa burst into laughter. “Why are you being like that, Terrun! This isn’t my real home and besides, I won’t go that far. You can see me anytime.”

“But still, don’t go~”

“Why are you really being like that, Terrun! Just because I went out here doesn’t mean that I will forget you, hmm?”

Alexa rummaged through the basket, soothing Terrun. Something Terrun might like…

‘Oh, here it is!’

Alexa pulled out something and put it on Terrun’s palm when he held on her sleeves. It was her homemade sandwich. 

“Come on, if you eat this and play with Ysu, I’ll make you something delicious.”

“Something delicious?’

Terrun’s eye twinkled, with a face that completely forgot what they were talking about before – no, rather than that, saying that they can meet whenever may have reassured Terrun. He thought that Alexa will only move next door. 

Terrun chewed the sandwich and swallowed it.

“Hmm, what should I cook? There are only a few things I know how to make….”

Terrun answered firmly as Alexa was in the middle of her deep thoughts, “Egg fried rice!”

“Other than that…”

“No, please make it, Alexa.”

Alexa raised her hands at Terrun’s insistence and nodded her head, then Terrun smiled and shoved the sandwich into his mouth as he ran to the place where Ysildus was playing alright with himself. 

Alexa turned her attention to Visten, who was just silent and watching the situation. He was even smiling softly. 

“Uh, they are really noisy kids, right?”

“… Is that so?”

Alexa didn’t notice how Visten’s voice was grieving, and it was also the first time Terrun had been so stubborn. Visten listened blankly to Alexa’s words.

“I want to get out of here. I didn’t want to be indebted for a long time, and I was only here to fulfill my promise to take care of Ysildus.” 

Recognizing that his name was called, Ysildus ran up to her and stood on his two legs, raising his two front paws on Alexa’s thigh. His tail waving like crazy caught Visten’s eyes. He thought he was cute as he looked at Alexa with sparkling eyes while wrinkling his nose, as if he was a real dog. 

But to Visten, the powerful little devil Ysildus was no different than a cute angel…. 

“Why, Ysu? Are you hungry?”

“Arf!”

He wiggled his tail more. 

“See, I understand you very well.”

Alexa pursed her lips and poured the boiled chicken she had prepared for Ysildus’ snack into a bowl.

“I’ll give it to you if you sit down. If you don’t sit down, I won’t give it to you.”

Ysildus sat down, and Alexa set the bowl in front of him.

“Chop, chop, chop.” 

He was eating so deliciously. Visten looked at him and swallowed his saliva. 

“W-wouldn’t it be possible to extend the contract anyway? In fact, even the Grand Duke is getting a lot of help from you…”

Her reward had already been returned in the form of incentives, so Alexa wasn’t really surprised by his words. Excessive greed will lead to disaster. 

“It’s alright. I got paid for it, goodness Lieutenant.” Alexa laughed playfully. 

She seemed to be in a good mood as she tapped the ground with the tip of her shoes. It felt good that someone was clinging onto Alexa like this, unlike in the past where she had no connection. 

“You don’t like me going?”

“Cough!”

Visten turned his head and cleared his throat – without knowing that he looked exactly like Terrun. 

It is true that all the wolves of the Grand Duke were possessed by Alexa. However, Visten forgot that he himself was also a wolf.

In any case, Alexa said to Visten, who had grown pale, “If you ever need help, I will help.”

She clearly remembered most of the novel’s content, so it wasn’t that difficult. 

Visten smiled faintly at Alexa’s comfort, “Then what are you going to do?”

“Well, I haven’t decided yet. How about being a pharmacist or a doctor?”

“I think it would suit you really well.”

“Then I should start studying!” Alexa grinned brightly – without knowing that Ysildus, who was quietly eating meat next to her, stopped eating.

Ysildus’ eyes that looked up to Alexa with his remaining meat, were mysterious. It was a weepy look that would make someone’s skin crawl. 

‘Go? To where? Alexa?’

You told me to remember, so you can’t do that. 

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Knock, knock –

A hooded woman knocked on the shabby wooden door and followed the set signal. The door soon opened, and an old woman with yellow teeth came out from the inside. 

With her one eye covered with cloth, the old woman swept the woman up and down with her other eye, whether she could really see or not.  

“What did you come here for?”

“I came to buy a useful child.”

Her voice was soft, as if she was singing. 

A heavy money bag fell on the old woman’s hand.

“Goodness me! I didn’t recognize someone important. This kid here cries like a goat, but it’s pretty.”

The old woman opened the door wide and pulled the children out from inside, one by one, with rough hands. 

The old woman who pushed the frightened child, pulled out another child, “This kid sings like a nightingale! And this child…!”

“I’ll do it with that kid.”

The woman’s delicate fingers pointed to the crouched child in the corner.

“Th-that child….”

“Why? Is that a child with a problem?”

“No! It’s not such a child! But… it doesn’t have any special talent.” 

“It doesn’t matter.”

The woman’s gaze turned to the children who were huddled together around that child, and trembling. It looked like they were depending on the child sitting in the middle. 

Red hair and blue eyes. The plan went awry and she came to see that child now, but that was the child she had been eyeing even before – a child who looks just like the child of prophecy. 

The woman’s lips, covered with a hood, twisted cruelly. She devised a new way to use the child.

“That child is enough,” said the woman again.

“Thank you, dear guest!”

The old woman took the child and gave it to the woman. 

The woman’s long fingers grabbed the child’s chin, “What is your name?”

“… I don’t have one.”

Her frightened eyes twinkled with intelligence – a perfect fit for what she had to do. 

The woman’s lips grew in a curve, “Okay, child. Your name will be ‘Selina’ from now on.”

It was a very fitting name for a scapegoat to be thrown into the arms of the wolves.

(T/N: I suddenly got goosebumps [shivering])