CH 47

Terrun buried his head on the rug. He had no idea if Ysildus is cute. In his eyes, Ysildus was nothing more than a menacing wolf who is stronger than him. Moreover, he was a wolf who bares his teeth and threatens people when Alexa wasn’t looking. 

Terrun rested his head on Alexa’s thigh. As Alexa habitually strokes his head, Terrun breaks out into a wide grin. Terrun closed his eyes tightly. Of course, Ysildus wasn’t the type who would just let Terrun do that. Ysildus, who was vigorously shaking the carrot, glared at Terrun with his sharp, knife-like eyes and thumped his front paw. 

“What’s the matter, Ysu?” 

“Krrrng –“ 

Ysildus jumped back and forth before jumping on Terrun’s back. 

“Aaack!” 

Terrun straightened his back when he felt a sudden weight trampled on it. It felt like his waist would break into two if he moved by mistake. 

“Ysu! That’s dangerous!” 

Ysildus lifted Ysildus, but she was taken aback when she saw Ysildus’ pair of innocent eyes. 

“Yes, what would our Ysu know? But still, you can’t do that, understand?” 

“Kyang!” 

Ysildus barked in understanding and then leaned his head against Alexa’s face. 

“… What a despicable little fox….” 

Terrun muttered in a low voice that Alexa didn’t hear him, then he tapped on his tingling waist. It must have been bruised. Then I should ask Alexa to apply some medicine. Terrun grumbled and then lay down again. 

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Carlisle clicked his tongue as he watched the Grand Duchess drop the third sugar cube into the earl gray tea. 

“You’re still like a child.” 

Essellia could also feel the faint affection on that voice. She tilted the teacup with a smile on her face. Speaking so coldly like that, she served him tea with a bowl full of sugar on the day Essellia visited his office. 

After drinking the tea quietly for a long time, Carlisle asked her, “So, what about that ‘Master’?” 

“Don’t be sarcastic, Carlisle. You already knew that child’s name is Alexa.” 

Carlisle only shrugged his shoulders. Even so, Carlisle’s eyes look as if he was still in the middle of a bloody battlefield. 

Essellia replied in a voice mixed with a sigh, “Alexa is just a normal girl. She is very sincere and studies very hard. And it seems like she has deep affection for Ysildus as well.” 

“… Hmm.” 

“If there is something unique about her….” Essellia thought of Alexa, “She is too frugal.” 

“Frugal?” 

Carlisle frowned. “I heard it was Alexa that helped Thersion. No matter how cheap Visten is, he wouldn’t be so frugal towards a benefactor.” 

“I think it ‘s just that child’s temperament.” 

“Tch, that’s why,” Carlisle clicked his tongue disapprovingly, “She had to have something suitable to be Ysildus’ ‘Master’.” 

Carlisle rubbed his chin and then shook the bell. The butler came inside and bowed his head. 

“Refurbish the Family Head’s study.” 

“Yes, Your Excellency the Grand Duke.” 

“There are already books children of Alexa’s age read…. Maybe a fairy tale book, or….”

“Alexa is 16 years old.” 

Essellia pointed out in a tone as if saying ‘You can’t do that’. 

“Anyway, prepare books that young ladies her age would like to read. Yes, it would be better if it has medical books that the child likes.” 

The Thersion Family Head’s study was different from other studies. Unlike the study available for the general public, the Family Head’s study couldn’t be entered without permission. There were many forbidden and rare books [inside] that had existed since the beginning of the continent. Wolves inside Thersion don’t get close to [those] books, but Carlisle and Essellia were different. 

They used to spend at least 150 years of boring time reading books. Giving a place like that to Alexa? Essellia squinted her eyes and stared at Carlisle. 

“This must be a secret scheme, right?” 

“A whim?” 

Carlisle smiles brightly. Then he added, “That child is surely intelligent. It’s just like how she instinctively knew how to read and use the trend. If it is a useful gemstone, it’s not a bad thing to cultivate it to a more noble gem.” 

Carlisle is a person who sits on the top of the food chain. He often, arrogantly, thinks that he can control everything as a result. It was the same now. So he gave Alexa the privilege of using the Family Head’s study casually. He must be thinking that he could get rid of her anytime. 

“… Alexa is a good child.” 

“You seem to be quite fond of the child you met not a long time ago.” 

In fact, no wolf hated humans as much as Essellia. Even this time, it was Essellia who decapitated the five knights who infiltrated Thersion. That same Alexa was only soft towards Alexa. At this point, Carlisle is also curious about Alexa. The Alexa he saw during the dinner…. 

‘Come to think of it, she wasn’t afraid.’ 

Carlisle laughed suddenly and uncontrollably. Alexa wasn’t afraid of them. She didn’t look like she was facing death. She was just really, really not afraid of them. She eats nonchalantly while taking care of Ysildus. 

“Didn’t Alexa say that she knew the future?” 

“Yes. Though not everything.” 

It would be nice to try it once. Carlisle’s lips raised. There was a trifling darkness permeating inside Thersion. Remnants of the black magic who dared to enter. Carlisle was the only one who knew about that unpleasant smell. And it was stuck around Alexa. 

‘What are you going to do now, Alexa?’ 

The pale moon was rising behind Carlisle’s back. 

‘Can you read your future?’ 

(T/N: I was thinking the five human knights survived somehow, but I had no idea it was Essellia who killed them. Well, blame everything on your tr*sh human Emperor)

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

It was the time for those who had a busy day to finish their work. There has not been a single quiet day ever since the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess had returned. Even though it was the same as taking care of the injured knights, they also had to renovate the place that had been vacated. Winter will come after autumn passes. 

The harsh winter was especially tough on Thersion. In order to feed the people of their territory, the yield must be measured and the amount of grain to be bought in preparation. Moreover, they continued to fish in groups, as well as hunting and drying meat. As a result, even the sensitive wolves would fall asleep in exhaustion at night. 

Snap – 

Selina slipped out of her bed holding a candle. Her fellow maid who uses the same room as her was snoring and fast asleep. People of Thersion do not entrust important tasks to Selina, so these days, she doesn’t do anything special other than serving Alexa. 

Besides, Selina knew how to properly use what she had learned from Ruella. Ruella taught Selina how to put the wolves asleep by blending herbs properly. It wasn’t that difficult to sprinkle the sleep potion1 on every fireplace. It has been a while since she started putting off  the fireplace because it gets cold at night. 

Selina already took the antidote beforehand. The sky was even helping her, with the autumn rain falling in full swing outside. The raindrops falling continuously seemed to play musical instruments. As expected, the hallway was quiet. Selina smiled. Her exposed sharp canines glistened against the flickering light of the candle. Even though it can’t pierce a strong wolf’s skin, it was enough to tear a human’s fragile skin right away. Selina walked lightly. Her shadow fell over the empty hallway. 

Click – 

Selina opened the door to Alexa’s bedroom. The sleep potion doesn’t work on humans. Alexa woke up, rubbing her eyes at the sudden presence. 

“… Selina?” 

“Alexa.” 

Selina smiled brightly. Her face glowed eerily under the candlelight. It was a gut feeling. Alexa realized that the coldness she had felt from Selina [before] was to warn her of this moment. Alexa moved her body backwards. Selina closed the door and approached her. Selina’s face as she put down the candle in her hand on the table was strangely still. 

“Why do you look so surprised? Weren’t we friends?” 

Alexa gently pressed down on her pounding heart. ‘This is nothing.’ Alexa tried to swallow her saliva down her thirsty throat. ‘Selina can’t do anything.’ 

Selina was originally the original female lead. Even if she was eliminated on the spot and her settings have changed, would her natural essence also change? Selina wasn’t meant to hurt anyone. She will do nothing more than threaten Alexa. 

“Hmm? I’m asking you if we are friends?” 

Selina urged her to answer. Without permission, she sat on the edge of Alexa’s bed and tilted her head. 

“Right. Friends.” Alexa replied in a voice that seemed like she was choked. 

“Then why are you making that face? As if I came to a place where I shouldn’t come.” 

“I was just surprised. Why are you not sleeping and come here instead?” 

“Aah~ I can’t sleep. So I came here to talk with you?” 

“Talk… about what?”

(T/N: For a second there, I thought Selina would change into a vampire and bite Alexa. I got goosebumps all of a sudden [fearfully scratches my arms])

1. [T/N: The original term was 수면향. It is literally ‘sleeping fragrance/sleeping water incense’, but both don’t sound that good to me, so I changed it to ‘sleeping potion’. I hope you don’t mind hehe~]