IJEBPSCLB 49

Chapter 49

“Ariael, did you like my arm that much?”

At his teasing question, accompanied by a mischievous grin, everything I had just done flashed through my mind like a montage.

I touched his arm…

“If you want, you can have it.”

Oh… have it? What am I supposed to do with it, you white tiger.

As he smiled slyly, I could feel the heat slowly spreading from behind my ears. I hurriedly moved the pillow that had been resting on his arm to another spot, shifted away, and buried my face again.

Then Ian spoke in a pitiful tone.

“So my arm got touched once and now Ariael has abandoned it?”

“……”

Yeah. No matter how I think about it, this is the kind of situation where I should just bury my head in shame.

“…I should just die.”

No, I can’t die that easily. I’m doing all this just to survive. Well… what I just did has nothing to do with survival, but still.

I couldn’t easily escape the swamp of self-loathing.

“A beastkin shouldn’t live so lazily. Too lazy to even lift your head, so you just grabbed any pillow?”

“……”

“So, how was the pillow you used?”

With his eyes slightly widened, he walked closer to Ariael.

Seeing her flushed red from behind her ears down to her neck, Ian let out a small laugh.

“Ariael, the diligent cat gets on the table first. The one who climbs up first gets to eat more.”

A faint, mumbling reply came out.

“You only live once… might as well live lazily…”

After floundering in self-loathing for a while, I barely regained my senses when a cool breeze brushed the back of my heated neck.

Summoning immense courage, I slightly shifted my eyes upward. Ian was fanning me with a document, and our eyes met.

With a gentle smile, he said something cruel.

“Isn’t today the day you learn dagger throwing from Louise?”

Ah.

All the earlier embarrassment vanished, replaced by the harsh reminder of reality. I frowned deeply.

“No. It’s not.”

Absolutely not.

Then I firmly stated what I wanted.

After I turned human and became able to endure physical training, my schedule increased—and dagger throwing was added on top of it.

Ugh. Training under this blazing sun?

If I actually do that, won’t I collapse from heatstroke?

“I’m not like someone who’s made of steel. I can’t handle such a murderous schedule.”

Since my face was buried in the pillow, my words came out muffled.

“Then Ariael, you’re not practicing dagger throwing?”

“Didn’t I just say I can’t handle a murderous schedule like someone else…?”

I looked at Ian with a frown.

“But from what I saw, it made me clap first, and then just stare in admiration.”

I recalled the strange trajectory of the dagger—soaring high and then suddenly dropping straight down—and smirked.

“Your technique is quite flashy.”

He definitely watched me practice in secret.

Ah. No, he openly watched and laughed before.

My mood instantly soured.

“Want to fight?”

Then I shook my head.

“…Ah. I’d lose. Never mind.”

I buried my face back into the pillow.

“I don’t fight battles I’ll lose. I only fight ones I can win.”

Again, my words were swallowed by the pillow.

Just saying. This is definitely not an excuse.

Though, at this point, someone should’ve rushed over in shock because a document got crumpled next to me.

Ah. Allen Demont isn’t here. No wonder it’s quiet.

“By the way, why isn’t Allen here today?”

Ian, looking slightly displeased, gave a crooked smile.

“Why Allen?”

“He’s the one who always rushes over in horror when he sees you fanning yourself with documents.”

Ian, who had been fanning me, was now playing with my hair.

“And you and that tiger are like chicken and beer—”

“Chicken and beer?”

“No… what should I say… Right. Like cookies and milk?”

Cookies and milk? So in her head, Allen and I are on the same level?

Ian’s eyebrow twitched slightly, though Ariael didn’t notice.

“When one appears, the other shows up too.”

She said it generously.

“Of course, you’re the cookie.”

Even if she says it generously, cookie?

Ian gave Ariael a crooked smile.

“Who is it? Allen or me?”

“You.”

Her answer came instantly, without hesitation.

“So hide me.”

That was the added request.

“Lady Ariael! Where are you?”

At that moment, the voice of Assistant Louise called from behind. Ian smiled faintly.

“Ariael, didn’t you say you didn’t have class today?”

Ariael ignored him completely and slipped under the blanket.

“Hey. Tell them I’m not here. Got it?”

She pulled the blanket over herself.

Ian tucked her stray black hair back under the blanket and covered her again.

“I’ll think about it.”

His voice carried a subtle hint of amusement.

“Is Lady Ariael in here?”

The assistant stood at the door, breathing heavily.

“May I come in?”

After five minutes, as instructed, Lise Demont entered the room, looked around, then spoke toward the bed with exasperation.

“Lady Ariael, please wake up instead of pretending to sleep.”

“Zzz… snore…”

At the exaggerated snoring, the assistant sighed.

“I know you’re not asleep.”

“Please come out.”

***

“Ariael. One more lap.”

Louise, holding a longsword planted in the ground, spoke in an elegant tone.

Just like her perfectly straight posture, it felt like nothing I said would change her mind.

Any hope of rest had long disappeared.

Others might find her intimidating, but to me, that feeling had long vanished.

She was just annoying.

How many laps has it been?

I had already run more than ten laps around the training ground under the warm sunlight. The ground looked like it was sizzling.

I could fry an egg on that.

Heat shimmered in the distance.

At this rate, wouldn’t I turn into steamed cat?

“I… can’t… do it…”

Sweat dripped down my cheek.

“Any… more… is… impossible…”

I collapsed flat on the ground.

Looking up, instead of the blue sky, I saw Louise’s face.

I immediately shut my eyes, pretending not to see her.

Nothing in the world looked scarier than that face.

“You still have to learn dagger throwing.”

She smiled.

…That smile.

The kind of smile a grim reaper gives when welcoming you to hell.

Knights probably train even harder than this.

But I have zero intention of becoming a knight.

Why is she training me this hard?

It made no sense.

There are countless beastkin who would love to learn from her—hardworking students, unlike me, who keeps trying to skip class.

“Come here.”

Wasn’t this originally a pheromone class?

Why did it turn into self-defense and physical training?

Well… she does give me books about pheromones, so maybe it still counts.

And she teaches how to control them at the end, too.

Her teachings definitely helped me transform into a human more easily.

Even if most of the time was spent on brutal training.

…I just wanted an easy life.

That plan is completely ruined.

Life really isn’t that easy.

“Sigh…”

I got up, brushing off my knees.

It’s a miracle I can even stand after all that.

I staggered like a zombie toward Louise and leaned as if to collapse on her.

She grabbed one of my hands and placed something in the other.

I checked what it was… and slowly closed my eyes.

A dagger.

…Should I just throw it away?

Yeah. Let’s throw it.

I just want it out of my sight.

I can’t do anything anymore.

I just want to go back and lie in bed.

Praying for it to disappear, I threw the dagger as hard as I could.

Thunk.

The blade struck the target perfectly.

“Oh. That was a good throw. Just do it like that.”

Louise sounded impressed.

Why does her voice sound so elegant even now?

Before collapsing again, I looked forward.

The dagger was embedded right in the center of the target.

…That never happens.

Ariael’s expression turned into one that couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry.

Things never work when you try—but succeed when you don’t need them to.

“If you can do that three times, I’ll let you go back.”

Louise’s satisfied voice came from behind.

But “go back”… didn’t that mean returning to the mansion?

This training ground was already inside the Cadellion estate.

…Wait. Does that mean she’s not letting me go back to my room?

…That actually sounded very possible.

Damn it.