WFMW 51

Chapter 51

Are You Interested in Monsters

It was clearly nothing.

But before I could stop him, Cedar strode forward and sat back down in his seat with a thud.

Then, without a word, he began cutting up the rest of the meat he hadn’t finished earlier.

“Th-thank you.”

“Eat up.”

“Yes.”

I busied myself shoveling meat into my mouth. For some reason, I couldn’t look Cedar straight in the eye.

‘It’s just because the meat’s so good. It’s melting in my mouth today, that’s all.’

So I kept my gaze fixed firmly on the plate.

The pounding of my heart—I told myself it was just because the food was delicious.

That’s how I ended up eating without even knowing whether the meat was going into my mouth or up my nose.

Cedar didn’t say a word either, so the silence dragged on, heavy and awkward, until—

“C-Captain!”

I had never been so happy to hear someone call out before. I turned around eagerly.

The man who came running into the dining hall was someone I’d grown very familiar with—Haile.

“Hello, Sir Haile!”

Just the fact that the awkwardness was finally broken made me beam brightly.

Haile blinked at me in confusion, his expression guarded, then tilted his head and exclaimed,

“Whoa—wait! You transformed, my lady?”

Transformed?!

Was he just being polite, or was he genuinely shocked? I blinked, baffled, until Haile explained.

“At first I thought some stranger was greeting me, so I figured it must be a scam! Of course, it’s not like women approach me to scam me or anything, but still—!”

“…”

So he really didn’t recognize me.

‘Do I look that different?’

Well, sure—my hairstyle had changed pretty drastically. Even I startled myself in the mirror sometimes.

But that’s only because I hardly ever look at my own face!

Just then, Cedar—who had been silently listening to our exchange—tapped the edge of his bowl with his spoon, clink.

Immediately, as if receiving some secret signal, Haile’s demeanor shifted completely, and he began showering me with praise.

“You look so much lighter and brighter! It really suits you! Honestly, it’s perfect—perfect, my lady!”

Even I, as dense as I was, couldn’t miss that his tone changed the instant Cedar tapped his spoon.

I forced a polite smile.

“…Thank you. Even if it’s just flattery, it feels nice to hear.”

Haile, however, looked like a man who feared for his life if I didn’t believe him. He raised his voice earnestly.

“Flattery? Never! It’s pure sincerity! You look so independent now—you could probably live alone just fine! Well, after fixing the locks in the mansion, of course!”

“…Excuse me?”

Did he just say I’d be living alone in the mansion?

I turned to Cedar, silently asking if he knew anything about this, but his expression was no less fierce than mine.

Cedar’s voice came out low and dangerous.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Haile blinked rapidly, unable to answer right away.

I could see him scrambling for the right words—how to explain without angering Cedar further.

But Cedar wasn’t known for his patience.

Before Haile could even decide what to say, Cedar reached out and gripped his arm tightly, keeping him from backing away.

“Sounds like your mouth’s run away from you again.”

Haile turned beet red, flailing.

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t mean anything by it! Why do you always get violent the moment you see me?!”

“Then what did you mean? Explain.”

“I was just worried about my lady! How could you doubt the loyalty of your subordinate—sob, sob…”

Haile squeezed out fake tears, but Cedar’s fist only clenched tighter.

Before he could actually get hit, Haile hurriedly blurted out,

“A request to advance the subjugation battle just arrived in the capital today! They say the monsters are behaving strangely—attacking civilians out of nowhere. There were casualties last night!”

A subjugation battle.

Ever since I’d woken up, I’d heard about it constantly—an annual event of the Azure Dragon Knights.

‘So that’s what “subjugation” meant—it’s about hunting monsters.’

Monsters. Ferocious creatures that roamed the forests, attacking humans.

No one knew their true origin yet, though many suspected they came from the Demon Realm. That’s where the term “magical beasts” originated.

‘But lately, most scholars think they’re just another kind of animal—especially since male and female monsters reproduce naturally.’

Celestial beings didn’t reproduce the way earthly beings did, and neither did demons.

Once baby monsters were captured alive, the theory that they came through dimensional rifts or were sent by demons to torment humans lost traction.

Still, people refused to stop calling them “monsters”—because they were powerful, savage, and dangerous.

‘I’ve heard they’re incredibly strong and hard to kill…’

A subjugation battle, then—meant an all-out war against such creatures.

Even I felt nervous at the thought, and I’d never even seen one. Yet Cedar, who’d have to lead it, looked utterly unimpressed.

“Maybe some idiot messed with a monster’s egg or cub. They don’t normally attack human settlements.”

“I don’t know the details—it was an urgent message.”

“Just the fact that it was sent urgently means it’s serious.”

Cedar propped his chin on one hand and turned toward me.

The moment our eyes met, I somehow knew what he was worried about.

If he joined the subjugation, he’d have to leave me behind. He was worried about that.

So I spoke first.

“You should go.”

Cedar’s shoulders twitched at my words. He stepped closer, speaking firmly.

“No. I swore I wouldn’t put you in danger again.”

Haile’s mouth dropped open at that.

His shocked expression said it all—this was something Cedar could never skip.

I shook my head.

“You shouldn’t mix personal and official matters. You’re needed there, so you should go, husband.”

“And what about you? What if assassins come again while I’m gone?”

“That was only because you were the only one who could protect me then. Now, we have Grisha.”

At that name, Cedar’s face hardened even more. He shook his head sharply.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why? I get that you might not like him as a rival, but Grisha and I have been friends since childhood—”

“Don’t say his name.”

“…?”

I thought maybe Cedar suspected Grisha of wanting to harm me, so I started to defend him—but that only seemed to irritate him further.

‘What on earth?’

Was it because I kept praising Grisha and not him? That would be childish.

‘But that’s the only reason that makes sense…’

There was really no other explanation.

No matter how bad things were between them, Grisha was still the one person I could rely on most.

‘I’ll ask Grisha for help, then!’

I met Cedar’s eyes with renewed resolve. He stared back intensely, and before I knew it, we were locked in an awkward staring contest.

After a long silence, Cedar suddenly turned away.

Haile, who’d been pretending to look elsewhere, straightened up in alarm when Cedar’s gaze flicked toward him again.

Cedar snapped his fingers.

“Wait. Isn’t the subjugation area near the Academy?”

“Yes, sir.”

Cedar looked back at me.

“And you said you’d be visiting the Academy soon for your inheritance matters?”

“Three weeks from now.”

“Hmm.”

Cedar rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Haile glanced at me, eyes saying, What’s he thinking?

I shook my head—I had no idea.

Haile sighed in exasperation, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Nellie.”

“Y-yes?”

I hadn’t expected him to call on me, so I straightened my posture immediately, tense all over.

Cedar curved his eyes slightly and asked,

“Are you interested in monsters?”

Grisha sat in a café on the first floor of a hotel.

He was the unfortunate second son of the House of Granite—descended from a distant kingdom’s royal bloodline, yet pushed aside by his elder brother and sent to the Academy early on.

If anyone there knew his true identity, every eye in the café would have turned to him in curiosity. But no one recognized his face.

Grisha didn’t enjoy being in public, but he didn’t mind this café.

The soft music and quiet murmur of conversations made him feel like he was part of the background.

As he slowly stirred sugar into a dark espresso, a faint, bitter smile tugged at his lips.

‘Will this peace last… or is this the calm before the storm?’

He hadn’t yet decided his next move.

When he left the Academy, the title of Duke Granite had meant nothing to him.

All he’d wanted was to stay by Nellie Periway’s side.

But when he finally reached her—there stood that insufferable half-brother beside her.

He’d been relieved to hear their marriage wasn’t by her choice—until her next words crushed him.

“I promised to stay his wife until he’s free.”

Free. What a ridiculous word.

No matter what stance that man took, he was the Duke’s eldest son—and a swordmaster.

Would such a man ever truly be free?

‘He’s clearly not planning to divorce her.’

The thought made Grisha’s lips twist into another bitter smile.