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Chapter 39
Even aside from the fact that Kali and he knew each other as children, Leonhardt’s appearance was unexpected.
「Kali. Can you make one for me too?」
He looked cute, more innocent than grown-up. But that difference wasn’t bad.
No matter what form he took, Leonhardt was still Leonhardt.
「Yeah, yeah. But Leon, you’re not good with your hands, remember?」
Surprisingly, the young Kali sounded more cynical. Yet, even when told that, young Leonhardt just laughed as if it made him happy.
‘Leon. So you used to be like this.’
She found something she could use to tease the adult Leonhardt with later.
「By the way, Leon. Do you remember what I told you?」
「Uh, hmm… what was it again?」
「Idiot. You already forgot.」
As she taught young Leonhardt how to make a flower crown, the young Kali muttered softly.
「Fine. I’ll explain it again.」
Then suddenly, she noticed the young Kali giving a sad smile.
「Leon. Someday, you’re going to forget me.」
「No, I won’t. I’ll remember you properly, Kali.」
「Listen!」
The young Kali spoke firmly. This time, it was young Leonhardt who drooped his shoulders in gloom.
「If someday you do forget me, then don’t try to remember—just live on as if you’ve forgotten.」
「Kali……」
「Because then, I’ll come find you again.」
Kali held her breath and watched the scene. Her mind grew complicated.
‘So it’s true. The Cursed Bride wasn’t just chosen randomly.’
The guess she had all along was correct. It wasn’t simply about breaking a curse. Something deeper was hidden there.
At that moment, she heard someone calling her from far away.
「Kali.」
It was a familiar voice, but she couldn’t tell whose.
「Wake up, Kali.」
Who is it? She needed to see more. Who on earth was it?
「Kali. If you don’t wake up……」
She needed to see more of this scene, but someone kept interfering…
「I’ll kiss you.」
No—that, anything but that!
“Haah—haah…!”
So startled, she shot upright, gasping. Her whole body bristled as if every hair stood on end.
As she quickly looked around, her gaze collided midair with a pair of eyes peering down at her while one arm propped him up.
“Kali.”
“Le—Leon…?”
“Was my kiss really that repulsive to you?”
Kali’s eyes flew wide as she hurriedly scooted backward. Even in the dark, the low laugh in his throat rang clearly in her ears.
“W–wait. That… wasn’t a dream?”
“Kali. What kind of dream were you having? Looked like you were being dragged into it.”
“Ha, haha…”
Pressing her flushed cheeks with both hands, Kali slowly lowered them and snuck a glance at Leonhardt.
As always, when he was asleep, his upper body was bare. She had grown used to the sight by now, even found it pleasant to look at.
“You, as a boy…”
“Hm?”
“…were pretty cute.”
Thankfully, the dream was still vivid in her mind.
As she mumbled under her breath, Leonhardt suddenly yanked her back into place. Thanks to his pull, her face ended up buried against his firm chest.
“Kali. Did you want to see me as a kid that badly? Bad enough to dream of it?”
His voice carried a chuckle.
Kali hesitated. Leonhardt had asked her never to keep secrets from him. So she should tell him about the dream—but she wavered. How much should she say? All of it? Or only some?
“…A little.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, there are things I want to know about you too.”
Her eyes drifted to the solid muscles of his abdomen. Without thinking, she reached out and gave them a little poke—just once, to satisfy her curiosity.
At that, Leonhardt pulled her up so she faced him, his eyes now serious.
“What do you want to know? Ask. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Everything? Really?”
“Yes. With you, I can.”
Kali blinked, then slowly curled her body up into a ball.
“Kali, why are you hiding your face all of a sudden?”
Even when Leonhardt poked her sides to tease her, she didn’t budge.
“I’m sleepy.”
“Suddenly?”
“I want to sleep.”
“Kali. What’s wrong? Hm?”
“……”
“Kali.”
He kept coaxing, his voice gentle as he called her name again and again. But Kali refused to lift her head.
Thankfully, she had her squirrel face; otherwise, her feelings would’ve been far too obvious.
‘Hey, Leon. There’s something I want to ask you.’
She muttered the words silently inside.
‘Do you… like me?’
But in the end, she didn’t say it out loud.
Because if he really did say he liked her…
‘Then what am I supposed to do?’
The truth was, she didn’t know how to love someone. She had grown up without receiving affection, and so she couldn’t understand what it meant to receive it—or to give it.
Maybe, the dry and barren one was her.
‘I think I might be the one who doesn’t know what it means to like someone.’
So she cowardly ran away from it. If Leonhardt truly gave his heart to her…
She had no idea how she should respond.
Leonhardt’s eyes narrowed.
He gazed down at the now-sleeping Kali.
Of course someone as perceptive as him had noticed the change in her.
“…Running away, are you?”
He gave a short laugh, then reached out to poke her round, curled-up back as if rolling a ball.
Slowly, his head dipped until his nose and lips hovered just above her. Kali breathed evenly in her sleep.
“Kali.”
Her name rolled off his tongue sweetly, spreading warmth through him. A smile tugged at his lips before he knew it.
You can run, but it won’t matter.
I’m not planning to let you go anyway.
At last, his lips brushed lightly against her back before pulling away. The urge to devour her whole was strong.
A soft smack sounded as he pulled back. No, this wouldn’t do. He had to turn her into a proper person soon—so he could pour all his love onto her.
“Look forward to it.”
Because I—
—I’ll never let you go.
Two days later.
“Hello, Lady Kali.”
Kendrick had come, bringing information about the Asteri clan. Never had his visit felt so welcome.
Kali beamed, hopping excitedly in place.
“Welcome! You found something quickly.”
Kendrick grinned and placed his finger against her open palm.
But it didn’t last long. Leonhardt stood right behind her, arms folded, watching.
Without hesitation, he scooped Kali up and perched her on his shoulder, putting distance between her and Kendrick.
“Hey! You could’ve let us play a bit longer. Leonhardt, that’s mean.”
“Hands off my squirrel.”
“…Well then.”
“Come. You need to report what you found.”
“Ugh… so cold.”
Kali sneaked a glance at Leonhardt’s profile. He still wore a smiling expression.
Since that night, they had both acted as though nothing had happened. Neither had brought it up again.
“Kali. Why do you look so down?”
“Me? I’m the same as always.”
“You’re quieter than usual.”
Flick—he tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. She wrinkled it.
Kali bit at her fingertip instead of answering. Leonhardt chuckled low in his throat.
“Kali. Don’t get so gloomy. You’ll make me misunderstand.”
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
“As if you’ve already fallen for my charms.”
Kali froze mid-response.
So he wasn’t avoiding the topic after all. He had brought up that night as if cutting straight through.
Like a fish gasping, her mouth opened and closed without words. She ended up punching his shoulder with her fist.
“Wh–what are you saying.”
“Kali. Don’t run from me. Look at me straight on.”
His whisper was low, so Kendrick behind them couldn’t hear. Kali’s body went stiff.
“And see who it is I’m looking at.”
“……”
“I’m looking at you.”
Inside the ducal residence’s drawing room.
As soon as the maid left and closed the door, Kendrick lifted his teacup. But he only took a sip before putting it down again—pressured by the folded-arm stance across from him.
Only Kali, happily munching her personal cream puff, remained oblivious.
‘We can talk later. Let me eat first.’
Poor Kendrick. But Kali said nothing to comfort him—truthfully, she didn’t really want to.
When Kendrick turned his gaze to her with pleading eyes, Kali glanced back before casually looking away.
Kendrick sighed in defeat.
“You won’t even let me drink my tea first, huh? Cruel friend.”
“So. What did you find?”
“Guess it’s better to speak first if I want to finish my tea in peace.”
“Then speak.”
Leonhardt, arms still crossed, clearly wasn’t budging.
Kendrick finally took another sip before setting the cup down again.
“The Asteri clan is known to very few. Apparently, the imperial family managed them directly.”
“The imperial family?”
“Well, they were seers of the future. If their powers fell into the wrong hands, the empire itself might’ve fallen.”
“……”
“It seems the founding of the empire itself was influenced by the Asteri clan’s power.”
“That means…”
“Exactly. Leonhardt. It’s highly likely that even your own ancestor, the founding hero, received their aid.”
Leonhardt had never heard such a thing. The new information left him speechless.
Listening quietly, Kali suddenly felt a chill down her spine.
‘Wait. Could it be… the witch Arthur Spencer met was…’
No, impossible.
Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought.
Regardless, Kendrick pressed on.
“They say the Asteri clan’s leader was the incarnation of the Star Goddess. Not every member had prophetic power—only those who received it from the leader did.”
“The mperial family kept demanding their power, but the Asteri resisted. They’d been exploited too harshly before. Eventually, the imperial family tried to wipe them out.
