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Chapter 06
Edmund pulled out one of the swords embedded in the wall.
Though it seemed he exerted no great strength, the sword slid out very smoothly and effortlessly.
He held the blade right up to the butler’s neck.
“Hick! S-Save me……!”
A flash of brilliant white light swooped in at a speed that was hard for the eyes to follow.
The butler instinctively closed his eyes tight.
However, no pain came.
Instead, a crunching sound of something being completely shattered resounded from behind his back.
Rolling his eyes while dripping with cold sweat, he saw a huge hole blown right through the wall.
That very wall, which hadn’t budged no matter how hard several knights tried to tear it apart.
The question of how on earth that was possible evaporated in an instant beneath the prestigious name of Valkyriesen.
The butler’s legs lost all strength, and he collapsed onto the spot.
“Lady Ratson, I have come to rescue you.”
Regardless, the boy’s attention was entirely focused beyond the hole.
On the small creature curled up tight and trembling.
In a polite and gentle manner entirely opposite to a moment ago, Edmund carefully placed his hand inside the hole.
“Step on and come out. I will pull you out.”
It was a soft voice that felt surprisingly tender to the ear.
Elodie, who had been trembling nervously while caught between the swords, hurriedly climbed aboard when the hand descended like salvation as the wall broke open.
Once Edmund confirmed that the thumb-sized harvest mouse was safely sitting on his palm, his face softened gently.
The sharply turned-up corners of his eyes curved into a gentle arc.
“I am glad you are safe.”
Elodie felt a bit bewildered.
Because other than Cera, he was the first person to smile at a mouse.
And because that person was a powerful figure who subdued the butler and knights with just a few words, as well as the possessor of monstrous strength who blew a hole in the wall with a single strike.
“Elodie!”
“Uwaah, Cera!”
After staring up at him blankly for a moment, Elodie quickly dashed over and threw herself into Cera’s arms.
Elodie had returned to the form of a human child in an instant.
“Are you hurt? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Nng, what about Cera?”
“Is now the time to worry about me? You’re the one who…….”
Where on earth did he suddenly appear from?
Speaking up for me, and risking his life for me.
Cera pursed her lips, unable to speak as her throat choked up, and hugged Elodie tightly.
Watching the scene quietly, Edmund massaged and rolled his shoulders as if doing light warm-up exercises.
Whoosh— Bam!!
And then, he suddenly threw a sword.
To be precise, toward the butler who was sending silent glances to the knights.
“Hiiiek……!”
The sword precisely grazed the butler’s cheek and lodged itself into the wall.
The boy impassively watched the butler and knights who immediately prostrated themselves on the floor and trembled, quietly guarding the spot until Elodie and Cera calmed down.
Edmund pulled a handkerchief from his coat.
“…….”
Seeing the handkerchief handed to her, Cera blushed.
Because she had been caught trying so hard to hold back her tears in front of a young child.
Watching the two of them, Elodie’s eyes narrowed sharply.
‘Trying to pull a slick move on Cera…….’
Do you know how starved for affection our girl is right now?
Appearing like a prince on a white horse at a moment of crisis to save her was one thing, but now delicate comfort as well?
‘He’s doing that so she falls for him.’
If it’s intentional, it’s the death penalty; even if it’s his natural temperament, it warrants a restraining order.
She immediately launched an investigation into his background.
“Bwoy, gi’l? (Boy, girl?)”
At the question he was hearing for the first time in his life, Edmund paused for a moment as if his train of thought had stopped, stuttering slightly.
“I am…… a male.”
Since Elodie had lived her whole life believing she was a mouse, she couldn’t distinguish human genders very well.
It couldn’t be helped.
It was similar logic to how humans couldn’t tell whether a mouse was male or female, or whether it was one or two years old, just by looking at its appearance.
Still, thanks to her experience living as a royal palace mouse, she was able to distinguish between beauty and ugliness in appearance.
“How old?”
“I am fifteen this year.”
“Hmph!”
“……Is there a problem with my gender and age?”
There were plenty of problems.
Not only was he ridiculously handsome—enough to put a real prince to shame—but his age was also just one year older than Cera’s.
“Fam’ly? (Family?)”
She had heard he was a young master, but that was none of her concern.
Cera had once even married a prince who would inherit the throne in the future.
As a result, she had only reached the conclusion that things like status were utterly useless when it came to making Cera smile and feel happy.
“Um…….”
As Elodie suddenly bristled her fur as if on guard, Edmund rubbed the back of his neck.
It was obvious he was agonizing over what to do to appear harmless in front of this small creature.
“I am called Edmund Valkyriesen.”
Valkyriesen!
The center of all gossip floating around the Silveria Royal Palace.
The human family to whom beastkin opened their hearts for the first and last time.
The bridge and pathway to the beastkin world.
The historical family that prevented the Second Great War between beastkin and humans.
Even though they were undeniably a symbol of peace, they were ultimately mocked as the ‘King of Demonic Beasts’…….
Only after hearing that name did Elodie recognize him.
‘He’s the Duke of Valkyriesen!’
Neatly trimmed ebony hair, and a sharp gaze that chilled one to the bone despite its beautiful golden color.
Because his face was much younger than she remembered, she hadn’t recognized him right away.
However, a brief yet intense memory of encountering him at the royal palace soon came to mind.
“……Ah.”
“…….”
“Did I scare you? It was not my intention.”
“…….”
“Do you like sunflower seeds?”
It was hard to forget easily anyway.
The sight of a massive person, built like a doorframe, crouching down as much as possible to hold out a handful of sunflower seeds before leaving…….
It made her want to ask if he always carried mouse food inside that neat jacket of his, even though they couldn’t communicate.
“Squeak squeak…….”
“I have not learned the language of mice yet. My apologies.”
And the vivid memory of him leaving behind strange words, looking like he could be believed to be the ruler of the underworld.
He was the second person to show kindness to Elodie when she was a mouse.
‘Since he isn’t the Duke yet, he must be the Young Master of Valkyriesen.’
Elodie gradually softened her expression.
“I came here upon receiving a request from the Ratson family. Fortunately, it seems I am not too late.”
Ratson.
‘The Ratson family…….’
Elodie thought she had heard of it vaguely in her past life, but she couldn’t recall it immediately on the spot.
“Den, is dat true? Dat I couldn’t be found ’cause of a curse…… Dat I have a fam’ly too…….”
Edmund looked down awkwardly at those pitch-black eyes that looked ready to shed tears at any moment.
“Of course.”
Yet his voice remained firm and unwavering.
“Is my last name Ratson?”
“That is correct, Young Lady.”
“Are my parents lookin’ for me?”
“They were searching for you desperately. Always.”
Always…….
Then had it been the same even before time was turned back?
Without being able to return to a human state due to the curse, had they been searching without promise for their daughter who believed herself to be a mouse forever?
They were people not even in her memories.
Only now did Elodie learn the truth that she had a family desperately searching for her.
Yet, just knowing of their existence made her heart surge and swell with overwhelming emotion.
“Let us go together. I will escort you to your family.”
“Yeth……!”
Elodie nodded vigorously.
However, the strength in Cera’s hands, which were holding her tight, gradually loosened.
“That’s wonderful, Elodie.”
Cera forced a bright smile as she spoke.
She couldn’t help but be happy.
That this small child, who was under a curse turning her into a mouse, was freed from it and would be reunited with her lost family.
Naturally, she wanted to bless Elodie’s future so that it would be filled only with happiness.
Only, there wouldn’t be a place for her to fit in.
It was only natural.
They were people who had met for the first time today.
Though she had heard the words asking her to run away together, it was just a comment from a young child who looked barely five years old.
Because the child spoke far too maturely for her age, she had wavered for a moment, but…….
She shouldn’t take it seriously.
‘She probably just wanted to comfort me.’
Even if it was nothing special, Cera must have felt like a savior to that child.
Since it was an age where one gets deeply moved even by small things.
She shouldn’t take advantage of such a child’s pure kindness.
However…….
“Th-Cera…… Th-Cera…… don’t wanna go with me?”
Elodie suddenly burst into loud tears.
She tightly gripped Cera’s clothes as if she would never let go of the hem Cera was trying to push away.
Flustered by the child’s reaction, Cera said, “Of course I want to go with you. But why would I butt in? It’d just be a nuisance……”
When she hadn’t even been accepted by her own flesh and blood, who on earth would accept her?
The more she allowed herself to hope, the greater the disappointment that would return.
At Cera’s resignation-filled murmur, Elodie shouted loudly, “How is dat a nuisance! (How is that a nuisance!)”
