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Chapter 37
‘Do I simply desire that animal?’
If so, could I send Kali outside the mansion, as she wishes, once she returns to human form?
The answer came immediately.
No, I couldn’t send her away. I wouldn’t.
The terms of the contract had long since been forgotten. I had no intention whatsoever of honoring the promise that she would be free to leave the mansion once her curse was lifted.
‘Then, why is that?’
What was certain was that Kali’s existence was by no means a light matter to me.
It wasn’t because she took the form of a squirrel. Perhaps at first, that was the case. But as time went on, it became clear that wasn’t the only reason.
If she were merely a squirrel, would I truly grant her every wish without hesitation? No. I had always been my own first priority. There was no reason that squirrel should take precedence over me.
“Haa…”
A sigh, long held back, slipped through my lips.
Then why… why was I having such thoughts?
My mind so tangled, I had left Kali in Levi’s care. Since that day, I had never once let her out of my hands—until now.
Leonhardt opened his hand, then clenched it into a fist.
Suddenly, his mother came to mind. A woman who was unyielding and strong in every circumstance.
‘Mother. I loved you.’
It wasn’t that Leonhardt didn’t know love. Only that, since that day, he had feared it. He feared that through his love, he might kill again.
He closed his eyes, then opened them.
To break Kali’s curse, he had to truly love her. But once she was freed from the curse…
‘Will you leave me then?’
Was that why, subconsciously, he was trying not to break her curse—so that she would never leave?
The thought struck like a blow to the back of his head.
“Haa… so that’s it, is it.”
He dragged a hand down his face. The eyes revealed between his fingers grew deeper.
‘Either way…’
Kali was his bride. She had been from the beginning.
So, she was his.
Leonhardt’s lips curved upward.
At first, her existence had been cumbersome, like shackles. How else could he feel, when the first person he ever saw was declared his bride, when he could wed no one else but a cursed bride?
Of course, he had wanted to abandon her.
‘Perhaps I should be grateful I didn’t.’
Yet the moment he held that tiny being in his hand, he couldn’t kill her, nor could he throw her away.
That moment had been the starting point that kept her by his side. And the truth was, being with her was fun, even joyful.
If he nudged her, she would react in unexpected ways. Though she feared him, she still spoke her mind, and sometimes she wasn’t afraid at all.
With Kali, he found himself smiling for no reason other than genuinely wanting to smile—far more than the false smiles he had worn before.
‘Yes. That means, in the end…’
Just like he had once loved his mother.
But—
“…It’s different.”
Kali was different. Because she was not his mother.
She was…
“You’re my bride.”
Leonhardt’s eyes narrowed with a subtle, dangerous curve.
It had been a long time since Kali felt free.
Leonhardt always insisted on keeping her close, taking her everywhere except when he bathed or used the lavatory.
But today, for some reason, he left her with Levi. His face had been unusually grim.
“I’m so glad to be serving you again, milady,” Levi said.
“Levi, do you enjoy being with me?”
“Of course! Above all, you’re so cute, milady…”
“If I turn back into a human, you won’t like me as much, will you?”
“T-that’s not it. I’d be a little sad, but…”
“….”
“Why do you ask?”
Perched on Levi’s palms, Kali hesitated.
Since the day she had ridden the gondola with Kendrick, Leonhardt had been acting strangely. It had only been two days, but…
Sometimes he would drift into thought, then simply smile. And now, he had shut himself up in his study, leaving her behind.
Originally, this was how things had always been. This was normal. So why did it feel so lonely?
‘Have I already grown used to him?’
Truly, it seemed Leonhardt had tamed her.
“A-ah, it’s nothing. Just that without Leon, I finally feel free again.”
“His Highness must be busy today.”
“As if he’s never been busy before.”
Kali instructed Levi to prepare a mat in the garden so they could enjoy the sunshine.
Climbing onto Levi’s head, she lay down. Being on Levi’s shorter frame felt strange after always riding on the much taller Leonhardt.
“Levi, I want to ask you something.”
“Yes! Anything, milady.”
“You said you don’t remember much of your childhood, right?”
“Yes. Not at all.”
“Do you remember your mother’s or father’s face?”
“Vaguely.”
“What about their hair color?”
It was highly likely Levi was also of the Asteri people. In dreams and illusions, Kali had seen red hair—very much like Levi’s. And he, too, had black eyes.
“Do you remember?”
“Hmm… I don’t remember my mother, but I do remember my father. He had brown hair.”
“Brown?”
“That I remember clearly. My mother… she passed when I was very young, so I don’t remember her.”
It seemed his mother might have been the one with red hair.
But the real problem was that Levi remembered almost nothing.
“Levi, have you ever… seen the future?”
“The future? Hmm… ah! Sometimes, when something happens, it feels like I’ve seen it before. Like déjà vu.”
Kali’s eyes widened. So, he too had glimpsed fragments of the future—though he hadn’t realized it.
When Levi asked why she brought it up, she brushed it off.
“You don’t know where you lived as a child either, right?”
“No. I don’t know anything. Is it important to know?”
“No… it’s fine. Thanks for telling me.”
Kali patted his head, and the boy laughed brightly.
She decided not to think too much about Levi’s mysterious past. It was pointless to force answers that would not come.
“Maybe I should visit the Morai Forest again…”
At her murmur, Levi tilted his head.
“Morai Forest?”
“Ah, you heard. Yes. Do you know of it?”
“Yes. Someone once told me about it…”
“Who?”
“Hehe, I can’t remember.”
Scratching his head, Levi walked into the kitchen, greeted the cook, and received a basket with bread and tea. Cheerfully, he carried it out toward the garden.
“What did you hear about Morai Forest?”
“The stars are most beautiful there. The only place where stars come down to earth…”
“….”
“I don’t remember who told me that. It wasn’t Father.”
It had to be the place where the Asteri people once lived—reading the stars, foretelling the future.
‘Come to think of it, there was that old mansion…’
If she went there, perhaps she could uncover more about the Asteri.
She hadn’t told Leonhardt about that mansion yet.
‘If he scolds me again for keeping things from him…’
This time, she would tell him in advance.
“By the way, milady, when will you turn back into a person?”
“You said before you’d be sad about that. Hmph.”
“T-that was… hehe.”
“I want to return to human form soon too, but I don’t know when it’ll happen.”
She lifted her head and looked at the sky. How wonderful it would be to be human again. Why a squirrel, of all things? Who had done this to her?
“Milady, when you become human again, you’ll still keep me as your servant, won’t you?”
“Of course. I don’t throw people away easily.”
Just then, someone scooped her up.
Once, she would have panicked. Now, she knew immediately who it was. Only one person would suddenly pick her up like this.
“Kali. Keep that promise.”
Turning her head slowly, her eyes met Leonhardt’s smiling face.
“What promise? More importantly, put me down! Aren’t you busy?”
“Are you sulking because I left you alone today? Upset I didn’t pay attention to you?”
“Who said that? Ridiculous…”
Kali squirmed in his arms, but quickly realized his grip was unbreakable.
“Levi. Where were you taking Kali?”
“Uh…”
At the duke’s sudden appearance, Levi’s shoulders slumped. With a reluctant face, he handed over the basket. Leonhardt’s eyes were sharp as he accepted it.
“To the garden, Your Highness.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll take her instead.”
“But…”
“Are you disobeying me?”
“N-no, of course not. Then… I’ll take my leave.”
Levi couldn’t quite hide his disappointment. Kali, watching him go, tapped Leonhardt’s arm.
“Hey. Levi was first.”
“How dare a servant try to usurp his master’s role. Arrogant boy.”
“That’s nonsense. Poor Levi…”
“So? Are you saying you prefer him over me?”
“That’s…”
Kali propped her chin on his arm, falling into thought. Which did she like more?
Seeing her hesitate, Leonhardt’s face hardened. He pinched her cheek firmly between his fingers.
“Kali. Is that really something you need to think about?”
“Mmph…!”
“You’re cruel. That hurts me.”
“I can tell when you’re lying or not, you know! I can see right through you now.”
“Really? You can see everything?”
“Yes! And right now, you’re lying!”
“Wrong.”
His voice was steady, resolute. Kali shook her head.
“No way.”
“It’s the truth. It hurt.”
Yet even as he spoke, his hand gently stroked her head. Looking up at him, Kali saw he was still smiling.
And that was the problem. Because of that smile, she couldn’t tell if it was real or not.
“Leon, I like you more.”
