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Chapter 9
Leon’s sudden visit caught me completely off guard.
But he was already striding straight toward the bathtub where I was soaking.
When he reached the tub, he looked down at me.
His face was far colder and more intimidating than it had been in the carriage.
I flattened my ears, shrank into myself, and sank deeper into the bubbles.
Then he grabbed the scruff of my neck and lifted me up.
“Meow!”
His sharp violet eyes filled my vision.
As I struggled frantically, Leon tightened his grip.
A terrifying dragon’s aura radiated from him.
He asked coldly,
“You little thing. What exactly did you do to the servants?”
I didn’t do anything…
Too frightened to move, I simply dangled from his hand.
Seeing how obediently still I remained, Leon let out a faint sigh.
“Ha… pretending innocence, are you?”
He glanced at the bubble-filled bathtub.
“So you were taking a bath.”
His expression became thoughtful.
Then, without warning, he released my scruff.
Splash!
“Meow!”
I fell straight into the tub, getting drenched.
Panicking, I surfaced and hooked my front paws over the edge of the bathtub, coughing up water.
Then Leon suddenly began undoing the buttons on his shirt cuffs.
He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows.
What’s he doing?
I stared at him with wide eyes.
He lathered soap onto a towel and said coldly,
“If I continue what you were doing, will you finally reveal your true nature? Let’s find out.”
Wait…
Was Leon going to bathe me himself?
Before I could react, he was already approaching with the soapy towel.
His eyes seemed to say:
Just give me one reason.
Since I didn’t want to die, I’d better cooperate.
“Lift your front legs.”
The moment he ordered it, I responded instantly.
“Meow!”
I stretched both front paws straight out.
Leon began wiping my body.
“Lift your hind legs.”
“Meow!”
“Lift your tail.”
“Meow!”
Surprisingly, Leon was extremely good at bathing.
Much better than Joy.
After only a few swipes, my grayish fur returned to a snowy white color.
Meanwhile, Leon muttered in confusion as he watched how obedient I was being.
“What’s gotten into you? Why are you sitting still?”
Yet he continued looking at me suspiciously.
Soon he put soap on his hands and began washing my face.
His long fingers, covered in foam, carefully rubbed every corner of my face.
The soft, cool touch gradually eased my tension.
But he still watched me sharply.
Then Leon brushed back the black hair that had fallen over his face with his soapy hand.
As a result, white foam got stuck near his eye.
To let him know, I meowed at him.
“Meow! Meow!”
“What is it?”
Right.
He couldn’t understand me.
I considered leaving it alone, but I couldn’t help worrying.
Soap in your eyes really stings!
What if the already scary Leon suddenly became furious because his eyes hurt?
I had no choice.
Boing!
I jumped from the bathtub onto his arm.
Leon stared at me in surprise.
Then I stood on my hind legs and reached toward his face.
“What are you doing—?”
Lick.
My bright pink tongue touched his face.
I quickly licked away every trace of foam.
Perfect!
Now his eyes wouldn’t sting.
Feeling pleased, I looked up at Leon.
But he was staring blankly at me, one hand still raised near the eye I’d licked.
“You little…”
He simply stared.
Did I do something wrong again?
A chill ran down my spine.
Please don’t kill me!
To save myself, I rubbed my face all over him.
Rub. Rub.
Cold water droplets splashed everywhere, but I didn’t care.
Seeing this, Leon said sharply,
“So this is your true nature at last.”
Leon looked down at Mia, who was rubbing her face against him, as if this was exactly what he’d expected.
Licking his face apparently wasn’t enough.
Now she was nuzzling him and practically begging to be held.
Even after he’d warned her in the carriage, she still didn’t know her place and continued clinging not only to the guards but to him as well.
This only strengthened his conviction that Phoebe was the only person capable of properly keeping watch over this insolent creature.
“How shameless. Stop that.”
The moment he gave the order, Mia immediately stopped, jumped down onto the bathroom floor, and backed away.
She sat there obediently, watching him cautiously.
Her snow-white body covered in soap bubbles and those bright golden eyes looked up at him innocently.
Those eyes practically screamed:
Please hug me!
Leon filled a small bucket with water.
Then he dumped it over Mia’s soap-covered body.
Splash!
“Meooow!”
Mia cried out sharply as the water hit her.
When she squeezed her eyes shut, those sparkling golden eyes disappeared.
Leon said coldly,
“Bath time is over.”
Meanwhile, I sat there like a drenched rat, coughing up water.
What is wrong with him all of a sudden?
Why did Leon always act hostile whenever I tried to be nice to him?
He’d been like that in the carriage too.
Was it because I was a hostage from an enemy nation?
Even so, I couldn’t understand him.
Part of me even felt hurt that he refused to understand my intentions.
Then my body trembled.
The water soaking my fur was making me cold.
A sneeze burst out.
“Achoo! Achoo!”
I was freezing.
The sneezes wouldn’t stop.
My nose started running too.
“Achoo! Sniff!”
As I shivered and sneezed repeatedly, Leon—who had been about to leave the bathroom—paused.
Worried that my sneezing had somehow annoyed him, I hurriedly covered my mouth with my paws.
Leon stared at me silently.
For a brief moment, the killing intent in his eyes seemed to soften.
What’s with him?
While I wondered, Leon turned around and walked back into the bathroom.
Then something suddenly landed on top of me.
Flap!
A large towel.
Leon looked at me with his usual intimidating expression and ordered,
“Dry yourself first. Unless you want to catch a cold.”
“Meow?”
Why was he acting like this all of a sudden?
Just moments ago he’d looked ready to kill me.
Confused, I looked up at him and rolled around on the towel to dry myself.
After watching for a few seconds, Leon finally couldn’t take it anymore.
He grabbed the towel.
“This is painful to watch.”
Then he began vigorously drying my fur himself.
Within moments, all the dampness vanished and my fur became fluffy and dry.
Why was he suddenly being nice to me?
Come to think of it, he’d threatened me in the carriage too… and then suddenly gave me cookies afterward.
When I looked at him suspiciously, he answered coldly.
“If you get sick and die, it will interfere with the non-aggression treaty.”
Right.
I was a hostage guaranteeing the treaty.
So that was why he was taking care of me.
“Starting tomorrow, a servant perfectly suited for dealing with you will arrive.”
“Meow?”
“Someone like Phoebe is exactly what a creature like you needs.”
That terrifying dragon?
My body froze.
But Leon merely tossed the towel into a basket and continued.
“So whatever tricks you’re trying won’t work anymore.”
What tricks?
I hadn’t done anything.
Still, instead of protesting, I curled up quietly.
Only after confirming that he had left did I relax.
I lowered my nose and sniffed my fur.
It had been so long since I’d seen my fur this fluffy and clean.
And the smell of soap was wonderful.
But mixed in with the soap was another scent.
Warm.
Comforting.
It was Leon’s scent.
It must have rubbed off on me while he washed and dried me.
For someone so frightening, his scent was strangely comforting.
Feeling the odd contradiction, I hopped onto the bed.
“What do you think?”
After leaving the room, Leon asked Phoebe.
Phoebe had witnessed everything through the crack in the door.
“She certainly has no fear. To think she’d dare lick your face and ask to be held…”
“Exactly why you’re taking charge of her. No matter how cute she acts, you won’t fall for it.”
“…Understood. Since it has come to this, I will watch her thoroughly, no matter what. I swear it on these boots I’m wearing.”
Leon nodded in satisfaction and looked at the red boots Phoebe wore.
For Phoebe to swear on those boots meant she was completely serious.
After nodding, Phoebe glared through the crack in the door at Mia before speaking.
“But why did you bother drying her off yourself?”
“She guarantees the treaty. It would be troublesome if she got sick.”
Phoebe immediately objected, anger filling her voice.
“Would it really matter if that child got sick and died and the treaty fell apart? The northerners were never going to keep their promises anyway. Just look at the cowardly surprise attack they launched during the war.”
The moment the word war was spoken, a bitter expression appeared on her face.
Leon did not answer.
After a moment, Phoebe cautiously asked,
“Could it be, Lord Leon… seeing that child reminds you of what happened before…?”
“That’s enough.”
Leon cut her off coldly.
Seeing the terrifying look in his eyes, Phoebe immediately fell silent.
“…Understood. Then I’ll take my leave. Starting tomorrow, I’ll keep a very close watch on that child.”
As she turned to go, Leon asked,
“The guard barracks aren’t that way.”
“I have somewhere to stop by first.”
Leon noticed the white lily she was carrying and understood immediately where she was going.
“I see.”
After parting ways with Leon, Phoebe left the building and headed toward a corner of the estate’s vast gardens.
The red glow of sunset bathed the grounds.
In the distance, she could see her destination.
The estate’s enormous cemetery.
Dozens of graves rose from the earth there, the soil still fresh.
All of them were recent.
They belonged to southern beastfolk who had fallen in the war against the North.
Phoebe stopped before one grave and knelt down.
“Reika… I’m here.”
It was the grave of Reika, the junior soldier she had cared for most while serving in the Northern Border Guard.
Unknown flowers had already begun blooming around the grave.
Phoebe carefully placed the white lily she had brought on top of the mound.
Lilies had been Reika’s favorite flower.
Sniff…
A sob escaped her lips.
Tears gathered in her red eyes.
