IPBPBD 06

Chapter 06

Emilina felt a little annoyed.

She knew her father was speaking out of concern for her, but he was so stubborn that it suffocated her.

Her reply slipped out, colored by her irritation.

“Father, those are just baseless rumors. Nothing has actually happened, right?”

“W-Well, that’s true, but…”

Mactren swallowed his words, looking flustered.

He was caught between worrying about his daughter and not wanting to upset her unnecessarily.

Emilina quickly realized she had made a mistake—but it was already too late.

Mactren looked deeply hurt, his shoulders drooping in disappointment.

Katie, who had been silently watching the two, let out a quiet sigh.

Taking Mactren by the hand, she spoke gently.

“That’s enough, dear. Millie seems fine, so let’s go back now.”

“But, but Millie…”

Mactren hesitated, glancing between Katie and Emilina.

Katie’s firm “Come on” left him no choice but to relent reluctantly.

Turning away from her husband, Katie addressed Emilina.

“Millie, you might be right that we’re being prejudiced. But it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Rumors don’t start without reason, you know.”

“Yes, Mother. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Then Emilina turned to her father.

“Father, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

“Mill—!”

Just as Emilina apologized politely, Mactren’s eyes lit up with emotion and he tried to call her name—but Katie raised her hand and stopped him.

As expected of a wise mother.

No doubt, her father would have started doting and embarrassing himself again.

Mactren let out a groan, but Katie ignored him.

“All right, dear. There’s still some time before morning, so get a little more rest.”

Don’t have any nightmares. With those words, Katie kissed Emilina’s left cheek softly.

As if jealous of the affection, Mactren immediately planted noisy kisses on her right cheek.

Emilina laughed happily, then kissed both her parents’ cheeks in return before saying goodbye.

After sending the Klein couple off, Emilina pulled the blanket off the child lying in bed.

The child was curled up like a kitten, waiting quietly.

“Sorry. You must’ve felt suffocated. My parents came suddenly, so I had to send them off first.”

The child sat up and shook his head.

It seemed to mean that it was fine. If only he would speak, though.

Curious about his voice, Emilina asked softly:

“Could it be… you can’t talk?”

The child shook his head again.

Ah, so he could speak—he just chose not to.

Maybe he was just shy. Emilina chuckled and gently brushed the boy’s hair.

The child stayed still, quietly accepting her touch.

Then Emilina suddenly remembered the matter of his name.

“Then, what’s your name?”

But once again, the child only hesitated, lips pressed shut.

Does he… not have a name?

She tilted her head. She remembered how reluctant he was when she had called him “Lamb” before, so that couldn’t be it.

Maybe he just didn’t want to tell her.

Deciding to leave it, she said:

“Then I’ll just call you Lamb, okay?”

The child shook his head vigorously in protest.

After hesitating, he finally spoke in a timid, crawling voice.

“…Kyr.”

“Huh?”

“Call me Kyr…”

His voice was soft and beautiful, unbroken by adolescence.

But Emilina couldn’t focus on his voice—only on the name.

The name he gave was far too similar to the male lead she was desperately trying to avoid.

I-It has to be a coincidence, right?

Swallowing nervously, Emilina looked at him.

Names could accidentally be similar.

Yet, something about it stirred her unease.

And that unease soon brought back the memory of a face she had completely forgotten.

Damn it. How could I have forgotten?!

Black hair, golden eyes.

That was the appearance of Kyrgen—the very male lead she wanted to avoid.

Emilina blinked rapidly.

Thinking back, Kyr had been strange from the very beginning.

A wounded cat deep in the northern forest.

He had hidden himself in a pile of leaves, his body covered in scars from blades.

At first, she thought he had simply been through a brutal fight.

But on reflection, the situation was far too suspicious.

And that cat’s true form—was a small boy.

If he really was the male lead, caught up in some incident…?

It’s entirely possible.

Otherwise, how could all these impossible coincidences line up so neatly?

Emilina shook her head, looking exasperated.

The last people she ever wanted to meet in her life were the main characters of the novel.

Especially Kyrgen, who might one day cut off her head.

She wanted nothing to do with him. Not even the slightest chance.

And yet…

I’m doomed. I’m completely doomed!

It seemed she had already met him.

The thought made her feel indignant.

After all, who would ever suspect that a little “Lamb” was Kyrgen?

She never once imagined he was human.

She just thought he was a peculiar cat that understood words.

If she had even suspected otherwise, she would never have brought him back.

…Wait a second.

A cat?

Come to think of it, was there ever a mention of Kyrgen being a cat?

She tilted her head.

She searched her memory but couldn’t recall such a detail.

Just then, Kyr tugged at her sleeve hesitantly.

His fingers fidgeted nervously, as if he had something to say.

“Um, Kyr? Do you want to say something?”

“…Will you?”

“Hm?”

“Will you abandon me?”

“W-What?”

Emilina was taken aback.

She had been debating how to distance herself if he really was Kyrgen.

But abandon him?

The word felt unpleasant on her ears.

Forcing a smile, she asked:

“Why would you think that?”

“Because…”

Kyr lowered his gaze, muttering.

“Because I’m a monster.”

“…Huh?”

Monster? Emilina couldn’t understand and asked again.

“Why?”

“…Huh?”

“Why do you think you’re a monster?”

Kyr hesitated, lips trembling.

He was struggling with how to put it into words.

Finally, with determination, he clenched her sleeve tightly and spoke.

“Because I’m different from everyone else.”

His voice was fragile, wavering.

Emilina fell silent, puzzled by his words.

But the answer soon came.

“People said so. They said black beasts are monsters.”

“…”

“They said I bring misfortune.”

His voice was tightly strained, his face shadowed.

“They said being with me only brings bad things.”

His golden eyes, dim with sadness, stared straight into Emilina’s.

Though his tone was calm, she could feel it—

Underneath, he was terribly afraid.

So she didn’t say anything.

No, she couldn’t say anything.

People, huh… Well, honestly, she couldn’t deny she had been startled at first too.

But startled was all—it had never made her think he was a monster.

Has Kyr always been treated like a monster?

The thought suddenly crossed her mind.

How many cruel words must he have heard, to the point he now watched others’ reactions and called himself a monster?

It wasn’t as though he chose to be born this way. Yet here he was, terrified of being abandoned.

A dull ache stirred in Emilina’s chest.

She felt she now understood, even a little, what his life had been like until now.

Humans were like that—quick to judge, narrow-minded, rejecting anyone even slightly different.

She knew that all too well, from her previous life.

She had been persecuted and shunned just for being an orphan.

People judged her entire worth on one single aspect of her.

Maybe Kyr… went through the same.

Her green eyes darkened.

He was still at the age when he should’ve been showered with love and tender words.

Yet those around him had crushed his spirit.

She grew angry at them.

And in this rigid society of nobility and hierarchy, it must have been even harder for him.

At that moment, Emilina came to a decision about the conflict she had been wrestling with.

She didn’t want to turn her back on Kyr.

Right. There’s no way this child could be Kyrgen.

Kyrgen wasn’t someone you could just stumble across.

And the idea of him turning into a cat? Impossible.

She was just a mere extra.

It wasn’t likely she would ever cross paths with the male lead.

But what Emilina didn’t know was this:

Because she had skimmed the novel so carelessly, there were details she had missed.

And the bond formed in that forest would change things more than she could imagine.

She had no idea.

Breaking the heavy silence, Emilina spoke.

“Kyr.”

His shoulders flinched at the sound of his name.

His golden eyes trembled with unease.

But Emilina’s lips curved into a gentle smile as she continued:

“I don’t believe in any of that nonsense. It’s all just lies.”