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Chapter 76
“Uh, uh… uh……”
Maybel continued to look back and forth between Winter and the floating letters, her face full of confusion.
It seemed that those letters… were Winter speaking? Somehow, she didn’t fully understand what was happening, but it appeared that way.
[I prayed. God.]
[Needed. Angel.]
[Help me.]
The disjointed phrases made Maybel’s expression grow solemn.
‘This must be about the time I was trapped in the cage.’
How terrifying and harsh must it have been for such a tiny baby.
Even though she didn’t know even a tenth of the suffering Winter had endured, her heart ached.
Feeling tears threatening to spill, Maybel hugged Winter even tighter, pressing her face against its cheek.
But Winter, who had been silent, gently pushed her away a little.
It seemed there was still more to say.
Winter blinked its pale blue eyes and sent more letters.
[Come. Maybel.]
[To me.]
[Angel.]
[Maybel. Angel.]
“…!”
Angel?
“I didn’t really do anything for you…”
Breaking the chains was the least anyone would have done when seeing Winter’s situation at the time.
Honestly, she had even left the chains a bit long, fearing Winter might scratch her again.
Yet it was Winter who approached her and asked to have its restraints removed.
“There was no food, and I caused you more harm…”
If Kellic had been the one kidnapped instead of Maybel, Winter would have escaped much more easily.
‘I might have complicated things because of me…’
Yet, could she really accept such praise?
Hesitating, Maybel watched as Winter sent more letters.
[Sorry. Scratch.]
[Sorry. Bite. Sound.]
[Sorry. Order. Echo.]
“Why are you apologizing? That’s only natural!”
Maybel shook her head quickly.
“Anyone would be startled if someone they’ve never met suddenly reached out. And Echo—you didn’t know this would happen either.”
[But. Result. Worst.]
[But. Maybel. Here. Still.]
[Save. Me. Winter!]
As she read the letters, Maybel felt her eyes sting and heat up.
[Thank you.]
[Save. Me.]
[Angel.]
[Maybel!]
Winter purred happily again.
Then, it cautiously stretched a paw toward Maybel, whose eyes were now slightly wet.
Its thick, marshmallow-like paw gently brushed against her cheek.
Despite its awkwardness, the gesture was warm. Maybel hugged Winter even tighter.
Its small, warm body was overwhelmingly adorable.
“Thank you… for saying that.”
Overcome with emotion, Maybel was handed a handkerchief.
It was Ella, who had been silently watching Maybel and Winter, offering it to her.
“Here~ Miss~”
“Thank you, Ella.”
Maybel wiped away her tears with the handkerchief.
Ella spoke kindly to her.
“It seems your story is going well~”
Come to think of it, Ella couldn’t see the letters above Winter’s head.
She also said that even listening to Winter’s cries didn’t make much sense to her.
It seemed only Maybel could truly communicate with Winter.
Blinking rapidly through her damp lashes, Maybel nodded.
“Winter is thankful that I saved it.”
She also conveyed the slightly embarrassing but immensely joyful words:
“It calls me an angel.”
“Oh my~”
Ella smiled softly at Winter, who lazily wagged its tail in Maybel’s arms.
‘I hope Ella and Winter get along well too.’
As Maybel embraced the warm presence, Ella spoke again.
“I guess it finally understands~ that our Miss is an angel, not a white lion~”
Huh?
Maybel tilted her head in confusion.
Now that she noticed, Ella seemed to be glaring at Winter a little.
‘It must be my imagination…’
Why would kind and gentle Ella be wary of a young animal?
Maybel thought she had imagined it—but she hadn’t.
“So don’t go thinking of it as your companion or mate, Winter~”
Ella’s words, accompanied by a menacing snap of her fingers, were filled with hostility.
Earlier, she had overheard an absurd story from Zigmunt—that Winter, the white lion beastman, might have fallen for Maybel.
Most beastmen develop romantic feelings for their own kind, as do normal animals.
So if Winter had “fallen” for Maybel, it likely mistook her for a white lion.
This could be problematic, as beastmen sometimes start families at a young age, regardless of age.
‘Preposterous. Our Miss is only nine years old.’
And she certainly wouldn’t hand her over to a wandering white lion beastman.
Ella snapped her fingers again, silently pressuring Winter.
But Winter merely snorted in defiance, undeterred by her hostility.
[Maybel.]
[Convey.]
[Maid.]
“Huh?”
Winter faced Ella with a confident expression, as if it had an ace up its sleeve.
Letters appeared above its head once more.
[We slept. Already. Holding hands.]
Oh, right. That had happened in the carriage.
[A child. Appeared.]
[In my belly.]
“…Huh?”
[Convey. Maid.]
[Maybel. Duty.]
[Responsibility.]
[Winter. Pregnant.]
“Wait, hold on. Pregnant?!”
“What?! Pregnant?!”
Startled, Maybel exclaimed, and Ella was even more shocked.
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
Realizing the blunder, Maybel shook her head desperately.
Then she whispered to Winter in a lowered voice.
“What do you mean? You’re a male!”
[Holding hands. Pregnant.]
“No, you’re a male!”
[A child. Responsibility.]
“Males can’t have children!”
[Responsibility.]
[Responsibility.]
[Responsibility!]
“….”
Dizzy with disbelief, Maybel squeezed her eyes shut.
‘Ah, my head’s spinning.’
Still, she had to respond to Ella, who had been shocked by the mention of pregnancy.
After a moment of thought, she answered, exhausted but determined.
“It wants me to raise it.”
But there was another obstacle.
Zigmunt, who had a severe cat allergy.
“No.”
“But…”
“Absolutely not!”
Zigmunt, who rarely showed firmness to Maybel, was resolutely adamant this time.
His body was still covered with hives.
He had taken his medicine too late, and the white lion was inside the house.
Technically, the medicine alone could solve the issue, and the hives would soon subside.
‘But I can’t live on medicine forever.’
The allergy pills had no side effects—just the inconvenience of taking them regularly.
“But… it can’t even change into human form yet…”
Maybel knew how severe Zigmunt’s allergies were and didn’t press the issue.
Still, she worried about Winter, who was still in its baby form.
“Even if you place it with a kind person, who knows when it might get kidnapped again?”
Besides, the white lion’s rarity increased its value.
“I’ll contact Her Majesty the Empress. Since she’s a white lion as well, she will surely accept it.”
Zigmunt was already drafting a letter to the Empress.
There was nothing left to argue about.
Eventually, Maybel had no choice but to return to her room empty-handed.
But…
“Geez… it’s not like it’ll die from just taking medicine…”
“Miss likes it so much…”
“Having an animal friend to take responsibility for will help with a child’s emotional development…”
“Honestly, the Grand Duke is busy working, and the young masters are busy studying, so the Miss spends most of her time alone…”
“Playing only with the maids all the time can’t be fun…”
Truly, the real challenge was something else entirely.
“It’s just feeding and dressing it, huh…”
“The first wish a child ever asked for… and I can’t even grant it…”
“My lord, this is frustrating…”
It was the servants who adored Maybel, especially seeing how fond she was of Winter.
“The Miss smiles so brightly… haah, not much longer. Soon Winter will go to the Imperial Palace.”
Adding Dain, who had been scolded by Winter earlier, there was no hope of resistance.
Eventually, Zigmunt, resigned, called Maybel and gave his permission.
“All right! I’ll take responsibility and care for it! We’ll get along well!”
“Okay… but don’t get too close. Just be moderately close. It’s okay to keep some distance.”
Though he couldn’t resist one final selfish request, at least that much was granted.
