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Chapter 2
Duke Crovan Noctis.
Head of the Black Wolf clan — the most powerful among all beastfolk — and an infamous eccentric.
They said his bearing was that of a refined and elegant predator, graceful yet lethal, a man who played with his prey’s breath just for amusement.
He could be as rough as a street thug, yet when cornering his opponent, he was cunning and subtle.
The tale of the nobleman who once insulted the Duke’s succession — only to find his bed covered in severed horse heads and go mad afterward — was so famous that it had long ceased to be gossip.
Perhaps because of that temperament, they said he was cold even toward his own two sons.
Well, even I can tell he doesn’t look like the type to favor anyone.
Gulp.
Evie watched nervously as the Duke faced off with the city guards.
“Y–Your Grace, why are you personally involved in something like this? And in another lord’s territory, no less…?”
Exactly my question!
The slave traders’ reputation was notorious, yes — but nothing that would warrant a duke’s personal appearance.
And yet, the Black Wolf Duke had come himself, with his entire knightly order in tow.
What if this ruins my reward money?!
Evie stomped her tiny feet in distress.
Just then, the Duke threw a paper right into the face of the guard captain.
“You took your sweet time asking for it. Here—your authorization.”
“Y–Your Grace, this is…”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t authorization — it was a notice.
A one-sided statement declaring that he would conduct business in this territory and expected them to comply.
It left no room for refusal.
“Now get lost.”
The captain bristled but one look into those gleaming golden eyes was enough to make his tail drop.
Perhaps he realized nothing good would come from clashing with the Duke known throughout the Empire for his brutality.
The guards withdrew quickly.
W–Wait! My money—! You still haven’t heard my information! Hey, you there?!
Evie jumped and waved frantically, but the guards didn’t even glance back.
Tch.
Evie shot a resentful glare at the Black Wolf Duke.
That good-for-nothing villain!
He really did live up to his reputation as the most despised noble in the Empire.
I must never, ever get involved with him.
If that was how he treated an imperial guard captain, what would he do to a lowly beast like her? Kick her aside, probably.
Evie began inching away quietly.
I’ll just fly over there, land on one of those soldiers’ backs, tell them where the slave traders went, and get my payment!
Images of a warm bed and a full belly flashed through her mind, and she swallowed hard in anticipation.
Alright. Let’s go!
Evie spread the thin membranes under her arms like a cloak and leapt toward the ceiling.
And at that moment—
Whoooosh!
A fierce gust of wind blew through the broken window.
Swept up in the current, Evie was thrown off course.
“Chyu!? Chyuchyuu!”
Flap flap!
No matter how much she struggled with her pathetic stamina, she kept getting pushed backward.
Then something appeared right before her eyes, and without thinking, she grabbed onto it.
“From now on, we’ll split into two units. Unit One will pursue the traders, Unit Two will—”
Plop.
What she had grabbed onto… was the Duke’s hand — the very hand he was using to direct his knights.
“…?”
The Duke’s commanding voice stopped mid-sentence.
On the back of his gloved hand clung a tiny, trembling creature.
Every knight turned their eyes toward Evie.
“Huff, huff…”
Evie panted for breath — and suddenly felt something strange.
Why does my scalp feel prickly?
No — it was more than that. It was… terrifying.
She slowly tilted her head upward.
And locked eyes with the Duke’s emotionless golden gaze.
Eeep!
Evie froze, mouth hanging open.
Then, forgetting to swallow, a bead of saliva gathered on her lip and—
Drip.
—fell right onto the Duke’s hand.
A collective gasp rippled through the knights.
I’m… I’m doomed…
Evie instinctively curled into a ball.
A suffocating silence fell.
“What… are you?”
At last, the Duke spoke — voice low and cold, as though interrogating an assassin.
The sheer menace of it made Evie’s mind go blank.
If she ran now claiming it was a mistake, she’d lose everything.
No — I have to act confident!
“Chyu, chyuuu! (W–What do you mean, what am I!)”
Evie planted her tiny hands on her hips and puffed out her trembling chest.
“Chyuuung, chyu! (I came to give you information about the slave traders!)”
“…”
Her bravado slowly deflated.
Then she nervously rubbed her cheek against the Duke’s gloved hand.
“…Chyu. Chyuung. (I swear it’s true! I swear on the Rusten Count’s name!)”
The knights’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
“D–Did that squirrel just… show affection to His Grace?”
“Impossible. Even trained warhorses tremble before him…”
Whispers spread among the knights.
What are they muttering about?
Evie couldn’t hear, and honestly didn’t care. What mattered was the Duke’s reaction.
She peeked up — the Duke was still staring down at her with that unreadable face.
Ugh. Why is he looking at me like that? Even a rock on the road would get a kinder look!
Wounded pride pushed Evie to clarify.
I—
She thumped her chest.
—know where the slave traders are!
She mimed being bound in chains, then pointed toward the direction they’d fled.
That way!
“…”
The Duke watched her gestures in silence before finally speaking in a chilling tone.
“You dare squirm and wriggle before me? Have you lost your fear — or your mind?”
“Chyu, chyut!”
N–Neither!
Even as she flinched, Evie wrinkled her nose indignantly.
Then the Duke’s aide spoke up carefully.
“My lord, perhaps… this little one is trying to show us the slave traders’ location?”
The Duke’s cold reply came immediately.
“And if it’s a trap?”
“Ah… You mean it could be a trained animal of the slavers, my lord.”
“Precisely. Without proof, it’s worthless.”
And at that moment—
Lick, lick.
Evie began licking the Duke’s gloved fingertips.
She pointed at the saliva-slicked glove, then toward the direction of the fleeing traders again.
“Chyuu, chyu.”
I marked them with my scent! With blood, when I coughed it up!
“Chyut!”
She flared her nose and thumped her chest once more.
If you take me with you, I can track them by smell!
But as she looked up, she froze.
The Duke’s gaze had grown even colder.
Flustered, she hurriedly used her wing to wipe the saliva off his glove.
“Chyu, chyu…?”
That glove… must be expensive, huh? It did taste kinda fancy…
The tiny flying squirrel, now on the verge of tears, frantically rubbed at the glove.
The Duke’s expression flickered — slightly, as though in disbelief.
Then, after glancing briefly toward the direction she’d pointed, he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and tossed her backward like a ball.
His aide caught her in a panic.
“Take it with you for the pursuit. If it’s lying, strip off its hide.”
“Chyu, chyut.”
(Eep, yes sir!)
“And another thing.”
The Duke grimaced and pulled off his glove.
“I’ll overlook it this once. Spit on me again, and you’ll regret it.”
Evie nodded rapidly.
“Chyu!”
Hmph! Fine!
*
Across the white snowfields, a squad of black-clad knights galloped at full speed.
Buried deep in the scarf of the lead rider — the Duke’s aide — was Evie.
“Chyu! Chyuu!”
At every nod of her head, the fearsome knights shifted direction.
“Chyu!”
This way!
“Chyu? Chyut!”
No—wait! That way!
A flake of snow landed on her nose.
“Pshyu!”
Evie sneezed.
Ugh, wet…
Sniffling, she wiped her nose with her tiny hand — then casually smeared it on the aide’s scarf.
When she glanced up, she locked eyes with the Duke again.
“Chyuu, chyu…”
Ahaha… just, uh, fixing the wrinkles here…
Even so, his icy stare didn’t waver.
But she soon realized — that gaze wasn’t directed at her. It was aimed at the aide holding her.
“Baird,” the Duke said flatly. “Can you please stop that habit of nosebleeding whenever you get excited?”
“…?”
Evie blinked. What’s he talking about?
Following the Duke’s gaze, she tilted her head upward — just as a warm drop landed on her forehead.
What the…?
A thick, red drop.
Blood?!
Sure enough — the hulking aide, nicknamed Black Bear for his build, was blushing furiously, hands clamped over his nose and mouth.
“M–My apologies, my lord! The fluffy sensation under my chin was… tickling me…”
“Chyu, chyut! (Gross! Stop bleeding on me!)”
Mortified, Evie smacked Baird’s jaw with her tail.
“Ghk!”
But instead of stopping, more blood gushed out.
His eyes rolled back.
“Lieutenant Baird has fainted!”
One of the knights pulled his reins in alarm — but the black warhorse began thrashing wildly.
Oh no! I’m going to fall!
Panicking, Evie bit down hard on Baird’s ear.
“Guh!”
That did the trick — he snapped back to consciousness and regained control.
Pfft!
Several knights stifled their laughter.
For a brief moment, the icy tension of the unit seemed to melt.
“Do we look like we’re on a picnic?”
The Duke’s sharp voice cut through the air.
Instantly, discipline returned.
“Baird, you’re docked three months’ pay.”
“Urgh— I haven’t even finished the last penalty yet… Yes, my lord. Apologies.”
Evie bobbed her head in agreement.
Serves you right!
When their eyes met again, she even clapped her tiny paws in approval.
The Duke gave her another incredulous look.
Geez… can’t even accept a compliment.
Evie dropped her hands — and then her nose twitched sharply.
Wait… that smell! My blood!
