Chapter 27
Chapter 27
"...What?" What did you just say?”
“Could you hit me too….”
“No, no! Please don’t say any more?”
The Young Duke’s eyes, filled with life for the first time in a while, left me speechless.
“Young Duke, is it possible your preference is…?”
“Bestia.”
“…I shouldn’t have spoken.”
As I hesitated and stepped back, Mary and Aristelle’s voices could be heard.
“Lady Bestia! Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Ah, yes! I’m fine.”
As Aristelle approached me, the Young Duke grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
“Until tomorrow morning, you will watch over those people.”
Aristelle looked at the people tied up in one spot and asked me.
He seemed to think asking his master would be useless.
“What? Who are these people?”
“Uh… let’s just say they appear to be kidnapped people, given the circumstances.”
But if they are to regain their senses, I need to hit them one by one.
Unable to bring myself to tell the truth, I firmly closed my mouth.
Unaware of this, Aristelle approached the bound individuals.
“Ah! In that case, should we untie them?”
“No. I just tied them up.”
Aristelle pursed his lips and shot a glare at his master with his eyes.
He must have been annoyed by the Young Duke’s unfriendly instructions, which omitted half the story.
Just as I was about to offer a further explanation, I saw Enoch looking around in confusion.
“Enoch, where are your parents?”
“Ah, well. Everyone has left……”
Did he call the priests in the temple his parents?
If so, Enoch seemed to be an orphan with nowhere to go.
He looked like the child of a noble family, but perhaps that was my mistake.
Was the reason the temple took good care of Enoch simply to offer him as a sacrifice?
Regardless, I couldn’t leave a child without parents all alone.
“Young Duke, could you possibly look after Enoch for a moment?”
“Yes, I will.”
His expression clearly showed his displeasure, but the Young Duke’s answer was proper and polite.
Was he willing to do as I wished, despite his reluctance?
Was there a reason he was being so patient and kind to me?
The Young Duke’s actions bothered me, but I didn’t have the luxury to dwell on them now.
\ \ *
As the surrounding situation seemed to be somewhat resolved, the Young Duke whispered to me.
“Bestia, let’s leave those people be and head back.”
As I nodded, the Young Duke gently picked me up and started walking towards the lodging.
“I can walk on my own, Young Duke.”
“No.”
“I’m heavy. Please put me down!”
“You’re as light as a feather; I’m afraid you’ll fly away if I hold you. Please eat your meals properly.”
“……”
Did he think I would just walk away silently again?
Though I often did that, even normally….
The Young Duke was now in complete physical contact with me, seemingly unwilling to be apart for even a second.
I couldn’t understand the reason for his behavior, but I felt I needed to apologize properly again for having shocked him.
I cautiously observed his expression and began,
“Young Duke, you must have been very surprised because of me…. I am truly sorry.”
Along with my apology, I clutched his collar with trembling hands.
At my words, his eyebrows twitched, and he replied in a slightly heated tone.
“Bestia, you are simply….”
He swallowed a groan, as if trying hard to suppress his anger, and asked,
“What on earth were you thinking?”
His voice was calm and low, without raising his tone, but it felt twice as cold as usual.
I had expected him to be angry, but hearing it was a world of difference.
I felt genuinely sorry towards him, but I had no room for excuses, so I remained silent.
After insisting on coming along to help, I had only caused trouble.
Seeing his expression as I was about to say something more, I closed my mouth.
The Young Duke was already a man with a sharp impression, but today it felt particularly acute again.
It was only because of his kind actions that I had momentarily forgotten.
He was not someone I, who was no different from a commoner, could treat so casually.
I lowered my head, searching for my next words.
I was worried about how to appease the Young Duke’s anger, and what to do if he treated me coldly from now on.
Perhaps I had gotten too carried away, indulging in the excessive attention I had never received in either my past or present life.
What was the big deal about my magic power increasing a little to go into that dangerous place alone?
Thinking back now, my actions were completely reckless, and shame and self-loathing welled up.
Looking back, it was only natural for the Young Duke to be angry with me.
I spoke to him, hiding my flushed face.
“I’m sorry. You treated me kindly, and I forgot my place and only caused you trouble.”
“Bestia, I didn’t mean it like that….”
Strangely, the Young Duke’s voice seemed to carry a hint of pity.
“…Sigh.”
The Young Duke’s deep sigh automatically made my shoulders shrink.
How long did the silence continue?
It seemed we had arrived at the lodging, as the sound of a door quietly opening and closing was heard.
The Young Duke carefully sat me on the bed and wrapped a thick blanket around me.
Perhaps it was because I was trembling when I came in?
The Young Duke seemed to think my shivering was due to the cold.
He gently cupped my face, which was deeply bowed, with one hand.
“…Why did you think that?”
The Young Duke’s voice, asking slowly, was much gentler than usual.
It was a sweet and warm demeanor, making my momentary worry seem pointless.
Separate from that, I felt no warmth from the Young Duke’s hand.
Was it because I knew he was trying for my sake?
Even though I knew I must look pathetic, tears streamed down my face from a surge of emotion.
“Bestia.”
He gently stroked my tear-stained eyes with his thumb, wiping away my tears.
I felt I had to answer now, but my lips wouldn’t easily part.
“…Were you very scared?”
As I nodded slightly, the Young Duke said suggestively.
“Beth suffered the most, but I was too harsh.”
The Young Duke’s kind tone, devoid of any playfulness, made my stomach churn.
“No, it’s all my fault….”
I moved my trembling lips with difficulty and replied to him.
Even in my barely audible voice, the Young Duke seemed to understand me completely.
“Bestia, may I see your face for a moment?”
Despite the Young Duke being kinder than ever, I was still afraid.
Was he going to hold me accountable for leaving without permission?
That didn’t matter much.
What I hated was being disliked by people I had just started to grow fond of.
Most of all, I was worried about being turned away by the Young Duke.
Perhaps it was because he spent the most time by my side among the people of the ducal family?
The thought that he might find me bothersome made my heart ache.
As I didn’t lift my head, the Young Duke seemed to wait for me quietly.
“…I was scared.”
In my mind, I wanted to say I was sorry, but a completely unrelated sentence blurted out.
Despite my sudden remark, the Young Duke asked me without any sign of surprise.
“What were you so afraid of?”
“For a long time, there was no one by my side.”
I paused for a moment, contemplating my next words.
It was quite awkward to speak about my inner thoughts, which I had never shared with anyone.
And to this man I had only recently met.
“I was afraid you would hate me, after just starting to grow fond of you all.”
As I spoke, my mind was in turmoil, wondering if it was okay to reveal my true feelings.
When the Young Duke didn’t respond, I spoke urgently, feeling anxious.
“I’m sorry. Even in this situation, I’m talking only about myself, I’m too selfish.”
“No, that’s not true.”
At his immediate reply, I slightly lifted my head.
The Young Duke had the same expression as usual, but his expression didn’t seem to contain any lies.
After all, he was not someone who would whisper falsehoods, even if he evaded answering.
Then why was the Young Duke offering me sincere comfort?
And why was he treating me so kindly?
All of this seemed too much to be just because of my name.
He must have known he was acting suspiciously.
It felt like the time had come to put an end to the questions that had lingered since before.
“…May I ask why you think that?”
“Bestia is not a selfish person. Rather, she’s too much the opposite.”
He smiled slightly, still holding my face.
Somehow, his smile seemed a little lonely.
The Young Duke slowly opened his mouth, as if he had more to say to me.
“…Even if Bestia were a bad person, it wouldn’t matter to me.”
His slightly trembling voice made me even more curious about what he was hiding from me.
I took his hand that was cupping my face and asked.
“Why me? What is it about me, so insignificant?”
At my question, he averted his gaze, which had been fixed on me until then.
Was this the time he would finally answer something?
Was it all my delusion?
In a state of emptiness, I was about to let go of his hand.
“Ah.”
A dazzling light, identical to the one that had enveloped me before I transformed into a child, enveloped my entire body.
There was no need for further confirmation.
Just by the change in the height of my gaze, I knew I had returned to normal.
The Young Duke looked at me with an expression filled with complex emotions.
“Bestia, did you ask me for a reason?”
The Young Duke asked me, still holding my face.
With his persistent gaze, I quietly nodded.
“Yes, I’m curious. Truly.”
“Well….”
He hesitated for a moment, then said with a sad smile.
“Because I love you.”
To be continued in the next episode ▶
