DSB 56

When Lebel entered the room, Mahan was standing on the doorway, he was a mess. Karon’s claws had left marks on Mahan’s skin, and his clothes were torn.

“I thought he look dirty, so I tried to wash him…. I’m sorry.” Mahan said.

[Karon snorted. “Dirty? Do you know how I groom my fur? A human would wash me? Ridiculous.”]

“I will finish. Hand me a towel.” Lebel said.

Mahan handed a towel. Lebel closed the door, he sat down and he set Karon on his knees, and dried the fur.

Karon purred with an expression he never showed to Mahan or other servants and he accepted Lebel’s touch. Mahan couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Mahan, you look awful. You should wash up properly.”

“I will return at once.”

Only then did Mahan notice his condition, he bowed and stepped back. Then Yutis approached Level.

“I will do it.”

Before Lebel could refuse, Yutis grabbed Karon and took the towel. Then he wiped the remaining water away.

Karon blinked in surprise, he bared teeth the way he had with Mahan, and he rebelled, but Yutis held him down with one hand.

Karon’s face turned rotten as he was tossed around by the human he hated the most.

“You are skilled.”

“I bathed Shati when it was young.”

“Even then, it must have been large.”

“It wasn’t that hard,”

Lebel watched Yutis dry Karon’s fur without expression.

‘I wonder if his worries have anything to do with Karon?’

Yutis started to act odd when Karon arrived and he was hostile toward Karon.

You can tell by the ominous, sinister atmosphere, like a blanket of dust.

He didn’t really care because Karon returned the same hostility, but he was curious because he had never seen Yutis acting hostile towards anyone.

He was gentle at heart despite his appearance.

But now that he’d let Karon, what’s the issue? Is it because Karon is demonic beast? He recalled what Yutis had said. To him, demonic beasts were dangerous.

“Do you hate Karon because Karon is a beast?”

Yutis’s hand froze for a moment while he dried Karon.

[ I don’t like you either!]

That brief pause caused Karon’s claws to scratch the back of his hand. It wasn’t deep but it left a raw gash, and blood trickled down his hand.

Lebel frowned.

“Karon.”

[Lo, Lord Lebel, I did not mean…]

Lebel sighed softly. Yutis belatedly spoke.

“No.”

“Really?”

The brief flinch felt like a weak excuse.

“My wife brought this child here.”

“That sounds like you try not to hate him because I brought him.”

He didn’t denied it.

“Just give it to me. I will do it. You treat the wound.”

“Hnng..”

Karon cowered, eyes on Lebel. He moved to take Karon, but Yutis would not hand him over.

“I know you withheld parts of your past.”

This time, Lebel couldn’t help but be surprised. It was because Yutis, who had known about it and had let it slide, had now brought it up.

“I know you find it hard to tell your past. I can wait until you speak. But I cannot accept this beast.”

[What?!]

“You have to be careful with them.”

Yutis held Karon’s scruff and looked at him with cold eyes. Karon struggled but was unable to escape.

“Yutis?”

Karon instinctively growled, his fur standing on end as he met Yutis’s murderous gaze.

“It could end up hurting my wife by pretending to be obedient, just like it just hurt me.”

[What? This human! Do you think I would do that to Lord Lebel? I’m different from you!]

“Even if you say you are acquaintances, how long have you been together? Have you known him longer than I have?”

[l’ve known you for much longer than you!]

Yutis smiled faintly. “You’ve known for each other a long time, I suppose.” He could tell from Lebel’s demeanor. He never gave others a trusting look.

Even Mahan, who took care of him for a long time, is not trusted, but this little beast acts as if he does.

Yutis doesn’t know the reason, and Lebel doesn’t intend to say anything either.

Then this beast was a comfort to him during that short time, and isn’t that too annoying?

No, he didn’t like either one.

“My wife is fragile. This beast will grow and will become more savage. It might attack you.”

Lebel blinked. He had said he had treated the wounded Karon and fed him, but Yutis knew the ferocity of demonic beasts, it was understandable that he would be worried.

“Did you not see? Beasts bowed to me….”

“But please exercise self-restraint.”

Yutis was firm. When Lebel looked startled, Yutis paused for a moment and then continued.

“At the very least, keep someone beside you who can protect you.”

The look in Yutis’ eyes as he spoke was serious.

Someone who could protect him? The only person who could do that was the one in fron t of him. He probably knew that too.

“You mean I should keep you by my side?”

“Yes. I feel uneasy, so don’t send me away, and keep me near you. I’m afraid that beast might bare its claws toward you again, just like now.”

[This, this human…!!]

Lebel was a little taken aback by Yutis’s answer.

Don’t send him away?

The one thing that Lebel kept by his side as much as Karon was Yutis.

“I sent you away?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

[I am Lord Lebel’s loyal subordinate. Of course he prioritizes me over you. Stop your jealousy, it’s pathetic.]

“Ah…”

Karon’s words were the final blow.

Jealousy, jealousy.

Lebel said, looking at Yutis’ serious expression.

“…Are you jealous?”

“……!!”

Yutis’s ears turned red.

It seems to be the correct answer. The strange sense of alienation he’s been feeling was due to jealousy.

But he couldn’t understand why Yutis would be jealous of Karon.

“Why are you jealous of Karon?”

Karon wasn’t an insignificant being to Lebel, but to Yutis, Karon was just a beast cub.

Even if Lebel cherished a creature, why would that make Yutis jealous?

“…Your attitude is different from usual. You rarely wake on your own, yet lately, you’re often awake already, always with that demonic beast called Karon.”

They had slept together simply because Karon refused to leave, and it was Karon who woke him up.

“I’ve seen you whisper to this cub on your lap more than once whenever I open the door.”

Since telepathy was exhausting, he just spoke normally. How dare he mistake that for a gentle whisper?

“You said I don’t smile often. Then why… why do you smile at that creature? That smile that even I… rarely see it.”

Yutis bit his lip.

“That demon would seem endearing if he went to find you. But, isn’t it the same for me, too?”

Lebel blinked slowly in surprise. Yutis’s reaction was more intense than he had expected.

“I’ve stayed by your side longer…”

[I have served Lord Lebel far longer than you!]

Ah, I see.

What Yutis really wanted to ask was how Lebel viewed Karon.

What hurt him most was how comfortably Lebel treated Karon. But…

“Have I smiled often?”

He didn’t think so. Karon’s arrival had been pleasant, but what reason would he have to smile? He had only responded to Karon’s chatter the same way he did in the castle.

“…It only looked as if you were comfortable beside that beast.”

[Do you know how long I have served Lord Lebel? It’s only natural for him to smile when he sees me.]

Karon puffed out his chest proudly and snorted.

Lebel thought for a while and then remembered something.

“Ah, I see now. It wasn’t because of Karon.”

[“What–?!?”]

Both Yutis and Karon looked bewildered.

Indeed, he had smiled often. If the smile Yutis spoke of was the same as what Lebel thought of, then the timing made sense. Yutis must have mistaken coincidence for cause.

Lebel smiled.

This alone was enough to make him smile.

Yutis didn’t know it, but after his confession, his attitude had become more cautious.

He worried that he might burden Lebel. His face flushed more easily.

Each time Lebel noticed it, the memory of Yutis’s confession felt more real, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

Realizing that every action Yutis showed had come from affection amused him.

“So then why…”

“Who else could make me smile but you?”

“Because of me…?”

“Mm. Someone said your manner is too obvious.”

And Karon had said something similar.

Even without Lebel’s words, Karon had already noticed Yutis’s feelings. Each time Yutis made a move, Karon barked about it.

Reaching out a hand, entering the room, addressing him softly as ‘my wife’ Karon called them all schemes and told Lebel to beware.

Karon declared that as long as Yutis harbored impure thoughts toward Lebel, they couldn’t be friends and shouted that every action of his dripped with hidden desire.

That might have sounded believable, which was why Lebel often laughed.

If anything, both of them had caused it.

Yutis and Karon stared at him with equally dumbfounded faces. Lebel let out a bright laugh.

“Now that you know why I smiled, what remains is your jealousy.”

What could possibly relieve his jealousy? Something he often did with Karon was…

Lebel stood before Yutis, lowered Karon, who was sitting on his lap. He also snatched the towel from his hands and placed it aside.

“Hug me.”