Chapter 17

Translator/editor: ruby

“We made a peace agreement so we would get along – then why don’t we?”

“It was 500 years ago. The only thing that can control the Shinsu is the appearance Barahan’s descendant.”

“Barahan’s descendant?”

“The royal family that made the treaty started to kill Shinsu recklessly and almost drove them to extinction.”

Almost drove them to extinction. Belinda’s face went pale thinking of Aymon.

If they’d all been killed back then, Aymon wouldn’t exist either. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

“But then, a Shinsu who’d been a cub when it happened grew up…. That Shinsu killed Barahan’s descendant.”

Lucy stopped speaking and looked around them. They were the only people in the room, but she closed the window tightly before continuing.

“And….. It was a black leopard who did it.”

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“A black leopard?”

“Yes. Like Aymon.”

She could have dismissed it as a baseless legend, but knowing Aymon…

Lucy looked around again.

“But the black leopard was possessed by madness as he fought against the god’s descendants. Even after killing Barahan’s descendant, he killed many humans and even some of his fellow Shinsu.”

“……….”

“So in the end, the warring humans and Shinsu joined forces to subdue the black leopard. It was the only way he could be stopped.”

“Because of just one leopard?”

“Yes. He was a terrible force that killed the descendants of God. Anyways… The humans and Shinsu established a peace agreement with the common goal of suppressing that black leopard. It’s a strange kind of peace.”

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Belinda had always assumed that the Shinsu were there to protect the empire. She couldn’t have learnt about this, never having gone to school.

Maybe that’s why the leopards that were bothering Aymon when they first met didn’t like him.

A flurry of questions crossed her mind.

“What happened to the… overly powerful black leopard?”

“No one knows. Some say he died, some say he lost his powers and became a normal beast… All we know is that he hid himself.”

Belinda nodded with a clouded expression.

A black leopard who killed the descendant of God, carried away by madness…

The thought of Aymon being one made her strangely uncomfortable.

Lucy opened the window. Now that they’d finished talking, they didn’t have to worry that a certain little black leopard could hear them.

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Mazetto burst in, this time looking at Belinda with a feigned serious expression.

“I’m sorry! I won’t talk badly about humans ever again! I’ll do all those things I think are weak and stupid!”

“…….”

Belinda wiped off the remnants of chocolate on his beak with a handkerchief. However provoking he may have acted, both him and Aymon were just cute little creatures.

As she was folding up the handkerchief, a maid’s voice came from behind the door.

“Princess, a gift has arrived for you.”

“A gift?”

She invited the maid in.

Who could’ve sent it? No one’s going to send gifts to the forgotten princess living out of sight. It’s not like I care anyways.

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The maid carefully laid down a small box. It was obviously a very luxurious case, even if not a very big one.

“It’s from the Duke of Rodson.”

“The Duke of Rodson?”

That means it’s from Phillip. The one who invited me to his birthday party.

The maid handed her a blue envelope.

Inside, Belinda found a neat letter written in what she recognized as Phillip’s handwriting. It was long, but simply said that he’d be leaving to attend the academy of the Kingdom of Carnivan soon. He wouldn’t be coming back even to visit, only when he was looking to get married after graduating.

“What is it? What does it say? Huh? Who sent it?”

Mazetto started throwing questions at her the moment the maid left. Belinda shrugged, handing the letter to Lucy.

“It’s from some guy named Duke Phillip. He says he’s going abroad to study.”

Belinda opened the box to reveal a bracelet inlaid with gray jewels resembling her eyes.

“Wow! It looks expensive! So cool! Can I have it?”

Mazetto started pecking at the stones curiously. Belinda was not sure what to think – it definitely looked very expensive, so the Duke must have been very rich to gift such precious things not even being an adult.

Duke Phillip himself was already crossing the border in his carriage.

I’m sure she’s received it by now. Does she like it?

Princess Belinda – the princess with common blood running through her veins, but beautiful eyes. Perhaps ignorant for all her lack of knowledge, but surprisingly confident nonetheless. To top it off, she learned the ancient language perfectly in just a few months and used it against Adelai like that. It was definitely an interesting scene to watch. She even pushed him away smiling. He’d never seen such a daring rejection. No, there was no such thing as rejecting a handsome duke. It was enough to fill even Adelai with envy.

What really mattered was that he felt like his heart was beating for the first time. That was all he needed – he wasn’t going to let go of the first real emotion he’d felt in his boring life. When he came back, visiting her would be the first thing he did. It might not have been for years, but that didn’t worry him. No man would be foolish enough to marry someone like Belinda, with no power or honor.

The high nobility would avoid her because of her lineage, and the Emperor would never accept her because of his pride. In the end, she’d end up living alone and secluded.

Duke Phillip rested his chin on the window frame of the carriage. A warm wind swept through his hair.

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“But…”

But he could give Belinda all that. A noble lineage. Power. Wealth.

A woman abandoned by her father and neglected by her family would surely live happily with him. He had no doubt in that.

The Duke grinned arrogantly. Nothing had ever not gone his way. This wouldn’t be an exception.

Belinda finally put on the bracelet. It was only polite to do considering it was a gift. The cold metal against her skin jingled every time she moved her hand.

How the tables had turned – who would have guessed that the starving servant girl washing dishes would one day live in a huge palace and receive luxurious gifts?

“Life’s strange.”

Her voice made her sound like she’d experienced everything there was to experience. Lucy giggled slightly but stopped herself – what did she know about what Belinda had been through?

Additionally, she knew something Belinda didn’t; Duke Phillip was clearly implying that he’d propose after he returned.

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It was an exciting thought to Lucy, but being so far in the future, she decided it would be better not to make a fuss about it. Suddenly, a soft voice whispered beside her.

「What’s that shiny thing?」

It was Aymon, who’d somehow come in without making the slightest noise. Of course, it was Mazetto who he scared the most.

“Ah! You!”

Belinda looked up, surprised.

“You’re here? You’ve been around a lot nowadays.

「What’s that?」

“A gift.”

「……」

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Aymon’s eyes narrowed. He tilted his head slightly, spotting the wax seal on the letter. It was strangely familiar.

It was the seal of that man that came to invite Belinda somewhere once.

Seeing that the man who’d been interested in her now gave her fancy gifts, he got even more angry.

「Did he gift it to you?」

“Yeah.”

「Why?」

“I don’t know. He just did.”

She shook her wrist, smiling, as if she was bragging.

Aymon stared at the glittering jewels. They seemed to make her happy, but he couldn’t figure out why. The last time he threw a chess piece, but unfortunately there was nothing around now. He resorted to scratching the wooden table with his claws.

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「Do you like it that much?」

“Yeah. It’s a gift, anyways.”

「You screamed when I brought you Mazetto as a gift.」

“That’s right! You weren’t happy to see me!”

Mazetto commented, flying around them.

Belinda smiled awkwardly.

“Well, I thought he was dead. Anyways, what do you think? Does it look good on me?”

Aymon answered softly.

「You’re pretty.」

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Belinda nodded.

“I wish I had a lot of money. Then I could buy you jewelry too”, she said with a smile.

Aymon, lost in thought, didn’t hear her.

「Why would he give this to her?」

He whispered to himself. Mazetto answered brightly.

“It’s obvious! Human gifts are full of love. It’s a sign of the Duke’s courtship! Don’t you know that?”

「……」

Aymon looked up and glared at the bird, who quickly flew away to safety.

Then, to everyone’s surprise…

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“Aymon?”

The leopard settled in Belinda’s arms. Ignoring the jingling sound of her bracelet, he wrapped a paw around her wrist.

Clang!

With a swish of his claw, the string of jewels clattered onto the floor. Aymon made his escape through the window before he could see the reaction. Belinda didn’t even have time to call after him. The only thing to be seen was the curtains fluttering in the breeze.

Belinda stared after him, lost for words. Did her great and noble Shinsu just run off like that?