Chapter 23

Translator/editor: ruby

「Hey, is this what a human looks like?」

The spotted baby leopard next to Aymon climbed onto Belinda’s lap. Not sure what to do, she looked at him uncertainly. Aymon pushed him off firmly like what Belinda usually did to him.

The leopard rolled onto the floor.

「You’ve met humans before.」

「Who, me?」

「Yes, Shanti. I heard you telling them not to bother you.」

「….Oh? Wait, you’re right! I did!」

He quickly remembered, pounding the floor with his tail. The mere thought seemed to anger him.

「I was just avoiding your attack! So I wouldn’t get in trouble!」

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「You tried to pounce on me secretly a few hours before that.」

「That… I… I was scared….」

Shanti scratched at the ground, slurring his words.

「I was young back then! You know that! You were just as strong back then, too! You didn’t get hurt at all, did you? That’s right!」

「That’s not true. I was hurt, in the heart.」

Aymon replied in a calm tone.

Shanti stared at the indifferent leopard and straightened his shoulders.

「Aymon! Your fur looks so cool today! Look how nicely the light shines on it! Amazing!」

Aymon responded to the comment by hitting Shanti on the nose.

「Ow!」

He rolled onto the floor with an exaggerated scream. Aymon hit him again.

Belinda smiled awkwardly at the confrontation.

I think they’re talking about me. He doesn’t seem to notice, though.

When she first met Aymon, there were two other leopards there bullying him. If they’d known that he was a Shinsu, they never would’ve dared. They’d have been lying flat on the floor, shivering with fear.

In other words, ignorance gave them courage. Still, it was amazing that it led Belinda to become friends with Aymon.

「Shanti. Welcome to the clan, son.」

A large leopard crept up and pulled Shanti out of Aymon’s grip. It looked like he was used to his son’s playful behavior with Aymon. He rubbed his head against Aymon’s cheek.

「Congratulations to you, too. I’m looking forward to seeing you grow.」

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In contrast to his large body and rugged appearance, his voice was gentle. However, Belinda turned away her eyes and stiffened up. She was already twenty, but she still had that reaction to any large animal or person. They were scary – her traumatic childhood memories of the innkeeper still came to her. The past was embedded deep in her. She almost pitied herself, but couldn’t help it.

Aymon approached her and tilted his head. He scanned her expression, also spotting her whitened knuckles, and leaped up onto her lap. It was a hug-like gesture.

「Breedee. Let’s go now.」

She got up from her seat, holding Aymon. It felt as if the celebrating leopards were pretending she wasn’t there.

She quickly bowed, confusing everyone – why would they imitate human greetings? Aymon climbed up onto her shoulder.

I said I invited her because she was a royal, I shouldn’t make it look like we’re this close.

Being on her shoulder was still rather intimate, but much better than being carried out like a pet cat.

「You have to go to sleep. Humans are always tired around these hours.」

He said sweetly. He meant that he’d invite Belinda since she was their special guest. The rest of the leopards purred knowingly and sent them off.

「Bye, Aymon.」

「Good night.」

Belinda left as if she was escaping a fire. The leopards’ eyes trailed after her before she disappeared. The desolate forest unfolded right outside of their empty spot.

“By the way, Aymon. Where are you going to sleep now?”

「At my house.」

“You have a house?!”

The surprised Belinda stopped.

「We have houses. We’re different from regular animals. We live in houses, just like humans, because no one wants to sleep outside.」

“Ah.”

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She hadn’t ever thought of Aymon having a house. She always just assumed he lived like any other animal in the Shinsu forest, but apparently, he did have a house.

The forest grew thicker and thicker. Belinda walked through the darkness with the leopard in her arms. You’d expect one to be scared on a dark mountain road deep in the forest, but she wasn’t. The only thing to fear in the forest were the beasts, and she was well aware that no animal would dare to touch a person protected by a Shinsu.

“Do you live alone?”

She held back on asking about his parents. She didn’t see them in the group earlier, so… She’d known him for years, but never found out that he was alone until today.

「Yeah, alone.」

“I see. Come to think of it, that little leopard – you were with him that time at the cliff, right?”

She forced herself to change the subject.

「Yep.」

It worked, fortunately.

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“He didn’t seem to recognize me.”

「He probably didn’t. Humans all look alike in our eyes.」

“Really? Do I look like everyone else to you, then?”

Aymon looked up at her, then lowered his head back into her arms.

「Of course not. You’re you.」

He muttered, embarrassed. The touch of his soft fur made Belinda smile. It felt good to think that she was a precious being to him. It was just a silly thought.

Aymon’s house was surprisingly similar to a human’s. She was expecting just a plain roof – Aymon had been able to fall asleep laying on the grass only until not too long ago…

She was wrong.

She wandered around the center of the house in the moonlight, admiring it.

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“It’s really pretty.”

It looked more like a temple than a regular house with its marble columns and domed ceiling. The wind blew in an occasional petal through the open window. The extinguished chandelier twinkled in the moonlight. It felt like she had entered a fantasy world.

“Do you clean it?”

「Of course. When I was younger, the elders did it, but I do now.」

“How?”

「By turning human.」

Aymon rubbed his eyes sleepily. He was sitting on a huge cushion, looking up at Belinda.

「You must be tired. Go wash up. The bathroom’s over there.」

“Mhm.”

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Belinda nodded, loosening the shoulder strap of her dress. As she had spent the whole night sitting on her knees, her whole body was sore. She was hoping some warm water would help.

「Why are you taking your clothes off all of sudden?!」

Aymon yelled, bewildered. Belinda turned back to see him hiding under the cushion. The cute little leopard was suddenly shy. She smirked.

“What do you mean? I need to wash it.”

「I know that! Why here??」

Aymon shouted into the cushion.

“I just untied the back. My shoulders are sore because it was so tight.

Aymon just twitched his tail nervously with no answer, face still buried in the cushion. Belinda’s eyes flashed with mischief.

He must be so embarrassed right now.

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Obviously, she didn’t mean to take all her clothes off. She just loosened the strap. But seeing Aymon’s reaction, she wasn’t about to pass up on teasing him for it. He was so cute. She really wanted to keep on bothering him. And he wasn’t the only one with a dirty mind, either.

“Why so shyyy?”

「…..」

He kept on twiddling with his tail.

“By that logic, you’re naked too.”

「……」

You have nothing on you except fur.

「…..You can leave the stripping for when I’m really a human…..!」

He mumbled into the cushion, not managing to sound too threatening.

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Belinda grinned. Her thoughts went to human Aymon. She hasn’t seen it recently, but it was still clear in her memory. Black hair, beautiful purple eyes, plump red lips. A beautiful boy. She was sure she wouldn’t be so intimidated by him anymore, though.

“Sure. Whatever you’d like.”

She said teasingly, laughing as she saw Aymon still hiding in the cushion when she entered the bathroom. He didn’t move until she disappeared behind the door and heard it close.

He sighed deeply, a serious look on his face.

「You don’t understand why I can’t show my human form to you.」

He whispered in a low voice. He was holding back his urge to devour her from head to toe.

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The smell of grass permeated the large living room. Belinda laid down comfortably on the carpet. Aymon was curled up in a circle, maybe trying to sleep. She reached out to him and stroked his chin. The mere sight of the little animal made her want to pet him. So cute and pretty.

Aymon slowly opened his eyes.

「Breedee, you really have to be careful.」

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The beast’s eyes glimmered in the darkness.