Chapter 74

Translator/editor: ruby

Lucy sighed and stole a pointed glance at Belinda.

“Just in case.”

After the vague answer, she motioned to Belinda again. What she meant to tell him was to be considerate – otherwise Belinda could end up being ridiculed. She tried to use body language he’d understand.

Despite Lucy’s equivocal persuasion, Aymon surprisingly understood.

He changed his posture, straightening out his back and lowering his arms. Just with those small changes, it felt like the whole table’s presence had changed.

Belinda stroked Aymon’s back.

“Lucy, how did you manage to convince this stubborn mule?”

Instead of an answer, Lucy gave an unnatural smile.

Belinda leaned down next to Aymon to start explaining.

“Aymon, when you sit down at the table, you’ll see knives and forks set up like this. You use them one by one.”

She explained the cutlery to him step by step as he sat still and watched her. It looked like her words went in one ear and came out the other.

Their faces were very close together, enough to hear even the faintest breath. He could feel Belinda’s unique scent.

Her peach fuzz sparkled in the sun. Then there were her soft cheeks, her cute nose, and her diligently moving lips.

“This kind of glass is usually for serving alcohol-”

“…..”

Aymon slowly gazed at her.

Her sparkling eyelashes. Her hair flowing down the back of her neck. Even her delicate collarbone.

He swallowed a nervous breath.

“All these little things are going to be annoying. You have to eat the snacks with a fork, too. You can’t just pick them up with your hands, all right?”

Belinda continued, forcing the tart out of his hand.

“Now, step by step, like I told y- ack!”

She tried to make him go through the steps again, but couldn’t even finish her sentence. He grabbed her face with both hands and bit her cheek.

“Ah!”

She pushed him away in surprise.

Aymon rained kisses on her cheeks and bit her earlobe. Then, he squeezed her face again.

“You’re craz- ow, Aymon!”

He had the power of a beast. Huffing, Belinda pulled his ear.

She didn’t hate it. She certainly didn’t not like it. The problem wasn’t Aymon’s behavior, but rather the place. A certain human named Lucy and an animal, Mazetto, were watching them.

“Lucy! Aymon’s trying to eat Belinda!”

“Pretend you didn’t notice, Mazetto.”

Lucy turned around and gestured to him.

Aymon and Belinda decided to go out for a walk, trying to avoid the situation.

However, the tactless bird proudly blocked their way instead of answering Lucy’s call and scolded Aymon, who was in another world.

“Stop! You already did this with Belinda in the cabin, and here you are again- eep!”

Mazetto was stopped by Lucy’s hurried approach. She held his beak shut.

“Shush!”

“Eep! Hmph!”

Lucy left with the rebelling sparrow.

Belinda pulled on Aymon’s hair as hard as she could and dropped her eyes.

She felt like she was about to die of joy, was overwhelmed by the hug, and wanted to die of shame.

Aymon groaned and drew closer to her, but she pushed him away.

However, he stuck to her tirelessly, giving her no choice but to hug him back.

“I was just telling you how to hold a fork, why would you… all of sudden…”

She could feel Aymon’s relentless heartbeat and sweet fragrance.

Her heartbeat also went up.

She didn’t know why he’d done it, but he was still just like a kitten.

“When did you say the ball was, Breedee?”

His voice rang above her head. Belinda mentally counted the days before replying.

“In ten days?”

“Ten days… I will announce it in ten days… How much longer will I have to put up with this…”

Aymon muttered to himself in a self-pitying voice.

Belinda stroked his back, relaxing his tense muscles. As she comforted him, almost collapsing in her arms, she looked down at the fork. When he stopped acting like a spoiled child, she’d continue their lesson.

Finally, Aymon didn’t end up learning any aristocratic manners from her. Nothing she tried worked.

Belinda’s efforts went nowhere – all she could do was get him to stand up properly.

Every time, Aymon would make it very difficult for her to teach.

Lucy became his teacher for dance and posture, but Belinda somehow felt uncomfortable.

“Yes, Aymon, put your hands around my waist like that.

Facing each other, the two of them looked very close.

Well, no wonder they were. Ball dancing consisted of men and women sticking together in the first place, and to teach it, they would have to stick together too.

Aymon put a stiff hand on Lucy’s waist, with an expressionless face. Lucy taught him with no ulterior motive, and also a static expression.

Anyone could’ve seen that they were embarrassed.

Isn’t this a bit too close?

Belinda’s viewpoint was distorted – to her, it looked like they were hugging.

It was all because she liked Aymon, and her earlier misunderstanding.

That he might like Lucy.

What if they get close again after sticking together like that?

Even if not, what if he came up with a ridiculous explanation like “You have to take responsibility for touching me while I was in heat”?

She was very thirsty. She nervously picked up her tea and put it back down. The movement was reciprocated from the other side of the table.

Lart lowered his cup uneasily, with trembling fingers.

He hadn’t been able to come and see Lucy because of a recent flood of work, but he had finally come today.

“Lucy! I’m here!”

He walked in happily, only to be met with Lucy hugging the beautiful Shinsu.

Of course, they weren’t hugging. Even Aymon’s hand near Lucy’s waist was suspended a few inches in the air.

However, in Lart’s jealous eyes, they were firmly together.

He fiddled with his chin nervously.

Even compared to himself, the Shinsu was surprisingly handsome. He was a good match in terms of his appearance, physique, and being a Shinsu. If he was so close to Lucy and they liked each other…

Eventually, Lart leapt out of his seat, unable to stand it.

“I’d rather do it! I’ll teach you!”

His loud voice rang out.

Aymon and Lucy stopped moving. Belinda, who was sitting across from him, also stared at him with a curious expression.

“I know ball dance better than Lucy does!”

He gently pushed Lucy away and smoothed into Aymon’s arms.

He couldn’t teach Aymon the female role, so he would teach from Lucy’s position.

“……”

“……”

There was an awkward silence between Lart and Aymon.

Aymon, with his hands on Lart’s waist, looked at him indifferently. Lart avoided looking back – even though he’d initiated it, he was embarrassed.

Lucy stepped back without saying a word.

The two men facing each other were a Shinsu and a prince. One couldn’t meddle in the doings of two great men, even if they weren’t quite understandable.

Belinda moved her teacup, muttering to herself.

“He’s my brother, but he’s weird, too.”

Aymon nodded indifferently. He didn’t care whether it was Lucy or Lart teaching him to dance.

Soon, Aymon began to swirl Lart around as Lucy had taught him.

The two bodies joined and fell, and their hands touched and moved away. With no music and dull faces, the two moved quietly.

It was the most emotionless and stiff dancing in the world.

Lucy stood awkwardly before sitting down opposite Belinda. Unexpectedly, Lart was teaching Aymon well.

As the beast and the man moved silently in the palace, all that could be heard was the blunt sound of their feet shuffling.

“These two are…”

Lucy muttered.

She couldn’t bear to say anything, so she trailed off.

However, Belinda understood her easily. She was thinking the exact same thing.

Both of them were strange people. Or rather, a strange person and a strange beast.

Aymon was leading Lart, her handsome younger brother.

The footsteps of the two men continued to ring in the palace for days.

***

That day, Aymon was twirling Lart slowly.

“You’re perfect, Shinsu.”

Lart gave him a dull compliment.

“Yeah, you’re good at spinning, too.”

Aymon answered back.

After a few days of dancing together, one would have thought that they’d get a little closer, but they were still embarrassed. At the end of each dance, they pulled apart like they had to escape.

When they finished, Lart and Lucy left the palace, leaving Belinda and Aymon alone under the soft lights.

“I’m good now.”

Aymon said proudly as he washed up, wearing a gown the maid gave him.

The guest palace’s maid had already been with them for five years. Thanks to her quickness, everything Aymon needed was put out.

“Good job.”

Belinda grinned, praising him as she looked out onto the moonlit landscape.

However, Aymon was more beautiful than the scenery. She sighed without realizing it.

Sweeping aside his wet hair, he gestured to her.

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“Come here, Breedee.”

Belinda stood up as if she was possessed. The calm, powerful voice seemed to be able to give commands humans couldn’t resist.

His infinitely sweet voice sometimes made her feel like that. She approached and looked up at him, and his arms were soon around his waist.

Aymon suddenly hugged her and let out a long sigh, as if pleased.

“There’s no one here now, so can we stick together?”