CH 16

It was a beautiful sunny morning. Plenty of sunlight was streaming down into the courtyard’s stable. There are several windows in the back stalls where the black wolf is, but all the windows by the ceiling are shut, to protect them from being seen from the outside. 

Therefore, oil lamps are lit in the stable all day. Under the warm orange light, the curled up black wolf seemed to just be slumbering. When morning comes, she would get up and work.

“What should be done next?” Clyde asked Ashley, who’s in thought.

“Try placing food in front of it. It might wake up from the delicious smell.” 

Because the black wolf liked to eat too.

Hank groaned, “I’ve tried feeding it many times before because I thought it would be bad if it didn’t eat. I’ve tried everything from high-grade venison to the meat of a rat I found on the street, but instead of waking up, it didn’t even react.”

“We even tried to open its mouth and throw small pieces of meat into it, but it didn’t work. It didn’t even take a bite.” Jeanne’s face clouded.

Hank smiled brightly as he remembered, I even tried a rabbit I caught once, but it didn’t work. Well, Jeanne was so angry that time. Why were you so angry?”

“I’ll never forgive you for that time, even if it takes me the rest of my life. Never!”

“…what did I do to make you that angry?” 

Ashley nodded repeatedly at Hank to Jeanne’s words. While he raised his eyebrows as if he couldn’t agree. As for Clyde, he was laughing behind.

Ashley regained her composure and said, “But, the black wolf doesn’t like meat. Let’s give it some vegetables.”

“…A wolf. Giving it vegetables?”

“Isn’t it a carnivore?”

Jeanne and Hank looked at each other, Ashley nodded, “Vegetables.”

The black wolf is a vegetarian. It likes vegetables, from brussels sprouts, radishes, and artichokes. He would salt them and munch on them with relish. He also liked carrots. The black wolf could maintain his muscular body on vegetables alone and still be strong. She used to seriously wonder in her burrow why black rabbits were so different from him.

“I thought it was meat…” As expected, Clyde was also stunned. It’s not an animal, but a demon. Therefore, they should not think of it in terms of human common sense.

“Alright. Let’s try vegetables.” Clyde’s words brought Jeanne and Hank back into their senses. 

Ashley was about to follow them, but Clyde stopped her, “It’s about the black wolf.”

“…Yes.” They were alone in the stables. Her nervousness was increasing.

Clyde chuckled when he saw her face stiffen as soon as they were alone, “Are you nervous?”

“What? Ah, no. I’m not…”

“You’re trying your best to get used to your fiancée, right?”

“Yes.―No! That was about my friend, okay?” she was getting flustered.

“That’s right. My mistake.” he chuckled.

Then, she asked, “Lord Clyde was a child when the black wolf woke up, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then, why won’t you try the same thing last time?”

He may probably wake up again, but Clyde said with a serious tone, “I can’t do that because someone might die.”

‘Die!?’

That’s terrifying. She didn’t think that it was such a critical situation.

‘As expected of the descendant of a hero…’

She was completely different from the black rabbit who had just been peacefully eating grass to Ashley who had been living a carefree life. It seems her face was scrunching without her knowing it.

Clyde chuckled, “I almost died, and no one did die, so it’s okay―Oh, pardon me.” As soon as he said that, Clyde came up to her and bent over. He lightly patted the hem of Ashley’s skirt. 

His head was close to her leg. She involuntarily backed away fast, both embarrassed and scared. 

He gave her a smile, “The hem was dirty.”

“…Thank you.” 

He went out of his way to clean it.

‘He’s a nice guy.’ Which she knows very well. She’s really trying her best, but she wants to do it slowly and at her own pace. When he suddenly approached her like that, the fear suddenly drowns her first because of that memory.

“Um, I’m really sorry but can you please warn me first before you approach me?” she felt apologetic. 

Clyde tilted his head, “Is it just me? Do you mind if Jeanne and Hank don’t tell you?”

“Yes!… Ah, no. It’s that―!” She couldn’t help but unconsciously affirm it. 

She panicked, while Clyde nodded gravely, “Alright. I’ll tell you before I approach you.”

‘A good man!’

To listen to his fiancée’s unreasonable request like this. She bit her lips gratefully.

She heard his voice tinged with laughter, “If you say it in advance, you can approach me anywhere at any time.”

‘I just dug a grave…’

How did this happen? She was just trying to do it step by step. She probably looked like she had lost her soul. Clyde was amused and backed away, distancing himself from Ashley.

Then, 

“We brought the vegetables.” Jeanne and Hank returned with vegetables harvested from the fields. 

They were a godsend. Ashley ran up to them with the brightest smile on her face, and Jeanne felt that she might melt.

The pumpkin was massive, and the broccoli was dark. The artichokes were glossy and had multiple layers. There were also cabbages, round potatoes, onions, and celery. Ashley was delighted with the well-grown vegetables.

‘They look delicious. I hope Mister Black Wolf will respond to this.’

“Let’s ask the chef to cook them for us right away,” Clyde said.