CH 19

Ashley followed Clyde into a stall at the back of the stables. Jeanne and Hank were cleaning inside. They poured water on the floor as it flowed with the dirt down the gutter at the edge.

“Good work.” They nodded at Clyde’s words. It was no big deal as it was a normal occurrence. However, Ashley was terribly surprised.

‘What? Where’s Mister black wolf? He’s not here!’

There was no sign of the black wolf lying at the center of the stall. She looked around expecting that he had woken up, but no. 

‘He’s there…’

The black wolf was at the end of the stable. It obviously didn’t get up and move by itself since it was placed on top of an overturned tub. Come to think of it, since it’s sleeping directly on the ground, it’d be in the way of cleaning. Sometimes, they’d sprinkle some water on the wolf to clean him. However, it seemed as if they were handling luggage.

‘I am very sorry, Mister black wolf…!’

The black wolf was a close aide of the demon king, bravely killing his enemies at the speed of light.

“Yes, yes. I’ll moveー”

Hank, with a broom in his hand, pushes the tub with the black wolf on it from one end to another. Ashley wept inside as the black wolf lying on the tub was moved away. Hank was about to sweep the area where the tub was, then she regained her composure and said, “I’ll do it.”

She used to wear a dress that she usually wears daily, but today she wore a simple satin dress and a linen apron so that she can move easily. She would gladly clean for the black wolf that she admired.  

“Really?”

As she was about to receive the broom from the happy Hank, a hand reached out from the side, “Your dress will get dirty. I’ll do it.” It was Clyde.

Ashley hurriedly said, “But, that’s why today―”

“You changed your clothes. But, I’ll take care of it. Ashley, think about what we have to do next to help the black wolf wake up.” he smiled, then continued, “You look lovely in your usual dresses, but you also look lovely in your simple outfit today.”

Ashley was flabbergasted when her fiancé said something like this to her. Still, she was pale like before.

“I’m honored.” 

She thought she was smiling since she was happy that she improved, but it didn’t seem to be since Clyde happily laughed.

Ashley hurried away while Hank followed her with a bemused expression.

“Miss Ashley, are you not pleased to hear such a thing from Master Clyde?”

“…I am happy.”

“Your words do not match the expression on your face.” he chuckled, amused. Then, in an admiring tone he said, “Miss Ashley has changed.”

“…Is that so?”

“Of course. Because the other party is Master Clyde, right? It was fun to watch. Before Miss Ashley came, the atmosphere was tense. Master Clyde has always been kind, but he was getting impatient because the black wolf was showing no signs of waking up at all. He tried not to show it, but you’d be able to see it if you’ve been with him for a long time. Jeanne has always been snarky whether in front or behind the scenes, and I was getting frustrated and we’d fight all the time.”

‘Come to think of it, when I first came here, Hank and Jeanne were quarreling.’

She remembered that there was a heavy atmosphere. As for Clyde― she doesn’t remember exactly what he looked like back then since she was just scared of him.

“It’s fun now.” Hank smiled as he said it in a cheerful tone as he faced the wolf on the overturned tub.

After cleaning, the wolf was moved back to the ground. Even if it was moved this whole time, it didn’t even wake up once.

Ashley felt anxious as she asked Clyde, “You said that you were able to talk to the black wolf when you were a child. How was the situation at that time?”

What happened back then for the wolf to wake up? Since it certainly woke up at that time.

Clyde looked up at the ceiling. He was thinking that it was perhaps time for him to say it. In a quiet voice, he began to speak, “I told Hank and Jeanne this. When I was seven, I used to visit the Sargent’s since they’re relatives of the royal family. The royal family did not favor me very much. The former head of Sargent had no children, but they still welcomed me with open arms.”

At that time, the black wolf was already being kept in the stables. The direct line of royals are taught at a certain age, but Clyde was still a child, so he hasn’t been told about it yet. He was very much intrigued with the stable that is heavily guarded, but the former Sargent head never allowed him to enter. He can’t obviously put a young prince in danger.

“However, I was a curious child and since I’m a direct descendant of the royal family, I had significantly higher magic powers than others. Several times, I’d follow the former head to the entrance of the stables and innocently observe the state of the barrier. I also observed how he’d reconstruct the barrier. Then one day, I secretly created a gap in the barrier as I hid away from the head and those who accompanied me from the palace. I succeeded and managed to enter the stables.”

‘What a terrifying child.’ Ashley shuddered.

When she was seven years old, all she could remember was curling up in her blankets. Well, that trait of hers hasn’t changed much even now.

Clyde, who was watching Ashley’s expression, relaxed. Then, he continued, “I sneaked in with excitement and saw the sleeping black wolf. Since I was just a kid, I had no idea that it was a demon beast that the royal family kept as a secret. It was a strange wolf, so I let my curiosity get the better of me and pulled the hair on its body, grabbed its tail and swung it. Still, it didn’t wake up.”

Clyde got tired of the black wolf that didn’t wake up and started to play with magic he had just learned in the corner of the stable. The former head sensed the abnormality of the barrier and went in. Seeing Clyde inside, his face turned red, “Lord Clyde!”

Clyde was startled by his voice. He was upset, so he panicked, which led to his magic going awry. The former head desperately ran to him, but there was no way for him to make it in time. Even if he did, the uncontrollable magic of a royal would be beyond his control.

“I thought that it was no use. I was going to die.”

It was when it happened. While the young Clyde had nothing but despair, he was suddenly enveloped with light. It was a black light that he had never seen before. When he noticed that the uncontrollable magic completely subsided, he was safe. The former head was stunned and when he came to his senses, ran up to Clyde and hugged him. Before him was the black wolf, who was asleep earlier, stood up with dignity.

He knew that it was the black wolf that saved him from his frenzied magic.

“Thank you…!”

The black wolf stared at the little prince who thanked him with tears in his eyes.

Clyde still spoke regardless, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

After a while, the black wolf looked into the distance and muttered, “I want to go to the soul of the demon king.  But, I’ll die at this rate and will never get there.”

Ashley was stunned by what Clyde said.

“I asked him what he meant, but he didn’t say and fell asleep right away. Up to this day, he’s still asleep.” Clyde said in a quiet voice.

The former Sargent head did not report the incident to the Imperial palace. The royal court has always been divided into two factions regarding this. One says that it’s dangerous therefore to immediately kill the black wolf, and the other says to wait since it’ll die soon. They don’t want to protect its life either, they just find it troublesome for the black wolf to wake if they try to kill it. It’s a magical beast whose ecology is unknown, at the same time, the damage that it can cause is also unknown. Since that’s the case, it’s better to quietly wait until it reaches the end of its lifespan. 

The fact that four hundred years has passed was beyond the calculation of both sides. Therefore, if the incident was reported, the black wolf would have been immediately killed. The former head was conflicted whether to report it or not. Partly may be due to Clyde asking him not to tell, but it was also most likely due to the black wolf saving him.

The former head died when Clyde was seventeen. He had decided to take over and succeed the Sargent title from the time he was saved by the black wolf. He wanted to fulfill the black wolf’s wish. However, neither the king nor the royal family would be silent if they knew his purpose. That’s why he must never let them find out. 

Clyde wanted to return the favor to the black wolf and to do so, he must wake it up again to hear the rest of the details, which he decided to do.

‘So that’s what this was all about.’

Ashley was stunned after listening to his long old story, but she understood. Then, after all―

As if he understood what Ashley was trying to say, Clyde nodded, “Yes. The fact that the black wolf sensed something wrong and woke up at that time means that it is sleeping on its own volition. So I believe it’ll wake up when it wants to.”

Ashley looked at the black wolf, while Clyde, Hank, and Jeanne looked at her. At that moment, the black wolf’s nose twitched.

Clyde smiled in response, “Thanks to Ashley, the black wolf started to respond. This has never happened before, which is a really good sign.”