CH 76

After bawling while being hugged by Suradel, I rested for a few days.

Originally, I was going to approach Anemone right away, but I thought it was important to calm down after a big incident.

Whether it was because of Suradel or because I had time to organize my thoughts, I was able to return to normal in no time.

It was also thanks to the concern of the people of the Weil family, Iprus, and Hanu.

I was going to go out today. But an uninvited guest came and the plan collapsed.

Theodore.

He came in broad daylight and asked for the killer whale who was new to the Weil family.

His black hair had been dyed with magic, but he seemed to have been noticed anyway.

Suradel escorted Theodore into the drawing room and sat down next to me.

Theodore’s eyebrows twitched in displeasure, as if he didn’t like the fact that I was sitting next to Suradel.

However, he soon took care of his expression, gazed at me, and asked in a sweet voice that was quite different from what I had known until now.

“May I ask what your name is?”

This wolf bastard, he didn’t seem to remember anything from when we first met.

The attitude of disinterest when Suradel introduced me as a precious person, and even the rude remark of whether all the killer whales were crazy.

It meant he didn’t remember everything.

Insulted, I looked at him with a frown.

“We’ve already had an introduction.”

“How upsetting, Theodore. I have definitely said that Weil was busy with a special guest.”

When Suradel joined in and bruised him, Theodore’s face darkened a bit, perhaps remembering the bad first meeting.

“…I mean, let’s have a formal introduction.”

He held out his right hand to me while making shallow excuses.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Theodore, the successor of the Wulf family. As the family name suggests, I am a wolf demibeast.”

“Yes. I am… well, Lia.”

I answered as roughly as I could, deliberately ignoring the hand he extended and pretending to pick my ears.

Theodore smirked as if he found it cute. He wasn’t embarrassed that his outstretched hand was left hanging.

His behavior gave me goosebumps.

‘What’s wrong with him. Isn’t that the second Suradel.’

He lowered his hand and smiled softly.

“It seems awkward to speak formally. You may speak at ease.”

“Yes. That’s what I’ve been waiting for.”

I accepted as soon as he said it was okay to speak casually.

Even so, I didn’t know why I was being polite to this guy.

‘As expected, I’m a gentle penguin…’

After a light introduction, Theodore finally came to the point.

“The reason why I came to you, as you might expect… I think I imprinted on you.”

He untied his shirt lightly and showed the crescent pattern carved under his collarbone.

It was a clear crescent moon pattern that was not there when I saw him on the day of the hunting competition.

It seemed the pattern appeared as the imprinting was completed yesterday.

“First of all, thank you for helping me on the day of the hunting competition. Thank you. Thanks for saving my life.”

It wasn’t something I did to get a thank you. It was an act to alleviate my guilt.

In the end, though, that action brought about this result.

I waved my hands.

“It’s all right. I said it back then, but I don’t need a reward, so I want you to go now… Since I have entrusted myself to Weil, there are people looking after me.”

“Did you read my mind, Lia?”

I jabbed Suradel in the ribs as he stepped in tactlessly.

I can’t see anything. I just want to kick Theodore out.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

Theodore, who saw my expression crumpled up, quickly went on, as if troubled.

“As long as I’ve imprinted on you, I belong to you. I can’t live without you.”

“Huh. That’s none of my business. You’re the one who imprinted at will.”

But Theodore did not back down.

“You don’t have to worry. Use me as a slave or take me as a pet, whatever you want.”

That’s even more burdensome.

“…I don’t have that kind of taste.”

Theodore pondered over something and then suggested.

“If you were simply entrusting yourself, would you come to the Wulf family?”

“…What?”

“If you come to the Wulf family, I promise to provide you with a much better living environment than what you have here.”

He continued with a sincere expression like he was not lying.

“You don’t have to be as conscious as you are here. You don’t have to bring anything. If you come, I’ll get you everything you want.”

A face and tone that suggested he would please me even if I squandered all of the Wulf family’s wealth.

“Mother and father will also welcome you, my benefactor.”

I snorted inwardly.

‘It’s not because I’m a benefactor, but because I’m your imprint.’

A companion who would be with him for the rest of his life.

“I don’t know what you’re misunderstanding, but I’m also being treated beyond what I deserve in Weil. That’s why your appearance is unwelcomed. The killer whale in this house likes me.”

It meant that there was no need to move into Wulf.

They still didn’t know that I was the penguin belonging to Lord Reynos, the master of the Magic Tower.

More than anything, it was very uncomfortable to be tangled up in imprinting.

‘I feel like if I go there, I will have to marry Theodore.’

I was the one who never allowed a hug even though Suradel brought me jewels every day.

“And you’ve never really flirted with a girl before? Who said that?”

“Pfft.”

The sudden sound of laughter drew mine and Theodore’s eyes to the owner of the laughter.

Suradel was biting his lower lip as if he was dying of fun.

The part where I resolutely cut Theodore must have been very enjoyable.

‘…Doesn’t he remember what happened to him?’

Theodore narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.

“Come to think of it, according to rumors, the two of you have already spent the night together. I don’t know if that’s true, but…”

Theodore’s eyes as he looked at Suradel were menacing.

However, he soon withdrew his gaze and spoke as if declaring war.

“It doesn’t matter. If I steal it, it’s over.”

Uh. Why was he saying such rubbish with confidence?

And… 

“I don’t know why such rumors circulated, but I have nothing to do with Suradel. So of course nothing happened between us.”

At the conclusion of my words, there was mixed joy and sorrow in the expressions of Suradel and Theodore.

Iprus would have found it a very interesting scene.

Then, as if he had just remembered it, Theodore asked with a look of slight irritation.

“Then yesterday’s phrase, ‘Darling, come here’…”

With chagrin, I lowered my gaze silently.

‘Isn’t it a foul to bring up the dark history here.’

However he interpreted my expression, Theodore casually asked.

“Do you have a particular favorite food? What is your ideal type?”

“Oh, Lia. I am also curious about it.”

Recovering quickly, Suradel’s eyes twinkled at the words ‘ideal type’. 

It appeared he was looking forward to it because of what I had previously picked as my preference.

Of course, it was true that Suradel was good, and that he matched my taste to some extent.

But when he looked at me with his eyes shining, as if to tell me to say it quickly, a mischievous heart came up for no reason.

Besides, if I had to put it that way, my ideal type would be more than a smirking Suradel…

“Carsion.”

Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, the two men’s expressions changed subtly.

“…Who is that?”

“Where did you meet that man, Lia?”

Regardless of what they said, I went on describing Carsion.

“Carsion is a well-mannered wizard with pink hair and that is only friendly to his woman.”

It was the name of the male protagonist of the romance novel that I enjoyed reading the most in my previous life.

(TL/N: shout-out to the author’s previous work “I’m not doing this with a friend”! I personally really enjoyed it, one of the reasons why I picked this novel up.)

“Handsome?”

“He’s awesome.”

“What about the night?”

I frowned, thinking deeply.

A male lead who couldn’t work the night wasn’t supposed to exist in a romance novel.

As if it was an implicit taboo.

I stood up and looked down at the two men.

Due to the height difference, I struggled to look up every time, but I quite liked this angle.

“Anyway, now that you know my ideal type, that’s it, right? Neither of you has pink hair or is well-mannered, so give it up.”

‘If you do, you can be the main character.’

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

After Theodore left Weil mansion with the words that he would take his leave as had only intended to come to say hello today…

Suradel stared at me with a somewhat sour expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Lia, did you really have to tell him that we weren’t lovers?”

“I was just telling the truth, so why?”

When I answered roughly, Suradel’s face turned sullen.

“…Okay. I have nothing to do with Lia.”

Normally, he wouldn’t pay much attention to it even if I pushed him away, so why was he like that today?

Was it because of the appearance of a rival named Theodore?

His sullen expression from a few days ago bothered me for no reason, perhaps because I owe him one.

I didn’t think it would be bad if I lost once.

‘I’ll let you win just this once.’

While I was thinking about how to relieve Suradel’s mood, I jokingly brought it up.

Something that should not be said, such as a taboo.

“…Do you want to touch my belly fat?”

Ame: I love it when authors make references to their past works, even better if it’s in the same universe (too bad this is not). And Lia, I think you’re making a mistake! Give an inch, and that sneaky Su will take a mile!