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“I’ll get going, then.”

“Ah, khm, yeah.”

Belinda nodded, not too reluctant to let him go. Would he end up coming back?

Well, as long as he came when Mazetto wasn’t around.

Belinda turned around to quieten the bird without Phillip noticing. All his chirping and spinning around in the pot drew too much attention. What a noisy creature! He was too noisy even for his role as an ordinary sparrow.

Amid all the chirping, Phillip greeted Belinda.

“May you have the infinite glory of the Empire.”

He bowed and walked out of the room. That voice from earlier really didn’t feel like something he imagined.

Phillip strode along. However you put it, it had been a strange day.

***

Their chess game eventually ended in a victory for Mazetto.

Of course, it wasn’t because Belinda’s skills were inferior, but rather because of Mazetto’s cute acts every time he got cornered.

“Can’t you let Mazetto off just one time? Hm?”

His cuteness finally made Belinda lose.

She stood up to close the window after him, laughing.

“I’m too weak towards cuteness.”

She treated Aymon’s injuries back then because he was cute. Now she lost to Mazetto because he was cute. Cuteness was the problem.

Of course, her little leopard, that incarnation of cuteness, had become a dangerous cat with pointed fangs.

Belinda stared out at the vast forest beyond the hunting grounds. Since it was already dark outside, its shape blurred into the shadows.

The scent of flowers drifted over to her from the vase right by the window, filled with the roses Phillip brought.

“Hmmm…”

She brushed her fingertips against the petals. She’d be a fool not to know what those flowers meant.

She was already at a marriageable age, plenty old enough to meet men. However, Phillip’s approaches couldn’t be taken seriously; another creature already had her heart.

“But there are so many difficulties for that love. Too many.”

She didn’t even know where to start. First of all, she’d have to win Aymon’s heart. Then she’d have to design a future where humans and Shinsu could be together.

How should she start? It would be better to seduce Aymon before all else. After all, the heart always came first.

Filled with determination, she fiddled with the petals until she was interrupted by the sound of scratching that came from the door.

“Aymon? Is that you?”

In the past, the baby leopard would have jumped in through the window, but now he was scratching the door as if asking for permission.

Soon, Aymon’s voice answered.

「Yeah, it’s me. Can I come in?」

“Of course!”

The door swung open before she could grab the doorknob.

The black animal walked in like a shadow, with subtle movements that did not match his massive size. Belinda stumbled back.

「Oh, you fixed the do- Breedee?」

Aymon stopped talking and moved forwards before he could think.

He stopped her fall with his head.

Belinda smiled, rubbing her cheek on his forehead as she hugged him.

“You came? Why haven’t you been here for so long?”

Unable to properly express how much she’d missed him in these last two weeks, she resorted to a hug.

The beast nervously blinked, not wanting to face her. He put his chin on her shoulder, finally able to breathe again. Whenever she tried to come closer, he wriggled away.

Aymon’s eyes narrowed.

「……..」

He raised his head and put Belinda down.

「What’s this?」

“Huh? What’s what?”

「This…」

Aymon slowly wandered inside, following the scent, and turned to the window.

The wind blowing in was carrying the flowers’ scent, along with a hint of Phillip’s.

A wave of slight anger filled Aymon’s eyes.

「That little rat again.」

It had been a long time since he faced Phillip, but the scent engraved in his senses wasn’t easily erased.

Hostility and wariness were shining in his eyes. Belinda approached the angry beast and rubbed his neck.

“What’s wrong?”

Aymon pushed her back and poked the vase. The crack of glass echoed through the empty room.

He trampled on the remnants, making sure to break it all. His heavy front paw shattered the vase into pieces.

Belinda ran over in a hurry.

“You’ll get hurt!”

She grabbed him by the tail and dragged him away, getting on her knees to take a look at his paws.

“It doesn’t look like you’re injured…”

There wasn’t even a scratch, let alone a drop of blood, on the huge paws. That just came with being a Shinsu, seemingly.

Aymon looked down at her, lowered his head, and slowly rubbed his nose around her ears. A soothing whisper flowed around her.

「I hate to have my territory invaded on.」

Belinda let down her shoulders and nodded as if she were possessed.

That was the reason the Shinsu lived so far apart from each other in the first place, to avoid invading each other’s personal sphere.

「If there’s someone I don’t like in my territory, Breedee, I’ll want to kill him.」

His low voice was scratchy.

Belinda took a deep breath after the calm, slow remark. Why was it so scary, even though he was whispering that softly?

Aymon rubbed his forehead against her collarbone.

「What should you do if you don’t want to see other people’s blood here? Hm?」

His voice was calm as if talking to a child. Belinda blinked, answering hesitantly.

“Um. Not let them in?”

Aymon laughed, satisfied with the answer, and replied with an unwavering smile.

「That’s right. This is my territory. And you are mine, from head to toe.」

“Mhmm.”

Belinda nodded obediently, thinking about how stubbornly possessive he was over a friend.

Aymon was a big cat with a temper to match, but he stayed calm if he got what he wanted. Belinda knew that very well, so she decided to go along with him once again.

It was probably like how people didn’t like it when someone else showed up at a place they’d been visiting since childhood.

She rubbed Aymon’s nose, mumbling inwardly.

“Aymon. I’m sleepy.”

She turned around and moved towards the bed, slowly followed by Aymon, settling down comfortably.

Instead of laying down next to the bed, as usual, Aymon rubbed his cheek against her knee. It was like he was asking her to pet him.

Belinda grinned and smacked his forehead.

There’s no other cat like you.

After a long time stroking his soft fur, Belinda spoke impulsively.

“Aymon, can’t you show me your human form? I’m curious.”

Aymon slowly opened his eyes. His purple pupils shrunk.

“You grew up as a beast, but what about your human form?”

Aymon stared at her and snapped back.

「Will you be able to handle it?」

“Handle…Handle what?”

Without answering, Aymon transformed himself, and soon a man appeared.

Although he was an adult, his face had a boyish look to it.

Aymon wrapped his arm around Belinda’s waist, finally answering her question.

“Handle this.”

His body was warm.

Belinda cut her breath short. All she could hear was the sound of the leaves swaying in the wind. Strangely, the silence felt precarious.

“Or…. This.”

He grabbed her waist and looked up at her.

This is me.

That’s what the purple eyes that resembled petals soaked in the rain seemed to say.

Thump. Thump. A wave of emotion swept over Belinda. It felt like a small fish was swimming around in her heart, creating ripples.

Even though it was Aymon, she felt nervous.

His bright eyes were visible through his hair. His skin was smooth, his eyelashes so long they reflected the moonlight, smooth lines drawn out over his face, just like his childhood self.

However…. There was no sign of a child anywhere in his beautiful appearance. However you looked at it, he was a man. Sitting against Belinda, his broad shoulders and delicate bones could be seen.

Pretty. So pretty.

Belinda reached for his hair before pulling back. She felt like she was facing a sacred being that she shouldn’t touch.

Aymon rubbed his cheek against her stomach like a child. He was so similar to that cute little cat, so why did it all feel strange?