Chapter 134
Carrying the empty bowl, he stepped into the private sitting room. Cedric and the physician were waiting for him. He sat down on the sofa.
He was just as exhausted, but he couldn’t take Sia’s condition lightly. Pressing his fingers against his brow, he asked the physician.
“How is Sia’s condition?”
“There were no particular symptoms. It seems her fatigue simply accumulated.”
“…I see.”
Nox stared intently at the physician. The physician must have already noticed that Sia was not of the cat tribe. However, Nox thought he probably did not realize she was human, and he fell into serious thought.
The Crown Prince already knew anyway, and hadn’t Sia said it herself?
That her being human should be made known.
After finishing his deliberation, he spoke to the physician in a cold voice.
“How long have you served the ducal household?”
“…This year makes it exactly ten years, Milord.”
The physician tensed at the sudden question from his liege who had never spoken to him personally before. Cedric, who was standing nearby, held out a glass of cold tea to the exhausted-looking Nox. After drinking it in one go, Nox spoke again.
“Then are you loyal to this house?”
“Of course.”
“Then are you loyal to me as well?”
“…Of course, Your Grace.”
He noticed the brief hesitation in the physician’s response, but Nox paid it no mind and continued.
“Then there is something I will tell you, because I trust you.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Nox briefly informed him that Sia was human. Truthfully, he did not want to tell anyone, but he had to honor what Sia had said. It was also necessary in order to understand her physical condition more accurately.
The moment his rut ended, he had felt an intense certainty.
That this time, he had truly planted his seed in Sia’s womb.
His heart pounded violently with an inexplicable sense of anticipation. He also decided to properly discipline the servants he had neglected, so that Sia could live more comfortably in his household.
His body was exhausted, but his mind was clearer than ever.
Once Nox drew his sword, he summoned not only the physician but all the servants. He informed them that Sia was human, explained the precautions required, and strictly ordered them to serve her with the utmost care.
And the very last place his blade was directed toward was the knight order.
* * *
“Is it truly so?!”
Emperor Declan asked several times, as if he could not believe his son’s words.
“Yes, it is true.”
Louis, who had arrived before the letter he sent, felt satisfied to deliver the good news in person. The humiliation he had experienced there seemed to fade away.
However, at the Emperor’s next question, Louis felt the same difficulty he had felt when standing before Sia.
“Then why did you not bring the human with you?”
“…Your Majesty?”
“If it was inconvenient for her to come alone, you could have told the Duke to accompany her.”
“……”
In truth, Louis thought that what came next was the most important part. He looked at the Emperor with an unusually serious and sharp gaze.
“There is something Sia firmly requested, Your Majesty.”
“Oh ho, the human’s name is Sia? I have not seen her face, but it sounds like a beautiful name.”
At Declan’s words, Louis’s back slowly grew damp with sweat. While delivering the good news, he had left out two important details.
“…Yes, she was a woman of very beautiful appearance and gentle character.”
“I see, I see!”
“Her skin, more apricot-toned than that of our cat tribe, looked healthy and fresh. Her small yet well-shaped nose was charming. When I first saw her round pupils, they were so mysterious that I could not take my eyes off them for quite some time.”
“Ohh…”
Declan’s expectations continued to grow. He felt relieved that a human had been found within their empire, but soon his desire grew stronger. He wanted to meet her in person as soon as possible.
Louis hesitated for a moment, gathering his breath. Then, recalling Sia’s words, he added firmly,
“Her pitch-black hair and eyes, like pieces of the night sky, were more beautiful than obsidian.”
“…Hm? What did you say?”
Seeing the Emperor ask in confusion, Louis squeezed his eyes shut and forced out the rest.
“Therefore, the human, Sia, conveyed that she wishes to meet only those whose hair color is the same as hers, Your Majesty.”
“……”
Declan could not respond even after his son finished speaking. He was not even sure he had understood correctly. He simply pointed stiffly at Louis with an extended finger.
After a moment passed, he suddenly rose from his seat and shouted,
“You fool! What kind of message is that!”
Louis, who had just earned his third “fool” of the day, thought to himself that even he could see how absurd this situation was. It felt as ridiculous as losing a territory.
But he agreed with what Sia had said.
The superstition about black fur must disappear from the minds of all the empire’s people.
And that included not only himself, but even the supreme ruler of the Pelles Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.
After all, even the Emperor would not be able to oppose a human sent by God.
And with Sia’s way of speaking, even the Emperor would eventually have no choice but to yield.
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