Chapter 85
Three days at the capital villa passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Karden was busy going back and forth between the royal palace and the House of Lords.
Since it had been years since he entered the capital, many high-ranking nobles wanted to meet with him at least once.
Owen accompanied Karden to assist him, and Ron was participating in the Mages’ Association, so I barely saw his face.
Even after returning to the villa, Karden kept the lights on in his office until late at night, handling documents that had come up from the northern castle.
According to the plan, we should have visited Countess Grace, but the situation was too busy to make time.
Meanwhile, I relaxed comfortably at the villa.
By now, I was accustomed to human transformation, so I stayed in human form during the day and transformed into a fox when sleeping.
For breakfast, I nibbled on bread and drank tea.
Karden didn’t attend breakfast today either. According to the butler, he had left early in the morning.
When we were at the northern castle, my room was connected to his, so I could at least hear him coming and going, but now our rooms were separate, so I couldn’t tell when he arrived.
“Shushu, I’d like to say good morning, but you look down. Is something wrong?”
Yudis sat across from me and examined my expression.
“Oh, good morning, Lady Yudis. It’s nothing.”
I forced a smile. I didn’t want to worry Yudis.
Yudis nodded as if understanding while sipping her freshly brewed coffee.
“It’s hard to see my brother’s face these days, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. The Grand Duke seems very busy.”
Yudis stared at me with sharp eyes.
Her gaze when looking at me was often startlingly similar to Karden’s, which frequently made me jump.
“Is that really all?”
“What do you mean…?”
“Ah, lately the atmosphere between you two seems a bit delicate. More precisely, my brother seems to be keeping his distance from you.”
“No, no. It’s just because the Grand Duke is busy.”
I felt guilty but quickly denied it.
Since that passionate kiss in the carriage that day, I’d hardly seen Karden’s face properly.
It was embarrassing, shameful, and occasionally, the memory of that day would come back, making my ears turn red.
It was my first time receiving such a passionate kiss in my life.
In a way, I felt relieved that Karden was busy.
“Hmm, strange. My intuition tells me something’s up.”
Yudis observed me intently with her chin propped up, her red lips full of mischief.
“Anyway, if my brother has done something wrong, tell me anytime. This big sister will solve it for you.”
“I feel so reassured having you, Lady Yudis.”
I smiled gently and continued with breakfast.
I was grateful to Yudis for caring about me, but I was confused about what to do with Karden going forward.
I had planned for Olivia to become his healer while I stayed quietly in the capital searching for the Ulpes tribe.
Although Karden wanted to be with me, I couldn’t give him a definite answer. My power was still unstable.
After quickly finishing her soup and bread, Yudis wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked me.
“By the way, Shushu. Are you free today? Would you like to go to the port with me? Trading ships are arriving today, and I need to check if the merchant guild’s imported goods arrived properly.”
“May I come along?”
“Of course. Let’s stop by the port briefly and then go to the restaurant I’ve reserved.”
Following Yudis’s decision, I hurried to prepare for the outing. I wore a green dress under a neat jacket.
Actually, the fox form is more comfortable since I don’t need to dress up.
“Shushu, you look so beautiful today. The green dress suits you well.”
Yudis smiled contentedly as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders. This dress was also custom-ordered by Yudis. Lately, Yudis’s hobby has been buying dresses and accessories for me.
My dressing room was about to burst with clothes and accessories Yudis had purchased. Yet ironically, she herself preferred to wear leather pants and jackets.
“Why don’t you wear dresses, Lady Yudis? I think they would suit you.”
“When doing merchant guild work, I see all sorts of rough situations, so men’s clothing is more comfortable. It’s also better for fighting.”
“Still, it’s a shame. I’d like to see Lady Yudis in a dress.”
“Hmm. That’s fine. Instead, Shushu wears pretty dresses every day. Just seeing that makes me happy and satisfied.”
Yudis kissed the top of my head lightly and smiled with her eyes, radiating pure adoration that warmed me to my core.
Being loved so generously by Yudis makes my heart tingle.
The port we arrived at in the four-wheeled carriage was located on the outskirts of the capital.
The harbor dock, where numerous ships were moored, had a bustling and lively atmosphere.
Seagulls squawked in the sky, and the ships’ sails towered high. The place was crowded with people carrying loads unloaded from the ships.
“Shushu, stay close to me so you don’t get lost.”
Yudis held my hand and led me as if taking care of a child.
The workers of the Helleon Merchant Guild she led were busily carrying loads from the ships.
Yudis was busy giving instructions to people and checking the items.
I sat on a wooden crate to the side, watching the scene. Among the people carrying loads, one worker caught my eye.
He was a wolf shapeshifter wearing rough, worn clothes, with gray ears protruding from his head and a gray tail.
His face was sunburned, and his body was skinny as if he hadn’t eaten properly. He looked about fifteen years old.
Being not yet an adult shapeshifter, he seemed unable to fully transform into human form.
The wolf shapeshifter boy was carrying a load three or four times heavier than his body on his thin shoulders, struggling to move.
Next to him, a large one-eyed man was cracking a horsewhip on the ground, urging the shapeshifter boy to hurry.
“You lazy beast, move faster! If you don’t move quickly, I’ll throw you into the sea!”
The shapeshifter boy trembled in fear and tried to move. But the load was too heavy, and after just a few steps, his knees gave out and he collapsed.
“Do you need a beating to come to your senses, you beast!”
The one-eyed man raised his horsewhip toward the shapeshifter boy.
I couldn’t watch anymore. My body was already rushing forward.
“Stop it!”
I blocked the shapeshifter boy and glared at the one-eyed man.
“How can you try to whip such a young boy? That’s too cruel!”
The one-eyed man looked me up and down and snorted.
“You look like a noble lady who doesn’t know the ways of the world. Move along before you see something unpleasant. This shapeshifter is my slave, so I’ll do as I please with him.”
“What did you say?”
My anger rose at this person who treated shapeshifters as tools.
I was about to transform into a fox and turn this man into an ice statue when Yudis stepped in front of me.
She crossed her arms and glared at the one-eyed man.
“You, which group do you belong to? How dare you use shapeshifters as slaves in my territory?”
“And who are you? Why don’t you get lost?”
The one-eyed man spat on the ground and tried to threaten Yudis with his horsewhip.
Without blinking an eye, Yudis struck the man’s solar plexus with her military boot.
“Urgh!”
The huge one-eyed man fell over onto a pile of wine barrels. Large wine barrels rolled across the floor.
“You X! You’ll die by my hand today!”
The one-eyed man ground his teeth and pulled out a dagger from his bosom, trying to rush at Yudis.
But Yudis’s subordinates came running and trampled the man, binding him.
“How dare you try to harm our guild master!”
“We should feed you to the fish!”
The one-eyed man was tied up with ropes while lying face down on the dirty ground.
Yudis grabbed the man’s hair with a sneer, forcing him to look up.
The man’s face was swollen from the beating. He who had been so arrogant just moments ago was now trembling with fear.
“Listen, country bumpkin, you must be new to this port, so remember this. I, the Helleon Guild Master, am the one who effectively manages this port. And in this place, those who use slaves are immediately expelled. Use workers properly by paying fair wages.”
“Urgh… I understand.”
Yudis ordered her subordinates to drive the one-eyed man out of the port, then approached the shapeshifter boy.
The shapeshifter boy’s face and body were covered with small wounds. His body was in terrible condition, as if he had been whipped before the wounds could even heal.
I should transform into a fox and treat his wounds.
As I stepped forward, Yudis blocked my way.
“Shushu, don’t get involved.”
“What? Why not? This child’s wounds are too severe. I’ll treat them.”
Yudis shook her head firmly.
“It’s not good to reveal that you’re a fox shapeshifter. You saw it yourself, right? In the capital, shapeshifters are treated as slaves or lower class. My brother gave strict orders that you should hide your shapeshifter identity in this unstable situation.”
“But…”
This was also what Karden repeatedly emphasized before we came to the capital. Not to carelessly reveal that I’m a shapeshifter.
I had no choice but to reveal to Olivia that I was a shapeshifter at the boutique, but I was cautioned to be careful afterward.
Yudis gently patted my shoulder to comfort me.
“Our guild will take responsibility for treating and caring for this boy. After that, we’ll accept him as part of our guild. So don’t worry.”
“Thank you so much, Lady Yudis.”
“It’s what I should do. I can’t stand seeing cute children suffering.”
Yudis grinned and ordered her subordinates to take care of the shapeshifter boy.
Only then did I feel relieved, thinking that the shapeshifter boy would be okay now.
But an unexpected problem arose.
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