Chapter 36
“……?”
Help him with what? And how?
The fox clearly shouldn’t have been able to read his mind, yet it responded with startling precision, as if it had heard his question.
{ I’ll get rid of that splitting headache for you! }
At those words, Derek’s narrow, slanted eyes widened in shock. No one knew he suffered from chronic headaches every day.
Born as an illegitimate child and long neglected by his family, his standing within the Felitier house—already cemented with a legitimate heir—was so miserable it needed no explanation.
And since he hadn’t even been born an Esper like his older brother, the contempt was worse. Yet, he had no one he could tell. He was afraid that if he confessed the truth, they’d think he was insane and cast him out.
If he could get rid of these wretched, unbearable headaches, he felt he could do anything.
It was hard to believe that such a suspicious fox could offer the solution.
“Why are you making that face?”
Calix, wary, asked the question while holding the fox in his arms, but Derek didn’t hear him.
The offer was far too tempting.
Unable to take his eyes off the fox nestled in Calix’s embrace, Derek thought to himself,
‘Can you really take away this pain?’
If so, then he’d gladly bow to even a suspicious beast like this.
His sky-colored blue eyes fixated shamelessly on the fox. After staring for a long moment, he finally lifted his gaze to Calix and offered a delayed response.
“…I just thought it was a very pretty catch.”
If the fox had lied, he could take action afterward.
After all, it was just a suspicious little animal.
{ Before the hunting tournament ends, go to the cave at the far west end of the hunting grounds. I’ve tied a horse nearby, so it should be easy to find. Wait there—I’ll follow you later. }
As if answering the voice that only echoed in his mind, Derek stared intently at the fox once more. It felt like a silent command.
Lea gave a tiny nod, unnoticed by Calix, and let out a long cry.
Derek understood it as confirmation and began walking away. Slowly. His body, long plagued by chronic headaches, wasn’t responding well. Even the act of walking made him want to groan in pain.
But if you fell behind, you were discarded.
Survival was his only goal in life.
As the tall, gaunt Derek staggered off, Ilion grumbled.
“That’s why he doesn’t even make it into high society.”
“Hmm…”
“Never mind the bastard status—he really ought to fix that lunatic attitude.”
Calix silently agreed. The way Derek had stared at Luna had been unsettlingly intense.
No wonder people treated him like a weirdo with eyes like that.
Letting out a faint sigh, Calix unconsciously stroked the fox’s back, now held tightly in his arms.
“Kyang…”
The weak sound tugged at his heart.
“Do you want some water?”
Calix took out a water flask he had prepared and cupped one hand to pour water into it.
The fox looked up at him, then cautiously began to lap it up. Her small pink tongue flicked at the water, occasionally brushing against his skin—and oddly, each time it did, it felt like some kind of subtle energy passed between them.
Almost like a refreshing, cleansing breeze lightly touched him before vanishing.
But before he could fully take it in, the fox had finished all the water.
“Your Highness, there’s no doubt you’ll win this year’s hunting tournament.”
Ilion gave the nearly full subspace pouch a shake as he spoke. And with the rare silver-furred fox Lea had helped them catch, they would certainly attract attention.
He needed to repair his image after the last banquet. Though Calix didn’t care about such things himself.
What did it matter what the nobles thought? They were just sycophants who bowed to power.
Still, what mattered now was solidifying his place within the palace.
Ironically, doing that meant gaining the nobles’ support.
Calix let out a deep sigh.
“I want to believe this nonsense won’t go on much longer.”
Understanding him better than anyone, Ilion nodded in agreement.
“No matter how greedy they get, they can’t touch your position, Your Highness. Eventually, their thick skulls will figure out it’s impossible.”
Ilion’s cutting remark made Calix laugh freely for the first time in a while.
Truthfully, this year’s tournament had felt like a burden—but now it was all going surprisingly smoothly, and they laughed together.
Even though victory wasn’t guaranteed yet, there was a reassuring feeling in the air. And Calix couldn’t help but think that comfort came from the little fox in his arms.
His finely-shaped lips curled into a satisfied smile.
The heart that had always resisted trusting others now leaned entirely toward this small creature.
His crimson eyes arched into crescents as he gazed down at the fox nestled against him.
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