Chapter 89
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Calix was troubled by the rumors circulating in society. From the Empress’s pregnancy to the whispers that Lea was a Guide.
“Ha, rumors spread fast.”
Even he, who was close, hadn’t known that Lea was a Guide.
“No, that’s not right. I can’t say we’re close.”
Though they were in physical proximity, they had never properly met. From Lea’s perspective, he was no different from the other nobles chattering away in ignorance.
“The more I think about it, the more outrageous it seems.”
He couldn’t stand the fact that, despite having taken his first night, she acted as if nothing had happened and kept her mouth shut.
What’s more, because the incident lingered on his mind, he’d sent an apology gift—only to have it rejected and returned.
Not only that, when he went to see her in person, she had him turned away at the door, saying she was too ill to come out.
“Huu…”
More than anything, what made him feel so stifled and irritated now was that his fox hadn’t come back again.
“If she doesn’t come back today either, I’ll have to go find her.”
“Indeed. Luna hasn’t shown up for several days now.”
As she cleared the dishes after the meal, Daisy chimed in. She glanced at Calix awkwardly.
“What?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just that your hair’s shorter now, and it felt unfamiliar so I looked without realizing…”
“Hmph.”
He ruffled his now-shortened hair. With his nape fully exposed, even he found it strange.
“Haa, Luna. When she comes back this time, I really should put a proper collar on her. She was doing fine for a while, but now she’s acting up again.”
Hearing Calix’s mutter, Daisy cautiously offered a reply.
“Could it be that she’s had babies?”
“…What?”
“Usually, animals hide themselves when they give birth, don’t they?”
At Daisy’s words, Calix was quite shocked. It had never once crossed his mind that his fox might have met a male and had offspring.
Just a single fox, after all.
Calix realized he was obsessing far too much over an animal. But his insides twisted. He had raised her so carefully in the palace, and now she’d gone and made another home outside.
“Ha… I’m going crazy, seriously.”
Chiding himself for such ridiculous thoughts, Calix no longer waited for Luna and went to bed early.
Because of his newly shortened hair, the bedding directly touched the nape of his neck, making him feel strange. He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep right away.
Staring at the moonlight flooding into the dark bedroom, he eventually sat up.
Following the moonlight, he stepped out onto the balcony and looked up at the sky, letting the cool night air brush against him. A full round moon was shining brightly in the sky.
For him, the full moon held many meanings. After his mother passed away, it became a symbol that reminded him of her. Later, it also came to symbolize Luna.
Whenever those golden eyes followed only him, he felt a profound sense of fulfillment.
Even if it was just a beast, having something that looked only at him felt like a great blessing in life.
But lately, every time he saw the full moon, someone else came to mind, leaving him unsettled.
Eyes opened wide in fear. Pupils that followed every word he spoke. Those same eyes wavering helplessly whenever he hurled cold words at her.
Like that full moon up in the sky, Lea’s golden eyes—filled with various emotions—floated into his mind.
“Somehow, I’ve ended up captivated by creatures with chestnut-colored hair and golden eyes.”
Luna and Lea. Strangely, they even seemed to have similar auras. Calix narrowed his eyes and stared up at the sky.
Just then, he heard the sound of grass being stepped on. He quickly used his ability to send a gust of wind toward the direction of the sound.
“Kyahk!”
The one caught in the wind was none other than Luna. Seeing her frightened face, he immediately lifted the ability and scooped the fox into his arms.
“You little troublemaker.”
He had resolved to scold her when she returned. But the moment he felt her small body trembling in his arms, the thought vanished. At that moment, Calix noticed something about himself that resembled his father.
It was the way he was extremely generous to anything he considered his own.
If Luna were human, he would’ve long schemed to keep her by his side, and no matter what she did, he would’ve willingly accepted it all.
“Still, you’ve been good about wearing your necklace, so I’ll overlook it this once. But if you don’t come back on time again, I’ll lock you in the pen, Luna.”
“Kyaang…”
“Tsk. Still, punishment is punishment. For the time being, don’t expect to go outside.”
With Luna in his arms, he returned to the bedroom, then stepped out into the drawing room. Entering the dressing room, he took out something he had prepared beforehand.
It was something he had made during the past month when Luna hadn’t come back again. Taking the box with the item inside, he returned to the bedroom, set Luna down on the bed, and unfastened her collar. More precisely, the necklace with the rune pendant attached.
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