“There’s nothing we can do until we find another way.”
“I’ll try my best to find out. So please take care of me until then.”
After dozens of rejections, Jasper stopped saying that he would repay the favor.
Instead, Sepia patted the captain on the back, asking him not to forget her kindness.
“I’ll try my best to find out. So please take care of me until then.”
After dozens of rejections, Jasper stopped saying that he would repay the favor.
Instead, Sepia patted the captain on the back, asking him not to forget her kindness.
“Yes. Betty will wait, so you can go now.”
“...Yes. Please call me back when you’re done.”
Jasper’s face turned into a ball of fire again as he left.
Long, braided brown hair could be seen beyond the closing door.
The maid, who he thought had run away, had already crept closer and was waiting for her partner in front of the door.
Sepia was left alone with the fox.
Knowing that this fox was Etensel, she couldn’t let go easily.
Perhaps knowing that she was hesitating, the fox went into the robe that Jasper had entered and stuck its head out of the hole.
Then as if he could wait any longer, he quietly laid down on the floor.
Sepia, who gained courage from the gentle eyes, reached out to the fox. She could feel the soft fur between her fingers.
When she finally withdrew her hand, a male was lying on the floor instead of a fox.
She spoke in front of Etensel, who was checking his transformed appearance here and there while covering his robe.
“Young Master Etensel.”
“Yes.”
“The ears are out. And the tail.”
The fox ears of the same color were perked up above the boyish face and crimson hair.
Judging from the inside of the robe twitching behind his back, it seemed like his tail was wagging.
“Oh, excuse me. I guess he’s not used to the change yet.”
Etensel smiled and played with the fox’s ears.
Then as if nothing had happened, the movement of the ears and tail disappeared.
“Did you get in?”
“...Yes.”
The smiling face as if asking for praise, looked extremely innocent.
Seeing that naive appearance, the tension eased a little.
Sepia, who had invited him to sit down, looked at Etensel and asked,
“How long did the last transformation last?”
“About three days.”
After hearing the answer, Sepia pondered.
Even then, she had only stroked the fox’s head for a very short time.
‘Does the longer I touch it, the longer it takes for it to change, or if not...?’
Sepia observed Etensel’s condition closely, giving him orders to return to being a fox or to change back to being a beast.
Deciding that this was enough, Sepia asked Madame Remody to call the captain of the guard.
Finally, there was a knock.
Just before the door opened, Sepia made a promise.
“See you next time in two weeks.”
“I’ll be looking forward to that time.”
After a short greeting, the captain of the guard came to pick Etensel up.
Betty, who had been with Jasper, saw Etensel and opened her eyes wide in surprise.
“Oh, Young Master Etensel?”
It was clearly only Jasper who entered earlier...?
The captain of the guards answered Betty with an awkward smile as she asked with her eyes in confusion.
“Then I’ll see you next time.”
After greeting her, Jasper turned around.
Betty looked back at him regretfully for a long time.
The brothers walked together through the empty hallway.
Jasper stopped walking, perhaps thinking that they had gotten far enough away from where the Empress was.
Etensel, who had been humming along behind him, had to bury his forehead in his hardback.
“Oh, what’s wrong? Brother!”
Etensel suddenly got annoyed at the sudden bump in his head.
However, Jasper, who was standing facing him, did not accept his brother’s complaint.
“What are you thinking?”
“Oh, what’s wrong all of a sudden.”
Etensel was still grumbling, but Jasper knew.
His brother had a habit of avoiding his eyes at unfavorable moments.
‘Anyway, you’re smart but stupid, I tell you.’
What should I do with this young fox?
Jasper pressed his temples against the headache that was coming.
“Why are you only irritating me...”
“You, you’re all lying.”
At his words, Etensel’s grumbling stopped abruptly.
Ah, I’ve been caught.
The dark green eyes were saying so.
“But it’s not a complete lie.”
At Etensel’s excuse, Jasper washed his face dry.
“What are you talking about? How dare you deceive the Empress. How are you going to deal with the consequences?”
“Didn’t you know and help me?”
Jasper opened his mouth at that shameless answer, but it was true.
He had arranged the meeting with the Empress even though he knew about Etensel’s acting.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Kruds were truly delighted by Etensel’s transformation, but they were also in despair.
Because their beloved youngest son had turned back into a fox.
Etensel said that the Empress was responsible for the success of the transformation.
And the son who went to the Empress turned into a beast and returned.
After that, the Marquis and Marchioness of Kruds truly believed Etensel’s words and began to worship the Empress. After barely calming down the Marquis and Marchioness's anger, who wanted to visit them in person to repay the favor, Jasper personally requested an audience.
The Empress did not ask for anything in response to such a ridiculous story.
‘Her Majesty must want to embrace Etensel as a citizen.’
Contrary to the rumors that spread throughout the world that she was a cold-blooded Empress, she was more fair and compassionate than anyone else.
Rumors surrounding the Empress were popular among the nobles. Above all.
'...It was His Majesty who spread the rumor.'
The first time the term cold-blooded Empress appeared was in the Emperor's remarks.
On the day when the Empress collapsed from overwork and was absent from the grand meeting, the Emperor said this about the reason for her collapse.
'Collapsed from overwork. She must not be able to focus on anything other than work. As expected of a cold-blooded Empress.'
He clearly remembers the Emperor resting his chin on his hand and grumbling.
After that, rumors that the Empress was cold-blooded always followed her.
Although the Empress did not seem to know who the source of the rumors was.
Perhaps that was fortunate.
Unlike Jasper, who had complicated eyes, Etensel answered with his hands clasped behind his neck.
"Don't worry too much, brother. Just make the Empress care enough to forgive me."
"Hey, you...!"
Jasper wanted to ask him what he was thinking right away.
However, seeing his younger brother who was relaxed for a while made his anger cool down, and the absurd situation continued.
“The Empress is weak to pitiful things. If I can provoke her sympathy, I have a chance.”
Etensel’s eyes became fierce as if he were thinking of someone.
Jasper pressed his forehead as if he knew who he was talking about.
“Haa... Do whatever you want. But I’ll get out of there.”
“Yeah. I’m grateful to you, brother. So keep it a secret.”
Etensel answered very generously to Jasper, who said he didn’t know anything.
Etensel moved his feet as if telling him to hurry up and go.
The robe that looked big was actually Jasper’s.
“You said it had to be my robe.”
At the time, he had lent it to him without thinking much, but it was incredible that it was all intentional.
However, Etensel’s plan was quite successful.
The Empress, who was strangely reluctant to leave others, accepted Etensel.
In fact, he had expected that he would be rejected.
'If that happens, my parents will be very heartbroken,'
Especially the Marchioness.
However, that was a problem that could be resolved as long as Etensel did not lie.
It seemed that the Empress was much more lenient than he had expected.
Jasper, who had gathered his thoughts, gave his last piece of advice.
"Don't do anything that will hurt your mother unnecessarily."
"...I understand. My brother loves my mother too much, so it's a problem."
Etensel's voice became a little quieter as he finally felt sorry for mentioning the Marchioness.
"Yes, you unfilial son."
"It's okay, my brother is a filial son."
"You should stop talking."
The brothers, who had a brief truce with grumbling, moved to the place where the carriage was waiting.
Etensel, who had been walking leisurely, quietly watched the back of his brother who had taken a step ahead.
Sorry, brother.
And while delivering an apology that couldn't be heard with the mouth shape.
'Who is that kind?'
If asked to name the most honest and kind person in the world, Etensel would point to his older brother without hesitation.
Oh, except for the human Empress.
Jasper always approached life with an honest attitude and was a good older brother who always thought of his younger brother and family first.
When he was young, he would often get angry at himself for not being able to change and take out his tantrums on his older brother.
No matter how many pranks and anger he let out, Jasper never got annoyed with Etensel.
That much, the fact that Etensel grew up without becoming twisted was largely due to Jasper's contribution.
Since then, Etensel, who had a big head, always thought this while looking at his brother.
Is his brother really okay?
He didn't know when he was young that accepting everything was no different from giving up what he had.
Each family passes the title to a child of the same race.
However, the elders, who knew that Etensel had a problem with his body, thought hard about the Marquis and his wife. However, even when the idea of adopting a fox was discussed, no one came up with the idea of passing the title to Jasper, a jaguar.
It was the harm of a couple mating with a different race.
When Etensel did not change even after becoming an adult, the Marquis planned to pass the title to Jasper.
After that, rumors that the Empress was cold-blooded always followed her.
Although the Empress did not seem to know who the source of the rumors was.
Perhaps that was fortunate.
Unlike Jasper, who had complicated eyes, Etensel answered with his hands clasped behind his neck.
"Don't worry too much, brother. Just make the Empress care enough to forgive me."
"Hey, you...!"
Jasper wanted to ask him what he was thinking right away.
However, seeing his younger brother who was relaxed for a while made his anger cool down, and the absurd situation continued.
“The Empress is weak to pitiful things. If I can provoke her sympathy, I have a chance.”
Etensel’s eyes became fierce as if he were thinking of someone.
Jasper pressed his forehead as if he knew who he was talking about.
“Haa... Do whatever you want. But I’ll get out of there.”
“Yeah. I’m grateful to you, brother. So keep it a secret.”
Etensel answered very generously to Jasper, who said he didn’t know anything.
Etensel moved his feet as if telling him to hurry up and go.
The robe that looked big was actually Jasper’s.
“You said it had to be my robe.”
At the time, he had lent it to him without thinking much, but it was incredible that it was all intentional.
However, Etensel’s plan was quite successful.
The Empress, who was strangely reluctant to leave others, accepted Etensel.
In fact, he had expected that he would be rejected.
'If that happens, my parents will be very heartbroken,'
Especially the Marchioness.
However, that was a problem that could be resolved as long as Etensel did not lie.
It seemed that the Empress was much more lenient than he had expected.
Jasper, who had gathered his thoughts, gave his last piece of advice.
"Don't do anything that will hurt your mother unnecessarily."
"...I understand. My brother loves my mother too much, so it's a problem."
Etensel's voice became a little quieter as he finally felt sorry for mentioning the Marchioness.
"Yes, you unfilial son."
"It's okay, my brother is a filial son."
"You should stop talking."
The brothers, who had a brief truce with grumbling, moved to the place where the carriage was waiting.
Etensel, who had been walking leisurely, quietly watched the back of his brother who had taken a step ahead.
Sorry, brother.
And while delivering an apology that couldn't be heard with the mouth shape.
'Who is that kind?'
If asked to name the most honest and kind person in the world, Etensel would point to his older brother without hesitation.
Oh, except for the human Empress.
Jasper always approached life with an honest attitude and was a good older brother who always thought of his younger brother and family first.
When he was young, he would often get angry at himself for not being able to change and take out his tantrums on his older brother.
No matter how many pranks and anger he let out, Jasper never got annoyed with Etensel.
That much, the fact that Etensel grew up without becoming twisted was largely due to Jasper's contribution.
Since then, Etensel, who had a big head, always thought this while looking at his brother.
Is his brother really okay?
He didn't know when he was young that accepting everything was no different from giving up what he had.
Each family passes the title to a child of the same race.
However, the elders, who knew that Etensel had a problem with his body, thought hard about the Marquis and his wife. However, even when the idea of adopting a fox was discussed, no one came up with the idea of passing the title to Jasper, a jaguar.
It was the harm of a couple mating with a different race.
When Etensel did not change even after becoming an adult, the Marquis planned to pass the title to Jasper.
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