Episode 27. I'm a Beast Than I Look
"Bam! Sob!"
The Emperor's office was filled with April's cries. The two men were silent for a while, with her between them.
April, exhausted from crying, began to wonder when she would stop crying.
She had an ominous feeling that things wouldn't go as easily as she had thought.
"I'd like to talk to the Princess alone, Your Majesty."
Christine's words that he heard at that time were even welcome.
"Yes. I'll come back after cooling my head for a bit."
When the Emperor left the office, April and Christine were now alone.
When they were alone, April became nervous. She was worried that Christine might catch her because she was so bad at lying. Could she really fool someone with such sharp eyes and no emotions?
'Wouldn't I be hated even more for doing something useless?'
She felt a little regretful.
'Should I not have listened to Miss Seira?'
But if she could get rid of Adele, it might not be such a loss.
Adele clearly saw herself retching in the reception room. And there were already rumors going around the palace that she was pregnant with Christine’s child.
Even the most shameless woman would step down on her own at this point, wouldn’t she?
Then it would be half a success.
“Wipe it.”
April, who had been lost in thought, raised her head. Unexpectedly, Christine held out a handkerchief.
“Oh, thank you, Count.”
She quickly took the handkerchief and wiped her tears. The blue-tinged handkerchief gave off a mysterious and cool scent that reminded her of a deep forest. It was a scent that was just like him.
“Should we sit down before we talk?”
His face, as he held out his hand, was gentle, as if the coolness from a moment ago were a lie.
April, who had been crying on the floor, hesitantly took his hand and got up. Then she carefully sat down on the chair that Christine had pulled out.
This time, he poured tea into a teacup on the table and handed it to her.
“Drink some, April.”
April.
When he called her name, April’s heart raced and her face flushed.
Being alone with such a kind man made her feel like she was on a date.
Was Seira’s plan working?
“Have you calmed down yet?”
Christine smiled faintly as she nodded while sipping her tea. April was stunned and stared at him. She had always thought of him as a cold and beautiful person, but just seeing him smile like that completely changed the atmosphere.
He knew how to make such expressions.
“Now tell me about that night. What happened between us that day?”
Christine’s voice was so affectionate that it seemed like he would understand if she told him the truth. No, it seemed like he had feelings for her.
‘Should I just tell him everything?’
April hesitated for a moment, but soon she pulled herself together and kept her mouth shut. When she didn’t say anything, Christine asked again, trying to appease him.
“Did I make a mistake with you that day?”
He asked as if he didn’t remember what happened that day.
April carefully asked.
“Do you really not remember anything?”
“Almost all of the time.”
“Then do you remember that day when you came over the balcony of my bedroom in the rain?”
“I remember that a little bit.”
“Kissing me...”
“Well.”
When she thought he didn’t remember, April tried to be a little more assertive.
“You’re going too far.”
“Did I hug the Princess that day?”
The question was straightforward.
April couldn’t answer that right away.
If she lied here, could she have him? What if he found out?
But wasn’t she already determined to deceive him? She had no choice but to keep going straight.
“That day... You seemed very drunk. But I don’t regret that day.”
As she spoke, April’s heart pounded so hard that it felt like it was going to burst out.
‘Are you crazy? Why did you lie like this...!’
'Should I not have listened to Miss Seira?'
But if she could get rid of Adele, it might not be such a loss.
Adele clearly saw herself retching in the reception room. And there were already rumors going around the palace that she was pregnant with Christine’s child.
Even the most shameless woman would step down on her own at this point, wouldn’t she?
Then it would be half a success.
“Wipe it.”
April, who had been lost in thought, raised her head. Unexpectedly, Christine held out a handkerchief.
“Oh, thank you, Count.”
She quickly took the handkerchief and wiped her tears. The blue-tinged handkerchief gave off a mysterious and cool scent that reminded her of a deep forest. It was a scent that was just like him.
“Should we sit down before we talk?”
His face, as he held out his hand, was gentle, as if the coolness from a moment ago were a lie.
April, who had been crying on the floor, hesitantly took his hand and got up. Then she carefully sat down on the chair that Christine had pulled out.
This time, he poured tea into a teacup on the table and handed it to her.
“Drink some, April.”
April.
When he called her name, April’s heart raced and her face flushed.
Being alone with such a kind man made her feel like she was on a date.
Was Seira’s plan working?
“Have you calmed down yet?”
Christine smiled faintly as she nodded while sipping her tea. April was stunned and stared at him. She had always thought of him as a cold and beautiful person, but just seeing him smile like that completely changed the atmosphere.
He knew how to make such expressions.
“Now tell me about that night. What happened between us that day?”
Christine’s voice was so affectionate that it seemed like he would understand if she told him the truth. No, it seemed like he had feelings for her.
‘Should I just tell him everything?’
April hesitated for a moment, but soon she pulled herself together and kept her mouth shut. When she didn’t say anything, Christine asked again, trying to appease him.
“Did I make a mistake with you that day?”
He asked as if he didn’t remember what happened that day.
April carefully asked.
“Do you really not remember anything?”
“Almost all of the time.”
“Then do you remember that day when you came over the balcony of my bedroom in the rain?”
“I remember that a little bit.”
“Kissing me...”
“Well.”
When she thought he didn’t remember, April tried to be a little more assertive.
“You’re going too far.”
“Did I hug the Princess that day?”
The question was straightforward.
April couldn’t answer that right away.
If she lied here, could she have him? What if he found out?
But wasn’t she already determined to deceive him? She had no choice but to keep going straight.
“That day... You seemed very drunk. But I don’t regret that day.”
As she spoke, April’s heart pounded so hard that it felt like it was going to burst out.
‘Are you crazy? Why did you lie like this...!’
Christine’s lips rose strangely just before he put the teacup to his lips. The short moment he quietly savored the tea felt like decades to April.
‘Do you believe me? Or did you notice the lie?’
His indifferent expression was so unsettling that she couldn't read what he was thinking.
Christine finally put down his teacup and looked at her kindly again.
"Is this your first time with a man, Your Highness?"
"Of course!"
April's face flushed with shame.
“But I heard that you completed all your schedules the next morning.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Christine still smiled as he stared at April. His eyes were so lewd that they almost felt obscene.
“If I had really held the Princess that day, you wouldn’t have been able to complete your schedule the next day.”
“What does that mean...?”
April blinked, unable to understand.
Christine got up from his seat and tucked her flowing golden hair behind her ear, whispering sweetly.
“I’m not like I look, but I'm a beast.”
“Ah...!”
April’s face felt as if it were on fire. Just hearing his voice made her feel like she was being played.
However, Christine’s expression had changed to the cold one she had when he first entered the office.
“Tell His Majesty the truth.”
“Count Weiss!”
“I don’t end things half-heartedly. Not when I’m correcting a mistake, or when I’m holding a woman.”
April couldn’t breathe for a while because his sharp gaze seemed like it would cut her throat at any moment.
***
Mia, who was knitting in front of the window, happened to look outside and was startled.
Someone was coming into her garden in the evening when the sky had gotten dark.
When she looked closely, it was Adele, and her staggering gait and pale face looked unusual.
“Adele! What’s wrong?”
She threw down her knitting and quickly ran outside.
“Can I see Baron Bonita?”
When she touched Adele’s hand, it was as cold as ice. And for some reason, she felt like she had lost her mind and was not in her right mind.
“Come inside first. What happened at the palace?”
“A little...”
Mia brought Adele inside and told the maid to quickly bring her some warm milk tea. She then sat her down in front of the fireplace and massaged her hands.
Adele’s hands kept shaking in Mia’s hands.
“Are you okay, Mrs. Oswald?”
Baron Bonita, who had been in the study when he heard the commotion, also came out to look.
Mia’s husband, Baron Bonita, was a plump man with a good-looking face. He was quite a bit older than Mia, but he was a well-known husband in the village. Unfortunately, they had no children yet.
“I apologize for being late. Actually, there’s something I want to ask you, Baron.”
He was in charge of the palace’s documents, so he was well-informed of the palace’s affairs.
“Me?”
“I heard that a palace guard was attacked by some kind of beast a while ago. I want to know what happened to the body. And about the silver wolf.”
Baron Bonita was embarrassed. Many people were curious about that strange incident and whispered about it.
However, Adele’s face was not curious, but desperate. As if she had something to do with it.
“Well, that’s not my job.”
“Then can you let me meet the coroner?”
“That would be difficult. The Emperor has ordered that this incident not be known to the outside world. There was a gag order, especially regarding the silver wolf.”
“Why..."
“It’s not good that ominous rumors are going around in the palace. And a silver wolf? Isn’t that ridiculous?”
“There is. A silver wolf!”
Adele, who was trembling palely, shouted with confidence.
“Have you seen it?”
“That’s not it, but...”
In fact, Adele had only heard rumors and had not seen a silver wolf.
“Then there is none. If we leave the rumors alone, sooner or later, a golden wolf and a rainbow wolf will appear. That’s how rumors are, Madam.”
Mia, who had been watching anxiously from the side, offered her steaming milk tea.
“Yes, Adele, calm down and drink the warm tea first.”
However, Adele again begged Baron Bonita with a desperate face.
“Then, please confirm one thing. How many claw marks were there on the body?”
“Claw marks?”
“Yes, if it were a wild beast like a wolf or a leopard, there would be four claw marks. But if there were five, something is strange.”
Adele remembered clearly. The five claw marks were clearly engraved on her mother’s body when she returned as a corpse!
The villagers also said that it was the strangest thing. A beast with five claws would most likely be a bear, but there were no bears in northern Kalime. So the silver wolf with its strange appearance might have had five claws.
“Yes. I’ll ask the coroner.”
“Thank you.”
Only then did Adele manage to take a sip of the milk tea Mia had offered her. However, her throat was so sore that it was hard to swallow.
“While you’re here, you should at least eat something before you go.”
Mia was worried about Adele. Her pale face clearly showed that something unusual had happened.
“No. I have to leave the house in disarray and go.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m tired after visiting the palace, so I should rest early. I had a good cup of tea.”
Adele smiled and greeted Bonita, and turned around.
***
It was only about a five-minute walk from Mia’s house to Adele’s house. However, the way back home was too long and difficult.
Every time she breathed, hot steam poured out, and her whole body trembled. She was definitely not in a good state. Maybe it was because she had been shocked so many times today.
The Princess was pregnant with Christine’s child, and the silver wolf that killed her mother appeared...
They say bad things don’t come alone, and she guesses that’s true.
But at least there would be no more bad things when she got home.
When she got there, she had to warm up some wine with cinnamon and fruit and drink it. She wished she could forget all about today after a good night’s sleep.
But Adele’s wish didn’t seem to come true easily.
A tall man stood like a stone statue in front of the mansion, with no lights on.
Adele could tell who it was just by the faint figure she could see from afar.
As she approached, the silver hair reflected in the moonlight shone mysteriously. It seemed like something other than this world.
“Chris...”
“I came to get what I wanted, Adele.”
Was this the final bad thing today?
Adele took a deep breath and steeled her resolve.
Never show him your weakness. Never waver.
That way, your heart won’t get hurt.
“Come in first.”
The empty house was dark and unheated. Since she had gone out without paying attention to the fireplace, even the embers were out.
Adele quickly lit the wick of the lamp and lit the room first.
“You must have been really in a hurry. I didn’t know you would come running all at once to talk about the blank document.”
“I have a lot of time left.”
Adele shook her head as if she didn’t believe it.
“You probably want to marry the Princess as soon as possible. That way, His Majesty will give you permission.”
“You really think so?”
“No? You couldn’t wait until the wedding... You were in a hurry. Rumors are already spreading throughout the palace.”
Adele tried to speak as calmly as possible. But somehow, she didn’t like the way it sounded like she was being scolded.
“The Princess is pregnant with my child?”
As expected!
When those words came out of Christine’s mouth, she felt like she had been confirmed. Even though she believed it in her head, a part of her heart wanted to deny it.
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