The door closed. Hearing the thud, Noelier was barely able to breathe.
He tried so hard not to show it, but his body did not follow his thoughts.
In the end, he ended up revealing his disheveled self in front of her.
'I shouldn't have let it show...'
Noelier clenched his fist tightly. Veins bulged on the back of his white hand.
Yesterday, following a brief encounter Eve could not remember, Noelier was battling another self. Everything about Eve provoked him. Her body scent, mingling with a faint grape fragrance, was still vivid.
"Ha ..."
Noelier let out a sigh and buried his face in his hands. His face was still burning.
As if dropping his heart wasn't enough, he even pulled his hand away. Eve's flustered face flickered before his eyes.
However, for him, it was a natural reaction. If he hadn't pulled away, he might have... grabbed her hand as he pleased.
'No, maybe I did something even worse.'
To think he would act impulsively toward someone who deserves a whole armful of beautiful flowers.
Noelier pulled his face away from his hand. A deep darkness had settled over his beautiful face. It was because he had not been able to sleep last night.
'This can't go on.'
Once a desire rears its head, it does not easily disappear. It will seek to achieve what it wants by expanding its size.
So this was the best option.
He rose from where he had been leaning against the door. With every step he took, his footsteps seemed to sink heavily with unspeakable emotion.
***
About a week has passed since the drinking incident that I don't even remember.
I adapted perfectly to the castle during that period.
"Hello, Lady Eve!"
"Good morning!"
"Lady Eve, is everything okay?"
The beastmen welcomed me enthusiastically. It was almost excessive; at first, I actually wondered if they were doing this to scare me.
However, as time went by, I realized that wasn't the case.
I could tell just by looking into their eyes that the beastmen were showing me tremendous affection.
Watching them not even utter the word 'wolf,' I was gradually able to open my heart.
For me, who thought every day was a struggle for survival, it was an incredibly joyful occasion. It was VIP treatment that was unimaginable in the North.
Furthermore.
"Wow! It's blue with 'Big Brother' on it! It's different from Ruby!"
"Right? Shall I show you more?"
"Yes!"
That hospitality extended even to Zion.
The dragons put their heart and soul into putting on a fire show exclusively for Zion.
This was something to be very happy about.
"..."
It certainly made sense... but I couldn't laugh along as I watched them.
Once again today, a splendid feast was laid out before my eyes. It felt as though even a full person would swallow hard and devour greedily if they stood before it.
"..."
But strangely, I had no appetite. Even after eating the sweet death Marie gave me, my mouth felt bitter, as if I had gnawed on a tree root buried in the soil.
"Lady Eve, is something wrong?"
Marie looked at me with a worried expression. I forced a smile and shook my head.
"No. I just don't feel well."
"But your expression looks really bad."
Rachel, who was sitting next to me and eating together, also spoke with a tearful expression.
"Sister, are you sick?"
Zion, who was sitting next to Rachel, chimed in as well. Not to mention Ed, who was tickling my feet. Because everyone was focused on me, the meal was being delayed as a result. I smiled brightly again.
"No, it's just that I didn't feel well. I'm fine now. I'll eat again."
As I began to eat, speaking briskly, Rachel, who had been looking at me reluctantly, also started moving her fork.
Marie's cooking was excellent again today. It was a flawless dish. But why is it so uninspiring?
Just as I was letting out a familiar sigh, Marie approached me holding something.
"Lady Eve, would you like to try this?"
What Marie brought was the liquor I had gotten drunk on a few days ago.
"If you have it lightly with a meal, you won't even get drunk. You really enjoyed this last time, remember?"
Marie was trying very hard to cheer me up.
However, I lightly shook my head. I couldn't drink again.
As I thought of Noelier, a sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.
That was the reason I couldn't laugh with a clear conscience.
Noelier was blatantly avoiding me.
I wanted to ask what happened that night—whether I threw up, sang loudly, or crawled on all fours.
However, Noelier was so busy with work that it was difficult to even see his face. It seemed as though he had left the South entirely.
Since he was blatantly avoiding me, even I, being shameless, could not go to see him.
To think that the person who used to be happy just to touch me now avoids even brushing past me. I had to feel an indescribable sense of disappointment.
'Has someone with stronger ice magic than me appeared?'
So that's why you're not looking for me anymore?
My twisted thoughts gradually grew in size. It was a thought that my past self might have been appalled by.
'Since when have you been hoping for a dragon's attention?'
Another version of myself inside me rebuked me. I pretended not to hear, ignored the voice, and smiled.
"I'm sorry, Marie. I went to so much trouble to make this for you, but you couldn't even eat it properly..."
I forced the food down my throat. Then Marie spoke in a voice full of worry.
"It’s better than forcing yourself to eat. But if you can’t eat like this, the Leader will be worried... and the wedding is coming up soon, too."
Leader. And a wedding.
The smile I had been trying so hard to force stopped abruptly. I hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened my mouth.
"I have a question for you, Marie."
"Yes. Ask me anything."
"The first time I ate Marie's food. I mean... the day I was drunk."
As soon as that day was mentioned, Marie's face immediately stiffened.
Just by looking at this face, I could guess what kind of disgraceful behavior I had displayed. I despaired once again.
"Ah... Th-why are you asking that?"
Marie avoided my gaze and stammered heavily. I mustered up the courage to ask a question.
"Did something happen that day? I'm fine, so please don't hide it and tell me honestly."
Then Marie jumped up and waved her hands vigorously.
"Ah, ah. Ah. Nothing happened!"
"Is it so?"
"Yes, it was a really peaceful and happy time!"
Marie smiled awkwardly and stood up from her seat. Then, humming a strange tune, she walked away from me.
'It seems like nothing special happened when we were all together...'
It seemed like something happened when the two of us were alone.
'Surely I didn't actually do something weird or anything like that.'
I shook my head. If I had, Noelier's face would undoubtedly have turned redder than a burning sweet potato.
I sighed and kept poking at the innocent meat with my fork.
"You've finally started to become aware."
Just then, Rachel mumbled while drinking warm tea. I turned my head to look at Rachel.
"Huh?"
Rachel smiled coyly at my gaze.
"Uh-huh, well... I was thinking all over again how delicious this tea is."
Rachel held out a glass to Marie and blinked her jewel-like eyes.
“Please give me more, Marie.”
"Yes, yes..."
Marie accepted the glass with a stiff smile.
Looks like you've found a tea that suits your taste. I nodded nonchalantly.
'Anyway. What should I do about this situation?'
I let out another deep sigh. The next time I meet him, I must grab him and apologize, no matter what.
***
"Phew."
Marie breathed a sigh of relief. She had almost been caught. It was not easy to act so naturally at her age.
Rachel, who was sitting in front of her, silently gave a thumbs-up.
"...!"
Marie nodded with an overwhelmed expression.
For the timid wolf companion, this was nothing.
It was after the meal, when she was clearing the dishes. In the distance, other beastmen were having a serious conversation. Among them was Julie, Eve's handmaiden.
"No matter how much I think about it, isn't this better?"
"But the ears are better than the eyes..."
Marie approached them as they argued.
“Ah, Marie.”
The goat shapeshifter, Goth, welcomed Marie with a trembling voice.
"What is everyone doing here?"
"We were discussing it. I wondered what would happen if a situation like that day were to occur."
"What about Marie? Did you make it safely?"
Marie nodded. Phew. The other beastmen breathed a sigh of relief.
"I hope you aren't too scared."
"But I understand why Lady Eve is acting that way. How terrifying it must be for her to realize she is the legendary wolf.
"That's right. You saw the reaction when I brought up the wedding before, right? Lady Eve jumping up in surprise."
Her heart ached as she recalled Eve shaking her head, saying she couldn't do such a thing.
Julie said with a tearful expression.
"I heard you didn't even have a wedding ceremony. Lady Eve is so pitiful. It's not like you were born that way because you wanted to."
The beastmen nodded. It was because they deeply sympathized with Eve's fear. There was a reason why the leader treated her like gold.
It was their natural duty as servants to help in every way possible. They decided to pretend not to know Eve's true identity no matter what.
"So, have you found an effective method?"
Goth shook his head at Marie's question. His hair, swaying at the nod, looked particularly awkward. Marie asked with a puzzled expression.
"By the way, Goth, was your hair always that long?"
“Ah. This?”
Goth pushed back his flowing hair. Earplugs were stuck in his exposed ears.
"It's a wig. My hair is short, so I couldn't cover my ears, so I bought one."
"Oh!"
Marie let out an exclamation of admiration without realizing it.
"You never know when or what might be said. Even if they do ask, couldn't I just show them this and say I didn't hear it?"
Marie nodded as if to say there was some truth to it.
"Me too! I did it too!"
Julie, who was standing next to him, pushed back her pink hair. Large earmuffs were stuck in her peachy ears.
"I have to be especially careful, so I chose a particularly large one."
“But you..."
Marie looked up at Julie's head and spoke worriedly.
"If you do something that big, will you even be able to properly hear what Lady Eve is saying? Besides, how are you going to cover your rabbit ears?"
"Huh? What did you say? You're saying I'm a horse?"
"..."
Marie quietly took the earmuffs out of Julie's ears. Julie's shoulders slumped.
"Anyway, we have only one goal."
Marie spoke seriously. All the beastmen looked at Marie with nervous faces.
"No matter what happens, you must not startle Lady Eve."
They had to wait for Eve to open her heart on her own.
The beastmen nodded. A solemn aura hung over their faces.
"So, are earplugs not good?"
"How about something else besides that?"
“Just close your eyes!”
"Isn't it stranger to suddenly close your eyes?"
For quite some time, the beastmen discussed 'how to get the leader and Eve married' and 'how to pretend not to know.'
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