Though it wasn’t clear where he had been, Leonard’s expression was far from good. Whatever had happened, it was obvious that he was in a terrible mood.
Yellian thought it best to be cautious and not upset him further, even tiptoeing as they moved.
“Why are you walking like that?”
“……Ugh, is it bothering you?”
“Very much.”
They had deliberately walked carefully to avoid annoying him, but to think it was this bothersome. Yellian, pursing their lips, thought Leonard was far more sensitive than they had realized.
“If you’ve got a complaint, say it out loud. Don’t just pout like that. Unless you’re begging for a kiss, that is.”
“No, no, how could I possibly have any complaints?”
Yellian smiled brightly as if nothing had happened. Leonard, seeing their harmless smile, eventually shook his head. He knew arguing with them would only tire him out.
“My lord, a visitor has come to see you…….”
“I’m not in the mood to meet anyone right now.”
Meanwhile, Elton cautiously opened the door and spoke, but Leonard replied coldly. At that, Elton scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“They came by yesterday as well. But since my lord wasn’t here…….”
“There are countless people seeking me out. Why should I meet them? Do I really need to bother with such things?”
Leonard answered irritably. Though most people found it difficult to approach him as a lord, there were always a few nobles who persistently requested meetings just to establish some connection with him.
That’s why Leonard assumed this was another such person and blamed Elton for not outright refusing them.
“I-I’m sorry! It’s just…… it’s the woman we rescued when we defeated the dragon. She keeps coming by, saying she wants to express her gratitude, so I thought I’d mention it.”
“Ugh, is she okay?”
Yellian, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, widened their eyes. Back then, things had been so chaotic, and more importantly, Yellian had fainted at the end, so they hadn’t been able to check on the woman’s well-being.
At some point, when Yellian had casually asked Elton about it, he had said the medics had taken her, so she should be fine, and Yellian had simply assumed that was the case.
“Yes, she seems to be okay. Well, she keeps saying she wants to read your fortune as a token of gratitude…….”
Yellian’s eyes widened in surprise. Dragging the clinking chain behind them, they hurried over to Leonard.
“Fortune-telling? Wow, that’s so cool. Leonard, I want to see my fortune!”
“Don’t believe in that nonsense. It’s all rubbish.”
“Still! Can’t we just see it once? Whether I believe it or not, I’ll decide for myself!”
Leonard frowned, thinking this was becoming a hassle. Then he recalled that the woman had been there when Yellian was struck by an arrow.
Though he had been there too, he hadn’t been in his right mind due to being poisoned, so he thought the woman might remember something he had missed.
“Tell her I’ll come out now.”
“Yes, understood!”
“Awesome!”
As soon as Leonard spoke, Elton gave a short reply and quickly left the room, while Yellian cheered in delight. Leonard, who had no intention of bringing Yellian along, didn’t understand why they were so happy and asked.
“Why are you so excited?”
“Don’t even think about saying something awful like you’re not taking me with you.”
“Of course, you’re staying here.”
“What……?”
Yellian, as if they had heard something unthinkable, asked in disbelief before flopping down onto the floor. Wondering what on earth they were doing, Leonard watched silently as Yellian began flailing their limbs wildly.
“Oh, this is so unfair and upsetting, I can’t stand it! Oh, oh! I’m not even asking to go far, just to step out a little right here! And I’m not even saying I’ll go alone, I’m asking to go with Leonard, but to not even allow that-where in the world is there such a rule, oh, I’m so frustrated!”
“Stop the nonsense and get up.”
“Yup.”
Yellian sheepishly stood up, rubbing the bridge of their nose with the back of their hand. Naturally, their tantrum didn’t work. They had tried it on the off chance it might, but as expected, it didn’t. However, Leonard’s next words made Yellian doubt their own ears.
“Behave yourself. I’ll say it once more-if you try to run away again, you’ll lose your ankle.”
“Yup! Hey, kids, I’ll be back soon! Guard the room well, okay! When I return, I can’t promise snacks…… but I’ll ask Leonard to get some for you!”
Finally receiving permission, Yellian was overjoyed. Leonard clicked his tongue but still unshackled the restraints from Yellian’s ankle.
Feeling the freedom of their ankle for the first time in days, Yellian hopped up and down in place. To think their feet could feel so light and comfortable-it was like a dream.
“Leonard, let’s go!”
Yellian skipped ahead with light steps. Their excited bouncing reminded Leonard so much of Steamed Gamja that he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?”
As expected of a feline humanoid, their ears were sharp at times like this.
They quickly turned around to face Leonard. Seeing their own reflection in those round eyes, Leonard couldn’t hold back. He thought about restraining himself, but he didn’t want to hide the growing feelings inside him.
“Because you’re cute.”
“W-What! S-Suddenly…….”
“Didn’t you ask?”
“W-Well, that’s true, but…….”
Their flustered, blushing face was cute in its own way. Leonard let out a small laugh, and Yellian, their face growing even redder from the laughter, didn’t know what to do with themselves.
Frozen with embarrassment, Yellian walked down the long corridor and climbed the many stairs until they finally reached the reception room, letting out a sigh of relief. They thought they could finally escape this awkward time alone with Leonard.
“Hello! My name is Larissa.”
As they entered the reception room, a woman quickly stood up and bowed in greeting. With striking orange hair, she was quite beautiful. Naturally, she looked completely different from how she had appeared in the cave.
And Larissa, at that-Yellian remembered who she was. Larissa was a supporting character who helped Abigail in the novel
Yellian followed Leonard and sat across from the woman. The woman, who had introduced herself as Larissa, also quickly took her seat.
“Thank you for saving me that day. I came to express my gratitude, even if it’s a bit rude of me to intrude.”
“That day…… I mean, after we defeated the dragon, I want to hear about what happened when you left the cave. What do you remember?”
Leonard, as if uninterested in anything else, immediately got to the point. Larissa blinked in surprise but then held her head as if trying to recall the events of that day.
“After escaping the cave…… Ah, are you talking about the attack? The ones who threatened us with arrows.”
“Yes.”
“I was so out of it at the time that I didn’t see much…… but those two didn’t have long to live, did they?”
Yellian covered their mouth at Larissa’s cheerful reply. They couldn’t believe she could so casually say someone’s life was short.
Shocked, Yellian glanced back and forth between Larissa and Leonard. An indescribable tension lingered between the two.
“You’re a fortune-teller, right?”
“Yes, that’s right! I came to read your fortune as a token of gratitude. I don’t have much else to offer, but my fortune-telling skills are top-notch.”
“Can you read mine first?”
Yellian, eyes sparkling, jumped into the conversation. Since Leonard probably had no interest in fortune-telling, there shouldn’t be any issue with Yellian going first.
Truthfully, Yellian didn’t particularly believe in the content of fortunes. But ever since childhood, they loved the act of getting their fortune told, to the point where they couldn’t feel satisfied on a field trip without drawing a fortune slip.
“Alright. What’s your name?”
“Ah, it’s Yellian. Do I need to tell you my birthday too…….”
Yellian stopped mid-sentence, struck by a sudden thought and feeling flustered. Come to think of it, they didn’t know their own birthday. Of course, they knew Juan’s birthday, but they had no way of knowing Yellian’s.
Even seeing Yellian’s flustered expression, Larissa didn’t seem to mind, smiling softly as she began pulling something out from her belongings.
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