chapter 39
“Chuuut…!”
With the final strike, victory was mine.
As Bishop, who had been thrashing in desperation, flapped his wings and collapsed with a thud—
“Lady Cherry… has subdued the White-Headed Eagle…!”
Thunderous applause erupted from below the window.
[Damn it, I won’t forget this humiliation.]
“I’ll give you a meat party tonight, so don’t sulk too much.”
[It better be top-grade beef, raised on wide pastures.]
Bishop, who had disappeared from the knights’ sight while putting on his final dramatic act, glared at me.
Yes. This confrontation was basically a staged card game.
Bishop and I.
There was no other way for both of us to come out unscathed.
Even beastmen, broadly speaking, respect “hierarchies” as a species.
Even if it’s a squirrel versus a white-headed eagle.
Now it was truly time to wrap up this charade.
‘Here it comes. Get ready, Bishop.’
No sooner had I given the signal.
“Lady Cherry—!”
Crash! Bang!
Gerard barged in, making a ruckus with his footsteps.
“My goodness, this is a total mess…”
The window was completely shattered, and shards of glass were scattered everywhere.
“And why is the wardrobe open?”
Gerard stood there, speechless, staring at the ruined room.
He seemed to be struggling with how to explain this situation to the Prince of Astrahan.
But soon—
“Lady Cherry…!”
Gerard’s gaze fell to the floor.
Or rather, it fell upon me, standing atop Bishop as if I had conquered Mount Himalaya.
For reference, the Himalayas are a treacherous, northernmost snow-capped mountain range.
“This….”
Gerard alternated between looking at my triumphant face and Bishop, who lay collapsed, dejected.
Then—
“Ah, Gerard, as I expected, I had faith in you.”
He rubbed his cheek against mine, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion.
“Chuuut, chuuut…!”
Do we clean this up? Hey, hey, hey!
“Gerard believes that someday Lady Cherry will swallow this Black Dragon Castle whole. Compared to that, a white-headed eagle is just like eating cold soup.”
‘Wait a second. Why does this loyal servant of Kenich have such faith?’
“Still, please avoid overly reckless methods. Gerard nearly lost his neck just now.”
Gerard continued talking endlessly while circling me.
He seemed to be checking if I was injured.
“Chut.”
As you can see, I’m fine.
When I shrugged, Gerard finally exhaled in relief.
He muttered to himself, mostly words like ‘alive’ and ‘thank goodness.’
Because—
We still had a bigger challenge than Mount Himalaya.
Namely—
“Kenich is waiting in his office.”
The enormous challenge called Kenich Kreuz.
The duke’s office was filled with a cold, oppressive silence.
The three of us: me, Gerard, and Kenich.
The first to speak was Kenich.
“What should I do with a subordinate who can’t even protect a squirrel?”
His gaze was fixed solely on Kreuz’s family heirloom, a long sword.
The blade sparkled whenever it caught the light, looking razor-sharp.
Sharp enough to slice Gerard’s neck in an instant.
‘That would be a problem.’
I couldn’t let my top subordinate Gerard get hurt because of me.
“Chuuu….”
I quietly stepped in front of Gerard, and gasps came from both sides.
One was Kenich, looking utterly bewildered.
The other—
“Khuh, Lady Cherry….”
As always, Gerard bowed his head in front of me.
“Cherry, are you saying you’ll protect Gerard?”
“Chut.”
I nodded briefly at Kenich, who frowned deeply.
“Why?”
‘Well… because of me?’
I was choosing my words seriously.
“Tsk.”
Kenich clicked his tongue in disapproval as he looked down on us.
Then he said in a low voice:
“Gerard, you’re lucky.”
This meant he would overlook today’s incident.
As Kenich’s sharp jawline gestured to the door, Gerard practically flew out of the office.
With Gerard gone, the office was filled with an even colder silence than before.
‘I hope I’m imagining this….’
It didn’t seem like it.
Tap, tap.
Kenich drummed on the table, and I quickly seated myself before him.
‘What on earth is he thinking?’
Like on my first day at Black Dragon Castle, I couldn’t read his expression.
I had no idea what words would come out of his sharp mouth.
Tension peaked.
“You’ve tamed the white-headed eagle.”
His low voice descended upon me.
I quickly nodded.
“A squirrel in Black Dragon Castle should be able to do at least that. But…”
‘But?’
“How did you tame it?”
A tiny fist-sized creature, against a top predator raptor.
Kenich’s golden eyes pierced me like a blade.
‘I can’t tell him I promised to raid the Black Dragon Castle’s warehouse.’
Avoiding his gaze, I kept silent. Kenich’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Clearly, he was displeased with the situation.
“And in that damned cat’s room, of all places. Were you looking for something?”
‘Th-That….’
I kept my mouth shut and only fidgeted with my fingers.
I had never been so glad that I couldn’t speak human language today.
‘If I told him I made a deal with Erzin to protect you and this castle, would Kenich believe me?’
The answer was ‘no.’
I timidly lifted my gaze to look at Kenich.
His eyes, devoid of emotion, scrutinized my every action.
As if trying to discern truth from lies from a traitor.
Which was fair. My actions today had been strange by any standard.
But why did it sting like a needle in my heart?
‘Everything I did was for you….’
Facing Erzin at great risk.
Making a deal in the underground prison.
Somehow, a surge of indignation welled up inside me.
At first it was for my own safety, but now I wanted to protect Black Dragon Castle as much as I would Bear Mountain.
At first, I couldn’t even understand myself. But now, I was certain.
For someone like me, who had never belonged anywhere, Lia, the knights,
and Kenich’s shared care had become precious.
That’s why I risked my life to protect Kenich and negotiated with Erzin.
‘But Kenich….’
He suspected me.
As a traitor threatening both him and this castle.
“Tch….”
I felt tears welling up.
Frustrated, angry!
I lowered my head slightly and glared at Kenich in secret.
But Kenich, oblivious to my feelings, continued his pressing questions.
“You can’t answer this either.”
A faint sigh escaped from his straight mouth.
Damn it, how am I supposed to answer when he doesn’t understand me!
Kenich pointed at me with a straight finger and slowly spoke:
“Then let me ask another question. Do you know why I named you Cherry?”
Why bring up my name all of a sudden?
But it didn’t take long to understand his meaning.
“Because you smell like ripe cherries.”
‘Smell like cherries…?’
“From your mana. Every morning.”
Mana?
Depending on the family’s ability or the species of an animal, the type of mana they possess varies.
Usually it’s undetectable, but sometimes those sensitive to mana can sense its scent.
I had heard that each beastman family had a characteristic scent in their mana.
‘Our Almond family’s mana smelled like toasted nuts.’
That was when it hit me.
“Chuu, chuuut…?!”
Wait, mana?
“Were you pretending not to know, or did you really not know?”
Kenich squinted at me sharply.
‘What do you mean!’
I was a special case, born unable to generate mana.
Thus, I couldn’t inherit my family’s ability.
And because of it, I had to watch my mother die right in front of me.
Of course, I had once miraculously manifested the ability.
Just once, three years ago, on the edge of a cliff.
‘And never again. But maybe….’
My memories drifted to a few days ago.
The day I snuck into the underground prison to meet Erzin.
When my body touched the prison bars, I felt a sharp, electric-like pain.
Until now, I believed it was ordinary static electricity.
‘But I really had mana?’
Since when?
And why did it only remain in the morning?
I looked at Kenich, craving answers.
“How did you hide that you’re a beastman?”
