So it took me quite a long time to explain, ‘Cain came in, but he didn’t do anything, he just stared at me and went back.’
“But why… am I staring at you?”
Cain asked slowly, with a puzzled expression.
“So I’m not asking out of curiosity. Are you sleepwalking?”
“No, what… There’s no such thing as that, Linsy Yeckhart.”
“You’re not? Then why…”
“You must have seen it wrong.”
Cain narrowed his eyes. He still can’t believe it.
I shook my head firmly.
“What are you talking about, Cain? I even checked that you went into the room and slept.”
As soon as I was finished, the shadow wolf, which was hiding in my shadow, sprang out.
Then it stiffened its tail and glared at Cain, wary.
“Don’t come out anytime.”
Arsene sighed and tried to put the shadow wolf back into my shadow.
“It’s because he saw it, too. Cain went around weirdly last night.’
I stopped Arsene and asked, putting my hand on the shadow wolf’s head.
“Right?”
The Shadow Wolf nodded to confirm this.
Cain narrowed his eyes.
“Really, I… I walked around at night?”
“Yes, that’s right. By the way, what about Sir Creighton?”
Rather than talking to Cain, I thought it would be better to discuss it with adults.
Even though it was breakfast time, Sir Creighton was nowhere to be seen. I rolled my eyes and asked Cain, looking for Sir Creighton.
“He came back, but he’s still sleeping, perhaps because he’s tired. He doesn’t have breakfast.”
Cain, who finished speaking, lifted his finger.
“As soon as he arrived at the villa, he strengthened the security. There was something like that at the Yeckhart Mansion during the last festival as well… He seems to be worried.”
Leona, Arsene, and I nodded at the same time.
As this continued to happen at every festival, he had no choice but to be anxious.
“Then we’ll go back now, too.”
“Already?”
Leona asked.
“Yes, I have something to discuss with my father. I have to go back quickly. Seeing that Sir Creighton has returned, I think my father has also returned to the mansion.”
Arsene nodded in agreement, too.
“It’s a situation where you can’t be away for a long time in the first place. As you know, strange things keep happening, Leon. So don’t be stubborn and go back to Fernando.”
Leona nodded at Arsene’s firm words.
“Oh, I’m going to go too… Anyway, he’s investigating the unidentified assailant yesterday, right?”
“Yes, I heard that Deborah is in charge of the investigation. If she finds anything, she will contact me separately.”
Cain wiped his lips with a white napkin.
Leona nodded.
“Eung, please contact me if you find anything.”
I nodded in agreement with Leona.
“If you find out anything, contact me, too…and.”
I glanced once at the shadow wolf and once at Arsene.
“If anything happens, call it right away, so can you answer it?”
“Linsy, during the festival, you can’t use Shadow Wolf like that…”
“But one is fine. I’ll only ask when I’m really in a hurry.”
Arsene sighed and nodded. It certainly meant permission.
“Yeah. I will call it.”
Cain nodded as if he had promised.
We left the Hezeth villa for the last time after that breakfast.
****
“Father!!”
“Yes, Linsy. Did you have a good visit to Hezeth Villa?”
Kendrick was reading something with a very tired face and greeted Arsene with me.
I thought Kendrick was sleeping too, since Creighton was tired and resting after coming home.
Kendrick was awake and flipping through books again, I wondered if he was busy.
“I have something to tell you. Do you have time now?”
“You came because of what happened to Cain.”
Kendrick replied, flipping through the pages. I nodded.
‘He knows right away.’
Arsene stood next to me the whole time, looked at Kendrick and me, and lowered his head.
“Should I go?”
And whispered quietly.
Since Kendrick and I always talked in secret, it seemed like he was used to being out before we started talking.
I pondered for a moment, then grabbed Arsene’s hand tightly and said.
“Eung, would you like to go out? Thank you. See you later.”
“Yeah. Have a good conversation.”
Arsene smiled, bowed to Kendrick, and left the office.
Kendrick flipped through books the whole time, then glanced at Arsene as he left and sat down on the sofa.
I, too, sat across the sofa as soon as Kendrick sat down.
“Yes, Linsy. You came because you were worried about Cain, right?”
“Yes, but, Father… I saw something strange near Cain’s neck.”
“What do you mean by something strange?”
“There was a prohibition hanging around Cain’s neck.”
Kendrick stopped his hands after washing his face dry, as if he were tired from being unable to sleep and meeting.
And asked back slowly.
“…What do you mean prohibition?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s clear from what I’ve seen. I haven’t told Cain and Sir Creighton yet…”
The easiest way to make sure it’s ‘prohibition’ is to get Cain to pronounce that word.
If he gets caught in prohibition, he will feel so much pain that he wants to die just by saying the word prohibition.
But the reason I didn’t bother pronouncing the word to Cain.
‘What if it’s really a prohibition.’
The pain of prohibition is beyond imagination. I knew it because I experienced it when I was seven.
It’s a pain like squeezing the heart.
If it were really a prohibition, Cain would be in tremendous pain. In addition,
The successors of the Snake family are getting a prohibition.
Now Cain was not in the territory of the Snake clan, but outside the territory, in a villa in the sanctuary.
Therefore, it is naturally less secure than snake territory. If it were to be leaked that Cain had been getting a prohibition by mistake.
‘It’s going to be incredibly noisy.’
That was one thing for sure.
That’s why I came to consult Kendrick first, before telling Cain and Sir Creighton.
“Prohibition, I’ll call Cain to check for now…”
“That’s… you know.”
I swallowed my saliva.
“I guess other people can’t see the prohibition.”
“….”
“In the past, do you remember? Ester and the black hoods…. Even though they’re gone now.”
“Yeah.”
Kendrick seemed startled for a moment by the word black hood.
Is it just me?
Even so, I keep talking.
“At that time, I told you, Father. I saw something like black smoke.”
“That’s right.”
“I was the only one who could see the smoke at that time, too…”
I continued, pointing my finger at myself.
“I guess I’m the only one who can see it this time as well. Arsene, Leona, and Cain didn’t see it.”
“…Are you sure it’s a prohibition?”
“Yes, when I see it. But to confirm it…”
I said with a slightly troubled look.
“That, Cain… Cain has to try pronouncing the word prohibition. If it’s really a prohibition.”
“It’s because you’re afraid Cain will suffer in pain.”
“Yes.”
“…but we still have to check. Let’s go to Hezeth villa together. Is Cain Hezeth in the villa now?”
“Yes, until we returned, he was at the villa. And maybe… since he was attacked on the road, I think he will be at the villa the whole time.”
“Then I’ll go and check first… Oh, by the way. Linsy.”
Kendrick called me.
I raised my head and looked at Kendrick.
“Yes?”
“You’ll be an adult in a little while. I’ve got a call from the temple.”
“Ah, yes…”
Almost at the same time as the festival ended, there was my coming-of-age ceremony.
Betty told me that coming-of-age ceremonies for the Wolf Clan are usually held modestly by the family.
So my coming-of-age ceremony is also going to be held in the mansion with Kendrick, Arsene, and the servants.
But he told me that I could call my friends if I wanted to.
But instead of being happy to hear that, I was a little uncomfortable.
‘Coming-of-age ceremony.’
When I come of age, do I really have to divorce Arsene now?
Arsene expressed his intention not to divorce me, but…
‘Father probably wants me to divorce him.’
Kendrick loved me very much. I couldn’t deny the fact.
But continuing the marriage was a different matter.
Arsene was the sole successor of Yeckhart, and would later become the head of the wolf clan.
And in beastmen society, there was a tradition that the head of the clan had to marry the same clan for generations.
So the tradition couldn’t be broken. I waited for the next words to come out of Kendrick’s mouth.
Kendrick opened his mouth slowly.
“Linsy, I intend to fully respect your opinion. Of course, Arsene’s opinion is also important, but…”
“Yes.”
“If you say you want to divorce, I’ll divorce you as promised. But.”
But?
So it took me quite a long time to explain, ‘Cain came in, but he didn’t do anything, he just stared at me and went back.’
“But why… am I staring at you?”
Cain asked slowly, with a puzzled expression.
“So I’m not asking out of curiosity. Are you sleepwalking?”
“No, what… There’s no such thing as that, Linsy Yeckhart.”
“You’re not? Then why…”
“You must have seen it wrong.”
Cain narrowed his eyes. He still can’t believe it.
I shook my head firmly.
“What are you talking about, Cain? I even checked that you went into the room and slept.”
As soon as I was finished, the shadow wolf, which was hiding in my shadow, sprang out.
Then it stiffened its tail and glared at Cain, wary.
“Don’t come out anytime.”
Arsene sighed and tried to put the shadow wolf back into my shadow.
“It’s because he saw it, too. Cain went around weirdly last night.’
I stopped Arsene and asked, putting my hand on the shadow wolf’s head.
“Right?”
The Shadow Wolf nodded to confirm this.
Cain narrowed his eyes.
“Really, I… I walked around at night?”
“Yes, that’s right. By the way, what about Sir Creighton?”
Rather than talking to Cain, I thought it would be better to discuss it with adults.
Even though it was breakfast time, Sir Creighton was nowhere to be seen. I rolled my eyes and asked Cain, looking for Sir Creighton.
“He came back, but he’s still sleeping, perhaps because he’s tired. He doesn’t have breakfast.”
Cain, who finished speaking, lifted his finger.
“As soon as he arrived at the villa, he strengthened the security. There was something like that at the Yeckhart Mansion during the last festival as well… He seems to be worried.”
Leona, Arsene, and I nodded at the same time.
As this continued to happen at every festival, he had no choice but to be anxious.
“Then we’ll go back now, too.”
“Already?”
Leona asked.
“Yes, I have something to discuss with my father. I have to go back quickly. Seeing that Sir Creighton has returned, I think my father has also returned to the mansion.”
Arsene nodded in agreement, too.
“It’s a situation where you can’t be away for a long time in the first place. As you know, strange things keep happening, Leon. So don’t be stubborn and go back to Fernando.”
Leona nodded at Arsene’s firm words.
“Oh, I’m going to go too… Anyway, he’s investigating the unidentified assailant yesterday, right?”
“Yes, I heard that Deborah is in charge of the investigation. If she finds anything, she will contact me separately.”
Cain wiped his lips with a white napkin.
Leona nodded.
“Eung, please contact me if you find anything.”
I nodded in agreement with Leona.
“If you find out anything, contact me, too…and.”
I glanced once at the shadow wolf and once at Arsene.
“If anything happens, call it right away, so can you answer it?”
“Linsy, during the festival, you can’t use Shadow Wolf like that…”
“But one is fine. I’ll only ask when I’m really in a hurry.”
Arsene sighed and nodded. It certainly meant permission.
“Yeah. I will call it.”
Cain nodded as if he had promised.
We left the Hezeth villa for the last time after that breakfast.
****
“Father!!”
“Yes, Linsy. Did you have a good visit to Hezeth Villa?”
Kendrick was reading something with a very tired face and greeted Arsene with me.
I thought Kendrick was sleeping too, since Creighton was tired and resting after coming home.
Kendrick was awake and flipping through books again, I wondered if he was busy.
“I have something to tell you. Do you have time now?”
“You came because of what happened to Cain.”
Kendrick replied, flipping through the pages. I nodded.
‘He knows right away.’
Arsene stood next to me the whole time, looked at Kendrick and me, and lowered his head.
“Should I go?”
And whispered quietly.
Since Kendrick and I always talked in secret, it seemed like he was used to being out before we started talking.
I pondered for a moment, then grabbed Arsene’s hand tightly and said.
“Eung, would you like to go out? Thank you. See you later.”
“Yeah. Have a good conversation.”
Arsene smiled, bowed to Kendrick, and left the office.
Kendrick flipped through books the whole time, then glanced at Arsene as he left and sat down on the sofa.
I, too, sat across the sofa as soon as Kendrick sat down.
“Yes, Linsy. You came because you were worried about Cain, right?”
“Yes, but, Father… I saw something strange near Cain’s neck.”
“What do you mean by something strange?”
“There was a prohibition hanging around Cain’s neck.”
Kendrick stopped his hands after washing his face dry, as if he were tired from being unable to sleep and meeting.
And asked back slowly.
“…What do you mean prohibition?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s clear from what I’ve seen. I haven’t told Cain and Sir Creighton yet…”
The easiest way to make sure it’s ‘prohibition’ is to get Cain to pronounce that word.
If he gets caught in prohibition, he will feel so much pain that he wants to die just by saying the word prohibition.
But the reason I didn’t bother pronouncing the word to Cain.
‘What if it’s really a prohibition.’
The pain of prohibition is beyond imagination. I knew it because I experienced it when I was seven.
It’s a pain like squeezing the heart.
If it were really a prohibition, Cain would be in tremendous pain. In addition,
The successors of the Snake family are getting a prohibition.
Now Cain was not in the territory of the Snake clan, but outside the territory, in a villa in the sanctuary.
Therefore, it is naturally less secure than snake territory. If it were to be leaked that Cain had been getting a prohibition by mistake.
‘It’s going to be incredibly noisy.’
That was one thing for sure.
That’s why I came to consult Kendrick first, before telling Cain and Sir Creighton.
“Prohibition, I’ll call Cain to check for now…”
“That’s… you know.”
I swallowed my saliva.
“I guess other people can’t see the prohibition.”
“….”
“In the past, do you remember? Ester and the black hoods…. Even though they’re gone now.”
“Yeah.”
Kendrick seemed startled for a moment by the word black hood.
Is it just me?
Even so, I keep talking.
“At that time, I told you, Father. I saw something like black smoke.”
“That’s right.”
“I was the only one who could see the smoke at that time, too…”
I continued, pointing my finger at myself.
“I guess I’m the only one who can see it this time as well. Arsene, Leona, and Cain didn’t see it.”
“…Are you sure it’s a prohibition?”
“Yes, when I see it. But to confirm it…”
I said with a slightly troubled look.
“That, Cain… Cain has to try pronouncing the word prohibition. If it’s really a prohibition.”
“It’s because you’re afraid Cain will suffer in pain.”
“Yes.”
“…but we still have to check. Let’s go to Hezeth villa together. Is Cain Hezeth in the villa now?”
“Yes, until we returned, he was at the villa. And maybe… since he was attacked on the road, I think he will be at the villa the whole time.”
“Then I’ll go and check first… Oh, by the way. Linsy.”
Kendrick called me.
I raised my head and looked at Kendrick.
“Yes?”
“You’ll be an adult in a little while. I’ve got a call from the temple.”
“Ah, yes…”
Almost at the same time as the festival ended, there was my coming-of-age ceremony.
Betty told me that coming-of-age ceremonies for the Wolf Clan are usually held modestly by the family.
So my coming-of-age ceremony is also going to be held in the mansion with Kendrick, Arsene, and the servants.
But he told me that I could call my friends if I wanted to.
But instead of being happy to hear that, I was a little uncomfortable.
‘Coming-of-age ceremony.’
When I come of age, do I really have to divorce Arsene now?
Arsene expressed his intention not to divorce me, but…
‘Father probably wants me to divorce him.’
Kendrick loved me very much. I couldn’t deny the fact.
But continuing the marriage was a different matter.
Arsene was the sole successor of Yeckhart, and would later become the head of the wolf clan.
And in beastmen society, there was a tradition that the head of the clan had to marry the same clan for generations.
So the tradition couldn’t be broken. I waited for the next words to come out of Kendrick’s mouth.
Kendrick opened his mouth slowly.
“Linsy, I intend to fully respect your opinion. Of course, Arsene’s opinion is also important, but…”
“Yes.”
“If you say you want to divorce, I’ll divorce you as promised. But.”
But?
