Chapter 92
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------
Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 92
Trisha Onium and Rowen Ganash were betrothed to one another in childhood.
To be precise, when Rowen was a young knight of the Temple, Trisha saw him and fell for him at first sight, pushing through the engagement.
Whenever Trisha's mother came to the Capital, she always made a point to visit the Grand Temple.
Trisha naturally followed her mother to the Grand Temple that day, and it was then that her first 'Awakening' occurred.
While chasing a butterfly into the Garden of the Grand Temple—into its most secluded corner—my heart suddenly plummeted.
'Ugh!'
Only eight years old.
Trisha had Awakened at the youngest age in recorded history.
The child collapsed onto the garden floor without understanding what was happening, and before she could even cry out, she transformed into a very small wolf.
'Kee-ing! King! King!'
I trembled and whimpered.
With soft, fluffy paws, I awkwardly scampered across the dirt, searching frantically for my mother.
'What's a puppy doing here...?'
Then, a young knight appeared.
A boy with deep reddish-brown hair and solemn golden eyes lifted the trembling small creature into his arms.
'How did you get in here?'
'Kee-ing...'
'You're shaking? You must have wandered in by mistake. I've heard that animals aren't supposed to be allowed inside the Temple.'
Rough hands gently stroked my head.
'Silver fur like this... I've never seen such beautiful fur before. If the greedy hunters catch sight of you, it'll be a disaster...'
The boy slipped his hands under my armpits and lifted me up.
Meeting his gaze suspended in midair, he softly pressed his lips to the bridge of my tear-stained nose and whispered.
'Shh, shh now. Don't cry. Your mother doesn't seem to be here... I'll make sure you get safely outside.'
'...!'
At the word 'outside,' I whimpered even more pitifully.
I couldn't leave.
I had to stay here until my mother found me.
I clung desperately to the boy's hand with my small front paws.
'Ah...'
'Kee-ing, kee-ing. King...'
The boy looked troubled as the tiny puppy burrowed into his palms.
Such a small and fragile life, fitting entirely in the boy's two hands.
The boy wore a complicated expression for a moment, then glanced around.
'A small creature like you would be in even greater danger out there. Tell you what—I'll speak to the High Priest about this. If he says no... well, I'll just raise you in secret. Until you're strong enough to protect yourself.'
The boy smiled playfully.
That smile pierced deeply into the young puppy's chest.
A vibration similar to when my body had transformed struck my heart with a powerful thud.
It was so, so beautiful.
It was the first and last time Trisha Onium had ever thought someone was beautiful.
'Stay hidden here for a moment. Do you understand?'
The boy carefully set her down among the soft undergrowth before dashing away.
Even the boy's retreating silhouette shimmered with an otherworldly radiance.
Then, once more—thump—her heart thundered wildly, and her body swelled with an overwhelming sensation.
Even after returning to her human form, Trisha remained sitting dazed on the ground.
And she thought to herself.
I will surely bond with that boy.
Thus began the young wolf's first love.
* * *
A soft luminescence enveloped Trisha's body, and in an instant, it swelled and expanded.
The sunlight flooding the King's Private Chamber struck her gleaming silver fur, dazzling the eyes of all present.
"Grace, behind me."
Lucas pushed her behind him and stepped forward.
"Trisha Onium!"
The king and princess, who had been watching, cried out in alarm, but the transformation had already completed.
"Grrr—"
A wolf of considerable size, yet beautiful enough to dazzle the eyes.
The transformed Trisha Onium was slightly smaller than Lucas had been in his equine form, but larger than an ordinary wolf.
Her deep azure eyes occasionally gleamed with a golden light when struck by sunlight.
"Marriage is truly difficult."
Lucas chuckled softly, muttering the words to himself.
Grace, standing behind him, found herself nodding in agreement without thinking.
It was such a chaotic wedding that no one would believe the story, no matter where one told it.
"Grrr...."
The wolf bared its teeth and advanced toward Lucas and Grace.
Despite the fierce aura radiating from the beast, Lucas remained completely unmoved.
"I would prefer it if you calmed yourself. I have no wish to leave my bride with terrible memories of our wedding."
"Roooarrr!"
"...If you insist on refusing, then so be it. Though horses are herbivores, their temperament is far from gentle."
There was something ominous in Lucas's words.
'Surely he doesn't mean to transform as well? He's lost his mind!'
They were inside the Royal Palace. Specifically, in the King's Private Chamber!
If a horse and a wolf suddenly appeared in such a place, anyone would find it suspicious.
What was even more terrifying was what would happen if they clashed within this chamber.
Grace knew that Lucas's hoofbeats could shatter walls and wood.
His strength was that formidable.
But her opponent was a wolf!
A beast with sharp claws and vicious fangs.
Grace naturally assumed Lucas couldn't defeat Trisha in her wolf form.
But then....
"Lucas!"
"Lucas Black! Stop this at once. What madness is this on such an auspicious day!"
...Why were the King and Princess stopping Lucas instead of Trisha?
And with faces drained of all color, as though he might kill her?
"She is no wolf to die so easily. Please, do not worry."
"Lucas! You mustn't!"
...And why wasn't that white-haired man trying to stop him at all?
He watched as though witnessing some grand spectacle.
Just then, Hiss caught Grace's gaze as she looked toward him.
With a subtle smile, he approached her and spoke.
"Each of the Seven Great Houses possesses one specialized ability unique to their lineage. The Black Horses wield unparalleled strength, while the Silver Wolves command far-sight."
"...Strength and far-sight, you say?"
"Of course, one cannot dismiss a wolf's natural strength and stamina. But the Black Horse's power transcends the ordinary bounds of strength. No matter how formidable a wolf may be, a single kick from a Black Horse's hind legs would mean instant death."
At Hiss's explanation, Grace's face went ashen.
'No, no, no.... Why must they fight at a wedding of all times!'
"...Would you like me to intervene?"
"Pardon?"
"I could stop those two for you, Miss Grace.... Shall I?"
Hiss spoke while pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.
His crimson eyes gleamed like jewels, but that was all.
Grace's expression hardened as she withdrew her hand.
"No."
"...."
"It's fine. I'll stop them myself."
Lucas had told her not to fall for Hiss's interference.
Grace decided to heed her lover's counsel.
Though she couldn't fathom Hiss's true intentions, she knew he bore some responsibility for this crisis.
After all, it was surely he who had provoked Trisha, knowingly or not.
"And one more thing.... Please refrain from kissing my hand without permission."
Grace spoke in a measured whisper, her voice firm, and turned away decisively.
As she grasped Lucas's back, he turned his head to look at her.
"Your Grace, please don't fight. Nothing good will come of it here. I beg you, calm yourself."
"...Grace."
"From what I gather, it was Norman's fault, and I understand her anger. So let's not respond emotionally, shall we? Please? This is such a beautiful day."
Lucas gazed at Grace for a long moment.
His head slowly nodded.
"If that is your wish, I shall gladly comply."
And he willingly disarmed himself and stepped back, following her lead.
The sharp, prickly atmosphere dissipated in an instant.
'Thank goodness.'
His retreat was a relief, but the real problem was the wolf baring its fangs right before me.
And there was something else.
Something that had been nagging at me since earlier.
'My hand is burning again.'
The pattern of The Curse, which had crawled up from my palm on the day it was first inscribed, was growing hot once more.
The pain of The Curse flared even more intensely as the wolf before me let out a howl.
"Awooooo—! Krrgh!"
Trisha Onium crouched lower, baring her fangs as if ready to pounce at any moment.
Lucas Black approached her side as if to shield her.
Fortunately, he lacked the savage ferocity from before.
"Krr...!"
Just as bloodlust flickered in Trisha's eyes.
Boom—!
A resonant vibration, similar to the one Lucas Black had created by striking the ground moments earlier, reverberated through the chamber.
"Trisha Onium!"
The King, who had been quietly assessing the situation until now, raised his voice for the first time.
A thunderous force crashed down upon Trisha.
"What insolence is this!"
Ludwig, gripping the royal scepter, struck the floor once more.
A voice so powerfully commanding that it made one's entire body tingle reverberated magnificently through the Private Chamber.
In that moment, Trisha staggered and came to a halt.
The royal scepter Ludwig held is one of the few objects capable of controlling The Curse of the Seven Great Houses.
Though it cannot inflict great damage, it can temporarily bind one's actions.
As a result, not just Trisha, but all three of them froze like statues.
Only Grace and Ludwig remained standing unscathed in that place.
"...*cough*!"
But even Ludwig, having overexerted himself with that last strike, collapsed to the ground.
Grace had become the only person still standing in that room.
*Sting*—
I clenched my palm, which had been tingling persistently since earlier.
Trisha, sitting on the floor, glared at me.
Her reddened eyes brimmed with sorrow.
"Awooooo...!"
She wailed mournfully, her body trembling.
-Frustrated, sad, irritated, this isn't fair!
Strangely, just as it had with Lucas Black, her voice began to echo inside my mind.
"Grrrrr...."
-I know, I know that woman is blameless, that this is just my problem, my venting! But I can't help it. I can't control it. It hurts so much. So, so much frustration!
In that moment, Grace found herself stepping closer to Trisha without even realizing it.
---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------