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Episode 13
"Did this creature ‌‌‌just laugh at me?"
"Young Master Gerd. ‌‌‌You shouldn't refer to the young lady as ‌‌‌'that thing.'"
"She has ears too, doesn't she? She's clearly mocking me right now!"
This is driving me mad. ‌‌‌
The way he mimicked adults and put on airs was honestly hilarious. Besides, from my perch atop John's massive head, my opponent looked ‌‌like nothing more than ‌‌a tiny child.
"Come down here at once! An albino who would have been nothing but a dancer in Lichenbaum dares mock me?"
Gerd huffed indignantly and reached toward me. In his anger, he failed to notice that Kirakserus's magic had caused him to address me with the honorific—a slip he would regret.
"That won't do, Young Master."
John, my appointed guardian, dodged Gerd's advances with effortless grace.
"Please stop."
"Argh! She keeps ‌laughing! How dare she! How dare she mock me!!! The second son of Lichenbaum!"
I tried to ‌‌‌‌suppress my laughter by swishing my tail, but I ultimately burst out laughing.
I grabbed John's hair and shook with silent giggles, nearly tumbling from his head.
After a long moment, when my laughter finally subsided, I could see the boy composing himself, searching for words that might wound me.
What would he say now? That I was lowborn?
"You... you... have a family too! Your bloodline is noble!"
"...Pfft. Puhahahaha!"
His words were so predictable that ‌‌the laughter I'd barely ‌‌contained erupted anew. No matter what insult he ‌‌‌‌hurled, Kirakserus's filtering magic would render it harmless.
'What am I doing? He's supposed to be one of the male leads!'
After wiping my eyes, I tapped Pompom's head twice.
"Are you the pudding ‌‌culprit?"
-You're the one who threw today's dessert ‌pudding into the trash right in front of the cooks?
In that moment, Gerd's mind reeled in confusion.
'What... what? How does she know that?'
Though ‌‌‌‌he struggled to hide it, his face flushed crimson—a betrayal he couldn't suppress.
The truth was, he'd come to this lower servants' ‌‌floor because a bribed corridor ‌‌‌cleaner had reported the young lady's whereabouts.
He'd intended to intimidate the lowborn albino ‌‌called the young lady and assert that he would become the Patriarch.
Until last year, Gerd had lived in Lichenbaum, and ‌‌the only albino he'd ever encountered was a ‌‌common dancer. But this 'young lady' albino was nothing like what he'd imagined. ‌‌
'In Lichenbaum, she wouldn't have dared even raise her eyes to my face!'
Yet here she was, perched atop the head of John Grizzly, the knight-guardian, looking down at him. It was utterly unbearable.
'And the food, the room—nothing suits me here!'
Seething with indignation, his eyes blazing, he searched for words base enough to wound her.
"Once we're married, I'll divorce you and lock you in the Tower. You'll spend your whole life begging for my love!"
The King of Lichenbaum, his father, kept numerous concubines. After ‌‌a certain period, ‌‌‌they were dragged to ‌‌‌the Tower. They remained there for life, forced to beg for the King's mercy. ‌‌‌
'There. Surely she's frightened now!'
Emboldened, he lifted his chin. But the response was far ‌from what he'd anticipated.
"Pft, puhahahaha! Lock me away?!"
"Your words have crossed a line, Young Master. I will report this separately to the Patriarch. Be aware of that."
Why was this happening?
Marten laughed ‌‌at the crude jest, while John Grizzly, who had wanted to appear respectable in his own way, hardened his expression and stiffened his face.
Gerd couldn't understand it at all.
'That brat's thoughts are so ‌transparent.'
I could see right through Gerd's mind. ‌‌‌‌How much had he been coddled and indulged as the king's son? It was a great blessing to the kingdom that he wasn't the eldest.
Having laughed my fill, I quickly adopted a cold tone. Laughter was laughter, but discipline was necessary.
"Hey."
"!"
"Who said I was competing with you?"
"W-what?"
"There are plenty of other candidates besides you. Fool."
I probably shouldn't curse at a noble prince, but I've heard far worse language myself.
'Besides, this situation will be reported fairly to the ‌‌Patriarch by John anyway.'
I had done nothing but laugh, yet it was that fool who got offended and said things he shouldn't have.
"Pudding, don't waste it."
- Do you know how much effort from how many people goes into making even a single pudding that enters your mouth? Don't treat food carelessly.
Pompom translated brilliantly what I wanted to say.
The brat, glancing between me and Pompom, clenched his teeth with a face turning red as a boiling pot.
'Oh? Is he actually holding back?'
If he restrains himself here, he might have some promise after all.
'Or perhaps he's staying quiet only because of ‌‌‌John, even though he wants to lash out.'
Most people are weak before ‌‌the strong and strong before the weak. But the Patriarch of Driblyane cannot be such a person. Who would buy weapons forged by someone so weightless?
"Let's go, ‌‌‌‌John."
"Yes, Young Lady."
I turned my head away with deliberate coldness.
'Tch, what a waste of potential.' ‌‌‌
Still, it seems that unpromising brat does eventually awaken as an Alpha.
'It looks like the kingdom really did everything in their power to force him to awaken as an Alpha somehow.'
Yes, I've decided. Let Rahyun save ‌Gerd. ‌‌
I absolutely didn't want to steal Gerd's redemption arc. I'd just tell Rahyun to take it instead... ‌‌‌
"Eek!"
In that instant, I felt my body lift off the ground and let out a scream.
"Young Lady!"
John, suddenly robbed of me, spun around ‌with a flustered expression, but I was already caught in Gerd's grip—dangling by my tail no less!
"How dare you insult me?"
Mother, this guy's lost his mind.
I wondered how he'd grabbed me faster than John's reaction speed, when a large bird poked its head out from beside Gerd.
The bird, wrapped in ‌a soft luminescence, was clearly no ordinary creature.
"That's a wind spirit, isn't it! You're using spirit magic ‌‌‌against the Young Lady!"
John, his ‌‌face drained of color, immediately stepped closer, but Gerd retreated a step and used the ‌‌spirit as ‌a shield.
"This ‌‌‌brat needs a proper beating from me, so stay where you are."
"Stop this at once. You'll receive a truly severe scolding!"
"Oh, is that so?"
A twisted smirk spread across his face. In that same instant, a tremendous pain shot through my tail.
'It hurts!'
No ‌‌‌‌matter what, Gerd was thirteen years old. I was merely a small and ‌‌‌fragile baby Marten.
When Gerd deliberately seized me with his full strength, my tail felt as though it would be torn clean off.
"I myself cannot possibly marry some albino creature. Go to the Patriarch this very moment and tell him—that designating you as the future mistress of this household was a ‌‌‌mistake. Tell him to call it off!"
"Squeak!"
As I was shaken wildly through the air like a hunted small creature, my tiny organs felt as though they were being turned inside out. John must have decided this had gone far enough, for I saw him draw his sword.
Spirit or not, what Gerd had summoned was ‌‌merely a mid-tier wind spirit. Moreover, it lacked the ‌‌‌jewel upon its brow that would serve as proof of a contract. It wasn't even a personal spirit—it was likely a spirit contained within a protective ‌‌‌artifact ‌‌‌‌‌granted by the royal family.
"I have received orders ‌‌‌‌‌from the Patriarch to prioritize the safety of the young lady above all else. Therefore, I shall forcibly banish this spirit."
"Tch. Fine, fine, I understand!"
At John's stern warning, Gerd clicked his tongue and dispelled the spirit. Then he hurled me directly into John's waiting hands.
"Young lady, are you unharmed!"
I am not unharmed.
'I'll have my revenge!' ‌‌‌‌
How dare he cause me such pain.
I leaped to my feet and glared at Gerd with fierce eyes. To think that being unable to assume human form could be such a bitter curse!
'No, wait. There are ways to exact revenge precisely because I'm in animal form.'
With my small paws clenched tight, I concentrated all ‌‌‌‌my strength ‌‌‌‌into my hind legs and launched myself forward.
"Young lady!"
Before John could stop me, I reached my enemy's shoulder and opened my jaws wide, sinking my teeth directly into his soft, fluffy ear.
"Aaaaah! You beast!!! Let go!!!"
Did he think I'd release him? He didn't let go of my tail either!
"I said let go! Aaaaah!!!"
The taste of blood filled my mouth. It was revolting, but even as I was shaken back and forth, I refused to release my grip. ‌‌
Take what you deserve!
John knew he should stop me, but he seemed unable to bring ‌himself to forcibly pry me away, shifting uncomfortably.
Gerd shrieked and wailed, and ‌at his cries, people began gathering from all directions.
"What in the world is happening here?"
And finally, the one person capable ‌‌‌‌of resolving this situation appeared. It was Raphiren.

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy ‌‌the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------