As the power struggle within the Hwang family was merely an internal conflict among the lion beastmen, Hugrey had no interest in whether the missing prince was hiding in his mother’s hometown or not.

However, the fact that the empress’s hometown happened to be Bergen, and also happened to be Clyne Liden’s hometown, was another matter entirely.

Moreover, if that fellow was still staying at Clyne’s house even now, it was even more problematic.

Now that there were no more patients to care for, why? Why was he still clinging to Clyne’s house?

It was far more irritating than he had imagined.

Even more so as that guy was meeting his gaze directly without avoiding eye contact. To the point where enough adrenaline was surging to be released only when encountering a natural enemy.

“Your Grace, please come in.”

Clyne’s cheerful voice cut in between Traskan and Hugrey, who were staring intently at each other. That voice instantly disrupted the air of checks and opposition flowing between the lion and the wolf.

Right, he had to go in first. To drag that lion bastard out of this house.

As Hugrey, having made that decision, took a step inside the entrance, a hand suddenly rose above his head. It was that guy’s hand.

Hugrey glared at his hand with raised eyes and pulled his head back.

“What are you doing?”

“Be careful. So you don’t hit your head on the wall above the entrance.”

What nonsense!

Hugrey quickly turned his head towards the top of the entrance.

“Ah…!”

Come to think of it, the entrance height was quite low. So much so that if Hugrey had gone in without ducking his head, he might have hit the wall.

“I have to duck my head every day too, so I warned you in advance. We can’t have a guest visiting our home get injured, after all.”

Calcus Traskan said with a gentle smile. As if he was really concerned about Hugrey.

“Ah! That’s right! Your Grace, you almost bumped your head. Calcus has bumped into it several times. Like an idiot, even though he’s not a child.”

Clyne cheerfully added to the conversation as if it was some amusing fact.

“A child? Is there a child this tall? I was planning to modify it to fit my height soon anyway.”

As much as the smiles of Clyne and Traskan exchanging conversation seemed joyful, Hugrey’s displeasure was growing in real-time.

Every word that Calcus Traskan uttered was irritating.

Our home, guest.

So that bastard was now saying that Clyne’s house was his home, and that Hugrey was their guest.

And what? Repairing the entrance height to fit his height?

Next to him, Clyne was chirping away brightly, using words like ‘idiot’ and ‘child’, whether he knew what he was saying or was clueless.

What idiot. If anyone’s an idiot, it’s you, Clyne, using words like ‘child’ while being deceived by that guy’s fake innocent smile.

Even Clyne’s innocence was annoying.

However, he barely suppressed the urge to ‘snap the lion cub’s neck and adjust his height to fit the entrance’, and entered the house, ducking his head through the entrance.

Because that’s something only beasts would do. He was a wolf beastman, not a wolf. But anytime… if he were to become a wolf… wouldn’t it be okay to snap that bastard’s neck?

“Um, this is Calcus, whom I mentioned before. I told you he’s been living with us to nurse my mother, remember?”

Clyne introduced that guy to Hugrey, who was continuing to imagine himself as a wolf tearing apart the lion cub.

Of course I remember. Why else would I be doing this ridiculous thing of accompanying a servant on their holiday?

However, Hugrey just looked down at Traskan without showing any particular reaction. It was the principle that subordinates should introduce themselves first, no matter where they went.

Whether he was actually a prince or not, right now that Traskan was just Calcus Tacan, a friend of his servant Clyne Liden.

“Pleased to meet you, Duke Ulpaz. I am Calcus Tacan.”

Calcus Traskan, who had already been irritating with nonsense about watching out for his head and calling it ‘our home’, now greeted with a newly polite smile.

“Hugrey Ulpaz.”

Of course, Traskan probably didn’t want this kind of treatment from Hugrey, but judging by the atmosphere, it seemed he really wanted to remain as ‘Tacan’ to Clyne.

Not as a lion cub, not as a prince, but as a kind and innocent young man from the neighborhood.

His obvious intentions made Hugrey want to expose him, saying ‘You’re not the country boy ‘Tacan’, you’re the prince ‘Traskan”.

However, considering the reason he was living under the name ‘Tacan’ to survive, it was appropriate to pretend not to know his identity. After all, he wasn’t so vile or childish as to play games with the life of a royal hiding their identity. At least not yet.

“Um, Your Grace. It seems my mother has really recovered. They say she’s been away from home for a few days now. Thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you, Your Grace.”

Clyne, standing right next to Calcus Traskan, thanked him with a respectful attitude.

Who asked for such insincere gratitude?

“The patient has recovered so well that she’s been away from home for days, yet I wonder why an outsider remains in the house claiming to nurse someone.”

“Pardon?”

Clyne’s eyes widened.

There shouldn’t have been anything wrong with what he said, so why such a surprised expression? Everything down to the smallest detail was displeasing.

“So…, are you going to keep me standing here?”

“Ah! No, of course not. How could we? Since you’ve come to our house, please have at least a cup of tea before you go. It might be inconvenient for you to return if it gets too dark, so just for a moment…”

Just have tea and then leave? Oh dear. That might be difficult.

And there’s something really bothering me, Clyne – when you say ‘our’ house, surely the ‘our’ doesn’t refer to that guy and you?

“Take your time preparing. I think I could stay a night at ‘your’ house. Since your mother isn’t here, there should be a spare bed.”

The word ‘our’. I don’t like it. So all the more reason I can’t leave just ‘you two’ in this house.

There were three visible rooms. Which one of those would be Clyne’s room?

“No! How could you in this small house! No, no!”

Clyne urgently shouted into Hugrey’s ear, who was already surveying the small house’s interior.

‘No’ three times.

‘Right, I don’t want to either.’

As you say, this house is far too small to leave just you and that lion cub behind.

“Duke, this house will be very uncomfortable for you to sleep in. Being in the mountains, many wild animals appear at night, but don’t worry about returning as I can escort you to the village.”

Even if wild animals appear, he says not to worry because he’ll escort me. Is this fellow in his right mind saying such things?

He must know that Hugrey Ulpaz is a wolf beastman. Knowing full well that mountain paths pose no obstacle to a wolf beastman, yet he says such things.

Although he’s said to have lived outside the imperial palace since childhood, as long as his mother still remains as empress, he couldn’t be ignorant of imperial affairs.

Even if it appeared they had completely severed ties externally, in reality, it was impossible that the mother-son relationship hadn’t continued.

Moreover, if Traskan himself wasn’t a beastman, it might be different. Whether wolf beastmen or lion beastmen, no beast would dare attack top predator beastmen.

Yet, to dare say such things as ‘wild animals’ and ‘don’t worry’ to him, the leader of the wolf beastman tribe, was clearly a provocation.

A laughable provocation boasting the fact that he was a lion beastman, the highest predator occupying the position of royalty.

In reality, the balance of power between the lion beastman tribe and the wolf beastman tribe was definitely tilted towards the lion beastman tribe. As a result, from the early days of the empire’s establishment, the lion beastman tribe could become the imperial family, the masters of the empire.

But that was the result of inter-tribal warfare.

In a one-on-one fight between beastmen, individual skill takes precedence. To dare provoke the alpha of the wolf beastman tribe.

Moreover, Hugrey was a swordmaster as a human in addition to his innate strength as a wolf alpha. Meaning no one in this continent could beat him, neither as a wolf nor as a human.

Yet for this lion cub, who was practically driven out of the imperial family and grew up without properly cultivating his strength, to provoke him who wasn’t even a match in any aspect…

Is it that after all?

From the entrance, the true intentions hidden behind that soft-looking appearance that had been grating on Hugrey’s nerves were clear. His mood was that twisted.

What, a fool? A child? Don’t make me laugh. Clyne, that foolish one has just been tricked by the act of this fox-like lion cub.

“What discomfort. I tend to sleep well anywhere. Clyne knows my sleeping habits well. Right, Clyne?”

“Ah hahaha! Haha! But still…”

Clyne’s face reddened.

What ‘but still’?

Ignoring Chloe’s awkward attitude, Hugrey strode towards the sofa area with the table.

“May I sit here?”

“Yes…”

Clyne said with a sullen expression, not even trying to hide that he was answering reluctantly. Hugrey was confidently heading towards the sofa when he suddenly turned his head due to an ominous premonition.

“…!”

As expected.

Traskan was following Clyne to the kitchen to prepare tea. As if this house was his own, as if the host was trying to entertain a guest.

Before he knew it, veins were bulging on Hugrey’s clenched fist.

“Calcus, do you know where the flower petal tea is? Mom must have really recovered. The tea isn’t where we left it last time. I think mom must have put it somewhere else?”

“You’re not very good at organizing things. And mother can’t stand that kind of thing.”

“What about me! I’m fine enough.”

“As if.”

Traskan laughed while casually ruffling Chloe’s hair. A grinding sound escaped between Hugrey’s lips, and finally, he abruptly stood up from his seat.