The small creature bit Cael’s hand.
“Ouch!”
Startled, Cael let out a small scream, and the small creature, on the contrary, curled up as if startled.
“…!”
Vane immediately prepared to attack, gripping his sword, while a bewildered Dahan approached Cael.
Icarus stared at Cael with a slightly furrowed brow.
“Lord Cael, are you okay?”
“This little one seems to have lost its mother to those monsters.”
Upon Cael’s words, Icarus, Dahan, and Vane all turned their attention to the small creature on the ground, whose form was difficult to recognize after being partially torn apart by the monsters a while ago.
The three were so absorbed in dealing with the monsters that they hadn’t noticed it before.
“Come here. It won’t harm you.”
Despite being frightened and trembling, Cael extended his hand again to the small creature, which had exposed its teeth.
The small creature, which seemingly couldn’t understand words, hesitated for a moment. However, it soon approached cautiously.
“Wow…”
When Cael inadvertently exclaimed, the surprised small creature retreated a few steps, showing its teeth again.
“Stay back.”
Icarus grabbed Cael’s back and gently moved him backward, then carefully rummaged through his waist with a ring belt.
‘What is he trying to do?’
Worried that Icarus might harm the small creature, Cael observed his actions.
Icarus took out dried meat from the ring belt, slowly bent his knees, and sat down.
Then he extended the hand holding the dried meat toward the small creature.
Hesitant and cautious, the small creature, which had been observing whether to approach, finally came closer to Icarus.
And it began to eat the dried meat eagerly, seeming very hungry. Icarus slowly got up so as not to startle it.
With that, the business here seemed to be finished, and Icarus turned away without any lingering emotions.
“Go back.”
“Yes!”
Vane and Dahan also turned to follow Icarus.
Cael remained alone, watching the small creature devour the dried meat absentmindedly.
‘If I leave like this… will it be left alone here?’
Thinking so, Cael’s mood became a bit melancholic.
Although he couldn’t know about the creature’s other parent, losing its mother and being left alone felt somewhat relatable.
Moreover, once Cael and the three leave, he couldn’t predict how long the creature could survive in such a dangerous place with monster appearances.
‘It probably won’t survive for long…’
As Cael gazed at the creature with sympathetic eyes, Dahan’s voice reached him.
Realizing that Cael wasn’t following, Dahan returned.
“Lord Cael? Why are you here? Please come back now.”
Cael hesitated for a moment, then firmly grabbed Dahan’s sleeve.
“Why are you doing this?”
Unable to answer immediately to Dahan’s question, Cael finally gathered the courage to speak.
“If we take this little one to the palace… it wouldn’t be allowed, right?”
A perplexed expression crossed Dahan’s face.
‘As expected, it won’t work.’
Cael realized he had needlessly put Dahan in an awkward situation and was about to speak again when Icarus, colder than usual, approached purposefully.
‘Is he trying to scold me? That must be it.’
Cael quickly tried to offer an excuse, but contrary to his expectations, Icarus had already thrust his sword into the neck of the largest lifeless monster.
Unbeknownst to them, the small creature that had finished eating all the jerky was now gazing in Icarus’s direction.
No, more precisely, toward the monster Icarus had stabbed with his sword.
“…Preserving life is not an easy task. So think carefully and make a decision.”
Icarus, with a serious expression, stared directly at Cael.
Swallowing hard, Cael answered promptly, “I… can take care of it!”
“The choice is yours. Don’t forget that fact.”
“Yes!”
He bit his tongue again!
As Cael, embarrassed by the structure of his own mouth, was feeling ashamed, Icarus turned away with a faint smile around his lips.
Vane followed closely behind, trying to persuade.
“Your Majesty? Even so, that creature will undoubtedly grow tremendously if it’s some kind of wolf.”
“It must be lonely. It might help in developing a sense of responsibility and emotional growth. Bringing in one beast cub wouldn’t be a big problem. Besides, that’s not the type you think it is, Vane.”
“Well, then, why not find an elegant breed of dog instead…”
The voices of the two gradually faded away.
Cael, reminiscing about the events of the day, looked at the small creature with shining eyes.
‘Will this one also lose its wildness and grow up in the palace like a dog?’
Cael thought, gazing at the small creature sleeping soundly in his arms.
While Cael was reflecting on his first encounter with the small creature, a sweet fragrance wafted in.
Cael searched for the source of the smell and, raising his head, met Icarus, who was walking toward him with a steaming mug.
“Your body will warm up.”
Cael, sipping hot cocoa, gently caressed the furry body of the baby creature.
His eyelids kept getting heavier. Then, at some point, he fell asleep.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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