Chapter 136

“One… I want to raise one…”

Nikolai, holding the fox in his arms, quietly murmured.

He was surprised even as he said it.

How precious and loved they were to Tia.

Nikolai hurriedly glanced to the side, worried that Tia might hear and become furious.

“Hm? Then do you want to raise it, Nikolai?”

“What…?”

An unexpected response came back. Tia was seriously asking whether he would raise it.

It was completely unexpected.

“Why? Why are you willing to give me the fox?”

“Because you saved Tia last time!”

“No…”

Was she referring to that incident with the monsters? Strictly speaking, it was not Nikolai who saved Tia.

If Nikolai had not pushed Tia away back then, she would have survived anyway.

Being a hero with dragon blood, she wouldn’t have even been scratched by a mere monster’s teeth.

“I did not… save her…”

“You did save her! If it hadn’t been for Nikolai, Tia wouldn’t have come to her senses. She wouldn’t have known whether it was reality or a test. It was all thanks to Nikolai that these foxes could be turned into foxes without being killed.”

“……”

Nikolai had no rebuttal.

It was indeed true that Nikolai brought Tia back to her senses, and it was because of that, Tia, losing her reason, shot anti-magic rays all around and turned the monsters into foxes.

These foxes also had a share of Nikolai’s contribution.

That was a definite fact.

However, he still couldn’t accept it.

They were not ordinary creatures, and to so easily give away the fox that Tia cherished so much was baffling.

“Aren’t they animals you treasure very much? Is it really okay to give them to me?”

“Mm. Tia treasures them, but she also knows that you cherish these kids!”

“What do you mean…?”

“Tia trusts you! She believes that even if you take the fox, you won’t do anything bad and will take good care of them! Because Nikolai is kind. Tia knows everything.”

“……”

Upon hearing those words, Nikolai’s eyes narrowed.

Tia had completely misjudged him.

He was not that kind of person.

He was a sinister person who only thought of using this fox.

He was not suited to associate with someone as pure-hearted as her…

“Here! This kid likes Nikolai the most! Take her!”

“Okay…”

Soon a carriage came to pick up Nikolai, and he held the fox that had been clinging to him and climbed onto the carriage.

During the entire ride to the palace, the fox seemed tired and curled up on Nikolai’s lap, falling asleep.

Once they entered his room, he carefully spread a blanket on the floor and placed the fox on it.

As he leaned forward, watching the fox breathe softly in its sleep, he soon heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Wow! Amazing! This is the fox that was transformed from a monster, isn’t it!”

“Looks like an ordinary fox… but it’s amazing.”

“It’s a great achievement, Your Highness!”

Nikolai’s attendants rushed in, surrounding him and applauding.

It was indeed a significant achievement, enough to warrant such fuss.

He had succeeded in officially bringing in a fox, which surprised the entire world and was being eyed covetously, making it a royal possession.

With this, Nikolai had built another step toward becoming emperor.

He despised being labeled as an incompetent emperor who rose to the throne merely by his father’s favor.

To secure a support base, he had to achieve something as great as his sister before becoming emperor.

And this fox was just the beginning.

Nikolai puffed out his chest proudly and lifted his shoulders.

“Can I dissect it a bit? Ah, of course, I’ll only do it after performing all possible tests while it’s still alive. It’s a precious beast that wouldn’t be bought even for billions; I’ll proceed cautiously with the research.”

“……”

Dissection.

It might indeed be necessary.

Cutting open its belly could reveal things that weren’t visible and could greatly help in understanding the weaknesses of monsters.

It was a procedure that was obviously necessary to reduce the number of people sacrificed by monsters each year.

But…

“I’ll make a schedule in advance then. After bringing in all the equipment and conducting all possible tests, we’ll proceed with the dissection…”

“No!”

“……?”

Nikolai, suddenly standing up, shouted.

His body moved of its own accord.

“Are you planning to cut open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs? Who knows what additional symptoms this fox might exhibit in the future!”

“T-That’s why I’m trying to be cautious. If after enough time has passed, it seems that there won’t be any further changes, we can do the dissection then…”

“That’s unknown! Even if there were no changes for a year! The very next day, this creature could regain its magical energy and revert back to being a monster! We must observe it over the long term! Any tests that could cause permanent harm to the fox, including dissection, are strictly forbidden!”

“Yes, yes. Now that I think about it, that’s a valid point.”

After all, the fox belonged to Nikolai.

He had many things he wanted to argue, but since this was Nikolai’s will, the attendants immediately bowed their heads and declared their compliance.

He seemed so resolute that bringing up further arguments would likely earn him a furious reprimand.

“Damn…”

Immediately after all the attendants had left.

Nikolai, slumping back into his seat, let out a sigh of dissatisfaction.

This wasn’t right.

His inner feelings and actions were completely opposite.

He clearly knew that sacrificing this one fox would benefit the country, yet he couldn’t bring himself to do that.

Everything he had just said had merely been excuses.

The decision not to kill the fox had already been made, and reasons came afterward.

Perhaps he had grown attached to it during this time.

He might have become so influenced by Tia that his once-cold heart was starting to warm up.

“Hmm?”

“Come here…”

As the fox opened its eyes and smiled, Nikolai could no longer hold back and tightly embraced the fox.

At first, the fox struggled, still half-asleep, but soon settled down and rubbed its face against Nikolai’s neck, savoring the hug.

“Indeed… I must follow Tia’s will…”

Initially, he had planned to monopolize the intellectual property that would come from researching this fox.

Sharing research results would only apply to the foxes belonging to Tia.

But Nikolai decided to apply the same rule to the fox he owned.

Any tests that would inflict pain on the fox would be entirely prohibited, and the knowledge obtained from the test results would be shared with all of humanity.

This was the right path.

Although it might not significantly aid in strengthening the royal power, the simple fact that it was the right thing to do made it well worth pursuing.

Because it was right.

Even if there were no direct benefits, someone had to do it.

Nikolai discovered a version of himself that was entirely different from the cynical one he used to be.

It was all because of Tia.

“It’s warm…”

Nikolai smiled, feeling delighted while holding the fox.

It felt warm.

It had been a long time since he had held someone so warmly.

*

“Leopard. Did you know?”

“Hmm? Know what?”

Of course, he must have known.

The question was strange.

I looked at Leopard, who was drying and brushing her hair beside me.

From this angle, they really did look like sisters.

After getting washed and coming out, they wore matching pajamas and…

“That the duke lives forever.”

“……”

Leopard stiffened her expression and closed her mouth.

So she did know.

For Leopard, silence was a form of affirmation. She would never speak words she didn’t want to say, but she wasn’t very good at lying either.

“I only have people like this around me. A peculiar blood type that lives forever. And an immortal hero.”

“……”

Leopard still didn’t speak, looking dissatisfied.

She always reacted this way whenever the topic of the duke came up.

Even now, even though they lived under the same roof, they were awkwardly passing each other by…

Since the duke confessed to me and asked me to marry him, their relationship had become very rocky.

I felt a sense of guilt, thinking it might be because of me.

“So I was thinking…”

“Sorry. My head hurts too much, so I’m going to sleep first.”

With that, Leopard abruptly stood up and hurried away.

Was the topic of conversation too uncomfortable?

Or had she somehow sensed what I was about to say?

I just wanted to tell her that I couldn’t love her in that way…

That we should just remain good friends.

Friends who can understand each other while feeling the same pain of immortality.

But she hurried off before I could say that.

“Phew…”

Next was the duke’s turn.

Just standing before his bedroom made my legs tremble with anxiety.

But I couldn’t give up.

There were things I needed to tell him, things he must know.

I gathered my courage and knocked on the door.

“Is that you, Miss Julia?”

“Yes.”

“Come in.”

His calm laughter was soothing.

He was the kind of man who could put others at ease with his charm.

As I flung the door open, the duke appeared in comfortable attire, as if he had just finished preparing for bed.

However, as I scanned the room, my gaze was inadvertently drawn to a corner.

“Oh. It seems the trash can is full. I’ll empty it right away…”

“It’s fine! I’ll clean it up!”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be quick and come back…”

“It’s an order! Stop right there!”

“……?”

Was this such an overly dramatic reaction?

The duke seemed ready to be angry as he blocked my way, so I eventually had to give up.

By the way, how could the trash can have become so full to just barely lift the lid, even though I clearly emptied it this morning…?

There couldn’t have been that much large trash in the bedroom.

It was a mystery, but now was not the time to be concerned about such things.

“In the middle of the night, a lady barging into a man’s bedroom. What’s your motive?”

The duke, having regained his composure, invited me to sit down.

I sat across from him at a small table, and I had to have a somewhat uncomfortable conversation.

Though unintentional, since the duke had revealed to me that he lived forever, I too had something to say to him.

If I didn’t say it, it would mean continuing to deceive him.

“I have something to tell you.”

“Do you really have to say it at this time? Haaaa. I’m sleepy; how about we talk while lying on the bed?”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes, my lord. I… I…”

My lips trembled.

As I tried to speak, it felt like my mouth was rebelling against me.

Only then did the duke seem to realize the seriousness of the situation; he wiped the playfulness off his face and began to concentrate on me.

I had to tell him.

Even if the duke were to rage at me, asking if he had been deceived all this time.

Even if it was too late, I had to say it before it got any later.

“I’m actually a man.”

“……”

The duke’s eyes widened.

It was over.

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