I Raised the Beast Well

Chapter 105

TL/PR : Nesta/ YoruNoTsuki

It was a very undignified attitude coming from the emperor of this great nation, but he couldn’t help it. There was a black beast who was staring back at him.

A black beast crouched in the shadow below the white mansion. His eyes shone brightly in the darkness as if threatening the emperor.

Aymon was just there watching the human reunion. Before Lart and Lucy arrived, Belinda pointed toward one corner.

“Just stay there for a second, okay? Do you understand?”

That’s what she said.

Of course, Aymon didn’t understand a single word she said. He barely understood when Belinda kept pointing somewhere and using hand gestures to imitate crouching.

Are you telling me to wait here?

Strangely enough, Aymon followed this weak prey’s order obediently. He trudged defeatedly and plopped down there.

The voice of that weak and pretty golden creature seemed to have an unknown power on him.

In any case, Lart hopped to hide Lucy behind his back. Aymon didn’t even react. He just closed his eyes languidly and swung his tail as if annoyed.

“S-Since when….?”

When Lart stuttered the question, Belinda looked up at the tree on the left and began to count with her fingers.

“Um…about fifteen days ago?”

“Does he remember you?”

“No. But he’s still as nice as before. He’s a good boy.”

Lart smiled vainly.

He can’t be as nice as before, though. You talk like he’s always been nice in the past. That black leopard is the most impudent creature I’ve ever met.

Lart glanced at Aymon again, and once their gaze met, he hurriedly looked away.

Looking at the transformation stone embedded in his forehead or his majestic form, he was definitely Aymon. The black leopard who once ruled over the forest, Aymon.

Only then did Lart ask in a saddened voice.

“Then, will you come back to the palace?”

“Um…..”

Belinda looked back at Aymon. He was still there with her now, but it wouldn’t be strange if he left all of a sudden. The current Aymon was driven by instincts instead of intelligence, and right now, he was a beast, not a Shinsu.

An untamed beast.

“I’ll just stay here.”

In response to Belinda’s calm answer, Lart sighed for a long time.

“But with that body….you….gosh…”

He heaved a deep sigh after mumbling anxiously, thinking that he wouldn’t be able to dissuade her.

Belinda stroked her abdomen gently as if it became a habit of hers and smiled with ease.

“The sun is going down. You should return now.”

Lart and Lucy had to return by themselves again this time, leaving Belinda alone.

But there was something different than before; Belinda didn’t look lonely anymore.

Aymon approached a large basket and sniffed it. It seemed like he was going to check first before she ate it.

He poked the basket with his nose.

Fortunately, there was nothing dangerous inside.

Inside it was apples, bread and dried meat, which Lucy prepared after considering the nutritional value.

However, Aymon stared at it with a dissatisfied gaze. He couldn’t smell the raw blood.

You’re weak because you have only eaten things like this.

Belinda saw that he looked unhappy with something and was growling right after, wrinkling his nose.

Belinda walked up to the angry beast and calmly reached out to the back of Aymon’s neck as he was occupied with the basket.

This is my chance! I’m gonna touch him!

However, she couldn’t even touch the tip of his fur.

Grrrrrr……

Because the black leopard growled dangerously. He allowed her to get close, but it seemed like he hadn’t allowed her to touch her yet.

When on earth are you going to let me touch you again?

However, Belinda smiled patiently.

“You know, when you were a very small cat, your front paws were so cute that it felt like a cotton ball. Because you never used your claws against me.”

Aymon didn’t even pretend to listen, and crouched down again after checking the basket.

“But now, I feel like I’m going to die if I get hit by your paws. That’s why I can’t hug you like I used to do.”

She mumbled words that he couldn’t understand, but he felt relaxed for some reason and closed his eyes.

“Don’t hit me, okay? Because I’m not the only one who will be hurt if you do that, you see.”

「…….」

Aymon curled up more as he was feeling relaxed by Belinda’s gentle tone. He couldn’t understand her words, but he knew that he shouldn’t hurt that human.

Belinda took one step away and sat on the ground. The only thing that lingered between them was silence, yet it wasn’t awkward.

It was a calm evening between a beast and a human.

***

As the morning sun shone over the curtains, Belinda woke up due to the blinding lights. The cool morning breeze permeated through the window, but the warm sun gently melted her body.

Like a sort of habit, she touched the empty spot next to her. It was cold as always, but it didn’t feel lonely anymore because she knew what waited for her just over the window.

Belinda stretched her body and went into the bathroom. After she took a refreshing bath, she squeezed her wet hair gently and opened the door. She couldn’t wait to see her black panther.

The air outside was cool, furthermore the green and yellow leaves looked especially vibrant. Facing the lively morning forest, her heart glowed warmly as if it got sprinkled by gold powder.

She felt like only good things will happen from now on. Until she saw a wild boar lying dead on her doorstep.

“Kyaaa!”

The mountain birds scattered in the air at her scream. Mazetto, who perched on a branch of the nearby tree, also flew up in the air.

“What the? What the hell! What is that!!”

Belinda pressed her pounding heart.

There was a wild boar in front of her and Mazzeto, who’d flown back, was now on her shoulder. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a big similarity between the two. Both are preys that Aymon probably brought as a gift.

But, there was also a big difference: Mazzeto was alive, unlike the wild boar.

Aymon was the only beast who could do this. It was clear that her cute and fierce leopard brought it to take care of her. Just as he used to play-bite Mazetto then drop him.

Belinda closed her eyes and slowly rubbed Mazetto’s chubby belly. When she stroked the warm feathers, her shocked heart began to calm down.

“What brings you here, Mazetto?”

“I heard Aymon is here! But Mazetto was shocked to see him here! I love it! I’m really, really happy!”

Mazetto made a fuss and flapped his tiny wings in excitement. The wind blew to Belinda’s ear whenever he flapped his tiny wings.

Recently, the small sparrow settled in Lucy’s room. He used to stay in Aymon’s mansion, but the sadness was unbearable whenever he felt Aymon’s absence. He just bawled and eventually left his nest.

He seemed to have flown immediately after he heard the news yesterday, that Aymon had returned.

“I’m going to live here now! I’m going to stay with Aymon and Belinda! Mazetto is not sad anymore!”

Ignoring Mazetto’s chatter, Belinda looked at the tree trunk behind the flower bush. Aymon sat relaxedly while looking at her.

What do you think of my present? You’re thankful, right?

Was the thought he conveyed through his gaze.

That’s right. Aymon used to give Mazetto as a gift.

But the size of the boar was too much. She was worried about how to react to this. It was difficult to tell him to stop doing this with a straight face.

She was happy….but she was scared that he’d bring another prey later.

Belinda, who was agonizing over it, carefully approached Aymon. She gently soothed the leopard who was looking at her.

“Aymon. I’m thankful, but…”

「…….」

“I have my own food. You can have all of this for yourself. You don’t have to bring me food anymore.”

「…….」

“Do you understand? Hmm? Don’t just listen. Please give me an answer. Can you pretend to meow or something?”

「…….」

A one-sided conversation continued between a quiet leopard and a human who kept talking to herself.

Belinda began to explain to Aymon using hand and foot gestures. Saying that she appreciated his gift, but she didn’t need a wild boar and wanted to decline his gift.

Aymon didn’t seem to understand despite her effort to communicate, so Belinda only shook her head without erasing her smile.

Meanwhile, Aymon was troubled.

He pitied her for being skinny since she couldn’t hunt for herself, so he gave her food. But the reaction was ambiguous. At first, she screamed and then muttered incomprehensible words.

It seemed like she was thankful, but he also felt like she wanted to say something else, so it made him feel frustrated.

Whatever. Just compliment me.

Aymon raised his chin gracefully. He meant to ask for a head pat. He unconsciously was making an old habit gesture. It made the human being in front of him open her eyes wide and soon reached out to him carefully.

Aymon could feel that her white fingertips were shaking. The emotion felt in the tremor was different from fear.

Soon, a warm hand stroked his chin and then began rubbing the back of his neck. Feeling good about her gentle touch, Aymon closed his eyes and rubbed his cheeks against her feet.

He didn’t hate it. That human was quite impudent for laying her hand on him, but his body melted by her touch. It made him want to roll on the ground and rub his cheek at her feet more.

He let go of his pride and swayed his tail uncontrollably.

Every touch of that human exuded a sweet scent. It was a scent that made him miss something very much. His heart was itching, he wanted to pounce on her right away, but he endured it.

His blood rushed wildly each time he saw the creature in front of him. His heart was pounding, and a feeling similar to nervousness made him shudder, but he couldn’t even define what this emotion was.

He wanted to pounce on her right away. He wanted to rub his face on that slender neck. He wanted to feel the soft skin while smelling the fragrant scent.

But that doesn’t mean that he wanted to sink his fangs in that skin….he wanted to tease her by licking her soft skin….

The prey in front of him incited a different desire of conquest in him.

——–