CH 9

T/n: This was part of  the raws

<Synopsis of the story so far>

Ashley remembers being a black rabbit of the demon kingdom in her previous life. After being helped by Marquis Clyde, she agrees to be engaged with him. However, he is the brother of the king and a descendant of the hero who destroyed the demon kingdom. 

She’s afraid of him, but is determined to get used to him since he is her  fiancée. At the same time, she was surprised to smell the miasma that’s emitted by the demon kingdom and headed towards the stables. There, she meets magicians called Hank and Jeanne, who seem to dislike Ashley. And Clyde, who seems to be up to something, let her enter the stables and showed her a door at the back saying that there indeed is a demon in there…(which was supposed to be a secret.)

“Would you like to see it?” Clyde asked.

“Yes.” Ashley said as she nodded enthusiastically.

“One moment. It is a very important secret that the royal family has been entrusted to us.”

“She still can’t know about it even though she is your fiancée” 

Jeanne and Hank both said at the same time, their voices sounded startled. Clyde raised his hand to stop them.

‘It’s fine,” Clyde said softly to Ashley, “Let’s go inside.”

“Master Clyde!?”

Clyde turned at the sound of the magician’s protests, “It’ll be alright. Both of you guys and I are here. Miss Ashley won’t get hurt, also the beast isn’t in a state to do so.”

“That’s not the point!”

“I know. But there has been no progress in these four years. I feel as if this might give us a breakthrough.” There was conviction in his tone. A smile was playing on his lips. It was not his usual gentle smile, but the fearless smile that makes Ashley’s heart unsettle.

In front of the shocked magicians, Clyde said to Ashley, “Just in case, don’t leave my side. Let’s go.”

Ashley swallowed hard. Her fingertips tremble with anticipation. She looked forward, trying to hide it. Clyde placed his hand on the iron door and it slowly opened. She expected to hear something, but there was no sound. There was no sound of footsteps going around or the sound of flapping wings. It was quiet.

‘…Are there really demons in here?’

“Go ahead,” She stepped inside following Clyde. The vaulted ceiling was high and the interior was wide and spacious, similar to the horse stalls by the entrance. The one lying on the fine stone floor was—

“…!?” She almost cried out. A large creature lying at the center is something that would never exist in this Tolfa country.

A dignified face with triangular ears, tough yet supple body. From the top of its head to the tip of its tail was covered with a thick coat of bushy jet-black fur. Although its eyes were tightly shut, she knew it was alive. She could see its back slightly moving up and down. Ashley knows who this is.

It’s a black wolf, a demon beast who’s a close aide of the demon king. Strong, noble, and dignified. It was someone that the black rabbit secretly admired.

‘It’s Mister Black Wolf…!’ she couldn’t speak as excitement surged through her body.

She had thought that he had also died six hundred years ago. Now, he’s there in front of her. She was moved to tears.

‘But why is he here?’

Clyde mentioned that it was entrusted to him by the royal family. Then, she finally remembered the presence of Clyde staring at her with stunned faces. That’s right. There’s a terrifying beast in front. An average lady would’ve either frozen in terror or run away screaming yet, she looked at it with deep emotion as if she was going to burst into tears.

‘Oh, no…’ She was hurriedly racking her brain on what to say.

“Ashley,” A voice suddenly called out right behind her. The voice came from above her head and the voice was Clyde’s.

She managed to stifle a scream, but her body was covered in goosebumps all over. She could feel the warmth of his body nestled close behind her. It was nothing but terrifying to be this close to the hero’s descendant. She did decide to get used to him, but this was not the way to do it. In an ordinary situation, since he’s her fiancée, she should’ve been blushing, but all she could let out was cold sweat.

Jeanne’s face contorted with fiery eyes. However, under an extreme state of stress, Ashley could not notice. Clyde brought his face closer to her ear and whispered, “You don’t seem to be surprised seeing the beast.”

“W-What do you mean?” She was shaken. She clenched her hands tightly at the sides of her body. Still, Clyde was relentless.

“It’s a demon. A black wolf. But Ashley knew about it, didn’t you?”

“How could I know that—”

“The smell produced by that beast fills this place. This was the smell on my handkerchief that day when I met you at the palace. Before you entered here, you called it “miasma”. How did you know?”

She felt her blood drain. She remembered that she had certainly blurted it out.

“I was sure since Lord Clyde mentioned it first.”

“I have not said it. I’ve always been careful. I can assure you that I never mentioned it.” He clearly denied it. Ashley couldn’t help herself, she wanted to cry.

“How do you know?”

She realized that Clyde was close to her so that she wouldn’t be able to escape. He was absolutely determined to get an answer.

‘What should I do! what should i say!？’

There’s no escape. There’s no way that she could tell him that she used to be a demon in her previous life. She shook her head frantically, “I can’t say it …”

The stunned Jeanne finally looked up, “Miss Ashley! Master Clyde is waiting. Tell him everything you know!”

Her body trembled. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking. Cold sweat was running down her back.

“Stop it, Jeanne.” Clyde said as he stared at the frightened Ashley. He sighs heavily as if he sensed a little herbivore’s tragedy.

“—Okay. You don’t have to tell me.”

‘What? Really!?’ She raised her head by his unexpected words. Clyde was looking at her with a serious expression.

“I want you to cooperate with us in return. I want to wake up the black wolf that has been asleep for a long time. I want you to help us with that.”

“Wake up?”

For what purpose? Why is he still asleep? And why would he want it to wake up? Still, there is no other option, even Ashley prefers as it’s better for the black wolf to wake up.

“I understand. I’ll cooperate.” She nodded with determination.

The moment Clyde stepped back, Ashley ran away from him so fast like a rabbit. Clyde stared at her as she was breathing heavily at the corner.

‘As usual, I can’t figure her out.’

Neither the intention nor the meaning of her actions so he only stared and observed. Ashley stretched her body, expressing the joy of being released. Her face was radiant even though a terrifying beast was in front of her.

‘She runs away at the opposite way when I’m close.’  

Although she knew what it was. He doesn’t know how or why Ashley knows about miasma and the beast. He could ask her in the future. For now…

“Ashley,” Clyde called out to her. Her relaxed face instantly clouded over. He felt somewhat complicated but still he said with a smile, “You must be tired. It’s already dawn. Go back to the main house and have a rest and breakfast, and they tell me what you know.”

He was anxious to know, but Ashley’s physical condition comes first. Her stature is small which probably means that she doesn’t have much strength and most importantly, she looks tired.

“Yes,” Ashley nodded obediently, however she stared at him cautiously perhaps because he was too close to her.

To reassure her, Clyde deliberately turned his back to her. After a while, he looked back at her and saw her looking at the beast happily. Her cheeks were slightly tinted as if she was looking at someone she admired. She runs aways from her fiancée yet she looks at the beast with this expression? He doesn’t know what the reason is but, it certainly is funny.

‘She’s such a strange lady, isn’t she?’ he chuckled.

At the same time, she piqued his interest, not because she knew about the demon. He was interested in Ashley, herself. Until now, Clyde has never been moved by any particular woman before. That’s why this was unusual.

‘And besides――’

Whenever he sees Ashley happy, even that carefree smile she gives as she looks at the beast, he feels his shoulders relax.

‘How strange.’ Clyde smiled and turned again before she discovers that his attention was on her.