DGDITMIAE 21

Chapter 21

Zeo had never once seen the eyes of a royal before.

It was rare even for commoners to see them, so how could a fox beastkin who had been persecuted and chased around ever get to see a royal’s eyes up close like this?

Terestia was the person of the highest status in his life—one that would have been lucky if he hadn’t ended up as a slave.

Just because the Grand Duke had held his hand once, Zeo’s face flushed red like a fool.

Zeo, who had been blankly staring at Terestia’s face, suddenly recalled the events before he had come to the Grand Duke’s residence.

Beastkins were citizens of the Empire, yet they existed within an ambiguous boundary of legal protection.

So even after he realized that the human friend he had thought was his closest companion was trying to sell him into slavery, he had eventually resigned himself to it.

When the slave brand was about to be seared onto his body, if the Papal States hadn’t shown up and stirred up the slave market, he might have truly become a slave.

While the holy knights were causing a commotion and drawing all the attention, Zeo was able to flee in haste.

He ran like mad along that path.

He ran so frantically that he dashed wildly on just the word that there were no slaves in the guarded North.

He was chased by monsters, chased by slave traders, and when he was too weak and turned into a fox, he was even chased by hunters.

So it was only natural that he hadn’t realized the mountain visible before him belonged to the Grand Duke and therefore had no hunters.

His right foot had been wounded and broken because of a trap set by a hunter.

The fever and muscle aches that spread through his whole body were due to a mild toxin in the mushrooms he had eaten frantically while being chased.

But for Zeo, more than all of that, slavery was what he found most detestable.

He had always lived a life of being betrayed by humans.

People who treated beastkins like pets, people who used them as slaves, people who thought beasts were pretending to be human, and so on.

Especially a handsome fox beastkin like Zeo had even been sold as a plaything to noble ladies.

If she were a noble lady like Terestia before his eyes, he should naturally feel repulsed—that would be normal.

“Hm?”

At those expectant eyes, his words caught in his throat.

Of course, it was only natural to repay one’s benefactor, but being hired as a gardener to make flowers bloom was another matter entirely.

That meant he would have to stay by Terestia’s side for a long time.

‘By His/Her Highness’s side… for a long time?’

But foolishly, rather than that, the thought of ‘by Terestia’s side’ actually pleased him.

Terestia’s eyes, looking at him with anticipation, sparkled adorably.

How could such large eyes fit in that small face, how could her nose be so pert and cute, and how were her lips so red?

Upon closer inspection, Terestia’s face had a certain charm that drew one’s gaze.

Moreover, now that he was this close, he realized anew—she didn’t have that distinctive human smell.

As a beastkin with a keen sense of smell, Zeo didn’t particularly like the scent of humans.

How could he like humans, who always left him with nothing but nightmares?

At any rate, he detected no particular scent from Terestia.

That made Zeo, who was sensitive to smells, feel at ease.

Zeo, still unable to open his mouth, scratched his head and cautiously spoke.

“As Your Highness knows, I’m a beastkin, so…”

“What about it? Haven’t you seen one before? Mrs. Kiraldu, the pigeon beastkin, is the head maid.”

“That’s not it… I’m a beastkin, so I’ve never been able to stay in one place for long. Being betrayed was always my everyday life… so I couldn’t trust humans.”

“So?”

When Terestia urged him on, Zeo, unable to hide his flushed face, stammered out his words.

“I don’t mean to insult humans, but… I think Your Highness doesn’t have that repulsive human smell…”

However, Zeo didn’t know.

That upon those words, Terestia’s expectant expression froze cold.

‘No human smell? Have I been found out?’

The moment she heard those words, Terestia brought one hand down on the back of Zeo’s head, who was shyly continuing to speak.

Of course, she controlled her strength so his skull wouldn’t crack.

With a sudden *thwack*, Zeo collapsed on the spot, his head struck with tremendous pain.

Terestia slowly rose to her feet and looked down at the back of Zeo’s head—he had already fainted—and coldly warned him.

“If you go around saying things like that, you’ll die.”

“Huff!”

Zeo was startled and bolted upright.

He felt like he’d had some strange dream. It seemed like a nightmare, yet also not…

Anyway, coming to his senses, he turned his head this way and that, and saw the physician looking at him with an annoyed expression.

Zeo was extremely flustered.

He had definitely been talking with the Grand Duke just a moment ago?

But when he came to, he had opened his eyes in the sickroom.

“Oww…”

And his head hurt.

Without thinking, he touched the back of his head and felt what seemed to be a huge bump.

Now, was what he last saw and remembered correct?

The Grand Duke suddenly struck him on the back of the head? And he fainted immediately from that?

Zeo was dumbfounded.

What was this brutishly strong Grand Duke?

The physician, looking at Zeo’s bewildered expression, clicked his tongue and opened his mouth.

“The Grand Duke brought you here, saying you didn’t seem fully recovered yet.”

“Pardon?”

Zeo was shocked once by Terestia’s audacity, and then shocked again by the physician’s nonchalant attitude upon seeing Zeo, who had returned unconscious even though the injury was on his foot.

‘So why on earth did she hit me?’

Zeo wondered if he had said something wrong, but… he didn’t know.

Had she been angry because he insulted humans?

But the noble ladies—the ladies—Zeo had seen so far had always expressed their anger gracefully and calmly; none had ever clobbered him on the head like this.

Or had she changed her mind in the meantime and decided she didn’t want to hire him as a gardener after all?

Did that mean she suddenly knocked him unconscious mid-conversation?

He thought of various reasons, but none of them made any sense.

Zeo felt less angry and more incredulous and bewildered.

“With you this frail, can you even work as the Grand Duke’s gardener?”

“…Pardon? Gardener? Me?”

What was that supposed to mean now?

When Zeo’s eyes widened in surprise, the physician let out a deep sigh.

Why on earth would he want to hire such a dim-witted beastkin as a gardener?

As the physician shook his head and left the sickroom, Zeo remained still for a long while, utterly dumbfounded.

Had his employment been confirmed without his knowledge?

‘Is this okay?’

Well, actually, he had intended to accept Terestia’s offer.

But the current situation… was far too haphazard.

Had it been a mistake to shyly try to say something like, ‘I feel Your Highness is different from the humans who tried to betray me’?

Zeo’s head spun and he felt dizzy.

In the end, Zeo gave up on thinking and flopped back down onto the bed as if collapsing.

“…Hehe.”

In the hallway, Terestia walked along, chuckling.

*Tap, tap*—her footsteps seemed light, and she looked quite pleased.

Argo watched Terestia approaching the office for a moment, then stepped in front of her.

“Your Highness.”

“What?”

“Why are you in such a good mood?”

At those words, Terestia reflexively let out a *hoh* laugh.

In response, Argo’s eyes narrowed reflexively.

“Speak plainly.”

“Argo, I think you keep forgetting. I’m your superior! I’m the Grand Duke!”

When Terestia abruptly turned her head away, Argo gently but firmly held her face with both hands.

With the clear intent not to back down until she told him, Terestia finally gave up and glared at Argo as she spoke.

Though it was somewhat mumbled.

“I found a gardener. Now flowers will bloom in the Grand Duke’s garden too.”

“What about the seeds I gave you?”

“They withered. You said they’d bloom even in the North!”

So that’s why you were sulking. Argo quickly grasped the situation.

But was there any human who could confidently work as a gardener in this barren North?

Who had Terestia been in contact with recently?

After thinking for a moment, Argo soon recalled the fox beastkin Terestia had picked up some time ago.

“That fox beastkin?”