Chapter 41: IBTB

“Actually, it was a watch my uncle gave me as a present.”

Erjin began to speak calmly.

He was talking about Pavel Astrahan, who was currently serving as acting Duke of Astrahan.

“He wasn’t a warm man, but he wasn’t cruel either. He said he’d be acting duke only until I came of age, and he gave me this watch as a gift.”

I sat quietly beside Erjin and simply listened.

“You’ll one day be the head of the Astrahan house, so he said to value your time.”

‘That’s how it usually goes.’

People who loudly claim they don’t crave power are often more dangerous than those who openly chase it.

“I lay in that underground prison and thought about it all day. Could my uncle really be behind this? But no matter how I thought about it….”

There could be only one answer.

Erjin’s fist tightened around the pocket watch.

“Only my uncle could have faked my father’s letters.”

Many could imitate the duke’s handwriting, but very few could mimic his habitual language or writing style—those little mannerisms that reveal a person. Someone who’d lived beside him their whole life.

“It looks like my uncle wanted me eliminated. And he used other people’s hands to do it.”

Erjin swallowed a strained smile and said it as if dismissing it.

For some reason I felt I understood that feeling.

When a father lay ill, the only family member he might lean on was the uncle. Even if you sensed something was wrong, you might willfully look away.

Because…

‘I did the same.’

There was a time I, too, wanted to get closer to my half-sister Rania, even though I knew she despised me.

I had no friends and was often shunned in the aftermaths, so I wanted someone. Of course, once I realized Rania was at the center, I gave up quickly.

I knew all too well how devastating it feels to be betrayed by those you called family.

So I lightly tapped the back of Erjin’s hand.

“Are you trying to comfort me…?”

“Chut.”

Well, sort of.

I nodded shortly.

Erjin covered his face with both hands and exhaled a deep sigh.

‘Did the squirrel’s comfort annoy him?’

My worry looked a little silly as—

“Maybe I should pick it up and run away right now….”

A roughness crept into his voice.

Huh? Pick it up and run? Pick up what?

Not me, surely?!

“Chuut…!”

Startled, I leapt up where I sat.

“It was a joke.”

…That didn’t sound like a joke.

Erjin had dropped a bomb and then closed his eyes prettily, smiling.

“But you’ve kept your promise, so don’t worry.”

‘I know that.’

He was referring to the deal we made in the underground prison last time.

If I found a mind-control conduit, he would hand over the Astrahan spies hiding inside Black Dragon Castle.

“By now your uncle’s planted spies should have been rounded up and removed.”

There might still be agents sent by the Emperor, though.

Erjin shrugged his shoulders.

After that, he probably pretended not to know anything. That annoyed me a little.

Anyway—

‘There’s still a long way to go.’

I sighed deeply.

I only wanted my refuge to be a little more peaceful.

“There must have been a major purge, so they won’t move for a while. Also—”

Erjin’s eyes flashed as if he’d remembered something.

In the dim light, the whites of his eyes looked unusually blue.

“I didn’t say a single word when I met the squirrel who’s favored by the Black Dragon Duke. Though, I think he already suspected.”

“Chut.”

How thoughtful.

I answered for him with a frown.

‘I was already exposed because of you.’

According to Kenih, Erjin had hidden some of his mana on me.

I had no idea why.

“Chuut, chut?”

Why on earth would you do that?

I exaggeratedly pointed at Erjin and then at myself with my fingers.

Erjin’s face colored faintly with embarrassment.

He looked like he was trying hard to understand what I meant.

And, astonishingly—

“Was it because you were discovered due to my mana?”

“Chuut!”

Right — that was it.

How on earth had this tiger understood what I meant?

‘Can he hear my voice?’

I closed my eyes and sent Erjin a telepathic thought.

But it didn’t seem like my voice carried the way it does with Bishop or Sevi. He was probably just naturally quick-witted from birth, unlike the dull reptiles.

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Although I despise petty lizards, I do pick up on things.”

He didn’t seem to know how the mana ended up on me either.

“Perhaps….”

“‘Perhaps’?”

I swallowed dryly and stared at Erjin.

“Maybe it got on you while groping me.”

‘That day’ could only be the day we’d met in the underground prison.

But groping…?

Me? Grope whom?!

“Chu, chuut…!”

G-groping? No— that’s a misunderstanding!

Flustered, I flicked my tail sharply without thinking.

To be precise, I had only taken the liberty of searching briefly for a letter.

“You mean that was a misunderstanding, right?”

Erjin smiled as if he found the situation amusing, his eyes narrowing into crescents.

He was as slimy as the snake-people of Black Dragon Castle.

Then, as if gathering himself, his expression straightened.

“It’s late, but thanks to you I’m alive. Thank you.”

Both from the uncle’s trap and here in Black Dragon Castle.

Erjin laughed with his eyes, and this time the smile felt genuine—different from the mask-like smile he usually wore.

‘It was a transaction—we exchanged favors.’

I had the spies rooting around in the Black Dragon Castle removed, and in return I found out that there was a survivor from our house. I didn’t know who it was, but one thing was certain.

‘That person betrayed our family.’

With the Emperor so intent and vigilant, there were only two ways for a survivor of our house to stay alive: either hide their identity like I did, or attach themselves to those who wiped out our house and cling to life.

‘If they conspired with those assassins and helped attack our family…’

There was no forgiveness.

My hand clenched without my realizing it.

“But… do you intend to stay long in Black Dragon Castle?”

‘Why ask that all of a sudden?’

When I stared at him, his answer came.

“If you wish, I can look for you a new place to live. Somewhere the Emperor’s hand can’t reach.”

‘The Emperor?’

The moment I heard that word, my blood chilled and began to race. My head swam as I realized one fact.

‘Erjin knows my true identity.’

I rose to create distance between us, but—

“I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

Erjin beat me to it and grabbed my hand.

“I vaguely remembered that day.”

He didn’t ask about ‘that day’ outright, but it could only mean the time when, under mind control, Erjin had broken into the duke’s bedchamber. The day I had reverted into my beast form.

“I saw you turn into a human.”

Erjin looked straight at me and said the name.

“Muriel Aymond.”

‘…!’

The moment Erjin uttered my real name, I stiffened like a statue.

But he didn’t stop—he struck with one last blow.

“If someone’s pretending to be a squirrel and hiding inside Black Dragon Castle, the answer is too obvious.”

In Erjin’s blue eyes, I had the odd illusion that my true form was reflected.

‘I suppose I should have just left him to die…’