Young Master, Please Put Some Pants On! - Chapter 32

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 32

“Hah…”

After Mellis had hurriedly hidden herself as if fleeing, Kermanomon, who had been sitting at his desk handling work, let out a hollow laugh.

“I heard that cat beastkin like catnip…”

Without a doubt, that was the most insulting remark he had ever heard in his life as a noble among nobles and a precious purebred beastman born into privilege.

What was even more absurd was the fact that he couldn’t sense even a hint of malice in Mellis’s attitude. If there had been even the slightest intent of mockery or insult, he would have rightfully punished her, but Mellis, who had been staring blankly with the most foolish-looking face in the world, truly seemed to think of him as nothing more than a large cat.

“What is this nonsense.”

In fact, strictly speaking, Mellis’s words weren’t wrong at all. He was a tiger beastman, and it was a biological fact that tigers were feline animals. However, he was simply astounded at being treated like a cat for the first time in his life.

‘But I read in a book that tigers are related to cats.’

No, come to think of it, hadn’t there been someone else who treated him like a cat before? Kermanomon’s lips curved crookedly as he recalled that memory.

Slightly furrowing his brow, he took out a silver hand mirror from his drawer and looked at his own face. Dark skin, well-groomed thick eyebrows, vivid golden eyes with a mysterious gleam, a flawless strong jawline and prominent nose bridge.

When he opened his mouth slightly, sharp canine teeth the size of two finger joints were revealed. After staring at them for a moment, he lightly ran his tongue over his canines.

While he didn’t have a hobby of being intoxicated by his own appearance, objectively speaking, he had quite handsome features. Wild spirit and predator’s dignity emanated from him, so where exactly did they see a cat?

“This is ridiculous.”

Well, what would a frail sheep beastman who looked like she’d tumble over with even an accidental touch know anyway? He wasn’t discriminating against species, but among herbivorous beastkin, sheep beastkin were particularly dim and timid.

Kermanomon suddenly realized he had been staring into the mirror for too long. It seemed like an overly sensitive reaction for just hearing one comment from Mellis.

“…”

His movement to put the mirror back down and close the drawer stopped minutely. The fish toy he had tossed into the back of the drawer earlier came into view. It was the catnip toy that Mellis had given him as a gift.

After hesitating for a moment, Kermanomon slowly raised his head and looked around. Soon confirming the quiet surroundings, he quietly picked up the toy and brought it to his lips.

As Mellis had said, feline beastkin were crazy about this thing called catnip. Even high nobles who valued conduct more than life would chew on catnip like cigarettes. In fact, Kermanomon too had quite liked catnip when he was young, that is, during his tiger cub days before his Beastkin Transformation.

“Hmm…”

Taking a small breath, a familiar scent tickled his nose. Instinctively, his ears twitched slightly. Just as he was about to take another deep breath with drowsy eyes, a light knocking sound echoed in the room.

Startled, Kermanomon quickly threw the toy he was holding back into the drawer.

“…Come in.”

Then, as if nothing had happened, he greeted Malcolm with a stern face, chin resting on his clasped hands.

“Your Grace, regarding the New Year festival, I have something to tell you… Isn’t there a mint smell coming from somewhere?”

As expected of a deer beastman. Malcolm sniffed around as soon as he entered the office and asked. After thinking for a moment, Kermanomon spoke in an indifferent voice.

“Mellis gave it to me, calling it a gift.”

“Ah, she gave me a wooden pen too. Perhaps there’s such a custom in that village.”

At the story that Malcolm had also received a gift, one of Kermanomon’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn’t notice his own fleeting emotion.

“So what’s the matter?”

Seeing Malcolm gauging the atmosphere instead of speaking directly, Kermanomon felt something ominous. Sure enough, Malcolm handed over a letter with a light sigh.

“It seems things are going to get quite complicated.”

Deep wrinkles formed between his brows at the bad feeling.

“Duke Willik has sent a letter asking you to reconsider your attendance at the hunting festival. He says he expects you to definitely grace the occasion.”

“Ah, does that old man just hate seeing me comfortable?”

Kermanomon, resting his chin on one hand, clicked his tongue briefly. About a month later, a belated New Year festival organized by the Eisen Imperial Palace was planned. The New Year festival, which had been postponed indefinitely due to Emperor Persiana’s poor health for some time, was finally resumed in spring.

Kermanomon, who was fed up with the ministers’ nagging and pressure, rarely attended such imperial banquets, but he couldn’t easily get out of this New Year festival.

Persiana was well aware that his daily deteriorating health was directly connected to the Empire’s prestige. So he wanted to expand the scale of this New Year’s festival even further, inviting countless people to once again elevate the Empire’s authority.

In other words, it was exactly the kind of show-off event that Kermanomon hated most.

“It’s not just Duke Willik. Looking at this atmosphere, if you refuse to attend the hunting festival, it wouldn’t be strange at all if the pro-Emperor nobles collectively wrote and sent a petition.”

“Just showing my face at the banquet should be enough, I don’t know why they want so much more.”

The Empire’s New Year festival originally consisted of only three days of banquets, but this year a two-day hunting festival was suddenly added.

“Isn’t it obvious? There’s nothing more suitable than a hunting festival to display Your Grace’s majesty.”

“Are you saying banquets aren’t enough to fully reveal my charm?”

“…I’ve never contemplated Your Grace’s charm emission, so I wouldn’t know.”

“How delightful.”

As if Malcolm’s answer didn’t please him at all, Kermanomon snorted quietly with an indifferent expression. Why was everyone so interested in his life anyway? The situation was remarkably similar to over ten years ago. The only difference from then was that the ministers’ attention had shifted from his older brother Persiana to himself.

This was all the fault of the Previous Emperor who had suddenly died without leaving a proper heir. If the Previous Emperor had just left behind a legitimate heir worthy of succession, the two brothers would have spent peaceful days in the Duchy, unrelated to the Imperial Family.

“Will the Young Master be attending?”

Malcolm, noticing that Kermanomon’s mood was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, naturally changed the subject. He had been contemplating for a long time whether to bring Garulus to the banquet. Though it didn’t match his usual overprotectiveness, it was absolutely necessary for the future plans he was considering.

Just as Persiana intended, there was no better occasion than this New Year festival to solidify one’s position.

“Well, I haven’t talked to Mellis about it yet.”

“Is there really a need to go through Mellis? The Young Master isn’t avoiding Your Grace like before, and it would be faster for Your Grace to speak directly with the Young Master.”

Since the incident in the capital, Kermanomon and Garulus had been maintaining a peaceful front for the first time in a very long while. So as Malcolm said, it might be faster to call Garulus directly and ask if he wanted to attend the New Year festival.

Since it involved going to the capital, and the Imperial Palace at that, Garulus would probably nod his head in agreement. But Kermanomon slowly shook his head.

“No, I should hear Mellis’s opinion.”

For a moment, the events of that day flashed through his mind. Mellis was someone who helped Garulus in a different way than he did. So there would be nothing wrong with hearing Mellis’s opinion first.

“If Your Grace says so, I won’t add anything more. I’d appreciate it if you could quickly let me know about attending the hunting festival. If you do attend, we’ll need to coordinate schedules with Lady Rachel as well.”

“Ah- I understand.”

At the name that came up, Kermanomon scratched his head lightly. Anyway, everything related to the Imperial Family was nothing but troublesome.

“Malcolm, by any chance.”

It was just as Malcolm, having finished his business, bowed his head and was about to go outside. Kermanomon’s low, quite serious voice stopped him.

At his master’s voice, Malcolm instinctively felt a grave atmosphere. His animal instincts were warning him of something.

Malcolm slowly turned his head toward Kermanomon. He looked ready to follow whatever command might be given, with determination in his eyes.

“Do I seem like a cat?”

“…Excuse me?”

This was the greatest crisis in Malcolm’s 10-year career as an aide.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————