Young Master, Please Put Some Pants On! - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 43

One wall was densely packed with bookshelves filled to the brim with all kinds of books. Yellow light seeping from the wall lamps dimly illuminated the space.

“I need to find it quickly and get out.”

Mellis muttered to herself as she rapidly scanned the book spines. However, contrary to her wishes, finding books related to dancing in this vast place was no easy task. With such a variety of books here, there should surely be at least one, but why couldn’t she spot any?

Thinking it would take longer than expected, Mellis glanced to check the time.

‘About an hour left.’

She had to return to her quarters before the medicine effect wore off. At the Ducal Residence, all schedules always flowed at similar times so there were no major problems, but on days like this when staying outside, she inevitably had to be a bit more tense.

Fortunately, there was still plenty of time. It was just as Mellis was concentrating again to search for books.

“Are you looking for something?”

“Aah!”

Mellis screamed in shock at the sudden presence that appeared. Clutching her pounding heart and lifting her head, some unfamiliar man was looking at her with an awkward smile.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Who, who are you?”

She furrowed her brows and looked him over with eyes full of wariness.

Bright yellow hair covering his nape, transparent and sharp red eyes like embedded glass shards. Sharp fangs glimpsed between thin lips.

Though his ears and tail weren’t visible, Mellis, who had become accustomed to life in the Empire, was now familiar with identifying beastman species.

‘…A lion beastman?’

What was certain was that he was a strikingly gorgeous beauty. If not for his tall height and broad shoulders, his appearance was so beautiful that one might confuse his gender.

“You seemed to be looking for a book, so I wanted to help. What are you searching for?”

At the stranger’s offer, Mellis hesitated and pondered for a moment. However, he clearly looked like someone who frequented this place, and with little time remaining, it seemed better to accept someone’s help rather than wander around searching for books alone.

When Mellis briefly explained her situation, he immediately headed somewhere and pulled out a book. From his natural manner, Mellis guessed he was the librarian of this place.

“Ah, found it. How about this one?”

Mellis took the book and quickly skimmed through its contents. Fortunately, it was exactly the type of book she had been looking for.

“That’s it! Thank you!”

As Mellis bowed her head in gratitude, his appearance came into her view anew. A span-wide area from his collarbone to his nape was covered in short, bright yellow fur.

‘What is that…?’

Suddenly, a conversation she had with Vivian several years ago flashed through Mellis’s mind. Vivian always insisted on wearing long sleeves even in the hottest summer days, and one day Mellis couldn’t stand the stuffy sight and pressed him about it.

“Senior, please can’t you take that off? Just watching you makes me feel hot.”

“If rumors spread that I’m mixed-blood because of that, will you take responsibility, junior?”

“What?”

At her question, Vivian clicked his tongue briefly and instead of answering, rolled up his sleeve to show her his arm. More precisely, the span of black scales hidden beneath his long sleeves.

Unlike beastmen who could freely transform into animal form, mixed-bloods couldn’t do that. There was especially a place called ‘reverse scale’ that could never be hidden, and since reverse scales were the biggest characteristic revealing one’s mixed-blood nature, most mixed-bloods felt very ashamed to expose them.

“…”

Then the man, sensing Mellis’s gaze, covered his nape with one hand. Unlike his fresh smile from moments before, his face clearly showed discomfort. Only then realizing she had committed a great rudeness, Mellis hurriedly bowed her head in apology.

“I’m, I’m sorry! It’s not that I did it on purpose. Actually, my friend is also mixed-blood and I was reminded of that friend… I’m sorry!”

Mellis’s face flushed hot with guilt. To commit such rude behavior after hearing such stories from Vivian. In fact, seeing a mixed-blood other than Vivian for the first time, Mellis had unconsciously felt pleased, but to him it would probably just seem like an excuse.

“I really didn’t have any bad intentions.”

“…You have a mixed-blood friend?”

“Uh, yes…”

Contrary to Mellis’s expectation that he would immediately get angry, the man asked back with a puzzled expression. He had already lowered the hand that was covering his neck and blinked his eyes.

After staring at Mellis for a moment, he soon smiled gently as if nothing had happened and said.

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry. I reacted too sensitively.”

“No. I’m the one who should be more sorry.”

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be greatly offended. To think he was apologizing when she was the one who had been rude. His unexpected reaction only made Mellis more flustered.

An awkward atmosphere flowed between the two for a moment. Just when Mellis was rolling her eyes around in confusion at the silence, he naturally changed the subject.

“How about this book? It’s written in Temerian, but the materials are detailed so it should be helpful.”

“Ah, I’ll give it a read.”

As she was examining another book he handed her, the sharp edge of the paper grazed Mellis’s fingertip. When Mellis frowned at the stinging pain, he asked worriedly in surprise.

“Are you okay? It looks like you’re bleeding…”

“I think it just grazed me slightly. I’m fine.”

However, contrary to her words, red blood was beading up from Mellis’s fingertip. As Mellis rummaged through her pocket to find a handkerchief, he gently took hold of her hand and said.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Surprised by his sudden action for only a moment, she felt something warm spreading from her fingertip.

‘This is…’

“All done.”

He had already released Mellis’s hand and smiled brightly as he spoke. The wound on her fingertip had healed perfectly as if she had never been injured.

“You can use Healing Arts?”

“…”

At Mellis’s question, he showed a mysterious smile. Mellis felt something was strange. The man was definitely mixed-blood. But unlike magical power that manifested regardless of species, healing power was a force that appeared only in humans.

“But how…”

Just as she was about to ask something, Mellis’s face turned pale. A burning sensation was spreading up from the fingertip he had just healed. This was definitely…

‘The medicine effect is wearing off!’

Sure enough, the Lion Man’s eyes who had been facing Mellis widened in surprise. Though the startled Mellis threw down the book in her hands and hurriedly tried to hide herself, it was insufficient.

Even without looking in a mirror, she could be certain that she had returned to her original appearance. It was a familiar sensation that had swept through her entire body every night.

She couldn’t even imagine what expression the Lion Man in front of her was making, which made her even more flustered.

‘Why? There should definitely be time left!’

Mellis crouched down and gritted her teeth, trying to ignore this situation. Her heartbeat pounded loudly and rang fiercely in her ears. At that moment, one thought flashed through her mind.

‘Healing Power…!’

The healing power the Lion Man had used earlier must have neutralized Vivian’s magical power. She had countless similar nightmares until now, but never once had she imagined it would become reality.

To think such a thing would happen in the Imperial Court of all places. Concealing one’s true appearance within the Imperial Court was a serious crime. If she were to be suspected and dragged away like this, she wouldn’t be able to escape punishment. Though it was a very short time, the imagination that flashed through her mind pushed her into endless terror.

Then, as if adding insult to injury, sounds of people could be heard from the opposite side. It seemed to be knights on patrol.

‘What should I do? Should I run away right now?’

But even if she rushed out of here, it was obvious she would encounter the knights. The footsteps of the knights who had discovered the two people were getting closer and closer.

“Who’s there?”

Mellis’s heart pounded as if it would burst. At the knights’ voices asking for identification, she gave up on everything and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

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