Young Master, Please Put Some Pants On! - Chapter 7
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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 7
“Dragonflies have four wings so they can fly really fast. They’re probably the fastest among insects. If this body became a dragonfly, I would carry you on my back and fly through the sky, Mellis!”
“But dragonflies are only this big, you know?”
“This body would become a very large king dragonfly, so it would be fine.”
It had already been two days since leaving the Tarin Kingdom. Traveling mixed in with the merchant caravan’s cargo was not exactly a comfortable journey. Their meals consisted entirely of hard bread and cold soup, and they had to spend all day crouched in the carriage’s cargo compartment, bouncing along the bumpy mountain roads.
However, even this was a path that Vivian had worked hard to secure for them. For Mellis, who couldn’t even properly establish her identity, heading to the Empire without any obstacles was not as easy as it sounded.
She glanced sideways at Garulus, who was resting on her lap. Even though she, an adult, felt stiff and tired all over, fortunately Garulus showed no signs of difficulty and continued chattering away cheerfully.
“But how much further do we have to go? You said we arrived in the Empire quite a while ago.”
“Hmm, that’s right…”
The two had crossed into the Aizen Empire a few hours ago and were now heading toward the vicinity of the Severus Duchy. She slightly lifted the hood of her cloak and peered through the gap to check the situation outside.
‘The Empire really is different…’
Not far away, she could see beastkin walking through the streets. For Mellis, who had almost no experience properly encountering beastkin in her life, it was simply a fascinating sight.
Newly aware that she had come to the Empire, she fidgeted with her ears and tail, checking their condition. Fortunately, everything was still properly attached.
“Phew…”
When she put her hand in her pocket, she heard the rattling sound of a small medicine bottle. Inside were dozens of pills that Vivian had given her.
“This amount should last you over a month. You remember the precautions, right?”
“Yes. Duration is 24 hours, take with a 1-hour interval.”
“Right. Contact me once you get settled in the Empire. I’ll send the next batch of medicine there.”
This pill container was practically her lifeline going forward. She didn’t know about the beastkin elsewhere, but the beastkin of the Severus Duchy would definitely not be friendly toward humans. Mellis gently closed her eyes and reviewed her future plans.
‘Once we arrive at the Duchy, I’ll first find Garulus’s home. Then I’ll stay at a nearby inn while looking for temporary work. If I adapt well, I’ll continue living in the Duchy for a while, or if not, I can wait for things to calm down before leaving. It’s so vast that there must be at least one job for me somewhere.’
However, contrary to her calm planning, stories she had heard about Duke Severus kept coming to mind one by one.
‘If he’s a tiger beastkin, he could probably kill a human like me with his bare hands, right…? They say the Duke has a terrible personality and is a scoundrel who’s addicted to alcohol and women. I just hope I never have to encounter him.’
Just as she was wildly imagining the Duke’s fierce appearance, Garulus tapped her forearm.
“Mellis! I think we’ve arrived!”
Just as Garulus said, the carriage soon came to a stop, and the entrance to the cargo compartment opened. The coachman, who was said to be a sloth beastman, spoke in a slow voice.
“The Duchy is just ahead, get off.”
“Yes, thank you!”
“Thank you!”
After brief farewells, the two got off the carriage and pulled their cloak hoods back up. The gate house was indeed visible not far away.
‘Th-that’s the Severus Duchy…’
Suddenly realizing this fact, her stomach began to churn again. At the same time, part of an article she had read a few years ago flashed through Mellis’s mind.
‘Aizen Empire’s heir to the throne, Duke Severus. Execution of humans who invaded the Duchy!’
‘King Kendal’s position statement. The Duke’s merciless punishment, this is human hatred.’
‘Duke Severus, another human execution? Imperial sanctions prove useless. Possibility of Duchy closure also glimpsed…’
This content was utterly unhelpful in this situation where she was about to set foot in the Duchy. She quickly shook her head and cleared her mind again.
‘Don’t be nervous, Mellis! You are a beastkin! You are a beastkin! A perfectly ordinary sheep beastkin at that!’
After strong self-hypnosis and taking a deep breath, Mellis extended her hand to Garulus.
“Come on, let’s go, Garulus! I’ll take you home!”
“Finally, we’ve arrived!”
With each step she took, her heart began pounding like crazy. She headed toward the guards who were protecting the castle walls alongside Garulus. Since this was territory within the Empire, there wouldn’t be any special inspections. She just needed to walk naturally.
However, contrary to her calm mindset, Mellis felt her entire body stiffening up.
“Ugh, why are my hands so clammy?”
It was so bad that Garulus quietly pulled his hand away and wiped it on his clothes. Regardless, Mellis took a deep breath and continued walking. Though her left arm and left leg moved forward at the same time.
Just then, Garulus, who had been walking in step with her, suddenly stopped.
“Mellis, are you nervous?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry too much and just trust me. When I was scared and alone, Mellis helped me, so this time I’ll help Mellis! So everything will work out fine.”
“Garulus…”
The moment she heard Garulus’s brave words of comfort, Mellis felt all the tension leave her body. If Garulus, who hadn’t been able to return home for nearly a week, could be this courageous, she felt ashamed of herself for being scared of something she hadn’t even experienced yet.
‘I’m looking for this child’s home, I’m looking for this child’s home…’
Mellis widened her eyes as she rehearsed in her mind what she would say to the guards. This wasn’t something to be nervous about at all. Rather, since she had done a good deed, she deserved to be praised.
“Excuse me…”
As she slowly pulled back her cloak’s hood and opened her mouth, she could feel the guards’ gazes turning toward her. They were definitely gorilla beastmen at first glance. There was no other way they could look so fierce. Moreover, up close, their builds were enormous.
“What can we do for you?”
As the beastmen, whose heads were clearly twice as big as hers, approached, Mellis’s body stiffened again. Flustered, she hastily blurted out the words she had been rehearsing in her mind.
“I-I’m looking for this home’s child!”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, no, that’s not right, this child is…”
“Child?”
Just as she was biting her lower lip hard from shame and confusion, suddenly one of the guards looked at Garulus and shouted.
“G-Garulus-nim?”
“It’s Garulus-nim!”
“Quickly contact the search party!”
The two men who had spotted Garulus began making a commotion. While Mellis was still blinking, unable to grasp the situation, one of the men pulled out a communication device from his chest and shouted.
“Captain, we found him! Garulus-nim is currently at the west entrance!”
-What? Got it! I’ll head there right away. I’ll contact His Grace the Duke, so keep him there!
At the low voice coming through the communication device, Mellis’s head snapped up. So, if she hadn’t misheard just now, they definitely said His Grace the Duke…
“I hope Kerman comes to pick me up quickly.”
“G-Garulus?”
“Hm?”
“Do you happen to know the Duke?”
“The Duke?”
“Yes. Duke Severus.”
Unlike her trembling voice, Garulus was calmly picking his nose with a peaceful expression.
“Oh, yeah. He’s my big brother. Didn’t I tell you before?”
At that moment, Mellis felt her mind go completely blank. She was so shocked that she didn’t even have time to point out that Garulus was wiping the booger he had just picked onto her cloak.
* * *
At Duke Severus’s Mansion in the Aizen Empire, the missing Garulus had returned home. And it had only been a week since he disappeared.
“Garulus!”
“Kerman!”
Duke Severus, who was rumored to not shed a single drop of blood even if stabbed with a sword, embraced Garulus without even trying to hide his roughened skin from sleepless nights and reddened eyes from days of worry.
“Where on earth did you go that you’re only coming back now?”
“Waaah, I’m sorry! You told me not to go into Kerman’s study, but I didn’t listen and this happened… Ugh! I’m sorry!”
Garulus, who had shown a spirited attitude just moments before, burst into tears the moment he was embraced by Kermanomon.
“I was so worried about you. I’m sorry. I’ll never leave you alone again.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry! I’ll be a good little monkey who listens well from now on!”
The two brothers held each other tightly without knowing how to let go, neither one wanting to be the first to release the embrace. The servants watching this deeply moving reunion between brothers also hid their reddened eyes. Those who had worried about Garulus like their own child also breathed sighs of relief.
For the first time in a while, a warm and affectionate atmosphere filled the mansion. However, there was one exception – Mellis.
‘…Wh-what on earth is this?’
Mellis, who had unexpectedly found herself in the middle of the mansion and face-to-face with Duke Severus himself, was so nervous that her mouth felt bitter. If not for the waterfall of sweat streaming down her back, she might have thought this was all a dream.
She had simply brought a lost monkey back home, so how had she ended up breathing the same air as Duke Severus?
‘Vivian, please donate all my assets to a charity organization…’
Finally giving up on everything, Mellis began writing her will in her mind with a wistful look in her eyes.
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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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