Young Master, Please Put Some Pants On! - Chapter 73

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

Chapter 73

“I was the one who allowed you to accompany us in the first place, and it was my judgment to reduce the security at our quarters to concentrate personnel on the search. So if we’re really going to assign blame, you fell into danger because of me, so if anyone should apologize, it should be me.”

Gently curving his eyes, he carefully held her face and wiped away the flowing tears. He smiled as if nothing had happened at all and tucked Mellis’s disheveled hair behind her ear.

“So won’t you stop crying? When you cry, it makes me sad.”

At his affectionate voice, Mellis nodded and swallowed her tears. Kermanomon wiped away the tears flowing down her cheeks.

“You were very scared, weren’t you?”

Mellis was about to deny it reflexively when she saw her own hands trembling violently in her field of vision. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded and clenched her fists.

“Yes…”

It had really happened in just an instant. When she saw the barracks growing more and more distant, her vision had nearly gone white with terror. But perhaps because she had faith somewhere in her heart that Kermanomon would surely come to rescue her, she was barely able to hold onto a thread of reason.

This was already the second time she owed him her life. For someone who had to accomplish everything alone since childhood, this situation was far too unfamiliar.

She hadn’t had an environment where she could rely on anyone, nor was there anywhere she could receive help. Hadn’t she lived constantly struggling to protect her own meager possessions?

‘But why…’

Why does this man cherish me so much?

It felt as if she had become someone special. At that ticklish sensation, Mellis’s heartbeat gradually quickened, but she deliberately ignored it and squeezed her eyes shut.

Since she had received his help, now it was her turn to act. Mellis, who had barely regained her composure, sniffled and asked.

“What should we do now? What can I do to help?”

“Well, first we need to get up to the top of the cliff to understand the situation.”

However, when Kermanomon tried to get up, he staggered with a low groan. Startled, Mellis hurriedly supported him.

“Ugh…”

“Don’t push yourself yet!”

“Damn, do we have to wait until the search party comes?”

Kermanomon bit his lips in frustration. No bones were broken and there were no serious injuries, but because he had tumbled down the cliff and hit his entire body, he couldn’t immediately put strength into his body.

‘If I recover just a little, I should be fine.’

Among the unit members who had come up with them, there were several wolves and hyenas mixed in, so they would be able to figure out his location without much difficulty.

‘The problem is the situation over there.’

According to what he heard from Mellis, the number of magical beasts that attacked the barracks was also considerable. There was no telling how long it would take for that situation to be resolved.

Moreover, it was already close to midnight, and autumn nights were colder than expected. While he might be fine with his high body temperature, it was questionable whether Mellis, a fragile herbivorous beastman, could endure like this.

Mellis was struggling while gripping the rough rocks, apparently truly believing she could climb that high cliff. Sure enough, when the wind blew, she trembled all over, let alone climb the cliff.

Watching her, Kermanomon let out a hollow laugh and beckoned to her.

“Mellis.”

“Yes?”

When Mellis approached, Kermanomon gently pulled her into his arms. Finding herself suddenly in his embrace, Mellis opened her eyes wide like a startled rabbit, not knowing what to do.

“G-Grand Duke!”

“If I wait for you to climb the cliff, dawn will break first. I’m sorry, but please bear with this until I recover.”

“But…”

“It would be troublesome if you caught a cold staying like that.”

As he said, unlike a little while ago when the night breeze was cool, his embrace was very spacious and warm. Mellis’s lips twitched for a moment, then she seemed to give up and hung her head low.

Kermanomon took off his outer garment and wrapped it around both their bodies. When the soft outer garment covered them, she felt an indescribable comfort. From somewhere came the chirping sound of insects.

“….”

Above all, Mellis smiled faintly at his refreshing scent that she felt with every breath. She had already grown accustomed to his fragrance.

The two of them focused on this quiet moment for a long time without saying a word. Soon, Melis, who had unconsciously rested her head against his firm chest, quietly lifted her gaze to look up at the sky.

“Actually, do you know who I thought of first when I was being captured by that demon beast earlier?”

“Who were you thinking of?”

“You, Grand Duke. Without realizing it, I thought of you. And then strangely, I became calm, you know? I somehow felt like you would come to rescue me.”

Mellis lifted her head to meet his eyes and smiled brightly. Kermanomon, who had been silent for a moment, let out a small breath.

Mellis lifted her head to meet his eyes and smiled brightly. Kermanomon, who had been silent for a moment, let out a small sigh.

“Hehe, thank you for saving me.”

“Hehe, thank you for saving me.”

Quietly breathing out soft breaths, she murmured in a low voice.

“Someday I’ll protect you, Grand Duke….”

She, who had been quietly letting out soft, shallow breaths, murmured in a low voice.

When Kermanomon supported her face with his hand as it fell uncomfortably, her hair cascaded down to cover her face. Noticing this, his hand unconsciously reached out but soon stopped in mid-air.

Soon, her nodding head stopped moving completely. Mellis, who had fallen into a light sleep, unconsciously sought out the warm comfort and nestled into his embrace.

Kermanomon, who had been gazing at that peacefully sleeping face, clenched his fist as if enduring something. Only after letting out a deep sigh could he carefully extend his fingers to brush away her hair.

A gentle smile spread across Kermanomon’s lips as he watched her for a long time. Soon, gradually erasing his smile, he lifted his head to look up at the cliff.

‘Quite some time seems to have passed, but seeing no movement yet, they must be having difficulties with the search.’

Given how chaotic things had been with the sudden appearance of the demon beast, there was a high probability that the barracks situation hadn’t been sorted out either. It seemed better to climb the cliff. Though not perfect, his physical condition had also recovered to some extent.

‘You’re sleeping so deeply.’

Even for him, who had visited this place several times, the path seemed unfamiliar, indicating they had come quite deep into the area. Kermanomon, who had been walking toward where the barracks should be, suddenly stopped. His ears twitched slightly as he sensed something.

‘It seems like quite some time has passed, but seeing that there’s still no movement, it looks like they’re having trouble with the search.’

Though very faint, there was definitely the sound of children crying coming from somewhere. And it wasn’t just one or two. Kermanomon approached that location while concealing his presence.

“Waaaaaah!”

He carefully rose from his position, worried that Mellis might wake up, and lightly stretched his body. Though the terrain was rough, the slope wasn’t particularly steep. Soon he was leaping up the cliff with such agility that it was hard to believe he was carrying Mellis in his arms.

“Won’t you be quiet? I told you that if you make noise one more time, I’ll gag that mouth of yours!”

“A child crying…?”

Young beastkin who appeared to be around Garulus’s age were crying while trapped in iron cages. Among them were children who still looked like animals, perhaps unable to perform beastkin transformation yet.

Mellis, who had awakened from sleep due to the sudden commotion, also blinked her drowsy eyes.

“Aaahhh!”

Kermanomon brought his index finger to his lips and gestured with his chin toward the scene below to inform her of the situation. After blinking her eyes in confusion for a moment, Mellis soon grasped the situation and furrowed her brows in shock.

The crying sounds were coming from below the cliff. It seemed to be quite far from where the two people had fallen. He hid behind a large tree and stiffened as he looked at the scene.

“Will you shut up? I told you if you make one more sound, I’ll shut that mouth of yours!”

“Hng, I, I was wrong!”

Young beastfolk who appeared to be around Garulus’s age were crying out while trapped behind iron bars. Among them were children who still looked like animals, perhaps not yet able to transform into their humanoid forms.

Melis, who had also awakened from sleep due to the sudden commotion, blinked her drowsy eyes.

“Huh? This place is….”

Kermanoomon brought his index finger to his lips and gestured with his chin toward the scene below, alerting her to the situation. Melis blinked her eyes in her dazed state for only a moment before quickly grasping the situation, startling and furrowing her brow.

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