Chapter 39
“Viscount…!”
A shocked Perea recalled the rumors she had heard during her time at the academy. She vaguely remembered that there was a first-year student from a prestigious family, the eldest son of a count.
Although the academy attracted children from powerful families, a “count” was a rare title.
This meant that the person she had heard about was likely one of the prominent figures. And since he was friends with Barry, the most suspicious person would be…
“Barry. I-I’m here…!”
As expected. Elo Sike. The eldest son of the Sike family, famous for their curse and dark magic heritage.
The tall man looked like he could drain your energy just by looking at him.
His jet-black hair, lacking any shine, hung down to his nose and covered his eyes, while his lips were a deep red.
His hunched posture made him seem small and timid as he looked at the strangers around the table and jumped back in surprise.
“Yo! Welcome, Elo! I’m glad we set up the portal, right?” Barry greeted his friend warmly, clearly not as surprised as Elo.
Unlike Elo’s shock, Barry waved his hand in excitement, and Perea saw a portal in this bustling house, likely in the next room. Without it, Elo couldn’t have appeared so quickly.
“Uh…uhhh…should I come later…?”
Elo nervously glanced around, and at his question, Barry didn’t hesitate to pull him to a chair.
“Come on! Meet Elo Sike, the vet who’ll go to Timi Village!” Barry introduced his friend.
Perea’s eyes shifted to the all-black man, and she was fascinated by the mention of the “Sike” family, having heard of them before.
The Sike family had always been shadows working for the imperial family. They never showed their true faces, and not even the family members, except for the count, had ever set foot in the capital.
But now, to think that a member of such a mysterious family was attending the academy was big news.
Rumors about Elo included questions about whether he was really part of the Sike family, whether he was sent by the emperor to curse the royal academy, and more.
The stories were endless.
But now, the man before her looked like a scared little animal, more fragile than Theo, who had just turned five.
“Hello. I’m Perea Kitten, a graduate of the Royal Academy’s veterinary department. I run a clinic in Timi Village,” Perea introduced herself, extending her hand.
Elo stared at her outstretched hand for a moment, then lowered his head deeply. Half of his face was hidden by his hair, so Perea couldn’t tell whether he was happy or upset.
Was extending her hand an inappropriate gesture? As Perea worried, Elo finally spoke up.
“G-Good to meet you…”
His voice was soft, and his head dipped even further. It was surprising that he could lower his head even more.
How could he be made to take on the responsibility of being a veterinarian if he was so shy?
Perea looked to Barry, who let out a carefree laugh.
“Elo! So, Timi Village is where the rabbit beastmen live. What do you think? Can you handle it?”
“R-Rabbit beastmen…!” Elo’s head shot up in surprise, and he pulled out a doll from his pocket, a figure of a “Rabbit Hero.”
Theo, who had been half-sleeping while the adults talked, immediately brightened at the sight and jumped off his seat, circling around Elo.
Theo’s golden eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed on the doll.
The Rabbit Hero doll was a limited edition, with only 100 made. Of course, Theo had one, but it was back at the palace, making this one seem more special.
Elo quickly raised the doll above his head.
“That’s mine…!”
In a small voice, Elo protested. Theo growled and started pacing around Elo’s leg.
“Ray! I want that one!” Theo demanded.
“No, that’s Theo’s doll. You can’t have it,” Ray answered flatly.
The refusal was swift. But Theo still wanted the doll.
His big eyes filled with tears, and his plump lips stuck out in a pout.
Still, Ray didn’t even acknowledge Theo’s protests, and Perea didn’t offer any comfort either.
“Waaaah!”
Theo burst into tears, and Ray sighed, lifting the child into his arms and walking out the door.
Perea tried to follow, but Ray waved his hand, signaling her to stay behind.
Left awkwardly behind, Perea gave a troubled look.
“Hey, why’d you take out that doll and make the kid cry?” Barry scolded.
“I… I thought it’d be fine. The talk about rabbit beastmen was just too much,” Elo mumbled, explaining his actions.
“Too much? You talk like the doll has its own life!” Barry clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Perea awkwardly smiled, unsure how to react to Barry’s criticism.
Elo, unfazed, carefully stroked the doll, treating it with great care.
“Anyway, did you see that? Theo’s obsessed with the rabbit beastmen. He’ll be thrilled to work in Timi Village for the rest of his life,” Barry chuckled.
“But… can he really get along with herbivorous beastmen?” Perea asked with concern, glancing at Elo.
Elo, being a serpent beastman, had once eaten people in his original form. Could he really fit in with the peaceful rabbit beastmen?
Noticing Perea’s worry, Elo responded with a reassuring smile.
“I’ve been vegetarian for 10 years now. It’s fine… I like carrots,” he said, pulling out a stick of carrot and showing it to Perea with a mischievous grin.
As Elo showed his carrot sticks, Barry burst into laughter, banging the table in amusement.
Perea, still anxious, kept looking at the bear and serpent duo laughing together.
While Perea worried, Ray was taking care of Theo’s training.
Theo’s cries soon stopped, and in no time, his eyes cleared, but he still gave Ray a grumpy look.
“If Ray hadn’t brought me, Perea would’ve held me,” Theo grumbled.
“Don’t bother Perea,” Ray snapped.
“I’m not bothering her! You should stop looking at Perea like that!” Theo huffed, crossing his arms.
Ray furrowed his brows, confused by the child’s words.
“What do you mean by that?” Ray asked.
“Your eyes… they sparkle when you look at Perea!” Theo said, giving a sharp glare at Ray.
Ray froze at the words “sparkle.” He hadn’t even shown his face under his cloak, so how could anyone have noticed?
Ray said nothing, but Theo kept glaring at him. Theo was a tiger beastman, after all, and it was no surprise that the child could spot changes even from a brief glance.
Perea, thinking of Theo as a simple cat beastman, didn’t realize that Theo was sharp enough to catch these subtle things.
Now, Ray was slightly embarrassed as he realized that even Theo had noticed something he hadn’t yet figured out.
But Ray wasn’t the type to feel shy. He answered boldly.
“So, what, you don’t want me to get along with Perea?”
“Huh?”
“If I stop getting along with Perea, she might just go back to Timi Village, you know? Should I stop ‘sparkling’?” Ray teased, smirking as he casually made his point.
In a conversation with a child as stubborn as Theo, it seemed like Ray could handle anything. Even Theo’s sharp glare couldn’t faze him.
