IRMY Chapter 14

Kisha didn’t even glance at Yuro as he sat down on the grass.

“Are you hurt?”

Kisha finally turned its head towards Yuro and snorted, as if answering his question.

Yuro frowned, staring at the wound. It didn’t look deep, but it must be painful for Kisha to walk.

“That must hurt.”

After observing the wound for a while, Yuro looked around, as if making up his mind. He and Kisha were alone in the gardens.

‘Should I sing?’

Kim Yuro wasn’t tone-deaf, but Yuro Lechis was. He might not be able to sing as well as he used to, affected by the original body.

He had hummed to himself and, fortunately, hadn’t noticed any problems. However, he had never sung loudly in case someone heard him, and since he couldn’t heal his own body’s injuries, he hadn’t been able to properly test his ability.

“Kisha-nim, may I heal your paw?”

Yuro whispered to Kisha with a determined, almost solemn expression, extending his hand. This was a good opportunity.

He could confirm whether his ability was working correctly and the extent of its healing power. The red mark, the symbol of the healing ability, hadn’t disappeared after his transmigration, so as long as he sang properly, he should be able to heal.

Kisha, as if understanding Yuro’s request, stopped licking its paw and stared at him for a moment before placing its paw on his outstretched hand.

Yuro beamed. He was delighted to have Kisha’s paw in his hand. Perhaps it was because touching a tiger’s paw was a rare experience. Contrary to his expectations of it being hard and rough, Kisha’s paw was surprisingly soft, probably because it spent most of its time indoors.

“This is a secret, Kisha-nim.”

Yuro looked around again to make sure no one was watching, placed his other hand over Kisha’s paw, and took a deep breath.

We hold hands and fly anywhere
Dreams will surely become reality
We move further into tomorrow
Meeting myself again, higher up

Ironically, the song that came to mind was the theme song of the last survival program he had been on.

He had practiced day and night, aiming for the center position, so it was a song he could sing in his sleep. The song was perfect, but Yuro felt a strange bitterness.

He couldn’t see if his ability was working because his hands were covering Kisha’s paw, so he let go. Kisha then turned its paw and licked it, and Yuro’s eyes widened.

“It’s healed!”

He suppressed a shout and cheered softly. Kisha licked its paw a few more times, then put it down and shook its body lightly.

The wound had disappeared without a trace, so his ability was definitely working. He wasn’t sure how effective it would be on Melione, as the wound wasn’t deep, but this was a significant result.

Moreover, healing someone with his ability was more rewarding than he had imagined. He felt a tingling sensation in his chest and a sense of elation.

Forgetting his initial fear, Yuro threw his arms around Kisha’s neck and laughed.

“I’m glad. It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

Kisha, seemingly not minding Yuro’s embrace, purred contentedly in his arms. Yuro, reveling in his joy, gently touched Kisha’s large right paw.

“Does it hurt when I touch it like this?”

Kisha licked his face in response, seemingly indicating that it didn’t hurt. The soft fur and the squishy paw pads felt nice under his hand.

“Thank you for trusting me. You’re a very gentle tiger, Kisha-nim.”

Yuro held Kisha’s right paw and shook it like a handshake, then lay down beside him. His chances of survival had significantly increased.

He felt like he had finally reached a safe zone in the constantly fluctuating survival show rankings.

He wasn’t sure if he would make it to the final debut group, but he was at least safe until the next mission. 

“Since you seem to understand human speech to some extent, Kisha-nim, can we keep what happened today a secret?”

Yuro said, looking up at the clear sky.

“You might be able to speak human language, Kisha-nim. Or perhaps you can communicate with His Grace, even if I can’t. I’m not saying I don’t trust you, but just in case.”

Yuro turned to look at Kisha, who simply stared back at him. Normally, he would be terrified, but his fear had long since vanished.

Kisha’s face, upon closer inspection, was quite cute. Yuro felt comfortable with Kisha, as if it were just a slightly larger cat.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not hiding this to harm His Grace. Actually, I came here to heal him.”

Yuro whispered softly to Kisha. He hadn’t told anyone this since his transmigration.

It was an unbelievable story, and there was nothing to gain by revealing it. He didn’t want rumors spreading about the illegitimate prince finally losing his mind.

“Honestly, I can’t lift the curse with just singing, so I’m keeping it a secret until I can completely heal him. But I have a plan, so don’t worry.”

Kisha exhaled, as if in response, and Yuro smiled.

“You’re asking what my plan is? Well, I have a plan. It’s a long story. I’ll be here for a while, so I’ll tell you bit by bit, one day at a time. How about that?”

Kisha lay down completely and nudged Yuro’s head with its nose.

“Oh, come on. You’re impatient. Alright, I’ll tell you, just for you. You’re the only one who has welcomed me since I arrived… Where should I start? Hmm. You might not believe this, but I actually came from another world.”

Yuro began to pour out his story to Kisha.

* * *

Melione couldn’t take his eyes off the strange scene unfolding outside his window. Yuro, lying side-by-side with Kisha on the lawn, was engaged in a lively conversation with the beast.

He couldn’t hear the conversation from this distance, but Yuro occasionally burst into laughter.

Melione, leaning against the wall, found himself captivated by the sight. He couldn’t remember the last time he had heard laughter in this quiet mansion.

Raymond, observing him, asked politely,

“Shall I close the window, Your Grace?”

“…No.”

He was sensitive to even the slightest noise, including loud conversations and footsteps. Yuro’s laughter should have been nothing more than noise to Melione, yet he didn’t seem bothered.

After watching Yuro playing with Kisha for a while, Melione finally sat down and picked up a faintly smoking cigar.

It was a medicated cigar with analgesic properties. He was already taking the maximum dosage of his medicine, so he practically lived with this cigar in his mouth to alleviate the constant pain.

“So, what is it?”

Raymond handled most of the duchy’s affairs. Important matters still required Melione’s attention, but unless it was something major, everything was Raymond’s responsibility.

Melione, irritable from insomnia and headaches, found it difficult to even read documents. Just sitting upright and working like this, instead of lying in bed all day, required immense mental effort.

“I have something to report. How are you feeling, Your Grace?”

“Skip the unnecessary pleasantries. Get to the point and leave.”

Raymond remained unfazed by the curt response. Having started as an apprentice butler at a very young age and served the Spioren family for three generations, he knew Melione didn’t mean it.

Melione was simply being overly cautious, fearing that his madness might harm those around him. He wasn’t being cold out of any ill will towards Raymond.

Otherwise, there would be no need to drastically reduce the staff. Unlike the previous Dukes, he didn’t rely on alcohol, drugs, or gambling to pass the time.

Seeking oblivion from the pain was a common trait among all the previous Dukes, except for Melione. Without such distractions, every moment was agony.

“I spoke with His Highness after Madame Diana left. It wasn’t a long conversation, but… I don’t think he came here with any ulterior motives.”

“Everyone’s gone mad.”

“…”

“You, and that tiger.”

Melione took a long drag from his cigar and exhaled. A cloud of smoke veiled his face.

“Kisha-nim isn’t an ordinary tiger. Seeing how comfortably he interacts with His Highness, he doesn’t seem hostile.”

“He’s still a beast. He can’t speak human language; he’s just lived a little longer than other animals.”

“…”

“Is that all you came here to say?”

“…I just hope you won’t worry too much, Your Grace.”

“You’re getting old, Raymond. That’s why you’re getting sentimental. Prepare for your retirement after the wedding.”

Melione ran a hand roughly through his hair and flipped through the documents he was looking at. However, the words didn’t register; only the sound of laughter drifting in through the open window resonated in his ears.

Finally, he looked up irritably at Raymond, who was still standing before him.

“What are you waiting for? Leave.”

“…”

“Close the window. It’s noisy.”