MTFBMP Chapter 18

‘Why am I doing this?’

 

Looking back with a grimace, I saw that the beast had closed its eyes again and was in the position of clawing at its retracted forepaws. It looked like it was trying to hold back the urge to eat me.

 

Grrr!

 

I heard another throaty whimper, followed by a deep inhale and exhalation. The feathers that had accumulated in his nostrils fluttered into the air once more. 

 

His uneven breathing bothered me, somehow he looked lethargic and sick.

 

‘It’s weird, I can’t leave him.’

 

Literally, the poor wounded flying beast was right there in front of me.

 

“Ugh, have I gone crazy?”

 

After all, I didn’t run away. Instead, I approached Adelaine, sat down carefully, and watched him.

 

— You don’t go when I tell you to leave. Humans are so difficult.

 

‘You sound as if you’ve never been human.’

 

He didn’t show any signs of harming me yet, though, so I ignored him. I checked the beast’s condition.

 

It wasn’t out of breath, and it wasn’t panting. I didn’t know exactly what to make of it, not having studied it in depth, but it didn’t look well.

 

“What’s wrong with you, does that mean you’ve used up all your strength?”

 

I was glad it wasn’t completely incapable of speech, like a real animal.

 

“Humph.”

 

Adelaine snorted like an irritated dog.

 

I cautiously reached out my hand, but at the last second, I faltered.

 

‘Is there really a guarantee I won’t get bitten here?’

 

A bite could have severed my wrist.

 

Then, out of nowhere, the beast lifted one eye and rested its head against the palm of my hand.

 

“Wow…”

 

It was the softest, warmest touch I’d ever imagined. It felt so good. So much so that my whole body shivered.

 

“Can I touch you some more?” 

 

I said like a person who had lost all fear.

 

— Fearless. Are you trying to tame me and become my master? 

 

I couldn’t answer that question. It seemed to hit the spot.

 

That’s what I came to this dungeon for in the first place. 

 

Moreover, the tone of his voice was the most intimidating thing I’d ever heard. I tried to shrug it off, hoping it meant no, but the beast rubbed its forehead against my hand.

 

As if it were being affectionate.

 

His words didn’t match his actions at all.

 

“Just a little bit, then…”

 

I decided to trust my instincts more. After all, he was in the form of a beast now.

 

He was so big, I patted him, carefully extending my reach, as if I were petting a giant puppy.

 

Where did such boldness come from? Without fear, I slipped my hand under his chin and gently scratched him. The beast didn’t react badly, either, as he soon rubbed his jaw against my lap.

 

He even buried his head a little further into my lap the next moment, rubbing against me. It’s like a cat or dog leaning into its owner’s arms.

 

At times, it was like a giant dog, at other times it was like a big cat.

 

The growl that seemed threatening was gone, replaced by an even, light breathing.

 

‘I never imagined this.’

 

For some reason, my heart was racing. It was such a weird feeling that I wasn’t sure if it was because I was scared.

 

“Hey, you’re too close, can you move away a little bit?”

 

— Why? You touched me first.

 

“Well, I didn’t give you permission for this much distance.”

 

— I’ve seen other humans cuddle like this. Why can’t I?

 

“I don’t know when you saw me do that, but even if you did, it’s all a misunderstanding.”

 

— Humph. So you’re pretending not to know, even though I’ve seen it all with my own eyes.

 

It was only after I heard that I remembered Dion collapsing on top of me. My face instantly heated up.

 

“It was an accident, I didn’t want it to happen, and it was just like that!”

 

All else aside, the correction had to be made. That wasn’t what I wanted.

 

— Then again, push me away if you don’t want to. 

 

That was also hard to refute. I could push him away like Dion, but somehow I didn’t want to do that to a helpless beast.

 

This was no ordinary beast, this was Adelaine…, the final boss and nemesis who would one day kill me.

 

Instead, I just stroked the beast wordlessly. Adelaine didn’t question me anymore.

 

The beast continued to lean against me, rubbing against itself, and embracing me to its heart’s content.

 

Yet I didn’t feel tricked or deceived. 

 

Its breathing was slow, and its limbs were flaccid and limp. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was only moving its head or front paws a few times, and nowhere else.

 

“Why are you so exhausted?”

 

As if my guard had been down, I said the words I had only thought in my mind.

 

— It’s because you neglected this body. I’ve been waiting for you for so long.

 

“You’ve only known me a short time.”

 

— You ignored my invitation, so I had to make you come out.

 

There you go again, silent. You don’t want me to say anything.

 

“I don’t think so, you blame me too much.”

 

It wasn’t me who hurt him and kept him here. It was most likely Dion.

 

— You’re the only one who brought me back to sanity.

 

It sounded oddly juxtaposed with his earlier comment about wanting to eat him.

 

I couldn’t figure out what the hell the connection was between him keeping his sanity and me coming to him.

 

I had come here with no idea why Adelaine had used her chi to try to capture me, or why my past self hadn’t been able to determine. Perhaps it was a task etched into his instincts.

 

Perhaps I am more ignorant of this world than I thought, and every time I saw Adelaine, a vague sense of unease came over me.

 

— You seem to prefer the beastly form over my human appearance.

 

“Not exactly.”

 

— Well, let’s see if it is.

 

With those last words, the beast began to change its appearance without warning.

 

One moment, its wings glowed, and then it slowly changed shape. 

 

I hesitantly raised my hand, not knowing where to put it, and stood there in an awkward position for a moment, blinking in the blinding light, and then everything changed.

 

“…”

 

Adelaine was resting across my lap.

 

Like yesterday, Adelaine was naked, but one of his wings covered him, shielding his body from view.

 

It was such a pitiful, beautiful thing.

 

Even though I couldn’t see them, I could tell it was still bare. Not seeing it fuels the imagination, I realized with every glance at him.

 

“…”

 

The words please put some clothes on were stuck in my throat, but it didn’t matter if he had them or not, because I had brought some clothes to give him just in case.

 

If he were to get dressed, he would have to stand up, and then his bare body would be exposed in front of me.

 

Just thinking about it made me feel so impure.

 

I thought to myself, ‘Oh, and his side face is perfect.’

 

Adelaine’s appearance was flawless as he lay there with his eyes closed. 

 

The slightly disheveled hair made it look even more pitiful, and even the dark eyebrows were full and well-shaped. The bridge of his nose was sharp, not to mention his full lips.

 

“You sure don’t run away like you promised.”

 

My hands clumsily balled into fists in the air.

 

Adelaine pauses, eyes wide, and stares at me.

 

“…In the future, please transform with warning, then keep those bright eyes shut.” 

 

“Hmph. Does that mean you’ll be coming for me in the future?”

 

Somehow, I felt caught in the middle of his plan. 

 

But as long as I was on this ship, I couldn’t get away from Adelaine, and I didn’t need to tell him that running away from him was my life’s goal.

 

“Since you won’t tell me that’s a promise, I guess I’ll have to wait and see.”

 

So clever. Even if he had lost his memory, he was still the Emperor of the Empire.

 

“You really don’t remember anything about being human?” I asked, suddenly curious.

 

Now that he was human instead of a giant beast, there was less worry about being eaten in one bite. Nor did I have to fret about him suddenly pulling a blade out of nowhere from his bare, naked body.

 

“I see.”

 

“Is that because you spent so long as a beast?”

 

“I don’t know. One thing’s for sure…, when you’re around, my human senses are more vivid. You’re different from other humans.”