Chapter 45

"Miau..."

A mournful voice escaped from Leonhardt, who was in the form of a lion cub.

He was running on all fours through the capital.

However, if he let his guard down, his feet would stop, and he would almost turn back to Cordelia's mansion.

(Cordelia...)

The Cordelia he met after ten days was very cute.

Her polite smile occasionally revealed a softness.

It was as if he had caught a whiff of the scent of a flower blooming on a crisp winter morning.

Her lips, which were red and blooming, and her cheeks, which were as rosy as apples, had Leonhardt completely captivated.

His attraction to Cordelia didn't start today, but today, Nini was also there.

Cordelia's side profile as she looked at Nini was gentle.

Jealousy and affection welled up uncontrollably and wouldn't stop.

(But... it's not yet time.)

Precisely because he cared for Cordelia.

There were things he needed to do first.

Preparations for the smooth succession to the crown prince.

Procedures and negotiations to make Cordelia his official fiancée.

Managing the territory and organizing his subordinates...

Leonhardt was extremely busy.

Additionally, there was the issue of Femina's harassment.

He needed to talk to her as her brother.

The royal palace, where Femina also resided, should be visible soon.

The palace was surrounded by an iron fence.

Guards stood at various points, and multiple layers of security were in place.

However, this was an array set up for humans.

The size of a lion cub was almost the same as a cat.

With a little effort, he could slip his body through the fence and return to the palace smoothly.

When he left, he had also escaped in the form of a lion cub, so sneaking back in was no problem.

He was used to sneaking out of the palace to meet Cordelia.

Avoiding the eyes of the patrolling guards, he returned to human form in a corner of the palace garden and started walking on two legs with a nonchalant expression.

(Femina should also be back at the palace by now.)

The royal palace of Liorbern was divided into several zones.

Access to each zone was restricted, and the roles served were different.

The outer palace, where bureaucrats gathered to conduct official business. The grand hall, where audiences were held. And the inner palace, where the royal family lived, among dozens of buildings and hundreds of rooms.

Elaborately carved buildings were connected by stone-paved paths.

Leonhardt hurried to the inner palace.

The inner palace was the living area of the royal family and was located in the deepest part.

Centered around the building where the king resided, the first, second, and third queen's residences were arranged.

Each queen and their children lived in separate buildings.

As Leonhardt approached the building where Femina's mother, the third queen, resided, he quickened his pace.

There was Femina.

She seemed to have taken a detour and was just getting out of a carriage.

As he approached and called out,

"Brother?!"

Femina's eyes widened.

Surprised and delighted, she grabbed the hem of her dress and ran over.

"It's been so long, Brother!! I'm so happy!! Are you done with today's work?"

Fidgeting, Femina leaned in, wanting to be petted.

However, Leonhardt did not reach out, and Femina blinked.

"Brother?"

"I'm happy too. ...But, what did you do today, Femina?"

"......!!"

Suddenly, Femina's expression darkened, and she looked down.

She averted her gaze from Leonhardt, looking at the ground.

"I went to Cordelia's mansion... to harass her."

"Do you understand that this is wrong?"

Leonhardt's voice was calm, but it carried a tone that did not allow for excuses.

Femina's shoulders twitched, but she remained silent.

Due to the height difference, Leonhardt couldn't see her downcast face.

"I've been busy lately and haven't been able to spend time with you. But it's wrong to take your frustration out on Cordelia, can you understand that?"

"......!!"

Femina was a bright and cheerful girl.

At least as far as Leonhardt knew, she wasn't the type to lash out at others.

Leonhardt squatted down and gently met Femina's eyes.

"When you do something wrong, you should apologize properly. Do you understand that?"

"But...!!"

Stubbornly, Femina refused to nod.

Perhaps she still couldn't accept that Leonhardt was engaged to Cordelia.

Femina was only ten years old, an age when she still wanted to be pampered by her older brother.

Just lecturing her on the right thing to do didn't seem to reach her heart.

"Even if you can't accept it right away, you must stop harassing Cordelia. I will also ask Father and your mother to make sure Femina doesn't go to Cordelia's place on her own—"

"No!!"

A scream erupted.

Femina's face shot up.

"No!! Don't involve Mother!! I, I decided to bully Cordelia!!"

She said it in one breath and ran away as if fleeing.

"Femina..."

It would have been easy to catch up, but Leonhardt paused to think.

He squinted and watched Femina's shrinking back.

Thank you for reading.