Chapter 37

# Chapter 37. <Silent>

Ron nodded at Kale's words and added a sentence.

"I understand. But, young master, do you remember that we're going to the castle the day after tomorrow?"

Before the king's speech announcing the start of the festival in the square, the young nobles were scheduled to meet the crown prince. It was an event that was neither a banquet nor a dinner, but something in between, using an entire palace where banquets were usually held.

As Kale thought of the crown prince and the palace, a name naturally came to mind.

'Taylor and Cage, are they doing well?'

The abandoned eldest son and the mad priest. Kale thought they were probably doing just fine.

"Hmm."

Suddenly, he felt a chill at the back of his head and unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. With that chill, he decided.

'I won't think about those two.'

Kale would remain silent at the palace. He would sit there blankly, no matter who cursed him. Kale glanced at the table. There was a letter.

[Kale, you don't have to do anything, really nothing. I'll take care of everything. Got it? ...]

Eric Welsman, one of the young nobles from the northeastern region, sent a letter every day. It was a long, worry-filled letter. Kale roughly picked up the letter on the table and threw it into a corner.

"Then I'll tell them to take out the best bottle of wine in advance and come back."

"Sure."

Kale watched Ron leave indifferently and then saw some familiar faces appear through the door he had opened. Ron glanced at those figures and closed the door, and the two figures who entered came straight to Kale and said,

"If you let your guard down, I could kill you!"

"I can see a way to kill you!"

They were the kittens On and Hong. The two cats, who had not shown their faces for a while, seemed quite excited as they had found a way to assassinate a water spirit with similar strength to a wolf.

"Good job."

When Kale casually threw out those words, the cats came up and rubbed their faces against his legs. Feeling annoyed, Kale gently pushed them away, and a moment later, Ron returned.

"Young master."

"Sure."

He asked Kale, who was answering absent-mindedly.

"Can I go to the palace as your personal attendant?"

"Of course. Who else would go?"

With that answer, Ron made a decision. To leave.

The ones who ruled the underworld of the eastern continent under the name 'Shadow' had started to extend their reach into the western continent. 'Shadow' was just one of their limbs; no one knew their true identity.

One of the five major assassination families that sought to dominate the night of the eastern continent. Ron Mollan, the successor of the Mollan family, hated and feared 'Shadow.'

"Young master."

"Why?"

"You will look cool at the palace."

"Ron."

Kale, who had just returned from a vacation, asked Ron, who was uncharacteristically flattering, calmly.

"Am I at least decent-looking and well-built as a human?"

Meow.

The cats snorted at Kale's appearance but couldn't deny it. A handsome man with a lazy charm, with a presence that suggested he had something. That was Kale.

Kale himself liked this rascal's body and face the most, after money. The corners of his mouth seemed to curl up slightly.

"Of course. Our young master is perfect."

But the corners of his mouth quickly fell.

'What kind of voice did I just hear?'

It was a very gentle, kind, and affectionate voice. Kale felt a shiver and turned his head to the back of the sofa. Ron was smiling contentedly. It was a bit different from pretending to be content.

Kale felt a chill all over his body, but Ron did his job regardless.

"Then I'll go out for a moment. I need to report to Hans, the under-butler."

"Uh, uh. Go quickly, go quickly."

Soon, Ron left, and Kale, looking at the closed door, thought.

'Why is he like that?'

But Kale didn't really want to know why. What did it matter to him about Ron's life? Kale looked at the closed door for a long time with a puzzled expression.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door. At that moment, the red cat Hong said,

"It's a wolf scent."

Kale looked at the door and said,

"Come in."

A moment later, the door opened cautiously, and a towering wolf, Rak, awkwardly appeared. He shuffled his feet and said,

"I came to express my gratitude. I didn't know when to see you. If it's okay, can I come in for a moment?"

"Come in."

Kale, who didn't want to hear his stammering any longer, gestured for him to come in, and Rak, looking nervous and tense, closed the door and approached Kale. Kale pointed to the opposite sofa.

"Sit down."

"Yes, yes."

Rak sat down and glanced at Kale. Despite the words that reminded him of his uncle, the Kale Hennithus he faced was a bit different from what Rak had imagined, making him feel a bit distant.

It wasn't that he was as strong and intimidating as his uncle, but rather that his presence made it hard to start a conversation.

"Say what you have to say."

"Well."

Rak rolled his eyes for a moment, trying to find the right words, then suddenly stood up and bowed.

"Thank you!"

He looked very naive, timid, and even a bit foolish. Just like Rak in the novel.

'In the book, his personality changed after the first berserk, but this time, his personality is the same.'

Kale responded to his greeting.

"Sure. You have something to be grateful for."

"Yes? Ah, yes."

Rak's expression became strange as he sat back down. Kale said to him,

"Since the thanks are done, you can go now."

"Ah, but, that's it."

Rak couldn't get up from his seat and fidgeted, trying to speak. He had been thinking and rethinking after hearing stories from Rosaline, the two Miao, Chaihan, and sometimes Hans. He was still thinking.

Kale watched him silently. He knew roughly how Rak would act and wanted to get him out quickly.

"Well, young master. That's it."

Rak didn't know how to start. He kept looking at the floor, glancing at Kale. Rak bit his lip and let go. He disliked this timid side of himself. At that moment, a cold voice came.

"Speak up."

"Yes?"

Rak looked up at Kale. This was the first time he properly met Kale's gaze since entering the room. Kale, seeing this, said,

"Right. When you talk, look straight at the person."

And he continued,

"Spit out everything you want to say."

Kale looked at the clock and then added indifferently to Rak, who was staring at him blankly,

"I'll listen."

Ah. A sigh escaped Rak's lips. He tightly clasped his fidgeting hands and then spoke.

"I, I'm the older brother."

His voice was weak. The large but still young boy continued,

"I have to take care of my younger siblings."

Rak knew he was far from being a proper wolf, but he had ten younger siblings to protect and care for.

Also,

"I'm a nephew and a younger brother."

He couldn't forget the blue wolves who had cherished and loved him, his family, friends, and neighbors.

"So I have to take revenge."

He had to repay all the debts thoroughly.

Rak tightly gripped his trembling hands and blurted out his thoughts. His mind went blank. He bowed his head. He saw his feet and the carpet. At that moment,

"Wolf."

Rak looked up. Kale Hennithus, the owner of the mansion that Rak, who lived in a remote mountain village, could never have imagined, and the man whom Chaihan had said was worth risking his life for, spoke indifferently to him.

"You are a wolf."

Rak's mind filled with countless memories of the past. The life of the blue wolves played in his mind.

"I've heard that wolves protect their families and prioritize them. I think it's a proud race."

The slight smile on Kale's lips, which seemed indifferent, caught Rak's eye.

"I heard your story."

At that moment, Rak began to see this man and the room clearly. The cute Miao siblings sitting on either side of Kale, the peaceful scene of the room bathed in the afternoon sunlight.

Rak finally remembered what he wanted to say.

"Thank you for helping me. And... please help me."

To this, the owner of the peaceful scene said,

"Once is enough for the thanks."

The biggest reason Kale was thinking about the rascal's recent actions was because of Chaihan and the black dragon. The black dragon was a worry in itself, but Chaihan was a worry because of the things he brought along.

"I don't want to help you."

Kale didn't want to help Rak. But he understood the sorrow of the ten wolf children who had lost their parents and home. He had experienced it himself. He was also involved in this situation to some extent. He didn't want to take full responsibility.

Just to the extent he had done. He would act without losing anything.

To Rak, who was about to bow his head at the words of not wanting to help, Kale said,

"But are you willing to make a deal?"

"...A deal?"

"Yes."

He asked Rak,

"What do you need help with? What can you do for me?"

K