Chapter 41

Lirika smiled faintly as she looked into Min's trembling gray eyes.

"So, you have stronger instincts than others, right? Isn't it hard to suppress them?"

He lowered his gaze. Hoping his voice wouldn't tremble, he spoke honestly.

"It's... hard..."

It was the first time he had told anyone. He couldn't even admit how hard it was, fearing they would distance themselves from him.

Struggling, he tried to show the characteristic friendly smile he had practiced.

"But I can endure it."

'Ah.'

Now she understood where the discomfort came from. What was ordinary for others required effort for Raub. Even with effort, he couldn't become completely ordinary.

"I see."

Lirika nodded. She stared intently at her pendulum and then said,

"I understand."

Raub's eyes widened. Seeing his expression, Lirika smiled softly.

"Can you tell me about your symptoms?"

"That's..."

Hesitating, Raub soon felt a strange certainty that he wouldn't be cast out even if he told the princess the truth.

He bowed his head and began to describe his symptoms.

He found it harder to endure during the full moon, his body heated up, his emotions turned fierce, his anger became uncontrollable, and a storm raged inside him, making him want to howl.

Surprisingly, he felt much more at ease after telling everything than when he had kept it all hidden.

Lirika listened carefully and then said,

"I understand. I'll look into it. There might be an artifact that can help with those symptoms."

Raub smiled faintly. If such an artifact existed, he would have been the first to try it in the Wolf clan. Even bears would have tried it.

Still, her offer to find it was truly sweet.

He remained silent, his head bowing lower. He found it ridiculous that he knew what he wanted.

A gentle hand touched his head, as if aware of his thoughts.

It would be ridiculous to think he was being petted by a child half his age, but it felt different when he thought of being petted by his master.

The Wolf clan people liked physical contact, like pushing and shoving. Parents would hug their children, kiss them, and ruffle their hair as they passed by.

For Raub, that part was a round, empty space. In the Wolf clan, it was common to see parents petting the heads of their grown children.

Most importantly, the praise and physical contact from someone he acknowledged, his master, were different.

The sense of stability it brought was something only a Wolf clan person could feel and express.

A satisfied sigh escaped him.

He felt his master faintly smile above him, making him feel embarrassed. When she removed her hand, he quickly stood up. Lirika turned her head.

Was it just her imagination, or did Brin, who was standing at a respectful distance, look displeased?

Lirika gestured for her to come closer. While putting her ring back on, Brin approached.

"Is the conversation over? You said it was important."

"Yes, it's over. Let's go back now."

Brin, being the loyal maid, didn't say anything more about Raub. Instead, she glanced at the moon and said,

"It's quite late. Are you hungry? Should I bring some snacks?"

"Hmm, it's fine."

Lirika smiled.

"Thank you, Brin."

"No, it's nothing."

"Let's go back then."

As she gently took Brin's hand, Brin's lips curved into a smile.

"Yes, Princess."

* * *

Lirika drew several round magic circles with her pen.

"Hmm, control... no, restraint, no. What I want isn't control or restraint."

She drew an X through each and looked out the window. The study window, which received plenty of sunlight, was wide open. The white linen curtains fluttered softly in the wind.

If it weren't for the cool breeze, summer would be even harder to endure.

'I want to make an artifact that cools things down.'

Lirika crumpled the paper with the magic circles and ancient script and threw it in the trash, burning it as usual. She thought it would be better to hear more detailed stories to create an artifact.

"Let's go."

She got up from her chair and fluttered out of the study.

"Brin."

"Yes, Princess."

"Prepare the morning star. I need to meet Tan."

"Understood."

The Sun Palace prohibits riding inside. Everyone had to dismount and walk the path to the Sun Palace.

Thus, the only girl who could ride a black horse with a cream mane inside the Sun Palace was Lirika Nara Takar.

The adopted daughter of the Emperor.

Everyone looked up curiously as she walked, her brown hair gently swaying. Sol and the Wolf followed her.

Some people sneered.

"With Sol and the Wolf on either side, she really acts like she's Takar."

"Shh, be quiet. Don't you know who's in power at the Sun Palace now?"

"He's just an outsider with no roots. How long do you think the Emperor's fickle favor will last?"

Some agreed, and some remained silent.

"Anyway."

The person who first spoke snickered as they watched the princess walk away.

"What a sight."

Her riding through the Sun Palace, where everyone had to walk, was a clear display.

The malice was small but steadily growing.

* * *

"Tan! Oh, Lat is here too?"

For some reason, Lat was sitting in the Knight Commander's office. He stood up and bowed politely. Though he always wore an elegant smile, Lirika quickly sensed a negative aura.

She spoke cautiously.

"Did I interrupt your conversation?"

Tan frowned, and Lat smiled gently.

"No."

"It doesn't seem like it..."

Muttering, she carefully observed Tan and Lat before speaking.

"Anyway, I came here to talk about something important with Tan, so I'll ask Lat for his understanding."

Surprised by her confident words, both men looked at Lirika. Soon, Lat smiled and nodded.

"Understood. I'll take my leave now."

"You, we need to talk later."

Lat just smiled and left the office. Tan gestured for Lirika to sit.

Brim and Raub were waiting outside, so now only the two of them were inside.

"What's the matter? You said it was important."

Tan smiled gently and asked, and Lirika countered.

"What's a 'disqualified person'?"

Tan swallowed. Lirika stared at him and sighed deeply.

"Tan."

"Yes, Princess."

"Did you really trust my intuition that much?"

Tan smiled bitterly. Lirika said,

"I know the Wolf clan is important to you. As the head of the family, it's your responsibility to take care of everyone, right?"

Tan listened quietly to the princess.

"I know it must be very hard. I know you'll face difficult choices."

Now she understood what Tan meant by 'I'll support whatever you decide.' If she had known about the 'disqualified person'—no, even if she had known, she would have still chosen Raub.

It would have been better to know in advance. Still, she had a question.

"Did you think Raub was more important than my safety?"

"!!"

Tan flinched and frowned. He spoke slowly.

"No, but I can't deny that it might seem that way."

He stared at Lirika. Logically, it shouldn't have been right to entrust Raub to this young princess. Yet, it somehow felt okay.

His intuition, his heart, told him so. Tan spoke honestly.

"At that time, it felt like the best choice. I felt Raub would self-destruct if sent back to his hometown."

He paused and sighed before suddenly looking at Lirika.

"Has he caused any problems?"

"No."

Lirika shook her head at his concern. She could see the tension in his shoulders ease.

Lirika said,

"I felt the same way at that time. So I took Raub in, but I wish you had told me more. I didn't know he was struggling so much."

The last sentence was unexpected, and Tan looked at the princess.

Her firm, teal eyes stared back at him. He took a deep breath and replied.

"I apologize, it's all my fault."

Though deeply apologetic, Lirika smiled.

"I accept your apology, but my first question still stands. What's a 'disqualified person'? I understand the strong wolf blood, but—"

Raub had described his symptoms, and Brin had criticized him. As the head of the family, Tan might have more information.

Tan's gaze shifted slightly towards the door, and Lirika quickly took off her ring and placed it.

Tan looked surprised.

"An artifact."

"I received it."

Lirika answered promptly, and Tan nodded.

"Did His Majesty give it to you?"

The Takar family's vault was rumored to have a considerable list of artifacts.

"I'm not sure where to start. Let's start with Raub's story. I said he was a distant relative, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"He wasn't born in the Wolf clan. Sometimes, people like that appear. They suddenly show strong family blood from outside. The family heard the rumors and brought Raub in to adopt him."

Tan didn't mention the difficult process it took to get there.

Instead, he said briefly,

"So Raub had a hard time adapting to the Wolf clan."

Lirika nodded at his short statement.

Tan made a motion as if drawing a sword from behind his back and said,

"That's why his weapon is different from ours. He learned swordsmanship elsewhere when he was young. The Wolf clan uses swords, but Raub uses a saber."

"Right! That's it. And Raub carries it on his back."

Tan smiled bitterly.

"That's because Raub isn't a knight. Non-knights can't carry weapons on their waists."

"Huh?"

Confused, Lirika asked, and Tan crossed his arms.

"Non-knights can't carry weapons on their waists. It's a law to prevent non-knights from carrying weapons freely, but—"

"It's useless."

Lirika's comment made Tan laugh.

"True, but carrying weapons on other parts of the body is inconvenient."

"Is it?"

"Yes, Raub uses a sling instead of a scabbard."

Lirika thought for a moment and nodded. Satisfied that she understood, Tan moved on to the next topic.

"When the wolf blood is strong, the strength increases, but so do the impulses. Emotions fluctuate wildly."

"Raub doesn't seem like that at all?"

Lirika's comment made Tan nod.

"Because he received training to suppress them."

"Training to suppress?"

Lirika asked, and Tan nodded.

"Originally, Wolves play and run around in the forest from a young age to release their strength, and then learn to control their emotions. The forest is their playground. But Raub didn't receive that kind of education. So he had to learn to suppress everything."

"I see. Strong and hard to control emotions, right?"

"Yes, he lacks self-restraint, especially during the full moon."

"Is it the same for you, Tan?"

Tan nodded slightly with a smile.

"Yes, Wolf clan members get restless during the full moon. But if the wolf blood is strong, the impulse is even stronger. Raub has deserted twice during the full moon."

He didn't become a 'disqualified person' for no reason, Tan said. Lirika nodded and then asked,

"Is it okay at least?"

"If you keep it a secret, it's fine."

"Okay, I won't write the really important parts. And I won't tell anyone."

"Understood."

With his permission, Lirika quickly took out her pen. Seeing her ready to write, Tan began to tell her more detailed stories.

He shared past records and incidents. Lirika wrote down the lighter parts and kept the heavier ones in her mind.

The heavy stories piled up, and Lirika's face grew serious.

She looked at what she had written and asked,

"Is this only in the Wolf clan? Or—"

"Other families also have disqualified persons."

"I see..."

It must be hard in many ways. The thought of one's child possibly being disqualified must be terrifying for parents.

"It must be hard."

Lirika said, and Tan smiled faintly.

"That's why we serve the Takar family, and that's why we—"

Want to get rid of the Takar family.

He barely stopped the words from reaching his throat. He thought he had made a slip of the tongue.

Lirika glanced at him playfully, putting her index finger to her lips.

"Everything we talked about today is a secret."

"Of course."

Tan smiled.

This princess is truly unique. He now understood what Lat meant by 'I feel strangely relaxed in front of the princess, which is uncomfortable.'

'The secretive Sandar must be even more uncomfortable.'

While the Empress captivated people with her elegance, wit, and sharp tongue, the princess was completely different.

"If Raub does well, pet his head."

"His head?"

"Yes, he'll like it a lot."

Tan chuckled, and Lirika nodded, remembering something.

"Have you petted him before?"

"Yes."

"Wow—"

Petting the head of a large adult man isn't easy, but the princess was bold.

"He must have liked it a lot. Please do it often. He didn't have that kind of contact when he was young... and you don't acknowledge him either. Being part of the group already gives him some stability, but Raub came from outside..."

"Tan? But you're the head of the family, right? Don't they follow your orders?"

"Ah, I am the head, but— it's only on the surface. They don't truly follow me from the heart. That's useless."

Tan smiled and pointed at Lirika.

"But the princess is recognized as his master, so you accepting him into the group is much better."

"I see..."

The Wolf clan is unique, Lirika nodded.

'I should pet him more often.'

Looking at her palm, Lirika playfully made a petting motion and asked,

"Do you like being petted, Tan?"

Tan paused for a moment. The image of golden hair like the moon and a white hand came to mind.

Slowly, looking into Lirika's teal eyes, which were very similar to someone else's, Tan smiled.

"Yes, I like it."