How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 102

At Carter III’s question, Aisha and Les both paused. In their hearts, each was certain that they would attend the post-tournament ball together, but they had been so occupied with reaching the top five that neither had spared the matter much thought. They had never formally invited each other and had merely shared an unspoken understanding. Ordinarily, that would not have been a problem. Now, faced with the cat emperor’s question, however, neither knew quite how to answer.

Aisha hesitated and looked up at Les, only to discover that he was already looking at her. His clear blue-gray eyes reflected her faintly startled expression. He did not smile, but his gaze held patience as he awaited her answer, along with a trace of uncertainty. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and both were surprised for a second.

Then they smiled at each other. The corners of Les’s mouth lifted slightly, and tenderness spilled into his eyes. Had his comrades in Beast seen him, they would probably have suffered another shock.

“Yes.” He turned back and nodded to Carter III. “We will attend together.”

Their fingers, which had remained intertwined throughout, tightened around each other.

…

The next day, however, news that Major General Les Wolf had withdrawn for personal reasons caused an immediate uproar throughout the World Tournament and all of Wold.

From Les’s perspective, the decision was easy to understand. He had never been interested in the World Tournament, and his status as a soldier was itself an obstacle to participating. He had only entered with Carter III’s special permission to win Tina’s acknowledgment. Once he finally received the explicit goal of reaching the top five and successfully accomplished it, his purpose in the tournament had been fulfilled. He did not seek attention, nor did he wish to invite further criticism for competing as an active soldier. Withdrawal was the natural choice.

Aisha respected Les’s decision and was sincerely happy with the many victory flowers she had already received. When Tina learned of it, she gave a cold snort and offered no opinion, but neither did she say anything more.

For the tournament and its spectators, of course, the withdrawal was a tremendous change. Les had been one of the championship favorites, and the list of likely winners was immediately reshuffled. William Nelson, who had previously lost the right to contend for the championship, moved into the vacancy left by Les and reentered the tournament. He then won both the semifinal and final in succession, surprising even those who had favored him. His opponents in the final two matches were among the finest warriors in the world, yet William had previously been completely unknown. No one in warrior circles had ever heard his name, and apart from the fact that he came from Beast, no one knew anything about him.

Even now, no one knew his beast form, because he had not used it once. What people could tell was that William had not come for the prize money, honor, or fame. When he received the final victory flower, he appeared exceptionally pleased, then took it away as usual. People guessed that he was courting someone extraordinarily difficult to win—or that a beloved wife awaited him in his homeland.

…

Once every World Tournament match had ended, it was time for the post-tournament ball.

“…You look beautiful! That dress suits you wonderfully!”

That afternoon, in the hotel, Elizabeth emerged after changing into her gown and completing her preparations. Aisha’s eyes lit up, and she praised her with such sincerity that she was only a step away from applauding.

The maids had carefully combed and braided Elizabeth’s beautiful golden hair, then pinned it up with painstaking precision. Floral ornaments adorned it, and her small silver crown completed the arrangement. Because she rarely went outside, Elizabeth’s skin was much fairer than that of most girls. Makeup made her normally sickly pallor look far healthier and more natural. The delicate cosmetics also softened the plainness of her features and emphasized her lively eyes. Her white, off-the-shoulder gown exposed graceful collarbones and shoulders, making her skin appear translucent. Its close-fitted waist and perfectly judged decorations traced her slender figure. Elizabeth possessed an innocent air, and rather than overwhelming her with heavy makeup or ostentatious ornaments, this restrained ensemble brought that innocence forward and made her entire person seem brighter.

Aisha found the transformation stunning, but Elizabeth looked shy. She uneasily touched a strand of hair that had not, in fact, fallen loose beside her ear.

“D-do I? This is the first time I’ve worn this dress. I’m not used to it…”

“Mm! You truly look beautiful.”

Aisha smiled and spoke from the heart. Then a hint of worry appeared on her face.

“But… is Edward coming to collect you at six?”

“Yes.”

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. Her pale-gold eyelashes trembled and cast faint shadows beneath her eyes, making her smile appear less cheerful than usual.

The day of the formal ball had arrived in the blink of an eye. Aisha herself was already seated on the sofa in a small formal gown. Since her parents and Elizabeth would all attend, she had simply brought her dress to the hotel. To tell the truth, Eric did not seem fond of lavish, crowded events, and waiting at the Tower of Magic until it was time to leave would have felt strange. Of course, since Les was her partner, he would come at six as well, and they would depart together.

As for Elizabeth… autumn was almost here, and her engagement to Prince Edward was approaching. Prince Edward had probably entered the World Tournament because the King of Bisnis ordered him to do so after learning that Elizabeth would serve as an invited guest. The gown Elizabeth wore now had been commissioned by her father, King Richard, in the hope that she and Edward would enjoy a wonderful evening. Once Elizabeth returned home and formal preparations for the engagement began, her engagement gown would only be more exquisite and magnificent.

Looking at Elizabeth, Aisha bit her lip. She struggled with herself for a moment, but finally could not resist asking, “Elizabeth, would you like to… try ending the engagement? Or perhaps postponing it?”

“What?”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened in astonishment, as though she had never considered the possibility before.

Aisha paused, then explained, “I don’t think you… like Prince Edward as much as you say you do.”

She looked at Elizabeth in concern, her brown-green eyes filled with care.

“And… I think you still have wishes you have not fulfilled.”

Aisha did not speak with complete certainty. Whenever her engagement to Edward came up, Elizabeth rarely discussed her own feelings. Even when asked directly, she merely smiled and said not to worry, that she was fine.

This time, however, Elizabeth paused. She opened her mouth as though considering something, then pressed her lips together and closed it again.

“But… leaving my own situation aside for the moment…”

Only after a long silence did Elizabeth speak again in confusion.

“What does it really feel like to like someone that way?”

“Huh?”

Faced with Elizabeth’s earnest blue eyes awaiting an answer, Aisha discovered that she did not know what to say.

She had fallen in love with Les. It was the most natural feeling in the world. By the time she became aware of it, things were already as they were now, and she had never doubted that her love was real. But when asked to describe it, she did not know how to make it clear.

She missed him, longed to be near him, and felt lonely and miserable when she could not see him, yet the moment they met, happiness flooded her at once. The feeling was too sweet and aching for any suitable word to capture. If she spoke too plainly, Aisha feared it would sound unbearably sentimental. Her face slowly reddened as she struggled to form a sentence.

“It’s… it’s…”

Elizabeth waited, but Aisha continued stumbling and could offer only a rough description of various emotions. None resonated with Elizabeth. Instead, they confused her further, for she had never experienced them.

“Never mind.” Elizabeth smiled, appearing somewhat happier than before. “I… I will think about what you said. If I remain terribly uncertain, I’ll ask Father whether we can post—ah!”

Before Elizabeth could finish, a courteous knock came from outside. The maid responsible for attending the princess called through the door. “Your Highness, Prince Edward has arrived. Are you ready?”

“Yes! I’m ready! I’ll be there at once.”

Elizabeth hurriedly gathered up her skirt as she answered. Then she turned back and gave Aisha an apologetic smile.

“It seems I have to leave. I’m sorry… If we have a chance, let’s continue at the ball.”

Aisha quickly nodded. After watching Elizabeth lift her skirt and leave, she went to the window to look down at the street.

Many World Tournament competitors were staying at this hotel, and the street was busier than usual today, with carriages coming and going everywhere. Prince Edward had indeed arrived. An exceptionally ostentatious carriage stood behind him, with the driver seated at the front and attendants standing at the rear. Every curtain and ornament shouted for the surrounding crowd to admire its owner’s exquisite taste, noble identity, and, naturally, astonishing wealth. The Kingdom of Bisnis was famous for commerce and was the richest country in the Helman Federation. As the only son of its king, Prince Edward naturally had no reason to be frugal.

When Elizabeth emerged with her maid, considerable astonishment appeared on Edward’s face. His undisguised surprise took a long time to fade. He allowed Elizabeth to take his arm, walked several steps with her, and personally helped her into the carriage before following her inside. The wheels began turning smoothly, and before long, carriage and passengers disappeared into the sunset.

At that moment, Aisha saw Les as well, and a smile appeared on her face almost instantly. Perhaps they shared some unspoken connection. Before Les could ask anyone at the hotel to notify her, he happened to glance up and see her at the window. Aisha quickly waved, gathered her skirts, and happily hurried downstairs.