How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 68

W-what was this?

Aisha’s mind turned to paste. For a moment, she could not understand what had happened.

Why… why would Major General Wolf have something like this inside his coat? Wasn’t this… wasn’t this…

She had merely finished lunch at the usual time and happened to walk back with Major General Wolf. How could it have led to this?

The palace was warmer than outside, especially in the dining room, so Aisha had taken off her cloak and forgotten it there. Only when the wind struck her in the garden did she remember and turn back. Winter in Micks, far to the south, was not especially cold, but Major General Wolf worried she might catch a chill and insisted upon draping his coat around her.

Aisha had been touched.

And then the white ribbon fell from his coat.

As she clutched it, memories of Philray flooded back: the Harvest Festival, Mrs. Wesson’s gift, the grove, the giant wolf… This was the ribbon she had tied around Les’s shoulder in place of a bandage when she treated him on the day they met. It had left a deep impression because it was special. When she checked him the following day, it was gone. Since she had tied it on afterward, she assumed it loosened and blew away.

But now…

Why was it here?

Aisha’s heart had never beaten so fast. Every detail she had once ignored—or noticed, explained away, and forced herself to forget—rushed into her mind at once. Major General Wolf and Les possessed identical beast forms, similar eyes and bearing, the same strange familiarity. There had been Pal’s reaction, the matching names, and countless other clues.

And when she truly considered it, Major General Wolf and Les had never appeared at the same time.

Then there were all the things she had done…

Aisha turned so red she could have cooked where she stood.

She loved hugging Les, nuzzling into his fur, and curling up on his body for afternoon naps. Kisses and cuddles were ordinary. They had lived in the same room for almost a year, and there were many things she had never thought to hide from him…

AAAAAH!

She was going to explode!

Aisha wanted to dig a hole, bury herself, and detonate underground. Yet when Major General Wolf noticed she was no longer following and turned, her first reaction was still lightning-fast: she shoved the ribbon into his coat pocket, clasped both hands behind her back, and looked at him as if nothing had happened.

In reality, shock and nerves made her heart race even faster.

The usually restrained major general paused at the sight of her. “Are you… all right?”

Concerned by her blazing face, Les immediately stepped toward her.

“I-I’m fine!”

As he approached, Aisha retreated shyly on instinct and shook her head hard, forcing out a smile. Then she froze, uncertain whether she ought to remain close to him at all.

Les frowned.

Why had Aisha suddenly become afraid of him? The atmosphere between them had been perfectly pleasant a minute ago. Could his coat smell bad? Surely not…

Her reaction filled him with anxiety. He loved Aisha and did not want her to fear him. After hesitating, he tried again. “You…”

“I’m really fine!”

Aisha shook her head in panic. She forced down the chaos within her and smiled with false calm, then hurried after him—but remained one or two steps away.

“Shall we go?” she asked.

Les’s gaze swept subtly over the distance between them. Beastfolk senses were keen; he could plainly feel her new wariness. The intimacy they had spent weeks building seemed to retreat into the distant past. He paused and pressed his lips together, but said nothing. He nodded, granted her all the space she needed, and walked back to the dining room with her trailing behind.

Aisha retrieved her cloak, but they spoke far less on the way.

…

So—what in the world was going on?!

After parting from Major General Wolf, Aisha sprinted to her room and locked the door. Only then did she feel a little safer, and her tangled thoughts finally had room to move.

As her mind cleared, a desperate thought briefly surfaced: perhaps it was merely an ordinary white ribbon. Perhaps she had mistaken it.

But it was plainly a woman’s accessory, which was strange enough for Major General Wolf to carry. And it truly looked like the ribbon she had tied around the giant wolf’s shoulder.

Wait…

If it really was hers, had Major General Wolf carried it with him all this time?

Aisha could not name the emotion, but her heart softened. She stood silently for several seconds before remembering that her first priority was to confirm whether Major General Wolf truly was Les.

Should she ask him directly? Or find a more tactful way?

Aisha’s face scrunched with distress. Confronting Major General Wolf himself still frightened her, but if she did not…

A knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Aisha’s shoulders jerked. “…Who is it?”

“…Me.”

Relieved that the voice belonged to Thorne rather than Major General Wolf, Aisha opened the door, wondering why he had come at this hour. The black-haired boy stood outside frowning at her.

“Good afternoon, Thorne. Does my professor need me for something?”

“…No.”

Thorne frowned uncomfortably, hesitation in his eyes. At last he pressed his lips together and adopted a grave expression.

“Aisha, I have something important to tell you. But listen—I’m only guessing…”

…

Elsewhere, Les stood alone at his window, one hand resting against the frame as he held the curtain aside. The window faced the lush forest, and his expression was somber.

“…She suddenly seemed… afraid of me today.”

His voice was dull, and merely speaking the words dried his throat. He was almost grateful that His Majesty had contacted him at noon, giving him an early opportunity to confide in someone and ask for advice.

“I don’t know what happened.”

“Ah, I see.”

The cat emperor’s voice sounded in his ear as usual, though for some reason, he seemed remarkably cheerful. In fact, Carter III had been cheerful for days. Not only Les, but every official at the court of Beast had noticed.

It was already afternoon in Micks, but with the time difference, Carter III—newly returned from his “holiday in the southern region” and back at work—was enjoying a proper midday rest.

The white cat stood upon a cushion in his room, lazily swaying his tail while listening through Fawkes’s magic to his wolf cub’s romantic troubles. One could hardly blame Carter III for failing to share Les’s misery. Since confirming Louisa’s feelings, his spirits had scarcely descended from the heavens.

Neither had his tail.

The cat emperor waved his great fluffy white tail high in the air. After devoting several seconds to Les’s plight, he coughed until the joy leaking into his voice became suitably solemn.

“Before her attitude changed, did anything happen between you?”

Les searched his memory carefully and shook his head in dejection. “…No. I lent her my coat. Beyond that, I can think of nothing.”

The coat should not have been a problem. Aisha had been shy when he first offered it, but accepted happily. Les could find no explanation.

Irritated, he thrust a hand into his pocket—then stopped.

Why was the ribbon here? He always kept it safely in his inner pocket. Had he put it back in the wrong place after looking at it? Or…

Les’s heart dropped.

At the same time, Carter III searched his own experience for useful advice and remembered Louisa’s sly smile. His mouth curved with helpless affection.

“…Think more carefully, Les. Women may be far more clever and complicated than we imagine. Perhaps the girl you love has discovered something you never expected her to find.”

His voice softened.

“Speak to her honestly, my child. You have my blessing.”