Chapter 40: 40

Still, he couldn’t allow a stranger other than Asha to touch his naked body. 

To be honest, Jackal still wasn’t used to Asha’s touch, so he gets surprised every time she touches him. 

Then he withdrew his leg. 

It meant a flat refusal not to touch him. 

In response, Sonya asked, surprised.

“Lady Vanessa, by any chance, does the horse only accept your touch?”

“Well, it seems like he’s shy because he’s in an unfamiliar place.”

“The horse is shy?”

“Yes. Sheppy is a gentleman among others horses.”

Asha smiled happily. 

Sonya, feeling a little regretful, pulled her hand away. 

Then Asha said.

“I’ll be with Sheppy until dinner, so why don’t you come back first?”

“Yes! Then I’ll go ahead and prepare dinner and a bath! Have a good rest. Goodbye Sheppy!”

Sonya innocently waved her hand at the horse and left the room. Then the two of them were alone.

Asha let out a deep sigh, which she hadn’t been able to do.

“……Why did you come alone leaving Jackal and Lycaon? Did something happen to them after I left?”

Sheppy shook his head. 

Asha then asked with a sense of relief.

“Then, did you come to see me by yourself, Sheppy?”

Sheppy nodded.

“How’s Jackal?”

Sheppy nodded even more vigorously. 

Asha smiled and immediately muttered with a weak expression on her face.

“Thank god. I am so glad everyone is safe…….”

Jackal was heartbroken.

Asha chose to be taken to the Imperial Palace to keep them safe. 

She sacrificed herself. 

Sacrificing himself for the sake of the members was his job as the leader of the group, but it seems like he had put too much of a burden on her.

     It’s not useless to save lives.

When she said those words before, her determined expression came to mind. 

At that time, he laughed at her……. 

Now, he regrets it all. 

Asha asked playfully, trying not to show her sadness.

“Will Jackal be disappointed if I take Sheppy?”

“Pureung, Pureung.”

Jackal snorted loudly and shook his head.

“Pureung pureung, you’re so cute…….”

Asha smiled and gently nuzzled his nose once more. 

Hearing how cute he was, he put his face to the ground and his sharp eyes narrowed. 

He wonders if he has ever heard that he’s cute in his life. 

From a very young age, his impression was as fierce as a rogue, and his parents had never told him that he was cute. 

Asha said playfully as she scanned Sheppy’s smooth body.

“But when did you get groomed like this? It’s as if you had come to look for a mare.”

     To find a mare….

Jackal sighed to himself. 

She would probably be shocked to learn how desperately he had to change his appearance to infiltrate the Imperial Palace. 

But as soon as he saw Asha’s face, he forgot all his troubles.

“Meeting Sheppy was the luckiest thing in my life.”

Asha gently grabbed his big face with both hands, and suddenly kissed his nose.

Jackal’s eyes widened, and he froze hard. 

It was the first time he had been kissed, so he couldn’t get his act together.

His heart was beating like crazy and he felt like he was half out of his mind. 

Asha didn’t even know that when she suddenly put her face on his stomach and muttered.

“I’ve been lonely and anxious all by myself, but I am relieved to have Sheppy by my side. I feel like I have a friend to talk to….”

Asha fell asleep listening to his heartbeat. 

Seeing Sheppy relieves her tension, and she always fell asleep. 

Jackal lifted his head and his eyes grew bigger as he saw her fall asleep on his stomach.

The skin-to-skin contact was driving him crazy…….

He lay still for a while, not knowing what to do for fear Asha would wake up, but after a while, he carefully returned to his human form. 

Jackal, naked, lifted one of his arms and gently tucked Asha’s hair, which was on his thigh, behind her ear. 

But suddenly, he realized that his important part was right near her face, causing his face to get hotter and hotter. 

It seemed like he would give up reason and turn into a real wild horse at any moment. 

But then, Asha frowned slightly, speaking in her sleep.

Jackal was startled and tried to transform back into a horse, but his expression relaxed when he saw her asleep again. 

Asha murmured in her sleep.

“I miss you, Jackal…….”

Jackal’s eyes widened, but then the corners of his eyes curled up.

“Me too…… I missed you a lot too.”

Jackal looked at her with affectionate eyes and whispered in her ear.

“You’ve been through a lot on your own. There isn’t much time left now, so please bear with me a little longer.….”

Asha smiled slightly at Jackal’s sweet dreamy voice of Jackal.

* * * * *

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At that time, Karaf was staring at a document, pushing aside numerous documents awaiting his approval. 

He examined the document with a slight frown and a hand on his forehead.

It seemed as if he was suffering over an important matter of the Empire.

But on the front of the paper were large letters written in a solemn font.

[Analysis of Lady Vanessa’s tastes] 

It was a list of Asha’s ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’, ‘what she usually does during her free time’, and ‘who she is friendly with’. 

However, reading and rereading did not provide good quality information. 

Karaf let out a small sigh and put the document down. 

And he glanced at Duran, standing in front of his desk with his hands clasped politely like a child being examined for his homework.

“Are you kidding me now?”

Duran was startled.

“Did you bring me this poor list resembling a child’s diary as a report? Should I have also stripped you of your position when I cut off your epaulets?

Duran blushed. 

Karaf slammed the desk down with a very displeased expression. 

Duran glanced at him, then pulled out a book that he had been hiding behind his back.

“…….”

When Karaf saw the title of the book, he was completely speechless. 

[An amazing love dictionary that is useful to know. I am a Love Doctor! Confessions of a Real Man Who Captivates Women] 

Duran said all blushing.

“It is said to be the most popular love book on the market these days……. It might be of some help to your Majesty just in case…….”

In the past, Karaf would have thrown it away, saying how he dares bring such a book. But this time, he opened the book seriously. 

But as soon as he read the first paragraph, his expression hardened. 

[Right now in your head, you and she are newlyweds living in a house, and you’re smiling at the birth of your child, but the reality is that you haven’t even had a proper conversation with her yet. Am I wrong?] 

For some reason, he felt very uncomfortable because this book was like a mirror of his mind. 

[Giving gifts before she likes you can come as a burden to the lady who is not prepared. 

Have you ever sent an expensive gift or bouquet to her house, or come to see her in person and put the gift in her hand? At this point, there is still hope. 

Did you ever propose a diamond ring to her before building intimacy with her?]

“…….”

Karaf lost his strength and dropped the book. 

He hated to admit it, but he seemed sure the popular book is useful.

Karaf picked up the book again, frowned a little, and continued seriously reading the next paragraph. 

He was careful about turning the pages.

Duran bit his lip and lowered his head when he was about to burst out laughing.

“…… Duran.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He looked at Duran without knowing if he was crying or smiling. 

Karaf said, looking at him with his bright red eyes.

“If I don’t get close to her after thoroughly reading this book, prepared¡ to get slapped in the face with this book. Even if I can’t spit on your smiling face, I can spit back on a useless book.”

“……!”

Duran’s face paled. 

* * * * *

That night, the lights in Karaf’s bedroom were kept on all night. 

In his loose robe, he leaned back on the headboard, reading a book in a sleepy pose. 

The nightstand was dimly lit by a lamp, and he was reading a book earnestly with his glasses on. 

Just looking at his appearance, it was no different from his usual appearance, but the problem was that the book in his hand was a very conspicuous hot pink…… 

Even the cover of the book had a big heart drawn on it. 

From a distance, it was a great book. 

When Duran asked people to buy this book, he knew how embarrassed he would be.

As he read the book, his expression changed each time, he looked angry at one point and then turned cold, his eyes widening and narrowing.

As Karaf continued to read earnestly, he frowned as he noticed a passage, and his eyes grew bigger.

     …… This is it!

After finally getting the answer he wanted from the book, Karaf put the book on the table and took off his glasses. His eyes lit up.

When he lay down on his bed, his expression seemed very comfortable and satisfied.

* * * * *

During the festival, Asha freely roamed the Imperial Palace. 

Before the flowering ceremony, she thought it would be good to know the structure of the Imperial Palace in detail. 

As Asha walked down the hall, she saw the engraved marks on the walls that only she could recognize. She smiled bitterly as she suddenly recalled some memories.

She had made a mark like this several times in the past to escape from this Palace. 

But then, she saw someone crouched down and hidden in the bush in the distance. 

Asha’s eyes widened when she saw the blue-gray hair sticking out slightly above the bushes. 

Jackal was sneaking out of the stable and sending a message to Lycaon. 

Gabe’s hawk, which was sitting in a nearby tree, spotted him and flew towards him. 

Jackal tied a note to the hawk’s leg and sent it away. 

[My love, we are finally reunited safely. I’m preparing for our next date. I’ll get back to you soon.  –J] 

He wrote it with only important words to make it look like a simple secret love letter from lovers if anyone sees this note. 

‘My love‘ on the note was a code for Sosa, meaning it was a note sent to him. 

Jackal’s expression faltered as he suddenly felt unwell. 

Still, he met with Asha, so from now on, the key was to reveal his identity to her and convince her. 

It was then that he was deep in thought with a serious expression on his face.

“Jackal……?”

Jackal’s eyes grew bigger at the sudden voice of Asha coming from behind him.

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