Chapter 2: 2

Episode 2: Heinricion Adelasia

 

*******

Heinricion would never forget the day he heard the news that Eristella had gone missing.

Until then, he knew that a few days later she would show up in a casual way and startle people.

It was so absurd; he couldn’t even imagine that she would be hurt by someone.

But Eristella, she did not show up.

An extensive search was made around the Prutu area, but time passed without anyone finding her.

By the end of the month, there were rumors that she was unlikely to be alive.

After three months passed, the mention of Eristella’s disappearance gradually decreased, and more and more people did not remember her existence.

Henricion stopped his public activities after the disappearance of Eristella.

Except in cases of unavoidable circumstances, all work was handled exclusively within the grand ducal residence.

Half a year passed like that. Traces of the princess had not yet been found.

If she were alive, she would have appeared already.

In the Imperial House, the death of Eristella René Leonardo was officially acknowledged, and it was announced that a funeral would be held without her body.

There was a formal request for him, who was Eristella’s ex-fiancé, to attend the funeral, but he did not express any position.

Instead— In the middle of the night, he quietly visited the church alone. And he stood still before leaving the place.

He even had doubts that she might appear at her own funeral and ridicule everyone.

So, he went to a funeral that he didn’t want to attend. To check it out for himself.

But in the end, she was nowhere to be seen.

“Is she really dead?”

He spoke softly, talking to himself, but he still couldn’t believe it.

“She can’t die that easily.”

Her arrogance and confidence were still in his ears.

Her voice seemed to come alive.

‘Cion!’

Heinricion’s face was distorted.

There was an auditory hallucination calling for him. It was nerve-wracking to try to ignore it.

It was as if the real Eristella was calling.

It was then.

‘Hey. Cion! Heinricion!’

‘What. Why does it seem real?’

In the end, Heinricion, who could not stand it, looked back.

No one was there.

It was time for Heinricion to return to a cold expression. Something was stuck under his feet.

‘What. What a little fox… uh? Hold on. That fox…’

Heinricion’s eyelids trembled. For a moment, he was enveloped in a sensation that seemed to pull him back.

He had seen this little fox somewhere. A long time ago… He looked closely at the fox with narrowed eyes.

White fur as if covered in snow (though it was now difficult to recognize because it was covered in dust and dirt), and gold eyes that were slightly raised and lodged in the eyes that look hateful. A little ball of cotton with an arrogant look that appeared to be looking down at everything.

Heinricion’s doubts were gradually turning into conviction.

“Maybe you…”

‘Yes. It’s me!’

The fox nodded vigorously and shouted.

But to Heinricion, all he could hear was the cry of a fox. Heinricion, who watched the fox shout as if claiming something, spoke meaningfully.

“As expected, you look like that fox from before.”

A white fox.

He had seen a fox that looked like this when he was a child.

It was during the time when he was tricked by Eristella into wandering around the Imperial Palace looking for lost items.

When he was exhausted and upset, and as he struggled to hold back the tears that were about to come out, a white fox came up to him, rubbing its face at his feet.

Heinricion was moved by the appearance of a fox approaching him warmly as if to comfort him, and held it in his arms in fear that someone might steal it, but the fox suddenly disappeared after a moment of carelessness.

He couldn’t give up, so he asked the princess to give him the fox, but…

“It’s not a fox you could dare raise.”

He was coldly rejected.

“It can’t be. The fox must have already died.”

It was a long time ago. Thus, it was highly unlikely that the fox was still alive and here.

But even if it wasn’t the same fox, he was pleasantly surprised by its similar appearance.

“…….”

Heinricion’s eyes softened. It was unlikely, but as if observing his reaction, the fox hurried up and rubbed its face against him in a friendly way.

When he saw the fox’s sparkling golden eyes, he couldn’t turn away.

In an instant, the fox from his childhood superimposed on that figure.

“Are you asking me to take you now?”

The fox nodded its head and its eyes twinkled. Then, Heinricion’s eyes narrowed.

“Why do I have to take you?”

Was he asking the fox for a reason? It was a nonsensical question.

‘I’m going crazy.’

‘Should I just quit?’ Eristella, who was furious for a moment, barely held onto her reason. Right now, sticking to Heinricion was the priority.

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She went round and round around Heinricion, waving her tail softly. So that he couldn’t bear to let the fox go.

Heinricion’s eyes narrowed as he watched the fox’s actions.

“Are you trying to attract me?”

Heinricion murmured as if the fox’s behavior was interesting.

‘It’s trying to convince me to take it, but…’ His mouth opened wide at the sudden, unexpected remark, and suddenly his hand stretched out and grabbed the fox’s nape, lifting it.

The fox’s body shook in the air. It struggled desperately, stretching its feet towards Heinricion.

Heinricion looked at the fox blankly, then made a bloody smile as he cradled it in his arms.

“I’ll take you if you want.”

*******

Heinricion let go of the fox he had placed in his arms only after he arrived at his bedroom.

Eristella, who entered his room as well as the residence of the grand duchy in an instant, was stunned. Although it was what she wanted.

‘No, how can you bring me in so easily?’

‘Do you have any other intentions?’ It was when she was puzzled and tried to look up at Heinricion.

Heinricion grabbed the nape of her neck again and lifted her up, and she flailed her little legs in the air and lunged at him. Heinricion, who did not understand the meaning of that, said sarcastically.

“You need to wash up first.”

‘This…! What’s this, all of a sudden! Put me down! Put me down!’

As she struggled and shook her head, Heinricion teasingly pointed to her tanned fur.

“Don’t tell me you don’t want to wash up. I’ll be confused as to whether you’re a white fox or a brown fox?”

Eristella was furious and upset at his tone, but she was well aware of herself, so her spirit softened a bit.

‘Ha, just leave me to the maid.’

No matter how earnestly requested by Eristella, to Heinricion, it was only heard as the cry of a whining fox.

“Don’t worry.”

His soft smile as he gazed at her was so charming that she got goosebumps.

She was very worried, those eyes right now were dangerous.

And so, he walked directly to the bathroom connected to his room without calling a maid. Eristella, noticing his intentions, struggled with all her might.

‘No! No!’

No matter how much she screamed, Heinricion didn’t budge.

“Shh. Quiet. I can’t live with such a dirty fox.”

…Ugh.

Those words were so shocking. All four paws were trembling.

She trembled, gathered all her strength, and screamed. But it was merely the cry of a powerless fox.

‘I’m so neat!’

Before becoming a fox, Princess Eristella especially hated dirty and disorganized things.

She washed and groomed every day. To her, saying that she was dirty was a huge insult to her.

Of course, it was true that she didn’t wash properly while she was a fox, but that couldn’t be helped…!

She wanted to protest hard, but even if she did, the only thing that would come out would be the sad whimpers of a fox.

“The temperature is just right. Go in.”

Plop.

Heinricion lifted her lightly and plunged her into the warm bath.

Pssh! Swsssh, swsssh!

As Eristella struggled with all her might, in an instant, Heinricion was all wet, even his hair. Eristella smiled triumphantly as she looked at the droopy seaweed-like figure.

But Heinricion grinned, squeezing, scrubbing, and brushing the fox’s white fur over and over again.

‘Oh really!’

No matter how much she annoyed him, it was no use.

Heinricion lathered the fox’s body and washed it skillfully.

“It’s done.”

When she got out of the water, her scruffy fur turned white as if she had changed into a new one.

Still, she didn’t feel better.

Even though it was a fox’s body, it was unfamiliar, strange, and embarrassing to experience being washed so recklessly by other people’s hands.

Every time she shook her body, water splashed onto Heinricion’s face and body.

Eventually, locking her in his arms, immobilizing her, he said,

“Be quiet. I have to dry your fur properly.”

‘Are you going to do that too?’

It was ridiculous to continue to refuse. Reluctantly, she entrusted her body to Heinricion.

Heinricion wrapped the fox in a towel and brushed it.

Once again, taktaktaktaktak.

The soaking wet fur came back to life.

“Look at this, you look good after washing up.”

Heinricion said with a satisfied smile.

Eristella stared fiercely at Heinricion.

She couldn’t hide her true feelings.

It was a deathly disgrace to be washed away by his hands.

But after having a wash after a long time, her body became lighter and fresher.

‘Ah… I feel good…’

Her body relaxed.

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