Chapter 17

‘How on earth did it end up like this?’

I leaned my forehead against the carriage window, replaying the events that had just transpired in Lady Aria’s room.

‘Go to the Cheshire Boutique in Central Square with Esteban, Poblian. I’ve already put in a request for them to make a dress for you.’

My resolve to repay the person who found and saved me in the greenhouse had lasted only a moment. Once I heard the shocking truth that my savior was Esteban, only one thought filled my mind.

‘So he saw everything? You mean Esteban saw me in… that state…?’

I stifled a groan and let my forehead hit the carriage window with a dull thud. Honestly, part of me wanted to bolt from Esteban’s presence right then and there, but that wasn’t exactly an option.

‘I was just blustering about how I had to thank my savior, but how can I play dumb and run away now that I know it’s him?’

I rubbed my face in frustration, my lips pouting.

‘If it were my sister or another shifter, they wouldn’t have thought twice about it, right?’

For shifters, being in animal form meant being unclothed. Consequently, an unexpected humanization inevitably resulted in nudity—the problem being that shifters generally didn’t find this embarrassing. The author of <Watch Out for That Rampage!> even noted that if shifters were embarrassed by it, they would have worn clothes in their animal forms, too. Their logic was that being naked is the same whether you’re in animal form or human form.

And sure, while it’s true that shifters go around naked in animal form, and thus aren’t particularly embarrassed when they humanize… Yes, that all makes sense, but—!

‘But I’m not like that!’

Whether it was because I realized this was a novel world or because my past life was still longer than the years I’d spent since reincarnating, my mindset was still more aligned with that of a human. So, even if I had humanized while unconscious, the fact that Esteban saw me was embarrassing enough to make me want to jump out of this moving carriage.

‘……But is Esteban really unfazed?’

It felt utterly unfair that in a situation where both the observer and the observed should be mortified, I was the only one dying of shame. I pouted and stole a glance at Esteban’s face.

“What.”

Startled by the sound of Esteban’s voice the second my darting eyes landed on him, I whipped my gaze away. I blinked in embarrassment for a moment before a surge of stubbornness took over.

‘Wait, no. I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? Honestly, it was an unavoidable situation.’

Deciding that as long as Esteban wasn’t embarrassed, I didn’t need to be either, I clenched my fists and turned to sit up straight. Even then, Esteban’s gaze remained fixed on the book he had brought from the mansion.

“……Nothing. Anyway, why did you come along today, Esteban? Weren’t you busy?”

Despite my resolve to act bold, my voice came out as a tiny, mouse-like squeak. Esteban’s eyes crinkled for a split second at my question, and he replied in a nonchalant voice.

“Because it’s dangerous for a shifter to wander around Faypren alone.”

“That may be true, but Lady Aria lent me a necklace that hides the fact that I’m a shifter.”

As Esteban said, it was dangerous for a shifter—especially a young, powerless one like me—to roam alone in Faypren, the human residential area and capital. While Idelio officially recognized the status of shifters, there were still frequent illegal trades involving shifters in the shadows where the law didn’t reach. Because of this, shifters visiting human residential areas were required to carry a mana stone that could hide their identity. Of course, since they were quite expensive, poor shifters often had to risk going out without one.

I toyed with the purple mana stone necklace Lady Aria had given me while waiting for Esteban’s response. After a brief silence, Esteban replied, still without sparing me a single glance.

“……It’s not just shifters who get kidnapped. Young noble ladies with money are just as much at risk.”

“Well, that’s true, but my clothes don’t exactly scream ‘rich noble lady’ no matter how you look at them. Besides, I came out with the knights of the Winchester Duchy today.”

“…You can’t be sure none of them are like Ellen or Beth.”

His voice came after a pause, his hand tightening slightly.

Watching him, I resisted the urge to smack my forehead.

‘Why would you bring up Ellen and Beth right now?!’

Of course, if push came to shove, I could drain Esteban’s mana to suppress a rampage, but that was strictly a last resort. The mana I had felt from Esteban previously was far more difficult to handle than I had anticipated, and its sheer volume was beyond imagination. So, if a situation arose where he rampaged and I had to stop him, it was a foregone conclusion that I would lose consciousness and revert to my animal form. That meant, if things went wrong, Esteban could lose control again while I was out cold.

The mere thought made me swallow hard. I realized it would be better to change the subject before Esteban got worked up. After all, the best-case scenario was to avoid a rampage altogether.

I looked at Esteban, whose gaze was still fixed firmly on his book, and hurriedly changed the topic.

“B-by the way, what have you been reading this whole time? Is it a difficult book?”

“What?”

“I noticed you haven’t turned a single page since we got in the carriage!”

At my words, Esteban’s face flushed red. His wildly shaking pupils and fumbling mouth showed exactly how flustered he was.

‘Did I hit too close to home?’

Seeing Esteban clenching his fists and glaring with all his might, I realized I had chosen the wrong topic again.

‘Why am I like this? I knew kids that age find it embarrassing to admit when something is too hard for them!’

I flinched at the sharp snap of the book being slammed shut. As Esteban whipped his head away, his ears were a brilliant shade of crimson. Seeing that, a wave of anxiety washed over me again.

‘Feeling flustered or embarrassed means his heart rate is going up, and that means his mana flow is accelerating…!’

My body moved faster than my thoughts. As the carriage swayed, I reached out, bracing myself against the back of Esteban’s seat. Esteban’s startled red eyes met mine. I placed my hand firmly over his chest.

*’His heart definitely feels like it’s beating faster than usual. Should I absorb some mana?’*

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Esteban, your heart seems to be beating fast. Should I absorb some mana for you now?”

Esteban’s face stiffened at my cautious question. As I tilted my head, meeting his gaze directly, Esteban grabbed my hand that was pressing against his heart and asked: “I have one thing to ask you.”

“Yeah?”

“Are there no side effects after you use your ability?”

I blinked at Esteban’s unexpected question. When I didn’t answer immediately, Esteban couldn’t help but add: “I know the Fennec’s ability is incredible. But that ability is essentially unknown to the world.”

“…….”

“That means there’s a reason people avoid using it. I suspect it’s because of side effects or some other reason. Am I wrong?”

“W-well, who knows?”

“Answer me properly, Poblian Fennec. After you absorbed my mana last time, you immediately reverted to your animal form and were bedridden for ten whole days.”

‘I guess he is the male lead after all.’

Honestly, I hadn’t expected Esteban to catch on to the Fennec’s ability so early. I mean, after seeing me collapse from using it, it made sense that someone with his intuition would realize it.

‘Even so, wouldn’t most people just think I collapsed from overexertion rather than worrying about side effects?’

I debated how to answer before cautiously speaking up.

“It’s not exactly a side effect. It’s just that the absorbed mana and my own mana clash inside my body, which causes me to lose consciousness.”

I answered as nonchalantly as possible and sat back in my seat. Esteban, still sitting across from me, gripped my hand tightly and asked: “Is that really all?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Can you swear on the River Styx?”

“Esteban, are you worried about me?”

Esteban flinched as I asked the question with sparkling eyes. He let go of my hand and whipped his head away.

“I’m just concerned that you might not be able to fulfill the contract.”

I couldn’t help but burst into a fit of laughter at his words. Esteban’s face contorted at the sound of my laughter.

“Poblian Fennec.”

“You’re more tender-hearted than I thought, Esteban.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Being concerned about the contract is just your way of saying you were worried about me.”

“…….”

“Isn’t it?”

I gave him a wide grin, and Esteban’s eyes sharpened. His lips moved for a long time as if he wanted to argue, but he didn’t say anything in the end.

“What is it?”

Esteban ignored my teasing question and glared at me in silence. When the coachman announced their arrival, he practically fled the carriage.

I chuckled to myself behind his back before hurrying after him.

“Wait for me, Esteban!”