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Chapter 25: A Sad Awareness
“A stone?” Shun asked back, now wearing clothes over his clean body. In the midst of his embarrassment, he asked a question to change the mood. How do you specifically prevent the awakening of a werewolf? The answer was “searching for stones.”
Craig, who had finished changing clothes earlier, looked toward the fireplace to avoid seeing Shun.
“Oh, it seems that there is a stone that can awaken a wolf to his complete body…” He muddled his words and laughed bitterly. “It’s a fable. There are no books about it left. It disappeared a long time ago.”
“Oh no.”
“People say that there was a fire or theft, but the cause is not certain. But in reality, nothing exists. I searched all over the castle, but nothing came of it.” Craig gazed at the fireplace, however he saw nothing, recalling the distant past.
How did he feel when he found out that there was nothing left? He must have felt so hopeless that his future, one where he could not live as a prince, had already been decided.
“By stone, do you mean the magic light stone?” Shun tried hard to make a cheerful voice. When Craig turned to look at him, he looked the same as usual.
“Rather than a magic light stone, it’s closer to a magic seal stone.”
“I see… A magic seal stone, ok.”
With a feeling of exhaustion, Shun laid down on the new sheets. Craig turned back into a wolf and laid behind Shun. Why was he still a wolf? The question that he had given up on answering before returned to Shun’s mind.
Maybe his estrus period was not completely over yet, and he was trying to not attack Shun again.
Craig had said that it would be very helpful for him to have Shun’s help, that it was different from easing it on his own. However, if he didn’t finish it, he probably couldn’t completely rid himself of that greed.
Craig never asks for anymore, which might just lead to other heights. Perhaps it was because he rejected it because he was afraid that first time. If Shun hadn’t rejected it at that time…
Shun shook his head quickly to keep himself from continuing on that train of thought. If he kept thinking that way, it would be harder for him to say no even if it’s because of the estrus period.
“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“Ah!”
The wolf’s golden, pointed gaze roamed over him as if searching, and Shun startled.
“It’s okay. I’m just sleepy.”
Shun felt like he would be despised if Craig knew he was thinking about this. With all of his energy, Shun smiled. Then he closed his eyes firmly to make his point clear.
Shun could feel the movement next to him, indicating that the big wolf was lying down once again. Shun wondered if he managed to fool him.
That day, the first prince of the Wolf Kingdom was holding his wedding ceremony. It was an official ceremony following four months after the engagement parade that had been held.
The King of the Butterfly Country, an officially friendly country, attended the ceremony along with his wife.
The letters that had arrived with the official announcement were incredibly beautiful. The figures of the Crown Prince and his soon-to-be Crown Princess were depicted with magic on expensive parchment that was blessed and filled with happiness.
The Crown Prince was currently the first prince, although he was formerly known as the second, and was Craig’s younger brother.
Since they were neighboring countries, there was a lot of the economic boom there, and gossip about the Cinderella story for the soon-to-be Crown Princess, as it was called by the common people and so on.
There was no way it hadn’t reached Craig’s ears.
Shun unconsciously reached for the soft hair on Craig’s back and stroked it. For a while he had been left alone, but now the amber eyes had turned toward him, making Shun stop.
“Don’t think too much. I don’t need sympathy.”
Shun was at a loss for words, feeling as if Craig had seen straight through him. While Craig was a wolf, Shun couldn’t read his mood anymore than he could while Craig was in human form. He also didn’t know what to do when Craig was staring at him this much.
The wolf rubbed the tip of his nose against Shun’s cheek. The wet feeling cooled Shun’s hot cheeks.
“…he’ll be a good king.”
Craig’s voice was clear.
Maybe that was true. However, how long did it take for him to feel that way, and what did he think before he did feel that way? Craig was well equipped to be a king too. If he hadn’t been cursed as a werewolf, then he would have…
When Shun stroked his chin to his fluffy cheek, Craig laughed mischievously, saying, “You’re kind.”
“You could ask for money or something else, but you just do this for free… don’t buy a suspicious jar because you thinking you’re helping someone, okay?”
Craig warned him so seriously that Shun laughed a little. He wondered if the impression of a suspicious object was something like a pot.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Can I sleep like this?”
Shun, now feeling a bit better, laid his head on Craig’s belly, which was now facing him. The lower half of his body was covered with a blanket, and he was lying on a large dog. It was like a dream.
The wolf moved, a little agitated, but soon a huff of resignation left him.
“I’m always used like a pillow… Don’t wipe your runny nose on me.”
“I won’t wipe it”.
When Craig laughed, his breath became softer. He curled up as if he were wrapping around Shun. His thick fur made it feel like he was in a top-class blanket.
When Shun closed his eyes, he wondered if this was a pillow that would ruin all others for him. Craig’s fluffy tail tickled his face and neck comfortingly.
Shun said nothing, and neither did Craig. Eventually the fire burned out, and Shun still couldn’t fall asleep despite the regular breathing he could feel from their close proximity.
Shun wasn’t sympathizing with Craig. What was swirling in his mind was more selfish than sympathy.
If it hadn’t been for his strange fate, it might have been Craig who got married that day. What kind of woman was the heroine he would fall in love with? When she appears, Shun and Craig’s relationship would end.
Shun forcefully turned his body to the side and closed his eyes.
A smooth texture like cotton candy caressed his cheeks. If he touched Shun, who he doesn’t even like, so kindly and carefully, how wonderful would he be if he was in love with them? Shun couldn’t imagine.
He really couldn’t. Because Shun wasn’t the one he would fall in love with.
Shun didn’t know why he couldn’t celebrate the happy future between Craig and a woman he didn’t know. Nor did he know why the thought of it was causing him pain. He didn’t want to know.
Shun pulled up his blanket and covered himself up to the top of his head.
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TL Note: Sorry I’ve been gone for so long! I’m going to do my best to get back into the groove of things though. Thanks so much for you patience, and all of the donations!
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Toffee Dragon Translates 