Chapter 3: This isn’t a person, this is a dog (2)

“So, what you’re saying is, I’m the first person you’ve ever bitten, correct? Please speak clearly so people don’t misunderstand.”

“It, it is no-not a m-m-mi-misunderstanding.”

“It is.”

What kind of a situation was this, seriously. This meant that whenever he returned to his senses, he acted like this.

“S-so, it’s a misunderstanding?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

He looked at me with watery eyes. Any signs of his previously beast-like, predatory gaze had disappeared, but he continued to stare at me with sharp reproach.

I thought I could see the ocean in his blue eyes, especially when his eyes, akin to blue jewels were filled with tears…

If a single tear fell, I was going to be nailed down with an immense sense of guilt.

Fantastic.

I felt my conscience unnecessarily pricked, and spoke as I turned my head.

“Well, I’m sorry.”

I rubbed my cheek with my hand and looked around the room, avoiding the staring eyes of Rick Dorian. For some reason, he looked surprised.

“Tha, that’s the first time some, someone has a-a-apologized to me…the, first.”

…What. What was with this guy and his whatever-firsts?

“No. No no no no no no. Let’s get this straight.”

I walked up to him and held his hand that was fastened to an iron chain. Rick Dorian’s eyes shook. I was worried that his hands were hurt, but there weren’t any wounds. Anyway, I held his hand and spoke sincerely.

“Firsts are not important.”

“…”

“It isn’t important that today was the first, it’s important that you will experience things like this in the future, so get used to it. Ah, except the part when you were biting and chewing things.”

So please don’t stick the first label anywhere. I looked at Rick Dorian, hoping that he would seriously listen to me.

– Tak.

He slapped away my hand. I heard the sound of the iron chains rattling against each other. His eyes roamed around the room and his angelic face was now quite red.

“You, you shouldn’t just t-t-touch someone’s han, hand, like that!”

“Hand? It’s not like I’m hurting it in any way. Wait, more than that, were you even listening to me?”

“But it’s a man, man, man’s hand!”

Who was he calling a man. Though his body was a bit large, his face was still like a child’s…was he really referring to himself.

I wondered if I should ask himself something like, ‘Who are you calling a man,’ but I shook my head. He might end up bawling if I said that, and then I’d really suffer.

Pretty boys weren’t my type.

But maybe a grown-up Rick Dorian would be, who knows. He fit the phrase, ‘a beastly beauty’ to a T as the male lead, a fountain of overflowing, unpolished charm and good looks. But, really.

He was a beast, a beast.

‘Phew, especially at night.’

Though his elegant presence was also very charming when he wasn’t a beast, I’d never heard of him being a crybaby. Maybe it was because he was still young?

Four years could really change a person.

“Iana!”

I heard Hans yelling for me from outside.

“Ah, I’ve got to get back.”

I looked at the lad and smiled.

“Time’s up, Iana!”

“Yes, coming!”

I quickly muttered one more apology to Rick Dorian before picking up my lamp and leaving. I was a little sorry to be leaving in the dark cell. He was still young, after all.

“I’ll come again.”

I couldn’t see his face because my lamplight didn’t reach him.

***

I kept remembering the male lead’s tearful appearance as he told me about ‘firsts,’ but I didn’t worry about him too much.

That this male lead seemed to be labeling everything as a ‘first,’ even more than a female lead would say in a typical romance novel!…is maybe what I might have been worried about if not for knowing what sort of novel I was in.

There were tasks that only the female lead could do, and this X-rated novel revolved around the male lead and female lead. Their first meeting was an important event that would free Rick Dorian from his restraints, specifically, the shackles on his neck, wrists, and ankles.

With the female lead Francia’s unique healing ability, Rick Dorian would be free from his prison cell. Let me explain.

Rick Dorian would be freed from his shackles the day after their encounter. Evidently, Francia was the only one who could heal and save Rick Dorian from his curse, and so the only one who could help the male lead get out of prison was the female lead.

The male lead would get discharged from the prison according to the novel’s timeline.

Speaking of prison, I wondered when I’d be getting out of here.

“You’re sighing. Thinking of when you’ll be discharged?”

“Please don’t use that term. It makes me really feel like I’m a criminal.”

“What, why’re you like this all of a sudden~”

The smiling nobleman sitting next to me was Baron Paladis, the one who had been imprisoned for selling fake money.

He was pretty good company when I was bored.

Amusingly, though this was a prison, there was even a living room for the nobles. So anyone could meet up and share a conversation with the others. I found a bit funny seeing how everyone would languidly talk to one another, enjoying their privileges while all wearing the same striped-patterned-shirts.

That we were wearing these clothes while acting like nobles.

Did it even make sense to call ourselves nobles at this point?

“But more importantly, did anything fun happen today?”

“Do you want something from me, mister?”

Everything in our prison lives were for free, as was written in the law. To be precise, it was free because it was stated so in a law.

“Ehem, no, it’s nothing.”

Paladis didn’t see how society was any different than how it was in prison, and though I hadn’t experienced the noble society of this novel yet, I could see his point.

And if that was really true, I didn’t want to be released.

“Then tell me more about the Domulit family. You said you’d tell me the last time we talked, remember?”

“Oooh, right, the Black Rose of the capital.”

Duke Domulit. One of three dukes of the empire. Moreover, a member of the Domulit family was a very important character in the novel.

****

dubuu: I’ll probably stop putting up manhwa illustrations now (maybe one more)! updates for this novel will be irregular. basically, I won’t stack chapters; whenever I finish a chapter, I’ll upload it.