When Leonard asked the magician what to do after preparing a body, the magician answered like this.
‘You just need to prepare a body to transfer the soul by the night of the full moon. We’ll handle the rest.’
Yellian instinctively knew whose ‘body’ Leonard was referring to.
It was Leonard’s own body. He was clearly willing to sacrifice himself to save them. As proof, Abigail had also gotten furious at Leonard.
Even so, Leonard didn’t change his mind. In the end, Abigail stormed off, saying, ‘I’ll never let things go your way! If this is how it’s gonna be, I shouldn’t have even listened to your request!’
After Abigail and the magicians left, Yellian immediately dove under the bed. Tears threatened to spill as they buried their face in their fluffy fur and let out ragged breaths.
“Yellian, I can never let you go.”
“But I can let Leonard go?”
Yellian cried out in frustration, their voice loud and shrill. At that, Leonard let out a low chuckle. Naturally, it only made Yellian even angrier.
“Are you laughing?! Is this funny to you?! I’m so mad I could lose my mind!”
“No, it’s not funny at all.”
“Then why are you laughing?!”
“Because you’re adorable.”
“Don’t think sweet talk will work on me! I’m really angry right now!”
They hated Leonard for laughing without understanding their feelings. They hated Leonard, who didn’t even consider their heart. They hated Leonard, who was so willing to sacrifice himself for them. They hated Leonard, who loved them too much.
No, truthfully, they hated themselves. The fact that Leonard was trying to give himself up because of them was unbearable.
If only they had never met him, if only they had never appeared. If that were the case, Leonard would have lived happily as the protagonist of a novel.
“I was truly happy to have met you.”
“…….”
As if Leonard had peered straight into their heart, Yellian couldn’t respond. They swallowed dryly and rubbed their dampened eyes against their already tear-soaked paw.
“Yellian, are you really not going to show me your face?”
“…….”
“Even if I see you, I still miss you.”
At Leonard’s subdued voice, Yellian finally managed to take a difficult step forward.
Even if they crawled out from under the bed, it didn’t mean they would allow Leonard to sacrifice himself. They just missed him too.
“I’ll never let you sacrifice yourself like that. I don’t want that.”
“…….”
“If you force yourself to die against my wishes, I’ll just run off with Elton and start a life together.”
“That doesn’t sit well with me at all. Since when were you two so close? Do you like Elton enough to say something like that?”
“So stay right by my side. Like the mad duke you are. The moment you let me go, I’ll live a wild and promiscuous life.”
At Yellian’s threat, Leonard’s expression hardened as if displeased. Regardless, Yellian stuck out their tongue to tease him further.
Watching Yellian, Leonard let out a hollow laugh and shook his head repeatedly.
Yellian buried themselves deep into Leonard’s chest. His warm body heat pressed against them.
Leonard stroked Yellian’s soft fur, listening to their pleasant, rumbling purrs.
* * *
“Have you lost your mind?!”
“Did Abigail tell you? Anyway, for an emperor of an empire, you’ve got quite the loose lips.”
“My lord!”
Elton barged into Leonard’s office that evening. Fortunately, Yellian was asleep in the bedroom and didn’t witness Elton’s ambush.
If Yellian had seen Elton-who looked like a wild beast-swing the door open without knocking, they might’ve hidden in shock without realizing it.
Leonard let out a dry laugh, imagining how frightened Yellian would have been.
“My lord! Are you laughing right now?! What on earth were you thinking, doing something like-”
“Yellian is probably sleeping in the bedroom. Lower your voice.”
“Right! Yellian! I already know how much you care for them, my lord. That’s why I’ve overlooked some of your incomprehensible actions before. But this is too much!”
Elton, still agitated, showed no sign of lowering his voice. Leonard grew nervous, worried Yellian might wake up in the bedroom.
They had already thrown a fit over the same issue earlier in the day-he didn’t need it brought up again so soon.
“If you won’t lower your voice, get out.”
“My lord!”
His voice was uncharacteristically choked up. Knowing Elton’s loyalty, Leonard could guess how he must be feeling. He was grateful for the concern but also sorry.
But that was as far as it went. His mind was already made up.
Yellian came before everything else. At first, they were just an annoying feline humanoid who grated on his nerves, but somewhere along the way, they became irreplaceable.
Once he realized it was love, the whole world became filled with Yellian.
“You can’t do this, my lord. No matter how much you love Yellian, this isn’t the way. They wouldn’t want it either.”
“You’re right. They were furious.”
“See?! Who in their right mind would be happy about their lover sacrificing themselves for them? Of course they’d hate it-that’s normal. I don’t entirely not understand your feelings, my lord. I know how much you love them. The lord I serve changed after meeting Yellian. A lot. It must be because you love them.”
“……Yeah, you’re right.”
“But try to see it from their perspective. How would Yellian feel, left all alone? How painful would it be for them to live on at the cost of your life? It’s too selfish to ease your own conscience while hurting them.”
“…….”
Leonard said nothing. He didn’t disagree with Elton.
He had considered Yellian’s feelings too. But in the end, the pain of living without them seemed greater, so he resolved to sacrifice himself.
Even knowing it would leave Yellian with an unhealable wound.
“Think carefully, my lord. Really think. Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment.”
“……I’ll try.”
“……I trust you.”
Though his tone was doubtful, Elton’s expression was full of trust.
“Ah, Elton.”
“Yes?”
Leonard called out to Elton as he turned to leave. Elton tilted his head, looking puzzled.
“Do you like Yellian? I mean…… not just as a person, but seriously.”
“What kind of question is that all of a sudden?”
“If-just if-I die first, would you be willing to live with Yellian?”
“……Have you lost your mind?”
Elton repeated the same words he’d said when he first entered the office. If earlier it was filled with anger and resentment, now it was genuine disbelief.
At his stunned reaction, Leonard felt a little more at ease. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about Yellian running off with Elton.
“Never mind. You can go.”
At the abrupt dismissal, Elton left the room, still tilting his head in confusion.
In the newly silent space, Leonard sank deep into thought. The words of Abigail, Elton, and Yellian resurfaced in his mind one by one.
“Then……”
Leonard’s murmur softly filled the space before fading away.
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