The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 130

#130.

Zachary seemed to distrust me, but he didn’t dismiss my plan entirely.

Besides, with Zerachiel fully supporting me, Zachary had no choice but to agree.

Thanks to that, I was able to confidently explain my grand plan.

I stared silently at Eve, who couldn’t even meet my eyes.

‘I wanted to tell you not to do anything you don’t want to, no matter what your father says.’

The fact that I came all the way here to say that probably means that if I become Sarvan’s successor, I’ll be doing things I don’t want to do.

That would clearly be harmful to Jabesh.

If I pretended to do it out of familial affection, it would be the perfect situation to deceive them.

Besides, Sarvan was a family friendly to Page.

If I didn’t know the original story, it would have been a situation where I’d be caught in the middle, getting hurt on both sides.

But I’m not just an innocent and ordinary white ferret beastkin, so there’s no way I’d let such a frustrating situation continue.

Besides, this is a situation where I might suddenly become the one and only heir of a noble family.

I love it.

I was already annoyed that I couldn’t travel around the North freely, so this feels like a windfall.

“Hehehe.”

I unknowingly let out an eerie laugh, and Zerachiel beside me looked at me.

“You seem very excited.”

Looking at his lips with a faint smile, I couldn’t help but think of what happened last time. I awkwardly lowered my gaze and stroked my cheek.

He really seemed to be in the mood to follow everything I said. I thought he would naturally ignore anything that seemed a little dangerous, but he didn’t.

I’ve felt it before, but Zerachiel has never sincerely stopped me from doing what I want to do.

It’s like he’d raise his fist with me if I said I was going to cause trouble.

Mysterious, violent, but reliable, thanks to him, I might be challenging crazy things so easily.

“Thank you, Ricky.”

“Always just with words.”

“Hehe.”

It was then.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

Hearthcliff came in late and took his seat. And what caught my eye was his bulging front pocket and a familiar rabbit.

“Ella… um.”

I stopped the words that were about to come out of my mouth with my hand and widened my eyes. I stopped abruptly, worried that Ella might be in trouble.

Belatedly, Zerachiel recognized Ella and whispered.

“Why is she there again? Did you tell her to do it?”

No.

I shook my head slightly and looked back and forth between Heathcliff and Ella.

Then, the head of Page, Devon, frowned.

“Who did you pick up again?”

He doesn’t seem surprised, so it must happen often. Besides, Heathcliff’s reaction was very calm.

“I picked her up on the way.”

“Tsk!”

Devon turned away from Heathcliff as if he didn’t want to say any more.

Then, Ella, who made eye contact with me, blinked like Morse code.

The problem is, I don’t know Morse code.

‘What is she saying?’

I could only roll my eyes, unable to interpret the rabbit language.

* * *

30 minutes ago.

The moment Ella belatedly realized Heathcliff’s intentions and awkwardly turned into a rabbit.

In the nick of time, Rudy arrived.

“What are you doing here? It’s time. If you’re absent again this time, the head of the family won’t let it go.”

“I was just about to go.”

“Wait a minute. What’s that in your arms?”

“Ah, this.”

Hearthcliff calmly grabbed Ella by the scruff of the neck and placed her on his palm.

Ella struggled and resisted for a moment, but was half-covered by Heathcliff’s large hand.

Then Rudy said with a deep sigh.

“Haa, what animal did you pick up again?”

It’s as if he’s used to this.

Besides, Rudy, who had never seen Ella’s beast form, found it difficult to tell the difference between a beastkin without pheromones and an animal.

He probably aimed to hide in my arms, taking advantage of that.

Hearthcliff said nonchalantly.

“I think she got lost. I can’t just leave her shivering in the cold.”

“So, you’re going to put her in your arms and melt her?”

“Well, something like that.”

To be exact, I’m hiding her.

When Heathcliff pretended not to know, Rudy’s nagging continued.

“Oh my! What’s gotten into you since a year ago? Every time you see an animal separated from its group, you keep picking it up. At this rate, Page Castle will become a zoo.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“It is too. You’ve been bringing animals that are alone since a year ago, haven’t you? Besides, giving them all the same name is in bad taste.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s in bad taste.”

Hearthcliff stroked Ella with an awkward face. Ella wondered what that name was.

Rudy raised his voice.

“I’m curious as to why you’re so obsessed with the name ‘Ella’. Are you perhaps a separated ex-girlfriend or something?”

“!”

Ella looked at Heathcliff in surprise. She knew that Rudy didn’t know what he was saying, but she was still surprised.

Besides, Ella.

That was her nickname.

“Ex-girlfriend, what ex-girlfriend. I was just going to keep her for a while and then let her go.”

With those words, Heathcliff put Ella down. A signal to leave now that it’s safe.

But Ella only looked up at Heathcliff with trembling eyes.

In the past, Heathcliff called himself ‘Ella’. He was the only one who gave her the name Ella, and the only one who could call her Ella.

When she heard her nickname from the past from his mouth, Ella couldn’t help but be shaken.

‘Could it be that his memories from before the regression have returned?’

No. That can’t be.

If that were the case, there’s no way he could treat me so casually.

Nevertheless, there was another reason why Ella was so shaken.

Rem’s words before turning back time suddenly flashed through her mind.

― If you turn back time, you shouldn’t be close to the beastkin who had a deep relationship with you. You may be unknowingly influenced and your memories from before the regression may return.

The beastkin Rem was talking about was Heathcliff. Just before the regression, that is, when the entire continent was in chaos like an epidemic.

Hearthcliff imprinted on Ella. In the sense that we would be together wherever we were.

And as if that promise was meaningless, Heathcliff abandoned Ella, who had become his partner, so easily when he contracted the epidemic.

It was none other than Heathcliff who readily handed her over to Hebel’s temple in exchange for Hebel’s offer to protect the territory’s people.

Even on the day she was sacrificed, Heathcliff never showed up in front of her.

In the end, he turned a blind eye to Ella’s death in exchange for guaranteeing the lives of Heathcliff himself and the people of the territory.

‘I love you, Ella.’

Before the lingering sound of the sweet whisper had faded, tragedy struck.

‘Go ahead, Ella.’

I wouldn’t have felt so betrayed if you had told me honestly. If you had, I would have gladly died.

Hearthcliff stabbed Ella in the heart with a word that was completely different from the first.

That was the decisive reason why Ella couldn’t trust Heathcliff after the regression.

Even without memories, the reason she instinctively tried to escape Page Castle was probably because of Rem’s request.

But it seems that the past relationship cannot be cut off so easily.

What if he remembers what happened before the regression?

Her head was so complicated with that thought that she couldn’t even think about going back.

Then, Heathcliff, who saw Ella frozen like ice, squatted down and whispered to her.

“You can go now.”

“……”

“I said you can go?”

He even laid the groundwork so that she could get out naturally.

Before he could be embarrassed by Ella, who had turned to stone, Rudy said.

“Hasn’t she already been tamed by the young master’s touch?”

“That can’t be……”

It was when Heathcliff was about to deny it. Suddenly, Ella grabbed Heathcliff’s finger with her front paw.

Seeing this, Rudy said.

“You’ve been chosen by that rabbit.”