The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 58

It wasn’t Zerachiel’s fault to begin with. In fact, it was no different from what I would say to my foolish past self. I muttered, troubled.

“It’s just sad when you can’t even rely on the person you *should* be able to rely on the most.”

“……”

“If you’re going to treat me like a supervisor, I won’t marry you! I’d rather have a pet! This damn family……!”

I turned to leave, shouting, and Zerachiel hugged me tightly.

“Don’t go.”

“……”

“It was my fault.”

His voice trembled. His body was stiff and uncharacteristic, and I could feel his heart pounding.

It was a completely different reaction from the one who always maintained his composure. Then, Zerachiel whispered, burying his face in my shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“But you did.”

“I’m sorry.”

Zerachiel sounded like he was at a loss for words.

Seeing his deflated spirit, my anger subsided. I quietly hugged him back and said, “I was originally going to freeload, but now I feel too guilty to do that.”

There’s no need to burden the villain with such a sad story.

Yes, I was being overly swayed by Zerachiel right now. I kept seeing my past self in him.

That’s why I couldn’t leave him alone. I didn’t want to leave this child to become a mastermind when he grew up.

“I guess the gods won’t be angry even if I rehabilitate one of you.”

Since the god who dropped me here in the first place must be *that* god, isn’t my action also God’s will?

I was reinforcing my determination with such insistence when…

“What are you talking about?”

Zerachiel, who had returned to his usual expression, asked gruffly. Well, it was difficult for him to understand everything I said since he didn’t even know the original story.

“Anyway!”

I broke away from his arms and clasped his hand in mine. I declared, holding on tightly as if I would never let go again, “I’m not going in alone.”

“……”

“Because you look scared to go in alone. I’ll go with you.”

“……You must be the one who’s scared.”

“Why do you keep acting so contrary [acting against someone’s wishes]?”

“Heh.”

Zerachiel burst into laughter as if my reaction was amusing. He was pretty when he laughed, even though he had been trembling until just now.

Zerachiel pursed his lips, trying to suppress his laughter. But it was difficult to stop it completely, so he kept snickering.

“Pfft.”

“Don’t laugh.”

“Heh… Cough. Hiss.”

“Okay, what am I even talking about with you.”

I felt drained when I saw Zerachiel smiling brightly, revealing his fangs. He followed me, giggling.

We had walked so far that the door was no longer visible when I suddenly stopped, a look of realization on my face. After a moment, Zerachiel asked, “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know the way.”

“……”

“Where is this?”

Zerachiel looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. It was absurd that I had been confidently leading the way, only to say that I didn’t know where I was going.

I stood next to him slyly. Zerachiel said after clearing his throat awkwardly, “I wondered why you were guiding me to such a strange place.”

“Why were you quiet when you knew everything?”

“I was curious to see how far you would go.”

You little……

I glared at Zerachiel with resentment. I was very displeased that he knew everything but let me wander around.

Before I knew it, Zerachiel’s expression had returned to normal. This languid and lazy expression was much more like him than the cold, stiff one he had shown before.

My legs felt heavy as I realized that I had a long way to go. Perhaps because I had walked quite a bit, my calves were throbbing belatedly.

Zerachiel asked as I patted my thighs, “Do your legs hurt?”

“If I say it hurts, will you carry me on your back?”

At my coy question, Zerachiel shrugged. After a moment, he lifted me up like a princess.

“W-What are you doing!”

“Didn’t you want me to carry you on my back?”

“No!”

When I struggled to get down, he said, lifting me higher, “Stay still. This is better. If I match your pace, we’ll only arrive at night. Are all weasels as slow as you?”

“……Can’t you consider that you’re fast because you’re a lion?”

“You can’t compare ordinary lions to me.”

Oh, you’re so great.

I glared at him and snuggled into his arms, adjusting my posture for comfort.

Zerachiel seemed to flinch at this, then muttered in a low voice, “Don’t get too close.”

“I don’t want to.”

I smiled mischievously and provoked him by hugging his neck tightly.

I’m a twisted weasel who wants to do more of what I’m told not to do!

Then, a short sigh brushed my hair and disappeared.

“I don’t know if you’re fearless or if you’re just not afraid of me.”

With those words, Zerachiel leaped lightly. In an instant, he was heading back the way I had gone wrong.

Hanging from his neck, I watched the scenery passing by quickly. The sun was already setting.

* * *

The news of Zerachiel and Chelsia’s marriage also reached the Paige family in the northern hyena territory.

Hearthcliff quietly scanned Zabishee Castle, which he was visiting for the first time. Unlike the north, where the extreme cold had just subsided, the south had a very mild climate.

Seeing the flowers everywhere, he was reminded of Chelsia, who used to roll around in the flower garden.

A small, white animal that played with flower petals from the first day he came to Hebel. If she had been a herbivorous beastkin [a humanoid with animal features], she might have tried to eat the flowers.

“Pfft.”

Heathcliff chuckled as he recalled rolling around on the floor with her back then.

It seemed like it was the first time he had spent time in Hebel laughing like that.

Heathcliff always felt heavy-hearted when he went to Hebel. It wasn’t just because of the characteristics of the region.

‘You must never lose to that arrogant black lion. You must find out the secret of their strength.’

His father, Devon, was always uncomfortable when he encountered the Zabishee head. He was particularly obsessed with Zabishee’s power.

Although the relationship between Paige and Zabishee was hostile, it was a peaceful era now.

Heathcliff didn’t think it mattered which family was stronger. But it was important to his father, so Heathcliff was just trying to become stronger according to his wishes.

Then, Rudy, who was next to him, exclaimed as he looked at the exterior of the castle, “It’s more magnificent than I thought. It’s called the Black Night Castle, and it really looks gloomy because it’s all black.”

As the name suggests, the exterior was so black that the castle was not visible at all when it was completely dark at night.

The contrasting colors with Paige Castle in the north showed how different the two families were intuitively.

As Heathcliff stared at the castle without saying a word, Rudy continued, “I never thought he would even marry that weasel. I thought he was just keeping her around to eat.”

“I know.”

Heathcliff thought of Chelsia and Zerachiel, the main subjects of today’s event. He had already heard from his father about their marriage when he left Hebel.

‘Something’s fishy. They’re not a family that would take in a weasel as their mistress.’

His father seemed to think that Chelsia had some hidden secret.

Well, it was a completely mismatched combination. Not only Paige but also other families were making various guesses.

In the first place, the position of Zabishee’s mistress was a place where hardship was predicted. Even Rachel Han, the wife of the current head of the family, couldn’t stand it and ran away.

It didn’t seem like that little weasel could handle that position at all.

Therefore, even though he was excited to see her after a long time, he couldn’t help but feel complicated.

Originally, Devon should have come to this event himself, but his father did not come with him.

‘I have somewhere urgent to go, so go in my place. It might take a little longer.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘You don’t need to know that. Rather, keep a close eye on that weasel. See if there’s anything special about her.’

His father did so many secret things that it wasn’t surprising. Besides, he hated Zabishee, so he wouldn’t want to come to such an event.

Hearthcliff was about to get out of the carriage when people wearing Hebel’s priestly robes got out of the carriage right in front of him.