Chapter 117 Leo catches his brother; those who steal others will be punished...
Brother, brother.
I want you to live, but I also want to hold you in my arms.
I want to be a sinner who saves the world, yet I also want to be the cat at your feet.
Brother! Brother!
Why can't there be a knife in this world to split my soul and body in two, so that I can stay by your side forever?
*
[elder brother…]
In the darkness, after a snowfall, Mainkuhn stood dejectedly in the snow, staring at the outer walls of the Momeng Palace.
[Last time, I promised my brother I'd go on a date, but I completely missed it...]
[Ugh... I'm so awful...]
Even rushing to Moman Palace as soon as he arrived in Fontaine could not alleviate Mainkuen's guilt.
Breaking a promise is breaking a promise, and failing to meet someone's expectations is a shameful thing.
And the one who was let down was the most holy, most loving, and most deserving of all praise and admiration in the world.
I'm sorry...brother...
With its drooping ears looking even more listless, Mainkuen listlessly dug its claws into the wall and began to climb.
[They should have left a long time ago, right?]
After all, Mo Mang Palace was not the Duke's residence, but the God's.
[No, no matter what, I have to take a look. Even if I can't see my best brother, just a glimpse of my teacher and Funina would be good enough!]
Mainkuhn clung to the windowsill to look inside, but it was too cold, and water vapor condensed into a thick layer of ice flowers on the glass, interfering with the cat's keen vision.
[I can't see clearly, but I still have to pry it open.]
With a snap, tiny icicles were pried out from the window cracks. As Mainkuhn struggled to find them, a blurry darkness inside the room suddenly stirred, followed by a swift snap!
"!"
[elder brother! ! ]
The window suddenly slid open, and Mainkun was so startled that he immediately jumped back.
"..."
In his fright, he forgot that he was hanging on the windowsill. The sudden movement sent him flying, leaving him suspended in mid-air!
"Meow!"
This height wasn't enough to kill the half-demon, but it did elicit a scream. The boy's body fell uncontrollably downwards, but was immediately grabbed by the back of his neck and lifted up by an incredibly strong force.
It's Leosley.
Mainkuen hunched over and looked up in fear, seeing the man standing by the open window. His tall figure appeared somewhat indistinct in the darkness, and his face was also a little blurry, but his eyes still held obvious anxiety and an overwhelming weariness.
[！！]
"ah……"
The moment he saw the prisoner in his hands, his gloomy eyes brightened considerably. Leosley stretched out both hands and steadily carried the boy from the cold wind into the house.
"Got you?"
[！！！]
The moment he was put on the ground, Mainkuen immediately looked up to see Leosley's face.
"Ah! Lo!"
[Brother! You look so tired! Is it because of me?]
He had intended to say that, but a sudden, inexplicable panic choked him. His pupils widened as he stared at Leosley's face, his body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
It is a person.
People who are very close by.
People who are free to move around.
...
[Run! Hide!]
Mainkun suddenly took a step back!
[No! It's my brother! I can't hide, he'll be sad!]
Their escape steps immediately froze.
[Your brother is a human being too. If you're a human being, you should stay away from him!]
It was another rapid retreat.
[Your brother looks like a tangled mess of weeds; you should stick out your tongue and groom his fur.]
...
It was like catching a broken, clockwork toy.
Leosley locked the window behind him and silently watched his brother stumble backward for a long time in the darkness before finally activating vibration mode and crashing.
"..."
"Maine, Maine."
He called out softly a few times, and sure enough, he saw those reflective cat eyes darting over furtively.
Without a single word of blame or complaint, Leosley simply and calmly extended his hand to the young prisoner who had been late for days, leaving him to wait in agony.
"Come on, have a sniff."
"!?"
When Mainkun saw him reach out and collapse to the ground, he almost bent over and rushed under the bed. It took him a long time to finally steady himself and remain lying still.
"...Maine."
Leosley neither urged nor moved forward, but simply squatted down, leaned forward, and stretched out his arm to reach forward.
"I promise I won't do anything, I just want you to smell me, okay?"
...
How difficult it is to rebuild trust! Leosley hadn't played the game of "Statues" much when he was young, but today he played it all at once. The moonlight went from dim to bright until even a strong man like the Duke felt his arms ache. Finally, he felt a small amount of heat on his fingertips, generated by smelling.
[...Huh?]
My ears, which were under low pressure, suddenly jolted upwards; I could feel the shock even through the scarf.
[Hello, brother...]
"…fragrant?"
No, it's not entirely fragrant.
Mainkuhn took another sniff and even buried his face in Leo's hands.
It's a scent that represents "safety".
Seeing his reaction, Leosley finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders slightly.
"How was it? I sprayed some relaxing lotion on my clothes and took a shower."
There was no such thing. Leosley simply marinated himself with a pheromone spray prescribed by a veterinarian, and added some concentrated extracts of plants like catnip.
He understood that Mainkuhn didn't want to reveal the cat's identity, so he made up a lie to cover up the loophole.
Because humans cannot perceive any pheromones.
Oh...it looks great, Maine's legs have started to stop shaking.
Maine.
He remained crouched and motionless, patiently calling out to the boy who was so close to him.
"Could you please bring me the medicine? It's on the bedside table."
"..."
A miracle happened.
Mainkuhn, though his hands were still trembling as he braced himself, actually obeyed the command. He got up from the ground and obediently and slowly placed the spray can into Leosley's hands.
"good."
Leosley finally dared to stand up, applied some more spray to his body and hands, and then slowly reached out to Mainkuen.
[!]
Mainkun desperately suppressed the urge to dodge, letting his brother place his hand on his head.
"Good boy/girl."
Leosley kneaded the skin with great care but also with great determination, the pressure as light as if he were peeling off the amniotic sac of a baby mouse.
"You did a good job."
...
The hairs on the tips of the ears are sticking up; although subtle, it is definitely a sign of happiness.
Pheromones can only provide temporary relief. If we can continuously use praise and physical contact to create positive feedback for Mainkuhn, could we help him overcome his fear of people?
While thinking this, Leosley tried to press his advantage.
"Maine, it's too dark. Can I turn on the light? Just a nightlight will do."
"..."
Yes, I didn't want to. It was expected, since cats have an advantage in the dark and feel safer there.
“I want to see you, Maine. It was just as dark when we last met, and I didn’t even have a chance to see if you had gained or lost weight, or how much taller you had become.”
This statement is complete fabrication. While Leosley's night vision may not be as good as Maine's, it is definitely at a normal level.
"..."
"Thank you, Maine."
After being stroked again as a reward, Leosley got his hands on the nightlight and turned it on almost immediately.
There was one thing that wasn't a lie in the crude deception: he genuinely wanted to take a closer look at his brother who had been missing for many years.
despair.
The moment the dim yellow light was turned on, the Duke fell silent.
[elder brother? ]
Mainkuhn's pupils quickly narrowed into gentle spindle shapes due to the shape of the light, but he remained uneasy.
"H-how...how..."
[What’s wrong with you? ]
He felt a faint anger and sadness creeping into his body, but his brother's expression remained unchanged. He simply gripped his head with a slightly heavy grip, his movements exuding an intoxicating scent.
"here."
He gently scraped the scab off the boy's forehead with his finger, his tone seemingly indifferent.
"How did you do that?"
What?
Oh, it seems like I bumped my head and got this injury. It's still not healed.
Eh... Eh!? Wait! Why can I see it? Didn't Nasita use an illusion??
Could it be... could it be that there's a distance limit?? No way! I only crossed a country! Nasita, give me some support!
"Who smashed it?"
Leosley remained expressionless. He ran his fingers along the part of his hair and found several small wounds that looked like they had been caused by flying pebbles.
Brother! I'm so angry! Wait, will telling him the truth make him worry? No, I need to find a different way to put it!
Mainkuhn panicked. He stared wide-eyed and stammered for a long time before finally managing to utter:
"O-I accidentally...fell..."
"Really? You fell and got this many pieces."
Leosley didn't say whether he believed her or not, but simply counted the amount of the wound on his fingers, then changed the subject, his voice gentle and soft.
"Maine, would you like to lie down with me in bed for a while, like last time?"
"..."
Mainkun was unwilling. How was this different from last time? Last time you were under anesthesia and couldn't move at all.
"Um... Maine, I haven't been able to sleep well because I've been waiting for you, and now I'm too excited to sleep. Can you pat me to sleep, just like I patted you when you were little?"
"..."
Although he didn't think Leosley was happy, Mainkun was still coaxed into bed, his body stiff, his hands trembling, his claws tucked in, as he gently patted...
[Close your eyes, brother!]
How can I possibly put my hand over your waist and gently pat your back when you're looking at me like that?
Maine.
Leosley showed no sign of wanting to sleep. In the dim light, he suddenly pulled out a spray can and sprayed a huge amount of pheromones onto the bed, until the sheets felt damp to the touch.
[...Brother, older brother?]
Mainkuhn warily rolled over to run, but it was too late.
In his unusual mouth and palate, there lies a unique organ that distinguishes him from humans, making him more susceptible to the call of instinct and wildness.
Plowshare.
It continuously breaks down scents into information and uses pheromones to occupy the cat's brain, forcefully commanding its poor host.
"Everything is safe, no need to be on guard, relax."
"Maine, Maine."
[Brother, older brother.]
Mainkuhn twitched his ear in response.
Seeing that he was very calm, Leosley reached out and pressed his hand on his chest to calm him down.
"May I take off your clothes so I can examine your body?"
"Just like when I was a child."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Those who expose others will always be exposed themselves.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
