Chapter 14: The First Attack on the Rose, the Dark Night Coercion of Mailer...
"Les...give it to me..."
Maine didn't want to steal clothes, so she took off White's trench coat. The fifteen-year-old boy hadn't grown tall yet, and the long hem of the trench coat covered his calves, concealing all the scars on his body.
He ran barefoot, carrying the madman on his back, through the shadows of the Grey River.
Damn it, damn it, damn it! Damn it!
The cold wind seeped into the cat's ears, which were burning from anxiety, and its sharp, vertical pupils widened uncontrollably.
We clearly promised each other we'd never turn into humans again, and we clearly decided we'd be cats for life!
......
The view is higher now, it's so uncomfortable! It's disgusting to have a living person breathing right behind me! It's so cold without hair! My bare feet hurt so much!
I don't want to be human—nor do I want to interact with people in human form!
"vomit!!"
My stomach was churning, and the acid was burning the wound on my palate.
Being human is terrifying! Hurry up—ask your question and then turn back into a cat—
To get news of my brother, I must be patient—
Mainkuhn kicked open the dilapidated door and threw White into the pile of Les bottles.
Thump!
The blow was quite heavy; Maine lost control of his strength, but White seemed oblivious to the pain, merely lying on the ground, groping around incoherently, before finally picking up an empty bottle after a long while.
"Give me Les...give me..."
He tried to cover the bottle opening with his lips and sucked hard, like a baby sucking the milk that sustains him.
But it was empty; all the lures in the house had been sniffed out by the cat and handed over.
"No!"
The boy swatted the bottle away with one paw, and the fluffy ears were pressed tightly against the sides of his head.
"Brother, where is brother!?"
A direct and to-the-point question... Maine doesn't want to be human anymore.
But the adult who had just been cursing him seemed not to understand, staring blankly at the half-demon's face with a foolish smile:
"That's great...look, expensive, even Sister Jasmine's is expensive...unlike me, that's great..."
"...Well!"
White! I'm asking you, where is my brother?!
The boy grabbed the madman and shook him a few times, his gloomy and pale face filled with anxiety.
White chuckled and, with his arms raised high, began to sing, his voice like a music box missing a gear, amidst Mainkuen's wide-eyed, cat-like gaze.
"I'm a tomato, and you're a radish... We'll be eaten together, along with the potato—"
"White! Ugh!"
Mainkuhn had no interest in appreciating music. The thought of himself wearing a human skin, being treated like a human, and communicating with people in human language made him feel nauseous.
White, however, showed no consideration for his feelings and simply lay on the ground, grinning foolishly.
"Hehehe... Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"We've all been eaten!"
......
"Loss! Give me Loss—"
He picked up the glass bottle and smashed it hard at his former little brother, but missed, and it shattered into pieces.
*
Mainkuhn did not intend to give him Les.
He could smell the salty stench emanating from White's riddled brain.
If I drink any more, I'll really die.
Maine didn't want him to die.
Although White used to often pull his ears, tell his brother, and bully him because he was short-limbed, he would hit him on the head.
But Maine just didn't want him to die.
He didn't understand where this desire came from, just as he didn't understand why he had to feed the human offspring and return the fish basket to the human mother.
......
You'll die if you drink it.
Mainkuen, his face cold, looked at his unusually sharp fingernails and irritably put them in his mouth to gnaw on.
If I die, I won't be able to find my brother anymore.
"If you don't give me Les—I won't tell you where your brother is!"
"!!"
The strange and wild vertical pupils lit up for a moment, illuminating the old and haggard human face.
"...No."
The reason for rejecting him this time is because...
because...
...because he was a respected member of his brother's family, and his brother would definitely be saddened by his death.
Yes, that's why.
"Damn it! You little bastard! I should have thrown you into the latrine back then—"
Under the seemingly indifferent and apathetic gaze of the boy, the madman cursed and suddenly grabbed Maine's ankle.
"Don't touch me!!"
The cat dodged quickly, and White missed it, but he fell to his knees with a thud, staring at Maine with bloodshot eyes.
"......"What's wrong?
Under the wary gaze of the half-demon, White, who was once proud and arrogant, bent over.
"Give me some luce—please, Daddy!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Without hesitation, he kowtowed several times.
"......"
The boy could no longer maintain his indifferent expression.
Stay away from me!
"vomit!"
He is not...
He's not the White guy I know!
*
White remained silent, and Maine refused to compromise; it seemed there was no way out.
But that's not the case.
To exist in human form and interact with humans... just thinking about it is horrifying...
But this is for my brother's sake, so I have to endure it!
"I'm sorry, Myles, I accidentally spilled the flour. Could you go buy me some more?"
The little girl looked at the mess on the ground with dismay, and the jewels on her clothes had dimmed.
"Waaah... I promised Clarind the macarons..."
"Don't be sad, young lady."
The old butler, without hesitation, set off immediately.
"I'll be right back."
It's quite difficult for one person to carry all the things the young lady needs. Should we hire a young helper...?
As Miles walked toward the grocery store, a cold sensation landed on the old man's neck as he passed through a dark alley.
"!!who!"
Myles reached for the gun in his pocket, and the coldness on his neck instantly seeped into his skin!
"Don't look back!"
A young man shouted from behind the old man: "Otherwise, I'll... put my hands up!"
Miles: "!"
The direction of the knife movement is downwards and upwards. Based on the angle of inclination...
"...Young man, don't be impulsive."
Who is this brat who robbed the Rose Society in the Grey River? Ha, I can feel his hands trembling even through the blunt knife.
Miles almost laughed when he heard that childish, threatening voice.
Sigh! Another troubled youth who has gone astray at a young age.
"Mora is in my breast pocket."
The old man slowly raised his hand, his entire body tense.
"You can take it; I won't resist."
As soon as this kid reaches out his hand, I'll give him an over-the-shoulder throw and teach him what it means to respect the elderly and care for the young.
"...No Mora."
Myles showed no intention of turning back, and Mainkun calmed down considerably, his body no longer trembling from being near humans.
But his cat ears remained pressed tightly together, his vertical pupils staring at the back of the old man's head:
"Tell me, do you have any information about Guant?"
......
Miles immediately realized his mistake.
This isn't a juvenile delinquent who takes risks for money; it's more like someone seeking revenge.
Why are you asking this?
He began to try to turn around, glancing at the boy behind him out of the corner of his eye.
“He’s either crazy or drinking yogurt on weekdays. When he’s sober, he’ll sneak things and do odd jobs. That’s about it.”
"Don't look back!"
Myles felt the blunt blade on his neck deepen even further. "...Kares, from where...rescue him?"
Mainkun has a keen ear; if he's willing, he can hear any kind of information.
"...Why did you ask that question?"
Myles suddenly realized that his second guess was also wrong.
This kid isn't looking for money or revenge; it's more like... he's looking for family.
“Answer me! If you don’t answer, I’ll go ask Carles myself… You don’t want your boss to die, do you?”
"You're so arrogant."
If he only threatened a subordinate, this kid might survive. But if he actually threatened the boss of the Thorn Rose Guild, his bones would be scattered like gears in the Gray River tomorrow.
"Okay, for the sake of the wages."
He shrugged and relented, as if it were to save a young life.
"It was a guild hall on the ground. He was sick and almost beaten to death, but the master saved him and brought him to Baisong Town."
"Location? That's the noble district, it won't do you any good if you know... Calm down! Don't get agitated, child, I'll tell you."
"My family from before? I only heard about an older sister named Jasmine..."
Myles recounted everything to Mainkuhn in detail, one by one, until his mouth was dry and his shoulders ached.
"Child, can I put my arm down? It hurts too much to keep it up like this."
Mainkun sensed the demonic power within the body.
There is no trace of addition.
This old man... although he was threatened, he did not harbor any ill will towards the perpetrator; he had no murderous intent or hatred.
"...Slowly circle it around to your chest, no big movements allowed..." Sorry.
Its short tail drooped guiltily inside its coat.
I will find a way to make it up to you...
Click.
"!"
"What's going on here, Myles?"
Just as Mainkuhn was distracted, an umbrella handle was raised high and pressed against the back of Mainkuhn's head.
No, that's not an umbrella, it's a gun disguised as an umbrella.
"Why is this robber apologizing to you—"
Little Navia has a childlike voice, but she holds a murder weapon in her hand.
Did he spill the flour too?
!!
"Miss, it's much more serious than that."
The old butler responded gracefully:
"It's more serious than spilling the egg whites you just beat."
"Your luck has turned around, kid."
With a gun pointed at him, this kid with only a blunt knife must have wet his pants in fear.
So Myles, with an air of confidence, declared, "Let's settle this score—"
Don't look back.
“...What?” Miles was stunned.
"I told you not to look back!"
"Hey! Do you even understand what's going on?!"
Little Navia couldn't contain herself and poked Maine's head with the gun disguised as a parasol:
Watch your head—
The half-demon's claws shot out! He gripped the spearhead and pressed down slightly.
Boom.
It's easier than breaking a cookie.
Fragments of refined iron littered the ground, and half of the umbrella handle remained in little Navia's hand.
It's broken?
"...crushed the gun with his bare hands?"
The girl's voice trembled with fear.
"Young Miss!"
The old butler's heart tightened; the voice behind him remained unusually gloomy.
"Don't look back, okay?"
Please, don't look at me...
......
Not only her voice was trembling, but little Navia's hands were also shaking, and the jewels on her hat were swaying violently with her breathing.
The young lady of the Rose Society is still too young. Even if she tries her best to hide her panic, she can't fool the beast and the old man.
"Hey! Let go of Myles!"
"I'm the young lady of the Rose Society. Let's talk about what benefits you want!"
It turned out that the panic was not for his own safety, but for the hostages under Maine's command.
Upon hearing this, Miles felt a surge of immense shame.
"The butler has repeatedly misjudged the situation and even implicated the young lady. This is truly a disgrace to the butler."
Mistaking a wolf for a lamb, Miles, at his age, has rarely seen anyone who can crush a pistol with their bare hands. The person behind him is definitely not some harmless troubled youth!
Could it be the assassin hired by that club? Or is it Mr. Carles' new enemy?
However you are, you must not frighten the young lady of the Rose Society!
"!"
Mainkun suddenly felt a surge of strength throughout his body.
It was the demonic blood that was frantically devouring the killing intent emanating from the old man's heart.
Sure enough, the old man pulled out a gun from his pocket and fired three shots directly at the person behind him from under his arm!
Bang bang bang!
Amid the gunshot, Miles suddenly turned around.
Then he realized he was wrong again.
A thin boy, about fourteen or fifteen years old.
Barefoot, wearing a coat, with a mouthful of sharp teeth, and his empty neck covered with crack-like electric shock marks.
!!
The boy easily dodged three bullets, but when he met the old man's gaze, his face showed extreme terror. He frantically reached out to cover his ears and face, but the ill-fitting sleeve slipped off his arm, revealing more scars.
"Don't look at me!!"
He yelled, jumped onto the roof, and ran away, looking just like a cat with its tail between its legs.
......
He really is just a child.
The old butler stood there, stunned.
"Myles!"
Little Navia rushed towards him, jumping up and down to see the knife pressed against his neck:
Are you alright?
"No, that boy's knife was dull."
He comforted the boy while picking up the knife he had hastily discarded.
"Look, it doesn't even have a blade... Hey?"
Little Navia looked down.
It's not a knife at all.
It was clearly a tin can shell that had been folded and folded so many times that the edges were rounded.
"......"
"How strange..."
Would anyone use something that can't even be cut through paper to coerce someone?
After thinking for a long time, little Navia hesitantly looked at the unharmed old butler:
Does he need help?
A note from the author:
----------------------
In cat form, he is an extremely kind and affectionate cat; in human form, he is a troubled youth who is afraid of humans.
This polarization will continue for a long time.
The new cover depicts the Mainkun human form with gray hair on top and white hair on the bottom, featuring tiger stripes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
