Chapter 72
“Cherry…!”
The instant the crow seized Cherry’s shoulder and carried her over the cliff, König’s mind went completely blank.
He couldn’t think.
How high the mountain was, what would happen to him if he fell—none of it mattered.
All that filled his head was one thought: I have to catch her.
That squirrel who’d slipped into his life one day.
At first, she was nothing special. Just an ordinary squirrel, the kind one might easily find in Kreutz territory, aside from her slightly whiter fur.
But at some point…
She became different.
He couldn’t sleep without her. He couldn’t start the day without the faint fragrance of cherries in the morning.
And now—
He couldn’t imagine life without her at all.
So König Kreutz had no choice but to admit it.
This squirrel was the most precious being to him.
For Cherry, he could give up everything.
The wealth and honor his ancestors had amassed for generations, the Black Dragon Castle—even himself.
He would gladly surrender it all.
Whether this feeling was parental love or something beyond that no longer mattered.
All that mattered was holding her tight as they plummeted in slow motion.
He stretched his arm out, desperate to catch hold of anything, even a jutting rock—
Thud.
His feet struck the ground first.
Hidden beneath the cliff was a broad slab of rock, a ledge that cushioned their fall.
And beyond it stretched the mouth of a vast cavern.
“Damn it…”
König cursed under his breath.
From the ground came the raucous cawing of the crow that had dropped Cherry.
It rolled around, laughing so hard it seemed about to choke.
Caw! Caw-ha-ha!
The echoes bounced off the cavern walls, mocking him.
Should I wring its neck right now?
He was still debating when—
“Chuuuut!”
Cherry leapt from his arms, fur bristling, and pounced like a tiger.
With claws no bigger than rice grains, she seized the crow’s head, shook it, and locked it in a series of wrestling holds, cutting off its breath.
Clearly, she’d learned more than a few moves from watching the knights of Black Dragon Castle.
König decided there was no need to step in.
Clap, clap.
He applauded, satisfied.
“…Honestly. You never cease to amaze me.”
A voice cut in.
At some point, his sibling had descended, staring at him with a mixture of pity and exasperation.
Heat crept to König’s face as if some shameful secret had been exposed. But there were more pressing matters.
“We’ve got work to do.”
His gaze shifted deeper into the cavern.
The walls themselves glittered, lined with veins of crystal ore.
The real question now was how to claim it all.
***
The next morning.
“Lady Cherry! I’ve returned!”
A boisterous voice shattered the dawn and pulled me from sleep.
Gerard was back, having spent the day at Volken’s manor.
There, he’d met Lia, tidied up matters regarding the incident at Black Dragon Castle, and carried out König’s orders.
“I hear you accomplished something incredible yesterday, Lady Cherry!”
First a white eagle, then crows—now you’ve discovered a crystal mine besides!
He chattered endlessly, but I only rolled over in bed.
“Chuuuut…”
My whole body ached from yesterday’s ordeal.
Running freely across the mountains, my heart nearly dropping out of my chest, brawling with crows… and after that—
“Chuuut…”
So much happened.
I only gave a slow nod.
Since we hadn’t returned to the inn until late at night, my eyelids kept trying to close again.
But I couldn’t laze about forever.
Everyone else was already up and busy.
König was sipping fragrant tea as he read the newspaper. Eloise wore a grave expression, lost in thought.
“…Would pink diamonds suit Cherry better?”
Okay, maybe not that grave.
“Chuut…”
Stretching wide, I finally sat up.
Today was the grand finale of this journey.
Because—
“Once the final test excavation is done, the auction will begin,” Gerard said, an eager, sly smile spreading across his face. His slit eyes gleamed bright yellow.
And I felt the same anticipation.
“Chut-chut-chut.”
Our sinister giggles filled the room.
***
“Chuuut…!”
I peeked out from Eloise’s handbag, watching the scene.
The open-air plaza was packed with nobles—nearly the whole upper class seemed to be here.
And the talk of the town was none other than the Kreutz siblings.
“Isn’t that Duke Kreutz?”
“Damn it, after the Astrahans, now the Kreutzes too? What a waste of our time.”
The crowd that had jostled for front-row seats at the demonstration suddenly parted like the Red Sea.
In the cleared space stood three men: two golden-haired and similar in appearance, and a knight who was clearly their escort.
My eyes immediately found a familiar face.
Huh? Even the tiger’s here?
Erjin Astrahan.
It lasted no more than three seconds—
“Do you want to get buried in the mine?”
König muttered irritably.
For Erjin’s gaze lingered on him, searching, as if for something.
No need to say what.
He was looking for me.
The proof came when his eyes flicked from König, to Gerard’s hand, and then to Eloise’s bag—where I was hiding.
Sharp as ever. He always sensed my presence, like some ghost.
“…”
Erjin smiled faintly, as though greeting me, then erased it as quickly as it appeared, turning back to König.
“No need for concern, Lord Kreutz. I have no interest in you.”
“Oh? I thought you kept staring because you had… unconventional tastes.”
“Fortunately, my tastes are identical to yours. I happen to adore small and adorable things.”
“…What?”
König’s hand went to his sword hilt.
But before steel could flash—
“Now, now, it’s been too long, Duke Kreutz.”
A man stepped smoothly between them.
Golden hair as bright as Erjin’s, but his gentle eyes belied the fact he was also a beastman.
There was no mistaking him.
Pavel Astrahan.
Erjin’s uncle, and acting Duke of Astrahan.
“It has been a while.”
König gave nothing more than a curt nod—refusing a handshake.
In aristocratic society, that was blatant disrespect.
But König had his reasons.
Because—
Every last scheme traces back to Pavel Astrahan.
Finding the mastermind hadn’t been hard.
The one who could order Erjin to infiltrate Black Dragon Castle under brainwashing, and the one who stood to gain most from König’s downfall—
It was Pavel.
Above all—
It’s him…
My body quivered as my gaze fixed on the man behind Pavel.
His head was bowed, but from beneath his lashes glowed icy blue eyes, sharp with killing intent.
The assassin who had driven me to the cliff three years ago.
Between Kreutz and Astrahan, tension crackled like a storm, silencing the plaza.
Until—
“C-crystal!”
A miner shouted, holding up a gem that scattered light into a thousand gleaming shards.
Please unlock! I need more!~