I Raised the Beast Well

“The weather is nice.” Aymon gently wrapped his arms around Belinda’s shoulders.
Belinda patted the back of Aymon’s hand on her shoulder and replied.

“But it’s cloudy, Aymon.”

Of course, Aymon acted like he didn’t hear her. 

The low-lying clouds that seemed to be reflected on the lake slowly drifted away.
Belinda inhaled the cool air as she gazed at the white fog. 

A damp smell tickled the tip of her nose as they strolled down the riverside.

They were out for a walk in a place near the capital.
Jansen Lake was a popular destination for both nobles and commoners throughout the Empire.

Looking into the turquoise-coloured lake, a white snowy mountain glistened beautifully on the water’s surface.
The forest where she and Aymon lived was beautiful, but this forest had a different beauty.

Belinda went on a trip with Aymon for his birthday.
It was to show the lake to Aymon, who rarely left the forest, and to spend time with just the two of them. 

“The kids must be having fun, right?”

“They’re always having fun.”

Belinda’s words were tinged with concern, but Aymon responded insipidly as he tightened his grip on their interlocking hands.
As she watched him pressing her hand, he seemed to express to her that she should forget about the children and focus solely on the two of them.

Belinda thought of Anish and Thilai.
Two mischievous boys.
Normally, they remained in their human forms, but when their emotions became intense or they became overly agitated, they often transformed into beasts.

They were more difficult to control as beasts than as children because of their strong instinct.

That was the main reason she couldn’t hire a human nanny.
The little leopards were so powerful that humans would tremble in shock at their little pranks. 

‘But I’m glad that Aymon is here.’

Belinda saw Aymon in a new light.
Perhaps he was in a good mood, but Aymon was smiling as he walked beside her.
Since the children were born, parenting had been almost entirely his responsibility. 

It was always his responsibility to catch the children who were running away or rolling around the lawn to entertain the children.

Belinda had also regained some of her divine energy.
It meant that the mischievous little kittens was like a toy in her hands.

Aymon, on the other hand, who had dedicated his entire life to ‘protecting’ Belinda in this life, did not easily relinquish parental responsibility to Belinda.
He worried about Belinda getting a scratch from the children’ claws.

But I’m stronger now. 

Anyway, it was difficult to spend time alone for that reason, and the opportunity to celebrate Aymon’s birthday actually came by a stroke of luck.
It was thanks to a man who visited the Empire this time. 

Maharin. 

A giant from the Tarcan Kingdom.
A hunter with gigantic skeletal muscles and arms the size of a wooden barrel.
He agreed to babysit the children for a few days. 

Maharin was formerly a diplomat, but he is now the Tarcan Kingdom’s Minister of State.
He had a good relationship with Aymon, but didn’t he say Aymon was the ‘first person to break my hand in the past’?

She wasn’t sure what that meant.
But watching him looking at Aymon with astonished gaze meant that something had clearly happened between the two. 

“Will Maharin be okay?” Belinda voiced her concern with a crease on her forehead.
Aymon knitted his brows and whined as soon as she finished speaking.

“Are you thinking about another guy when I’m right here?”

That playful tone of his actually came from the depth of his heart, so Belinda laughed incredulously.

Simultaneusly, at the white mansion in the Shinsu Forest.

Maharin was chasing two little beasts with a ghastly look on his face in the house where Belinda and Aymon lived.

“Kids! You’ll break the table! Ugh!”

Two small leopards, scratching the legs of the table, leaped toward Maharin.

Clang, clang. 

When his armour made a loud clang, Maharin hurriedly ran away.
There was a reason he put up with the discomfort of wearing armour and even running away.

Of course, Maharin was dressed normally at first.
However, they were having a blast climbing his body, and the leopard’s claws tore the fabric, stripped him naked again and again.

Maharin eventually wore his armour after becoming naked in front of the children several times.
Despite the fact that it was only a mansion and not a battlefield.

[Meow!]

“Agh! Anish! My armour!”

However, the armour did not completely protect him.
This is due to the fact that when Anish leaped on Maharin’s armour, the surface was peeled like a scrap of paper.

Thud. 

Anish, who had fallen to the ground clutching a shard of his armour, clung to Maharin’s feet without showing any signs of pain.
And Anish clung to his ankle and meowed as if he was having a good time.

Maharin looked down at the scraped armour, knelt down and stroked the little leopard. 

The black fur of the beast glistened.
His tiny squirming paws were adorable.
He was far too lovely and adorable to be referred to as the Great Shinsu.

‘He looks so cute…’

When Anish purred in delight, Thilai plopped down next to him.
Maharin alternately stroked the two beasts’ fur with his large hand.

The way they meowed was undoubtedly similar to a cute cat.
Who would have imagined ? The fact that his clothes ripped apart every time these tiny creatures swung their front paws, or that his armour was scratched every time they trampled on him.

‘I should have expected it considering Aymon broke the bone in my hand.’

He thought he should’ve known their power since then, but he agreed to become a baby sitter for a few days, holding a sweet fantasy of seeing the baby Shinsu closely.
He dug himself into a hole.

[Chin.
Rub under my chin.]

[Don’t rub my belly!]

Maharin stroked them cautiously when the two Shinsu ordered him with their tails swinging back and forth.
The leopard cubs’ belly was soft and warm.
Maharin’s grim face began to soften up.

‘But I’m glad I came.
I’ll bring iron gloves the next time I visit.’

Maharin laughed when he saw the claw marks at the back of his hand.
It was a painful happiness.
Unlike his rugged appearance, Maharin, who was especially weak in cute and adorable things, was happy beyond words now.

***

“How can a flower bloom on a cliff like that?” Belinda muttered as she sat on top of Aymon’s coat. 

Red flowers were blooming on the cliff of the snowy mountain that oversaw the lake. 

Life was truly a wonder to behold.
How could life grow in those dry rock crevices? Even if it was the land she had built in her previous life, it was full of strange and new things.

Aymon, who was only blinking at the bunch of flowers, stood up from his seat. 

“Where are you going, Aymon?”

Instead of answering, Aymon pointed at the grass.
It was to tell her to sit down and wait.
Belinda, who was getting up after him, nodded and sat down again.

‘I’ll just stay here, then.’

He wouldn’t be in danger if he went alone, she wouldn’t be in danger if she was left alone, and it was highly unlikely that he’d gotten lost.

She fumbled over Aymon’s empty seat, made her way down the grass, and removed her shoes.

Splash. 

‘Ah, how refreshing.’

The water was clear, and the breeze was refreshing.
It was even better because she was accompanied by the man she adored.

Belinda closed her eyes and relished the sensation.
When was the last time she felt so at ease?  Her life was in a frenzy because of her two troublemakers.
The kids needed to grow up a bit more before she could go on another date with Aymon alone.

‘Come to think of it, Aymon grew up alone…’

She suddenly wondered about Aymon’s childhood.
A small cat who always approached her.
He was supposed to be protected and loved as a child, just like Anish and Thilai, but he grew up alone in the vast forest.

He must be lonely.
That might be the reason he always came to the royal villa.
Although he said he just came due to boredom. 

Her heart ached like never before.
Because of his upbringing, he may have developed a particularly possessive desire for her and clung to her like a child.

‘I’ll be sure to hug you later.
My pretty and kind- no, not exactly kind…but you grow up well anyway.’

Splash, splash.

She was lost in thought while stirring the water with her feet when she felt a movement behind her.
It wasn’t Aymon.
Perhaps because of the divine power she possessed, recently she was able to accurately detect Aymon’s energy whenever he approached.

‘Who is it?’

The stranger soon sat next to her, proving that he wasn’t just a passerby.
When she turned around, she saw an unknown man who smiled at her.

Delicate features and an inviting smile.
The material of his blouse that wrapped around his neck was quite luxurious.
One servant was waiting behind him.
Nevertheless, he seemed to be a noble who came here to have fun.

“Hello.”

Even the light voice he let out was confident.

“Yes, hello.” Belinda also replied without reluctance.

He looked at her dress with interest.
She was dressed comfortably in a navy dress.
It was a dress she chose to be comfortable while going out with Aymon, but it wasn’t blatant enough to show anyone that she was the Empress. 

But, given that he greeted her with courtesy, she knew that the man in front of her was sincere.
He was not an overbearing or arrogant individual.

“The lake is beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s beautiful.”

Belinda replied politely because her opponent was polite.

The man placed his palm on the grass and settled down.
His charmingly curved eyes looked gentle and kind.