It wasn’t Cherry but Leona who had been reported as a stalker. Whoever reported her, Leona was now in front of me, apprehended by the knights.

The fact that they brought her to me instead of handling it themselves suggested they wanted me to decide her punishment.

Actually, it was fortunate that Leona was the first to be caught. If it had been someone else, I would have reprimanded them harshly, and Leona, caught later, would have faced a similar punishment.

Luckily, Leona was someone I knew, and we already had plans. It was my fault for not reaching out to her sooner.

So, I explained the situation to the knights. I told them she was a friend I had arranged to meet, but I had forgotten. Being Xenon, she couldn’t approach me freely and had to loiter around.

Since I was telling the truth, the knights released Leona. This mishap was my responsibility to resolve.

“I’m sorry. I should have paid more attention to you.”

Although the issue was resolved, my mistake remained. I bowed my head and sincerely apologized.

Leona, despite her strong physique, was rubbing her shoulder, likely from the forceful apprehension.

Her identity could have been exposed, and she might not have been able to attend the academy properly. I had almost committed an unforgivable error.

“Huh? No, it’s okay. I was a bit startled, but I’m fine. I should have waited quietly instead of approaching recklessly.”

Leona waved her hand dismissively, indicating she was fine.

“If you really feel sorry, treat me to a steak sometime. Okay?”

She was quite bold. I chuckled at Leona, who grinned playfully.

Her tail wagged cheerfully, showing she was genuinely okay.

We were currently in my new dormitory. Unlike the student dormitories, the VIP dormitories allowed entry to others with the owner’s permission.

“I’ll treat you to as much steak as you want. Want to go now?”

“Not right now. I just had a meal with my mother.”

Now that I think about it, Marie mentioned that Leona’s mother was also at the academy, waiting to meet me.

To finalize things properly, I needed to meet Leona’s mother, even if it was just an informal meeting. Otherwise, the matter would remain unresolved.

As I stared at Leona, who was smiling slyly, I returned a gentle smile and asked,

“How has life at the academy been? No problems, right?”

“It was chaotic. After the news spread that you were Xenon, that was all anyone talked about for a while.”

“Anything else?”

“I mostly studied, so I’m not sure. Oh! When Marie arrived, people flocked to her, but they all got knocked back by her guards. The security was tight.”

Marie had mentioned this as well. It was expected, but she had a tiring time for a while.

I listened to Leona’s updates, then clasped my hands together. After some hesitation, I asked her in a cautious voice,

“Is your mother still firm in her decision?”

As everyone knows, Leona’s mother wasn’t keen on Leona becoming my wife.

She wished for Leona’s genuine happiness, wanting her to follow her personal feelings rather than cultural obligations.

“Yes. She was already firm, but after you revealed your identity, she became even more resolute.”

Upon hearing my question, Leona’s wagging tail stopped, and she spoke gloomily. Her ears, which had been perked up, drooped down.

It seemed the situation had worsened rather than improved. I slowly nodded.

Honestly, I thought that revealing I was Xenon would make Leona’s mother more likely to give her blessing, but that wasn’t the case.

As the third wife of the chieftain and the only human, she must have had a tumultuous life.

Better to live a normal life than to be protected by a massive shield. That was my guess.

“Hmm… I guess I’ll have to meet her in person to understand.”

“That’s part of it, but she also said this: If I become your wife, how will that benefit you?”

“She said that?”

“Yes.”

Leona nodded with a dejected expression when I asked in surprise. I crossed my arms and thought for a moment.

As a parent, it’s something she shouldn’t have said, but it was also a direct statement meant to make her realize the reality.

In truth, Leona had very little to offer me in terms of benefit. At most, petting her head helped relieve my stress.

However, her mother made a significant mistake. Just making that statement contradicted her desire for Leona’s personal happiness.

‘I can use this to my advantage.’

It seemed maternal instincts led to that mistake. It was clear she genuinely wanted Leona to find true happiness.

So, I just needed to respond with sincerity. I reached out to the depressed Leona.

Swish

“······Huh?”

When I placed my hand on her head, Leona’s ears perked up, and she looked at me. I smiled gently, looking into her golden eyes similar to mine.

Pat pat

“Mrrr…”

Without saying anything, I petted her head, and Leona made a cute sound. Her ears, which had been upright, relaxed and drooped to the side, making it easier to pet her.

She truly was like a lion, but being from the feline family, she even purred softly. It was hard to believe that she was considered unattractive by other beastkin.

For a long time, I petted her head, played with her ears, pinched her cheeks, and did everything a beastkin would love.

Beastkin have a high frequency and importance of physical affection compared to other races. Just like how felines groom their young and canines nip each other’s cheeks.

While grooming is well-known, the cheek-nipping by canines might seem strange, but it holds special significance.

It’s a sign of trust, indicating, “I will never harm you.” Sometimes you might see a big dog gently biting a smaller animal’s head and then letting go.

Swish

“Uh?”

Then something surprising happened. As I was petting her, Leona’s tail, which had been swaying, wrapped around my arm.

While the affectionate behaviors I mentioned earlier apply to family, this particular act is reserved strictly for a partner.

Allowing someone to touch your tail or wrapping your tail around someone’s body. It was surprising.

Leona genuinely liked me. Her tail wrapping around my arm while she was immersed in my touch confirmed it.

“Purr. Purr. Purr.”

Perhaps she wasn’t aware of what she was doing. Leona pushed her head forward, asking for more pets.

She kept inching closer until she eventually got up and slowly moved to my side.

I was taken aback for a moment, but when she sat on my lap and leaned into me, I held her without saying a word.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

Adelia cleared her throat and quietly left the room when she saw Leona and I showing affection. The unnecessary throat-clearing was probably a silent signal to keep things in check.

I let out a small chuckle but continued the physical affection with Leona. She seemed more starved for attention and affection than I realized.

‘Well, the stress must be immense.’

She probably doesn’t get many chances to show her true self. Having to hide her identity while navigating a dangerous tightrope is something I’ve experienced.

Unlike me, who can now freely reveal my identity, Leona still has to hide hers.

Thinking about this, an idea came to mind, and I spoke up.

“Leona.”

“Purr. Purr.”

“Leona?”

“Purr. Hmm?”

Leona, with a loving expression, was nuzzling her face against my chest. She lifted her head when I called her name.

I resisted the urge to touch her perky ears. How could they be so addictive?

“Isn’t it hard to keep hiding your identity?”

“It would be a lie to say it’s not.”

“Then, shall I help you?”

“What?”

Leona’s eyes widened at the offer of help. I felt the grip of her tail around my hand loosen.

I met Leona’s puzzled expression and spoke softly.

“I can help you so you won’t have to hide your identity anymore.”

“How… how would you do that?”

“You know Cain from Xenon’s Biography, right?”

“It’d be weird if I didn’t.”

Cain was the brother of Wrath, Satan, and the character who dismantled the old traditions of his nation to become the new chieftain.

Born physically weak, he stabilized the country politically with his extraordinary intellect.

“If I reveal that Cain’s inspiration was you, wouldn’t everyone accept it?”

Readers already firmly believe that Lilith was inspired by Cecily and Elisha by Arwen.

Because of this, readers often wonder who inspired other characters.

This has led to impostors causing trouble, but Kate’s efforts have dealt with them.

So, if I spread the word that Kind’s inspiration was Leona, she wouldn’t have to hide her identity.

Leona thought deeply about my suggestion, then tilted her head and responded.

“It doesn’t really appeal to me.”

“Doesn’t appeal to you?”

“Yeah. It would feel like I’m just relying on your help.”

At first, I didn’t understand, but knowing Leona’s personality, it made sense.

By hiding her identity and enrolling in the academy, it’s clear that Leona is somewhat independent and proactive.

Unlike her current affectionate demeanor, Leona is quite fierce and cynical towards others. This indicates she has a strong sense of pride.

“My mother hates politics. Right now, Jinai is the chieftain, but there are still internal dissatisfactions. It means that Animers could use me. If it’s revealed that I’m the inspiration for Cain, what do you think will happen?”

“Hmm… You have a point. I hadn’t thought about that. We should put this idea on hold.”

“Good decision. Besides, I’m not that uncomfortable right now. If I hadn’t met you, I’d be even more stressed. I prefer things as they are now.”

With that, Leona hugged me tightly. The pressure conveyed through her embrace was unique, given her beastkin strength.

I responded by patting her head again, causing her to make happy sounds.

Then, she started licking my neck, a grooming behavior indicating that her instinct had taken over.

If I hadn’t experienced this before, I would have been startled. But knowing Leona’s patterns, I stayed still.

It wasn’t unpleasant. Who would dislike being groomed by a beautiful woman who likes them? I didn’t find it dirty at all.

“Leona.”

“Lick. Hmm?”

“Could I meet your mother tomorrow?”

The final hurdle was Leona’s mother. To win her approval, I needed to succeed in our conversation.

Originally, I had reluctantly accepted this because of beastkin culture, but now those feelings had vanished.

Who could refuse such a cute and lovely girl? If she left, it would leave a significant scar on my heart.

“It’s possible, but could we have steak first?”

“··· ···”

“I’m already hungry.”

“Didn’t you just have a meal with your mother?”

When I asked in disbelief, Leona laughed awkwardly and gave a ridiculous excuse.

“I have a separate stomach for steak…”

“··· ···”

“Hehe.”

The roaring lion was gone, replaced by a kitten chirping for food.

Translators note:

Hi everyone, it’s been a while!

What I initially intended to be a short break ended up taking almost a month due to life stuff but I finally have some leeway to translate and go back to my lifestyle before the break.

Also there will be daily releases for about a month! then about 5/week.

Good to be back!