The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 39

Stella turned and quickly walked away. Islay soon caught up with her, and their aimless stroll resumed. The sound of her hurried footsteps alternated with the slow, wide steps of Islay.

‘How foolish of me.’

To call someone a dog to their face—it was unbelievable, even to herself. It revealed just how little experience she had in interacting with others.

She didn’t want to make mistakes with him. She didn’t want to seem like a foolish princess. And then…

“Estella.”

“…Yes?”

“I’m thinking of moving some of the gems from the basement.”

“Moving them? Where to?”

“Rather than hoarding unused luxury items, there are better ways to put them to use. My ancestors who collected them until their dying breaths would lament, but…”

Islay continued in a gentle tone, “I’ll send more attendants to help you sort out the ones that don’t bear any traces of holy power.”

“…Hmm.”

He spoke with confidence in her abilities. But what if the ancient gem is among those being moved? Stella wondered what made Islay trust her so much, but she quietly nodded.

She couldn’t doubt the divine revelation, and she had already seen proof with her own eyes that she possessed this extraordinary ability.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

“So, Estella…”

Islay suddenly stopped. Stella, caught off guard, halted as well and looked up at him.

“I plan to continue searching for the ancient gem.”

“……”

“There are still countries that pay tribute to Calis with gems in exchange for protecting their borders. Pantege included.”

At this point, Stella had a vague idea of what he was about to ask. In the dim light of night, his eyes gleamed with a deep red hue.

“Unfortunately, without the Mind’s Eye to identify the gems I need, all the collecting would be pointless. Just like the gold and stones that have been gathering dust in the basement.”

“……”

“So I want you to stay here and help me, even after the time you promised is up. Until we find the gem, and until I’m on the verge of becoming a monster.”

“……”

“What do you think?”

It was a question she had vaguely anticipated. Although she hadn’t expected him to be so blunt about staying until he was about to transform into a monster.

Stella remained silent for a moment, considering his words.

When Islay had brought her here, he had promised she could leave in three months. But almost half of that time had already passed.

At the end of that swiftly passing time, she would return to Largo and face the worst. She had vividly imagined that scenario just this morning.

There was a reason that horrifying vision felt so real. Stella clearly remembered the most humiliating day of her life.

It was the day she had received a flower arrangement lesson in the garden and was on her way back to her chamber. Stella had tripped on her skirt and nearly fallen, but a guard had caught her, practically holding her up.

Unfortunately, the King’s chamberlain had witnessed the scene, and her uncle, upon hearing the report, immediately questioned her chastity. To make matters worse, it was discovered that the guard harbored feelings for the princess, and the suspicion became a certainty.

The new King had stormed into Stella’s chamber without warning, accompanied by a group of maids dressed in black. He ordered them to check whether the only princess was “still pure.” No matter how much Stella cried, screamed, and struggled, there was no way she could resist the half-dozen women.

Her uncle didn’t touch her himself, but like a merchant inspecting a valuable product for potential damage, he watched the entire process from start to finish.

Even though her mother loathed her new husband, she did nothing to intervene, as she also doubted her daughter’s chastity. To Stella, they all seemed like conspirators in the same plot.

After that day, the guard who had shown her kindness disappeared without a trace. It was one of the reasons Stella became isolated in the palace.

This was also why Stella felt more affection for Dora than she did for her own family. Even a slow-witted maid would know that befriending a persecuted princess wouldn’t be beneficial.

‘To assist him until he becomes a monster…’

To delay her return home. To avoid going back to Largo. To escape shame for a little longer. To Stella, this temporary reprieve felt like a small, precious lifeline.

When she had first been brought here, she had often put her head together with Dora to think of ways to leave the Ice Castle. But now, she hesitated at this man’s proposal to stay by his side a little longer. No, it wasn’t just hesitation—Stella was relieved.

“Estella.”

His voice calling her name brought her back to reality. Islay was still standing before her.

Could I really be the one to break this ancient curse that has lasted for a thousand years? But before doubt could settle in her heart, something else swelled up inside her.

She wanted to help him. She wanted to help him break the curse. She wanted to do everything she could for this man who had less than a year to live as a rational human being, who faced each day with the dreadful awareness of what was coming.

“Of course…”

Stella raised her eyes to meet Islay’s, her expression serious. His red eyes met hers, without a trace of a smile.

“Of course. I want to do everything I can to help you.”

“……”

“And if I insist on staying in Calis, Dora will want to stay too. If we end up staying longer than the promised time, I’d like to ask Dora’s opinion on it.”

“Do as you wish. I just wanted you to remember that you have another option, even after the time is up.”

Another option. Stella silently repeated the words to herself as she nodded. That concluded their conversation. After a brief hesitation, she started walking again, her pace slow and thoughtful.

Islay, walking beside her, showed no sign of urgency. His calm movements brought with them his scent and warmth.

Stella felt her carefully controlled heartbeat quicken once more, her breathing becoming unsteady.

Do all men have such a distinctive scent? It didn’t seem so, but why did his scent bother her so much?

The warmth radiating from him was due to his unusually high body temperature. So why couldn’t she stop herself from imagining what it would be like to rest her cheek against his broad chest?

It was strange. Why did her heart ache so incessantly?

Furrowing her brows slightly, Stella was lost in thought, trying to solve the puzzle in her mind. No matter how many thoughts she ran through, she couldn’t calm her wildly beating heart.

She didn’t know how to handle this discomfort, nor did she know how to fill the silence with skilled conversation, so she ended up blurting out whatever came to mind.

“…Actually, this is the first time I’ve ever gone for a walk at night.”

“I figured.”

“Why?”

“Because your heart is beating abnormally fast. You’re breathing heavily, like someone who’s been running, and your temperature seems slightly elevated.”

Stella took a deep breath. Sure enough, this man with his animalistic instincts had already noticed her agitation.

She was terrible at lying, but it seemed there would be no hiding anything from this man. She shivered at the thought.

“Why are you listening to my heartbeat without permission?”

“My apologies. But your face is red, Estella.”

His voice was far from apologetic. Islay’s tone was amused as he asked, “Are you excited?”

“…What?”

“Are you excited because it’s your first nighttime walk?”

Stella felt a surge of irritation at the way he seemed to be treating her like a puppy, but she had just bluntly compared him to a dog a moment ago. More than anything, she was flustered that he had noticed all the trembling in her chest.