The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 4

“You’re safe. I thought you were dead.”

“Sob… I thought those beast-like men had gotten to you… I’m safe. Don’t worry.”

“What about the others?” Stella asked urgently.

Dora shook her head. “I haven’t seen anyone else. They seem to be safe, but they’re definitely not here.”

That meant Dora, the only person who had shown her kindness, was the only one taken along with her, unlike the rest of the Largo delegation who had moved to the waiting room earlier. Stella felt guilty, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m sorry, Dora. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong, Your Highness.”

“Sob…”

Her nose was burning. She had no idea what those brutal men wanted or where they were heading, leaving her feeling utterly lost. Were they planning to demand a ransom from Largo?

If so, she couldn’t be sure the king, who wasn’t even her biological father, would willingly pay it. If her worst fears were true, he might instead use her to strike a deal with Pantege.

“I don’t understand any of this. Who are these people…?”

“Your Highness, have you ever heard of Peruno?”

Stella, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, listened to Dora’s question. Dora, though just as scared, seemed to have a realization.

“The man who attacked Prince Hendrick’s villa is named Islay Peruno.”

“I thought so. That name reminded me….”

Dora looked around the empty carriage and whispered as if sharing a secret.

“Peruno isn’t actually a family name or a country’s name.”

“Then what is it?”

“You might have read about it in a fairy tale. Peruno is the name of a mythical monster.”

A monster. A creature from myths. Stella vaguely remembered a story.

North of Pantege’s border lies the vast snowfield of Calis. Peruno was the chieftain of the wild men who lived there. He was said to have evolved continuously to survive in the harsh environment, possessing exceptionally strong strength, keen senses, and leadership to unite his rough group—a true apex predator.

But Peruno was also a rational human, never described as a monster.

“Right. He was cursed by the high priest for corrupting his daughter, losing his intellect and turning into a monstrous beast.”

“Corrupting? You mean…?”

“It means they had sexual intercourse, Your Highness. He defiled a priest’s daughter who was supposed to remain pure, so the enraged priest cursed Peruno to live forever as a beast. Until the eternal snow melts and the sea dries up.”

Even hearing about the curse, filled with deep hatred, gave Stella chills.

Dora continued in a low, solemn voice, “But since no one can live forever, Peruno’s bloodline inherited the curse instead.”

“…Ah. As long as the bloodline continues, so will the curse?”

Dora nodded as Stella sighed.

“Does that mean the man who kidnapped us is his descendant?”

“Definitely. It matches what I read. His robust body that can repel swords, his black fur, and his glowing red eyes even in the dark. That man is definitely a descendant of the cursed monster.”

Stella felt a shiver run down her spine.

No wonder he stood out so starkly among the rough men; the blood of a mythical being flowed in his veins. Having grown up in the palace, it was hard for Stella to accept such a story easily.

“Your Highness, Peruno may walk on two legs like a human, but he’s a monster covered in black fur. His large hands have sharp claws like hooks.”

“But the man I saw looked normal…”

“The bloodline is doomed to eventually become monsters. He might already be a monster in human disguise.”

Dora, staring into space, suddenly burst into tears. “Your Highness, Peruno even has… two of them!”

“…What? Two of what?”

“You know, what men have down there…”

Stella looked blankly at the sobbing maid. Despite understanding her clearly, she couldn’t grasp the meaning. How could a fairy tale include such details?

“Why would he have two…?”

“Because he’s not human, Your Highness!”

Unlike the bewildered Stella, Dora looked utterly serious.

“They’ll take us to Calis. There’s only one thing beasts want from women.”

Dora buried her face in Stella’s chest and sobbed. Realizing the reality of their situation from recounting Peruno’s legend, Stella, pale as a sheet, patted Dora’s back with cold hands.

“Don’t cry, Dora. I’ll protect you. I’ll…”

“Sob…”

“I’ll protect you…”

Stella repeated the words over and over, not knowing whom she was trying to convince. The carriage was filled with the sound of their sobs in the pitch darkness.

***

The carriage stopped in front of a dreary mansion before dawn.

Stella and Dora were carried inside by the burly men. The room they were taken to had a rough wooden table and a bed, both covered in dust, suggesting it hadn’t been used for a long time.

Maybe this was their hideout. Stella couldn’t calm her racing heart.

“I don’t know where we are. Are we still in Pantege?”

“Probably.”

It was unlikely they had crossed the vast territory of Pantege in just a few hours. They had arrived at Prince Hendrick’s villa late at night.

Was that man really heading for Calis?

If so, why? What did he plan to do with them in the desolate snowfield?

Despite her many questions, Stella tried not to show her anxiety in front of the terrified maid.

“I’m so hungry I have no strength. Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“I feel the same. I was too nervous to eat anything before we left the palace. I’ve also been feeling feverish for some time now…”

Sitting on the floor without chairs, they clutched their empty stomachs.

That’s when the firmly closed door swung open. The startled women shrank back instinctively.

The man who entered had a long scar across his eyebrow.

Islay’s subordinate looked between Stella and Dora. He seemed to be choosing who to devour first, or so it appeared to Stella.

Soon, his dry eyes fixed on Dora.

“Ah!”

Pale-faced, Dora clung to Stella’s clothes.

The man stood still, but it was clear he intended to drag Dora away. His imposing build and menacing expression suggested as much.

Stella gathered all her courage and stood up, her legs trembling. “D-Dora stays. If you have business, take me…!”

The man’s emotionless gaze turned towards her. Stella paused before speaking again, her voice resolute, “Take me instead.”

The man shrugged and gestured with his chin. “Come here.”

“No, Your Highness!” Tears streamed down Dora’s face as she shook her head vigorously.

Stella gently stopped the maid from clinging to her clothes. “Dora, it’s alright.”

“You bastard! What are you going to do to us? Take me instead!”

Leaving Dora’s cries behind, Stella closed her eyes tightly and moved with a determined step. The man watching them began to lead the way.

***

Torches placed at intervals flickered, lighting the dark corridor.

Stella followed Islay’s subordinate, her feet tapping against the gray stone floor.

As they walked through the unknown place, men lounging on the floor looked up at her. Their eyes were like a pack of wolves watching prey brought by a fellow pack member.

Stella’s resolve to appear composed crumbled.

What kind of man would command such a fierce group? Islay Peruno was said to be beyond human comprehension.

A wild man who survived the freezing snowfields. Not an ordinary human. Possibly already a monster.

Stella, clutching her feverish body, stood before a dark wooden door.

Finally, the door swung open.