The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Side Story 10

“Lycaon.”

“Yes.”

“Martina.”

“Yes!”

“What did Dad say all the way from Calis?”

The black-haired twins sitting side by side in the carriage shouted in unison.

“No causing trouble!”

“And?”

“No fighting!”

“And?”

“No running around!”

“Why?”

“Because we might get hurt!”

They sure do answer well. Islay let out a hum and crossed his arms, calmly staring at the twins seated across from him. Lycaon and Martina met each other’s eyes and giggled.

What on earth was so funny? They were his own children, but Islay still couldn’t understand little kids.

“Now then, where did I say we’re about to go?”

“The Largo Palace!”

“Mom’s house!”

…Huh? For the first time, their answers didn’t match. The twins turned to face each other with a snap.

“You’re supposed to say palace, dummy!”

“You’re the dummy, Lycaon! Mom’s house is a palace! Mom’s a princess!”

“Mom lives with us at the Ice Castle in Calis! The Ice Castle is her house!”

Islay pressed his throbbing temple and closed his eyes. “Wait a second, you two. You shouted ‘No fighting’ just 30 seconds ago, and now you’re at it again?”

“Ah, no, Daddy, this is…”

Clever little Lycaon recalled a very difficult word he’d learned recently.

“This is… we were having a debate!”

But with his still-short tongue, the pronunciation of ‘debate’ came out garbled, and Martina, mishearing it, tilted her head and asked, “A boat?”

Feeling like he might go insane, Islay resumed the lesson.

“Right now, we’re going to meet Mom’s sibling. Martina, Lycaon is your older brother, right? Just like that, Mom also has an older brother.”

Islay pointed out the elegant milk-colored palace visible through the carriage window.

“That’s the very Largo Palace you’ve heard so much about in stories. Mom’s brother lives there.”

“So does Mom’s brother look just like her?”

“They’re not twins like you two, but since they’re siblings, they look a lot alike. Especially the hair, shining like starlight… It’s just the same.”

“Wooooow….”

The twins’ mouths opened like a pair of baby sparrows. Even amid his mixed feelings, their cuteness drew a helpless chuckle from Islay.

Maybe it was about time to step out. It would’ve been easier if only Alexio was present. But they were now set to meet Alexio’s wife and Queen, Marian Lassa, and their son, Kaylan, too.

For Stella’s dignity, at least, they had to maintain proper manners. But their twins were truly, genuinely, outrageously mischievous…

The story of them breaking two cradles while playing princess and knight was famous even within the Ice Castle. To make matters worse, the cradles were handcrafted by Islay himself, with Lycaon playing the princess and Martina the knight.

Just recalling that moment made Islay shudder. He squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed the carriage door handle.

“Let’s go. Mommy must be waiting too long.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

***

Islay walked with the twins toward the Largo Palace. A splendid honor guard stood in formation with a deep crimson carpet rolled out down the center. The twins walked between them without a hint of intimidation.

“Mikel! Mikel!”

Lycaon, spotting the Calis guard captain behind him, waved excitedly.

“Where’s Dora?”

“My wife couldn’t accompany me—no, rather, she wasn’t able to come.”

“Why? Is Dora sick?”

“She’s expecting. Since she mustn’t overexert herself, she’s resting comfortably at home.”

The thought alone made Mikel chuckle to himself. Islay cast a glance at his subordinate, who sent letters to Calis nearly every day.

Martina tilted her head. “Baby?”

Then she clutched the hem of Islay’s trousers tightly. “Daddy, how are babies made?”

“Islay!”

From a distance, Stella cupped her hands around her mouth and called out to him. Ah, his beloved woman always came to the rescue in times of crisis.

“Alright, kids. There are stairs, so be careful not to trip.”

Climbing the steps with the little ones toddling beside him, they arrived at the stone gate leading to the court. At the wide-open doors, Alexio, chatting quietly with Stella, spotted Islay and curved his lips into a broad smile.

“It’s truly a pleasure to see you again.”

Their first meeting hadn’t been very pleasant, but now that Islay had not only saved his sister’s life but become her husband, Alexio was clearly delighted to welcome him.

“The Lord of Calis seems to have changed very little since we last met.”

“You appear unchanged as well.”

“If there is any difference, it’s that I now have a new family. Allow me to introduce you—this is my wife and Queen of Largo, Marian Lassa.”

Stella sent a sparkling look that said, ‘That’s the Lady Belluccini.’ Islay stifled a laugh and exchanged appropriate greetings with the woman who seemed extremely reserved.

Then he looked into the nearby stroller and saw Kaylan, the heir to the Kingdom of Largo, who was not yet a year old. It felt strangely surreal, as the baby had the same blond hair as Stella.

“Kids.”

“Mommy!”

“Mooommy!”

When Stella gestured toward Lycaon and Martina, the twins rushed forward eagerly. It was indeed more of a brisk walk than a run—trying to obey the rule of ‘no running to avoid injury’ with their short, pudgy legs made them look hilariously like power walkers.

“Now, Daddy taught you how to greet someone, right?”

The twins, buried deep in Stella’s dark blue dress, looked up at Alexio with curious eyes. Then they stood side by side and gave a fairly proper Northern-style greeting.

“Greetings. I am Lycaon Peruno.”

“Greetings. I am Martina Peruno.”

Though their chirping voices overlapped as they introduced themselves at the same time, Alexio fortunately already knew their names.

Bending one knee, Alexio smiled broadly at his adorable niece and nephew.

“No need to be formal with your uncle. I’ve prepared gifts for you, shall we go take a look together?”

“Yes!”

Instantly smitten with their uncle who looked just like their mother, the twins nodded enthusiastically.

***

That evening, after finishing the banquet in the court hall, Stella and Islay stepped out onto the castle wall.

In the late hour, with insects chirping and a cool breeze blowing, the couple finally had a rare quiet moment to themselves as they walked along the outdoor ramparts.

“You were really clever earlier, Estella.”

“Hm? When?”

“During the banquet. Remember when Martina asked how Mommy and Daddy met?”

“Ah, yes. Our Martina… always wants Daddy to answer those questions.”

Stella burst into laughter, and Islay shook his head.

“It’s not like I could say ‘Daddy kidnapped Mommy’… I still remember the silence that fell over the table as I struggled to come up with a decent answer.”

“It’s fine. The kids will learn the truth when they’re older.”

“Back then, you said we met by fate instead.”

Thanks to that, the children, who didn’t even know what ‘fate’ meant, latched onto the word and got distracted, allowing Islay to escape Martina’s ambush.

“Of course, that’s not a single lie.”

Walking a step ahead, Stella turned and looked up at him with a shy smile like a young girl.

“We’ve been bound by fate for a thousand years.”

“And now that we’ve broken free from the wheel of fate, we’ve returned to each other and are passionately in love again.”

With a smirk lifting one corner of his mouth, Islay grabbed Stella’s arm and pushed her against the wall. Just as their lips were about to meet, a guard patrolling the ramparts passed by, and they pressed their foreheads together, holding their breath. Soon, Stella giggled and slipped from his arms.

“The kids have already returned to the bedroom with the nanny. They must’ve been tired.”

“It was a long journey from the north, after all. You?”

At his gentle question, Stella quietly took his hand. “Now that I think about it… I feel like resting on a balcony with a nice view.”

“Isn’t there a perfect spot nearby? Secluded, hardly anyone goes there.”

“You remember.”

Of course he did. That beautiful place overlooking the nightscape was where he had deeply felt Stella’s love for him.

“Shall we go there again?”

“Of course, Estella.”

Smiling at each other, they quickened their pace to avoid the guards. Hand in hand, like lovers sneaking away for a secret rendezvous, soft laughter spilled from them.

When Islay finally swept Stella into his arms, her blooming laughter echoed along the castle wall. Like an echo, it reverberated far and wide, gently filling their world with joy.

Beneath a night sky filled with countless stars, it was—just as always—one of those everyday moments.

<The End>