Chapter 6
How much time had passed. In the place where the light had faded only a small silver-haired girl remained battered and bruised.
And when Leo confirmed that a horrified voice burst from his lips.
“…Shameless.”
The look in his eyes as he stared at Heinrich was not how one would look at the heir of Hirupus no matter how favorably you tried to see it.
It was simply the look one gives a wolf cub.
“It is not like that.”
Heinrich, unlike his usual self, started to stammer flustered. Normally he would have brazenly said ‘So what’. But for some reason he could not say it this time.
“She is small. And young. She is not even half your size, young master.”
“I didn’t know. I just brought her.”
“Yeees, our young master is certainly capable of that. He is so indifferent and self-absorbed.”
Heinrich could not look Leo straight in the eye as Leo sharply criticized him.
He had not done anything wrong. Yet he could not shake the feeling that he had committed some terrible mistake.
Soon Heinrich regained his composure and growled at Leo to move aside. But Leo showing no intention of obeying bared his teeth protectively in front of the small child.
“Do not come any closer. Get out.”
“Are you aware that this is my room?”
“Hirpus has many rooms, doesn’t it? Since when did someone who can manage fine wherever he is thrown make a fuss about a room. Or I can go to another room.”
“Where do you think you are going?”
At Heinrich’s words Leo burst out laughing as if incredulous.
“Are you not going to treat her?”
Only then did Heinrich come to his senses and nod. Right now that little girl needed treatment and rest.
Heinrich pushed aside Leo who was sitting on the edge of the bed. He then cradled the small child in his arms and nodded.
“Let us go to the room next door.”
Watching Heinrich speak so casually as if asking what’s for lunch today Leo asked dejectedly as if he had given up.
“Do you even know what the ‘room next door’ signifies?”
For the Hirpus wolves the room next door was a space for their companion. And yet he was putting someone in there. Someone whose status he did not know and whose origin as a beastkin was unknown.
Moreover there was no way Heinrich the heir would not know the meaning of that room. But Heinrich merely shrugged and nonchalantly walked to the room next door.
“I am putting this child in the room next door. Do I need your permission for what I do?”
Leo suppressed his surging anger and replied with a smile.
“Orders are orders. Isn’t that right?”
“You know well.”
As Heinrich wished the room next door was quickly prepared. Leo began to continue the treatment there. Watching Heinrich sit quietly at a distance so as not to disturb the treatment Leo let out a dry laugh.
To think that Hirpus’s little wolf who had lived his whole life knowing only himself would be so flustered over a mere rabbit.
“Who would believe that? I saw it with my own eyes and I still cannot believe it.”
It was then that Leo’s nodding motion stopped.
‘Could it be…?’
He calmed himself and looked at Heinrich’s expression again. It was undeniably certain.
“Oh dear. Oh gods.”
A sigh escaped the lips of Leo who did not believe in gods. His reaction was perhaps understandable.
Wolves usually try to find their companion and keep them by their side before they turn five. They live with them from a young age. They spend their entire lives together. And when their companion dies they follow them in death.
Unlike such ordinary wolves Heinrich had not found a companion even by the age of fifteen. Nor did he possess any of the wolf’s so-called possessive instincts.
A companion. Why would I need something like that?
…I hope you suffer greatly because of your companion.
His parents had even gone as far as to tell him this.
And what had Heinrich replied upon hearing that.
If my companion is like that I would be better off replacing them.
And then he added words that thoroughly upset his parents.
Even without a companion I will not neglect my duties as heir so do not worry. This applies to leading the family or having children.
He had said that just four days ago. And Leo who had witnessed it all found this situation quite amusing.
He sat on the bed. He carefully touched the little girl afraid she might wake. Anyone could see he was treating her like a companion.
“I really thought he would go his whole life alone never knowing what a companion was…”
“What?”
Heinrich’s attention was completely on the silver-haired girl. He had not quite heard Leo so he asked again.
At that moment Heinrich’s door burst open with a loud noise. It was his parents. Heinrich had left them behind in Repus.
Heinrich looked at the open door and greeted them nonchalantly.
“Oh you are here.”
“We are here? Our son has finally lost his mind it seems.”
“Sophie, please just calm down for a moment…”
“Calm down you say? You actually think I can calm down, do you , Head of Hirpus?”
The woman glaring sharply at her companion was Sophia. She was the lady of Hirpus and Heinrich’s mother. And the man trying desperately to calm her was none other than his father Eremus.
Heinrich just stared at his parents. Sensing his gaze Sophia and Eremus stopped talking and looked their son in the eye.
Once it was quiet Heinrich nodded and spoke to them. His words were truly infuriating.
“If you are finished saying what you came to say you can leave now.”
“After everything you have done you are telling me to leave?”
Despite Heinrich’s calm tone Sophia’s eyes flashed with a cold anger.
Eremus sensed the situation was bad. He pulled Sophia back and then questioned Heinrich.
“Heinrich. Why did you bring that child.”
“She kept squeaking asking for help. It got on my nerves so I brought her.”
“And why is she in this room? If she needs a room I will have one prepared separately. So first get her out of here.”
Sophia frowned and gestured to the servants visible through the open doorway. But Heinrich bared his teeth at them. He sternly warned them not to lay a single finger on the girl.
Eremus saw this and dismissed the servants. Then he asked Heinrich.
“Is that child your companion?”
“Of course not. How could she be?”
“You are not an idiot. You know what this room means. So why on earth is she in here! It is not like we are short on rooms.”
Perhaps sensing that raising her voice was pointless Sophia asked in a calmer tone.
And seeing that Heinrich just casually voiced his thoughts.
“For now I just want that little one to be by my side every day.”
He said that and then pushed the stunned Sophia and Eremus out of the room. He locked the door firmly. The expelled Sophia and Eremus finally let out the breaths they had been holding.
Because they knew exactly what Heinrich’s words meant.
“Oh dear. What are we going to do with that fool?”
Unaware of his parents’ lament, Heinrich smiled with satisfaction in the quiet space. He approached the bed. The girl was still asleep there.
“Come on, wake up. You said you wanted to live, didn’t you?”
He hooked a strand of her long unkempt hair around his finger. He twirled it and hummed a little tune.
“Her hair color is fascinating. And her eyes too. How can there be a child like this.”
“Hooo.”
The girl seemed to like the warm and cozy blanket. She let out a long breath and fidgeted. Heinrich worried she might get cold if the blanket slipped. He pulled it up and tucked her in securely.
“What should I do for her when she wakes up. What do kids her age even play with.”
Heinrich made various plans. But the girl did not wake up for a long time. Even when Leo told him to rest a little, Heinrich did not leave her side.
Three days passed with his awkward nursing.
* * *
Solitaria was basking in the warm sunlight and the soft blanket. Just as she stirred a strange voice reached her.
“Mmmh…”
“You…!”
It had been a while since she last woke up so her vision was blurry. Solitaria slowly blinked her eyes open and shut again and again.
“Hold on. Just wait a second.”
Heinrich snapped to his senses first. He quickly rushed out the door. After some time the door burst open again with a loud clatter.
What was different from when he left was that he now held something in his hand.
