So people have a way of doing exactly what they’re told not to do—only to end up suffering the consequences.
Elodie was one of those people.
Everyone had warned her not to go, but she had still entered the secluded palace and t the bedridden Third Prince.
A slight pang of guilt settled in her chest.
But she had gone because she was sure she wouldn’t die...
Elodie recalled the terrifying mont when she had nearly been struck down by a marble angel.
Was that why Karon was so sensitive to intruders?
‘Could that be why... he later ca to see in his snake form?’
Was he checking to see if she was dead or alive?
Her conscience pricked at her even more.
“Of course, it’s not wrong to fear disease. If it’s fatal, who wouldn’t be afraid?”
Howlf spoke bitterly as he continued.
“But even so, because of those fears, the Third Prince must have suffered countless wounds.”
So, in short, he was saying that his emotional scars ran so deep that if she approached recklessly, it would only lead to disaster.
‘His mind is the bigger problem than his body, then?’
Elodie understood.
In the end, she had no clear way to heal him right now.
His condition was severe. Unlike the injuries she had treated before, he wouldn’t recover instantly.
And mastering detoxification abilities still seed like a distant goal.
That ant she needed his cooperation—so that she could continue approaching him freely.
‘Force won’t work here.’
He had to open his heart before he would willingly accept treatnt.
Nothing—not even a single blade of grass—could survive near that child nad Karon.
Who had he ever ford a lasting bond with?
‘I might not have lived a normal human life either, but at least I had Sera and the house mice.’
Even if he occasionally wandered outside when his condition improved, what did that really an?
It was nothing more than stepping outside for a breath of fresh air.
And it wasn’t as though he made an effort to interact with others.
He had completely rejected even Edmund’s concern.
‘Actually, the closer he gets to them, the more painful it must be.’
Because he was a Basilisk.
Even thinking back to what had just happened—as soon as it was revealed that Packer was a spy planted by the Basilisks, Karon had imdiately fled.
He would never be able to feel at ease in this place.
Whether he was a spy or not.
Simply being born with Basilisk blood—from a family infamous for its cris—was enough to condemn him.
Even if he wasn’t a spy, could he ever fully lower his guard and embrace Valkyrisen as his ho?
Could he open his heart and accept them as his family?
‘I doubt it.’
Even Elodie didn’t think she could do that.
How could he possibly trust that the Basilisks wouldn’t ruin everything one day?
Just look at what happened with Packer.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
‘And Packer ca to Valkyrisen five years ago—the sa year Karon was adopted.’
That was enough to make anyone suspect him.
Which ant he must have already accepted the fact that he would always be under suspicion.
That was why he kept pushing everyone away.
‘False hope is more painful than despair.’
Elodie had spent her life thinking she was a re mouse, never realizing how wretched her situation [N O V E L I G H T] was.
Because for a mouse, that was simply normal.
But then she had t Sera—and she had finally understood just how cruel the world had been to her.
Because of Sera, she had learned what it ant to live like a human.
A simple mouse like her, and yet Sera had treated her with warmth and kindness, showing her what a human life should be.
But when she learned that she was actually beastfolk,
She despaired.
Because once she woke up from that brief dream, she wouldn’t be able to survive returning to her reality.
She had thought...
That if she was going to die, she would rather die while dreaming.
Of course, later, she had realized it wasn’t a dream—and she had felt relieved.
‘Does Karon feel like Valkyrisen is just a dream?’
A beautiful hell—so sweet that once he woke up, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
‘If I approach carelessly, I’ll only end up hurting him.’
Elodie decided to step back.
At least until she gained an ability that could truly help him.
***
So, does that an I need to find soone with a wounded heart first...?
Easier said than done.
She couldn’t just recklessly test her abilities on soone suffering from psychological wounds.
What if she ssed up while trying to help?
Just imagining it was horrifying.
‘Even in Dad’s books, it said the mind must be treated more delicately than the body.’
That was why it advised mastering external wound treatnt first before attempting anything else.
‘But I’ve already perfected external treatnt.’
Elodie was mulling over these thoughts when, of all people, she ran into Sir Leopard-Trash in the hallway.
Smack—!
To be precise, she witnessed him getting slapped.
“Break up with .”
“Princess, wait a mon—”
“Get lost. Don’t ever call again.”
Elodie watched as the lion beastfolk stord away, fuming.
‘No, Trash Sir, you didn’t even call her properly in the first place.’
He hadn’t even used her na—just vaguely called her ‘Princess.’
Honestly, she wasn’t even surprised.
“How many does that make? Nine now?”
Elodie recalled that his girlfriend count had once reached ten, an absolutely ridiculous number, and walked over to ask.
“They’ll co back to . They always do. There’s no one else like for the princesses.”
Sir Leopard-Trash replied with a pathetic, wistful look in his eyes.
“...Why would they?”
“Because I am the Alpha Male of the most prestigious lion family.”
Elodie instantly regretted talking to him and brushed off her ears, feeling like they were rotting from his words.
If this was what the highest-ranking Alpha looked like, then from now on, she was officially boycotting all Alphas.
Without hesitation, she turned and walked away, but of course, Trash-Knight leisurely followed behind her.
“Where are you going so dangerously all alone?”
It had been peaceful and safe until she ran into him.
‘Now, I just feel irritated.’
Elodie gave him a death glare.
How could soone who looked so normal be this much of a ss?
Even after getting slapped, he still hadn’t co to his senses.
Truly, so people were beyond saving.
‘Wait a second.’
...Or could he be salvaged?
‘Can he be fixed...? Let’s find out.’
Elodie abruptly stopped in her tracks.
Then, she turned around with a mischievous grin.
‘I have the perfect test subject right here.’
Even if fixing Leopard’s brain ended in failure, well... he couldn’t get any worse than he already was.
“Baby Lord? Why are you looking at like that?”
“Oh, nothing. More importantly, co closer.”
“...Why do your eyes look like that?”
This was kind of scary.
He instinctively took a step back, as if suddenly realizing how closely he’d been following her.
“What, are you scared? The great Alpha is scared of a tiny harvest mouse?”
Elodie smiled sweetly, as if to reassure him.
“I promise I won’t do anything.”
She just wanted to... make a few adjustnts.
Huh? What kind of adjustnts?
Oh, nothing much. Just lower your head a bit for .
“I won’t turn you into a complete idiot.”
And with that, the so-called Alpha Male bolted.
Without looking back.
‘Wow. He’s fast.’
***
Elodie’s attempt at fixing Leopard’s chronic womanizing had ended in complete failure.
When Inferno heard about it, he comnted:
[Even the Ratson ancestors wouldn’t be able to fix that. It’s a terminal illness.]
Was he serious?
‘No wonder I couldn’t find any books on the subject.’
Realizing how utterly pointless her efforts had been, Elodie firmly decided never to interact with Sir Leopard-Trash again.
But whatever. That wasn’t her problem.
“None of these detoxification books will open at all.”
Elodie sighed, struggling with the book “Hey, You Can Detox Too!”.
No matter how hard she pushed, pulled, and pried, it refused to budge.
All she got for her efforts was exhaustion.
Hngh, you said I could do it too...
Even just looking at the book title pissed her off.
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