Translator/editor: ruby
「How do humans get married?」
「What… Why are you asking about that all of a sudden?」
Shanti got up and brushed some dirt off his forehead. Was Aymon asking him, a leopard, about human marriage?
「I said, how do they get married?」
Shanti was still looking at him with a puzzled face. Incomprehensible behavior had always been Aymon’s thing, but he really couldn’t figure out what on earth was going on this time.
Have you really dragged me out here by my neck to ask that? How would I know? All I know about humans is that they’re weak.
The pine trees that extended into the sky stretched out endlessly into the vast forest. The wind blowing through it whistled.
Aymon stepped on a runaway leaf in front of him and asked again in annoyance.
「You’re in a relationship. With Halla.」
「Yeah. Sure am.」
「And you’re going to mate at some point.」
「We already did.」
Shanti answered all the questions Aymon threw at him, as usual.
「How did you do it?」
「Huh?」
Are you really asking me how to mate? No matter how close we are, that’s a pretty personal question…
No way, maybe he really doesn’t know how? Is our chief the most innocent beast in the forest?
Shanti wondered whether he should explain it to him seriously.
「You don’t know about marriage? Then how did you start dating?」
He came to his senses when Aymon nervously bared his fangs. It was a warning – if he gave one more confused reaction, he’d end up on the ground.
He’s like a gangster, trying to get his way with only strength. I really thought you didn’t know how to mate.
Shanti muttered complaints to himself.
「First, I confessed to Halla, and brought a pretty antler and picked strawberries for Halla’s mother becau– 」
Shanti didn’t get to finish the sentence. Aymon leaped up as if he had remembered something and disappeared like smoke.
「Because she liked them…」
He went on in vain, staring at the already empty spot where Aymon had been.
Soon after, when he was absolutely sure that Aymon was far gone, he hit the ground with his front paw.
「That idiot! Why ask if you’re not even going to listen to the answer? Is that all for the chief?」
Still, he didn’t forget to whisper very quietly, afraid that Aymon would hear him.
After reproach from both a sparrow and a leopard, Aymon ran off like the wind. He was heading to the palace to see Belinda’s father, that is, the Emperor.
Aymon switched to his human form once he arrived at the hunting grounds – if he hung around in his leopard form, he’d only draw attention and get distracted.
He strolled under the trees and the blazing sun in a good mood. The palace grounds were so big that he still couldn’t see a single person even after a long time.
He was used to visiting Belinda’s guest palace, so he couldn’t tell where the Emperor lived.
He spotted a servant passing by with a watering can and called him over.
“Hey!”
“Yes.”
The servant answered politely and turned around.
There tended to be two types of people walking around the palace: those who looked down on others and those who looked up to them.
The servant with a watering was the type who looked up, and the person speaking to him so naturally was undeniably one who looked down.
Although it was impossible to know the identity of everyone that entered and left the palace, it was clear that the man’s voice had a natural high-handedness to it.
“Where does the Emperor live?”
The servant, surprised by the words, lifted his shoulders.
How dare he ask where the “Emperor” lives?! No one in the Empire, no, no one on the continent, can speak about the Emperor informally! He is the most important person in the largest nation on the continent, the Athez Empire.
“How dare you, bastard!”
The servant raised his head in anger, trying to identify the face of the reckless man who should surely be imprisoned and caned.
However, when he saw Aymon’s black hair flowing in the wind and his calm purple eyes, he had no choice but to lie face down on the floor, astounded.
“I-I greet the majestic Shinsu!”
It was clear now. The superiority in those sparkling eyes was proof of him being a Shinsu.
Rumor had it that a Shinsu sometimes came and went through the palace to visit Prince Lart, whom he was acquainted with, but the servant never expected to bump into him like this.
It all happened because he was in his human form. If he wasn’t, no one would have opposed him speaking about the Emperor informally.
The servant even went as far as to call him a bastard. Would the Shinsu end up killing him?
He felt a rush of fear.
As for Aymon, he’d merely just asked where the Emperor was, and suddenly there was a frightened man on the ground in front of him.
“So…. Where does the Emperor live?”
He slowly asked, looking down at the servant.
However you put it, humans were strange beings.
“There, the highest spire… His Majesty is there….”
The servant responded, pointing in the direction with a trembling hand.
Aymon turned his head and smirked.
I’ve finally found it.
The Emperor’s palace was so far away that he couldn’t even see the flag on the spire. Aymon thanked the servant, still lying down, and set off.
The servant finally raised his head and stared at the Shinsu as he moved away. A gigantic black leopard was running towards the Emperor’s palace, steadily moving his strong muscles.
Soon he leaped up and followed Aymon with his eyes as if he was possessed. Before he knew it, the fear in his eyes had washed away, leaving only awe.
“Wow…. Really…. Woooow….”
After some admiration, he began to hurry away.
He was planning to brag about seeing a Shinsu today, and the black leopard at that, who was the leader of the group and just as large and beautiful as rumored.
This would have taken me all day if I walked in my human form.
Looking at the Emperor’s palace steadily approaching, he purred, satisfied.
For a human’s palace, it was almost the size of the Shinsu forest. Aymon was glad to have been born a leopard.
Passing behind a large tree, he changed back into a human. After running here on four feet, he set off towards the Emperor’s palace slowly and leisurely.
Servants all bowed to him as Aymon walked by proudly, receiving their greetings naturally. His arrogant expression and attitude were so natural that he looked like he’d lived in the palace his whole life.
At the perfect time, the Emperor’s palace was full of envoys from other kingdoms.
They were there to determine the amount of tribute paid to the Empire and its diplomatic relations for the next year, with delegations from the Empire, its allies, and other kingdoms. It was an annual event held in the Empire.
Around the fountain in front of the Emperor’s Hall, more than 40 delegates gathered around a small party table to converse. They could go in for a meeting with the Emperor, one by one, when their names were called, and then return.
They continued a polite conversation, bragging about their kingdoms while secretly keeping each other in check.
After being guided to the Emperor’s Hall by a servant, Aymon blended in easily. He’d never seen someone with black hair and purple eyes in the palace, a rarity in the Empire. Although Aymon’s distinctive hair and eyes would have made him instantly recognized as a Shinsu at the outskirts of the palace, this place was full of people of all kinds of appearance.
Everyone was flashy and varied – red hair, blue hair, brown eyes, green eyes, white skin, red skin. Therefore, the servant politely escorted Aymon to the party, assuming he was a delegate who’d got lost while walking in the palace.
Following the servant, Aymon soon arrived at the outdoor party around the fountain.
“I’ll step away, then. I hope you enjoy your visit.”
Aymon gave a brief nod to the servant and casually picked up a slice of cherry pie from the table.
Does he know who I am? Humans really are something else. Will I have to wait here every time I want to meet the Emperor?
However, he didn’t know human laws, so he decided to do what he was told – to wait nicely so he could meet the Emperor.
Either way, the Emperor was Belinda’s father, so he had no intention to ignore him or be violent. As much as Aymon lived life on his own terms, it was common sense to respect the father of someone whose heart he wanted to win.
“Delegates from the Kingdom of Oraphine, please wait here!”
The servant in the door shouted.
A woman who had been playing a harp in front of the fountain approached the hall with a pleased expression.
Aymon shot her a bitter look and picked up another slice of pie.
When will I be called? I don’t want to wait for long, but I can’t just break the door down and charge in.
He was lost in his wild thoughts, his pretty eyes on the ground.
Suddenly, a large shadow appeared next to him.
It was a big man, slightly shorter than Aymon, with rough back muscles and rock-hard forearms.
Aymon didn’t even turn his head.
“Hello. My name is Maharin, and I’m from Tarkan.”
A smiling man bumped against Aymon’s shoulder. Of course, he wasn’t pushed away by a single inch.
Aymon glanced down and quietly looked at the man. He unknowingly tilted his head down, feeling an instinctive threat from Aymon, but soon shook his head and stretched out his shoulders.
He was part of the Tarkan people, who loved hunting and were proud of their unique physique and strength. Therefore, Aymon’s size and energy had drawn him over.
The man who’d introduced himself as Maharin smiled again.
“I’ve never seen you before. Where are you from?”
It was common for delegates to meet each other and build friendships, so Maharin didn’t hesitate to ask Aymon his name.
Aymon recalled his introduction, “I’m Maharin Tishala from Tarkan,” and just came up with a similar answer.
“Aymon Arkin from the forest.”
It was true that he was from the Shinsu forest, though, of course, he omitted that he was a Shinsu and not a human.
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