“That makes sense. So?”

“So a powerful carnivore shapeshifter suddenly appeared. If she didn’t even know how to use pheromones before that, she might have completely fallen for that leopard b*stard’s tricks and given him her heart.”

It was a reasonable point. Herbivore shapeshifters often had their hearts easily captured the moment they faced overwhelmingly powerful predator shapeshifters. 

The Balboa who ascended to the throne never took a husband, whether due to political issues or because of the characteristic of having the most powerful pheromones. 

Instead, they kept multiple partners selected from various families.

However, not all Balboa were like that. Imperial family members who didn’t inherit the throne more often married like other ordinary shapeshifters. 

For Ivona, who’d grown up in an ordinary family not knowing her own identity, the meaning of giving her body would be especially significant.

What if that greenhorn leopard had monopolized the heart of the one and only Balboa? 

Just thinking about it made their blood boil and their insides churn. The air in the conference room filled with tension, like they’d had a precious treasure they’d carefully protected stolen from them.

“…That’s quite plausible, isn’t it? Linea, what is Ivona’s disposition?”

Linea smiled broadly and looked at the beasts leisurely. In truth, she didn’t care who occupied the place beside Ivona. As long as she was happy.

But watching these beasts—who’d be offended to rank second in pride—fidget restlessly was a rare sight she couldn’t see twice. 

Moreover, the reason was for the sake of precious Balboa’s feelings. Linea answered nonchalantly, feeling like she was pouring oil on a campfire.

“She’s very gentle and… affectionate.”

“I knew it!”

Before Linea’s words could even finish, Arabenya leaped onto the table and roared.

“He must have exploited her gentle heart to threaten her and steal her favor!”

Exploiting a gentle heart and threatening were distant concepts, but the excited wolf didn’t realize this.

“If that’s true, it’s as unforgivable as treason.”

Strength entered Orsenath’s thick arms like he’d strangle Calix’s neck immediately if he were present.

“Bring that greenhorn here at once.”

Caldeon turned to look at his aide and ordered in a solemn tone while suppressing his anger. Watching the conference room’s atmosphere grow turbulent, Linea suppressed the urge to clutch her belly and laugh.

“…”

Calix felt somewhat bewildered. Since handing over the unconscious Ivona to the imperial palace Sage, he hadn’t heard any news either. Every minute and second of waiting restlessly felt like his nerves were being sliced apart.

He received the summons literally one step before exploding. So Calix flew there without even thinking about who was calling or where it was.

But what awaited him wasn’t Ivona’s affectionate smile. The eight eyes that turned toward him were fierce enough to make even him flinch. However, Calix soon recognized who they were.

‘The Electors.’

If they were Electors, Calix would inevitably be an uncomfortable presence. He was the son of the puppet emperor they’d installed, after all. 

Now that the rightful owner of the throne had returned, the puppet emperor and his descendants had fallen to obstacles that needed to be removed.

Yet that obstacle that should be removed had saved Ivona and achieved merit. Naturally their calculations would become complicated. Thinking that far, Calix composed his expression and straightened his chest.

If it wasn’t Ivona, there was no shapeshifter in this imperial palace to whom he needed to bow. No matter what anyone said, didn’t he have the merit of finding the hidden last bloodline of Balboa? 

To stand proudly beside Ivona, he couldn’t bow easily.

A gleam of interest appeared in Caldeon’s eyes watching such a Calix.

“Unlike his cowardly father, this one seems to have useful spirit.”

At Caldeon’s rather generous assessment, Arabenya glared resentfully. But he couldn’t stand up to an Elector with more age and experience. So he redirected his arrow toward Calix.

“Are you that Leopard of Lihillant?”

Calix’s brow furrowed faintly at the young man who approached provocatively with his chin raised. Though he didn’t know the other’s family or identity exactly, hostile pheromones stabbed his skin.

“And you? Isn’t it proper manners to give your own name first when asking someone else’s?”

Calix answered calmly without shrinking back. Seeing this, Palmellano also exclaimed softly and leaned back.

“I thought he was a b*stard who took advantage of opportunities despicably since he lived as a hostage so long. But he has considerable spirit.”

“Didn’t I say so?”

A satisfied smile deepened at the corners of Caldeon’s mouth as he chimed in. Though they were lowering their voices to whisper in their own way, he could hear clearly. 

Calix’s expression became strange at the story whose context he couldn’t understand at all. And Arabenya, who knew the circumstances, was truly twisted up inside by this situation.

“Grrr! Even if that’s true, we can’t forgive the crime of taking our Majesty’s first favor without permission! The coronation hasn’t even been held yet!”

Though he cried out, Caldeon merely pointed out with a cold face.

“Didn’t the precious one experience a pheromone rampage because of that Castillia b*stard’s trickery? Since it was a measure to save her, I have no complaints.”

Unlike Caldeon who showed both hands, Orsenath was more cautious.

“We’ll have to hear more of the story to know that. Hey leopard, you said so yourself before. That you’d met Ivona even before she was in danger.”

“…That’s correct.”

The voice resembling the deep sea was calm but somehow thick with interrogation. Calix was bewildered and displeased about why he had to endure such questioning. 

But since he’d done nothing wrong, he straightened his back even more. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help his insides churning at this atmosphere of publicly discussing topics like favors.

“What exactly happened?”

Calix swallowed dry saliva without realizing it. What happened?

The moment he heard the question, memory instantly transported Calix to the cold air of early winter night. 

The white shadow that had floated up like a moonlight fairy in the corner of the dark, secluded training ground. And the body scent that had cut through the sweetly cold air… and that lovely voice.

‘There’s no way I can tell them that.’

By what right were they asking such things? For the lady’s intimate privacy and honor, and for the memory that belonged only to the two of them, he absolutely couldn’t tell.

Moreover, he couldn’t answer immediately because he was suppressing the heat that suddenly surged up. The more he delayed, the more vicious the beasts’ glares became. Calix cleared his throat and answered carefully.

“…Ivona was in a difficult situation, and I happened to encounter her and helped her escape that situation.”

“What difficulty?”

Thinking that Arabenya, who pounced at every opening, was quite irritating, Calix cut him off flatly.

“That’s content I cannot dare speak of outside for the honor of that noble person.”

“Hmm…”

At the mention of Ivona’s honor, Arabenya’s momentum deflated somewhat. However, Orsenath didn’t miss the weak point.

“Then, are you saying Ivona had no choice but to borrow your strength because of the difficult situation, and there was no other exchange before that?”

“That… would be right?”

Honestly, Calix couldn’t be certain what meaning that incident from childhood had for Ivona. Young Calix had ultimately failed to protect Ivona, and in the end, Ivona had been locked in the tower.

“Then, even what happened when you went to suppress Castillia was only to resolve the pheromone rampage, and you’re not a special existence to her?”

“…That’s.”

That was a question Calix couldn’t answer. He’d heard nothing from Ivona’s mouth, after all. 

His golden eyes shook slightly but definitely with disturbance. The more he heard the questions, the more his existence felt insignificant and like nothing.

Thinking back, Ivona had never once shown him her inner thoughts. He also hadn’t confessed his heart and begged to stay by her side. He’d been so absorbed in the thought of saving her that he hadn’t said the most important words. 

He’d been so delighted to hold her and press flesh against flesh that he’d forgotten the most important thing. It was behavior like the world’s biggest fool, but it was too late for regret.

The longer the silence, the more Calix’s straight shoulders drooped subtly. And his dejection was soon the joy of the beasts before him. Arabenya’s voice, unable to hide his delight, bounced up.

“Indeed, for one who will ascend to the throne, one male by her side isn’t enough.”

At the unexpected story, Calix’s golden eyes sharply lifted. But the Electors who’d gained certainty quickly moved into action. As each sought their own aides, Caldeon’s voice rang out clearly.

“Contact the main house immediately. Have them select the strongest and most beautiful males among the young ones.”

It was content he couldn’t have imagined. But the instructions the other Electors gave competitively weren’t much different. Calix ground his teeth in fury.

“Do you plan to shove beasts before her without even asking Ivona’s wishes!”

Because the Marquis had treated her harshly, Ivona flinched and reacted sensitively at the mere presence of beasts. 

What would happen if they drove unfamiliar beasts before her in a herd?

He hadn’t run around without sleeping to save her for her to receive this kind of treatment. 

He’d had no choice but to receive the Electors’ help to have her rightful status recognized. But for it to result in this!

In contrast to the enraged Calix, the Electors’ expressions were leisurely like it was nothing. Caldeon, who’d already sent attendants to his family, asked leisurely.

“If you haven’t monopolized Ivona’s heart, what’s the problem with showing her better males?”

“Because of Marquis Castillia, Ivona is wary of beasts!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll present them with pheromones well-controlled so she won’t be frightened. Well, before Balboa, even the most vicious beast will become docile like a pet dog, so it’s a useless worry anyway.”

The voice that interjected, full of languid yet dangerous energy, was Palmellano. Orsenath, who’d been keeping silent, suddenly chimed in.

“You say she’s wary of beasts, but didn’t she allow you by her side? Isn’t that entirely up to her wishes?”

It was perfect logic with no room for rebuttal. Calix, who’d been grinding his teeth, shouted.

“Let me see Ivona!”

The experienced lion wasn’t shaken even by the excited tone heated with fever. A leisurely yet firm voice cut through the air with ease.

“We’ll let you see her. But only after we present the candidates we’ve selected.”

“What?!”

He couldn’t listen quietly any longer. Calix jumped up from his seat, planning to achieve his goal even by force. But Arabenya’s young wolf agilely blocked his way.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He was already an irritating b*stard. Calix raised his arm to shove aside the silver-haired man. But his raised arm was caught by Orsenath.

“Once is enough for cutting in line, isn’t it?”

“Indeed, you’ve already scored points by saving her, so opportunities should be given fairly, shouldn’t they?”

Caldeon and Palmellano, who were among the older Electors, each added a word teasingly. At the sounds they exchanged like they were provoking him, Calix exploded.

“What!”

Even if he was mocked as a greenhorn, his voice inevitably rose. What predator could remain calm when told other males would be shoved before his mate? 

But even the two family heads who’d been hanging back joined in and pounced. 

Only the strongest shapeshifter from each family could inherit the position of family head. No matter how exceptional Calix was, facing four family heads alone was beyond his ability.

“Don’t take it too personally, young friend.”

Palmellano tapped his cheek with an expression like he was dying of amusement. 

Calix, bound unable to move, opened his mouth to protest, but Arabenya quickly shoved in a gag. No matter how hard he struggled, it was just futile thrashing while unable to budge.