My Husband was Switched - Chapter 12

I was so startled that I dropped my fork.

Didn’t I just hear something grinding?

The air in the room cooled. My conscience was pricked by his blue eyes, and I averted my gaze.

“Wife. I told you before.”

Cedric stood up and leaned towards me. Soon, his large hand grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

“When someone speaks, you should look the person in the eye.”

“Ah…”

I gulped dryly at the unwavering blue eyes.

“I thought it was a cute wolf…”

“A cute wolf?”

At his words, I clamped my mouth shut. It wasn’t cute. But when I first saw it, its whining was endearing. Though the words coming out of its mouth weren’t.

“I guess it wasn’t cute. It was just pitiful…”

“You’re strict with me but very lenient with others, it seems.”

“Pardon?”

Swoosh.

The hand holding my chin relaxed. The distance between us felt as wide as the physical gap now. An awkward atmosphere flowed, and my mouth went dry.

Creak—

Suddenly, someone entered the room. Turning my head to see who the savior breaking this icy tension was, I was dumbfounded.

Cedric’s face twisted even more as he stared at the door with a grimace.

Slowly turning my head, I saw Zeno stretching leisurely and sauntering over to me. Feathers were stuck all over his body.

Zeno brazenly came to my side, placed his chin on my knee, and closed his eyes.

“…Zeno?”

I awkwardly laughed, gently pushing him away.

Zeno slowly opened his eyes, looked up at me, and rubbed his face against my knee.

‘This is real.’

As I gently pushed Zeno away, he burrowed back into my lap.

“It seems he’s grown very attached.”

Cedric wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“I’ll have to try harder. It would be too sad if I’m worse than a wolf pup.”

He stood up and glanced at Zeno. The glimpse of killing intent in his blue eyes made me shiver.

“Woof.” (Yawn.)

Zeno didn’t seem to care.

“Your Highness…?”

Knock, knock, knock.

I felt like I was making quite a few saviors today.

The one who entered was none other than the butler. I looked at him with teary eyes, sparkling with relief.

‘I’m saved.’

The butler approached Cedric and spoke.

“Your Highness. An urgent matter has arisen.”

“Let’s go to the office.”

Cedric glanced at me briefly before fixing his gaze on Zeno. After delivering his message, the butler left the room first.

“Wife.”

Cedric’s voice had turned quite cold, and I blinked slowly.

“I have to go now due to an urgent matter.”

Cedric started to leave the room but stopped and turned back towards me. He nudged Zeno away with his foot.

“By the way, don’t you have a fur allergy, Wife?”

“Do I?”

“Yes, you do. So, keep your distance from the pitiful wolf pup from now on.”

Did I have an allergy?

I nodded at his firm words.

Seeing my bewildered expression, Cedric smiled faintly and kissed my forehead.

“Then, see you tonight. We have unfinished business to discuss.”

Whoosh.

My face heated up instantly.

“Grrr. Woof!” (Go away?!)

Zeno bit Cedric’s arm. Without flinching, Cedric grabbed Zeno by the scruff and pulled him off.

“Wild wolves are certainly fierce. I’ll keep him until he’s tamed.”

“Grrr.” (Let go? How dare a human grab a divine beast by the scruff?)

“It would be a disaster if he bit your delicate skin.”

“Oh… is that so?”

I nodded absentmindedly. Zeno widened his eyes, looking betrayed.

“Then, rest well.”

Cedric lifted Zeno and left the room, smiling.

❖ ❖ ❖

Cedric put a collar around Zeno’s neck and tied him up next to him.

“Woof!” (You ignorant human. How dare you tie me up.)

Zeno struggled to free himself, but it was useless. Unlike the soft Claire, Cedric didn’t budge.

Sitting in a chair, Cedric asked the butler,

“What’s the matter?”

The butler spoke as Zeno noisily struggled, getting a nudge from Cedric’s foot each time.

“We received a message from the imperial family.”

“A message?”

Cedric’s face twisted at the mention of the imperial family.

“They plan to visit the Grand Duke’s residence next week.”

“…Who gave them permission?”

The butler remained silent. There was no option but to comply.

“They have no right.”

“But Your Highness knows we have no choice.”

“…Just this once.”

His head throbbed.

He had led the war to victory and regained the North’s freedom. According to Claire, he had even acquired a divine beast.

Cedric turned to look at Zeno.

“Grrr.” (What are you looking at, you crazy human. You’re really treating me like a pet.)

Though he didn’t understand what Zeno was saying, he knew Zeno disliked him.

“There won’t be a second time.”

“Yes, understood. Shall I inform the Grand Duchess as well?”

“I suppose we should.”

She might want to see her father. Though he was an adversary to Cedric, he was still family to Claire.

“Are you alright with this?”

“…Don’t worry about it. You may leave.”

What wind blew that old man to the Grand Duke’s residence? Cedric’s head throbbed.

A letter would have sufficed for matters of the war.

‘It can’t be because of this guy, can it?’

He was concerned about the divine beast that had suddenly come into his possession. It wasn’t like the emperor to deliberately release it in the North. If the emperor came, he’d have to hide this creature.

Maybe it was for the best.

He could just drive it back into the forest. If it was a beast that knew gratitude, it would listen to Claire’s plea.

“Woof!” (If he hates it, it must be good for me.)

Zeno snorted at Cedric’s darkening expression, not knowing what he was thinking.

Separating him from Claire wouldn’t make a difference. If Cedric thought that would keep them apart, he was mistaken.

Cedric ran his hand through his hair, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the ceiling.

“Damn it.”

Nothing was going his way. The emperor was still scheming to control him. If he had married Isabelle, the emperor would have tightened the noose around his neck and bound his limbs.

Through Isabelle, the emperor would have monitored and controlled the North. Cedric thought he had escaped that by marrying Claire, but it seemed the emperor wasn’t done with him.

Despite obediently going to the battlefield, how long did the emperor plan to keep this up?

“Haa…”

Had he married Isabelle, his life would have been even more of a mess. Every move he made would have reached the emperor’s ears.

Unexpectedly marrying Claire had brought a refreshing change to his daily life. She was quirky and unpredictable.

When he noticed her secretly watching him during their visit to the imperial palace for their marriage, he thought she was interested in him. But asking for a divorce right after their wedding proved him wrong.

Cedric Monteroz.

He was an adopted son of the grand ducal family, not a legitimate heir. This led to his banishment to the frontier, and the emperor envied his exceptional power and skills.

The emperor had promised him Princess Isabelle if he achieved merit on the battlefield. Cedric knew it was a leash to control him.

So he sought to avoid marrying her.

Fortunately, Princess Isabelle didn’t seem to favor him either and suggested marrying Claire instead.

Cedric accepted. Claire was better than Isabelle. He felt he could connect with her.

‘She’s a woman whose thoughts I can’t read.’

One thing was certain: Claire seemed to be conscious of Isabelle’s existence. She probably thought Isabelle was his original intended bride.

Though the emperor was coming, Isabelle wouldn’t be accompanying him. So, there shouldn’t be any issues.

But why did he feel so uneasy? Something didn’t feel right.

Cedric turned his head towards the gaze he felt. Yellow eyes were staring at him.

The disdainful look in those eyes made his forehead wrinkle.

“This feels unpleasant.”

“Woof.” (If you’re not confident, leave it to me.)

Though he didn’t understand, it didn’t seem like a good comment.

His tail-wagging, wide-eyed, cute act in front of Claire was gone, replaced by a sullen expression.

“You’re annoying.”

Separating him from her was a good decision.

“Woof!” (Idiot.)

“…Should I start by training you not to bark?”

Cedric reached out towards the fluffy Zeno.

‘They say dogs become docile when touched.’

“Woof!” (Don’t touch me!)

But Cedric’s hand was bitten by Zeno’s sharp teeth.

“Wild wolves are indeed fierce.”

Despite his hand being bitten, Cedric’s voice remained calm.

At that moment, Zeno thought.

He had gotten himself into trouble with a madman.