My Husband was Switched - Chapter 26

“We must go inside immediately! Your Majesty, please understand that we need to leave first.”

“Let the Grand Duke go ahead. I need to have a word with my daughter.”

I was transferred from Dame Alita’s arms to Cedric’s. Only then did I slowly open my eyes and look at him.

“……Shh.”

I whispered softly, just loud enough for Cedric to hear.

“The panther is injured. It’s my fault, so please bring it to the inner garden. Otherwise, it will die.”

“……Seriously.”

“I’m sorry. I collapsed because it seemed like a difficult situation.”

Hehe.

I smiled brightly and shrugged my shoulders slightly.

Only then did Cedric’s face show a hint of relief. Still pretending to be unconscious, I let my hand dangle loosely and signaled with my eyes.

“Kaven.”

At Cedric’s call, Sir Kaven quickly approached.

“Bring the panther with the knights.”

“Understood. I will hide it in the garden.”

He quickly disappeared. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief and look back at Isabelle.

Just seeing Father’s back, I could tell how angry he was.

“But why did he come earlier than promised?”

“I called him. It seemed best to get rid of the troublesome guest quickly.”

“……Oh?”

Cedric and I were more in sync than I thought.

Maybe we could safely drive Isabelle and Father out of the Grand Duke’s residence.

❖ ❖ ❖

I quickly ran to the garden after checking the surroundings in the mansion.

Huff, huff.

Catching my breath with difficulty, I put my hands on my waist and looked up at the sky.

“Ha. I’m not as fit as I used to be.”

I had been feeling very tired lately. Although there were reasons to be tired, my body felt particularly sluggish. The urgent task was to check the panther’s condition.

Cedric decided to wait for Father and Isabelle. It would be suspicious if both of us were absent.

“Where are you, kitty?”

The large black panther was the cute friend that had pretended to graze before. I felt bad because it seemed to be injured because of me.

As I went deeper into the garden, I saw the panther wheezing.

To deceive others, I couldn’t heal it all at once. Anyone would find it strange.

So, I infused it with some healing energy and then used medical tools to bandage it for appearances.

“Are you okay?”

“Grrr.” (It hurts, it hurts a lot.)

“What did Isabelle do to you?”

“Grrr. Grrr.” (She hit me in the blink of an eye.)

“What?!”

Not only did she use force, but she also hit it?

Even though it was large, it was still a young panther. Tears welled up in its golden eyes, probably from emotional pain. I patted its back and comforted it.

“I had a bad feeling about her from the start.”

“……Zeno?”

He suddenly appeared. I sensed him in the forest earlier, but I didn’t expect him to come to the garden. Just seeing his face, I could tell how angry he was.

Zeno, with his long black hair flowing, clicked his tongue as he looked at the injured panther.

“I told you not to intervene.”

“What do you mean? Intervene?”

“That woman was stirring up the forest so much that the animals were scared. I was watching because I thought it would trouble you if I intervened…….”

Zeno plopped down next to me and propped his chin on his hand. His gaze at the panther was complicated.

“This guy intervened and became the target.”

“I see……. Are the other animals okay?”

“They’re safe inside the protective barrier for now. Master, did I do well?”

He leaned his face on my shoulder and rubbed against it. I stroked his hair and said.

“It’s good, but wouldn’t it be better not to be in human form at times like this?”

“Hmm. I don’t like that idea.”

“Why?”

“Because you like human men.”

Zeno really seemed loyal to me. Even though we hadn’t officially formed a contract, was it okay for him to cling to me like this?

What if I later decide not to form a contract……?

Zeno suddenly turned his head and stared at me. It felt awkward seeing his face after a long time. But a handsome face always lifted my spirits.

His bright yellow eyes shone vividly.

Then, he suddenly rested his face on my lap and blinked. With a pitiful expression, he said to me,

“You can’t not form a contract with me, right? I’m this cute and this handsome. Will you abandon me?”

“…….”

“Will you really send me to that strange woman?”

Zeno stood up with a gloomy expression. I wasn’t saying I wouldn’t form a contract; I just wasn’t sure yet.

“……Wait, can you read my thoughts?”

“I don’t know what you mean, Master.”

“……Wow.”

He can read them. He’s reading all my thoughts right now.

I opened my mouth in shock and moved a bit away from him. He might be more dangerous than I thought.

“Don’t avoid me.”

“I’ll think about it if you stop saying strange things.”

“Okay. I won’t do it if Master doesn’t like it.”

He sat down obediently, his eyes shining brightly.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess! Where are you? Please come quickly.”

Hearing the urgent voice of a maid calling for me, I stood up. Zeno lightly picked up the panther and smiled with his eyes.

“I’ll take it, Master. It seems mostly healed.”

“Are you sure?”

“If it’s okay to reveal your abilities, you can keep it.”

Zeno grumbled and turned around. Then he glanced back at me and said.

“If you don’t get rid of that woman soon, something bad will happen. Besides, the risk of being discovered is too high. She seems to be a perceptive woman.”

I nodded.

“She won’t leave unless she finds the divine beast……. Zeno, how far can you travel in a day? Can you make your presence felt?”

“I can manage that.”

“Then I’ll come up with a plan soon. Please take care of my animal friends.”

Zeno left a brief acknowledgment and disappeared into the forest. I gathered my medical tools and walked towards the garden entrance where Rien was waiting.

“Did you call for me?”

“Yes, you need to come quickly.”

I frowned. Seeing Rien’s anxious expression made me sigh.

I headed straight to the reception room where they were.

❖ ❖ ❖

Father had a displeased look on his face. Cedric was silently drinking tea with an indifferent expression.

What caught my attention was Isabelle’s smile.

‘Why is she smiling?’

A strange chill ran down my spine, filling me with unease. I greeted them with a calm expression and voice.

“I greet the Sun of the Empire. I didn’t expect you to come so soon.”

Glancing at Isabelle, I saw her sneering at my words. She probably thought I summoned Father.

If her plan with the panther had gone as she expected, Father’s visit wouldn’t have mattered.

But her plan had already fallen apart. So why was she still smiling? Cedric’s somewhat angry expression also bothered me.

“Claire Anne Rose. No, I should call you Claire Anne Monteroz now.”

“Precisely, it’s Grand Duchess Monteroz.”

Cedric immediately corrected Father. I spoke as I watched Father, who was about to lose his temper.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Have you lost your mind after becoming the Grand Duchess? How dare you humiliate Isabelle? Even if she’s a princess, she’s not the same rank as you!”

Bang.

The hand hitting the table made Cedric’s frown deepen. He trembled with rage, ready to stand up at any moment.

I sat next to Cedric and lightly held his hand.

Getting angry here would only fuel Father’s rage. That would negatively affect the North.

“Even though it’s clear that it’s not a divine beast, she tried to deceive me and you, Father. How could I just stand by and watch the deceit?”

I lowered my head with a pitiful expression. I had to make it clear that everything I did was for Father.

“Huh. You’ve become quite resolute after leaving the palace.”

Father’s voice was slightly calmer than before.

“……I’m sorry. But I couldn’t just watch you being deceived. Did Isabelle not see the divine beast?”

This was what I was curious about.

If Isabelle knew about Zeno, she would have caught a wolf instead of a panther to deceive me. That would have made more sense.

It seemed Isabelle only knew that the runaway divine beast was ‘black.’ She didn’t know what kind of animal the divine beast was, so she tried to deceive me with a panther.

Father’s expression subtly changed. It seemed I had hit the mark.