Raise Me, So That I Can Eat You Up - Chapter 9

Having eaten his fill, Oscar’s eyes were heavy with sleep.

“Adi.”

He always pronounced my name correctly, but now he seemed half-asleep.

Oscar kept forcing his eyes open as they kept closing.

Maybe it’s because he’s still a baby. Perhaps because his head was heavy compared to his body, he couldn’t keep his head from drooping repeatedly.

‘How cute. He seems sleepy. I should put him to bed soon.’

I burst out laughing as he dropped his head and then startled awake.

“Oscar. Are you very sleepy?”

“No. I wanna play more with Ari.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.”

It was so cute how he spread out his maple-leaf-like hands while barely able to keep his eyes open.

“Then let’s play the sleep game. Come here.”

“……Sleep game?”

“We lie down on the bed. Whoever goes to Dreamland first wins. Sounds fun, right?”

“Yeah! Hehe……”

I picked up Oscar and patted him gently. Oscar grinned happily, barely able to open his eyes.

‘Where should I put him to sleep?’

It was unrealistic to prepare Oscar’s bedroom right away. If he fell from a tall bed in the guest room, that would be even worse.

‘I guess it’s better if we sleep together tonight.’

I looked over the bed and called Jenny.

“Jenny. The pillow seems too high for a baby. Could you get me a lower one?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Oscar. Shall we change into pajamas now?”

As I tried to change his clothes, Oscar had already fallen asleep, his body limp.

“How can you leave before we even start, you little cutie.”

He wouldn’t even notice if I carried him. For now, I folded a blanket to make a baby dragon pillow and laid him down.

“Oh my. He fell asleep so cutely. Shall I change him?”

“No, he just fell asleep. Let’s leave him like this for tonight.”

Still, I should make him comfortable.

I loosened the ribbon around his neck so his body wouldn’t be constricted, and unbuttoned his sleeves.

I finished preparing for bed and dismissed the maids. He had already kicked off the blanket. One leg was sticking out.

Finding it cute, I chuckled and pulled the blanket up to his neck, covering him well.

I got under the blanket, hugged Oscar close, and took a deep breath. He smelled of a fresh baby scent.

The pleasant sensation made my eyes close naturally.

Just then, the door burst open without a knock.

“You’re really something.”

It was Leon.

“Shh. He just fell asleep.”

I glared at Leon and put my index finger to my lips.

Regardless, Leon seemed displeased with my lack of wariness.

“So you’re going to sleep with a dragon?”

“He must have had a tough day. Wouldn’t it be sad if he woke up and no one was there?”

“You’re treating him like a master.”

“Yes, the master is sleeping. So, could you leave?”

When I ordered him out, Leon reacted sharply.

“I’m not leaving. Who knows what might happen while you’re sleeping. I’ll keep watch here, just so you know.”

“Your overactive imagination must make your life difficult.”

“Aren’t you the one who’s read too many fairy tales? Reality isn’t that beautiful.”

Leon sneered, narrowing his eyes.

“Why are you so scared? Look at him sleeping. He’s nothing but a child when you see him like this.”

“I’m saying this from actual experience. You haven’t seen a comrade being torn apart right in front of you.”

“Are you exaggerating to scare me?”

“Look, I brought this because I thought you might not believe me. Read it.”

Leon handed me a small booklet. It was titled ‘First Steps of a First-Class Knight’.

“What’s this?”

“If you’re going to raise him, you should know how terrifying he is. The folded part is about dragons.”

Giving in to Leon’s insistence, I opened the booklet. It was filled with tiny, dense writing.

<- Dragon (Danger level: Extremely Dangerous)

A very intelligent and dangerous creature. They are arrogant, proud, and independent.

Their exact lifespan is unknown, but they are estimated to live for hundreds of years or more.

Adults usually inhabit ‘Dragon Ravines’ and live alone in their nests. They possess very strong offensive capabilities, so do not provoke them carelessly.

Black dragons, in particular, are very temperamental and ferocious, so be cautious.>

It was shocking content. I stared blankly at the sleeping Oscar.

‘Is he dangerous?’

He looked utterly harmless as he slept. His soft breathing made him look like an angel.

As I remained silent for a while, Leon laughed awkwardly.

“Well, if he’s imprinted on you, he probably won’t harm you. But still, he’s a black dragon.”

Leon’s words weren’t wrong either.

Looking back, it was Oscar who repeatedly plunged me into disaster with his berserk endings.

‘Is he really dangerous?’

Maybe I’ve been too careless because of the imprinting.

As my thoughts reached this point, my mind became a bit complicated.

“Anyway, be careful. There’s no harm in being cautious.”

“Alright. I’ll be careful. But isn’t keeping watch a bit much? I can’t sleep because I’m worried about you.”

“Then let’s compromise. I’ll sleep on the sofa. I’m a light sleeper, so I’ll wake up right away if anything happens.”

“Fine. Here, cover yourself with this.”

I handed Leon a shawl. He wrapped himself with a disgruntled expression and curled up on the sofa.

“Scream immediately if anything seems off.”

“I got it, now go to sleep.”

As Oscar stirred, I looked down at him, startled.

Then he nuzzled into my arms with his cute face.

‘What was I thinking?’

Feeling concerned, I hugged Oscar tightly.

“Well, well. That’s quite a creature.”

Leon let out a hollow laugh. Regardless, I gently patted Oscar’s back.

“Our Oscar. Sweet dreams.”

Was it my imagination? Or was he having a good dream? Oscar’s lips curled up slightly.

***

Oscar stared intently at Ariella, who was sleeping face down.

She was in such a deep sleep that she wouldn’t notice even if someone carried her away.

He gently stroked her cheek with his fingertip.

Her cheek was soft and fluffy, just like a peach full of down.

“Ari.”

As he called her name, her long eyelashes fluttered as if responding.

The dawn air was chilly. Oscar smirked as he noticed the window was open.

A butterfly flew in through the window gap.

The butterfly, which had been circling the flower pot on the windowsill, changed direction and flew busily towards the bed.

Oscar, who had been resting his chin on his hand, slightly raised one hand.

As if it had been waiting, the butterfly landed on the tip of his hand.

“……How annoying.”

Pssst. A dim black light enveloped his finger, and the butterfly shattered without a trace.

Oscar gestured towards the window, and it closed by itself.

“Mmm.”

Ariella curled up and let out a groan.

“It’s okay. I’m right here.”

Oscar pulled the blanket up to her neck and snuggled into her arms as if nothing had happened.

***

“Where’s Ari?”

Oscar looked up sharply. Perhaps because Ariella, who was always by his side, wasn’t visible, he seemed somewhat irritated today.

“Oscar. I’m sorry, but you need to stay with us for a moment.”

Jenny broke out in a cold sweat under his persistent questioning. It was Jenny’s first time dealing with Oscar without Ariella.

Knowing Oscar’s picky nature well, she was anxious about making a mistake.

‘The young master is like a gentle lamb when he’s with the young miss, but he becomes sensitive like this when she’s not around.’

Whether it was just a feeling or not, it couldn’t hurt to be careful.

Ariella and Leon were currently meeting with a suitor.

Today’s suitor was Cain Osborne, the eldest son of a family with a large maritime trade business. It seemed they were dealing with him directly because he kept pursuing despite being rejected.

Ariella had entrusted Oscar to the maids.

The reason was simple. While some would quietly withdraw after being rejected, many would show an unsightly side.

In other words, it wasn’t a beautiful sight for a child to see.

“Are you hiding her?”

“That’s not it. She’s just meeting a guest for a moment. You know Young Master Leon, right?”

“Yeah. Pink jerk.”

“Ah, well, the pink part is correct…”

Jenny almost burst out laughing, but she pinched the bridge of her nose hard.

“Anyway, that young master is ve~ry strong, you know? Don’t worry because he’s with the young miss.”

“Oscar is stronger.”

Oscar pouted his lips, seemingly displeased at being left out.

“Of course. Oscar is stronger.”

“Pink jerk. Not needed.”

Laura, who had been watching Oscar grumble, chimed in.

“You know, the strongest person always appears last. So you have to wait until it’s your turn.”

Hearing this, Oscar fell silent as if it made sense.

“Oh, Laura, you’re quite good at this.”

It was an unexpected performance. Jenny gave Laura a thumbs-up with a proud face.

“Right? I have five younger siblings. I’m an expert at coaxing children.”

“Oh, Oscar!”

While the maids were chatting briefly, Oscar had slipped away at lightning speed.

‘Guest. Drawing room.’

Recalling the room locations and names Ariella had taught him.