As he unbuttoned his cuffs, his expression subtly changed to a frown. His fingers brushed the area just below my shoulder, as if wiping something off. Was something on me? If so, it must have been Karial’s blood from when I helped her earlier. Or so I thought, but what appeared on his fingers was completely unexpected.

A yellow powder. At first glance it could be mistaken for pollen. But Zetak stared at the substance intently, as if something about it disturbed him.

“This is strange. It’s just powder, but… it feels strangely familiar.”

I took Zetak’s hand to have a closer look at the powder. Predominantly yellow, it had hints of blue mixed in, with occasional shimmering particles catching the light. I suddenly understood why this powder had attracted his attention.

“Dust from a butterfly.”

“Butterfly…? No, it doesn’t look like…”

Zetak murmured, doubt flickering in his eyes.

Zetak tilted his head slightly, his expression slightly puzzled. It seemed that my explanation hadn’t conveyed the intended meaning. I hadn’t meant the kind of butterflies found in gardens.

“I meant a butterfly monster. The powder must have come from its wings.”

Zetak had reacted instinctively to the scent of his own kind. There was no way a monster could exist in the Academy, so it must have come from Karial while I was helping her. Perhaps she had obtained the remains of a monster for experimentation, or perhaps she had acquired a live one through illegal trade. When I saw the powder, I thought of the Butterfly Man.

“They said this guy was a saint.”

He had said that once, absentmindedly touching his own face. At the time I’d thought he was just a talkative fool, rambling on while I lay dying. But looking back now, perhaps it was out of loneliness.

A monster that developed emotions would have been consumed by isolation in the demon realm, where no one could understand those feelings. His desire to make me his subordinate had probably been an attempt to nurture me until I too developed emotions. The Butterfly Man had stared at his hands before staring into the empty air.

“I don’t know what a saint is, but it must be something special. Sometimes my body glows.”

As he spoke, the butterfly man put his hand on my head. It was the movement of someone preparing to end things once and for all. His claws sank into my skull, piercing my brain. I remember the sensation vividly – it was deeply unpleasant.

“Every time I glowed, I prayed. That if I were to be reborn, I might live happily…”

He must have been unhappy when he was with me. His face was distorted, as if he had swallowed something bitter. It looked as if he was either angry or in mourning. Just before he pulled my brain out, he said something. I’m sure of it, though my memory is fuzzy because I was on the verge of death myself.

I don’t know how much time passed between my death and my reincarnation. Whether he’s still alive or not is a mystery. If his loneliness drove him to the human world, then this powder could indeed be from his wings. Of course, the Butterfly Monster wasn’t unique – there were others like him. But the colour of the powder was so distinctly like him.

There were many possible explanations. It could have died long ago and been taxidermied for Chimera’s experiments. Perhaps his wings had been harvested and sold piecemeal. He could have been working with Karial’s family on some kind of experiment, or worse, he could have been kept as a test subject.

It didn’t matter if it was this man’s dust or not. What mattered was that there was a butterfly in Karial’s castle. That in itself was a delightful discovery. I looked down at Zetak. 

His birthday present. I’d wondered what to get him, but now it seemed as if the decision had been made. When I go to Karial’s castle, I’ll look for wings. Butterfly wings are quite tasty, aren’t they? He’s never tasted a monster before, so it’ll be the first time he’s tasted one. Wouldn’t that make a very special birthday present? 

I imagined myself carefully cutting the wings and putting them in his mouth. The thought of him accepting them like a baby bird made my heart tingle. I also imagined him holding the wings in both hands, chewing happily, his cheeks puffed out. 

“Adorable thing.” 

Without realising it, I stroked Zetak’s head. 

“Ador… What are you thinking this time…?” 

Zetak looked at me with a grimace. Well, at his age he’d probably rather be called ‘cool’ than ‘cute’. But what could I do when no matter how I looked at him, the word ‘cool’ just didn’t come to mind? Instead, I tried to imagine his future self. Granted, he would be much taller and more masculine than me. So if you were to ask if he would be ‘cool’, well, that would be a bit of a grey area. The scars on his face weren’t the problem. It was just that his eyes already had the look of a madman.

“I don’t know why you’re calling me cute all of a sudden… but at least I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like a child.”

He grabbed my hand that had been stroking his head and pulled it down. Zetak looked at the dust on his hand and frowned slightly.

“If this powder belongs to a monster, it would be wise to be cautious in Karial’s castle. Considering that she invited you even after witnessing Your Highness’ powers, she might have something up her sleeve.”

I was already aware that there might be some kind of preparation. It was also possible that monsters were involved in those preparations.

“Don’t take it too seriously. It could just be leftovers from an experiment, nothing more.”

I said it to reassure him, but he didn’t seem entirely convinced. As I looked at the powder on his fingers, memories of the past came flooding back. Perhaps this is what nostalgia feels like – being lost in old memories. I pulled his fingers closer and put them in my mouth. I expected to taste something familiar from my former life, but instead I felt a dry, bitter sensation. Perhaps my taste had changed. As I pondered this, Zetak suddenly jerked his hand away, clearly startled and a little panicked, and stared at me in disbelief.

“Ah, damn it…! Why would you eat that? You just said it came from a monster’s body!”

“I thought it would taste good.”

“Taste good…? No, what kind of…?” 

Zetak stammered, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he grabbed my neck. It was I who found his reaction ridiculous.

“You are such a strange one. You feed me your monster essence, but you’re against me eating a little powder like this?”

“This has been proven to be harmless to the human body. It’s even written in books. You can take as much as you want. But this powder has no such documentation.”

“I feel like you’ve just subtly declared that you’re going to keep feeding me something.”

“That’s your imagination.”

Shameless.

“More importantly, spit it out right now. What if it’s poisonous?”

“Even if it is, it’s probably not too harmful.”

It is said that before the owner of his body died, the butterfly man covered him with his wings and laid him to rest. If the butterfly dust was poisonous, he wouldn’t have done that. Besides, just because he’s a monster doesn’t mean his body is full of deadly poison. At most, the dust might be slightly harmful to humans, but from the monster’s point of view, it wouldn’t even be considered poisonous.

The powder that stuck to the inside of my mouth was neither swallowed nor spat out, leaving only an uncomfortable feeling. It really seemed different from when I was a monster.

“It doesn’t matter how weak or strong the poison is. Spit it out immediately.”

“I’d like to, but it’s stuck and won’t come out. If I had some water to rinse it out…”

I trailed off. Was it really necessary to make him fetch water? Butterfly dust is quite tasty. I couldn’t say now that I was reincarnated as a human, but for monsters it was definitely a delicacy.

“Lick it off.”

“Pardon?”

In response, I simply stuck out my tongue slightly. Zetak froze, staring at me. 

“W-What… what do you want me to lick…? Pardon?” 

He stammered and took a step back, visibly flustered. I couldn’t say anything, my tongue still out, so I remained silent, giving him a look that simply said, It’s delicious. As I held his gaze, Zetak’s right hand moved to the back of his neck, and he let out a deep sigh. 

“Good. Delicious, you say… Damn, what kind of seduction is this?” 

“This could put an end to a thousand years of desire.”

He muttered under his breath, causing me to cluck my tongue. Seduction? I just wanted to share the taste with him. But then again, at his age, I suppose everything feels connected. 

When he still didn’t move to taste it, I couldn’t help but feel confused. 

“Are you really a monster? Butterfly dust should be quite appetising.” 

“It is… appetising. I’m really confused right now. I can’t tell if this is some kind of seduction or if you’re punishing me for mentioning the bet earlier.” 

“What nonsense you’re talking about. Why should I ever torment you? Just taste it and you’ll understand why I told you to try it.” 

“Yes, I’m sure it tastes good.”

Zetak murmured with a sigh. Despite his words, his expression was sour. Was it fear of the unknown? I pulled him closer and pressed my lips to his. 

He seemed startled and struggled, but I held the back of his head firmly, preventing any resistance. 

As I slid my tongue into his mouth, his tendrils greeted me. I rubbed the powder from my tongue onto them. Can tendrils even taste? The question came to me suddenly. I’d had sensual experiences with my g*nitals, but never with my tongue. I wondered if it was possible. Just as I was thinking this, his tendrils moved and rubbed roughly against my tongue. It seemed he *could* taste. 

The dry, powdery sensation that lingered in my mouth was completely transferred to his. It felt like it should be enough, but he adjusted the angle and pressed back into the kiss. As he pushed me down and climbed over me, it was clear he wasn’t going to stop there. 

Zetak bit my neck rather roughly, and my shoulders tightened reflexively in response.