Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: A Painless Death
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Sir Evan let out a hollow laugh in disbelief, but Nihil started mumbling again.
"Don't... like me."
"You told me to like you!"
What the hell was he supposed to do!
Truth be told, a reasonable suspicion crept in that the guy was just pretending to be drunk and messing around. He was unpredictable even sober, but drunk? Utterly unmanageable.
As Sir Evan vowed never to let booze anywhere near him again, Nihil suddenly burrowed into his arms and began mumbling once more.
"...Nya... ah... forget... "
"Haa... You're not a damn baby babbling."
"Not... a baby, you."
"You... You'll regret this when you sober up. I'll tease you forever. Whisper 'I like you' in your ear every single day."
"You don't... have to like me... Just don't... hate me."
"......"
Sir Evan cursed his own mouth at Nihil's words, which screamed rock-bottom self-esteem. He should've just let him babble quietly.
Where had that arrogant, cocky snow leopard gone? Only this pitiful mess remained! Act like usual, damn it—usual! Come at me like, "How could you not like me or resent me?!"
Alcohol was the enemy.
Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, Sir Evan pulled the baby kitten—who'd been staring fixedly at the snow leopard—into a group hug. He was already doomed, but maybe the cute, lovable, magnificent baby kitten could salvage this.
Lianus gently wiped Nihil's tears with his small hand, hugged him tight like a teddy bear, and kept whispering that he liked him. Thankfully, the baby kitten's healing worked; the tears gradually stopped.
"Fire... hate it."
"Yeah, yeah. You hate fire, huh."
Sir Evan patted Nihil's back and decided to just go along with the renewed babbling.
What about the baby kitten's perilous field trip now? Could he just scoop them up and head back to the palace like this?
As he wondered if the trip ending early might actually be a blessing, the owner arrived with food and whistled softly at Nihil's slightly slipped hood.
Sir Evan was already distraught, and the criminal scum teasing him made him seethe, so he ripped off a chunk of the table corner, tossed it onto the empty tray as payment, and growled.
The owner bolted at Sir Evan's brief killing intent. Lianus and Jane flinched nearby, but the drunk snow leopard seemed utterly unaffected and kept mumbling.
"Fire hurts... so much."
"Yeah. Getting burned hurts."
"Hate... pain."
"Right, our snow leopard hates pain~."
"So......"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Kill me... without pain."
...What?
Sir Evan's perfunctory patting stopped dead.
He thought he'd misheard, but Lianus and Jane whipped their heads around in shock, staring at Nihil. Dave, gauging Sir Evan's mood while sneaking chicken skewers, just tilted his head with a skewer in his mouth, apparently oblivious.
"What kind of drunken nonsense is this......"
"Without... pain......"
"H-Hold on, stop, stop it. Sorry. My bad. Why would I kill you!"
Sir Evan panicked and clamped Nihil's mouth shut. For the first time, he cursed the inventor of beer.
Unaware or uncaring of the puppy's turmoil, the snow leopard tilted his head.
"...Won't kill me?"
"No!"
"...Thanks."
"......"
With that, the snow leopard passed out. Sir Evan rubbed his dry eyes, suddenly wanting to cry himself.
Lianus, who had been staring intently at the sleeping Nihil, quietly spoke up.
"Big brother."
"Wh...? Yeah?"
"Did you threaten Nil when I wasn't around, by any chance?"
"Wha? No, no, no no, why, why would you think—think that?"
Sir Evan, flustered by the question, nearly slipped into formal speech before barely switching back. Speaking casually to his lord wasn't easy.
Sure, on the day they first met, he'd tried a light threat. With the prince right there, the guy was too insolent. But it hadn't even fazed him—he'd been the one played instead.
This guy would call a king "Father" without blinking, even if one sat before him. No way a knight—or a mere puppy—could threaten him effectively.
"You know he's not the type threats work on... Ah."
"True."
Lianus nodded, agreeing. His friend wouldn't buckle to threats, and Sir Evan saying "kill" was unlikely. At most, "Behave or you're out."
Lianus decided not to pry further. It was probably best left alone—for his sake and his friend's.
"Nil asleep?"
Dave, who'd been somewhat reassured knowing the bear-man was Nil and Shell's brother, asked while munching fries.
When Nil chugged beer, "big brother" appeared, and Nil started crying at "don't like you," he'd feared the worst. But big brother had tried surprisingly hard to soothe him.
Though his little brother Shell had ultimately succeeded.
Jane's face stayed stiff, but the chicken skewers were delicious.
Sir Evan eyed Dave—sauce-smeared face, fry in mouth—and grumbled reluctantly.
"Just a little tipsy. Don't worry. Order more if you want... but you good?"
"Huh? What?"
"...This guy's not restricting your meat for no reason."
"Ah......"
"If shit hits the fan, I wash my hands of it."
At Sir Evan's sharp words, Dave hesitantly set down his fries. But thinking it too late—or unable to resist—he snuck another bite.
Sir Evan slid a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes to Jane, who'd emptied the beer keg culprit and eaten nothing.
"You not eating?"
"I-I'm f-fine."
"Eat when you can. Don't suffer needlessly because of the snow leopard."
"I-It's my f-fault for s-suggesting it. A-And I kn-know these k-kids are d-doing this for the ch-children here. I w-want to h-help too."
"I see."
Sir Evan replied offhandedly, then happily fed Lianus some eggs while the boy fiddled with Nihil's hand. Lianus ate obediently but, bored, poked and prodded the sleeping Nihil.
Dave spoke to the uneasy-looking Lianus.
"Shell, Nil'll be fine."
"Yeah."
"But aren't you bullying him too much?"
"Wanna wake him... "
"But poking like that won't..."
"No... He'll wake."
Lianus pouted at Dave's words, lips pursed in sulk.
Sir Evan, prioritizing his lord, stretched Nihil's cheek to wake him.
As expected, no reaction.
The boys watching chimed in.
"Big bro's too harsh on Nil, isn't he?"
"Y-Yeah. D-don't b-bully a s-sleeping kid."
"......"
Sir Evan, now the bully to the sleeping kid, considered defending himself but quietly withdrew his hand. Disappointed by the unresponsive Nihil, Lianus pondered briefly before whispering softly.
"Ni-il, I'm bored......"
"Haha, Shell, calling so quietly won't wake hi—yeah, it will."
Dave quickly corrected as Nihil twitched. Sir Evan chuckled hollowly in disbelief. At this point, maybe he'd been faking sleep from the start.
"Nil!"
"...Yeah."
Nihil straightened up, dazed for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"Did I... fall asleep...?"
"Uh, yeah. Beer didn't agree with you, I guess."
"Al...cohol?"
"Just a few minutes. Five to ten...?"
"Sorry......"
"Wh-why are you sorry, Nil?"
"Didn't think... I'd get drunk."
Nihil seemed a bit confused, as if he'd assumed he couldn't get drunk. Lianus beamed, saying it was fine since he'd woken quickly.
Quietly watching, Jane handed Nihil a glass of water and spoke.
"N-Next time, b-be more c-careful."
"Haha, yeah. What confidence let that shrimp chug like that?"
Nihil gulped the water, sobering up, wiped his face casually, and asked flatly as if never drunk.
"Sorry. Misjudged my condition. Hope I didn't get rowdy?"
"Rowdy? Haha, you cried."
"...Cried?"
His face hardened at "cried." Never drunk before, he'd never imagined his ramblings involved tears—total confusion. Even a short memory blank.
Likely because his body wasn't fully recovered; no deep sleep. Wandering meant sleep when tired, no worries. But in the palace, adapting to new environs, plus childcare chaos, prevented real rest.
Nihil inwardly sighed at his frail body, hard to adjust to, but oblivious Dave snickered on.
"Yeah, you bawled in big bro's arms."
"......"
Nihil glanced up at Sir Evan. Feeling the weighty stare, Sir Evan pressed his head down with a thick finger.
"Don't worry, Nil. Just a tiny cry, then straight to sleep. Want some of this?"
Lianus swiftly moved the water glass and spooned eggs into Nihil's mouth.
Nihil ate obediently while scanning the group. No big change in Dave, but puppy unusually quiet, Jane stiff, Lianus obviously dodging the topic.
"I spouted nonsense, huh."
"Huh? What?"
"Never mind. Head hurt?"
"Why would it? I'm fine."
"Memory gap or such."
"Dunno what you're on about, Nil."
"Good. Must've been nothing much."
"...Nothing much?"
Lianus stiffened unconsciously before forcing a bright smile.
"Guess so. Mostly mumbles, couldn't hear well. Hungry, Nil? You barely ate."
"I'm good. Who ate all the snacks?"
"Dave ate 'em all!"
Lianus tattled promptly.
Dave, having devoured nearly everything during Nihil's brief drunk nap, now eyed him guiltily. Nihil pitied the sauce-smeared mess, sighed, and rummaged in Sir Evan's bag.
Sir Evan opened the bag wide for easy access, then lifted Nihil's hood with one hand, grabbed his face, and turned it this way and that.
"You okay?"
"Fine."
"Look it."
Sir Evan stared into Nihil's clear, focused eyes briefly before releasing. Back to the impassive, arrogant, cocky snow leopard.