Kylian Tears Apart the Letter—Blanc's Secret Is Exposed!
The air that had been buzzing with excitement moments ago shattered into a million pieces because of a single envelope clutched in Kailian's hands.
Kailian stood by the window, her fingers trembling as she held the letter. The killing intent she radiated made the servants waiting nearby faint dead away.
What on earth was written in it to make her like this?
I sat on the floor, thumping my tail against the ground while keeping a wary eye on the scene.
She's scary sometimes, but I've never seen her lose her mind over a single letter like this.
Curious, I carefully rose to my feet.
I padded silently on my foot jelly, tiptoeing closer to Kailian without making a sound.
Then I grabbed her clothes and climbed up her back, reaching the top where I stuck on like a cicada.
“......”
Kailian showed no reaction even as my heavy weight pressed against her back. She must be hit with a massive shock.
I leaned my head over her shoulder to take a peek for myself.
My fluffy white fur face pressed right against her chin.
[The great Eastern Empire, Cheongun, sends its respects to the Protector God of the Empire.]
[Our empire has the noble incarnation of the Heavenly Haetae, who carries the will of the heavens.]
[If our Divine White Tiger and the Haetae from legend form a bond, it shall become the prosperity of the continent.]
[For the unity and prosperity of both nations, we hereby propose a marriage alliance.]
The writing looked like elegant brushstrokes on the letter, and my eyes widened.
Cheongun Empire?
I'd never heard of it before.
[Our empire possesses the sacred incarnation of the noble Haetae who inherited the will of the heavens.]
[If our Divine White Tiger and the Haetae from legend form a bond, it shall become the prosperity of the continent.]
[For the unity and prosperity of both nations, we hereby propose a marriage alliance.]
Marriage...?
My eyes went even wider.
Wait, I'm just a baby White Tiger who barely learned how to eat, and now they're proposing I get married? Especially to a Haetae... wasn't that Korean food?
Is there kimchi there too?
My curiosity skyrocketed.
I knew there was an Eastern country in this world, but a Haetae... what would it even look like?
I wanted to see the Haetae beastman up close. Honestly, I really wanted to meet it.
“Kyaa.”
If I could, I wanted to try Eastern food too. Like bulgogi and galbi-jjim... kyaa.
Saliva drooled from the corner of my mouth.
My eyes sparkled with excitement and my head tilted.
Whether it's marriage or not, my curiosity toward the Eastern country burned even hotter. Could I finally eat Korean food again?
Suddenly my spine chilled and sweat broke out on my foot jelly.
Whoosh.
Kailian snatched me up and pressed my forehead against hers.
Her eyes were already bloodshot, rationality completely lost.
“Blanc... are you... enjoying this? Curious? Do you want to go?”
Her voice dropped low.
“Kyaa, kyaaw...”
That's not it... I'm curious, period.
Before I could even protest, Kailian's two hands covered my entire face.
Stretched wide.
“Kyaaaaaaa!”
Ouch! My cheeks are gonna stretch! Hey!
She grabbed my round cheeks like plucking tteok and forced me to look at her.
In her eyes, deep anxiety and frenzied obsession twisted together.
“No. You can't go. I absolutely won't allow it.”
She whispered right in my face, hypnotizing me.
“Whether it's the Eastern Empire or whatever, you're mine. My Blanc. I eat with you, sleep with you, play with you.”
“Kyaa...”
My eyes are spinning. What do I do?
If left like this, Kailian would storm off to the Eastern Empire and start a war.
This called for drastic measures.
I held back the ache in my stretched cheeks and quickly lifted my front paw.
Slap.
“......?”
My thick, soft front paw covered her two eyes with a huge slap.
My soft foot jelly shielded her flashing eyes of obsession.
“Kyaa.”
Let your butler touch it?
I kept my front paw over her eyes and pressed my forehead against hers with a soft thump.
The warm, soft feeling of foot jelly, mixed with that faint, comforting scent from the paw pads.
“Haa...”
Kailian's breathing turned rough. After a moment of hesitation, it quickened.
“Kyaa, kyaaw?”
Butlers are fine, right?
“Haa... Blanc...”
She didn't move my paw and instead overlapped her hands to hold mine tighter. Then she buried her face in my foot jelly and breathed in deeply.
“Yeah... you're right here...”
“Kyaa.”
Yeah, where would I go? Leaving the butlers behind.
I acted as her “blindfold” until she finally calmed down.
After a while, Kailian lowered me.
The way she stared at my foot jelly even after that was a little eerie. I couldn't let Kailian turn into a Lina.
Kailian gripped the crumpled letter tightly and headed to the Emperor's office with me in her arms.
The knights guarding the office door quickly bowed and opened the door.
“Father! What is the meaning of this?!”
“...So you know why we're here.”
“That crazy letter from the East, did Father already know about it?”
Kailian carefully placed the letter on Emperor Carchion's desk. He looked at the wrinkled paper and let out a wry smile.
“Yes. It says it's a letter from the Cheongun Empire. I received it this morning as well.”
“If you received it, you should have torn it up immediately! Proposing a marriage alliance to our Blanc! And it's even a beast from a foreign land I’ve never heard of!”
Carchion let out a deep sigh and rested his chin on his hand in response to Kailian's passionate voice.
Our butlers... first they were so terrified in front of Grandpa Emperor, now they’re shouting like this. It's heartwarming yet a little sad that they're growing up.
“I wanted to cut off the messenger's head on the spot. How dare they covet my grandson.”
The emperor's gaze carried the weight of absolute authority.
“But refusing outright is difficult right now. The Cheongun Empire is a country that received great favor from the First Emperor during the founding of our empire. When the great famine swept across the continent back then, without their grain support, our empire might not exist today.”
Carchion glanced at my foot jelly and continued.
“They didn’t even ask for anything in return. Plus, the Brotherly Covenant we made then is still in effect. We can’t just say ‘go ahead’ when we haven’t repaid the debt.”
“Then what should we do? Are you going to send Blanc?”
Kailian hugged me tightly and shot him a fierce glare.
It’s good that my daughter is so bold in front of me, but the situation was now awkward.
Carchion shook his head.
“I can’t possibly do that. Not before I die.”
“Kyaa.”
Why does Grandpa have to stop my marriage until he dies!
The emperor stood up and approached me. He took me from Kailian’s arms and placed me on his knee.
“The important thing is the feelings of the person involved, right?”
The emperor’s big, rough hand gently stroked my head.
He looked at me and gazed at me with a kind grandfatherly smile.
“Blanc. What do you think? Do you want to meet that Eastern Haetae?”
“......”
Silence filled the office.
Kailian and the emperor’s gazes focused on me, especially Kailian’s, which felt like it was piercing my skin.
I thought for a moment.
Honestly, marriage is ridiculous. I’m still just a kid.
But... a Haetae.
Curiosity about the Eastern country and what the Haetae even looks like was too strong to ignore.
I didn’t want to get married, but I did want to see the face.
I pondered how to express my feelings, then nodded.
No misunderstanding, butler. I don’t want to get married.
“......!”
At that moment, the air in the office froze. Kailian’s mouth opened wide, and the emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
“Blanc... you... really...”
Anger and tears welled in Kailian’s eyes.
“Kyaa!”
Hey, I said I wanted to see him, not get married!
“You’re serious? You want to see that Haetae more than me?”
“Kyaaa!”
No, I just want to watch! I’m curious!
I waved my front paw in an attempt to explain, but Kailian turned her head away in a huff.
Carchion nodded as if respecting my decision, with a bitter expression.
“Haha... yes, someone like you who’s curious would be interested in similar beings.”
He stroked my head again.
“Good. If that’s what you want, I’ll arrange a place. But I promise you, if you don’t like it, I’ll flip the board right there.”
The emperor’s gaze turned to Kailian.
“Kailian.”
“Yes, Father.”
Kailian answered while grinding her teeth. Her hands were already gripping the sword hilt.
“Stay by Blanc’s side. On the day the envoy arrives, if anyone even touches even a single hair on his body... cut their head off right there.”
“Understood.”
The corner of Kailian’s mouth lifted. Killing intent rose behind her like steam.
“Kyaa.”
I forgot about this lately. The butlers have been so gentle lately that I forgot, but this is who they really are.
“If that Haetae... dares to covet our Blanc or tries to take him by force.”
She gripped the sword tightly, eyes flashing.
“I will skin them alive right there.”
With such a ruthless oath, Carchion nodded with a proud father-daughter expression. Both he and his daughter were equally insane.
The emperor patted my back and muttered.
“Don’t worry, Blanc. I’ll arrange the meeting, but let’s show them how easy it is to deal with our imperial family.”
I was left speechless between the two butlers’ ruthless talk.
...Wow... love is heavy in many ways.
I started wondering if my curiosity had accidentally turned into a national issue.
I should bring galbi-jjim when I go.