Translator/Editor : Léabyss
My name is Jofa, a human being who recently turned 16 years old. My family originally escaped the eyes of the beasts that recruited slaves and lived in a quiet place called Hidden Village, but now they live in Leonidas.
I was born here so I don’t know the details, but my parents seemed to have had a lot of problems in the past. Even now, when they see a beastman approaching or hovering a few feet away, you can tell that they are quite scared.
After I graduated from school, I started working in a famous chain of food stores called Onigiri-ya, which my boss Chika founded. He’s a wonderful guy! I do not know him in person, but he is famous for being an exemplary doctor and … He also spread the culture of food stores around the world. Ah, his culinary skills are still something I crave with life. He led me to my decision to become a cook! Therefore, Chikayuki is my role model. A person that I respect and adore.
And recently, I have a lover.
That person always came here to ask for the same old thing. He bought lunch boxes that carried rice balls and meat sandwiches. The person I am talking about is very tall and very muscular, unlike poor humans who are small and short, like me. I think it is probably a bear since it has small circular ears on his head … However, his face seems to be expressionless and very scary to its colleagues, but I never thought that way. He certainly has a weird expression on his face, but when I give him his lunch and talk to him about the bread, he smiles so brightly that I thought from the start that he was a more than cool person.
However, the reason I became a lover of that man was … Because I am too helpless on my own. One day, after my work was finished, I immediately went home so I had to go through the municipal park … I got the impression that a large beast, who was sitting on the bench in the corner, was looking too much fiercely the little human that I represented. As expected, I was a little scared and thinking the worst all the time. That’s when he helped me. He greeted me as if we were close friends, walked with me, and led me to my front door. I felt so protected by him that after a couple of months I just went and asked him to go out with me.
My lover’s name is Berg.
Berg, who was quite a bit older than me, was a Knight of the Guard. What I discovered was that he was a very serious person, quite an honest and strong kind of bear. Well, he can be scary, but he almost always laughs out loud and talks to me a lot, even though he doesn’t seem to be good at it.
And just the other day, Berg and I finally crossed the line.
He came to my house, cooked for me, and while we were talking about our days, he suddenly just kissed me … Then he started touching me. He was very gentlemanly and gentle in bed and, although I was a bit surprised by his size, I liked that he looked absolutely happy just with my presence. That has never, never happened to me before.
Some time later, Berg invited me to his parents’ house. He told me that he wanted to introduce me to his mom and dad and the rest of his family as well. That was a huge step! First of all, besides his parents, Berg apparently seems to have quite a few siblings so possibly I’ll have to stop to say hi to all of them. And how is that done?
I was immediately concerned that we were in an upscale residential area. How much exactly does a Knight earn? I heard that many of them come from the royal capital and maybe Berg is a noble … We didn’t talk much about him because he seems to be more interested in what I say.
He was a little anxious … But he still took me immediately to his house.
Yes, as expected … It’s crazy . The large garden has well-kept trees and flowers and actually looks like a miniature forest. How many rooms can you have in here? Yes, Berg is certainly rich.
When I tugged on his sleeve a little, he leaned his big body to hear me.
“Be-Berg. You, you are a no-noble?”
“No … Actually, this is all due to my parents’ work. You don’t have to be nervous, because it’s no big deal.”
“B-but …”
“It’s very cold, isn’t it? Let’s go in now.”
Berg is always like that, as if he were a gentle escort.
He opens the door and lets me pass … And then he receives a tremendous blow.
As soon as we entered, there were two large bears in front of us. However, if you look closely, it is a fairly detailed wooden figure. What is this?
“Jofa, are you okay? Let me check.”
“I’m fine, but is this your fa-family’s pa … ss time?”
“No, this is … It’s a gift from my grandparents. There’s no place to put it, so they threw it away here. I think my mother is ashamed to throw it away.”
“Oh. I … I’m sorry.”
“Does not matter. Most visitors get hit in the face too.”
I was led into the living room from the entrance … And then I met a beastman very much like Berg. There is also a man sitting right on his lap . The bear beast, it was terrifying and imposing … But my eyes were even more impressed by the human. That person … That person is my role model! Chikayuki-san! I once saw a painting of his called: “A Beautiful Angel Descending From Heaven”, and yes … It looks exactly like this! OMG!
I approached Chikayuki’s place unconsciously and, also unconsciously, I stood in front of him and bowed.
“Chikayuki?”
“Yes, I am Chikayuki. Berg had already told us that …!”
“You really are Chikayuki-san! The … The re-recipe book for “Cooking with Chika and Sebastián”. It is, it is my greatest treasure.”
I was so excited that I didn’t even know what I was saying.
“Well, is that so? I find it amazing that you like it so much. Although all the credit on that goes to Sebastian. You are Jofa-kun right?”
“I … I’m sorry. Why-why is Chikayuki here?”
“Berg didn’t tell you?”
“Yes, I didn’t get a chance to do it … Chikayuki is my mother, Jofa.”
A mother is the Animus who has children. So Chikayuki … If it’s his mom it means he gave birth to Berg!
” Be… Be-be… Be…?”
“Jofa, honey, you have to calm down. Alright? Let me properly introduce you. Chikayuki is my mother, and he is my father. Gale Forrester.”
“A pleasure.”
The person who put Chikayuki on his knees greeted me with a good and powerful voice. I also hurry up and return the greeting.
“I’m sorry. My voice must be very annoying. My name is Jofa. I am very grateful that Berg decided to invite me.”
I shook Gale’s hand and then shook Chikayuki-san’s hand.
“No way, you’re doing very well … My other husband left the town with Berg’s brothers, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
Does Chikayuki have two husbands? But surely Gale is Berg’s father, because they look exactly the same.
I sit on the couch across from Chikayuki, as Berg asked me to … But why is Chikayuki sitting on Gale’s lap? Are you hurt somewhere?
“Why, why is he sitting on Gale-sama’s lap?”
Somehow Chikayuki’s face was dyed red.
“Jofa, my father and my mother are always the same. They are husbands, so it’s okay to show your love as much as you want, right?”
“Well, is that so?”
Is putting him on his knees because they love each other the normal thing in Leonidas?
“Bocchan and his young husband are very loving, no matter how old they are or how long it takes.”
A person dressed as a butler, who appeared I don’t know from where, came to offer us tea and little sweets … Although the drink is green, it actually smells very good.
“I’m sorry. This man here is Sebastian. Friend and butler. Sebastian, he is my boyfriend.”
Sebastian…?
“Y-are you the one who wrote: ” Cooking with Chika and Sebastian” ?”
“Oh, do you know that book? Yes, it is my first cookbook, although the recipes are all from the young husband.”
“It’s really great! That book and the co-content itself are really fun pa-me! But especially the tips section is, it’s really very useful!”
“I’m glad that the tips make cooking easier for you, that was the intention.”
“Ah, huh! Can I, can I have your autograph later! If possible. Ta-Also Chikayuki’s?”
“Of course, thank you for so much interest in us Jofa.”
Sebastian wraps his hand around my hand and then smiles . He’s a really nice person.
I sat down again, drank the tea Sebastian made, and began to taste the cookies that were on the same plate. Chikayuki is eating them from Gale’s hands and sometimes Chikayuki feeds him too.
“Jofa, surely it is something uncomfortable for you, but… My parents always do that.”
“Do not worry. It’s wonderful that your parents love each other so much!”
Gale looks like Berg so it’s cool … even if it feels a little scary. I like it because when Chikayuki gives him a cookie, he smiles like it’s the best thing on the whole planet … Berg does the same .
And that feels good.
“So your goal is to be a chef?”
“Yes! Still, I still train at the rice ball shop that Chika founded. B-but if possible I would like to open one, an independent you-shop specialized in rice! Berg is a Gentleman so I de-I must try very hard.”
“I get it. Sometimes it is difficult to be the companion of a beast. I still feel like I can’t keep up with Gale and Douglas.”
“Chika, how many times do I have to tell you that it’s not like that?”
“But…”
“We both love you very much, so whatever effort and movement you make is always the best for us.”
That…? What should I do when a sweet scene unfolds in front of my eyes? It feels like my tea has a lot of sugar, something like that …
When I looked at Berg, he looked just like always. Good. I guess he’s really quite used to it.
While I was thinking about that, I seemed to hear the door open:
“I’m home! Mom! Father! Where is my trio of favorite suction cups …? Oh, look at nothing else. So this is the guy who is paired with Berg?”
A small human appeared in front of me … He looks like Chikayuki, but the color of his eyes is different.
“Hi, my name is Sui. I am Berg’s brother.”
“Well, nice to meet you.”
“My pleasure. I work as a scientist in the trade, but I am also a doctor. If you have a problem with anything, just come with me. It’s okay? I’m in cubicle two. You can enter without a token.”
“Alright…”
“Yes, I’m worried because my brother decided to mate with the smallest boy he found. An anal tear is very safe so … Go for a consultation and I will give you an ideal ointment for that. Berg sure tastes bad, so I’ll give you flavored condoms too.”
“Condoms …?”
“Exactly, you’re looking at the man who made them so …”
“Sui! Curse. Do you always have to be like this? Would it kill you to behave well for once in your life?”
Berg was screaming with a bright red face.
“Yeah, it was a joke … Just a joke. To remove stress from the environment.”
Sui shook my hand and left. But first he whispered to me again: “Cubicle two. Remember that.”
It is like a storm. And the gap between his demeanor and the way he looks is huge. Berg’s family is strong.
“Jofa, are you okay? I’m really so sorry. My brother is … Complicated.”
“I’m sorry, Jofa-kun. My son is a good person, but he always makes fun of him. I’m going to scold him later.”
“Not well. No-I didn’t get mad.”
It was interesting actually. Cubicle Two …
When I brought the cup to my mouth to drink tea again, I was supposed to have very little left, but it was all full . Did Sebastian serve it? But I didn’t feel any sign of that …
“Well then, Jofa-kun.”
“Yes…”
“Douglas wants to meet you too. Is it okay if we wait for it a bit? So do their parents.”
Well, the parents of Chikayuki’s parteners are Berg’s grandparents, right? Yes, that should be fine.
“Yeah, I-it’s just to say Ho … Hello, right?”
“Thanks a lot honey. You are really doing very well.”
I do it well?
“Am I not very ridiculous?”
“Never.”
“Jofa has a strong mind.”
“If you want to slow down or take more time, you can. You can also tell us when you want to stop. Chika and I welcome you to our family and we want you to feel comfortable.”
His words were very kind.
“Thank you, seriously.”
“Oh, I’ll call my parents first. Please wait a bit.”
And Gale stood up. He held Chikayuki in his arms for a moment, like he was a treasure, and kissed him again. I direct my gaze to Berg.
“You don’t have to say anything, Jofa. I get it. But after living with them for a while you get used to it.”
No, no, I thought … That maybe we could act the same as them. In the future.
“It really surprised me that Berg was Chikayuki’s son. Why not … Didn’t you tell me before?”
“I didn’t want you to be nervous.”
“But your whole family is, it’s great.”
“My family is great, of course … But it’s also kind of strange.”
At that moment, several accelerated footsteps were heard behind the door and then, it was thundered open. Even to the point where it hit the wall . From there, very large bears came out. Brown and with huge legs.
I think, I also saw them in the museum.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting, boy. I am Gale’s father and Berg’s grandfather Virgil. This here is Richam, my husband.”
“It is a pleasure.”
Yes, I definitely know them.
I went to the museum to see the exhibition on the history of Leonidas and according to the pictures, long before I was born there were countless beasts attacking this country. There was a terrible battle. At that time, two young men, the Knight Commander and the Deputy Commander, gathered the squad of Knights and Adventurers and led the great war until they were victorious … And, these people are right before my eyes.
“It’s a tremendous ho-honor.”
“Oh, do you know who they are?”
“Yes, because I have seen-seen his paintings in, in the museum.”
“Oh, of course. There was an exhibition on that.”
“So … Berg is part of the Forrester family?”
The Forrester family is so famous that everyone talks about them in this city. It is a prestigious family. Some celebrities.
Now that I remember, I think even Gale is one of those famous adventurers from the local guild.
“Berg, why did you also tell me about that?”
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t want you to get upset.”
“But I’m so-more nervous now!”
“Jofa, can we discuss this later?”
“But …”
“Please.”
To be honest, he was so shocked that he wanted to go home right away. Where is the confidence that we apparently had in each other?
“By the way, the trajectory of the love of my lord and his husband is all narrated here. When you have time, I hope you can read it.”
Sebastian, who appeared suddenly, handed me a hardcover book that read: “The whereabouts of love.” Since it is definitely a popular romance novel, I wonder what this has to do with them.
“Sebastian. I said burn them , don’t give them away !”
Richam-sama seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but Virgil cut him off almost immediately.
“Jofa, then, thank you for making our cute grandson happy. I don’t think we have seen him that excited since he was accepted into the Knights.”
“M-thank you very much.”
“I’m serious. I think you would make an excellent husband and father.”
A what?
“Virgil is going very fast. We were very surprised when Berg said that he would bring someone important to him, but now that we are all here, we know he was not exaggerating. When he sees you he makes the same face as his father when he is with Chikayuki-san.”
“Eh, eh …”
I could only return silly words and wish to go home. Now stronger than before!
I look at Berg.
I was going to say something about this. About how ignorant and uncomfortable I felt about this situation, but the door opened before my words were put together properly. In itself it was hard for me to speak well!
“Mom…”
There were two beastmen and a human … Weren’t they also on display in the museum? That seems to be His Majesty Theodor, the King of this country. People around me always say that human beings can live peacefully now thanks to Theodor and his father Albert. But he’s still very scary when he’s in beast form. I think Berg is strong and tall enough when he’s turned into a bear, but Theodor makes me feel very small and insignificant … And next to him is a young man of the human race, King Hikaru. Why the hell are the kings here ?! Another guest is the black lion, Richt, who is also famous to the point of having a huge fan club. A strong and beautiful Knight … Yes, he is so famous that it goes without saying that he is famous. His dignity is overwhelming and powerful.
I inadvertently looked at Berg , but he looked away.
“Hey, Berg. Why is the-famous black lion here and the-the kings of Leonidas?”
“…”
“Berg?” “I dare to get up.” I insist again. Berg… “I understand that the people in front of me are somewhat confused by my words.
“God, brother. Why did you organize this meeting if you didn’t intend to tell him about us?”
“Are you ashamed?”
“Do you hate us?”
“Mom. Berg hates us!”
“Mom! Berg says he really doesn’t like us!”
“Alright!! Jofa, do you know who my father is? He is Douglas Von Leónidas, he is the brother of the former king, son of another former king, uncle of Theodor and father of Hikaru and Richt. I mean … Your king and the famous black lion you talked about so much, are my brothers.”
“Oh…”
My head went white and then it went all black too. Right before that, I think I heard Berg’s voice saying:
“Now do you understand why I didn’t tell you ?!
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When I woke up, I saw four concerned faces right above mine.
“I’m sorry … That was certainly shocking.”
“Not well. I guess it’s a normal reaction. You are ok Jofa, right? I am Hikaru. Ah, don’t worry about the king and stuff … I’m just the older brother now.”
“Well, both Hikaru and I heard that Berg’s boyfriend would be here … And it seemed like a good opportunity to hang out with the family and say,” Hi. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.””
Their majesties, the king and his husband, bow down to me and apologize.
No. Absolutely not!
I jump up and now I’m the one who apologizes to them.
“No, don’t-do that. I showed you something nasty … nasty about me. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. As Hikaru says, now we come as a family. Not like kings.”
“But Berg. Didn’t you really say anything to Jofa-san? That’s a bit cruel.”
“Well, it turns out that I’m a complete mess making decisions on my own.”
Berg’s words inevitably cause him to begin to smile.
“My greeting is late, but I’m also Berg’s older brother, Richt. Oh please don’t call me “Black lion”. It’s okay? After all, it’s already like we’re family.”
Richt smiled brightly at me and then bowed to me. It was nice because I was also a part of his fan club.
“Because our Berg is quite serious, we thought it would be difficult for him to find a match … But a person like Jofa appeared and suddenly it seemed that he was the happiest of us all. Like his brothers, the truth is that we feel really relieved by these small changes in him. Thanks a lot.”
“Perhaps the road for you will not be entirely easy, but I assure you that Berg will always take care of you. For example, when I have a difficult time, I can always lean on the strength of my Hikaru … You will feel the same with him.”
“Theo, at first I didn’t know if our future would be good … But now I don’t regret for a moment the choice I made. There are many things that I am not good at, but since he does not let go of me, I do not feel weak …”
“Hikaru…”
Suddenly they were hugging in front of me and kissing … What was supposed to happen? Do people in this house enjoy flirting in public?
“Jofa, brother, I really wish they could be happy in the future. They deserve no less than that.”
Richt tells me this with a rather kind face, ignoring His Majesty Theodor and Hikaru, who are completely creating an ideal world for both of them.
“Thanks a lot…”
“Brother … Can you tell everyone I’ll be back in a moment? I need a little time with him.”
“Oh, of course.”
“Are you okay, Jofa? Do you want to go with me to the garden for a while?”
I was really grateful for that invitation.
“Thank you. I … I think I need a-air.”
“I’m sorry. It was surely a lot to process. We should have been more careful when we got home.”
“It’s okay, Richt … It was completely my fault. I’ll take the consequences in the garden.”
“In that case, see you at dinner.”
I bow to all the people who have suddenly entered my world and walk through the mansion hand in hand with Berg … But, as we were approaching the main corridor, I felt a strange look from behind. Moving my head in that direction, I discovered that there was a person looking at me from the shadow of a tall pillar.
Who…?
This house is full of surprises.
I look back after a while, the person is still there, behind a pillar.
Every time I looked back, he came closer to me and seemed to be staring at me from a new shadow. He was familiar with that person’s face, but didn’t want to admit it. It was better to pretend that I hadn’t noticed him.
So when we got to the garden, Berg guided me through the various huge flowers and bushes until we were facing a Flaria tree. By the way, if I look back again, that person is looking at me with only half of his face hidden behind a distant tree.
“My mother likes this place, so he wanted Jofa to know it.”
We sat on a bench, looking at the Flaria that was in full bloom. The wind made it even more beautiful, waving its branches back and forth …
“I’m mad at you.”
“I know and I’m very sorry, I should have told you.”
“Yes, you really …”
But before I could continue with my scolding, a beast with a very scary face suddenly appeared behind me. He jumped up to face us and then seemed to roar …
I took a look at that person’s face. When I saw him from a distance I wasn’t convinced, but now I’m sure I saw him at that exhibition too.
He is Hector from “The Silent King.” “The wise king”. His appearance is intimidating beyond that of Theodor and Richt and if the rumors are true then while he is a very benevolent king he is also a very ruthless and tough king.
“Grandfather. Were you here all the time?”
“Well, I was sleeping under that tree … But their voices made me wake up. You see.”
But … He was following us for quite a while. However, Hector was also an important relative of Berg, his grandfather. This is no time to be rude to him.
“I’m Jofa. Nice to meet you.”
“So Jofa-kun … Wow, look at you. Where are your parents from?”
“My parents don’t like to h-talk about it much. He and my uncles were kidnapped from their village when I was very small. But, now we saw-we saw good being here.”
“I see. What is the name of the Animus that had you?”
“It’s Marx, sir …”
“Oh, that’s interesting … After all his troubles, Jofa is here. And he turned out to be a very lovable human person.”
“Grandfather?”
“I’m sorry, I met a relative of yours a while ago. Wilfred? I think … I guess everything turned out fine for him in the end. I’m glad.”
“Yes, but … how is it …?”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s a story for later. Why not celebrate the benevolence of our world with a dinner for just two? And for two, obviously I’m talking about you and me.”
Now what are you saying?
“Grandpa … Really?”
“Well, I noticed you have a problem with the way you speak. That can be removed very easily! I’m not a doctor like my grandchildren, but everyone knows that a lion’s tongue is more than enough to …”
But a lion beast suddenly appeared and kicked Hector.
“This perverted father is quite a case … Seriously. I’m old enough for this!”
“Oh … Dad, you were on time. Really. Very on time.”
“Father? Wow … I’m Jofa sir. I am so very grateful to Berg that he invited me to … meet him. But is;Hector-sama okay …? I think, not breathing.”
“Oh, if we let him he’ll just resurrect on his own. We don’t have to worry about that now.” Then he turned his head and waited for the rest of his companions to catch up with him. It was a peculiar pack . “This is Berg’s twin brother Ade. And they are my other children, from the right, the Lion is Leben, he is Lat and the little one here is Amane.”
“Friend, nice to meet you. I’m Ade … Thanks for taking care of Berg.”
“Alright.”
Ade takes my hand, although its power is quite painful. In addition, each of the children smiles at me, but sometimes they hide their faces with their hands and later, they greet me shyly.
It was very cute…
“Really, no, I can’t believe they’re twins.”
“Yeah, they all say I’m more like Douglas. It’s strange, Berg and I are definitely Gale’s children, I mean we are both bears … Mom doesn’t know why we were born this way and the truth is that we don’t think too much about it.”
Quite strange indeed.
“I’ve never met someone who had multiple pregnancies! Berg and Ade are twins and Richt and Hikaru are twins too, right?”
“Yeah, apparently Mom is a good cook in bed too. Look, Berg told me once that the secret to this is in the quality of the semen …”
And that’s when I found out that Douglas wasn’t the only one kicking to silence people, Berg did too.
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Dinner that day was very quiet and fun … However, I’m a bit confused as to where to look. Hector and Ade are eating with some small children on their lap. Berg, Virgil and Richam, who are sitting next to me, eat without making a single noise. Chikayuki is eating with his bare hands on Douglas’s lap and occasionally feeds him and Gale as well. If Chikayuki’s finger gets dirty, they both lick it clean. The same happens when he stains his cheeks … And on the other side, Hikaru is eating on the knees of His Majesty Theodor. I think this is too much.”
“I’m sorry Jofa, we’re used to this, but it’s probably uncomfortable for you. It is not true?”
“No, do not worry. I find it very cute.”
“Berg says that, but he looks like he wants Jofa to climb onto his lap right away.”
Berg’s eyebrows responded to Douglas’s words.
“T-is that so, Berg?”
When I asked, Berg nodded awkwardly.
“Bu … well, if it’s just about getting me on you, I think I can do it.”
“You don’t have to …”
“Not well.”
Berg helped me, holding me by the hips so that I could get as comfortable as possible on his legs. Ok, this is a lot more embarrassing than expected. I’m going to die of grief! Why are they so good at doing this?
“Virgil, doesn’t it remind you of when Gale first brought Chika-dono?”
“It’s strange, I’m thinking exactly the same thing.”
“Berg-sama is already a big boy.”
Sebastian watches the scene while wiping his tears with an embroidered handkerchief.
“You’re doing very well, Jofa.”
“Be careful, because everything seems very tender and romantic at first, but beasts like Berg will never let you go. For the next meeting you will come tucked in a fanny pack.”
“Are you saying that from personal experience, Sui?”
“Actually yes.”
“The one who comes in a fanny pack is Gallis.”
“Um, Jofa, when we were kids, we went to Grandpa’s house all the time. You know why?”
“No, I do not know.”
“You just have to tell all the brothers of your cute boyfriend to discover what bears love to do.”
“He!”
I heard Chikayuki’s voice … And then I noticed the fact that his face was all stained.
-It is not a joke. I love you mama.
“Well, Berg is a bit complicated. Trust me, we are twins. I feel their intense vibes.”
“We don’t want to scare you, but you have to prepare for what’s coming, dear brother-in-law.”
“Anyway … It comes with the package of being partners.”
I couldn’t answer right away … Berg had a sad look but went back to the food as if he didn’t care at all about his siblings … Sui was very angry at Richt, Ade and their previous comments and meanwhile their Majesty Theodor and His Majesty Hikaru had once again traveled to a world of only the two of them.
When we finished, Berg decided to go to the backyard to prepare a monster that we could ride. It was already quite night and he thought it would be better and safer for me if we returned this way … Chikayuki came to talk to me.
“Jofa, I’m sorry. Because of dinner. You don’t have to pay much attention to my children’s comments … What matters are your feelings and the decision you made. You have to be honest with yourself without worrying about anyone else. You are confused, I understand. But all of us are here for you.”
“Thank you, Chikayuki.”
“You seem depressed …”
“I feel depressed.” That’s when Berg came in with a beast. “B-but I’ll solve it.”
I thank everyone who gathered at the entrance to see me go again and, although on the way I could not talk to Berg the way I wanted, once I was at the door of my house I finally dared to say to him:
“I think, we-we need to take some time.”
“… Sorry?”
“There are several things I ne-need to think about. So…”
“I understand, but … What do you mean …? I … Did I do something wrong? Was it because of what my family said? If that offended you, I can …”
“I just … Actually, you deserve someone better than a human who is not your mate.”
Berg grabbed my shoulders quite tightly. He looked honestly terrified and I was scared too seeing him act like this:
“No! Why are you saying that now ?! If I didn’t believe that you are what I deserve, I wouldn’t have brought you to meet my family. Jofa, Jofa … we don’t …”
I felt like I was going to start crying.
“… I’m not de-leaving you. But sometimes people do need time to themselves. It’s okay?”
“…”
“It’s okay?”
“If it is okay.”
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“That’s why I ask myself, what should I do?”
“Maybe you should go see him.”
“I can not!”
I tap my feet in the hot water over and over again, taking out my frustration with the little bubbles. I am now taking a long break from the city and invited my older brother to come to a famous spa resort near Fishred. We’ve been here, about a week …
I really wanted time to think slowly to prevent me from doing anything stupid.
I had thought, that even the best thing would be to end him.
“It-feels good. I had already imagined what it would be like to enter a hot spring without a roof, but this is so much better.”
“So is. I think you finally had a good idea in years.”
“Yes.”
Also, this open-air bath is reserved for humans. It makes me very calm not seeing beasts here or there.
“Well, but seriously. What are your worries? Your boyfriend’s love will become heavy, your boyfriend is a Forrester and part of the Leonidas clan, his family is full of celebrities. Good. What do you want to do? I thought you loved him … Even your stuttering got a lot better since you’re with him.”
“I love him, but at dinner I realized that no, no, I’m not old enough for him. I don’t see myself being part of them, honestly. If your youngest brother with speech problems and if-without any talent he becomes part of a royal family and companion of a famous Knight. Wouldn’t you be surprised? I’m sure the ge-people will start talking.”
“Well, I’d be surprised … But if I were you, I wouldn’t care what they said about me if I really love the other person! Also, okay … Everything they said about his character scared you, but aren’t all Anima beasts like this?”
“I know … But it’s too much. Alone, I just wanted time to a-clear my feelings. I wrote a letter telling Berg not to look for me.”
“Wow …”
I submerged myself completely, until the water covered my shoulders and my ears stopped hearing … The warmth and comfort of the hot water seemed to ease my heart so tired of feeling.
“Well, that letter was bad. Jofa.”
That was a strange voice … A voice that he had already heard somewhere.
“It seems after seeing that letter, Berg thought you were definitely done with him. Also, you suddenly disappeared from the capital city.” The beast came closer, set its massive legs in the tub, then turned its head toward my brother. “Hello … Is the water hot or is it just you?”
He went completely rigid next to me, he was even white … Seriously. Why do they call him “The Silent King”?
More important than that.
“Where is-is Berg?”
“Oh right … well, he got pretty depressed. It was a month and then you sent him a horrible goodbye letter. He seemed desperate and everyone in the family started to feel just as bad. After all, since everything happened after you visited us for dinner, we thought it must have been because of something we said, right? We are very sorry.”
“No, that’s … I just wanted time.”
“That’s what we said at the beginning, but Berg didn’t want to understand … Well, I guess I’ve done my part as a grandfather so I’m going to swim around a little bit. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your brother in the meantime.”
“What does it mean?”
“Jofa …”
At that moment, my brother pointed towards the forest, which could be seen from the open-air bathroom. There, there was a black-haired bear full of wounds, huge, completely terrifying … Running towards me as if it were a matter of life and death. Since I don’t know how to stop, Hector and my brother start screaming.
The bear jumped before starting to glow and afterwards, I already had it with me. Holding me tight in his arms.
“My God, Jofa … I finally found you.”
“Berg…”
“I thought … I thought I had lost you forever. I was scared. You weren’t at home, you weren’t at work, and that letter …”
“No, that was … Be-Berg, you have to let me go. You can’t in-enter a place like this just like that.”
“No. I do not want to free you anymore, I cannot leave you and then discover that you are no longer with me.”
“Berg…”
“I swear I tried to give you your space … But I can’t resist it for another minute! My beast needs you. How can you say that you are not my partner when I am dying without you? Maybe, we haven’t yet combined our magic, but …”
My brother and I look at each other in amazement, but Hector looks like he’s enjoying the hot springs. He even closed his eyes.
“I don’t want to lose you … I won’t take you home anymore, won’t let you talk to my brothers and, if you want, I’ll even leave the Knights.”
“No! I don’t want to…” Hector comes out of the open-air bathroom happily, hugging my older brother, who is still dazed and unable to move. “Hears! He-Hector! Don’t take … Hey! Berg, don’t cry. Cal-calm down.”
“Is that…”
“That’s it, that’s it … Yes, if you cry like that your-your eyes will be ugly.”
“Can you understand my feelings when I received the letter? You said, not to look for you anymore. I was … I, I couldn’t even breathe. I thought you hated me.”
“But what are you saying? I, I love you very much … I love you, that’s why I wanted …”
As we were, Berg kissed me completely in the open-air bathroom. It is true that I was surprised, but nothing he had said was a lie. He was in love with Berg. A beautiful and absolutely cute beast.
Fishred’s inn was all reserved for him, and suddenly I found myself being trapped under his body for a whole week … It was so intense that I think my whole interior was remodeled and yet I was glad that Berg, who seemed so depressed, he laughed with that delighted expression from before. I loved him, and it was something so strong that I thought that was enough for me.
By the way, when I went back to visit Berg’s house to apologize and inform them that we were officially partners, I discovered that Hector and my brother had already told them everything. Hector and my brother! There is something … What should I know about them?
Anyway, now when my work is done, Berg comes to wait for me. He puts his coat on me and lets me join my hands with his to return to our new home, where we live together.
I think, I’m more than happy for myself.
BL snack 