Lizzy cradled the creature in her arms, stroking its thick fur as though it were nothing more than an adorable pet kitten.
"Isn’t it so cute, Kael? How about we give it a name?" Lizzy asked, her eyes sparkling with wild excitement.
Kael remained rooted to the spot, staring intently at the disguised wolf now helplessly trapped in his wife’s embrace. "?? ???????????????? ??????... ???? ???????????? ?? ???????? ???? ???????????? ??’?? ???????? ???????? ???????????????? ????????????, ?????? ???? ?????? ???????? ????????, ?? ????????’??."
Kael’s memories drifted back to the past, when he was still a young mercenary under Yohan’s leadership.
That night, inside a noisy, boisterous bar filled with the smell of tobacco and cheap alcohol, Yohan had invited eighteen-year-old Kael to celebrate his coming of age.
Yohan’s face was bright red, his features twisted into the ridiculous grin of a drunk man. His muscular arm was wrapped tightly around the waist of a beautiful courtesan sitting beside him. The woman attended to Yohan while occasionally pouring strong liquor into his cup with a restrained, sweet smile.
"You’re so stiff, buddy! Try enjoying your youth a little..." Yohan slurred, his breath reeking of alcohol. Whenever he got drunk, Yohan always acted ridiculous and somewhat obnoxious like this, even though in his everyday life, he was a humorous man who could always be relied upon on the battlefield.
"Today’s your eighteenth birthday, isn’t it, Kael?" Yohan chuckled, his bleary eyes gazing at Kael. "We’ve known each other for five years... When I first met you, you were still a thirteen-year-old snot-nosed brat with absolutely no experience. I became a mercenary before you did, and even though we’re only five years apart in age, I’ve lived longer and experienced far more of this blood-soaked world than you have!"
Yohan pulled the beautiful woman beside him even closer into his embrace. She grimaced slightly, looking uncomfortable under Yohan’s grip.
In silence, the woman stole several glances at Kael, a tall, calm, athletic, and handsome young man. If she had a choice, she would certainly rather attend to a handsome young man like Kael than deal with Yohan, who had a thick beard, messy hair, and a shabby, unkempt appearance like a homeless man.
Yohan shoved a bottle of cheap liquor in front of Kael. "I didn’t bring that stiff Luis here because I didn’t want him ruining your coming-of-age celebration. That broke nobleman is far too rigid and annoying to have fun with! Here, take it!"
Kael hesitated for a moment as he looked at the bottle. However, he accepted it and drank the entire contents. The burning sensation in his throat immediately reminded Kael of his past life on Earth, when he had ruined his own body with an alcohol addiction to escape the mounting pressure of work-related depression. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
"Khh! Ack!" Kael grimaced, wiping his lips before laughing mockingly at Yohan. "If you really intended to celebrate my coming of age, you should’ve bought me some high-quality, expensive liquor instead of this cheap poison!"
Yohan burst into hearty laughter at the taunt. He then patted the beautiful woman beside him on the shoulder and gently pushed her toward Kael.
"Of course I’m not that stingy!" Yohan chuckled proudly. "I’ve spent almost all the gold coins I earned from my missions this month just to hire the most beautiful courtesan in this bar exclusively for you!"
Yohan gave the woman a sharp look, issuing his instructions. "Please take very good care of him. He’s my very stiff junior."
The beautiful woman smiled broadly and nodded enthusiastically. "It would be my pleasure, sir..."
With a coquettish gesture and subtle flirtation, the woman approached Kael and guided the young man’s hand as she led him upstairs to the rooms above the bar to fulfill her duties.
Yohan smiled with satisfaction as he watched the beautiful woman pull Kael along affectionately. "Haha... That little brat has finally grown into a man."
However, as Kael and the woman’s silhouettes disappeared up the stairs, the ridiculous grin on Yohan’s face slowly faded. His mood plummeted. He let out a long sigh, staring blankly at his empty cup with eyes filled with sorrow.
Yohan stood up and staggered toward the restroom at the back of the bar to wash his face with cold water.
However, when Yohan returned to the main hall a few minutes later, he was shocked to find Kael already sitting alone in his wooden chair, pouring himself a glass of water.
"Huh?! Why are you back so soon, Kael?!" Yohan exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Don’t tell me you..."
"Sorry, Yohan," Kael interrupted calmly, looking at his senior. "I really appreciate this coming-of-age gift. But... I don’t want to spend my first time with a woman I don’t know. I’ll save my first time entirely for the woman who will one day become my wife."
Yohan’s eyes widened in utter disbelief. After several seconds of silence, his wild laughter erupted, echoing throughout the room!
"HA-HA-HA-HA! I knew it! I knew you’d turn her down!" Yohan shouted, slapping the table so hard that it shook. "But I really like that principle of yours, Kael! Your soul is truly strange... You don’t act like an eighteen-year-old young man at all, but rather like a mature old man who’s lived a long life!"
Yohan sat back down in his chair, exhaled deeply, then looked Kael directly in the eyes with a serious expression he rarely showed.
"Actually... I didn’t bring you here just to give you a birthday present, Kael. I simply wanted to cheer you up."
"Cheer me up?" Kael raised an eyebrow.
"You... actually like Tessia, don’t you?" Yohan asked bluntly as he gulped down the rest of his liquor. "Unfortunately, your feelings will never come to fruition because that woman’s eyes and heart are focused entirely on that stiff Luis. It’s truly pitiful."
Kael was stunned for a moment before a small laugh escaped his lips. "So that’s what this is about... You wanted me to have my first experience with a beautiful woman so I could forget about these misguided feelings?"