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Chapter 89. The Invited Leighton
When Nelia saw the letter, she had no choice other than inviting Leighton to the duke’s mansion.
This was because the letter talked about Zenu.
To summarize it, he knew that she had an unknown person in the duke’s mansion pretending to be her cousin. It was then he asked to be officially invited to the duke’s mansion if she wanted him to keep it a secret.
‘How the h*ll did he know about Zenuit?’
Did he hear from the duke when he visited the other day?
Thinking that it might be the thing, she didn’t think the duke would have been talking about Zenu leisurely with him (Leighton) since he was so occupied that day.
Zenuit approached Nelia, who was lost in her thoughts alone.
“What are you thinking about?”
Nelia dropped her gaze and looked at Zenuit, who was staring with tilted head.
It was all because of this adorable dragon.
He insisted on being in his human form for no absolute reason, and a series of incidents happened continuously.
She wanted to punch him in the face, but she couldn’t really think of doing so when looking at Zenuit who had such an adorable mask.
Nelia sighed.
“Zenuit, aren’t you thinking of becoming a dragon now?”
“No. I like being in my current form.”
“Then what about we tell His Grace about your existence?”
She would be much more comfortable if she disclosed the truth to Duke Hart, but Zenuit told her to never tell anyone about his existence.
“Of course not.”
Nelia frowned.
“Why?”
“That’s because……”
Zenuit gradually stopped at the end of his speech.
Look, he had no particular reason. He’s not even trying to look mysterious.
“If I tell you not to, then you must not do it! Go on and tell Duke Hart about me. I won’t open the door on the day of the total lunar eclipse!”
Such a grumpy dragon.
What is easy about Zenuit that made Sigrit use him as a subordinate?
‘The term ‘guardian’ should be canceled!’
Nelia swallowed her anger and gave up persuading Zenuit. Someone knocked on the door.
“Young Lady Nelia, it’s Ton.”
Nelia, who was arguing with Zenuit, cleared her throat before answering him.
“……. Come on in.”
Ton came into the room with a tray. There was a cookie on the tray that emitted a fragrant smell. Zenuit stared at the cookies with sparkling eyes.
‘This is the reason why he wants to keep being a kid.’
Ton would always bring snacks when he visited her room because of his enormous love for Zenuit.
She was originally very happy with these refreshments, but she was served troubles by Zenuit who was in a kid form, therefore she lost interest in desserts.
As soon as Ton put the cookie down on the table, Zenuit reached out with his small hand to pick it up.
Ton, who was looking at him with satisfaction, soon turned his head and looked at Nelia.
“Young Lady Nelia, I have heard from His Grace that Young Master Leighton will be invited over.”
“Yes…… I’m sorry, Ton, you’ve got one more task to do.”
“No, rather I’m happy because it’s been a while since we’ve had guests at the mansion.”
Ton was indeed a butler by nature.
How could he say that he’s very happy having guests when in reality, it must be very troublesome and annoying?
“I heard that it’s Nelia’s only brother, so I’ll gladly prepare everything for you.”
He didn’t have to do that much…… Nelia swallowed what she wanted to say and spat out politely instead.
“……Thank you.”
Not only that, Ton suggested with a brighter expression.
“If you haven’t decided on a date yet, how about having dinner this weekend? Fresh seafood was supposed to arrive on that day.”
“Yes……. Well, it works for me.”
“Then I’ll prepare dinner accordingly. Please deliver the news to Young Master Leighton, Young Lady.”
Ton bowed politely and left the room.
She didn’t know why he was being so polite despite her being the employee of this mansion as well.
“As if I’m the lady of the house……”
Lady of the house……? What is she thinking about……?
Nelia shook her head at her thought as if shaking off the embarrassing thought.
“Your expressions are very diverse.”
Zenuit, who was eating cookies, stared at Nelia and spoke. There were a lot of cookie crumbs around Zenuit’s mouth.
Nelia put Zenuit on her lap and brushed the crumbs off her mouth.
“Shut up.”
Zenuit chewed on the cookie and looked up at Nelia to ask.
“Is your brother going to come over to the mansion?”
“That’s right. That’s why I asked you if I can tell the duke about you.”
Nelia kept her eyes low and rubbed her forehead.
“My brother is trying to threaten me by holding onto your existence as if it’s my weakness.”
Zenuit swallowed the cookies in his mouth.
“Humans have a lot of useless things to worry about.”
“I really hope the dragon doesn’t have these kinds of worries.”
Nelia took Zenuit’s soft cheeks with her hand and stretched them. The shape of his cheeks that stretched like glutinous rice cake looked so cute.
[t/n: glutinous rice cake is a korean-style mochi with red bean filling. It’s sweet and very chewy.]
“For the sake of this country!”
“I can do this to the dragon who doesn’t listen.”
“Such a child!”
Zenuit’s pronunciation became a mess because she was pulling on his cheeks. By the time she let go of his cheeks, his skin had turned red.
Zenuit rubbed his tingling cheeks. His gray eyes, mixed with resentment, turned toward Nelia.
“If I’ll try to solve your worry, but I won’t.”
“Which one are you going to solve?”
“Didn’t your brother say he threatened you through me, I’ll solve it!”
Nellia tilted her head.
“How?”
“Didn’t you say he knew about me? But if I manipulate it, that will be enough.”
“Wow, really?”
“I was thinking about doing that  a while ago, but not anymore. I won’t help you because you annoyed me.”
“Are you going to be mad at me like this?”
“Yes!”
Nelia knew at times like this, Zenuit would have to eat something. It was definitely his weakness.
Nelia’s hand tickled Zenuit’s body which made him laugh and tremble.
The word ‘I surrender, I surrender!’ came out of his mouth within seconds.
She recently learned that he was very ticklish.
“You’ll help me, right?”
“Yes, you wicked human!”
His white cheeks were puffed up, but Nelia ignored and asked again.
“But Zenuit, you can manipulate memories?”
“Yes. Memory manipulation is nothing when I can get into someone else’s body and change form.”
Memory manipulation? Maybe even her memories…….
As Nelia squinted her eyes at Zenuit, he hurriedly added.
“Of course, I don’t manipulate my memory for no reason! Since I don’t interfere in human affairs.”
“But why are you trying to intervene this time?”
“This time, I’m just……. Trying to help you because you seem to be cornered because of me.”
Zenuit’s cheeks turned red as if the word ‘helping’ were an awkward thing to say.
‘He’s shy, afterall.’
“Then please manipulate Leighton’s memory right now. Make the invitation as if it doesn’t exist in his mind.”
“Not now. It’s only possible when he’s in front of me.”
D*mn it. It means that Leighton should come here.
Nelia, who was in dismay, comforted herself inwardly.
‘But if I take this opportunity to manipulate Leighton’s memory so that Zenuit’s presence doesn’t feel strange to him, he won’t be able to threaten me using Zenuit anymore.’
She had to be satisfied with it, for now.
Nelia looked at Zenuit, who was munching cookies again.
‘Though he didn’t listen, he’s pretty talented.’
Even so, he handled things that had happened to her, so she couldn’t despise him even if she tried to.
“And you know what, Zenuit…….”
“What is it again?”
“If I say I need power, can you get into my body and help me like last time?”
“Power……”
“Yes, force, to be precise.”
Zenuit looked at Nelia as if he were looking at a freak.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable for you to have someone else get into your body?”
“I have faith if it’s you, Zenuit.”
Zenuit blushed again upon Nelia’s straightforward words. He spoke while scratching his head.
“It’s not impossible, but…… why do you need force?”
“Just as when we met the hooligan in the park last time, we could run into danger at any time. When it happens, I want to take care of it on my own.”
Zenuit didn’t answer right now, but rubbed his chin.
“Then I’ll just lend you my force. You don’t have to take me into your body.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yes! Nothing is impossible for me.”
He’s a little dragon, but…….
“All right, that’s what you said!”
“In return!”
Zenuit spread his small finger and put it in front of Nelia.
“There will be a price for it.”
There’s no way he would just do that…….
“What is it?”
Zenuit turned his head confidently.
“I’ll tell you when you use it.”
“Yes, but nothing too expensive, please. I’m a little anxious because you already have quite a number of refreshments in your stomach here.”
Wondering what Zenuit was imagining as he jumped on the bed with a light step.
“Got it.”
***
During the weekend evening, the carriage stopped in front of the main gate of Duke Hart’s mansion.
“You’ve come.”
It was Layton who got out of the carriage.
The sight of Leighton looking around in the dark was quite vivid.
Leaving Duke Hart who would come out with her, Nelia came out to meet Leighton all by herself instead.
Zenuit was also left in his room. She would take Leighton to his room, so she told him to anticipate their arrival there.
The duke had been told ahead that Zenu wouldn’t be joining them since he had a stomach ache.
The reason why Leighton and her were alone in this situation was because she had to ask him how he knew Zenuit.
Nelia approached Leighton without wasting any time.
“Leighton.”
“Oh, Nelia!”
Leighton walked up to Nelia with a pleasant smile.
“I’ve only been here a few times, but in every visit I’ve had, I could’ve never gotten used to this huge mansion.”
Then he shouldn’t have come……
Nelia spoke to Leighton after swallowing the words in the back of her mind.
“Let’s go inside. His Grace is waiting.”
Leighton walked ahead with light steps as if he was in a good mood. Nelia hurriedly brought up Zenuit while they were walking through the garden.
“Say it, how did you know about Zenu?”
“Oh, that fake cousin of yours? I heard it from the butler when I came here a few days ago.”
……The one who told him was Ton.
Bad lament. Leighton stole the chance when it was least expected.
“Who the h*ll is that fake cousin, and you’ve been tricking everybody to keep him here?”
“……He’s my friend’s kid, but I decided to take care of him for a while due to a situation. The duke’s mansion was where I live, so I decided to keep him here while saying he’s my cousin.”
“You have a friend?”
The conversation she shared with this person, who always managed to get into her nerves, didn’t go anywhere. Nelia, who tried her best to hold it in, answered.
“……I have.”
“All right, I got it.”
Leighton, who was a simple person, didn’t seem to have much doubt about Zenuit’s existence.
I just had to make sure. She just had to make sure.
“Leighton, since I invited you here, you must never tell the duke about Zenu’s identity.”
“Yes.”
She didn’t like the fact that he answered her without sincerity in his voice, but his memories would be manipulated by Zenuit today anyway.
Then starting today, he would really believe that Zenuit is her cousin.
Nelia recalled this insidious plan in her mind.
Then, Leighton pointed to the building beside the main one in the duke’s mansion.
“I’ve always been curious about that building since a long time ago, what the h*ll is that for?”
The building that Leighton asked about was used to keep the duke, who turned into a monster on the day of the total lunar eclipse and being locked there.
Nelia, who couldn’t tell about this, had to equivocate sufficiently.
“……It’s a warehouse.”
“Is the warehouse that big? As expected, what the duke owns is different.”
While looking at the building, Nelia realized that there was only a month left until the day of the total lunar eclipse.
‘It’s going to happen soon……’
Since the door of the dimension would be opened on the day of the total lunar eclipse, the day when the curse of the duke could be lifted was approaching.
She pleaded and prayed that Duke Hart wouldn’t turn into a monster that day. If that’s the case, it would be hard to cross the door of dimension that Zenuit mentioned before.
Nelia inwardly sighed.
She couldn’t solve anything even if she were to be concerned about it right now. She turned the duke back to human last year, so she should hope it would be possible again this year.
“Hey, Nelia.”
Nelia came back to her senses when Leighton called her name.
“What?”
“I called your name several times, but you just answered me now.”
She ignored Leighton’s words.
Nelia gave a dry apology.
“Sorry, I was thinking about something else for a while.”
“Forget it, I have a question. About His Grace.”
Nelia became a little anxious when Leighton asked about the duke.
Like the saying that even a broken watch could be right twice a day, so does this id*ot, he was sharp sometimes.
Especially about things he took interest in.
Of course, his interest seemed to have changed from Duke Hart to Sigrit’s heart now, but she wasn’t sure either.
“What about His Grace?”
“Is he sick?”
Nelia looked at Leighton’s expression.
‘Why is he asking this?’
It was very suspicious that he obviously looked about it elsewhere.
“He’s not sick. Why do you ask?”
“Oh…… I was just worried because he didn’t seem well the last time I came here.”
Nelia lowered her guard a little.
As Leighton said, the duke was sick due to the pouring rain that day. He looked understandably concerning.
“The duke wasn’t in good condition when you came over that day because he had been overworking for a few days.”
“I see……”
“By the way, why did you come here that day without informing me?”
Leighton scratched his head.
“I was looking for clues about Sigrit’s heart that day, and suddenly I felt like I wanted to see Elena Tears once again, so I thought about asking you.”
Was it just because of that?
“It’s impossible for you!”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve given up seeing Elena Tears again after that. I’ll find another way……”
Leighton might haven’t lost interest in Sigrit’s heart just yet.
‘Alright, that’s better.’
Nelia would prefer Leighton to seek Sigrit’s heart.
He’d better not be interested in Duke Hart again.
As Nelia and Leighton talked about other things, they finally arrived at the main building of the duke’s mansion.
Nelia opened the door while secretly hoping that nothing would happen today.