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Chapter 10
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SHE vaguely remember seeing a handsome man with silver hair approaching as she collapsed… but she can’t recall his face clearly. Anyway, when she opened her eyes, she found herself in this unfamiliar place, abruptly dropped here.

Pudding glanced around, surveying her surroundings, and sniffed the air.

‘A scent I’ve never smelled before.’

No scent of Theo, no scent of grass, no warm sunlight. It was a cold place where none of those things could be sensed. Yet, there was a faint, pleasant aroma wafting from the crib and the blanket where Pudding stood on all fours.

Then, the tall woman approached and asked Pudding.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Woof! (Hungry!)”

Pudding wagged her tail once, and the woman told her to wait a moment before bringing something. She carefully held Pudding and offered a bottle to her mouth. Perhaps it was because of her size, but it seemed like she saw her as a newborn baby. Though her pride was a little hurt, Pudding was too famished to worry about such matters.

Suck, suck!

Pudding grabbed the bottle with his front paws and eagerly sucked on the milk.

Huff, huff!

She breathed heavily while drinking vigorously. Daisy used to say that as a werebeast, she would grow much slower than regular puppies. However, seeing that the woman was feeding her, could it be that she had no intention of abandoning her and would raise her?

‘Does that mean I’ve found a new owner?’

Pudding slightly anticipated while trying to remember the face of the woman who was feeding her. The person who feeds her should always be prioritized, after all.

After emptying one bottle, her chin was wet with milk. Pudding extended her tongue to lick away any traces around her nose and mouth. Before she knew it, her little white belly became round and swollen.

“Oh, my, even though it’s a bottle meant for lion cubs, you’ve managed to empty the entire thing. Well done. Being a good eater is commendable.”

“Woof. (Of course.)”

“It seems like it was specially made for lions.”

“Oh, right, I should introduce myself to the young lady, shouldn’t I? My name is Sarah. The other maid with the shorter gray hair is Noelle.”

‘A maid? There’s no way they would take me in.’

Sarah was extremely kind. She wiped away the milk on the corners of Pudding’s mouth with a handkerchief, then gently stroked her back and guided her to burp.

“Burp!”

‘I was embarrassed and didn’t want to do it, but…’

Sarah’s touch on her back was so skilled that Pudding couldn’t resist the urge to burp. After finishing the burping, Pudding sat inside the crib, taking a rest. Noelle, who had disappeared earlier, returned with a tall man.

He had a cool and composed demeanor, with silver hair glistening and violet eyes shining brightly. He was undeniably intimidating due to his imposing height and physique. He was simultaneously frightening and mesmerizing—a beautiful man.

He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, young and handsome. Upon seeing the snow-white beast fur draped over his black attire, it was clear that he held a high position. Moreover, he exuded a tremendous aura of strength.

Under the overwhelming pressure, Pudding couldn’t even breathe properly.

‘This person… He’s not an ordinary human.’

Pudding sensed an extraordinary beast-like energy emanating from him.

Pudding recalled a dream from the past. The only person he had encountered in his previous life who emitted a similar aura was Duke Biolark, Theo’s uncle. He was a black leopard werebeast and always exuded a sharp and oppressive dark aura.

‘This person is different. A much stronger werebeast!’

Pudding’s black eyes sparkled even more like black pearls. She could feel a chilling coldness emanating from the man in front of her. Just his mere presence exuded such a powerful aura.

Wait… now that she thought about it, there was a clan of werebeasts that lived in the cold northern region.

‘The Northern Silvercliff’s Silver Lion Clan, the Crovache Duchy!’

Pudding had heard about them while studying history with Theo.

‘That’s right, that’s why it’s so cold here. Wait a minute… the place where I was originally born was also such a cold place.’

When Pudding was recalling her previous dream of being abandoned, the Duke who gazed at Pudding said, “Are you truly my long-lost daughter?”

“Woof!?”

Her small ears twitched, and her black eyes widened in surprise.

‘Does that mean this handsome man is my father? Moreover, he’s the leader of the Crovache.’

She had heard rumors about him. Titles like the Lion King of Hell and the Snowfield Warlord accompanied his fearsome reputation. But that was all she knew. Besides…

‘He doesn’t resemble me at all.’

Pudding tilted her head and examined the man. She held her breath for a moment, and the Duke’s silver eyebrows twitched, rising in surprise.

“…What is she doing?”

Sarah, the gentle maid who smiled at the puppy, calmly said, “Perhaps, since she wants to know you and get acquainted, she wants to sniff you.”

“Sniff, huh?”

The Duke, who was listening to Sarah’s words, took a step toward Pudding and extended his finger. It was a large hand with calloused skin.

‘These lions are foolish. I’m not a real dog; I’m a werebeast. But for now, let’s play along.’

Unknowingly, Pudding raised her front paw and reached out to him, trying to act cute. Then, the Duke’s thumb touched her soft, pink jelly-like paw. The tender, pink flesh was far from the condition of being recognized as a member of the Silver Lion Clan.

The Duke frowned disapprovingly at her soft and delicate paw.

“Are you supposed to walk around with such a squishy paw?”

His face contorted in seriousness. He had never seen such a feeble and insignificant paw before. Even if someone claimed it belonged to a doll or decoration, it would be believable.

“The more I look at it, the less it resembles a lion.”

“Mmm.”

‘Perhaps lions are not like this.’

As he spoke, the duke emitted his characteristic powerful aura. The scent of wood, ice, white musk, and the enchanting fragrance of rosa rugosa filled the air. Among the intimidating auras unique to lions, the head, Khalid’s aura was particularly intense. When he emitted it strongly, he could dominate and crush his opponent with just his aura. It was an alluring and absolute power.

Unbeknownst to her, the people found themselves holding their breath. However, the puppy’s response was unexpected. Contrary to expectations, she didn’t tremble and whimper. The puppy looked up, lifting one of her front paws and placing it gently on his index finger.

‘Does this little one have the temperament of a beast? How should I test it?’

Khalid narrowed his eyes, and his violet eyes gradually turned golden, distorting his face in a frightening manner. He was on the verge of roaring. Sharp fangs emerged between his rosy lips, threatening the puppy.

“Grrr…”

Although it wasn’t a full-fledged roar, he appeared to be a very dangerous creature, visibly intimidating.

‘Heh, he’s a really terrifying person. Is this what a lion is like? But maybe it’s because he’s handsome, even when he scrunches up his face, he looks cool.’

Pudding barely suppressed her fear but instinctively, her body tensed. The maids anxiously wondered if the puppy might faint.

‘Perhaps this is some kind of test, to see if I possesses the qualities of a lion. Alright, I’ll show him something too.’

Pudding made a firm decision at that moment.