Chapter 219 – Jackey

Chapter 219

Jackey

Date : Day 21 of Frostfall 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Elise's revelation made the atmosphere inside the carriage turn rigid.

The carriage continued along the snowy road. The sound of the horses' hooves remained steady beneath them.

Outside the carriage, the endless white landscape slowly passed by. Snow continued falling from the gray sky, and the bare trees lining the road disappeared one after another behind them.

But the gentle rhythm of the journey suddenly felt distant.

Hyoren furrowed his brow.

Jackey still went to a brothel after getting together with Arianna…?

The thought immediately crossed his mind.

He cheated on her?

Hyoren couldn't understand it.

Why would Jackey still go to a brothel after already having Arianna as his lover? He shouldn't need a prostitute anymore. At least, that was how Hyoren saw it.

If they had already decided to become lovers, then going to a brothel afterward would be a betrayal. The more Hyoren thought about it, the more baffled he became.

Beside him, Elise's expression had changed completely. Her emerald eyes narrowed. Then narrowed further. Until they almost looked like slits.

She stared directly at Jackey.

“Care to explain, Jackey?”

Her voice was sharp.

“You're being unfaithful despite already being Arianna's lover?”

Jackey flinched.

Elise's tone became even colder.

“What you did is unforgivable.”

Hyoren couldn't help but agree.

He knew better than most how frightening Elise could become when she was angry. He himself had been the target of that cold fury once, back when he was still stubbornly denying his feelings toward Ina. The memory alone made him shudder.

Even when she's not angry at me, this is scary...

Hyoren did have two lovers himself. But that was different. He had never cheated on Elise. He had accepted Ina only after Elise gave him permission.

Jackey, meanwhile, had apparently gone to a brothel after becoming Arianna's lover. There was no way Hyoren could simply ignore that.

Jackey quickly waved both hands.

His tabby cat ears were completely flattened against his head, and his usually energetic tail had gone completely still.

“Elise, please!”

His voice was panicked.

“There is a reason for that!”

Elise's expression didn't soften.

“Reason?”

She crossed her arms.

“Is that just your excuse?”

Jackey shook his head rapidly.

“No! There is a reason! I swear!”

Elise continued staring at him.

“I've always hated dishonesty and liars, Jackey.”

Jackey gulped.

The carriage seemed to become even quieter. Hyoren watched the cat-clan beastkin nervously. Jackey looked like a cat that had just been cornered.

He desperately shook his head.

“I swear! I'm telling the truth!”

Then he suddenly turned toward Arianna. His golden eyes practically begged for help.

“Please help me.”

Elise's gaze followed his. Hyoren's did too.

Both of them turned toward the crimson-haired mage.

Arianna was unusually still. She hadn't said a single word since Elise's accusation. Her lips were curled slightly downward, but her expression was difficult to read.

Her light-blue eyes remained fixed somewhere ahead. One hand tightly clutched the edge of her purple robe. Her fingers were tense.

She wasn't laughing. She wasn't defending Jackey. She wasn't angry either. At least, not visibly.

Elise narrowed her eyes slightly. Hyoren remained silent. Jackey waited anxiously.

For a few seconds, nobody said anything. The three of them simply looked at Arianna. Everyone was waiting for her to speak.

Elise waited for several seconds.

When no answer came, her gaze returned to Jackey. Her emerald eyes were still narrowed.

“Jackey.”

Her voice remained cold.

“What makes you any different from Killa, then?”

Jackey's ears twitched.

Elise continued.

“You said Killa was unfaithful. You said that was why you left her.”

She scoffed softly.

“And look at you now.”

Her eyes sharpened.

“What a hypocrite.”

Hyoren couldn't help but agree. He gave a small nod. The comparison was difficult to argue against.

Jackey visibly winced. His tabby cat ears flattened even further against his head.

“But...”

He didn't have an answer. The mention of Killa seemed to make the accusation hit even harder.

For a moment, only the sound of the carriage accompanied them.

Then Arianna finally opened her mouth. She let out a small sigh.

“Mentor... Leader...”

Her voice was weak. Her fingers tightened around her robe. It was obvious that whatever she was about to say was difficult for her. She lowered her eyes.

Then she took a slow, deep breath. In. And out. After gathering herself, she raised her gaze again.

Her light-blue eyes met Elise's emerald ones. The silver-haired elf was still radiating cold fury. Arianna swallowed.

“I was the one who suggested Jackey go to the brothel.”

The words were quiet. But they hit the carriage like another bomb.

Jackey slumped back into his seat. His shoulders dropped as though all the strength had suddenly left his body.

He looked tired. Defeated. And beneath it all was unmistakable guilt.

Elise's narrowed eyes suddenly widened.

“What?”

Hyoren stared at Arianna. His mind seemed to stop for a moment.

She told him to go?

He couldn't process it.

Arianna herself had suggested that Jackey go to a brothel…?

Even though she was his lover…?

What?

Hyoren's thoughts became a mess. Arianna's answer was too absurd for him to process.

He had read about strange relationships in some of the fiction from his old world. There were stories about people who enjoyed watching their partners sleep with other people. But those were stories. Fiction.

He had never seriously believed that people would actually do something like that in reality.

And yet Arianna was sitting right in front of him. She had apparently been the one who told her own lover to go to a brothel.

Hyoren didn't know what to think.

Elise slowly shook her head. Her expression was no longer simply angry. Now there was genuine disbelief mixed into it.

“What do you mean by telling him to cheat on you?”

Her voice was incredulous.

“Arianna, are you kidding me?”

Arianna went silent again.

Her gaze lowered. For several seconds, she didn't answer. It was as if even saying the next words aloud was difficult.

Jackey remained beside her, equally quiet.

Finally, Arianna slowly shook her head.

“No.”

She looked back at Elise. Her light-blue eyes met the emerald ones again.

“I didn't encourage him to cheat on me.”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“It was... difficult for both of us too.”

Jackey weakly nodded beside her.

“I'm sorry... Arianna.”

Arianna turned toward him. Despite everything, she reached out and gently touched his arm. She gave him a weak smile.

“It's not your fault alone.”

She paused.

“It was mine too.”

Arianna took another deep breath.

Her hand remained on Jackey's arm. She was trying to steel herself.

Hyoren furrowed his eyebrows.

This wasn't what he had expected at all. There was clearly something behind this. Something that neither Jackey nor Arianna had explained yet.

Elise seemed to realize the same thing. Her expression remained serious, but she didn't press Arianna any further.

The carriage continued forward through the falling snow.

Nobody spoke.

Hyoren waited. Elise waited. Jackey waited beside Arianna.

And finally, all of them simply gave Arianna the time she needed to gather herself and explain what had actually happened.

***

For a while, the carriage remained quiet.

The wheels rolled steadily beneath them, occasionally jolting the carriage whenever they passed over an uneven patch of snow-covered road. Outside the window, snow continued to fall, drifting past in white streaks.

Arianna seemed to need time to gather her thoughts.

Eventually, she shifted slightly in her seat and spoke.

“It was hard for me too.”

She smiled softly, though there was a trace of embarrassment in her expression.

“It took us a few days of discussion before we reached that decision.”

Hyoren and Elise listened quietly.

Arianna hesitated, her fingers lightly playing with the edge of her purple robe.

“Jackey is... how should I say it?”

She glanced toward Jackey.

“His stamina is... out of the norm.”

Jackey's ears twitched.

Arianna immediately looked away. Her cheeks became slightly red as she stared through the carriage window at the falling snow.

“The first time we did it... he went until dawn.”

Her voice became quieter.

“I lost count of how many times we actually did it.”

The carriage rocked gently. Arianna shifted slightly in her seat.

“I was so sore afterward that I could barely walk.”

Elise's expression suddenly changed. Her eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on her.

“Ah...”

She turned toward Arianna.

“That day you said you had caught a cold and asked to have your breakfast left outside your room?”

Arianna's shoulders stiffened.

“Yes...”

Hyoren also nodded.

He remembered that. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it. They had only recently returned from the horrors of Riverville Town, and everyone had been exhausted.

It was also the middle of winter. Someone getting sick wasn't unusual. So he had simply accepted Arianna's explanation.

Arianna gave an awkward little smile and looked back toward the window.

“That's right.”

Then she reached over and lightly touched Jackey's leg.

“Even then... Jackey was far from satisfied.”

Jackey scratched his cheek.

“I... I'm sorry.”

Arianna smiled weakly at him.

“I know you tried to hold back.”

Her fingers tightened slightly around her purple robe.

“I know you did.”

She looked down.

“But I could see that you were suffering.”

Her voice became more melancholic.

“After all, even before we decided to become lovers, I already knew that Jackey went to brothels almost every day to vent his sexual urge.”

Jackey remained quiet. His usual restless movements had disappeared.

Arianna shook her head.

“I didn't want to see my lover suffer.”

She took a slow breath as the carriage swayed beneath them.

“I saw him become desperate when he had no way to vent it. He could barely think straight.”

Her expression was sad.

“So I told him to go to a brothel and vent it.”

Hyoren finally understood. He leaned back against the carriage seat, his gaze drifting toward the snowy window.

He remembered something Jackey had casually told him before. 

When Hyoren had once asked why Jackey liked going to brothels so frequently, Jackey had said that his sexual urge was almost bottomless. Back then, Hyoren had thought of it mostly as Jackey's unusual hobby. But perhaps he had misunderstood.

It wasn't a hobby that created the need. The need had existed first. The brothels had simply become the way Jackey dealt with it.

Even during their dungeon runs, when there had been no opportunity to visit one, Jackey had redirected that restless energy into fighting.

Hyoren remembered how Jackey sometimes became almost battle-crazed during dungeon dives. Whacking goblins. Charging at monsters. Constantly looking for something else to fight.

Perhaps that had been another way for him to vent what he couldn't otherwise satisfy.

But whenever they returned to town, Jackey could no longer simply redirect it into fighting monsters. So he went to brothels instead.

Elise remained silent.

Her emerald eyes shifted between Arianna and Jackey. The cold fury that had filled them earlier had receded somewhat.

She was still processing everything Arianna had said.

“Then...”

She looked at Arianna.

“You told him to go to a brothel?”

Arianna nodded.

“Yes.”

Elise frowned.

“Was there really no other way?”

Arianna slowly shook her head.

“No.”

She hesitated, rubbing her fingers together.

“I even asked some... maids at my home.”

Her smile was weak.

“There are drugs and methods to increase sexual urges.”

She looked slightly embarrassed.

“But the opposite?”

She shook her head again.

“There isn't really one.”

The carriage gave another small bump.

Arianna steadied herself with one hand against the seat before looking down at her hands.

“Because the remedy is simple, right?”

She gave a small, bitter smile.

“Just have sex.”

Elise's expression became complicated.

Arianna continued.

“It was a difficult decision for me. Really.”

She placed a hand against her chest.

“It was painful seeing him go to a brothel and be embraced by another woman.”

Her voice became quieter.

“But my body couldn't handle it.”

She looked toward Jackey.

“And I didn't want him to suffer.”

Jackey's expression softened. He reached over and gently held Arianna's hand.

“I tried to hold back.”

His voice was subdued.

“But... I always get this headache whenever I can't satisfy my urge...”

His tabby cat ears twitched nervously.

Jackey looked toward Elise and Hyoren.

“Big Bro. Elise.”

He took a breath.

“I do love her.”

His fingers tightened around Arianna's hand.

“I don't want to cheat on her.”

He sighed.

“I'm not fooling around with random women anymore.”

His expression was unusually serious.

“And I promised Arianna that I would remain faithful to her.”

He smiled weakly.

“But this need is a different case. I tried to hold back.”

He lowered his gaze.

“But I couldn't even walk properly because of the headache.”

His ears drooped.

“My urge has always been strong since I was young.”

Jackey briefly looked toward Arianna. Then he turned back toward Hyoren and Elise.

“Now I only go to a specific brothel that Arianna approved.”

He spoke carefully, making sure they understood.

“And I always tell her where and when I'm going.”

Arianna nodded.

“Yes. The brothel adjacent to our home, Succubus’s Lust. It was the best brothel in Akela. They took good care of their women, no diseases were permitted, and the customers were curated as well.”

She smiled.

“At least I know where he goes and what kind of women he goes with.”

Jackey's expression became earnest.

“That was my promise to her.”

He nodded.

“And I'll keep it. There is no dishonesty between us.”

Arianna gently squeezed Jackey’s hand.

“We're still trying to find a solution.”

She smiled softly.

“Jackey also said that this shouldn't have to last forever.”

Then she gave him a sideways glance.

“That's why I've been training my stamina.”

Jackey's ears twitched.

Arianna's cheeks became slightly red again.

“And I'm trying to match his.”

She gave a small laugh.

“Though... I still have a long way to go. Ohoho.”

Jackey scratched his cheek awkwardly.

Arianna's light-blue eyes softened.

“But for now... this arrangement couldn't be helped.”

She paused, watching the snow slide past the window. Then she continued.

“We also discussed Jackey getting a second woman.”

Hyoren blinked.

Arianna looked toward him and Elise.

“And I think we're going to look for one.”

She tilted her head.

“Isn't that what you two do as well, Mentor?”

She glanced toward Elise.

“You and Lady Ina manage Leader in turns.”

Elise's eyes widened slightly.

Hyoren immediately felt his face warming.

Arianna finally laughed.

“I wish to do the same too. It was normal in noble society too. Women having multiple husbands. Men having multiple wives.”

She smiled wryly.

“But of course, finding a trustworthy woman that Jackey could also love, and whom I could accept, isn't going to be easy. Ohoho.”

Jackey remained quiet beside her, but he continued holding her hand.

Elise watched the two of them for a long moment.

The carriage rocked gently beneath them. Outside, the snowy landscape continued passing by.

The anger that had been directed at Jackey had completely disappeared. Now she understood. This wasn't Jackey secretly betraying Arianna. It wasn't him sneaking around behind her back.

Arianna knew. She had agreed to it. They had discussed it together.

And Jackey had promised to remain honest with her. There was still trust between them.

Elise finally nodded.

“I see...”

She let out a small breath.

“If that's the case... then it couldn't be helped.”

Hyoren nodded as well.

He still felt slightly awkward about the comparison Arianna had made between their relationship and his own relationship with Elise and Ina. His cheeks were faintly red.

But he understood now.

***

For a while, the only sounds inside the carriage were the steady rumble of its wheels and the occasional creak of wood whenever it passed over uneven ground.

Hyoren sat quietly, his eyes wandering between the two people across from him.

Then, something occurred to him. He turned toward Arianna.

“Wait. If you two were looking for another woman who could help with Jackey's urges, why were you so strongly against Killa, Arianna?”

Arianna's expression changed almost immediately.

The moment Killa's name left Hyoren's mouth, the warmth that had been on her face disappeared. Her shoulders stiffened, and she shifted slightly in her seat before folding her arms.

“Leader... please.”

Her voice was noticeably firmer than before.

“I did say I would look for another woman to help me. But I also said that woman would have to be someone I could trust. And I would have to accept her first.”

Her light-blue eyes regained their usual sharpness.

“And that manipulative woman is definitely out. I can't trust her. Not at all.”

She leaned back against the carriage seat, arms still crossed.

“As I said at the Winking Cat, she tried to guilt-trip Jackey. She was manipulative and spoiled. She reminded me of those toxic noble girls who think they can get whatever they want simply by acting cute and manipulating the men around them.”

There was a trace of disgust in her voice.

“Sigh… Just remembering them makes me angry again...”

The carriage rocked gently as it continued through the snowy road. Arianna's gaze remained forward for a moment, her expression still sour.

Elise, sitting beside Hyoren, tilted her head.

“You had a bad experience with women like her, huh?”

Arianna's fingers loosened slightly around the fabric of her robe. She adjusted it neatly over her lap before giving a small nod.

“I didn't really care about love or men during my academy days.”

Her voice softened.

“I was much more interested in learning magic from Headmistress Thavenessia.”

She turned her gaze toward the window. Snow drifted past the glass in pale streaks, disappearing behind the carriage as quickly as it appeared.

“But... some men still tried to chase after me. I properly rejected them, of course.”

Arianna let out a quiet sigh.

“That didn't stop many of the women who actually liked those men from becoming angry with me.”

Her eyes remained fixed outside.

“They banded together. They manipulated people around me. And then... they did many cruel things to me.”

The words came more slowly now.

For a moment, the elegant noblewoman seemed less concerned with maintaining her usual composure.

She gave a faint, bitter smile.

“As low nobility from the frontier, my position in the academy was already rather weak...”

Arianna finally looked back at them.

“So whenever I see a manipulative woman like that, I can't help but remember those times…”

She paused. Then smiled weakly.

“Forgive me for my outburst earlier. I couldn't help it because I see the resemblance to those bullies on Killa…”

Her expression hardened again.

“That is why I will definitely never accept someone like her.”

Jackey had been unusually quiet while Arianna spoke.

His usual restless movements had almost completely disappeared. He simply listened, his tabby cat ears lowered slightly as the carriage continued to sway beneath them.

After Arianna finished, he gave a small nod.

“Yeah.”

His voice was quieter than usual.

“Big Bro, Elise... I know Killa didn't really love me that much. Maybe she still has feelings for me. But what drives her now is frustration because I didn't swoon over her like the other men did… Not like she actually loves me.”

Hyoren and Elise exchanged a brief glance. Then, almost at the same time, they nodded.

Hyoren was quiet for a moment, letting Arianna's explanation settle in.

Then he slowly nodded.

“I see... I guess that makes sense.”

He leaned back against the carriage seat, glancing briefly through the window at the endless white landscape outside.

“Just because you're looking for a second woman doesn't mean you can accept just anyone.”

Arianna immediately nodded.

“Exactly.”

Her expression was firm again.

“She would have to be someone I could trust. Someone Jackey could trust. And, most importantly, I would have to accept her.”

Hyoren nodded.

“Right.”

But then another thought came to him. His eyes shifted toward Jackey.

“Actually... now I'm curious about something else.”

Jackey looked at him.

Hyoren tilted his head.

“Jackey, what actually happened between you and Killa?”

Jackey's tabby cat ears immediately flattened. The carefree expression he had been wearing disappeared.

Hyoren had been thinking about their confrontation in the tavern. Those two clearly had a long history. They had grown up together.

And yet, somewhere along the way, everything had fallen apart so badly that Jackey now wanted nothing to do with her.

There had to be more to the story.

Arianna seemed to be thinking the same thing. She shifted closer to Jackey and looked at him.

“That's something I'd like to know too.”

Her voice was gentler now.

“I know what Killa is like... a manipulative woman… but what happened between you two?”

Even Elise, who had remained quiet until now, gave Jackey an expectant look.

“I was wondering about that myself.”

Jackey scratched the back of his head. His cat ears remained lowered.

“It... it's a pretty long story, everyone.”

The usual energy in his voice was gone. He looked down at his hands for a moment. Then he sighed.

“As you all know, Killa and I were childhood friends.”

The carriage rocked gently beneath them.

“Our homes in the Golden Cat Plateau were right next to each other. We basically grew up together.”

A small smile appeared on Jackey's face.

“We went to school together too.”

He chuckled.

“And when we were five, we even promised each other that we'd get married someday.”

Arianna's eyes softened.

She quietly glanced at Jackey. There was no jealousy in her expression now. Only a quiet sadness for the childhood he was describing.

Jackey continued.

“For me... that promise was something I really looked forward to.”

His smile slowly faded.

“But I don't know if she felt the same way.”

He stared out the window.

“Things changed as we grew up.”

Arianna's hand slowly moved toward his. She didn't interrupt him. She simply rested her fingers against his hand.

Jackey looked down at their joined hands for a moment. A small smile returned. Then he continued.

“Unlike me and Big Sis Ina, who were orphaned when I was still a baby, Killa grew up as an only child.”

He shrugged slightly.

“At first, she was just spoiled.”

He gave a small laugh.

“But honestly, it wasn't really a bad thing back then. She liked being pampered. She liked having everyone take care of her. She loved being called princess and acted like one too.”

Arianna listened closely.

Her thumb gently rubbed the back of Jackey's hand.

“But as she got older...” 

Jackey's fingers slowly curled around hers.

“...it became worse.”

He shook his head.

“Especially after she realized she could manipulate men.”

His voice had become more serious.

“I thought it was harmless at first.”

He paused.

“And I still loved her, so I tolerated her.”

Arianna's gaze lowered for a moment. She knew what came next.

Jackey continued.

“We eventually became proper lovers.”

His ears drooped.

“But the day after we graduated from school... after we lost our virginity to each other...”

His hand tightened.

“She decided that one man wasn't enough.”

Elise's expression changed slightly. Meanwhile, Hyoren remained silent. 

Jackey took a slow breath. For a moment, he didn't say anything. His golden eyes lowered toward his hands, his tabby cat ears drooping slightly. The usual energy that seemed to cling to him was nowhere to be seen.

Then he finally spoke.

“She started seeing other men behind my back.”

There was no anger in his voice. Somehow, that made the words feel heavier.

“When I found out and confronted her about it... she turned it around on me.”

His fingers slowly curled into his palms.

“She asked why I wasn't loving her enough. Why I wasn't giving her the kind of attention those other men were giving her.”

He gave a small, bitter laugh.

“I didn't understand it. I thought... maybe I had done something wrong.”

Arianna's expression softened.

She quietly placed her hand over Jackey's.

Jackey glanced at her hand. His ears twitched. Then he gently squeezed it before continuing.

“At first, I forgave her.”

His voice became quieter.

“I still loved her, after all.”

He looked out through the carriage window. Outside, snow continued to fall across the white fields, disappearing beneath the wheels as the carriage moved onward.

“But then one became two.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Two became three.”

He paused.

“Then I stopped being able to count.”

Arianna's fingers tightened around his hand.

She already knew some of the story from the confrontation on The Winking Cat. But hearing Jackey actually speak about it made the past feel different.

Jackey continued.

“Every time I asked her why she kept doing it, she gave me the same answer.”

He shook his head slowly.

“She said I wasn't enough.”

His mouth twisted into a faint, humorless smile.

“She liked being surrounded by men who would do anything for her. Men who would spoil her. Men who would kiss her feet and do anything she asked them. Men who would treat her like some kind of princess.”

He briefly closed his eyes.

“She said she felt... elated when they all fought for her attention.”

Jackey exhaled through his nose.

“At first, I kept thinking she'd eventually get tired of it.”

His voice dropped.

“That she'd remember the promise we made when we were children.”

His hand tightened around Arianna's.

“But she didn't. Never once.”

A long silence settled inside the carriage. Even the rhythmic clopping of the horses seemed strangely distant.

Jackey finally looked toward Hyoren and Elise.

“So I left.”

There was no dramatic anger in the statement. Just finality.

“I couldn't keep pretending everything was fine when she had already decided that what we had wasn't enough.”

He smiled weakly.

“That's why I don't want to go back to that anymore.”

Arianna squeezed his hand. Jackey looked at her. She gave him a small, reassuring smile.

He returned it before continuing.

“After that... I just started fooling around with other women.”

He gave a weak laugh.

“I guess that was how I dealt with it. And my urges also force me to vent it.”

Arianna's smile faded slightly. She understood that part of him better than anyone. But she didn't judge him. Instead, she moved her hand a little closer and intertwined her fingers with his.

Jackey's expression softened.

“Then I met Arianna.”

His golden eyes turned toward her.

“And everything changed.”

Arianna blinked. Her cheeks slowly became pink.

Jackey grinned.

“She understands me better than anyone.”

Arianna's lips curved into a bright smile.

“And I'm really grateful that I found you too, Jackey. I love you.”

She gave his hand another gentle squeeze. Jackey squeezed back.

“I love you too, Arianna.”

For a moment, the two simply looked at each other.

Elise smiled. Hyoren did too. Neither of them interrupted the couple.

The carriage continued to sway gently as it crossed the snowy road.

Hyoren found himself thinking about Jackey differently.

They had known him for quite some time now. They knew the loud Jackey. The energetic Jackey. The Jackey who shouted ‘WOHOO!’ whenever something excited him. The Jackey who could somehow turn almost any conversation toward brothels. The Jackey who charged into battle with frightening enthusiasm.

It had been easy to see him as nothing more than that—a carefree Cat-clan Beastkin who loved women, food, fighting, and having fun.

But now Hyoren understood that there had always been something underneath it.

Jackey had a history.

He had loved someone before. He had been hurt. He had made mistakes. He had found his own ways to cope with what happened.

And eventually—he had found someone he genuinely wanted to protect and love.

Arianna leaned slightly against Jackey's shoulder. She looked peaceful now. There was a quiet pride in her light-blue eyes. She knew the Jackey they were only beginning to understand.

The Jackey behind the jokes. Behind the WOHOO. Behind the endless energy. Behind his shameless declaration of “I want to go to a brothel!”

He was still a person.

Someone with a past. With memories. With wounds. With hopes. And with feelings.

Elise's expression softened as she watched them. She had already accepted Jackey as family long ago. But now she understood him a little better.

Hyoren felt the same.

He looked at the two lovers sitting beside each other and smiled. They had welcomed Jackey into their family because of the person they knew. Now they were beginning to understand the person he had been before they met him.

***

Not long after, the carriage finally reached Akela.

The familiar walls of the city emerged through the winter haze, their silhouettes standing against the white landscape. Snow covered the rooftops and roads, while the mountains in the distance had become almost entirely white.

The carriage slowed as it approached the northern gate.

“Whoa…”

The horses snorted softly as the driver pulled on the reins. With a final creak of the wooden wheels, the carriage came to a stop.

“We're here. Everyone.”

Hyoren pushed open the carriage door and stepped down onto the snowy road. The others followed. Everyone was tired.

Especially the two adventurers who had spent most of the journey sleeping in the front.

The driver glanced back at them.

“Hey. Wake up. We're in Akela.”

One of the adventurers stirred with a groan.

“Already…?”

The driver sighed.

“Unless you plan on sleeping in the carriage all night.”

That finally got them moving.

Hyoren barely paid attention to them. He and the others had their own thoughts to occupy them as they made their way toward the city.

Jackey, however, seemed to have recovered his energy the moment his feet touched solid ground. He stretched both arms high above his head.

“Ahhh! I'm tired!”

His tabby cat ears perked up. His tail spiraled excitedly.

“I want to sleep like a log! HAHAHA!”

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at the sudden return of his usual energy.

Arianna walked beside him, maintaining just enough distance to avoid making their relationship too obvious. She covered her mouth with one hand.

“I agree. I definitely need a good night's sleep. Ohoho.”

Jackey glanced at her and grinned.

“Then let's sleep early, Miss Purple.”

Arianna's lips twitched. She quietly elbowed him.

“Not so loud, Sir Jackey.”

Jackey blinked. Then he grinned.

“Right. HAHA.”

Arianna giggled.

“Ohoho.”

Hyoren shook his head with an amused smile. Then he looked at the silver-haired elf beside him.

“Let's just get home first, Elise?”

Elise nodded.

“Agreed.”

The group continued through the familiar streets of Akela. The cold air bit at their faces, but after spending so long in the wilderness and the dungeon, the sight of the city itself felt comforting.

Before long, they reached Wyvern Street Manor. The familiar building stood quietly beneath a thin layer of snow.

Hyoren pushed open the door.

“Finally, our home…”

The manor was mostly dark. Everyone else had already gone to sleep.

Everyone except Ina. 

A faint light still came from the dining room. Hyoren stepped inside and immediately heard the soft clink of a cup.

Ina's head rose. Her cat ears perked up instantly. The moment she saw everyone entering, she stood. Her tail swished happily behind her.

“Everyone! Welcome back!”

Hyoren smiled.

“We're back, Ina.”

He walked toward her.

“And we're safe.”

He wrapped his arms around her.

Ina immediately hugged him back, pressing herself against him with a relieved smile.

“I'm glad… truly glad…”

For a moment, she simply held him.

Everyone exchanged their goodnights with Ina before heading upstairs.

“Night! Big Sis!”

“Goodnight, Lady Ina.”

Elise stood at the entrance of the dining room. She waved her hand.

“Good night, Hyoren. Ina.”

She smiled.

“Ina must have been lonely after ten days.”

She glanced at Hyoren.

“So go keep her company, okay?”

Hyoren scratched his cheek.

“Thanks, Elise.”

Ina's cheeks became slightly red.

The relationship between his two lovers still amazed him sometimes. Rather than competing with one another, they genuinely supported each other.

Elise gave them one last smile before disappearing upstairs.

Soon, the manor became quiet again.

Not long after, Hyoren and Ina made their way to the master bedroom in the middle of the second floor.

After changing into their nightwear, they slipped beneath the blankets. The warmth of the bed immediately felt wonderful after the cold journey.

Hyoren let out a long breath. Then he turned toward the Cat-clan Beastkin beside him.

“Ina.”

Ina's ears perked up.

“Hmm?”

Hyoren continued.

“A lot happened today.”

She turned toward him with an amused smile.

“Nyahaha. What happened in the dungeon?”

Hyoren chuckled.

“Actually, it wasn't the dungeon.”

He shifted onto his side.

“It happened afterward.”

That caught Ina's attention. So Hyoren told her everything.

He explained what happened at the tavern. He told her about Killa. About Jackey's complicated history with her. And, eventually, about Jackey and Arianna's relationship.

Ina listened quietly.

Contrary to what Hyoren expected, she didn't look particularly surprised. When he finished, she simply nodded.

“I see…”

Hyoren blinked.

“You're not surprised?”

Ina tilted her head.

“About what?”

Hyoren furrowed his eyebrows.

“About… everything.”

Ina laughed.

“Nyahaha.”

She settled more comfortably against her pillow.

“I'm Jackey's older sister, remember?”

She tapped her chest lightly.

“When our parents died from disease, he was only one year old. I raised him myself as we don't have any other family.”

Her expression softened.

“So of course I know Killa too. I've known that girl since she was a baby.”

Hyoren scratched his cheek.

“Oh.”

He paused.

“Right...”

He laughed awkwardly.

“But then… why aren't you surprised about Jackey and Arianna becoming lovers?”

Ina's cat ears perked up again.

“Nyahaha. Again… He's my little brother.”

She gave him an almost smug smile.

“He can't hide anything from me.”

She paused.

“And honestly, they weren't exactly discreet.”

Hyoren raised an eyebrow.

“You noticed?”

Ina nodded. Her brown hair swayed slightly.

“I suspected it for quite a while.”

She laughed softly.

“Those two thought they were being clever. But they were easy to read. Nyahaha.”

Hyoren nodded slowly.

“I see…”

That explained Ina's reaction. She hadn't suddenly learned about Jackey and Arianna tonight. She had probably already put the pieces together long ago.

Hyoren was quiet for a moment. Then another question came to mind.

“So…”

He turned toward her.

“What Jackey said about Killa… was that really true?”

Ina's expression became more thoughtful.

“More or less…”

She rested a finger against her chin.

“Yes.”

Then her expression softened.

“But I think Killa is also a victim, in a way.”

Hyoren's eyebrows rose.

“A victim?”

He remembered Killa's behavior at the tavern.

The accusations. The shouting. The way she quickly raised her scythe when she was confronted. The way she had clung to Jackey despite his obvious reluctance.

“From Jackey's story, she sounded almost purely malicious.”

Ina shook her head. Her brown hair swayed with the motion.

“I didn't say what she did was right.”

Her voice became more serious.

“What she did was still wrong.”

She shifted closer to Hyoren.

“But…”

She looked toward the window. The snowfall had finally stopped. Snow-covered rooftops reflected the pale light outside.

“I think her parents are partly responsible.”

Hyoren listened.

Ina continued.

“They spoiled her.”

She smiled faintly.

“Whenever Killa did something wrong, they always took her side. They kept protecting her instead of making her take responsibility. She was their only child, so I suppose they couldn't help spoiling her.”

Her expression became a little sad.

“But when someone grows up never being told that they're wrong, eventually they stop knowing how to accept their mistakes.”

Hyoren nodded slowly.

Ina continued.

“So I hope this time she'll finally learn something from what happened.”

She smiled.

“Because deep down, Killa really is a good girl. Honest and hardworking.”

Hyoren glanced at her. Then he remembered things he heard from the party that took Killa in.

“Oh right, Jigor and Vani also said the same thing.”

Ina's tail moved lazily beneath the blanket.

“Mm… See?”

She shifted her position a bit.

“She loved me very much too.”

Her smile became warmer.

“She always called me Big Sis Ina... Big Sis Ina…”

Then she laughed.

“It was like having a little sister. Nyahaha.”

Hyoren smiled.

“I see.”

The room became quiet for a moment. Then Hyoren remembered something else.

“Ah. There's one more thing.”

Ina looked at him.

“What?”

Hyoren hesitated.

“About Jackey…”

He scratched his cheek.

“Does he really have that… bottomless sexual urge?”

Ina's lips curved into a knowing smile.

“Well… I think it's more or less a trait among us beastkin.”

She moved closer and latched onto Hyoren's arm.

“My own urge is pretty high too, right? Nyahaha.”

Hyoren gave her a wry smile.

“Well… yeah.”

He paused.

“At least higher than Elise's.”

Ina laughed.

“Exactly.”

She settled against him.

“And when our mating season comes around, it's definitely troublesome enough.”

She shook her head.

“But Jackey…”

Her expression became thoughtful.

“And Killa too.”

She sighed.

“I don't know why, but theirs is much stronger than even other beastkin.”

Ina laughed softly.

“It was a headache for me too back then...”

Hyoren nodded.

“So it really was true…”

He looked thoughtful.

“It wasn't just an excuse Jackey made so he could keep going to brothels even after getting together with Arianna.”

Ina immediately shook her head.

“He wouldn't do that, Hyoren.”

Her voice was gentle but certain.

“He definitely loves Arianna.”

She smiled.

“And he's earnest. You know that.”

Hyoren tilted his head.

Ina poked him lightly.

“You forgot? Jackey is a simpleton. Nyahaha.”

She laughed.

“He wouldn't even be capable of coming up with something that complicated just to deceive someone.”

Hyoren stared at her for a moment. Then he laughed.

“That… is true… Haha.”

Ina laughed with him.

“Exactly. Nyahaha.”

Their laughter gradually faded into the quiet of the bedroom.

Hyoren lay back against the pillow.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Behind Jackey's loud voice, his endless energy, his obsession with brothels, and his constant shouting of “WOHOO!”.

He was still just Jackey.

A simple-minded cat beastkin with an unusually strong urge, but an earnest heart. He wasn't good at lying. He wasn't good at manipulating people.

And when he loved someone, he meant it. That understanding settled comfortably in Hyoren's heart. He was satisfied.

After a while, Hyoren rubbed his tired eyes.

“Let's sleep, Ina.”

Ina immediately moved closer. She wrapped her arms around him.

“Yes. You must be exhausted after everything that happened in the dungeon… and then everything today.”

She rested her head against his shoulder. Her shoulder-length, messy brown hair spread across the pillow.

Hyoren hugged her back. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“Good night, Ina.”

Ina smiled contentedly.

“Night, Hyoren.”

They closed their eyes.

Not long afterward, the room was filled only by the quiet rhythm of their breathing.

Outside, the snowfall had completely stopped. The sky had cleared.

Beyond the window, the three moons of Kresneger—Azure, Crimson, and Ebony—shone together, their mixed light spilling across Akela's vast white blanket of snow.

And somewhere beneath their light, Hyoren finally understood a little more about one of the people he had come to regard as family.