𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓
“Eugene-sama…?”
It looked like a black mass.
But upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was made up of long, black hair growing densely. Its body gently billowed, rising and falling in a rhythm similar to human breathing. It was quite large, and it was impossible to tell what kind of animal it was.
“Don’t look…Don’t look at me…”
As Mabel strained her eyes, she could see four legs extending from its torso. They resembled those of a beast, but the tips were adorned with unbelievably sharp claws.
With trepidation, Mabel moved her gaze to where its head would be. Suddenly, she was caught in its gaze.
The piercing gaze, sharp enough to shoot her down, had golden eyes, and the black pupils at the center of its eyes were as thin as threads. In the blink of an eye, it stood up and fled to the back of the room.
‘What is that?’
Every time it breathed, the black hair trembled slightly, and a faint sound, like “Ffu,” escaped. The sound she had been hearing all along seemed to be the sound of this creature breathing.
Now, in front of the bookshelf, Eugene was wrapped in his favorite blanket, shrinking his large body to its limits. Occasionally, he exhaled with a trembling motion, more indicating fear than anger.
“Eugene-sama, right?”
There was no one else in the room.
When Mabel asked, It answered in a voice even more broken than before.
“…Yes. it’s me…”
With Its confirmation, Mabel felt a slight sense of relief.
There was no doubt that it was Eugene. But what was the meaning of this appearance?
“Why are you in such a state?”
“. . .Because of the new moon.”
Mabel involuntarily gasped.
“Once every two years, there is a day called Coffin’s New Moon. Today happens to be that day.”
Eugene remained huddled in the blanket, still looking down. Even now, he was exhaling in pain, but the speed was gradually increasing.
“On the night of that day, we undergo a transformation. Like this―Ah, ahhh!”
Towards the end, he squeezed out the words, and Eugene let out a loud scream. With the force of tearing the blanket apart, he repeatedly banged his head against the floor.
Mabel hurriedly tried to run towards him, but she stopped in her tracks as a strong wind passed in front of her.
Feeling something strange under her eyes, Mabel touched her own cheek with her finger.
There was a sticky trace of blood, and upon seeing it, Mabel was astonished. Eugene’s claws were facing her, and he had probably swung them toward her.
“Don’t come closer! Don’t come, don’t…don’t come near me…”
Saying that, Eugene once again held his head and curled up. Mabel stood still, not knowing what to do in the face of his appearance.
‘What should I do, but he looks so agonized.’
He had said it would only last for one night.
That means if she waits until morning, he will return to his original self, right?
Thinking that, Mabel looked at the beastly Eugene again. His breathing was becoming increasingly rough, and the frequency of his thrashing was increasing. He collided with furniture and books multiple times, and she could see that he had been hitting his head since earlier.
Surely, he must have suffered severe injuries all over his body.
‘One night…in this condition?’
There were still a few hours until dawn. There was no way she could believe that his body would be unharmed if she just let him stay like this.
Mabel took a deep breath, preparing herself.
She tore off the curtain hanging on the window and spread it in front of her body.
Since the fabric was quite heavy, it should be able to withstand some impact.
“Eugene-sama, I’m sorry, please bear with it for a little while.”
The beast began to suffer again. It hit the table with its leg and fell. Seizing the opportunity, Mabel ran towards Eugene, using the curtain as a shield.
Perhaps he noticed it, as he finally muttered words like a murmur.
“Don’t come…don’t come.”
However, before those words could reach her, Mabel had already thrown herself at his neck. The black hair was stiff and rough, and she desperately held down the sharp claws, shouting, “It’s going to be okay!”
The claws she had been holding trembled in surprise.
Mabel continued to firmly look at Eugene. He buried his entire body in the blanket, breathing in pain while moving his body up and down.
For now, she had sealed his claws, but what should she do next? While thinking about it, she tried stroking his back.
“Where does it hurt? How’s your breathing?”
“Why…why…”
Eugene’s voice had become quite difficult to hear, and Mabel gently placed her other hand on the blanket. She carefully shifted it to see his face.
A nose that stretched out like that of a wolf.
Beneath it, a mouth that seemed to split open, revealing multiple sharp teeth. Mabel felt the urge to scream, but she desperately swallowed it down, knowing that if she screamed now, he would surely run away.
Earlier, she couldn’t quite make it out, but his eyes were a beautiful almond-shaped gold. Mabel felt as if she were being drawn into them, but suddenly a small pain shot through her chest, bringing her consciousness back to herself.
“It’s okay. I’ll stay by your side until morning.”
After Eugene seemed to have looked into Mabel’s eyes, he squinted them in a crescent shape. Amidst his labored breathing, his words spilled out intermittently.
“My head…hurts.”
“Your head?”
Mabel gently placed her hand on what seemed to be his forehead. There was no noticeable fever. She initially thought it might be pain from an external injury, but judging from his repeated head-banging movements, it seemed to be internal pain.
Reluctantly, she continued to move her hand up and down, slowly stroking his head. She didn’t think this would magically heal him, but it was better than doing nothing.
“I hope it feels a little better.”
“…”
Eugene’s breathing remained irregular and rough, but since he didn’t respond, it didn’t seem like the pain was increasing. Mabel continued to stroke his shoulders and back.
‘Maybe his body is cold.’
When the extremities of the body get cold, it can cause headaches. Mabel covered his body with the curtain she brought and continued to stroke him diligently.
Then, perhaps feeling a bit relieved, Eugene’s breathing became softer. Mabel saw that his golden eyes were closed, and he lay there looking exhausted.
Once again, Mabel gently stroked his head like a pet.
Good, it seems like he’s feeling a little better.
And so, Mabel continued to stroke his body until dawn broke.
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