NOVEL NEXT Chapter 399
“What will Catherine do?” Mary glanced silently at the confused onager and motioned her chin toward him.
And then.
“Oh my goodness!”
As soon as he took a bite of the castella, an exclamation burst from the onager’s mouth.
“I had heard that desserts in the human world had evolved, but I never imagined they would become this delicious!”
While he spoke, chomping on the dessert, the onager’s eyes widened as he dove snout-first into a bowl of cream puffs.
“What a knowledgeable unicorn you are.”
Mary seemed quite pleased with that sight.
“Contrary to your rather disappointing first impression of a unicorn, that is.”
“Hm!? That’s something I cannot ignore!”
“Think objectively. Unicorns are well-known for their temperament, but your first impression was no different from that of a belligerent donkey.”
Mary said this coolly.
“Moreover, it was a donkey that was fond of women. I’ve heard of honorable virgins and other such terms for the first time. But really, while the nature of unicorns is famous, isn’t that a bit too much?”
“Too much? No, this is honest!”
The onager did not accept Mary’s plea as he sought agreement from the people around him.
“I’d much rather be openly cheerful and welcoming than those of my kind hiding their true nature behind a mask of elegance, just lusting after virgins!”
“That’s certainly not an untrue statement.”
“Better to be honest.”
William and Karem agreed with serious faces.
Feeling emboldened by those who supported him, the onager turned to Mary with a look that said, “How about this?”
“If most of my kind were in the same situation as I am, some would’ve already died or gotten hurt! But look at me! I’m a peace-loving unicorn! Just look at how well I treat the young ladies who take care of me!”
“That was only possible because you were bound by a magic tool. Besides, the maids and servants have orders and objectives as byproducts.”
“Damn it! You really struck a nerve! But more importantly…”
Perhaps they were neither wrong, the onager redirected his attention back to the desserts, taking a large bite of the castella.
“What—what is this fascinating, sweet aroma!? I can’t stop nibbling on it!”
“That’s vanilla.”
“Vanilla? I’ve never heard of that. A spice? A flower? An essence?”
Karem was about to answer but then sealed his lips.
Even Catherine and Mary had initially felt uneasy when he revealed its true identity—wouldn’t it be better to leave it unknown?
He briefly glanced between Catherine and Mary.
Both of them looked at him with expressions that demanded, “So what? Just say it already,” and William turned as well.
“What are you hesitating for? Just reveal it.”
With William saying that, Karem pondered briefly before shrugging.
“It’s the reproductive glands of the Grizzly Beaver.”
“Ah, I see, so that’s the source of the fragrance… what?”
The onager’s perked ears tilted towards Karem.
“To be more specific, it’s the reproductive glands.”
“…Reproductive glands?”
“The Grizzly Beavers use them when they give birth.”
The onager’s mouth, which had been munching on the castella, froze in place.
His eyes reflected a maelstrom of emotions while staring at the dessert he had been enthusiastically munching on just moments ago.
So, this unicorn onager—who vowed to only allow children, maidens, and honorable virgins, along with their partners—had consumed the x-glands of a monster. Is that what it meant?
The onager stood stiff, like a taxidermy piece.
“Gwaaaah!!! Cough!”
He suddenly started gagging.
But it was already too late.
At the very least, if his mouth was still filled with the chewed remnants, it might have been different.
The onager’s mouth and tongue had long since swallowed the castella he had just chewed.
All the cream puffs, castella, and egg tarts that had entered his stomach showed no intention of coming back up, no matter how many times the onager retched.
“Indeed, this is the reaction I was looking forward to.”
“The reaction you were looking for?”
“Do you understand how flabbergasted I was by the sudden claim that the reproductive glands of a Grizzly Beaver are used as spices? Who in the world would even think of using that as a condiment?”
Damn.
Karem suppressed the words that were about to slip out.
There were no better words for it, but saying it would be like declaring war.
“Yet you, after tasting it, now enjoy vanilla more than anyone else, don’t you?”
“I acknowledge that. I truly didn’t expect that I would end up liking it.”
“Heh heh heh. More importantly, what about that direction over there?”
William smirked, pointing to the two who were bickering and gesturing for them to look at the onager.
“My goodness! This noble unicorn onager has devoured the x-glands of a monster! The tantalizing scent perfectly matches the sweet and soft taste… no, that’s not right!”
Karem realized for the first time that words could come from a face that looked so agonized.
It was like a scene from a cartoon.
“I can’t possibly allow such inferior… okay, maybe not inferior, but mid-to-low-grade monster byproducts to enter this noble mouth… no! Stop! My mouth is heading toward that lovely egg tart!”
“Well, you’re just putting on a one-man play at this point.”
“Maybe that’s why the maids and servants have been so favorable towards him.”
Certainly, even though they knew it was a byproduct of a unicorn, the maids and servants had no hint of disgust in their expressions.
They had seen it so often at the nightly banquets in the Great Hall that it felt familiar.
They gazed at him like an amusing jester or minstrel.
As the commotion continued, maids and servants flung open the lounge door.
After seeing the unicorn lying on the floor, retching and mumbling in agony, they collectively gasped.
Oh no, my precious wallet!
“What in the world has happened here!?”
“The unicorn has merely discovered the truth.”
“What!?”
“The identity of vanilla.”
Ah.
Suddenly, all those who had worriedly stroked and massaged the prostrated unicorn let out a simultaneous sigh of despair.
They too had been through such an experience.
After all, given the essence of vanilla, that was understandable.
However, taste and thought undergo a process of adaptation. The reproductive glands of the Grizzly Beaver are extracted and processed into essence through alchemy. Once any initial hesitation diminished, they quickly became accustomed.
“Ah! I can’t take this anymore! I can’t endure it any longer!”
No, even before that, vanilla was far too fragrant.
It complemented the desserts too well.
The onager, like the majority of other inhabitants of Iceland, had long fallen under the spell of the alluring aroma of desserts laced with vanilla, even after learning the truth.
“Onager, if I may ask, should we request that all vanilla added to desserts be removed from now on?”
“Oh no, there’s no way! I have no choice but to admit it. My body is craving this vanilla right now!”
“Ah, that’s a familiar reaction.”
“Right… everyone is accepting vanilla that way.”
The onager, as his mental fortitude dwindled, was forcibly healed by the sweetness and fragrant allure that his body now craved.
“Your rate of acceptance is surprisingly rapid.”
“Well…”
Catherine had no choice but to acknowledge that statement.
“It must be because vanilla goes so well with desserts.”
“Initially, even Catherine was horrified.”
“Isn’t that all your fault?”
“I apologize. But there’s something else that’s concerning.”
Karem quickly acknowledged it and sought to change the topic before being criticized further.
“More importantly, um… how long will the onager be staying here?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
“At this rate, it seems like he’ll settle down here—”
“Oh, that’s not the case!”
The onager shook his head vigorously, his ears perked up while still basking in the attentions of the young maids and servants.
“I may be more honest than other kin, but I’m not shameless. I’ll stay until my horn has grown back and then depart gracefully.”
“It’s true, a unicorn’s horn represents the embodiment of its power.”
Catherine seemed to understand immediately, raising an eyebrow and nodding in agreement.
“Also, it’s a primary means of attack.”
“I can’t properly wield my strength or magic without my horn. I’ll stay just until that recovers; is my understanding correct?”
“Yes. You deduced that well.”
Catherine nodded approvingly.
The onager, who had been smiling warmly, leaned his head in order to feel the maids’ affections even better.
“Oooh… yes, Karem is right! After this whole winter passes… by the end of next winter, my horn should be fully grown.”
“Huh? That long?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“No, I mean…”
Karem silently scrutinized the onager’s head.
The smooth spot where Alfred had forcibly removed his horn just days ago.
There was now a tiny horn poking out where there had been nothing until recently, measuring only the width of a finger.
“Uh, Onager, your horn is really growing!”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“It’s real.”
When a maid took out a small hand mirror, the onager finally realized that Karem’s words were true. No, how in the world did this happen?
This was never part of the onager’s plans.
Of course, the treatment he was receiving now was something that even a common unicorn could scarcely dream of. But he never planned to keep his hooves and backside glued here indefinitely.
He only intended to bask in the care of beautiful young maidens for a few months.
“The horn is supposed to regrow after a certain period—”
“It regrows in a season?”
“Surprisingly fast. Then there must be some other factor at play here. Do think back on the events you’ve experienced while being treated with such utmost care.”
“Oh, that’s a good suggestion. Charming fairy lady!”
The onager winked, but Mary didn’t even flinch. Of course, the one who winked wasn’t serious either; he shut his eyes to ponder.
“…There’s nothing particularly unusual, is there?”
I’ve simply been pampered by beautiful maids and servants that one wouldn’t normally encounter, had my hooves tended to, had fruits fed to me, and taken rides around the castle.
If other unicorns found out that a lowly creature like him was enjoying such happiness, they would surely rush in a fit of rage.
The only change in his routine had been eating the desserts made by the castle’s best cook.
Despite being limited, the divine power he received was strong and vibrant.
Turning to follow that lingering sensation, he spotted Karem blinking in surprise.
As he focused, the overwhelming blessing and divine power concealed a dragon’s presence; just as the onager was about to exclaim in shock.
“Ahem. Excuse me.”
With a soft clack of heels, the owner of the disciplined footsteps entering the onager’s quarters was none other than Baroness Poppins.
As always, she stood tall and poised, but there was a slight difference.
There was a subtle smile resting on the weathered face of Poppins, which was usually expressionless.
“Oh, Sir Atanitas, so you’re here as well.”
“Yes. What brings you here?”
“I’ve come to deliver a letter from Princess Alicia to Sir Onager.”
When the maid stopped stroking the onager to take the letter, Poppins moved toward Catherine rather than leaving.
“How fortuitous. I also have a letter to send to Sir Atanitas.”
“Did Alicia send me something?”
“To be precise, it’s a permission request.”
“Wait a moment.”
Listening quietly, William furrowed his brow as he stared into space.
“Did our chubby one submit a request?”
“Isn’t it rather commendable?”
Only then did Karem notice the emotions conveyed by Poppins.
She could hardly contain her pride, which was evident in her expression.
“Oh, ho ho ho. The little princess must be quite the prankster, huh?”
As the onager laughed with disbelief at the ridiculousness written in the letter, the expressions of the maids and servants around him became ambiguous.
“What does it say?”
William stepped in for the maids and servants, who had all fallen silent.
“Oh, William. It’s nothing much. Just that she has long been curious about your meat’s flavor, asking for permission to have a small taste, penned neatly in a manner more fitting for her age. It doesn’t seem to be a ghostwriter, does it? Hm? William? Karem? Everyone? Why do you all look so glum all of a sudden?”
Suddenly, the onager was taken aback by the unexpected reaction.
However, Karem couldn’t say a word.
It was the same for the others.
‘That must be her genuine intention.’
Everyone thought the same.