I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

Mary grew uneasy beneath his stare, but for the sake of the song and dance troupe’s future, she forced herself to press on and launched into a rapid explanation.

“Here’s what happened. Tonight, our troupe received an invitation from the Hobner family. They offered very generous compensation, so our troupe leader happily took us there to perform. But no one expected Kane, the harpist, to fall ill after eating something bad. He’s been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, and he’s still being treated by a physician. None of the other musicians can play as well as Kane, though they barely managed to get through the first two performances. But the final piece... was specifically requested by an honored guest, and it requires exceptional skill. None of the other musicians can perform it, so our troupe leader sent me here to ask for your help, Mr. Al.”

Ilio raised an eyebrow and regarded her with an ambiguous smile. “How does your troupe leader know I can handle it?”

Mary hesitated. “Well... she said that if you asked that question, it would prove you could.”

Recalling Ximu’s foxlike eyes, Ilio thought to himself.

What a cunning woman. No wonder she can safely travel far and wide with a group of beautiful young women, performing everywhere and earning such generous fees.

“What is your answer, Mr. Al?” Mary looked at him hopefully, clasping her hands together with evident anxiety.

If Mr. Al refused, she had no idea what kind of predicament the troupe would face.

These wealthy lords could turn hostile without warning. They were utterly merciless.

Of course, if matters truly came to that, Mary believed Troupe Leader Ximu would find a way to resolve the situation. But Bart and the others might have to intervene, and the entire troupe would probably need to flee Daoto City that very night.

Ilio looked down at the Little Fairy sleeping soundly in his arms. “My brother is still asleep.”

“I’ll take good care of little Amo!” Mary thumped her chest in assurance. “You can safely leave him with me, Mr. Al.”

“I’ll help look after him too,” Bart said.

Faced with two pairs of fervent eyes, Ilio agreed.

Troupe Leader Ximu was a decent person. She had accepted only two gold coins to let them travel with the troupe and had even provided free food along the way. If he refused to help them, there was no guarantee that the next caravan would let them hitch a ride and eat for free.

It was only one piece, after all. Hardly any trouble.

“That’s wonderful! Thank you, Mr. Al!” Mary exclaimed excitedly. “There’s no time to waste. Please get in! Bart, let’s go!”

Bart returned to the driver’s bench. Once Ilio had carried Shu Li into the carriage, he raised the whip and brought it down sharply, sending the two horses racing forward.

Inside the carriage, Mary knelt before a trunk, took out a performance costume, and shook it open for Ilio to see. “Will this do, Mr. Al?”

Although a musician’s performance costume was not as flamboyant as a dancer’s, it was still covered in sequins that resembled tiny diamonds. Illuminated by the oil lamp inside the carriage, they glittered dazzlingly.

“Do you have anything plainer?” Ilio had no desire to steal the young women’s spotlight.

“Oh, let me look.” Mary rummaged through the trunk and pulled out a black robe. It had no unnecessary ornamentation, but its neckline plunged rather low. Once worn, it would expose the collarbones and part of one shoulder. It was also sleeveless and came with matching armlets.

“How about this one?” she asked.

“It will do,” Ilio replied.

Mary quietly breathed a sigh of relief and drew up a privacy curtain for him to change behind.

Ilio laid the Little Fairy, who was sleeping like a piglet, on a soft cushion. Taking the black robe, he stepped behind the curtain and changed swiftly.

Mary knelt beside Shu Li and covered him with a small blanket.

Little Amo is so beautiful!

She glanced toward the curtain, then secretly extended a finger and touched the child’s cheek.

Oh, it’s so smooth and tender, just like a baby’s skin.

Mary withdrew her finger. When she noticed several little red marks on Amo’s neck, she frowned.

Had the rough collar of his coarse clothing chafed his skin?

Troupe Leader Ximu had said that Mr. Al was not as simple as he appeared. An ordinary commoner could never afford to learn the harp.

Looking at the red marks on little Amo’s neck, Mary sighed.

Men truly had no idea how to care for children.

She turned and began searching through the trunk, hoping to find something suitable for a child to wear.

“Will this do, Miss Mary?”

At the sound of the slightly husky voice, Mary instinctively raised her head and looked at the young man emerging from behind the curtain in the oil lamp’s dim yellow light.

The hair he normally wore tied back now cascaded over his shoulders like smooth black satin. His sharply defined face was extraordinarily handsome, while his dark eyes resembled mysterious, fathomless pools. Their outer corners tilted slightly upward, making it dangerously easy for anyone who looked too long to lose themselves in them.

He wore the black robe, its wide neckline revealing his alluring collarbones. His well-proportioned physique filled it out perfectly. A metal belt encircled his waist, and his bare legs beneath the hem were long and firm, enough to set anyone’s heart pounding.

Mary’s breath caught. She nearly drooled.

She hastily covered her mouth.

For the first time, she understood just how irresistible a handsome man could be.

Dressed like this, Mr. Al drew even more attention than the young women in the troupe.

When he had worn coarse clothes and behaved casually, she had known he was handsome, but his appearance had not inspired any further thoughts.

Now that he had changed, both his appearance and bearing were completely transformed.

He possessed an innate elegance and nobility.

“Miss Mary?” Ilio waved a hand before her eyes.

“Huh? Oh—yes, it’s fine!” Mary’s cheeks flushed crimson. She tore her gaze away, no longer daring to look at him.

Completely unaware of his own charm, Ilio smiled and asked, “Do you have trousers and shoes? It’s rather cold at night, and I don’t want to fall ill.”

“Yes! Of course!” Mary fumbled through the trunk and found the matching trousers and shoes.

Ilio took them and finished dressing. Ten minutes later, the carriage arrived at its destination.

Ilio asked Mary for a thin blanket and wrapped the Little Fairy securely in it. Carrying Shu Li himself, he followed Mary and Bart into a magnificent mansion.

Shu Li awoke to the beautiful sound of a harp.

He opened his eyes groggily. The instant he saw the unfamiliar surroundings and realized there was no familiar presence beside him, he became fully alert and sat up.

“Oh, little Amo, you’re awake?” Mary asked softly.

Shu Li turned his head in confusion and stared at her, vigilance appearing in his gray-green eyes.

Mary paused. Thinking he was frightened, she hurriedly explained in a gentle voice, “Mr. Al is performing. He asked me to look after you.”

She pointed toward the center of the hall.

Following her gesture, Shu Li saw Ilio dressed in a long black robe, his waterfall of hair hanging loose. He sat elegantly in a chair with a many-stringed harp in his arms, his dexterous fingers playing a melody.

The moment Shu Li saw Ilio, his vigilance faded, and he quietly surveyed his surroundings.

It was a vast, opulent hall, with people seated on both sides. Apart from the members of the song and dance troupe, everyone present was a wealthy guest dressed in brilliant finery. Men and women, young and old, all wore enchanted expressions as they immersed themselves in the exquisite music.

A burly middle-aged man occupied the place of honor. Dressed in sumptuous clothing, he brazenly displayed his wealth in gold and silver jewelry. He held a golden goblet, slowly savoring his wine as he listened to the heavenly music.

Shu Li turned his attention back to Ilio.

Although he had no idea what had happened while he was asleep, Ilio had now unleashed the full force of his presence, revealing a fraction of an Elf’s splendor.

That fraction alone was enough to captivate everyone in the hall.

Shu Li had never heard the piece before, but its clearly layered notes made its complexity obvious. It required consummate skill and placed exceptionally stringent demands on the musician’s fingering. An ordinary human musician without extensive training would probably be unable to perform it.

Judging by the scene before him, Shu Li could roughly guess that the troupe had encountered trouble during the performance and had been forced to ask Ilio to step in.

They were fortunate. Ilio really was capable of saving the performance.

Seeing little Amo sitting obediently, Mary secretly wiped away a nervous sweat.

He was around ten years old, but if her younger brother had awakened in a place like this, he would already have caused a commotion. Little Amo, on the other hand, had merely surveyed the room, grasped the situation, and settled down quietly without making a fuss.

Ilio played the harp at ease. Raising his eyes, he glanced toward Shu Li. When he saw that the child was awake, the corners of his lips curved upward.

Had the noise awakened the little fellow?

Shu Li yawned twice in succession. He apparently still wanted to sleep.

He truly had been exhausted today.

After spending the entire day traveling by carriage, taking his magical rank examination, and then remaining awake until midnight, any ordinary child should have been in bed long ago.

Ilio’s long, well-defined fingers shifted. With effortless skill, he cut out a lengthy section of the music and moved seamlessly into the finale.

After playing the final note, he set down the harp, rose, and addressed the middle-aged man in the seat of honor. “Honored Lord Hobner, that was the third piece I have performed. May I now withdraw and rest?”

Shu Li’s ears twitched.

Hobner?

Why did that name sound familiar?

The middle-aged man addressed as Lord Hobner set down his goblet. His tawny eyes gleamed as he stared intently at the handsome musician.

“Mr. Al, your music is exquisite. Would you be interested in remaining by my side and playing for me every day? I will pay you handsomely.”

Ilio replied calmly, “I appreciate your generous offer, Lord Hobner, but I prefer traveling across the continent to remaining in one place.”

Lord Hobner narrowed his eyes, tapping one finger lightly against the armrest of his chair.

The young man seated to his right stood and spoke arrogantly. “You’re nothing more than a lowly musician. Don’t be so ungrateful. The Hobners are one of the most powerful families in Daoto City. My father is honoring you by offering you a place at his side as his personal musician.”

Recognizing the familiar voice, Shu Li immediately looked over.

Well, what were the odds of running into him here?

So that was where he had heard the name Hobner. This was the wealthy young man who had caused trouble at the clothing shop.

The shopkeeper had said he belonged to the Hobner family and warned that, after offending him, Shu Li and Ilio would never be able to remain in Daoto City. He had urged them to leave immediately.

Shu Li had assumed that, since they were departing tomorrow, their paths would never cross again.

Yet only a few hours later, they had somehow ended up performing in the man’s own home.

“Most, do not be rude to Mr. Al,” Lord Hobner rebuked him.

A musician of such extraordinary skill was exceptionally difficult to find. If Lord Hobner wanted him to stay, he would have to appeal to both his emotions and his reason.

If the musician refused to remain, it merely meant he had not been offered enough money.

There was nothing in this world that money could not settle.

“Uncle Hobner, if Mr. Al does not wish to stay, you should not force him.”

Another familiar voice rang out. Shu Li turned toward it.

Then he saw the wanted Great Swordsman, along with Princess Pedam, who sat beside him dressed in boys’ clothing.

Shu Li blinked.

What was going on?

How had everyone he knew ended up gathered in the same room in a single day?