The Beast to Beauty

Do you know? If you're cursed by the Dark Witch, there are only three ways to lift the curse. The first way is to make a deal with the Dark Witch who cursed you, so the Dark Witch will remove your curse. This method is definitely not for me. I really hate this method. Who would want to sit down and talk nicely with someone who killed my wolf clan? Now, whenever I see a Dark witch, I just want to kill them. I can't sit down and talk, so this method is out. The second way is to eat the heart of the Dark witch who cursed you. I really like this method. Killing the bastard who murdered my family can not only regain the trust of the wolf clan but also lift the curse. This method is fantastic. But I haven't found the Dark witch yet because they all wear veils. I still don't know what the witch who cursed me looks like. That's why I had to join the church. I originally didn't get along with the church. Most churches refuse to cooperate with werewolves and vampires. But the church I joined is very open to non-humans. They claim to gather non-humans to save the world. The most ridiculous part is that they also accept Dark witches. Since I am not an official member of the church, I can't know anything except the whereabouts of the Dark witches. I am not interested in other things. I only care about the whereabouts of the Dark witches. Because I am not an official member, I can't act alone. I have to act with other official members to get the whereabouts of the Dark witches. I don't like being monitored... Alright, back to the main topic. Even though I'm a werewolf, eating a raw heart is still hard to swallow. I've heard rumors that drinking the blood of a witch can also lift the curse. I haven't encountered a witch yet, so I don't know if this rumor is true. If I meet a witch, I must try it. Lastly, the third way is to get a kiss from your soulmate. This is very difficult for me. Firstly, I'm still single. Secondly, it requires a soulmate. This is harder than finding a lover. Finding someone who understands you completely is like 0.000000000001 probability. Only one person has succeeded with this method. For me, only the lucky ones can use this method, unless the soulmate is right by your side. "What have you been thinking about while staring out the window?" The man sitting opposite Deven asked with a smile, holding a book with magic spells. "Nothing, Elwin, I was just wondering when the food will arrive. I'm starving." Deven yawned in boredom. We are now sitting in a corner of a restaurant called Pipiro. This spot is near the window where warm breezes occasionally drift in. It's already spring. Sitting opposite me is a man with black hair and blue eyes named Elwin Hudson. He's a powerful wizard. If I were in my previous body, I would definitely have invited him to a duel. Elwin is my current partner and monitor. We have been inseparable since our first meeting. "It should be almost ready. It's the weekend, so there are more customers today. Plus, you ordered quite a lot of food. The kitchen needs some time to prepare everything." Elwin closed his book and, after taking a last sip of coffee, called the waiter. "Excuse me, could you refill my coffee?" Elwin waved to a nearby waitress. The waitress heard Elwin and turned to pick up the coffee pot, then walked over to Elwin and refilled his cup. "Thank you, lovely lady." Elwin thanked the waitress gentlemanly. The waitress shyly replied, "You're welcome." "Oh, could you also check with the kitchen about our food?" "I just asked the chef. It will be ready in five minutes." The waitress smiled. Deven was drinking his orange juice when Elwin looked at Deven and said, "Your orange juice is almost gone. Might as well get a refill too." "Whatever, you're paying." Deven looked out the window with his chin in his hand. My salary is less than Elwin's because I'm not an official member. Fortunately, the church provides accommodation and living assistance. Otherwise, I would need to get a job. I don't mind going out to eat with this guy during breaks because he always pays. No one will hate the free food,right? He probably invites me out during breaks to look after me. "Please also refill my friend's orange juice. Oh, and bring a doughnut from the counter for my friend." I was about to refuse the unexpected doughnut when my stomach growled, making me feel embarrassed and my face turned red. "This is your fault. You picked this popular place on a weekend, so the food is taking forever to arrive!" Deven complained to Elwin, feeling embarrassed. The waitress, afraid that Deven was angry, quickly went to the counter to prepare a new orange juice and doughnut, then placed them in front of Deven. "I'm sorry, miss. Please enjoy this doughnut first. I'll check with the kitchen again." The waitress hurriedly ran to the kitchen after speaking. Am I that scary? "Gray hair, golden eyes, and cute wolf ears. These traits make it obvious to regular people that you're a werewolf. Your eyes just turned from blue to gold." Seeing Deven's confused look, Elwin sighed and took another sip of his coffee. "If you don't want to draw attention, you need to control your beastly nature." I am currently staying in a country that accepts non-humans, called Wengersen. Right next to it is the Holy Nation, where the church I joined is based. Although the people here are generally very accepting of non-humans, any non-human who isn’t wearing the silver cross rose given by the church can be reported by ordinary citizens. I’m wearing this necklace now, which is why the waitress didn’t report me. For ordinary people, mages and witches are classified as superhumans rather than non-humans. Although I don't understand the distinction, it means that they don’t need to wear the necklace and still won’t be reported. It's really unfair. If you get reported three times, you lose the right to enter any country under the church's protection forever. From what I know, there are nearly 300 countries under the church’s protection. To maintain my reputation, I can't cause trouble under the church’s jurisdiction, or the consequences will be severe. "I know. It's hard for a werewolf to maintain a human form when hungry. Before joining the church, I didn't have the habit of disguising as a human. I've gotten much better than before, haven't I?" Deven closed his eyes and slowly calmed his emotions. When he opened them again, his wolf ears had disappeared. If it weren't for the church contract requiring a human form during non-combat times, I wouldn't want to constantly disguise myself as a human. After finishing the doughnut, the waitress arrived with all the food. Seeing the table full of food, Deven started eating immediately, picking up the steak with his hands and taking big bites. Elwin sighed at Deven's ravenous eating. "You're a lady now. This is a public place. Don't eat so messily." Elwin took a white handkerchief and wiped the stains off Deven's face and hands. "Mmm, it's delicious~" Deven's mouth was full of food, looking very happy. His eyes turned from blue to gold again, but this time his ears and tail didn't appear. It seemed the food here suited Deven's taste. "Use utensils to eat. Many people are watching you. Don't become famous for the wrong reasons, just eat slowly." Elwin sat back down and started eating his steak after making sure Deven was clean. "Okay, okay, mom." Although her eating manners improved, the food quickly disappeared. Seeing Deven using utensils properly, Elwin didn't say anything more. After finishing his meal, a crow flew to their window, holding a letter with the church's emblem. The crow, noticing Elwin's gaze, flew to his shoulder. Elwin took the letter and gently shooed the crow away. He placed the letter on the table, dusting off the feathers, and smiled at Deven, saying, "Looks like we have a new mission." Deven's eyes lit up. She eagerly reached out to grab the letter on Elwin's table. However, Elwin quickly moved it away, stopping her. He gently reminded her, "Deven, mind your behavior. If you don't act like a lady, I won't open the letter." Elwin had already created an isolated space with magic when the crow appeared. Now, even if Deven made big movements, those outside the space wouldn't see what they were doing. They would only see a man elegantly eating and a beautiful woman with gray hair eating quickly. Deven sighed helplessly. He knew only Elwin could open the church's letters. Once, he snatched a letter from a church deity and tried to open it forcefully, only for it to burn up instantly. They had to travel a long distance back to the church. The church president was furious and scolded them both. Elwin nagged Deven throughout that mission. Despite that, Deven still couldn't resist trying to grab the letter whenever one arrived. I'm like a dog staring at its owner's ball in Elwin's hand. No, wait, why am I calling myself a dog? I'm a werewolf! If it weren't for the fact that it's usually just a normal white letter or a red letter... Red letters are fine because they allow us to fight monsters and train our combat skills. Since joining the church, most of the missions I've received involve helping regular humans with their mundane problems, like finding lost pets or fixing light bulbs. It's super boring! I seriously wonder if I've been deceived. "If you tell me this letter isn't about the Dark witch, I'll leave the church and find Dark witches on my own." Deven swallowed the last bit of food. Elwin gently opened the envelope and took out the letter inside. “This time it's a black letter. Looks like you won't need to leave,” Elwin said with a smile to Deven. “A black letter means this mission is out of the ordinary and requires investigation and handling. It usually involves the Dark witch.” “Are you saying there’s a chance it’s not the Dark witch-related mission?” Deven asked angrily. If you tell me now that this letter isn’t about a witch, I’ll take you down. “Don't worry, this really is the Dark witch case.” Upon hearing it was the Dark witch-related mission, Deven couldn't contain his anxiety and excitement any longer. He tried to snatch the letter again, but Elwin gently stopped him. Elwin looked at him with a deep gaze and said, “Deven, calm down. Even if you grab the letter, you won’t understand it. Black letters are always written in encrypted text. I'll read it to you. You can come sit over here.” “I’m not moving. You read it out loud,” Deven said, glaring at Elwin. “Alright, my lady.” Elwin cleared his throat. “To Mr. Elwin and Miss Deven, This letter comes from the northern small country of Motos. This morning, a Dark witch dressed in a black veil tried to steal their country’s magic stone. Fortunately, the stone is a protective one, preventing the Dark witch from harming the residents. However, the stone's power will wane after today. You must head to the nearest safe house, 005, where you'll be transported to the location. The mission is to protect the stone and apprehend the Dark witch. The letter will self-destruct upon reading.” As Elwin finished reading, the letter burst into flames and was completely incinerated by blue fire in less than two seconds, leaving no residue. “It seems like an urgent matter. Let’s go, Deven,” Elwin said, breaking the isolation spell. He called over the waitress and handed her a large bill. “Keep the change as a tip.” “Hurry up!” Deven wiped his mouth and ran to the exit, urging Elwin to move faster. “Alright, let’s go,” Elwin said, quickening his pace. He didn’t want to waste any more time.