SOP l CH 10

Posted by Eleanor, Released on November 4, 2025

Episode 10 – Ayla

“What’s your name? What should I call you?”

As soon as I opened my eyes, Kassirian asked me that question. I turned my head away to avoid his gaze staring straight down at me.

“Hmm.”

With his eyebrows furrowed, Kassirian rubbed his lips thoughtfully, then suddenly left the room. He returned shortly after with a piece of paper and a pen in hand.

“Here, write it down.”

He placed the paper in front of me and even put the pen into my paw himself.

Tap—

The pen rolled across the floor as I tossed it away. I thought he’d give up, but Kassirian kept stubbornly handing it back to me again and again.

‘What does it matter to you what my name is?’

It’s not like I’ll live long anyway.

“You’re really going to keep me waiting?”

For the fifth time, Kassirian forced the pen into my paw and guided it toward the paper.

I sighed and, as I used to in my previous life, began to move the pen. But writing with animal paws was far from easy.

Lying flat on my belly, I carefully drew each stroke one by one.

I heard Kassirian chuckle softly, but I didn’t look up—I was too focused on writing.

When I was done, I pushed the paper toward him with “Oh Yeon-soo” written on it. Kassirian tilted his head, turning the paper this way and that with a serious face.

“Your name is… Goebelsoom?”

I looked up at him in disbelief.

“Goebelsoom, huh. That’s… quite a name.”

Kassirian trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Annoyed, I shredded the paper in his hands with my claws. Kassirian bit his lip, then handed me another paper and pen.

“Pfft—try again.”

Once again, I flattened myself on the ground and tried to write neatly this time, spacing out each consonant and vowel.

“Beep. (Now read it.)”

“…Geelsum.”

Damn it.

I snatched the paper back and tore it into pieces with my teeth. No matter how many times I rewrote it, Kassirian couldn’t pronounce my name properly even once.

Now that I thought about it, there was no way this empire’s language was Korean. Apparently, my “reincarnation perk” only helped me understand spoken language—not written.

A dying animal who couldn’t even read or write… I drooped my ears and tail in defeat.

“What if I name you instead?”

Kassirian watched me quietly.

‘Do whatever you want.’

When I turned my head away, he hummed thoughtfully, pondering to himself.

“Let’s call you Sprout—so you can grow up healthy and strong.”

I rolled my eyes.

‘What am I, a baby plant?’

“Your eyes are violet, so how about Snowstorm?”

I shot him a disgusted glare.

“Hm… In northern myths, there’s a goddess of snow. You’re as white as snow yourself, so I’ll name you after her—Ayla. …How about that?”

Kassirian asked carefully, as if gauging my reaction.

Ayla. It had two “o” sounds like Oh Yeon-soo. Not bad.

Before he could come up with something worse, I gave a small nod.

“Ayla.”

Kassirian smiled faintly, showing his teeth. It was the first time I’d seen him smile since we met.

The soft light from the window fell over his long eyelashes. There was even a small dimple at the corner of his lips—something I’d never noticed when he was expressionless.

“I’m Kassirian Devon.”

He gently held my paw and shook it up and down.

***

It was a rare, sunny afternoon. I was hiding my head under a cushion to escape the sunlight when—

“Let’s go out, Ayla.”

Kassirian burst into the room out of nowhere, suggesting we go outside.

Before I could even refuse, Mari came in after him, washing me thoroughly and brushing my fur with a lavender-scented comb.

When she was done, I stood before the mirror. My fur was soft, white, and fluffy—like a snowflake.

“Alright, let’s head out!”

Mari held me in her arms as we exited the castle and climbed into a carriage waiting at the gates.

“The Duke is busy today. You’ll play with me instead, okay?”

I let out a sigh of relief.

Even when I refused to eat or slept for hours, Kassirian was always clinging to me—feeding me milk by force and dragging me everywhere.

‘He’s so annoying.’

I didn’t want to do anything anymore, but Kassirian kept interfering. I was tired of him.

Before long, the carriage stopped at a quiet lakeside park. Mari carefully set me down on the ground.

The park was barren—white trees surrounded the lake, and gray leaves rolled along the ground.

Mari hummed as she spread a picnic blanket and unpacked the basket.

I left her and approached the lake. When I dipped a paw into the water, it was freezing cold.

‘How do these fish even live in here…’

I stared at the colorful fish swimming in the icy water. For some reason—probably the marten instincts—I suddenly wanted to catch one.

Spotting a fish near the shallows, I crept closer silently.

I crouched low, raised my paw, swayed my tail lightly in the air, and struck slightly below where the fish appeared to be.

The fish darted away. I frowned, and that’s when a voice came from beside me.

“Well, that’s clever.”

I turned my head to see a handsome man crouched beside me, watching me intently.

‘Who the heck is this guy?’

He had misty gray-blue eyes, light ash hair tied loosely, and thin lips curled into a faint smile.

“Because of light refraction, fish look like they’re somewhere they’re not. You actually adjusted for that. You’re not an ordinary marten, are you?”

His gray-blue eyes glinted sharply. Something about him sent chills down my spine, and I instinctively took a step back.

“Haha, don’t be scared. I’m not a bad person.”

The man dusted off his white coat and stood up. He was tall—about as tall as Kassirian—but slimmer, more agile.

“Actually, I’m this kind of person.”

He thrust his right thumb right in front of my nose. Annoyed, I bared my fangs—then I noticed the silver-blue ring on his finger.

“Tower of Magic – Archmage Nathaniel.”

The ring was engraved with his affiliation and name.

‘Nathaniel? Why does that sound familiar…?’

I read the name again slowly, and his pale eyes followed the movement of mine.

“As I thought—you’re intelligent, aren’t you?”

With an excited smile, Nathaniel suddenly grabbed the back of my neck and lifted me up. It happened so fast I couldn’t even struggle before I was hanging in midair.

“I wonder what the brain structure of a sentient marten looks like.”

At his chilling whisper, I thrashed wildly—until a familiar voice rang out.

“Let go of her right now, or I’ll cut off that hand, Nathaniel.”

I twisted my head to see Kassirian glaring at him with a murderous expression.

“Oh, my. This one’s yours, Khan?” Nathaniel said lightly, as if they were old friends.

“Yes. So put her down while I’m being polite.”

“Hmm… no.”

Nathaniel smiled slyly. Kassirian’s body began to glow with red mana—the very reason he was called the Knight of the Crimson Blade.

“Let me borrow her just once. I’ll return her cleanly sewn back up.”

“You’ve never listened to reason, then or now.”

Kassirian’s hand moved to the sword at his waist—

Thud—

Nathaniel dropped me so suddenly it was almost anticlimactic. I landed safely and immediately ran to Cassirian, clinging to his pant leg and hiding behind him.

At that, the red mana surrounding Kassirian’s body dissipated instantly.

Relieved that he didn’t lose control, I sighed quietly. But when I looked up, his expression was… strange.

He seemed shocked—maybe even confused.

When he finally composed himself and looked back up, Nathaniel was gone.

“Let’s go home, Ayla.”

With a tense face, Kassirian gently picked me up.

***

Back at the castle, Cassirian headed straight to his study, busy with something urgent.

Mari, meanwhile, dunked me in my personal tub and scrubbed me like she was washing laundry, muttering curses about “that crazy mage.”

I guess the guy really was infamous.

After the bath, I drank the lukewarm milk Mari brought and soon drifted to sleep.

When I woke up, the sun had long since set.