“Because I don’t want to be abandoned again.”
At those words from Linci, Kendrick Eckhart’s face twisted in disbelief.
He could hardly trust what had just come out of the child’s mouth.
Not want to be abandoned?
And to beg not to be cast aside even if she turned hideous?
Even if he knew little about the Bird Tribe, it wasn’t something a seven-year-old should be saying.
At least not here, in the household of the Wolf Clan.
“…Could you tell me what you mean by that?” Kendrick asked carefully.
The child bit down hard on her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly shook her head.
“…All you have to do is promise me that.”
If he did, then she could stay here—and she could heal Arsen.
He didn’t press her further.
Even if she really did become hideous, Kendrick had not the slightest thought of abandoning this child.
The Wolf Clan never forgets a debt.
If Arsen truly recovered, Kendrick intended to reward Linci properly.
So to speak of abandonment was absurd.
And if that truly was all she wanted—
Kendrick was determined to protect this small girl, even if it cost him his life.
Slowly rising from his chair, he placed a large hand over the child’s small head.
His hand ruffled her soft, wheat-colored hair with a tenderness that could not be mistaken.
“Linci, is that really all you ask for?”
“Yes.”
The child nodded without the slightest hesitation. He gently pulled her into his arms.
“Then I promise, Linci.”
Until you come of age, I will protect you.
His low, steady voice reverberated softly.
Linci looked up at Kendrick with her clear, round eyes. She added carefully,
“On the name of Eckhart.”
“Yes, on the name of Eckhart.”
He bent his head and pressed his lips against the back of her small hand.
“Then the treatment starts today—”
“Not today. You haven’t been formally accepted yet.”
I blinked wide-eyed up at Kendrick.
“It’s okay even if it’s late?”
“It’s fine. Don’t push yourself. First, get used to things here.”
Leaving those words behind, Kendrick excused himself for urgent business and left the study.
I was left alone in the enormous office, blinking.
And then—
I did it!
That was the very first thought that burst into my head the moment he stepped out.
Of course, I’d lost my nerve midway and hadn’t spoken as clearly as I wanted, but…
Still, this much is good enough.
I had secured a promise that I wouldn’t be abandoned.
So even if I became ugly once my feathers finished molting, I no longer needed to fear being cast aside.
The realization made me almost want to leap with joy.
On top of that…
I remembered the sensation of Uncle Kendrick’s lips brushing the back of my hand.
That was the seal of a promise.
For the Wolves, a kiss on the back of the hand was a vow—one that could never be broken, no matter what.
Clasping my hands together, I giggled to myself.
At some point, Ethan entered the office and looked at me with a smile.
“Did you have a good talk, young miss?”
“Ah, yes! He was very kind. He listened carefully to what I had to say, too…”
“Then I’m glad.”
He took my hand and led me back to my room.
And there, the bed and furniture, which had looked terrifyingly huge when I was still in bird form, now appeared again before me.
I tried to gauge the bed’s size.
I’d thought it would seem normal once I turned human, but it was still ridiculously large for me.
Ethan, too, seemed to realize the same thing and spoke awkwardly.
“I hadn’t expected you to be this small, miss… For your new room, we’ll prepare a bed better suited to your size. I’d be grateful if you could wait a little.”
He said this after seeing the massive bed—so big it could fit me even if I rolled around endlessly—and the heavy blankets I could barely lift.
“It’s fine.”
With some effort, I wriggled my way into the blanket.
The thick quilt stuffed with cotton was really heavy, but it was so soft, nothing compared to Laniero.
Especially compared to that cramped bed in the tiny cell I had been locked in before death—it was heaven.
I had even considered sleeping in a barn, so this was the best of the best.
“It’s so soft and smells nice, too. Thank you.”
I gave a polite thanks, and Ethan’s ears flushed faintly red.
He coughed, straightened, and said,
“In that case, I’m relieved. And—there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”
Someone to introduce?
Could it be Arsen, officially?
I hurriedly kicked off the blanket.
After messing up our first meeting, the last thing I wanted was to be seen as a lazy little chick lounging around under a blanket.
But the person who stepped in through the door was not at all who I expected.
“Hello, my name is Betty.”
“Huh?”
This person—!
“That’s right, I’m the maid who helped with your bath on the first day.”
She gave me a gentle smile.
Wearing a neat navy maid’s uniform, Betty stood out with freckles across her nose, brown hair, and striking blue eyes.
Her tall build and solid frame clearly showed she was from the Wolf Clan.
And yet—
She barely smells like a wolf.
Strange.
When I was in beast form, I was too overwhelmed to notice, but still…
From appearances alone, she was clearly Wolf Clan. But unlike Kendrick or Ethan, that faint, distinct wolfish scent was almost nonexistent.
When I stared at her wide-eyed, Betty smiled as if she could read my thoughts.
“I was raised in the Wolf Clan, but I’m actually of mixed blood—half Wolf, half Bird.”
“Bird Tribe?”
“Yes. My grandmother was of the Bird Tribe. Because of that, I was born with fewer wolf traits than others. A bit of a mutant, you could say.”
Betty explained calmly, smiling all the while.
As I nodded, listening intently, Ethan cleared his throat and carefully added,
“Betty is the only person in the household with Bird Tribe blood. The master thought she’d be well suited to attend to you, so he assigned her as your personal maid.”
I felt a small warmth bloom in my chest at Kendrick Eckhart’s thoughtful consideration.
“Please just call me Betty,” she said kindly.
“Wherever you go, Betty will follow. If you need anything, ask through her, or feel free to come directly to me.”
“Yes.”
“And we’ll also inform the other servants about your presence, so you won’t be startled again within the estate.”
Ethan bowed lightly, smiling.
The chain of his glasses jingled faintly as it slipped beneath his chin.
I bowed my head in return.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Not at all, miss. And also, please don’t hesitate when speaking to the staff.”
“…Pardon?”
“You are the master’s guest. It’s perfectly fine for you to speak freely—even casually.”
“Ah, umm…”
Ethan smiled, grasped the doorknob, and with a soft click, slipped out of the room.
And just like that, I was left alone with Betty.
“Miss, is there something you’d like to do? Should I read you a storybook?”
A storybook?
Ah, right. I was supposed to be seven.
To her eyes, I must look like a child who would fall asleep hugging dolls and picture books.
Had I been acting too mature?
But there was something more important right now than storybooks.
I carefully tugged on the hem of her skirt.
“Betty… Could you show me around the mansion? It’s my first time here, and I…”
Truthfully, when I first arrived, I hadn’t wanted to look around at all. I just wanted to hole up in a room and live as quietly as possible.
After all, wolves were everywhere—down the halls, in the gardens, just about everywhere I looked!
Which, of course, makes sense, since this is the Wolf Clan’s estate.
But nearly having a wolf’s jaws close around me upon arrival, and later waking in the middle of the night to lock eyes with one… After all that, just being inside the mansion still left me uneasy.
Still, I couldn’t stay shut away in my room forever!
If I was going to live here—and survive—I needed to learn the estate’s layout.
At the very least, I had to figure out the best routes for flying away quickly if I ever needed to escape.
Betty seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then gently took my hand.
“Of course, miss. I’ll show you around.”
“Yes! Great!”
I hopped up with excitement.
Warmth spread from Betty’s hand into mine.
She smiled, steadying me with a gentle touch on my back so I wouldn’t stumble.
“This leads out to the garden,” Betty explained, gesturing ahead.
I turned my head to look—and through the wide-open glass doors stretched a vast green garden.
It was so enormous I couldn’t even guess where it ended from here.
“Wow…”
My mouth fell open in awe.
As I gawked, I felt the glances of passing maids flick toward me.
Ack—
Why are they looking at me like that?
I guess Bird Clan folk were a rare sight.
After all, almost no Bird Tribe ever came into Wolf Territory.
Even if they were trying to be understanding…
It’s still scary.
Wolves all had sharp fangs, and whenever they smiled, those teeth gleamed dangerously.
Each time, I swallowed hard and tightened my grip on Betty’s hand.
Noticing my tension, she reached up and gently stroked my cheek.
“Miss, should we stop here and go back?”
“…No, I want to see more.”
“But you’re sweating so much…”
She drew out a white handkerchief and carefully dabbed at the cold sweat gathering on my forehead and nose.
I guess I’d been so tense around all the wolves that I was sweating buckets.
I shook my head, insisting I was fine.
Betty smiled faintly, took my hand again, and continued leading me deeper into the mansion.
Of course, I didn’t forget to mark possible escape routes along the way.
That high window would be a quick way out.
After all, wolves didn’t have wings.
And then—
Crash! Something shattered loudly, followed by the shrill scream of a young boy echoing down the corridor.
“I don’t want to!!”
