Episode 4
She didn’t know exactly what was going on, but first of all, she needed to get off that person’s belly.
Staría racked her brains.
Several ideas came to mind. The most convincing one was to pretend to be asleep and then roll off naturally.
“Mmmnya~.”
Staría smacked her lips as if in her sleep and tried to roll over to the side… when she suddenly felt her body float into the air.
Peeking her eyes open just a sliver, she saw herself dangling from that person’s forepaw.
“Enough—get up.”
Her mother had always told her that a polite child is loved everywhere they go.
So, just as she’d been taught, Staría gave a bright smile and greeted politely.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Do I look like I slept well?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure?”
“Some little runt with terrible sleeping habits not only kicked me but used me as a bed.”
Haska set her down from his grip.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Staría pressed her forehead to the earth and bent her upper body in a deep bow.
“I–I’m sorry!”
“At least you’re quick to assess a situation.”
Stretching to loosen the muscles stiff from a night of being pestered, Haska extended his forelegs long, then dropped his hind legs down, thumping his tail hard against the ground. Each movement made the cave hum.
When he was done, he looked down at the troublesome little thing still bowing.
“Name.”
Lost in her own thoughts, Staría raised her forehead slightly.
“Pardon?”
“Don’t make me say it twice. Name.”
“Clash Staría.”
“All right, Clash Staría. This forest is no place for a human to live. So, go back.”
Go back? Go back where?
The village where she had lived with her family must have already burned to ashes. There was nowhere to return to.
Sloppily crouched, Staría quickly grabbed Haska’s tail as he turned away.
“Let go.”
Apparently, tails were just as sensitive as bellies—he shuddered and frowned. But Staría could not obey.
If anything, she clung tighter, as though it were her lifeline.
Nothing else came to mind. She could only think: I have to survive. She faintly remembered, just before she lost consciousness, seeing him clad in armor, wiping out knights in an instant—an overwhelming display of power.
It was then she realized: in all the world, nowhere could be safer than this forest. Even if it wasn’t a place fit for humans, it was still better than the outside world crawling with monsters who wanted her dead.
She couldn’t be chased away. She would cling to his tail—if not his pant leg—and make herself belong here. There was only one way to do that.
“I’ll be your bride, Lord Haska. Please take me.”
“…You’re saying you want to be my mate?”
“Yes! I’m confident I can do well.”
His blue eyes swept over her from head to toe. Staría’s hair bristled under the weight of his gaze, but she didn’t flinch away.
“No.”
The small heart that had been pounding with anticipation instantly chilled at his firm rejection.
She somehow found the nerve to protest.
“Why not?”
“You’re far too young and small to mate with.”
She didn’t know what exactly “mate” meant, but—
“I’ll eat well, sleep well, and grow big quickly. So…”
A ten-year-old girl proposed to a predator.
“Don’t marry anyone else and wait for me, all right?”
“Huff… huff…”
After wandering in circles, Staría found herself back at the lake again, breathing heavily.
When her breathing steadied, an exclamation slipped out automatically.
“Woooow…”
At the head of the emerald lake stood a horseshoe-shaped cliff, from which a waterfall poured down in a magnificent rush. The rainbow cast in the spray was nothing short of magical.
Surely this wasn’t the only breathtaking sight in the forest. She had walked and walked without finding its end.
That was her conclusion after running about since early morning trying to memorize the terrain. The maze-like woods were impossible to befriend.
“It’s enormous…”
Glancing back, she realized she had gone too far. She decided to end her exploration and brushed the dust off her legs.
Thanks to the trail markers she’d made, the return trip was easy.
She was nearly back to the cabin when hunger hit her hard—no wonder, after moving since before dawn.
Staría clutched her hollow stomach and scanned the surroundings.
“I’m hungry.”
Back home, she wouldn’t touch her spoon without meat on the table, but here the environment had forced her to fix her picky habits. Unable to hunt, she had no choice but to eat plants.
Luckily, the forest was full of strange fruits. Yesterday she’d eaten something shaped like an apple—half green and half red. One side was tart, the other sweet.
It was fun to guess which flavor you’d get.
As she twirled in place, searching for today’s menu, her eyes caught a yellowish fruit.
“It’s at the top?”
She couldn’t give up without trying.
She knocked on the trunk, poked at it with a long stick—but the tree didn’t budge.
“Tch.”
Irritated at the stubborn thing, she gave it a kick—and to her surprise, a shower of golden fruits rained down.
“Tree… you’re a lot weaker than you look, huh?”
Unaware the sturdy tree might be dumbfounded, Staría hugged it tightly.
“Thanks for being so generous. I’ll eat them well.”
She wrapped the fruits neatly in leaves and hurried back.
She was almost at the cabin when—
“Hello.”
The sudden visitor made her lips part in surprise.
Cherry-like lips, crescent-shaped eyes, a sharp nose like a blade. Hair as red as a curling sunset spilled down her back. She exuded an untouchable aura. Compared to her, even Nancy—the most beautiful girl in the village—was nothing.
“To look me in the eye… I suppose your courage hasn’t matured yet?”
“S-sorry. You’re so beautiful… I couldn’t help staring.”
“Oh ho, if your taste were awful I’d have gouged your eyes out—but you pass. You pass.”
Even knowing it was rude, Staría kept sneaking glances until she blurted out a question.
“Are you… a fairy?”
“More charming than a fairy—a fox. Call me Morgana.”
A fox?
She looked human from every angle.
Seeing her confusion, Morgana explained kindly.
“When our kind comes of age and gains our true form, we can change appearances at will. But usually we keep a human form—it’s easier for daily life. As for me, I just love this superior beauty of mine.”
“I’m sure you’re beautiful as a fox too. I’ve never seen someone so dazzling—I almost went blind.”
“Oh my, my tail nearly popped out! Normally I don’t bother with anyone younger and prettier than me, but you’re different.”
Morgana was clearly the type who loved compliments. If her tail had been visible, it would have been wagging furiously.
This was the second person Staría had met since coming to the forest—beautiful and kind, too. A few days ago, she might have wanted to befriend her. But today, she kept her guard up, down to every fine hair.
Not that she showed it. In her precarious position, with eviction always looming, she couldn’t afford to make enemies.
Who knew—if she got on Morgana’s good side, maybe she’d speak for her when the time came. The only thing a penniless ten-year-old could offer was food.
“Here, this is for you.”
“I’ve never received such a trivial fruit before. I’m touched.”
Morgana bit into the fruit with a smile—then finally noticed the cabin, on the verge of collapse.
“What kind of idiot like Haska gives you a place like this? For a brainless beast, a stick works wonders. I should go beat him right now.”
Staría rushed to stop her.
“No! Please don’t. I begged and begged until he let me stay here just for a while. So…”
If she irritated that person any further, she’d be thrown out for sure.
Her shoulders trembled in fear. Then a gentle voice came from above her head.
“You seem to have his attention already.”
“Pardon?”
“If you haven’t noticed, then I guess there’s no helping it.”
Morgana only tapped her cheek with a fingertip and gave a smile full of meaning.
