4.
Welcome
The black thorns slowly moved aside, opening a path.
It was just wide enough for Elnore and Una to walk through side by side.
“Una, look! A path just appeared!”
Elnore pointed ahead in surprise. Una’s mouth fell open in shock.
And no wonder—those massive thorn bushes had never moved in hundreds of years.
Curious animals had poked them with their paws, brave knights had tried cutting through with swords, and greedy humans had even set them on fire—yet the thorns had never budged.
But now, they moved with just one touch from Elnore.
How was that possible?
“Let’s go inside!”
Before Una could say anything, Elnore stepped into the path.
Una, looking a little stunned, followed behind her.
They walked for a while.
Then, beyond the path, they saw a house. A colorful three-story house made of brick.
As they stepped closer for a better look, they suddenly heard a growl.
Three large black dogs appeared out of nowhere.
They were as big as Una. Their glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth made them look terrifying.
Una growled even louder and stood protectively in front of Elnore.
It was a warning—Don’t you dare touch my friend.
But the dogs didn’t attack. They just watched closely.
Elnore noticed something strange. Despite growling, the dogs didn’t move forward.
She slowly stepped out from behind Una and carefully walked toward them.
Una panicked and tried to stop her, but Elnore shook her head, showing she was okay.
She walked up to the closest dog and gently reached out her hand.
As her hand got closer, the dog pulled back its teeth and sniffed at her fingers.
Then the other two dogs relaxed and walked over as well.
Elnore took a deep breath and patted the first dog’s nose.
Strangely, its skin felt just like the thorns that had blocked the orchard.
“Hi. What’s your name?”
The dog didn’t answer, though it didn’t pull away from her touch.
After tilting its head a few times, it slowly turned around and disappeared into the thorns.
The other two followed it and vanished as well.
“What were they?”
Una stared at the spot where the dogs disappeared.
“Maybe they’re guards for this place?”
Elnore guessed, and began walking toward the house.
Una stayed close behind, watching carefully in case anything else came out of the thorns.
But luckily, nothing did.
And just past the thorn wall…
A breathtaking scene appeared.
Both Elnore and Una gasped out loud.
Even though it wasn’t spring yet, colorful flowers were blooming, trees were full of lush leaves, and ripe fruits hung in bunches between the branches.
In the middle stood a cozy house, a pretty bench, and a big table…
It looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.
Still stunned, they walked slowly until they reached a small side path next to the house.
As they followed it down, they saw a little garden and rows of fruit trees.
Some trees they recognized—but most were completely new to them.
There were so many mysterious trees. It truly felt like a magical orchard.
“Una, I’ve never been to a place like this.”
“Me neither.”
“It’s beautiful!”
“Totally!”
For a while, they stood quietly, not sure if they were dreaming.
Then they noticed how late it was and looked at each other.
“Una, aren’t you tired?”
“Yeah. You too, right?”
“Let’s find a place to rest. I think I feel so relaxed because we made it here safely.”
“Me too. I’m suddenly really sleepy.”
Still chatting, they headed toward the house.
At the pretty wooden door, they saw a handle, a latch, and a big silver lock.
Above the lock hung a keychain, with writing carved into it.
“Welcome.
We’ve been waiting for you.”
Even though the letters were in a language she had never seen before, Elnore could somehow read them.
She tilted her head, puzzled, but placed the key in the lock and turned it.
The key twisted a few times and made a creaky sound, but didn’t open the lock.
Thinking something might be wrong, Elnore stopped and looked at the lock more closely.
Then she saw a thick folded paper sticking out beneath it.
She pulled it out and began reading the message:
**Welcome,
Miss Elnore Dolcevita,
We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.
From now on, this lovely house and orchard
belong to you.
Sadly, I can’t meet you in person,
but I hope you’ll make this place
a peaceful and happy home.
P.S. After reading this note,
insert the key into the lock again and turn it.
It will open.
– From the orchard’s previous owner**
After reading it, Elnore was stunned.
She had only just discovered this orchard. She had never even heard of it before.
And yet, it was as if the previous owner had known she would come here.
Still puzzled, she followed the instructions.
This time, the key turned smoothly, and with a gentle click, the door opened.
The moment it opened, both the key and the lock vanished—like they had never been there.
Though surprised, Elnore and Una were too tired from the long trip to say much.
They stepped inside.
From the outside, the house looked small, but inside it was spacious and cozy.
Even big ol’ Una had plenty of room to move around.
There were wooden tables and chairs in a large hall, and further in, a kitchen.
The kitchen had lovely cupboards made of wood and metal, filled with all sorts of cookware and dishes.
Next to them was a large counter, a brick oven, and a beautifully crafted stove.
“Wow, this place has everything!”
“It really does! But Elnore, what did that paper say? You were reading it so seriously.”
“Oh, this?”
“Yeah, I thought it might be important.”
“It is important. It says this house and orchard belong to me.”
“What?! Really?”
“Yep. I wasn’t sure at first, but then I saw my full name written on it.”
Elnore handed the paper to Una and pointed to her name.
Una looked closely, then gasped.
“You’re right! It really says ‘Elnore Dolcevita’!”
“See?”
“Elnore, that’s amazing! This beautiful place is yours!”
“But how did the previous owner know I’d come? We don’t have any family or friends near the Kingdom of Norte…”
“Hmm… I don’t think it was a relative.
Actually, this orchard has been hidden behind thorns for hundreds of years.”
“Hundreds of years?”
“Yeah. Remember I told you my grandma’s great-grandmother visited it long ago?”
“Then who could’ve left it to me?”
“If I think about it… it probably wasn’t a human. Maybe one of the forest fairies.”
“Forest fairies?”
“Yeah. They often have magical powers. Maybe they knew you were coming.”
“If that’s true… then is it really okay for me to live here?”
“Of course! The note clearly said it all belongs to you!”
As Una finished speaking, she yawned. She looked very sleepy now.
Elnore looked at her with concern.
“Una, you’re really tired, huh? Should we check upstairs and find a place to sleep?”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I hope there’s a soft carpet. I want to nap on that.”
Yawning, Una started up the stairs. Elnore followed behind her.
They reached the second floor. It looked similar to the first.
There were more tables and chairs, and a space that looked like another kitchen.
Elnore guessed it might’ve once been a little dining area.
They went up one more flight of stairs to the top floor.
This floor was different. It had two rooms and a bathroom.
One room was a library, full of bookshelves.
The other was a bedroom with a big, fluffy bed and furniture for clothes.
The moment she saw the bed, Elnore felt her body go limp with sleepiness.
She climbed onto it and flopped down.
Una stretched out on the soft carpet beside the bed.
Before long, they were both fast asleep, breathing gently in the peaceful quiet.
