A short while later.
After barely calming myself down, I was desperately trying to avoid my sister’s gaze.
‘Ughhh, I can’t take this!’
Even if I was reminded of the time when she was burned at the stake…
To lose control and cling to her like that?
Now she was definitely suspicious of me!
Proof of that was how she rested her chin on her hand and stared at me intently the entire time.
“I didn’t know our Mei was afraid of fire.”
Then she muttered under her breath, doubt written all over her face.
“That’s odd. I’m sure she was fine with it before…”
Well, of course it seemed strange.
Before my regression, I wasn’t particularly afraid of fire.
But that wasn’t something I could explain, so I pretended not to hear her and focused intently on the water bowl in front of me.
“Anyway, this is bad. I used up all the remaining flour…”
Just then, my sister murmured softly,
“At this rate, I won’t be able to make anything tasty for Mei.”
Her red eyes wistfully scanned the kitchen, where fine black ash still floated in the air.
‘Huh?’
At that moment, a memory I had forgotten flashed through my mind.
It happened around this time.
Back then, I was eating only my sister’s special feed every single day.
Yes—exactly the kind I had today.
After days of eating only that, I’d reached a point where even breathing brought a bitter taste to my mouth.
—
“I don’t want to eat this feed anymore! I’m sick of it!”
I tapped the food bowl with my front paw in frustration, then turned my head away in a huff.
My sister couldn’t hide the troubled look on her face.
“But you still have to eat, right?”
She tried to comfort me for a long while, but back then, I was completely immature.
—
“You feed me this stuff every day! Do you think I’m a rabbit or something?!”
“Mei…”
“I want jerky! I want sausages! I want chicken drumsticks! And—!”
I threw a full-blown tantrum at her.
My sister simply pressed her lips together and quietly listened to my whining.
Later, without saying a word, she went out.
—
“W-Wow, what’s all this?!”
That evening.
With wide, shocked eyes, I stared at the table overflowing with delicious food.
There were sausages and chicken legs piled high—just like I had asked for.
I bounced up and down in place, while my sister watched me with a gentle smile.
—
“Eat a lot, Mei.”
Just for a moment, I thought her smile looked a little sad.
But that thought quickly vanished.
I was too distracted by the luxurious meal in front of me.
Maybe that’s why…
The foolish me ignored what she had muttered to herself:
—
“It would’ve been better if I’d just sold it quickly instead of holding on to useless attachments.”
—
…Why am I only remembering that now?
I suddenly froze, rigid as a board.
After that day, our household situation steadily improved.
There was always good food on the table.
And once I succeeded in taking human form, I always had clean, pretty clothes to wear.
But what had my sister sacrificed to make that possible?
The only valuable things she owned—the only things she could sell—were…
‘Magical items.’
Magical tools for research.
Rare, ancient tomes you couldn’t find anywhere else.
She once said they were among the few heirlooms passed down from our parents.
…And at some point, those things started disappearing, one by one.
‘No. That’s not true.’
I shot to my feet.
Dashing to my sister’s lab, I heard her startled footsteps hurrying after me.
“Mei, what’s wrong all of a sudden?!”
I ignored her and frantically searched the lab.
And—
‘Phew…’
I sighed in relief.
The ancient books she cherished were still there.
The magical tools, polished from years of use, still sat in place.
“Why are you acting like this, huh?”
She approached me, clearly flustered.
I looked up at her blankly, heart heavy.
‘I’ve just been leeching off her this whole time.’
As soon as I realized that, it felt like a massive boulder had slammed down on my chest.
—
“Myaaa… (It’s nothing.)”
I’m really sorry, sister.
I was so clueless… so foolish.
A wave of guilt washed over me.
I gently nuzzled my head against her, without strength.
She didn’t understand why, but simply smiled and patted my back.
—
“How strange… Why is Mei acting so clingy today?”
—
As I was gloomily accepting her warm touch, I suddenly narrowed my eyes.
‘Something’s off.’
Adrian had promised to support us if we stayed away from the capital.
That support was supposed to include supplies and money.
We shouldn’t have had to struggle like this.
But considering what my sister muttered earlier…
And thinking back to those old times…
It didn’t seem like we ever actually received that support.
‘Adrian isn’t the kind of person to break a promise…’
So what if… something blocked the supplies from getting to us?
While I was deep in thought—
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling-ding-ding—!
Suddenly, the alarm bell rang loudly.
It was my sister’s boundary magic—set up to detect anyone approaching the estate without notice.
Only I, my sister, and Adrian could pass through it undetected.
—
“…Who could it be?”
The usually calm expression on my sister’s face vanished, replaced with an icy stare as she turned around.
—
* * *
The one who triggered the boundary spell was a supply cart sent from the Duke of Valencia’s household.
No warning, no message—just suddenly showing up?
What kind of rudeness was that?
“Mei, could you wait here for a bit?”
She gave me a small smile and stepped outside alone.
I carefully watched her face.
As soon as she passed through the gate, I saw it—the way her expression froze over, cold and unreadable.
‘This is suspicious.’
I leapt onto the windowsill.
Far away, I saw my sister striding toward the cart.
‘I should check it out myself.’
I gently pushed the window open with my paw and jumped down.
Hiding myself in the tall grass, I quietly followed behind her.
‘There it is.’
I crouched low in the brush, eyes fixed on the cart.
‘If the cart’s here, then it means the Duke’s household is sending support…’
So why did my sister have to sell off even our parents’ keepsakes to survive?
That mystery didn’t last long.
—
“We’re missing quite a few supplies again today.”
My sister, checking the delivery, spoke coldly.
“Same with food items—and the herbs and reagents I requested last time aren’t here either.”
What?!
My eyes widened.
‘They didn’t even send the herbs and reagents?’
The reason we stayed away from the capital was because of the sudden spike in monster activity.
My sister had been researching ways to counter the outbreak.
That research required large amounts of herbs and reagents.
It was a direct request from Adrian himself.
He’d said he’d make sure everything was taken care of.
So why—
—
“Hmph. For someone living off the Duke’s generosity, you sure complain a lot.”
—
