6. Homecoming

6. Homecoming

Seol-yeon was flustered. She had stormed in, cursing the mister who was supposed to be looking for her sister but was still lounging around at home, only to have her sister suddenly pop out.

Could she have heard the curse?

A young child is like a sponge. They absorb everything that comes into contact with them. For example, just as Seol-ah had been trying to howl like Seol-yeon for the past two years, children learn and imitate things that adults never imagine.

As soon as she saw her sister’s large tail, Seol-yeon immediately shut her mouth, but Seol-ah might have heard the slightly leaked sound of ‘curse…’.

Seol-yeon wanted her sister to grow up upright and righteous. At least, she didn’t want her to become a person filled with violence and curses like herself. That’s why she had been presenting herself as a kind and gentle person in front of Seol-ah, but what if she had ruined all of that with this incident?

Seol-yeon imagined Seol-ah becoming a foul-mouthed child.

-Idiot!

-Moron!

-I’m a cool wolf!

It might be okay.

“Ah, no.”

Seol-yeon shook her head. She had only imagined her sister’s cute appearance, but she almost lost consciousness. More importantly, it was crucial to change the subject as quickly as possible to prevent Seol-ah from learning curses.

“Seol-ah, where on earth did you go? We were so worried!”

“Well, I was on my way to Uncle’s house, but I saw an ice fruit and went to eat it, then I had a big fight with a hamster… Oh, of course, I won! Anyway, I was about to eat the ice fruit when suddenly a polar fox appeared and stole mine, so I chased it….”

“Wait, what?”

While listening to her sister’s rambling with a smile, Seol-yeon’s eyes suddenly snapped open. She had heard a word that she absolutely could not overlook. Seol-ah tilted her head, then put her hands on her hips and said with her nose held high,

“I fought with a hamster and won!”

“No, a little further back than that.”

“I was going to eat the ice fruit!”

“One word further back.”

Seol-ah thought about what she had said for a moment, wagged her fluffy tail, and then said,

“A polar fox stole my ice fruit!”

“Polar… fox…?”

Seol-ah nodded her head up and down vigorously, saying it. She nodded with such big movements that Seol-yeon genuinely worried if her triangular, fluffy ears would fall off.

But more importantly, there was a crucial matter.

“You saw a polar fox?”

“Not just saw it! I caught it so coolly….”

“You saw it?”

“Uh, uh… yes.”

At her sister’s serious expression, Seol-ah could only nod in confusion, unable to continue her boasting. Sensing something was wrong, the Polar Bear asked,

“What’s wrong? Is there something about polar foxes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“No, you told me to find the kid, but instead of thanking me, you curse at me, and you make me curious about everything but don’t tell me anything… I’m such a pushover.”

“We agreed to give you Wyvern meat. Be satisfied with that.”

“That’s what you were supposed to give me anyway, when you took the fish I caught.”

“Even if I wanted to give it, I have nothing to give?”

As Seol-yeon growled, the Polar Bear scratched his head and avoided her gaze. He thought that this impudent wolf was difficult to deal with in many ways since she was young. While her sister was just cute, he thought they had nothing in common despite being sisters.

“Anyway, are you going right away?”

“There’s nothing else to do here.”

“Why don’t you come fishing with Seol-ah later? Seol-ah, if you drill a hole in the ice on that lake and throw in bait, you can catch really big fish. Do you want to try catching one?”

As Seol-ah’s eyes lit up at the Polar Bear’s exaggerated gestures and she was about to answer, Seol-yeon covered her sister’s mouth and said irritably,

“Don’t teach her weird things!”

“What’s weird about it? Wolves catch fish too.”

“If I tell you not to, then don’t.”

Seol-yeon thought about the size of the fish the Polar Bear usually caught and said that. If Seol-ah tried to catch one, she would undoubtedly be swallowed whole rather than catch it. Absolutely not.

“Seol-ah, we’re going home now, so thank Uncle.”

“Thank you~”

Seol-ah, who opened the door and stepped out into the snowfield, bowed deeply towards the Polar Bear and said goodbye Then, she immediately tilted forward and buried her face in the snow.

“I caught a mouse!”

“….”

A moment later, Seol-ah, who had shaken off the snow, stood up with a mouse in her mouth.

——

“No candy for a week.”

“What?!”

As soon as she opened the door and entered the house, Seol-ah’s mother said that. Seol-ah was startled, puffed up her tail, and asked again.

“It’s punishment for making Mom and Dad worry. Do you know how chaotic our house was yesterday?”

“B-but….”

Seol-ah said, whimpering. The special wolf suin candy, made by moderately processing ice fruit, was a snack Seol-ah ate almost every day. To be forbidden from it!

“But what! What if something happened to Seol-ah? Mom, Dad, and your sister were so worried!”

“Ugh….”

For now, as someone who had been an adult, Seol-ah understood her mother’s worry. Therefore, she couldn’t argue back. She could have insisted on her rights by relying on her young body, but since it was purely her fault, she couldn’t do that out of conscience.

Seol-ah’s mother sighed as she looked at her whimpering daughter and hugged her tightly.

“Don’t do that again, okay?”

“Yes….”

As she felt the warm body temperature, Seol-ah’s body melted away in an instant. She was like a snowman melting in the sunlight. Seol-ah’s mother looked at her daughter’s fluffy, but slightly messy tail, and said,

“Your tail must have gotten quite damaged sleeping outside. Go get groomed by your sister.”

“Yes!”

“Sigh, when will you stop worrying your mother….”

Watching her daughter run off, Seol-ah’s mother grumbled. A moment later, Seol-yeon appeared.

“Mother.”

“Yes? Oh my, Seol-ah just went to look for you.”

“Ah, really? I should go back quickly… Anyway, do you happen to have the study key right now? I need to look for something.”

“Why the study?”

The study in Seol-ah’s house contained various records passed down from generation to generation of leaders. To prevent the records from being damaged by strong winds and snow, the study was always kept under strict management.

“I need to look into Seol-ah’s species….”

“Shh, what if Seol-ah hears you.”

“… I need to look into polar foxes.”

Judging by the scent, Seol-ah didn’t seem to be nearby, but Seol-yeon corrected her words. Seol-ah’s mother rummaged through a cupboard for a moment and took out a metal key. Seol-yeon took the key, paused for a moment, and then asked,

“Is Father still going to hide it?”

“Yes. He probably intends to hide it until she becomes an adult.”

“Can he keep hiding it until then? Polar foxes… are different from wolves. Just their size alone….”

“They are very different. But shouldn’t we try our best until then? How shocked would Seol-ah be if she knew the truth now? She’s so happy thinking she’s a wolf.”

She muttered quietly, as if children were childish and obsessed with picture books they didn’t look at. Seol-yeon made a sullen expression. Her irritation was evident in the movement of her tail.

“I think it should be said quickly….”

“Father must have his reasons. You are not the leader yet, so for now, please respect your father’s decision.”

“… Yes.”

——

“Hehehe….”

I’ve come to like books since my reincarnation. Actually, the only book I’ve read here is this picture book that I always keep in my tail, but in the end, I like books, so it’s the same.

By the way, when I get groomed, I have to take out the things I keep in my tail. I’ve been told by my older sister many times that my tail needs to be brushed prettily. The cleanliness and grooming of the tail are essential for a wolf suin. Especially since I have a very large tail unlike other kids, the importance of tail care is beyond words.

I took out various items from my tail, including the picture book. Pretty stones, shiny stones, stones my sister gave me… Gasp, there’s a piece of ice fruit too. It seemed to be leftover from last night in the cave.

Yum yum.

I tasted the sweetness of the ice fruit and took out everything in my tail in a rush. My tail fur fluttered.

Gasp.

What should I do?

If my sister finds out about this mess, she’ll scold me.

My tail trembled. My ears too. I quickly looked around.

Then I saw the window. Without hesitation, I opened the hallway window.

“Hya!”

With a strong gust, cold wind swirled in. My hair fluttered, and the fur from my tail, which had been decorating the hallway, floated up into the air.

Hoho, this is the power of ventilation. To think of such a method, there’s no wolf as smart as me!

“Huh?”

However, contrary to my expectation that the fur would fly out the window instantly, the fur began to swirl around the hallway.

And then, the fur that had only settled near me began to fill the entire space from ceiling to floor! Even the snow blowing in from the window combined to make the hallway a complete mess!

“Aack!”

I hastily closed the window, but the hallway, which had already become a mess, did not return to its original state.

And at that very moment, my sister appeared, opening the hallway door.