episode_0003

“For no reason, I shouldn’t wake up… .”

He threw the hunted bear in a suitable place and carefully opened the door to the cabin.

But, it seems like there was no need for that.

Because the little kid was already looking at me with wide eyes and a wary look.

“You’re up.”

“… Who are you?”

I just noticed it now, but the kid had red eyes that resembled blood.

Black hair and red eyes.

Considering the color scheme of the head and pupils is quite attractive, the hypothesis that the little boy is the main character in the novel may be correct.

By the way.

“Who are you asking?”

Who am I? Is that something a little kid who sleeps comfortably in front of someone else’s house would say?

“I am the owner of this house.”

At those words, the little boy, who seemed to have finally understood the situation, bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you for saving me… yo… .”

“Yeah”

Right after my answer.

An awkward silence flowed between them.

‘How do you talk to people…?’

As for me, there was nothing I could do about it. To be honest, after living for several years without any connection to the outside world, I felt awkward meeting people face to face.

Still, is there no law that says you have to die?

-Gulp

The awkward silence was broken a little by a sound coming from the little one’s stomach.

He asked with a small smile.

“Are you hungry?”

“… Yeah.”

By the way, he’s probably a lot older than me, but he speaks informally and is always noisy. Even though he looks young, he’s actually a very ill-mannered brat.

However, no matter how upset I was, it was really hard to tell that little kid to be polite, so I just kept silent.

But no matter how bad I felt, I didn’t have the confidence to tell him to stop speaking informally, so I just kept silent.

Besides, it would be a problem if I got a grudge against that kid who could be the main character in the novel.

‘Sigh, what has happened to my situation… .’

I pointed to the outside of the cabin at the little boy who was trying hard to keep a blank expression but still had his head down and was staring at the floor.

“Then, go eat something.”

It may seem like I spoke a bit coldly, but… .

Just the fact that I’m continuing the conversation right now deserves applause.

… I think so.

Yes, I am satisfied with myself.

The little boy, who had been observing me, asked me a question in a small voice.

“… Aren’t you asking anything?”

Oops, should I have asked who it was first?

Well, it’s a bit much for a woman to live alone in the mountains and eat alone.

I don’t know if there are witches here, but doesn’t my current appearance look like something an evil witch in a novel would do?

‘Damn, I should have met some people.’

I wiped the cold sweat away at a speed that the little boy couldn’t even notice, and wondered how to handle this.

“Say what you want to say.”

And what I chose to say was something that seemed to make sense.

“Not really, it doesn’t look that good”

I spoke to you in a way that gave off the impression that I was being as considerate as possible, without any mistakes or other tricks.

‘I guess I’ll get over it by now?’

I glanced at the kid and checked his expression.

“Oh my… .”

But, contrary to my expectations, it was reassuring.

“Black…sigh….”

The little boy was quietly wiping away tears.

‘… What should I do?’

Just as a woman’s tears are a weapon, a child’s crying is also a weapon.

Due to his young age, he has a small build, and his arms and legs are thin, as if to emphasize his stature.

The sight of her shedding tears with eyes that seemed completely devoid of life was almost violent.

Because guilt rose in my heart even though I had done nothing wrong.

‘No, why?!’

If that kid was trying to make me uncomfortable, he succeeded.

I didn’t know what to do with the little boy who was still shedding tears, so I just waved my hands.

…what did I do wrong?

You really think she’s a witch, don’t you?

To him, I also felt wronged and naturally started to cry.

‘… It won’t work.’

Now, if you are not alone but in front of someone else, and you look easy, you will be caught.

With those thoughts in mind, I try my best to act calm on the outside while worrying about what to do.

Suddenly, I remembered what my mother used to do for me when I was crying as a child.

“It’s okay.”

As soon as that thought came to mind, my body moved reflexively, and I held the little boy in my arms and slowly stroked his head.

“It’s okay.”

He put down his caressing hand for a moment and slowly wiped away the tears flowing down the child’s face.

“It’s okay.”

I thought that an expressionless face wouldn’t help the child stop crying, so I tried to force a smile.

The result was, I think, okay.

“… Yeah.”

Because the child stopped crying.

For some reason, the little boy blushed, but it seemed like he was embarrassed to show his tears because he was a boy.

And so, the silence continued again.

This situation was so awkward I thought I would die, but my heart was weak, so I patted the little one and added.

“Go eat some food.”

“Yeah… .”

He sighed in relief, making sure the little boy couldn’t see. He went outside and pointed to the bear he had hunted.

The little boy’s expression when he saw the bear I had caught was blank. He looked like he was wondering what the heck this was.

“… Rice?”

Then the little boy looked back and forth between me and the bear, his expression becoming more serious.

“Puhh.”

I couldn’t help but laugh because I knew what the kid was thinking.

Surely, you’re thinking, ‘How did that little girl catch that big bear?’

Because I think I would think that way too.

He looked up at the little boy who was feeling proud for no reason and shrugged his shoulders.

“I caught the game ‘myself’, so eat as much as you want without hesitation.”

The child frowned for a moment, then pointed to the bear with a trembling voice.

“This…?”

“Yeah.”

Looking at the constantly shaking pupils, it seems like he is impressed by the size of the prey I caught.

“Raw…?”

“Huh?”

For some reason, the ending of the word ‘yo’, which is assumed to be polite, was added to the word ‘yo’ of the naughty brat.

I didn’t really care about it.

Rather, I turned my head in the direction the kid was pointing, wondering what the problem was.

“Oops.”

Only then did I realize why the kid was acting that way.

‘You can’t eat it raw?’

It was my little mistake.

*

Since we were in the mountains, there were no spices like salt or sugar, and since I didn’t know how to cook, I just lit a fire and grilled the meat.

Still, the little boy ate the food I gave him without any complaints.

Even if he had starved for several days, it would have been impossible for him to eat that big bear all by himself, so he knew he would have to put the meat down soon.

The little boy, who had been watching me, frowned and picked up the meat again.

I guess I’ll probably eat all that food.

‘Why are you like that?’

I tilted my head at him and thought.

Is there a tradition where this kid lives that says you shouldn’t refuse food offered to you?

‘…no way.’

Even so, there probably isn’t such a tradition.

I opened my mouth and made a small gesture to the little boy who was trying to eat again while looking at me for no reason.

“If you are full, you don’t have to force yourself to eat.”

Yes, the little boy who had put down the meat as soon as I finished speaking nodded.

‘… How much did I hate eating it?’

Anyway, now the little one has finished eating.

Shouldn’t it be okay to ask who it is?

I don’t have any ulterior motives, but I need to know your name and where you live to send you back.

Okay, I’m trying to find the right time to ask.

“Over there… .”

The little one opened his mouth first, and just tilted his head at the unexpected situation.

“Huh? Why are you calling?”

“…Will the witch eat me?”

“What.”

Me, eating someone? Who?

No, but is there a real witch?

“Eat it? Me?”

Incredulous, he brought his face in front of the little boy and frowned.

… I think he really meant it.

“Oh, yeah… .”

“Huh, why would I eat you? More importantly, I’m not a witch.”

Even though I denied it with all my might, the little boy still had a hard time believing me and kept asking me questions.

“But… you said you caught the muscle bear yourself… unless you’re a witch… .”

“He built a hut on a mountain that is said to be filled with such magic and lived alone.” The little boy added in a mumble, and finished his speech with him.

To me, the kid’s words were absurd.

I can’t even use magic in the first place, so how can I be called a witch?

“… hic.”

It’s quite funny to see the little boy sitting there, hunched over as if he’s nervous.

When I saw him, I felt a strange sense of playfulness.

Actions speak louder than words, and it would be better to stamp it directly into the eyes of that suspicious little brat.

I also wanted to check my skills.

I stood up with a smile and picked up the wooden sword next to the meat the kid had left behind.

Since I carved the wood myself, the shape is a little rough, but it swings well.

“Did you say witch?”

He held the wooden sword with both hands, closed his eyes, and added:

“Let me show you something cooler than something magical.”

Somehow, I think I can understand how an uncle feels when he plays with his nephew.

“Look clearly with those two eyes.”

He began to swing his sword into the air, using more force than he usually did during his training.

My gaze was turned to the sky.

* * *

‘beautiful.’

The boy looked at her swordsmanship, which seemed to be beautiful, as if he was possessed by something.

Her body, moving while holding the fluttering sword, seemed as light as a feather.

The wind that rose from the tip of her sword cut through the air, creating a rough wind pressure, as if to prove that her sword was not light at all.

The boy was so captivated by her beautiful appearance that he couldn’t take his eyes off her even for a moment until she finished her swordsmanship, no, sword dance.

“Ah… .”

When you see something beautiful, does time pass quickly?

‘I wanted to see more.’

As she swallowed her small regret, she finished her sword dance and slowly opened her eyes, putting away her sword.

Soon, leaves began to gather slowly beneath her feet.

Within moments, an unidentifiable shape appeared.

‘What is Heaven? Is it an ancient character?’

Yes, when the little one’s mind is sold on it.

“When did you get so close?” she asked, crouching down in front of the boy.

“What do you think, do I still look like a witch to you?”

“No… .”

The blushing little boy shook his head at her smiling expression.

She’s a witch?

The witch I know isn’t that beautiful.

‘Then what is her identity?’

Many thoughts ran through the boy’s head, but he couldn’t figure out who she was.

A woman who appears young at first glance lives alone in a suspiciously old cabin.

Even though she was an uncommon beauty, her brute force was so extraordinary that it was questionable.

The only person who fit all of these criteria, as far as the boy knew, was a witch.

She uses a dazzlingly beautiful sword, let alone the black magic used by witches.

As someone who knew nothing about her, I had no way of knowing her true identity.

“Then, what do you do…?”

So, as I always did, fearlessly and following my heart, I asked her.

The little boy couldn’t contain his curiosity.

“Umm… Who are you?”

She seemed to be pondering for a moment, then raised her hands toward the sky and shouted.

“My name is Cheonharang. I will cut down the sky.”

The boy looked at her, Cheonharang, as if he was entranced by her smile, which was as beautiful as her sword dance.