episode_0076

The fox did not trust humans.

It was because of the memory of her life crumbling due to complete betrayal during her immature days.

“-I am a person who runs a small business in the capital. -I came near your village for work, and since I’m here, I’d like to get along well with you. -I want to be your friend.”

She didn’t know how many times she had regretted it.

If she hadn’t trusted that man, if she hadn’t relied on him so easily, the village wouldn’t have been engulfed in flames.

That cruel memory remained a colossal trauma.

On the day her world vanished in flames.

Irene swore.

That she would never trust humans again.

That she would never again rely on others with a weak heart and be shamefully betrayed.

The premise that had grown within her now tightly bound the girl.

‘I won’t be fooled.’

I don’t trust.

I don’t rely.

I don’t wish.

Even if they seem kind now, humans will betray you the moment they turn their backs.

You must never lean on them.

She had lived by such values.

She thought it would be the same in the future.

It certainly was, but then.

“-Will you not be tamed by me?”

She ended up meeting a strange boy.

At first, she had no choice.

To save her younger siblings, she was in a position where she had to accept help even from humans she hated.

She took his hand, thinking it would be just this once.

“-I will take you in. -I will help you escape from this hellish place.”

But she didn’t lower her guard.

She had made a choice out of necessity, not connecting that thin hope with trust.

On the contrary, she often displayed blatant hostility.

However.

“-I merely need a friend.”

Even so, the boy did not back down.

He simply stood quietly by her side, extending his hand.

She received help every time.

“-You don’t have to worry. -Your siblings are being well cared for here.”

He took in her siblings, who were her entire life.

He provided a warm home for the children who had been confined to cages, and gave them a life where they no longer had to feel anxious.

“-I’ve come to save you. -Everything’s alright now. You truly endured well.”

Even at the moment she was captured by the dark mages, the boy rushed to her as if it were natural.

He held the weakened fox in his arms and soothed her for a long time.

Whispering words of utmost tenderness.

“-Irene-yang. -If it means you can be even a little less unhappy, I will gladly lend you my strength.”

Every time that happened, the fox felt confused.

She didn’t want to admit it.

It felt as if her hatred towards humans was gradually fading.

So she kept pushing away the boy who approached her.

‘Strange.’

Cracks appeared in her firm resolve.

Light entered her dark life.

He put the tranquility she had so desperately desired into her hands.

Listening to his kind words, the wall she had built deep within her heart felt as if it could crumble at any moment.

Though she couldn’t speak, fear rose within her.

‘I must not rely on him.’

She must not lower her guard.

She must not trust.

But her heart didn’t obey, and she found herself increasingly leaning on him.

So she tried even harder to be alone.

‘My affairs… I must handle them myself.’

That was why she hadn’t asked for help.

She couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Because of her foolish stubbornness not to trust humans.

It seemed as though she would fall apart completely, but the boy was watching the fox this time too.

He supported her at the most dangerous moment.

“-You’ve worked hard, Irene-yang. -Rest by leaning on me for a moment. I know you have a lot to say, but it’s okay to put it off until later.”

A voice that softly melted her ears.

Her heart instantly felt at ease upon hearing it.

Fear scattered, her legs lost strength, her eyes welled up, and her fists clenched involuntarily.

Why did she feel so relieved?

‘I am.’

The fox realized.

That she could no longer deny it.

The surging emotions within her were crashing like waves, as if they would overflow at any moment.

She decided to finally accept it.

‘I… you.’

Before she knew it, she was relying on him.

Even though she had vowed to distrust others for her entire life, you were the only person she came to trust.

Perhaps it took too long for her to realize it.

“-Will you not be tamed by me?”

I was.

Already tamed by you.

So deeply that she couldn’t escape.

Even if she struggled while entangled in a spiderweb, the sticky threads of emotion would only become more intricately tangled.

She was afraid of being betrayed again, but.

“Snap out of it…!”

She was already clinging to him.

Holding his limp body, tears were dripping down her face.

“No… if you die like this.”

She pressed her lips together.

She breathed warm air into him.

Until color returned to his face, she bowed her head repeatedly, transferring her breath amidst their mingling saliva.

It was a terribly desperate movement.

“Haah, haah…”

Rough, scattered breaths.

The boy, with a serene expression, had somehow resumed his stopped breathing.

Irene gripped his sleeve with trembling hands.

As relief washed over her, a deep resignation found its way to her.

‘Ah.’

She had fallen into a terribly deep swamp.

Even though the possibility of betrayal terrified her, the girl couldn’t let go of his trembling hand.

It was too late to escape.

Now, she could only give up resistance and pray.

‘Please.’

May this humble me, not be abandoned by you.

Leaving her faint murmurs behind.

The fox quietly leaned her body against him.

***

The boy had overcome the crisis.

Although he was unconscious, Irene’s swift actions had saved his life.

His golden hair rested on the deck.

“…….”

A peaceful expression.

He looked as if he was deeply asleep.

Beside the boy, who lay sprawled out, was an exhausted Irene, gasping for breath.

Her entire body was soaked and disheveled.

“Haah…”

Her weary breaths stretched out thinly.

They had almost ended up as fish food together.

The waves crashing in the early morning were truly a disaster.

Fortunately, her physical condition had somewhat recovered, allowing her to survive.

Irene roughly brushed back her disheveled hair.

“……This isn’t the time to be exhausted.”

A low, gritted self-mutter.

She muttered as if hypnotizing herself, then forced her staggering legs to stand up.

Afterward, she carefully lifted the lying boy’s body.

It was obvious that problems would arise if he was left like this.

He had only passed a major crisis; he had not regained consciousness yet.

Having fallen into the sea, it would be difficult to maintain his body temperature.

He needed to change his wet clothes immediately and rest in a warm place.

‘It’s such a large ship… there must be cabins.’

The girl thought as she took a step.

Just as she was about to step inside the ship.

“We meet again.”

A voice came from behind.

It was the Unnamed.

She didn’t know when he had returned, but the young man was leaning against the railing, polishing his hidden weapons.

His black suit was drenched in blood.

“……!”

The fox reacted belatedly and stepped back.

She hid the boy she was holding behind her and brought the sword she had been using as a cane back up.

Was it due to her depleted stamina?

Her arms trembled violently, but the girl didn’t show it and took her stance.

Green hair fluttered at the end of where her sword pointed.

“I don’t know why you are wary, but.”

The Unnamed responded indifferently.

His expression was blank, without the slightest hint of wavering.

At first glance, he seemed uninterested in them, but Irene did not carelessly lower her guard.

Because she remembered the conversation the two had just before.

‘They didn’t seem to be on good terms.’

At the very least, they were clearly opposing forces.

The content of their exchange was brutal.

Given that he said he had cut off the ruler’s right arm, it seemed there was ample reason for the Unnamed to hold a grudge against them.

Moreover, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity, with the boy unconscious?

‘Damn it… there’s no way he’d let an opportunity like this slip away.’

Irene, concluding on her own, prepared for battle.

However.

The Unnamed took no action.

He merely checked his equipment silently and tidied his soiled clothes.

“Ahem.”

“……?”

Her ominous prediction neatly missed the mark.

As she looked on with a question mark in her mind, the Unnamed, having finished his preparations, calmly spoke to her.

His tone was utterly businesslike.

“You don’t need to be wary. I have no intention of attacking.”

“What…?”

Irene narrowed her eyes.

She seemed confused.

To refuse to attack in this situation.

She stared at him as if asking for his intentions, but the Unnamed maintained an indifferent attitude.

All he did was utter a few unintelligible words.

“I merely follow orders.”

“What kind of…”

“That person does not wish for the star’s death. Even if I seized an opportune moment, it would be meaningless if I cannot please my master.”

The Unnamed was silent for a moment.

Then he continued.

“……More importantly, there is a reason I cannot kill him.”

“A reason?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything further. It is not a matter I can speak carelessly about.”

“…….”

“If you are truly curious, you should ask him directly.”

The Unnamed unilaterally ended the conversation.

Having finished his preparations, he was standing on the railing.

He politely bowed his head.

“I shall take my leave.”

“What?”

“The transaction has been fulfilled. There will be no other forces on the ship. I have disposed of the bodies, so you may use it at your leisure.”

“Wait a moment…”

“Please speak kindly to him when he wakes up. Farewell.”

*Flap!*

The Unnamed leaped off the railing without hesitation.

The young man vanished instantly.

Immediately afterward, a bird appeared.

Its green wings flapped vigorously.

It glided through the night sky at high speed, moving further away.

The fox merely stared blankly at its disappearing back.

***

“…….”

I opened my eyes with a hazy gaze.

What appeared in my sight was an unfamiliar ceiling.

As I retraced my faint memories, I soon realized that this was inside the ship.

Because it looked exactly like the cabins I had glimpsed.

‘So it was Irene after all.’

I recalled the orange hair that had rippled before my eyes just before losing consciousness.

How much time had passed?

My head throbbed due to a dull headache.

Perhaps because I had overused my abilities, my condition wasn’t very pleasant.

I exhaled deeply.

‘First, I need to figure out the situation.’

Shaking off the drowsiness and about to lift my body from where I lay.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

“Hmm…?”

Strangely, my body felt heavy.

It was as if something soft was pressing down on me.

Following the direction of the weight, I lowered my head and saw a completely unexpected scene.

There was a swaying orange tail.

“…….”

Black eyes stared intently at me.

The girl, who was lying with her body overlapping mine, smiled faintly with her eyes when our gazes met.

“……You’re awake.”

A calm whisper tinged my ears.

It was none other than Irene.

The fox was wearing only a thin undershirt, lying in my arms as if nestled there.

The ears on top of her head were drooping, as if in comfort.

“I was worried… you didn’t wake up even after two days.”

Irene rested her cheek on my chest.

I remained blankly frozen, unable to do anything but repeatedly ask confused questions.

“……?”

What is this?

What happened?