Chapter 8.1

“Don’t do this… Please…. I’m scared….”

Anna doubted her own ears.

The monotonous, grave tone was still the same, but the voice itself shook as if he was a boy facing a kidnapper.

Without meaning to, Anna blurted out, “I’m sorry. But I really wasn’t thinking of anything inappropriate! Really!”

However, Bertram made no answer.

Anna carefully opened her eyes.

“Mr. Bertram?”

“Mm……”

Soon after, Bertram let go of Anna’s wrist and turned over on his bed. The gem embedded into his chest was then hidden under the shadow of his shirt.

His breathing became peaceful.

“Wh- what just happened!”

The only person who could answer her had already left for dreamland.

Anna looked down at her own arm. His red handprint remained on her rough skin.

‘I thought my bone was about to break. Though I was in the wrong first.’

But anyhow, what was with his sleep-talking?

Though it was in monotone, the words themselves felt like they were afraid of something.

……Emotions that did not seem to suit Bertram.

At this point in her thoughts, Anna shook her head.

Even a big and strong person like him definitely could have something they secretly feared. And, well, he had gone through the war.

‘What can I do so that Mr. Bertram doesn’t have nightmares, I wonder.’

Looking down on this huge body that was as big as her bed, Anna realized that his feet were uncovered by the blanket.

‘He might have nightmares because his feet are cold.’

She took out an unused apron and meticulously covered his huge feet for him.

When she was done, the red flowery design made it look like he was wearing some kind of boots. Anna grinned to herself, finding this situation somewhat entertaining.

The sleep-talking seemingly induced by nightmares had stopped. There was now only one thing left for Anna to say.

“I hope you have sweet dreams, Mr. Bertram.”

Dreams of walking the flowery path.

***

Once she returned to her room, Anna dreamt something strange.

In the middle of a windy field stood Anna, wearing a dress. It was a pretty dress, one that princesses from fairy tales might wear.

And standing in front of Princess Anna was a black bear, standing on its two legs.

As the bear was wearing a crown, Anna managed to understand her current situation and spoke up.

‘You’ve been cursed, right? Should I give you a kiss?’

Words that would summon slaps on the back from Carla, if she had heard.

The bear shook its head at Anna’s uncharacteristically bold offer.

And bearing its sharp teeth, it asked her a question.

‘Is it that the human prince was turned into a bear, or did a bear receive the position of a prince?’

‘Sorry?’

‘If it was the former, then you could undo the curse for me. However, I just might be the latter.’

The bear revealed its canine teeth.

It felt like a gesture asking if she didn’t know what would happen if she kissed him.

But Anna took a step closer.

She felt certain that this bear was harmless.

The bear stepped back as it shouted.

‘I can tear someone small like you into shreds and swallow you whole!’

However, the mouth of the bear who said as such smelled of raspberries.

Anna’s steps became faster.

While moving backwards, the bear soon hit upon a wall of wind and came to a stop. In the face of Anna’s approach, he spoke, but his words were lost in the sound of wind and could not be heard.

Swift, swift. The sound of sand, roughly swept away.

The scent of raspberries came closer and closer, and…..

“She’s gone crazy.”

At the sudden sound of her mother’s voice, Anna’s eyes snapped open. The raspberry in Carla’s hand popped into her mouth.

“Sour!”

“What kind of insane dream were you dreaming to pucker out your lips like that?”

“I, I didn’t dream anything!”

Anna’s face reddened.

She was embarrassed for dreaming like a child when at twenty-two years old, but Carla seemed to have taken the blush for another meaning and misunderstood. She grabs Anna’s ear and yanks.

“I need to marry you off quickly so you don’t think nonsense, but who’ll take you when you’re so lazy! You, did you even know that bear-man woke up at the crack of dawn and has been sweeping the yard?”

It seemed like the methodical sound of sweeping had come from Bertram cleaning.

Anna surreptitiously tried changing the subject to him.

“Goodness, mom. You started like you were going to chase him out and now you’re proud of him? At this rate, you’ll be hiring him officially.”

“If you hadn’t puked on his clothes, I would’ve chased him out right away.”

“…..I was super dizzy.”

“Anyhow, did you hear anything else about him? Like what he used to do, or something.”

“He said he was in the war until the very end. It looks like he wasn’t a deserter though.”

“Anybody would say that.”

Anna stuck her bottom lip out into a pout.

“Don’t ask if you’re not going to believe me.”

“What—Anna, you, are you taking his side already?”

“I mean, it’s weird to treat him like a criminal for no reason.”

“We have to prepare for the worst! Though I’d hate it if he was a noble, too. …..Did he not try showing you some jewels or anything to seduce you?”

“Ahahaha! What kind of question is that!”

She burst out laughing at those ridiculous words, but Carla’s face was serious.

“I’m not joking. He doesn’t secretly show you anything expensive? It’s a tactic nobles usually use to seduce commoners.”

Though she was reminded of the blue gem on his chest, Anna shook her head.

He hadn’t shown it to her secretly.

Anna had peeped at it herself.

But having confirmed that Bertram’s clothes were of high quality, Carla did not withdraw easily.