CH 11

‘Because I don’t want to be abandoned again.’ 

Kendrick Yeckhart’s face was terribly distorted when he heard Linsy.

He couldn’t believe what the child said.

‘What do you mean you don’t want to be abandoned?’

Even if she looks ugly, please don’t throw her away.

Although he doesn’t know very much about the bird family, a seven-year-old child could not possibly make such a statement.

At least here, in the wolf family.

“Can you tell me what that means?”

Kendrick asked cautiously.

The child bit her lower lip as if she had been thinking for a while and soon slowly lowered her head.

“…You just have to promise me that.”

Then she can stay here and heal Arsene.

He no longer asked the child what it meant.

Even if the child turned ugly, Kendrick had no intention of abandoning the child.

“The wolf family never forgets grace.”

If Arsene really gets better, Kendrick intends to reward Linsy for what she deserves.

So throwing her away is not fair.

Plus, if that’s all she really wants—.

Kendrick is confident that he will risk his life to protect this little girl.

He got up slowly from his seat and placed his hand on the little girl’s head.

He touched her soft, wheat-colored hair with his hand as if he was determined.

“Linsy, is that all you have to ask?”

“Yes.”

The child nodded her head without hesitation. He carefully pulled the child into his arms.

“Yes, I promise, Linsy.”

I’ll take care of you until you’re an adult.

She could hear a low voice.

Linsy looked up at Kendrick with her bright eyes.

The child added cautiously.

“Promise me in the name of Yeckhart.” 

“Yeah, under the name of Yeckhart.”

He lowered his head and put his lips on the back of the child’s small hand.

******

“Then, we can starts the treatment today–.”

“It’s enough for today. You haven’t officially joined us yet.” 

I opened my eyes and looked up at Kendrick.

“Is it okay to do it late?”

“That’s fine. Don’t overdo it and adjust yourself first.”

After leaving these words, Kendrick left the office, saying he had urgent business.

I was left alone in a huge office and blinked.

And,

‘I did it!’

It was my first thought when Kendrick left the office. 

Of course, I couldn’t speak appropriately in the middle, but–.

‘But this was good enough.’

I got a promise that I wouldn’t be thrown away.

So, even if I look ugly after molting, I don’t have to worry about being abandoned.

I was overjoyed about that fact.

In addition.

I recalled the touch of Uncle Kendrick kissing the back of my hand.

‘It’s a token of promise.’

The kiss on the back of the hand meant that the wolves had made a promise that would never be broken.

I clasped my hands and smiled.

Then, suddenly, Ethan came into the office, looked at me and smiled.

“Did you have a good conversation, Lady?”

“Ah yes! He was kind. He listened to me well….”

“Then, that’s a relief.” 

I came back to my room holding Ethan’s hand.

Then came the beds and furniture, which seemed to be huge because they were brand new.

I looked at the size of the bed. 

I thought it would be okay if I became human, but it was still a terribly large size for me. 

Ethan said as if he thought the same way as me. 

“I didn’t know you would be this small— I would appreciate it if you could wait a little bit as I will prepare small bedding for the newly prepared room.” 

After seeing a large bed that I could easily roll around and a blanket that was too heavy to even lift, these were the words I said. 

“Ung. It’s okay.”

I groaned and dug through the blanket. 

The blanket filled with cotton was really heavy, but it was so soft that it couldn’t even compare to Raniero.

Especially compared to the bed in the small room where I was confined before I died. 

I thought of sleeping in a barn, but this is absolutely the best.

“I like it because it’s soft, it smells good, too. Thank you.”

As I greeted him politely, Ethan’s earlobes turned slightly red.

He cleared his throat and said after coughing a lot.

“Then that’s a relief. And I have someone to introduce you to.”

Who does he want to introduce to me?

Am I officially meeting Arsene?

I hurriedly rolled over the blanket.

I didn’t want to look like an impolite bird lying down with a blanket in the place where I ruined the first meeting.

But it was a completely different person than I expected to enter the door.

“Hello, my name is Betty.”

“Huh?”

This person!

“Yes, I was the maid who helped Lady take a bath on the first day.”

She said with a gentle smile.

Wearing a neat navy blue maid outfit, Betty was an impressive maid with freckles on the back of her nose, brown hair, and blue eyes.

She is much taller and bigger than the bird family, so it was clear that she was from the wolf clan.

But. 

‘It hardly smells like a wolf.’

It was strange.

‘When I was in the state of being a bird, it was so hectic that I didn’t know.’ 

From the outside, it looks like it comes from a wolf clan, and even Ethan and Kendrick don’t have the weak wolf scent. 

I looked up at Betty with round eyes, and she smiled as if she had read my mind.

“I grew up within a wolf clan, but I’m a hybrid of a wolf clan and a bird clan.”

“Bird clan?”

“Yes, my grandmother is from a bird clan, so I was born a hybrid with a little less wolf traits than the others.”

Betty smiled and explained calmly. 

I nodded and listened to the explanation, and Ethan made a big gesture and interrupted carefully.

“Betty is the only half-breed of the bird clan in the mansion. We thought it would be easy to take care of the Lady, so the Master ordered her to be your exclusive maid.” 

Kendrick Yeckhart’s careful thought gave me a warm feeling at the bottom of my heart.

“Please call me Betty comfortably.”

“Betty will follow you wherever you go. If you need anything, you can tell me through Betty, or you can come to me comfortably.”

“Yes.”

“And I’m going to inform the other servants of the Lady’s existence. I’ll make sure you don’t get surprised in the mansion again.”

Ethan smiled and bowed lightly.

I nodded lightly, following Ethan.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“It’s nothing, Lady, and feel free to speak to this mansion’s servants.”

“Yes?”

“Because you are the Master’s guest. You can do it comfortably.”

“Yes, uh no.” 

Ethan smiled and grabbed the doorknob.

Suddenly, the door opened, and he slipped out of the room.

In an instant, I was left alone with Betty.

“Lady, is there anything you want to do?Would you like me to read you a fairy tale?”

A fairy tale book?

Oh, right. I was seven years old.

To Betty’s eyes, I would look like a seven-year-old girl who falls asleep hugging many fairy tale books and dolls.

I was worried that I might have acted too quickly.

But now, there was something more important than a fairy tale book.

I grabbed Betty’s skirt carefully.

“Betty….can I see the mansion? It’s my first time here…”

To be honest, when I first arrived at the mansion, I wanted to live like a dead mouse by being confined to a room with a view.

The hallways and the gardens were full of wolves everywhere!

‘It’s a natural thing because it’s a wolf’s mansion.’

I was a little scared to be in the mansion because I almost kissed a wolf’s teeth as soon as I got here and looked into a wolf’s eyes when I woke up.

But I can’t stay in my room forever!

In order to live and survive in the mansion, it was most important to learn the geography of the mansion.

It seemed that it would be reassuring to learn how to fly and where to escape the most quickly.

Betty seemed to ponder for a moment, then gently took my hand.

“Yes, I will guide you, Lady.”

“Ung, okay!” 

I jumped in excitement.

The warmth came from Betty’s hands.

She smiled and gave me a little back support so I wouldn’t fall.

*****

“This is the exit leading to the garden.”

I turned my head to follow Betty’s gestures.

Then, through the wide-open glass door, I saw a green garden.

It was hard to guess how wide the garden was and where the end was from a distance.

As I said ‘Whoa—’ and admired it, I could feel the passing maids glancing at me.

Ugh.

‘Why are you looking at me like that?’

They seem to think that the bird clan is strange.

Because it is rare for a bird clan to come to the wolf territory.

I’m trying to understand, but—.

‘But I’m still so scared.’

The wolf clan basically had sharp fangs, and maybe that’s why, when they smiled at me, they exposed their sharp fangs.

Each time I swallowed my saliva, I grabbed Betty’s hand tightly.

Betty noticed that I was nervous, so she gently touched my cheek and said.

“Lady, if you’re tired, shall we go back?”

“…No, I want to see more.”

“You’re sweating like this…”

She took out a white handkerchief and wiped the sweat from my forehead and nose.

Because of the wolves, I was always scared, and it looked like I was sweating a lot.

I shook my head, saying it was okay.

Betty grabbed my hand again and started guiding me through the mansion.

Of course, I didn’t forget to keep an eye out for a hole through which I could escape.

‘If I run away through that high window, it will be faster.’

Because wolves don’t have wings.

It was then.

I heard the sound of something breaking, and the screams of a young boy echoed through the hallway.

“I don’t want to!!”