Chapter 44

Carl stared at the tiny hands holding out the bundle of nuts like a bouquet of flowers, his lips pressing tightly together.

If he didn’t, something inside him felt like it might overflow.

"This tiny thing…"

His younger sibling, fragile since birth. So small that even now, she barely reached half his size.

A creature that could never survive alone in the North—one he had to protect.

"And yet, with those tiny hands, she's offering food… for me."

Like a proper squirrel, she was holding out an ugly little acorn.

For a moment, Carl felt a ripple in his chest, like a stone had been thrown into a still lake.

"…Thanks."

Carefully, he accepted the nuts from the small squirrel paws that insisted he take them.

Flash.

At that, the squirrel’s face immediately brightened. Her soft, white cheeks stood out, making him oddly tempted to poke them.

"Chyu."

"Hm."

"Chyuuu?"

"Yeah."

"Chyu! Chyuuut!"

Answering her little chirps absentmindedly, Carl was suddenly brought back to reality when something small bopped against his fingers.

"Mm?"

Two round, beady black eyes—like those of a little warbler—were glaring at him with as much intensity as they could muster.

"Chyu! Chyut!"

"Ah."

Tapping her tiny paws on his fingers and scolding him, it wasn’t hard to guess what she meant.

Feeling her tiny pecks against his hand, Carl finally realized that he had been absentmindedly squeezing and rolling her soft cheeks.

"No wonder they felt so nice."

As he reluctantly let go, he noticed her previously soft cheeks puffing up in clear dissatisfaction.

"Did it hurt?"

She shook her head.

For a moment, Carl wondered if he had unknowingly used too much force, but her response denied it.

Still, she avoided his gaze—clearly still sulking.

"I won’t do it again."

"…"

Even with his swift promise, those skeptical eyes remained locked onto him.

"Hmm."

It was strange.

Someone daring to give him a look like that.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have spared them a second glance—he’d have cut them down without hesitation.

"This is amusing."

"Chyu?"

For some reason, though, it didn’t bother him at all coming from her.

"Right… it was the same back then."

Maybe it had been like this from the start.

Even when she was startled by the sight of blood—if it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have cared in the slightest.

"So why did it matter when it was her?"

He had seen countless enemies screaming in agony as their limbs were severed, but it never stirred anything in him.

But if he imagined—just for a second—that this tiny creature, barely half his size, could be hurt like that…

Crunch.

The mere thought sent a wave of inexplicable discomfort through him.

His grip had unknowingly tightened, and the once-solid nut in his hand crumbled into fine dust.

"?!?"

Beatty’s eyes widened in horror as she looked up at him.

Carl thought to himself.

"Why is she different?"

She was unlike anyone else.

From the beginning, this tiny sibling of his had been filled with things that were completely new to him.

Even now, this very moment—

"Are you worried about me?"

"Chyu-chut!"

‘What are you talking about?!’

Since when did squirrels ever gather nuts out of concern for a growling lion?

If anything, they’d be worried about being eaten!

Of course, whether or not Carl was having a quiet revelation about this—

"I worked so hard to gather those!"

—from Beatty’s perspective, she was absolutely furious watching her carefully picked nuts turn to dust before her eyes.

"Chyu! Chyuu-chyuuut!"

"Don’t waste food!"

Tang, tang!

Raising her tail fiercely in warning, she stomped her tiny front paws against the ground.

Scritch scritch.

Then, with a sorrowful expression, she carefully tried to scrape together the powdered remains of the nut.

"Chyu… chyu-chyuu… chuu."

"That was a good one, too… What a mean kitty!"

Grumbling, she mumbled complaints under her breath.

"Hmm."

Of course, all Carl heard was an endless string of chyu chyu chyu sounds.

"Even the way she complains sounds like her."

At her age, he had already been letting out earth-shaking roars—at least, that’s what he remembered.

Watching her, Carl couldn’t help but find his squirrel sister fascinating.

"Is she seriously gathering it back up to give it to me again?"

Then—

Pfft.

He let out a short laugh.

Even if the nut had been whole, it wouldn’t have been nearly enough to satisfy him.

Yet, there she was, scurrying around like a tiny wind-up toy, desperately gathering the crumbs as if they were treasure.

She was so preoccupied that she didn’t even notice when some of the powdered remains landed on her fluffy tail.

Covered in nut dust, she looked around, completely oblivious.

Seeing this, Carl couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Chuckling.

"Chyu…?"

Hearing his laugh, Beatty tilted her round black eyes up at him.

Tapping his fingertip against her tiny black nose, Carl thought something he had never imagined himself saying before.

"Adorable."

As his mouth naturally curled into a smile, a voice softer than even he had ever heard escaped him.

"Beatty."

For once, he used her actual name instead of calling her Tailfur.

Startled, Beatty turned her head toward him.

"Tell me anytime."

For the first time, she saw his ever-dangerous eyes curl into something undeniably beautiful.

"Whatever you want—"

"I'll cut it all down for you."

"Chyu???"

But in stark contrast to his rare, gentle smile—his words were downright terrifying.

As she let out a surprised squeak, his large hand gently stroked her tiny jaw.

Looking up at her strangely affectionate, yet absolutely bloodthirsty brother, Beatty thought—

"I… never asked for anything like that…?"

At this moment, she had no idea.

She had just placed a sword in his hands.

***

The sun had yet to fully set over the duchy’s garden.

"By the way, is your stomach feeling better now?"

"Ah."

Beatty, who had been absentmindedly watching the garden trees, nodded while pressing her stomach.

The chocolate her brother had given her by the lake—

It wasn’t just any chocolate.

"So it wasn’t just a snack… it was a high-calorie emergency ration?"

Apparently, it was a special type of combat food, so nutrient-dense that even an ordinary soldier stranded alone could survive for three days on it.

Unlike Beatty, who could satisfy her hunger with a handful of nuts, Carl—whose lion-sized body required far more sustenance—needed something substantial, like an entire roasted beast, just to feel full.

"No wonder I still feel stuffed..."

Even as the evening approached, Beatty still hadn’t fully digested it.

Not that it mattered, since she wouldn’t have been able to eat dinner anyway.

"There was a guest, right?"

Because of the sudden visitor, the evening banquet had been postponed.

"Prepare to welcome them."

"Yes, my lord."

"And you…"

Her father, who had been issuing instructions effortlessly, suddenly paused when he saw Beatty standing there.

"I’ll stay quietly in my room."

"…Good."

"Yes! That was the right thing to say."

Thinking back on the moment, Beatty nodded in approval at her own decision.

"He was probably considering whether it would be troublesome for me to be seen there."

She had noticed how her father had hesitated, as if deliberating something, when he looked at her.

Though she no longer believed her aunt’s words that she was "the unwanted child", she didn’t think they were entirely false either.

"He’s ashamed to have me in the duchy, at least a little."

In her past life, he had never once called her to the duchy. Even now, despite all the effort she put into proving her worth to stay, he made it quite clear he wasn’t fond of the idea.

He had likely been debating where to hide her from the guest’s sight.

After all, most people before she arrived at the duchy had preferred that she remained unseen.

"Since I reassured him that I’d stay out of sight before he had to order me to, maybe I earned a few extra points?"

Feeling like she had inched closer to securing her stay, she was just about to head back—

"Oh my."

A voice she wasn’t pleased to hear.

"My dear niece, I was just about to visit you. How convenient."

It was Pirina.

With a gentle smile plastered on her face, she approached.

Step.

As she moved forward, Beatty instinctively took a step back, increasing the distance between them.

"What… What are you doing?"

"…"

"Honestly, I even brought something for you. Is that any way to treat your caring aunt?"

Pirina dramatically emphasized her words, acting like a doting relative.

But instead of feeling reassured, Beatty’s guard only heightened.

"Suspicious."

Pirina? Being kind? And she even had something to give her?

Recalling memories from her past life, Beatty knew this wasn’t in her character at all.

"She’s up to something."

"Tsk."

Clicking her tongue, Pirina hid her growing annoyance.

"I need to get that medicine into her soon, so why is she so wary? Did she eat something strange while she was away?"

Annoyed, she scrutinized her niece, who had unexpectedly changed.

"Well, just stay right there."

"?"

"I have some children I’d like to introduce to you."

Nothing good ever came from her introductions.

Beatty debated whether she should just ignore her and leave—

Rustle.

Suddenly, the sound of something running toward them filled the air.@@novelbin@@

"Hehe, aren’t they such obedient, well-trained children?"

Pirina laughed in satisfaction as several large guard dogs came bounding toward her, panting heavily.

"!"

In an instant, Beatty’s body froze.