Ah.
Something was very wrong.
“Why… a forest…?”
I froze in the middle of a densely packed grove of trees.
Until a moment ago, I’d just been taking a normal walk. But somehow, the air had grown heavy and foggy, filled with a gloomy atmosphere.
Even the lights of the mansion were nowhere to be seen.
Something’s not right…
There wasn’t much I could do now. Maybe if I just stayed put, I wouldn’t run into whoever was searching for me.
A tree stump nearby looked like a decent place to sit.
“I’ll just rest there for now…”
Growl—
Just as I started trudging toward the stump, an unexpected sound cut through the air.
Woof! Woof!
The deep bark of something large.
Wh-what is that?
My feet halted, and in that moment, I remembered what the teacher had told me earlier.
“Don’t leave the backyard. I hear there are a lot of stray dogs around these days.”
That’s right. This isn’t the backyard…!
Panic spread through me. I hadn’t meant to take a wrong turn.
But to someone my size, even a hungry stray dog was as terrifying as a wolf.
Krung…
The sound of footsteps approached—more than one, maybe several.
“What do I do…?”
There was nothing but tall trees around me, no place to hide.
And I never wanted to climb one of those again.
It’s stupid, but…
My fists trembled as I clenched them.
I only have one chance. I’ll just have to gamble.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Help me!!!”
I screamed as loud as I could and bolted in the opposite direction.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
“Ahhh!”
“Kruruk!”
“Please, someone help me!”
I cried louder as I ran with every ounce of strength in my body.
I knew I couldn’t outrun them. I wasn’t an adult—I was just a child.
But there were always guards patrolling the forest.
It was a gamble. A gamble with my life on the line.
“Help! Ugh—!”
But I didn’t get far. My foot caught on a root, and I crashed to the ground.
My hands flailed desperately, brushing against a fallen branch. I grabbed it like a lifeline and swung.
Crack!
“……!”
But fangs were already snapping inches from my face.
The branch was torn away, shattered by sharp teeth.
Krung…
The wild dog tossed the stick aside and stared straight at me.
“……”
For an instant, it felt as though it were studying me—trying to see who I was.
“Ah—let go!!”
Suddenly, it clamped its teeth on the hem of my skirt and began to drag me away.
No matter how I struggled, how much I kicked, I couldn’t fight something three times my size.
My fingers raked across the dirt, leaving frantic marks alongside the heavy trail my body carved.
Another wild dog padded after us, its prints covering mine as if to erase the evidence.
“S-save me—!”
The place where I’d fallen grew farther and farther away.
Even when I kicked at its nose, it didn’t flinch.
Was this its instinct, or was it taking me somewhere specific?
I don’t know… I just…
Scared. Terrified.
Then, without warning, the dog hurled me aside.
“Ah!”
I hit the ground hard, curling in on myself.
Tears welled up despite my willpower.
Cindy, Tani… what do I do? I think I’m going to die.
“S-someone… help me…”
Through blurry vision, I saw the largest dog in the pack step forward.
It prowled closer, then suddenly lunged, jaws yawning wide enough to swallow me whole.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Please, save me…!”
And then—
Ssshk—
Strong arms wrapped around me.
Wham!
“Wake up!”
“Ugh—!”
A flurry of noise rushed past my ears.
Flutter.
“…?”
I blinked through the blur. The first thing I saw was a single black feather drifting down over someone’s shoulder.
Then—
“……”
“…Are you okay?”
I never thought I’d see him from so close.
Those vivid red eyes, reflecting nothing but me.
“…Jar…?”
Our gazes locked.
My heart pounded as though I’d been running, my skin hot where his body touched mine.
The thudding in my ears wouldn’t stop.
And yet—the world around us was silent.
There was nothing else in my vision but him.
I know it’s ridiculous, but…
Bathed in silver moonlight, he looked like an angel.
An angel who had come to save me.
I think I might faint…
Thump, thump.
My pulse, already racing, climbed faster still.
Jar was silent for a long moment, then the corners of his lips curved upward.
A smile—subtle, strange, impossible to understand.
His hand reached toward my face. My eyes fluttered shut.
Oh, right.
“Stop—! This isn’t the time for that!”
“Eh?”
I shoved him back.
Just a second ago, I’d been surrounded by wild dogs. And now I was… daydreaming?
“H-huh…?”
But the dogs were gone. Not a single one remained.
I stared at him in shock. Jar only looked back blankly.
The smile from before was gone, his face unreadable.
“Where’d the dogs go? Are you hurt?”
“I’m not hurt. Thanks for asking.”
“Then—where are the dogs?!”
All I saw was a single black feather on the ground.
“…Hmm.”
His eyes flicked to the feather as well, and he muttered softly, almost to himself.
“A crow flew past.”
“…A crow?”
“Yeah. You know crows are predators too, right? The dogs must’ve been startled and ran off. Lucky, isn’t it?”
“……”
I knew that couldn’t be true.
Even at seven years old, I wouldn’t have believed it.
But somehow, I felt I had to answer that way.
“…I see.”
“Shall we head back now?”
Jar extended his hand.
After a beat of hesitation, I slipped my fingers into his.
I wasn’t calm enough to refuse.
I can always ask him later…
With his grip steady around mine, we started back toward the mansion. The fog had already melted away.
When we returned to the backyard, the maid the teacher had sent arrived at almost the same time.
Naturally, Jar and I let go of each other’s hands before she noticed.
“Huh? Only twenty minutes passed?”
“Yeah. If it had been any longer, your brother wouldn’t have stayed quiet.”
“That’s true…”
The moment I stepped back, Tani rushed into my arms and refused to let go.
I stroked her head, and when I glanced at her, she was already staring straight back at me.
“……”
“Shall we go in, Ethel?”
“Huh? Oh… yeah.”
My mind flashed back to something Jar and I had said earlier.
“Don’t talk about stray dogs in front of Tani, Jar.”“Are you afraid Titania will cry?”“…Yeah.”
He hadn’t looked pleased, but the expression vanished quickly.
“Fine. But make sure you tell the adults.”
“Mm.”
In truth, I couldn’t explain any of it properly. Better to stay quiet than risk being dismissed as a child with an overactive imagination.
Still… I’ll have to make sure Tani doesn’t go near the forest for a while.
“Ethel.”
“……!”
A sudden warmth brushed my cheek. My eyes widened.
Jar was watching me with worry in his gaze.
“Let’s go inside.”
Just meeting his eyes made my stomach twist.
Ah… I feel strange right now.
Holding Tani’s hand, I walked quickly back toward the mansion, not realizing that unseen eyes lingered on my back.
The next day, I brought Tani to see Jar, acting as though nothing had happened.
Yesterday was yesterday. My plan to keep Tani and Jar close hadn’t changed.
“Hello, Ethel. And Titania.”
“Not—…”
But I couldn’t finish my greeting.
The memory of him in the forest overlapped too vividly. Goosebumps ran across my arms.
That embrace… holding me so close.
Flustered, I slapped both my cheeks.
I’m crazy. He’s ten years old!
And he was supposed to be the male lead for my little sister!
What I wanted was a sweet, lively salvation story. Not… a love story where the sister pines for her sister’s partner.
And besides—he already only had eyes for Tani.
I quickly turned, ducking my head over Tani’s hand.
“Oh—I have class soon, so I’ll get going! Have fun!”
I ran from the room.
There was no other way to describe it—I’d simply been too terrified yesterday and lost my head for a moment.
No, it’s fine. I’ll pay that lapse off with effort.
Even if I had been excited for a moment over a ten-year-old, I had no intention of counting it.
Anyway, Tani knew Jar well enough now to seek him out herself, and Jar always put her first.
Probably.
Yes… I won’t have to see him much for a while.
But strangely enough—
I kept running into him.
