Chapter 103
“Reina?”
Next time, I should suggest we cook together again.
More accurately, I’ll do all the cooking and just have Estelle wear an apron.
“Reina?”
Should I ask Julie to prepare a new apron and a headscarf?
No, better yet, I should have her make a proper chef’s outfit this time.
Gasp. Just imagining it is already adorable.
I really am a genius…
“Reina!”
“Eek! You startled me!”
A thunderously loud voice rang out right next to my ear.
It was Estelle calling me.
I calmed my pounding heart and turned my head.
There stood Estelle, arms crossed, pouting as she glared at me.
“What were you thinking about that you didn’t hear me calling you?”
“H-huh? Oh, no, it’s nothing.”
I couldn’t exactly say I’d been thinking about how Estelle looked yesterday.
She’d clearly seemed unhappy, thinking it was a design meant for kids younger than her.
I dodged the question with an awkward smile.
“You’re acting suspicious…”
“W-what do you mean?!”
“Hmmm… I’ll let it slide for now.”
S-scary.
Estelle’s suspicious gaze is scary!
It feels like she might read my mind!
I quickly shifted my eyes away to avoid her stare.
Then Estelle held out her hand toward me.
“Anyway, give me the lunchbox.”
“Huh? No! I can keep carrying it.”
I shook my head vigorously, eyes wide.
“We agreed when we left, remember? You’d carry it until we entered the forest, and after that, I would.”
“But…”
“If you keep this up, I’ll carry it on the way back home too, okay?”
When I hugged the lunchbox tightly to my chest as if refusing to hand it over, Estelle placed both hands on her hips.
She raised one eyebrow, made an angry face, and glared up at me with all her might.
“Ugh. Fine.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and handed the lunchbox over to her.
A satisfied chuckle came from Estelle.
Judging by the smug look on her face, she probably thought I’d been scared by her anger.
But as if I’d be scared of Estelle, who’s smaller than me.
‘She’s so cute…’
I just played along because her pretending to be angry was adorable, and because the way she confidently walked along carrying the lunchbox was so lovely.
‘Well, as long as Estelle’s happy.’
Right. How many more chances will I even have to see her like this?
She’s growing so fast that each day she changes before my eyes.
Watching Estelle’s back as she walked ahead, I smiled warmly.
“This is the path we took last time, right?”
“Yeah. If we keep going that way, we’ll reach the lake.”
As I answered, I quickened my pace and walked beside her.
We were chatting cheerfully on our way to the lake.
Grrr—
Suddenly, the sound of a beast’s growl echoed through the air.
Rustle—
The bushes around us began to shake.
“…What was that?”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
The peaceful atmosphere vanished in an instant.
Estelle and I stopped and cautiously scanned our surroundings.
Moments later, a massive shadow burst out from between the bushes and stood before us.
“Th-that is…!”
The moment I faced that shadow, I nearly fainted.
Because—
“Eek! A-a wolf!”
A wolf had appeared right in front of us!
Living here, I’d expected it.
I knew that at least once in my life, I’d encounter a wild animal in the forest.
Even in the highly developed 21st-century Earth, wild animals existed.
So in a place this rich in nature, there was no way there wouldn’t be any.
I’d always thought it would happen someday.
But still…
‘I didn’t think it’d be now.’
And of all times, now—when I was on a date with Estelle.
And not a deer or a rabbit, but a huge wolf staring us down.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard.
Then I grabbed Estelle’s arm and pulled her behind me.
I had no choice.
Wolves are pack animals.
There were surely others nearby.
If one had shown itself, the rest were probably hiding in the bushes or behind trees.
So what else could I do?
I was the adult. I had to protect Estelle.
‘But what do I do now?’
Even though I’d resolved to protect her, I didn’t know the first thing about hunting.
I’d never felt the need to learn it before.
‘If only I’d learned when Mr. Maurice offered to teach me.’
At least then, I’d know how to handle a situation like this.
I stared at the wolf with tense eyes, regret filling my heart.
Unlike me, who was trembling with fear, the wolf’s yellow eyes were calm as they watched us.
The wolf knew it too.
That neither Estelle nor I could attack it.
But it wasn’t careless either.
It lowered its body, never taking its eyes off us, glaring as if ready to leap and tear out our throats at the slightest wrong move.
Perhaps it was the ferocity in a carnivore’s gaze.
My hands and feet began to shake uncontrollably.
But I couldn’t let Estelle see me trembling.
If her guardian shook, the one being protected would only grow more anxious.
I let go of Estelle’s arm.
Then I clutched the hem of my skirt, hiding my trembling hands between the folds.
That was when—
“Estelle?”
“Stay back, Reina.”
Estelle, who’d been behind me just moments ago, stepped forward and stood in front of me, shielding me instead.
“What are you doing?! It’s dangerous! Get back here!”
I urgently grabbed her shoulder to pull her back.
But Estelle didn’t budge an inch.
She stood firm, as if rooted to the ground.
“Don’t worry. I’ve been taking swordsmanship classes at the academy lately.”
Stamina: 270
Attack Power: 206
Defense: 193
As Estelle spoke, her stats appeared in the air.
‘Her attack power is over 206 already? This fast?’
Her art stat had barely gone up despite all those late nights.
But swordsmanship had surpassed 200 in such a short time.
Seeing the stats, I understood why she sounded so confident.
‘She must’ve felt it herself—that she’s talented in swordsmanship.’
She’d been painting just days ago, so the difference must’ve been obvious.
Unlike drawing, which hadn’t improved no matter how long she practiced, her sword skills had grown noticeably after just a few lessons.
Grrr!
Perhaps the wolf sensed Estelle’s presence.
Its posture changed.
It lowered itself further, shifting its center of gravity back.
It looked as though it was wary of Estelle standing before it.
‘But no matter how confident Estelle is, this is still too dangerous.’
Talent is talent, but reality is reality.
No matter how skilled she was in class, this wasn’t a lesson.
‘And what Estelle’s holding right now isn’t a sword—it’s a lunchbox!’
What good was talent without a weapon?
The wolf was cautious now, but if it suddenly charged, there’d be no way to stop it.
‘Think, think. They say if you meet a bear, you should play dead. What about wolves?’
I clearly remembered one thing: don’t run.
Wolves have sharp hunting instincts, and running only triggers them, making things more dangerous.
“L-let’s just escape. If we move slowly, it should be okay.”
“No. That might actually give it an opening. It doesn’t seem like it’ll attack right away, so it’s better to stand our ground like this.”
Is this kid fearless or what?!
How can her voice not tremble at all?!
Unlike Estelle, who remained calm even before a wolf, I felt like I was about to die.
My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest.
Overwhelmed by terror, I squeezed my eyes shut without realizing it.
