Episode 28
Grrrr…
When I tried to get closer, the wolf—though lying down weakly—lifted its head and growled at me, wary.
“See? Even this guy is shy around me,” I said, a little annoyed.
Then Oki flapped over and landed beside the wolf’s head. She raised her wing and smacked the wolf hard on the head.
Thump. “Yelp!”
“Uh…”
I guess even wild animals know how scary Oki is.
The proud, lone wolf with its majestic gray fur let out a weak whimper like a little puppy after getting hit by Oki. It quickly became quiet and still.
Thanks to that, I was able to approach the wolf.
“I won’t hurt you. I just want to check your wound.”
I moved slowly and crouched next to it. The wolf stayed down, only moving its eyes to look at me.
Up close, the wound looked worse than I thought. Something sharp had gone in deep, possibly reaching the bone.
I had never treated such a deep injury before, so I wasn’t sure I could heal it.
First, I tried dabbing some spit onto the wound with my finger. I gently tapped the injured area. The surface of the wound started to heal little by little. But that was it—it only worked on the outside. It didn’t reach deep enough to fully heal.
I needed a lot more spit to reach the deeper part of the wound. But I’m not a well—I can’t just keep producing saliva endlessly!
While thinking of what to do, a crazy but clever idea popped into my head.
Wasting time wouldn’t help. Even if it didn’t work, I figured it was worth trying.
I ran into the room and looked around.
Where was it…? Ah, there!
I grabbed a watering can sitting on a corner shelf. Claire had used it to water a few potted plants in my room and had forgotten to put it away.
I brought it to the bathroom, washed it thoroughly, filled it with fresh water, and then spit into it. As soon as I did, the water inside started to sparkle and became crystal clear.
Whoa. Is this actually working?
The sparkling effect gave me confidence in my theory. It even smelled a bit fresh and clean.
I took the watering can back outside and sprayed it on the wolf’s injured front leg. I knew animals don’t usually like that kind of thing, but I was desperate.
Spritz, spritz.
Please, please let this work…
I squeezed the handle several times, praying silently. The wolf flinched at the cold water but stayed still. As the water sprayed, its fur got wet, and the wound slowly started to close.
“It… it worked!”
I cheered in joy.
I was happy the random idea had worked, happy I could heal the wolf, and most of all, thrilled that I had found a new way to use my healing ability.
Now the wolf’s injured leg looked just like the healthy one—only wet with water.
The wolf, who had been groaning in pain, suddenly looked confused, like a heavy weight had been lifted from its body. It opened its eyes wide, slowly got up, and tested its leg by moving it around.
Haha! I healed you!
In fairy tales, wolves usually swore loyalty when something like this happened, right?
Feeling proud, I lifted my chin like a hero.
But instead of being grateful, the wolf raised its fur, growled again, and stood firmly on all fours. Its body was as big as a cow, and now that it wasn’t in pain, it looked way more dangerous than before.
“Uh… oh no.”
I was so startled I fell back on my butt. Was this how I would die—betrayed after saving someone?
Just then, something huge flew in front of me.
It was Oki.
With strong wing beats, she blocked the wolf’s path. Then she jumped high and smacked the wolf on the head several times. Hard.
I could tell she used more force this time—SMACK SMACK SMACK! The loud slaps echoed through the night air.
“YELP!”
The wolf cried even louder than before and quickly flattened itself to the ground. I guess Oki had gone easy on him earlier because he was injured.
Her expression looked like she was about to scold him: “You ungrateful fool!”
Whew… I’m alive.
I sighed in relief.
Just how strong is Oki? Does she have iron in her wings or something?
If I hadn’t healed the wolf, would I have been the one getting hit?
In the end, I healed a wild wolf in the middle of the night. It came lying on a stretcher, but it left running happily into the forest on its own legs.
“Phew…”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead. It was a lot of work, but I learned something valuable.
Unfortunately, that healing wasn’t a one-time thing.
From then on, every night, injured animals were brought to my terrace for healing!
Oki seemed to have a huge social network. Was she the animal president or something?
The animals were all kinds—rabbits, deer, and horses, to foxes, bears, and even tigers. It was wild.
And the ones who suffered most were the birds that carried them using cloth tied in their beaks.
Worried, I sprayed the leftover healing water on the birds after each session. Then they’d flap their wings strongly and chirp happily, like they just had a great nap.
I realized that my healing saliva didn’t just fix injuries—it also boosted energy.
Lately, my days had become so busy.
During the day, I acted for Adrien, and at night, I healed all the injured animals Oki brought.
Using my healing power didn’t make me tired, since all I needed was saliva. But I did feel thirsty a lot because I was losing fluids. As a bonus, drinking so much water made my skin super clear—like a beauty queen.
Adrien even said my complexion looked better. I just smiled and said it was a beauty secret. I didn’t tell him anything else.
I had once worried that I didn’t have enough test subjects to study my healing ability—but thanks to Oki, I had plenty of practice. Time flew by as I healed day and night.
Then, finally, the invitation I had been waiting for arrived at the Duke’s mansion.
“Young Lady, a letter from the Kitten family,” the butler said.
“Thank you.”
He handed me the envelope just as I was about to go to my room after breakfast. Even without reading the sender, I knew who it was from. The bright pink floral pattern gave it away. I clearly remembered the dress Helena wore that day.
I went to my room, sat on the sofa, and opened the envelope stamped with the Kitten family’s seal.
The cute, round handwriting inside read:
[Hello, Lady Cowet. This is Helena.
I’m hosting a small tea party soon. It’s just a casual gathering of girls our age to have some fun. I hope you’ll join us and brighten the event with your presence!]
The date and time were written below.
“Oh ho. Finally.”
I grabbed some paper and immediately wrote a positive reply.
Social events like this were perfect for gathering detailed information about how things were going in society. Of course I planned to attend.
Helena had said she’d invite me to a tea party before, so I had been secretly waiting for it.
As I stepped into the hallway, I handed the envelope to Claire.
She looked happy and surprised.
“Oh my, Young Lady! What’s going on? You never go to tea parties!”
“I thought I’d start attending some, little by little.”
“That’s a great idea. Madam will be so pleased!”
From what she said, I learned two things.
One: Eilene didn’t usually attend casual social gatherings unless it was a formal event.
Two: That meant I’d be able to act a little more freely at this one.
Maybe I could play the role of someone who opens up more once she gets to know others?
It would be nice to show my natural self for once. I looked forward to letting go of the stiff act.
Bustling…
But when I arrived at the Kitten family’s garden, it wasn’t the small gathering I expected.
It was packed with noble ladies!
She said it would be small, but it looked like every noble girl in the capital had shown up!
Stunned, I stepped out of the carriage with the escort’s help and followed the path. I could feel all the ladies’ eyes on me at once.
Then Helena spotted me and called out cheerfully.
She was wearing a bright pink dress just like the invitation.
“Lady Cowet! Welcome!”
She walked over quickly—but without breaking etiquette—and gave me a proper greeting, lightly holding her dress.
“Thank you for coming. Thanks to you, our humble home is shining with grace.”
“No, thank you for the invitation.”
“No, I’m the one who’s grateful! After all, you’re the future empress. Please, come this way.”
The “humble count’s home” she mentioned was actually made of white bricks with golden decorations—it looked luxurious and expensive.
Helena had a real talent for flattery.
If I’d known it would be such a big formal party, maybe I would’ve prepared more carefully…
Scratching my cheek, I quietly followed behind her.
