Chapter 23
Contrary to her confident declaration to Diana, Ellen couldn’t focus on the hunt. Her mind kept drifting back to the unsatisfying letter she had received from Roil a few days ago.
From an old friend, once.
That was something she could’ve said too. Ellen had frowned the moment she read that line.
“Yeah, I learned it from a friend too, buddy.”
Not wanting to pry further into the vague message, she had tucked it away in a drawer and hugged Neshu. The way Neshu exhaled through his nose somehow felt like a sigh.
Maybe sensing her mood, a squirrel suddenly darted out of the bushes, distracting her attention.
“There, look!”
Roil pointed excitedly at the squirrel.
“Be quiet!”
Ellen hissed at him, but she was just as excited. The letter from Roil vanished from her mind in an instant.
They had whispered, but the squirrel, apparently sharp-eared, heard their loud voices—loud enough to be heard back at the camp—and scurried away.
“Aw, it ran away.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. We couldn’t eat a squirrel anyway.”
“Can’t eat it?”
“Probably not? I’ve never heard of anyone hunting squirrels to eat.”
Ellen nodded, thinking for a moment.
“True, I’ve never heard of it either. Let’s make sure we get the next one.”
With renewed determination, they fell into silence, waiting for another target. But not a single animal showed itself.
Eventually bored, they sat on the ground and started inventing hand signals.
“This means attack.”
Roil made a signal by extending his index and middle fingers forward while folding the rest.
“Okay, then this means stop and hide.”
Ellen opened her hand, then curled it into a fist.
As they continued making up signals, Ellen felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
There was something she wanted to think about, but Roil kept talking about hand signals, making it hard to concentrate.
These signals… they’re way too familiar.
Narrowing her eyes, Ellen stared at Roil. Oblivious, he glanced around and muttered, “Maybe the camp is too noisy, so the animals don’t come near.”
“Could be. I bragged to my aunt that I’d bring back something for her, too.”
Ellen pushed her thoughts aside and answered.
“There are birds flying around at least.”
“You want me to shoot one of those down?”
Ellen looked at him like he was crazy.
“Why not? You might hit one. Give it a shot.”
Roil grinned mischievously, and Ellen picked up her bow, tempted to pinch him.
“No teasing if I miss, got it?”
She aimed high and spotted two birds in flight, holding the bow steady as she targeted one. But after a moment of tracking its movement, her arm dropped.
“Ugh, I can’t get a good aim.”
She shook out her arm, frustrated, and Roil laughed.
“It’s okay, Elly. Worst case, you just lose one arrow.”
“You think a Karzel heir should take arrow loss lightly?”
Despite the scolding, she nocked another arrow and aimed at a different bird.
At the moment she released, the arrow struck the bird’s tail.
Unfortunately, it only lost a few feathers and flapped away like its tail was on fire.
“So close. That could’ve been it.”
Roil watched it fly off in disappointment. Ellen silently nocked another arrow.
Before raising her bow, she shook her head.
Alright. Save the overthinking for bedtime. Catch the bird first.
Now fully focused, she drew the string once more and let it fly.
The arrow pierced a bird cleanly, and it dropped to the ground with a thud. Roil’s jaw dropped with it.
“Whoa! Elly! I was only half-joking—I didn’t think you’d actually hit one!”
He was so excited he spoke rapidly. Ellen, slightly bashful, took the bird that Neshu had retrieved.
“Good job, Neshu. I’ll give you a bite later.”
At her words, Neshu meowed and flew off again.
“Where’s he going now?”
“No idea. But you caught a bird… what should I catch?”
Roil crossed his arms and scanned the quiet forest.
Maybe the camp’s proximity really was the issue. The adults managed to catch something, so this forest couldn’t be barren.
They wandered around a bit more when they heard rustling ahead—a rabbit appeared.
Nyaaaanng!
Neshu was chasing the rabbit from behind.
Is he… herding the rabbit toward us?
The bizarre sight made Ellen and Roil exchange glances, then snap to attention.
Now!
At Ellen’s signal, Roil pulled out his dagger and threw it.
Ellen’s eyes widened at the speed—he had thrown it so fast, she couldn’t even tell if he’d aimed.
Kyak!
The dagger hit the rabbit—but the shriek came from Neshu.
Startled by the flying dagger, Neshu veered off wildly.
After verifying the rabbit was struck, Neshu leapt into the air and soared toward Roil, landing on his head and repeatedly smacking him with his front paws.
“Ah! Ow! Neshu! I’m sorry! I said I’m sorry!”
Roil let himself be hit, wrapping his hands protectively around his head. The claws weren’t out, so it didn’t hurt—but he pretended it did.
When Neshu had vented enough, Ellen gently pulled him off.
“Alright, alright, Neshu. That’s enough.”
She cradled and soothed him.
“Neither I nor Roil would ever attack you. Got it?”
As Neshu calmed down, Roil retrieved the rabbit with the dagger still embedded.
“Wow, I actually did it.”
Even he seemed surprised.
“You must have amazing reflexes.”
“Says the girl who shot a bird out of the sky.”
He grinned, taking the bird from Ellen’s hand.
“I keep telling you—I’ve only practiced with bows my whole life.”
Ellen adjusted Neshu in her arms and headed back toward camp. Roil, holding the bird and rabbit, followed eagerly.
“Looks like they each caught something,” Gloria said to Diana as they sat outside the camp chatting.
The two children reached the clearing and immediately began boasting to Gerald and Rhett.
“The rabbit was taken down with a dagger, huh? Roil’s, I assume?” Diana said, noting the wound on the rabbit’s body.
“No way he tackled the rabbit by hand. He must’ve thrown it—Ellen probably taught him. Maybe we should pay her for the lessons,” she joked.
Gloria chuckled. “It’s all thanks to her excellent teacher’s teacher, don’t you think?”
At that moment, Neshu scampered up and leapt into Gloria’s lap.
“Mom, Ma’am! Look at this!”
Ellen and Roil approached, Roil proudly holding both animals.
“Elly shot this one with a bow, and I got this one with a dagger.”
He presented the bird and rabbit to Gloria and Diana with pride.
He then launched into a story about how he had jokingly told Ellen to shoot a bird and she really did it, and how they were about to give up when Neshu drove a rabbit toward them.
What the heck?
While Roil enthusiastically recounted the tale, Ellen started to feel unexpectedly annoyed.
She kept smiling and chatting, but her eyes subtly roamed—just enough to be polite. A useful trick, courtesy of her annoying etiquette teacher.
Still hate her, but… I’ll keep learning, I guess.
As she scanned the area subtly, she found the source of her discomfort.
Who’s that woman?
Standing behind Diana with her hands neatly folded was a young woman Ellen had never seen before.
Well, I don’t know all the Karzel maids by name. Aunt must’ve hired someone new.
But that wasn’t what bothered her. It was the way the maid looked at her.
What kind of gaze is that?
Since Ellen and Roil had walked over, the maid’s eyes had never left her. It seemed half-welcoming, half-suspicious.
As Ellen tried to quietly identify her unease, the maid’s eyes scanned her up and down.
What’s her problem?
Annoyed, Ellen decided to observe her a bit longer instead of reacting. Then she chimed in on Roil’s story.
“Can you believe it? Roil told me to shoot a flying bird!”
“Well, I thought your skills were good enough to pull it off!”
“Don’t lie. You said yourself you were half-joking.”
Gloria, Diana, and even Gloria’s personal maid Jena smiled at the squabbling pair.
Only Diana’s new maid did not.
Her expression had gradually stiffened. Ellen, catching a glimpse, felt increasingly unsettled.
Seriously, what is going on?
Unable to take it anymore, Ellen stared straight at the maid.
“Oh, Ellen,” Diana noticed. “She’s someone I recently brought on. Silla, greet Lady Quinter.”
“I’m Silla,”
Silla said with a sweet smile, bowing deeply before making eye contact again.
But the moment she looked at Ellen, her face turned blank. Ellen’s eyebrow twitched.
So this is how you act when the adults aren’t watching? What the hell for?
It was annoying, and she had no idea what was going on. Instinctively, she looked at Roil—thinking he might explain.
But Roil seemed oblivious, just handing the bird and rabbit to Diana. Not much help there.
As Ellen glanced back at Silla’s face, something struck her.
Why… does she look familiar?
