Chapter 3
We quickly put distance between us.
Kallian ran toward the tree.
I backed toward the hill.
[Y-You! What are you?! A human speaking the language of divine beasts?!]
“What are you talking about? You’re the one speaking human language! A divine beast!”
[Insolent human… How dare you learn the language of divine beasts?!]
Kallian puffed up all his fluffy fur.
His especially furry tail doubled in size.
Wrinkles formed over his scrunched nose as he glared angrily.
“No, but…”
This little brat kept calling me “human” every other word.
It was beyond rude.
“By age, I’m way older than you, so who taught you to talk like that? Hm?”
Before Kallian could run, I lunged and grabbed the back of his neck.
Whether it’s a cat or a dog, once you grab the scruff, they can’t do much.
“Even if you’re a black panther divine beast, you’re just a tiny brat acting up.”
[Let go, human! How dare you touch my body?!]
He struggled fiercely.
But in this position, there was nothing he could do.
Sharp fangs.
Sharp claws.
All useless.
“Wriggling won’t help, you know.”
[Grrr…]
“So be good and listen, cute baby kitty.”
[Calling me, the great black panther, a cat… Ack!]
I brought my face close to his.
His amber eyes shook like an earthquake had hit them.
[Move that ugly face away!]
His weak little paw touched my cheek.
The soft jelly-like paw pad made my heart soften.
“If I let you go, will you behave?”
[Why would I obey a mere human?!]
I smiled.
“Then no, I won’t let go.”
[Grrraah!]
He thrashed, but being so small, he couldn’t hurt me at all.
Holding his scruff firmly, I asked,
“How can you talk?”
[I said already, for a human to speak divine beast language is an act worthy of death— Ack!]
I rubbed his belly mercilessly.
A form of contact cats hate.
[T-Take your filthy hands off me, human!]
As expected, Kallian shuddered.
But I had no intention of going easy.
“Explain properly. I heard divine beasts can’t speak.”
[Hmph. That’s only arrogant human thinking. Divine beast language obviously exists.]
“Divine beast language?”
[Yes. Foolish humans simply can’t understand our language. So they make up nonsense saying divine beasts can’t talk.]
Wait.
That meant divine beast language and human language were different.
When I worked at an animal shelter, the director once told me—
Animals have their own language.
They communicate.
Make friends.
Humans just don’t recognize it as “speech.”
“Then… how am I hearing divine beast language?”
[How should I know, stupid human?! Just let me go!]
Kallian kicked his paws irritably.
None of it made sense.
No one in the management office spoke to their assigned beasts.
Even the healer said talking beasts didn’t exist.
Why can only I hear Kallian’s voice?
Or is Kallian different because he’s S-rank?
But I couldn’t figure it out by thinking alone.
Honestly, being scammed into employment in this absurd place made no sense to begin with.
“Let’s go back. Everyone’s waiting.”
[Let go! I’m not going!
“Tsk—”
I narrowed my eyes.
Kallian, who had been yelling, only glared and huffed.
And so what?
“Oh right!”
I had gotten so focused on catching Kallian I forgot the chick.
I ran to the limp little bird on the ground.
No movement.
I should take it to the healer.
“Don’t bully weak little ones like this again, okay?”
[A great divine beast cannot tolerate something so weak!]
“…”
Honestly…
It would’ve been much better if I couldn’t hear his voice.
With deadened eyes, I carefully tucked the unconscious chick into my pocket.
Then—
“Who’s there?”
Before coming here, I was twenty.
And Lorelia Leon looked maybe…
Fifteen?
She was so small and thin, with round youthful eyes.
Then suddenly—
A boy around my age appeared.
What?
Only now did it hit me that I was in a truly unfamiliar place.
Startled, I hugged Kallian tighter.
The boy tilted his head.
“How did you get here?”
My god.
In my entire life—
and I say this boldly—
I had never seen anyone this handsome.
Hair like pure melted gold, shining in the sunlight.
Green eyes like summer forests.
Sharp nose.
Smooth jawline.
Perfect lips.
Every feature is flawless.
I had grown up seeing celebrities and influencers.
But this…
This was a different level.
“Uh… hi?”
Without realizing it, I awkwardly greeted him.
He widened his eyes, surprised.
Then smiled.
“Hello. Are you lost?”
“Uh… kind of.”
“What’s that you’re holding?”
He pointed at Kallian in my arms.
Kallian, who had been struggling nonstop, was strangely quiet.
“It’s… a fruit. I saw a tasty-looking fruit nearby, picked it, then fell down the hill.”
I blurted out a ridiculous excuse.
Then suddenly—
He leaned closer.
“You.”
Up close, his face was so beautiful it nearly stopped my breath.
For a moment I lost reason.
Then his lips moved near my neck.
Almost touching.
“W-What are you doing…?”
His warm breath was so close.
Like a predator before prey,
He inhaled deeply.
Then exhaled.
“There’s… a scent on you I don’t like.”
For a second it felt like he might bare fangs and bite my neck.
I swallowed dryly.
Then pushed him away with both hands.
“W-Wait!”
With this skinny body, how much force could I possibly have?
He didn’t move back at all.
Only stopped and stared at me.
Very close.
A suffocating silence passed.
Then he straightened casually and smiled.
“Where are you from? Want me to take you back?”
The man who looked ready to devour me moments ago was suddenly too kind.
I nearly got fooled by the gentle smile.
Then—
like a flash—
The orientation warning hit me.
Do not leave the management grounds during work if you don’t want to be fired.
“No!”
I jumped up, making sure no hint of Kallian showed.
Creating distance.
“I can go by myself. Nice meeting you. Bye!”
I fired the words out and ran up the hill without looking back.
Fortunately, although Lorelia’s body looked weak—
It had stamina.
I ran fast.
Without stopping.
I may look like this, but I’ve done all kinds of sports.
The world was dangerous for a child alone.
I learned every kind of exercise I could.
I even dreamed of sports college once.
But I had no money.
“What’s your name?”
His voice came from behind.
I glanced back.
But I had climbed so far he looked like a tiny dot.
* * *
“Lorelia! How could you leave your post on your own?!”
When I returned in a complete mess, all the senior handlers were waiting, furious.
But seeing me—
hair full of leaves,
filthy,
uniform ruined—
They all went silent.
“Ha… New recruit, be careful not to leave the grounds again.”
My senior only sighed instead of scolding me.
“What do we do? Lord Kallian is gone. And that area was…”
“No choice. We can only pray Lord Kallian doesn’t cause trouble…”
Everyone stared anxiously at the hill he had crossed.
“I brought Kallian back.”
After catching my breath, I pulled out the treasure in my arms.
“…”
“…”
In the middle of all that chaos—
Kallian had fallen asleep hugging the red ball.
Everyone stared at him.
Then me.
Mouths hanging open.
As if they couldn’t believe what they saw.
“Oh. And I brought the chick too.”
I reached into my pocket.
Warm.
Soft.
Still unconscious.
“I should take it to the infirmary.”
I bowed and ran off holding Kallian and the chick.
Only much later did I hear what happened after I left.
“She brought back Lord Kallian… with her bare hands?”
“How?”
“He was sleeping, right?”
“Definitely.”
Apparently they stared where I’d vanished—
then started clapping in a daze.
Because I was the first employee ever to subdue the infamous Kallian by hand.
* * *
“Oh my, Lord Kallian and Meho?”
“The chick fainted. It hasn’t woken up…”
The healer laid the chick on the bed.
Its belly pointed upward.
Looking utterly pathetic.
Sleeping Kallian rested in my lap.
If he woke and caused trouble again, that would be bad.
That expression looks serious… Is it badly injured?
Of all creatures, I got assigned this one.
Disaster after disaster.
The healer lifted even its wings and examined it solemnly.
Then spoke.
Very.
Very seriously.
“Could it be…”
I swallowed.
“Did Lord Kallian bite it?”
“Y-Yes! How did you know?”
This was bad.
If the healer was saying this—
Something must be seriously wrong.
“This is… a big problem.”
It sounded like we were facing a crisis with no solution.
