Episode 5
Operation: Taming the Monster
‘Did he notice something?’
Before I could think more, his stomach muscles tensed. I quickly shut my mouth and lowered my head.
Just before he left the room, he looked back and warned me:
“Don’t think I won’t kill you just because you’re the one who can break my curse.”
“……”
“Cursed or not, I’ll kill you if you get on my nerves.”
Then he added coldly:
“Even if I don’t kill you, I can still torture you. So if you want to live, behave.”
Slam.
The door shut hard. As soon as I heard the sound, I cursed in my head.
‘Damn it, I’m in big trouble.’
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After he left, Huz disappeared like smoke. I watched him leave through the window, then rushed to the bathroom.
Thankfully, the room I opened was actually a bathroom.
“Blegh… urgh…”
My stomach couldn’t handle the food I forced in. After seeing those shackles again, I threw up. I leaned over the toilet and vomited. After a long time, I gasped for air and slumped down.
“Ah, this hurts so much…”
I wiped away the tears and stood up. After rinsing my mouth, I dragged myself back to bed and collapsed.
“…He said I’m the one who can break his curse.”
I clenched my fist on the blanket.
“Fine, I’ll break it. Then, I’ll run away. That’s the plan.”
…Wait. Can I even escape?
This is Huzga Diaz, a monster who’s feared by even the Empire. Would he really let me live after the curse is broken?
‘Of course not.’
Running away had to be my top priority.
‘But how?’
Huz is someone no one can handle. Compared to him, my healing power is nothing. I was starting to panic.
“This must be a dream, right?”
I laughed like a crazy person.
“I just escaped the snowy hell, and now I’m in a dump.”
Huzga Diaz, you monster! You lunatic! You pervert!
I couldn’t say it out loud, so I screamed it in my head and kicked the blanket.
It’s like fate decided my life would never be normal.
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Luckily, I’m mentally strong in tough situations.
Well, more like I got used to being treated like garbage. After an hour of crying, I calmed down and started thinking clearly.
‘Huz will definitely kill me after breaking the curse.’
So, how do I survive?
As soon as I crossed my arms, my brain—which had lots of practice with escaping—came up with a crazy idea. I hated it right away.
‘Tame him?! Are you stupid?!’
Yes. That was the idea: Operation Taming the Murder Maniac. The plan was to make Huz not want to kill me.
“That’s ridiculous…”
It felt like a childish fantasy, but honestly, if it worked, it would be the best way.
“How should I start…? Let’s get closer to him.”
I stretched my limbs, deep in thought. Eventually, I came up with a plan.
“Let’s become part of Huz’s daily routine.”
If I become someone he’s used to seeing, maybe he’ll feel something when I’m gone. It’s like making myself part of his world.
I wasn’t sure if it would work. Huz might not even have human feelings. Still, I pushed the worry away.
‘Don’t give up before trying. Try first. Panic later.’
I rubbed my chin and thought.
“So… how do I get him to notice me without angering him?”
Instead of doing something big, I needed to be consistent. I had an idea:
“Greetings.”
I would welcome him home warmly, like a pet dog wagging its tail.
‘Ugh, that sounds pathetic.’
I imagined myself smiling like a fool, and the thought made me cringe. I slapped my cheeks.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll do whatever it takes to survive!”
I had to. I took a deep breath.
“This is like being dropped in a tiger’s den. But I’m still alive.”
That’s what matters. Even if life is miserable, what’s important is that I survived.
‘Stay focused, Inea.’
There’s a saying—“Victory is sweet even if you had to roll in mud to get it.” Of course this wouldn’t be easy. My wish for freedom was too big.
‘But don’t give up!’
Like people who dream and fight for what they want, I’ll keep chasing freedom. I’ll do whatever it takes.
“Alright. I’m back to my senses.”
I dropped my hands from my face and flopped on the bed.
“Now, what I really need is…”
Rest.
I was so tired. I pulled the blanket over me.
It was the first time I’d ever had a soft bed and a warm blanket.
‘Feels kinda like Huz’s arms…’
Sleep hit me like a wave. My eyes slowly closed.
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The next morning.
“Ugh… So sore…”
My messy hair looked like a broom. I groaned.
‘No wonder. Yesterday was intense.’
Even my eyelids were swollen, and I had a small fever. My muscles ached.
‘I don’t usually get sick, but this time was different.’
I stretched, and my joints cracked loudly. Suddenly, my nose twitched.
Sniff.
Something smelled… delicious?
I got out of bed and opened the door.
“Huh…?”
I blinked in shock.
The house was clean. The dirty windows were white again, books and papers were gone, and the nasty kitchen was spotless.
On the table, there was warm mushroom soup and fresh whole wheat bread.
‘…What happened while I was asleep?’
Did a fairy clean the house and make food? No way. That only happens in fairy tales.
“Don’t tell me Huz…?”
I laughed.
“Ha, impossible.”
Why would Huz do all this? Especially cook something that smells amazing?
‘Was it to keep me from escaping? Or… poison me?’
I crossed my arms and stared at the food. My stomach growled loudly.
I wanted to eat. So badly. But what if it was poisoned?
‘…One bite wouldn’t hurt, right?’
I gave in and took a bite of the soup.
Warmth spread through me. I felt alive again. My eyes widened.
“It’s delicious.”
Really good. Like… really good. I took another bite, then quickly stopped myself.
‘Okay, that’s enough for now.’
No matter how tasty it was, I needed to be careful. I waited to see if anything weird happened to my body.
I checked for rashes, fever, heart problems—nothing. Time passed. At noon, the clock struck 12.
Suddenly, a magic circle appeared in the air. Food dropped from it!
“Stew?”
Meat stew, steamed bread, warm water, silverware, and a white cloth… and a new dress?
It was white with a pink tint and embroidered flowers. It looked expensive.
‘Why is he giving me this?’
Was it because of the blood on my old clothes?
I put on the new dress. It fit perfectly and looked beautiful when I twirled.
Then I returned to the stew.
‘…This is delicious too.’
The meat was soft. The soup was rich. It tasted simple, but luxurious.
‘Why is he doing this?’
Every detail—easy-to-digest food, warm water, clean clothes—it was like he had carefully observed me.
I looked at my thin arms. My hands were bony. I remembered how he always frowned when he saw me like that.
‘Now that I think about it, even at breakfast, he was polite…’
After a proper meal, I felt stronger. I wasn’t poisoned. I wasn’t sick.
‘…Maybe he was just feeding me. Like, actually caring?’
It felt strange. The situation hadn’t changed, but something… felt different.
I stared at the stew for a long time.
Until the steam disappeared.
