Chapter 51
The monster’s snout suddenly jerked upward toward the sky.
From its neck, twisted at a grotesque angle, came a sound like air leaking out. Even so, its eyes rolled wildly, as if unwilling to let go of its prey—and the sight sent a chill down her spine.
Cecilia, collapsed on the ground, watched it all with her own eyes.
Her body trembled violently. Her neck stiffened, and then she slumped over with a thud.
Behind the convulsing monster, a massive bear revealed itself.
The bear’s snout was soaked with the monster’s blood. Yet rather than fear or revulsion, a completely different thought crossed her mind.
It’s monster blood… Is it really okay for Berry to eat that?
It seemed bad for his health.
Such a carefree thought surfaced. Her body was still stiff, but somehow, she felt relieved.
Cecilia panted as she locked eyes with Berry for a moment.
The monster’s limp corpse rapidly decayed, turning to ash and slowly scattering away.
“……”
“……”
Berry didn’t move.
As if expecting her to be afraid, he kept his distance, silently waiting for something.
He almost looked resigned—as though even if she slammed the door shut, he would accept it without protest.
That made her feel strangely sad.
Cecilia bit her lip and stared at Berry with teary eyes.
Then she began to crawl, inch by inch, toward the doorway.
A sticky pool of blood the monster had spilled still lay between them, but Cecilia ignored it and pressed close to Berry.
“Thank you……”
She lifted her trembling arms and wrapped them tightly around the bear’s neck.
A rasping sound settled near her ear. With every exhale from the bear, her hair fluttered softly.
His heart was pounding hard—she could feel it clearly through their embrace.
The bear let out a low groan, then gently dropped his head onto her shoulder.
After sharing each other’s warmth and breathing for a while, they slowly pulled apart—only once they were certain a sense of calm had returned to them both.
Cecilia blinked rapidly as her eyes stung. No tears fell, but her throat burned as if it had been set on fire.
The bear’s eyes looked just as uneasy as hers. Realizing that, she laughed despite the situation.
“—Grrrwng!”
Hearing her hollow laughter, the bear let out a short, puzzled cry.
He wouldn’t understand… this strange mix of relief, anxiety, fear, and reassurance swirling inside her.
There was comfort in knowing that a bond strong enough for him to fight an enemy to protect her had formed between them.
A beast that had tasted blood yet showed no aggression—instead, it was cautious of her. Just how had this bear grown up, anyway?
With still-shaking hands, Cecilia gently stroked Berry’s head.
As she ran her hand through his coarse, fluffy fur, she felt even her lingering tremors slowly subside.
“I think I get why people find comfort in their pets.”
“—Grrrwoong!”
As if telling her not to say something so strange, the bear let out a short growl and poked her hand with his snout.
After taking a deep breath in and slowly letting it out, Cecilia lifted the corners of her mouth—just as she always did when trying to reassure others.
“I’m really okay.”
“……Grrng.”
“More importantly, you must’ve been really startled too.”
Seeing how unsteady his eyes were, she worried about him.
The dense yellow mist still clinging to his chest hadn’t faded either.
Even now, he was worrying about her this much.
She didn’t know whether to thank him or marvel at him.
In fact, seeing how deeply he cared only made her mind clear faster. She didn’t want to make Berry worry.
As she pondered how to ease her friend’s heart, she decided feeding him first would be best—only to realize she’d dropped the basket and run.
“…Oh no.”
“—Grrng!”
“Sorry. I couldn’t bring your food today.”
“—Grrrwoong!”
Whether he was accepting the apology or protesting, she couldn’t tell.
But he responded enthusiastically nonetheless.
Cecilia accepted the snout he pushed toward her with her palm, then let out a quiet hum.
“Should I go back and pick up the basket? I don’t know if the food’s still okay, though.”
“—Grrrwoong!”
“Yeah, that’s probably better. I don’t think I can handle Ellie’s nagging later……”
Her voice trailed off faintly as she tried to stand.
No—more accurately, she tried to.
“…Mm.”
She wobbled and collapsed back down, failing.
She’d thought she’d calmed down enough—but maybe not.
It was an incredibly awkward situation.
After failing a few more times to put strength into her legs, Cecilia sighed.
“—Grrwng!”
Berry poked her trembling arm insistently with his snout, as if telling her to look.
Then he gently grabbed her sleeve in his mouth and lowered his body further down the steps.
“…Are you telling me to ride you?”
“—Grrng!”
Was that really a yes?
Cecilia looked down at him uncertainly.
The bear wiggled his backside impatiently, as if asking why she hadn’t climbed on yet.
“I’m pretty heavy, you know.”
This time, there was no response.
Snorting sharply as if scoffing, the bear looked up at her.
Warm chocolate-colored eyes met hers, staring intently.
It was a color that weakened her resolve.
Hesitating, Cecilia shuffled closer on her knees and used the bear for support as she stood again.
When she carefully leaned onto his back, Berry immediately started walking, as if he’d been waiting.
“Wait, Berry. That’s the wrong way. We need to go toward the castle. No—over there!”
Though it wasn’t the direction she’d intended…
They were moving farther and farther away from where the lunchbox was.
Panicking, Cecilia poked the back of his neck with her finger, but Berry stubbornly continued forward.
What on earth was he doing?
From her perspective, it was baffling.
He had just exerted himself—he had to be hungry.
…Of course, there was a very, very small chance he’d chosen her as an alternative lunch.
Even though she trusted and relied on him as a friend, she couldn’t completely ignore instinct.
As her worries churned, Berry continued at an unhurried pace toward his chosen destination.
Eventually, Cecilia gave up trying to redirect him.
With a hint of anxiety and curiosity, her pale green eyes gazed ahead.
The scenery—thick with fog and tightly packed trees—looked indistinguishable in every direction. Yet Berry moved forward with unwavering confidence, guiding her somewhere specific.
If it was a place like that, waiting a little seemed fine.
As silence settled between them, the sounds of the forest grew more distinct.
Branches snapping. Birds chirping. Small animals darting away. Snow compressing under heavy weight with muffled cries.
And after pushing through the fog and noise—
“—Grrrwoong!”
A small lake appeared before Cecilia’s eyes.
The deep, chilling blue water rippled gently.
There were no flowers—only barren land—but that very desolation matched the lake’s cold severity perfectly.
A soft breath and quiet awe escaped Cecilia’s parted lips.
It was a majestic sight, hard to believe it was hidden within a dangerous forest.
Berry lowered his body, as if to let her down. This was clearly his destination.
When Cecilia stepped off, Berry immediately poked her leg with his snout, as if waiting.
The gesture seemed oddly proud, making her laugh softly.
And watching that scene, Yuri—hidden beneath a cloak of fur—also smiled with quiet satisfaction.
