Chapter 23

At the boy’s casual gesture—as if he might actually pick her up—Beatty turned bright red and bolted for the chair.

Wh-wh-what kind of person says things like that so naturally?!

She had never met a boy her age who spoke to her like this.

He was kind and polite, but it was different from the formal courtesy she was used to from the ducal estate’s attendants.

Flirtatious? No… Seductive? No, wait—

Charm!

Yes, that was it. He had an almost charming air about him.

Like his voice could lightly brush against her skin, like his words wove their fingers between hers.

Beatty was sure she had read about this type of person in books before.

A womanizer!

Someone who flirted with others as easily as breathing.

Fan, fan.

Whether it was the fire’s heat or something else, her cheeks felt too warm, so she pressed her palms against them to cool down.

After taking a few steady breaths to calm her racing heart, she glanced at the boy.

"Hm?"

Noticing her gaze, he responded with yet another of his effortless, mesmerizing smiles.

A curve of lips so naturally captivating it could lead anyone astray.

"!"

He’s a natural-born flirt!

Beatty was certain of it now.

So this is what a womanizer looks like!

She had never understood why people in books threw away their wealth and reputations for men like this, but—

Now I get it.

If someone got caught up in a smile like that, it made sense.

Beatty recalled all the stories of people who lost everything to charming deceivers and steeled herself.

I don’t even have money or power to be taken advantage of, so what would I even lose?!

Even wealthy people went bankrupt after falling for womanizers. If she got caught up with one, as someone already at rock bottom… she couldn’t even imagine how much worse things could get.

Stay sharp!

Beware of handsome men!

Resist the charm of flirts!

Determined, Beatty subtly scooted her chair further away from the boy.

***

The cabin was quiet.

Beatty was a little curious about the boy’s identity, but she didn’t bother asking for his name.

He’s hiding his face, so he clearly doesn’t want to be recognized.

If he didn’t want to reveal himself, she wouldn’t pry.

Deciding to leave it at that, she spaced out while watching the flickering firewood.

Gurgle.

“Ugh.”

Her stomach growled at the worst possible moment.

It was fine when she was alone in the estate, but making noises in front of someone else was embarrassing.

"Ahem."

Beatty coughed awkwardly and turned her head, hoping to hide her flushed face.

I should’ve eaten more at breakfast…

Not because she was greedy—her body was just still young, and beastkin naturally had larger appetites.

Beastkin eat way more than normal humans.

She remembered her first meal with her brother, which had been quite the shock.

Carl had devoured an entire feast by himself, calling it a normal meal for a lion beastkin.

He had even looked at her plate and frowned, asking how a squirrel beastkin could survive eating portions that small.

…And then he tried to feed me an entire roast turkey.

She had desperately shaken her head, insisting it wouldn’t even fit in her cheek pouches.

As she recalled that memory—

"Ta-da."

A hand suddenly appeared in front of her.

“?”

“No tea, but how about a little dessert?”

A biscuit.

The boy placed a small pouch of biscuits in her hands and flashed another charming smile.

"I couldn’t possibly let a lady miss her teatime."

“T-thank you.”

Surprised by the unexpected kindness, Beatty stared blankly at the biscuit.

Then, after a brief pause—

Snap.

She broke it in half and held out a piece to him.

"Here—"

"I don’t like sweets."

Still smiling, the boy refused without hesitation.

"Why don’t you eat it all, milady?"

"Uh…"

"Or should I throw it away?"

"Ack—no! I’ll eat it!"

His indifferent attitude made it seem like he’d toss it aside without a second thought if she didn’t take it.

So, unwilling to waste food, Beatty nibbled on the biscuit diligently, finishing all of it.

So full…

She had overeaten slightly out of guilt, but now she was stuck with a heavy stomach.@@novelbin@@

And then, not long after—

Gurgle.

"……?"

The same sound echoed again.

Grrrrooowl.

But this time, it didn’t come from her.

“…Um?”

This time, it was from him.

"You’re… hungry, aren’t you?"

"……."

Pretending not to hear, the boy subtly turned his head away.

Beatty regretted everything.

I shouldn’t have eaten that entire biscuit!

She hadn’t realized that, despite being hungry himself, the boy had given her food without hesitation.

And now she had eaten it all, leaving him with nothing.

Feeling guilty, she fidgeted.

"I'm fine," the boy mumbled, avoiding her gaze.

"But…"

"I just digest quickly, that’s all."

That was definitely another white lie.

Beatty hesitated.

"If the rain stops, I can just go hunting," he added nonchalantly.

He spoke like it was no big deal, like hunting was the easiest thing in the world.

"I appreciate your concern, milady, but… would you like to play cards while we wait?"

He pulled out a deck of cards from who-knew-where, clearly trying to change the subject.

If the rain stops…

Beatty glanced toward the window.

Whooosh.

The rain showed no signs of letting up.

…It’s not stopping.

Even if he was an expert hunter, they had no idea how long they’d have to wait.

He’s probably starving because of me. What should I do…?

Beatty anxiously watched the rain.

Just as she was about to give up hope—

“Oh!”

Something outside caught her eye.

That’s…!

She jumped up from her seat and rushed toward the door.

"Huh? Where are—"

"Just a second!"

Bang!

Before the boy could stop her, she flung open the cabin door and ran outside.

"—Milady!"

Alarmed, the boy grabbed his sword and hurried after her, worried she might be in danger.

***

Whooosh.

The cold air hit her the moment she stepped outside, a stark contrast to the warmth of the fireplace.

Squelch.

The boy’s large footprints followed hers in the wet dirt.

"Milady."

A few steps ahead, Beatty felt the cold raindrops splatter against her cheeks.

"It’s still freezing out here."

"……."

"If you want to leave, I’ll take you home once the rain stops—"

He stepped in front of her slightly, shielding her from the rain.

But despite his words, Beatty didn’t run into the downpour.

"Milady?"

Instead, she carefully followed the roof’s edge and moved alongside the cabin.

"……?"

Confused, the boy trailed behind her.

There it is.

Recognizing the leaves, Beatty reached out—

Rustle.

The softened ground revealed a cluster of roots.

"I’ll do it."

The boy hesitated for a moment, then used the hilt of his sword to help dig.

Soon, the ground loosened, revealing the cluster of edible tubers she had been looking for.

"There!"

She carefully plucked off the leaves and retrieved the tubers, cradling them in her arms as she hurried back inside.

"……?"

The boy followed, looking puzzled.

Once inside, Beatty washed the roots in a large bowl of rainwater.

Watching her, the boy finally asked, "What are you doing? If you’re worried about firewood, there’s plenty."

Beatty wiped the water from her cheek and replied matter-of-factly—

"You’re hungry, aren’t you?"

"It’s fine, I can—"

"Just wait a little. I’ll make something to eat."

The boy blinked, processing her words. Then, after a pause, he pointed at the bowl and said,

"But… that’s tuberosum."

"Yep. Tuberosum."

Beatty smiled.

It’s a military secret for now, but it’ll be public knowledge soon anyway.

She dusted off the cleaned tubers.

I should repay the favor.

He had helped her, so it was only right to return the kindness.

The boy watched her silently for a moment, then, in a perfectly casual tone, said—

"…Are you trying to assassinate me?"