Chapter 10

Talli handed the little fox over to the maid and went back to her room to sleep deeply.

When she woke up, her whole body felt relaxed.

The fluffy little creature was sitting on the windowsill, lazily licking its paws.

It was a blue fox…

Quite rare.

Talli walked over and reached out to pet the fox, but it turned its head and dodged her.

Talli silently withdrew her hand—

Instead, she grabbed the collar around its neck.

The fox was pitifully dangling, its four paws hanging down. It flicked its big tail, seemingly expressing its dissatisfaction.

“I’m your master.”

Talli let go, and the fox fell to the floor. Its paws seemed to have good elasticity as it bounced up onto the table, slid a few steps, quickly turned back, and faced Talli, glaring at her with red eyes.

“…”

Talli couldn’t help but freeze.

She had the feeling that such a gaze shouldn’t belong to a magic beast.

She shook her head and got up, leaving the room.

The fox nimbly jumped down from the table and followed her closely.

Talli had previously asked Fred’s family for a small plot of grassland. This land was originally meant to be a horse pasture, but after Miss Theresa fell off a horse and injured her leg, the family head ordered that no horses be kept on the property, and the land had been abandoned ever since.

The stableman’s small house had been repurposed as a tool shed for her renovations. She had stayed in the field for a few days, and the family head didn’t interfere. During that time, Carl had come a few times but could never find her.

The vacation soon came to an end.

Calculating the time, today was also the day the heroine returned home.

Talli wasn’t sure whether to feel happy or worried. She climbed the ladder inside the small house and nimbly made her way to the roof, with the fox jumping and following her up.

She lay on the roof, feeling the wind and watching the clear blue sky and soft white clouds, feeling a long-lost sense of relaxation.

Unfortunately, this rare moment of peace was quickly interrupted.

“Hey—”

A young man with light golden hair called out from below, “What are you doing up there?”

Talli pulled the licorice out of her mouth, sat up, and asked, “What are you here for?”

Carl shook his head, pointing to his ears:

“I can’t hear—”

“…”

Talli couldn’t be bothered to respond to him.

This guy had just argued with her a few days ago, refused to apologize for his mistake, and now he came to talk to her on his own.

She really didn’t understand what he was thinking.

Seeing that she didn’t reply, Carl walked into her small house. As soon as he entered, he was taken aback.

“What… what are all these weird things?”

There were drawings and devices he couldn’t even begin to understand, along with axes and saws—things that looked like they could hurt the delicate hands of a noble.

“Don’t touch them.”

Talli’s cold voice came from the roof.

“…Hmph, I’m not touching them.”

The room wasn’t big, and Carl finished walking through it in half a minute. Talli had turned the place into more of a temporary home than a tool shed. There was a small wooden bed, an empty coffee cup on the desk, and a fireplace that looked like it would be cozy in winter.

After taking a look, he climbed up the ladder and sat down next to Talli on the roof.

As soon as he arrived, the fox disdainfully avoided him and went to the other side.

“…”

He cleared his throat. “What have you been doing here for so many days?”

“None of your business.”

Talli fiddled with a small device on her wrist, not looking up.

“…Are you still mad?”

Carl clicked his tongue, bent his leg, and rested his arm on his knee, turning half his face away. “Alright, I admit… I was wrong that night.”

“…”

“I didn’t know you almost got into danger that night.”

The young man frowned, somewhat irritated. “I only found out after asking the priest. That night, you ran into some thugs and almost got harassed by a drunk…”

He lowered his voice as he spoke.

“…”

Talli still didn’t answer.

“Because I ran into my sister, I was so focused on sending her back that I completely forgot about our arrangement. It wasn’t until I got back to the manor that I remembered… but as soon as I did, I immediately went out to find you, and almost ended up exposing everything.” He explained why he had been running earlier.

“Now, explain all of this to me,”

Talli raised her head, her violet eyes fixed on him without blinking. “What’s the point?”

“…What?”

“If it’s just to apologize, a single sentence would be enough, right?”

Talli asked, “Why the need to explain?”

Carl was taken aback.

He didn’t even know why he was explaining this to her.

“Fine. If you just came to apologize, then I accept your apology, and you can leave now.”

Talli adjusted her sleeve crossbow, raised her arm, and aimed at a rabbit leisurely eating grass on the field. She made a slight movement with her finger, and a gust of wind followed, something rushing past at incredible speed.

A “thwip” sound followed, and the rabbit froze.

It leaned back and collapsed into the grass.

“…Did you make this? Such fast speed.”

Carl awkwardly changed the subject, clearly not wanting to leave, though his praise was sincere.

Talli liked being complimented on her work.

“I’ve seen crossbows and bows at the market, but none of them are this compact and quick to fire.” Carl looked down at the sleeve crossbow. “It’s also very well-made.”

“…There are others that are just as good.”

Talli said as she patted the fox beside her.

It seemed reluctant for half a second, though it might have been Carl’s illusion. The next moment, the fox tensed its hind legs and shot forward like lightning, so fast that Carl’s eyes couldn’t even track it.

When he blinked again, the blue fox was back at its original spot, holding the rabbit in its mouth, elegantly pushing the rabbit forward with its front paws before lazily lying down in the sunlight.

Talli held up the rabbit and examined it for a moment.

“Today, we’ll have roasted rabbit legs.”

Carl: “…”

Just as he was about to say something, a panting servant came running from the other end of the field.

“Young master, young master—”

She was somewhat out of breath but appeared very happy as she shouted:

“Miss is back!”

Talli returned to the main hall with the fox.

She sat on the long wooden sofa drinking tea. The armrest was cold, and she rested her arm on it, feeling the chill seep through her skin, giving her a calming sensation.

“Father, Carl!!”

A pleasant, melodious voice.

Carl was the first to stand up, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he rushed forward. “Sister!!”

Talli slowly turned her head.

She was an incredibly beautiful young woman, one whose beauty words could not even describe. Her long, milk-golden hair flowed indoors, and her autumn-colored eyes would leave a person with a feeling of their heart being struck when she looked at them.

No man could bear such a sensation.

Theresa exchanged pleasantries with Carl for a while.

“Why are you so excited? You’re not even acting composed, even though we just saw each other before.”

“Didn’t you just come back today to stay? What’s wrong with me being a little happy?”

“You’re happy just because I came back to stay? You’re usually always in front of me, annoying people.”

“Sister, what are you saying!”

—

Talli drank her tea without a ripple of emotion.

It seemed that she had just noticed her.

“…Hello,”

The young girl walked over gracefully, smiling at her. “You must be Talli, right? I’m sorry I only got to meet you today.”

She extended her hand to Talli.

Three seconds passed.

“Mm.”

Talli responded with a soft sound. She lowered her gaze, her teacup already empty.

“I’ve finished my tea, and I’ve met you,” she said to Fred, the head of the family. “I’ll be leaving now.”

She ignored the hand that was still suspended in mid-air and stood up to leave.

“…Hey, it’s the first time Sister is back today, don’t be too much!”

Carl lowered his voice and said from behind her.

“Alright, Carl, I’m fine.”

The young girl gently held back her impatient brother, her voice soft and reassuring. “After all, it’s our first meeting, so it’s normal not to be familiar.”

“Tch, you’re just too good-natured.” Sometimes, you should get angry too.

Talli walked silently down the corridor.

Only the sound of her footsteps could be heard, because the fox walked silently on tiptoe, but she knew it would follow her.

The goodwill she had just extended became so fragile in front of the protagonist. After a brief moment of understanding, a high wall was quickly built again.

…If the original owner were here, she would probably be very heartbroken.

With only a month left to live, this family still refused to show her even a little kindness. The “privileges” Talli had obtained were things she had fought for through her own efforts, even negotiating for them herself.

Talli returned to her room on the third floor.

She had stayed in the small house by the grass field for several days, and when she returned to her own room, she was momentarily stunned by the spaciousness and brightness of it.

And the entire third floor, with its dozens of rooms, belonged to the protagonist, Theresa.

This one small room was still something she had “temporarily rented” for a month. After one month, she would have to return it, along with everything she had gained, to this family.

…This is fine, too.

She collapsed on the bed, sinking into the soft blanket.

But her hand suddenly touched something hard.

Turning her head, she realized it was the book she had brought back from the Library Tower, which she had stuffed into the pillowcase to bring along.

The fox nimbly jumped onto her bed and placed its paws on the book.

Talli picked up the book with one hand, grabbed the little fox with the other, and threw it off the bed. “You’re not allowed on my bed.”

The little creature seemed surprised by being rejected, rolling a few times on the floor before realizing what had happened. It stared at Talli with its bright red eyes, a little incredulous.

Talli ignored it. She took the book and sat at her desk, flipping straight to the page about Deritz. But before she could even read, the little creature jumped onto the desk, lazily raised its paw, and knocked the book down with a loud “thud.”

Talli picked up the book, but before she could turn the page, it swiped at it again.

“Thud!”

“……”

Talli grabbed it by the back of its neck and stared into its ruby-red eyes. “Are you a cat?”

“……”

“Do you even remember that I’m your master?”

“……”

Talli sighed and let go of it.

…Really, she was actually arguing with a magic beast.

But after this little commotion, her slightly gloomy mood had lightened a bit.

She squatted down, about to pick up the book from the floor.

…Hmm?

The text on the page was suddenly clear.