My Worry Was Baseless!
‘I even transformed into my true form on purpose to make her feel at ease.’
Heungmi, who usually chattered away without a care, was suddenly acting like this, leaving Rune quite perplexed.
Growing frustrated, Rune thumped the blanket with his tail.
At that moment, Perdikion grabbed and pinned down Rune’s tail.
“……?”
Rune turned, wondering what was up, and locked eyes with the hatchling whose eyes burned with the color of fire.
Perdikion pointed his snout at Rune’s black tail.
“……!”
The stubby black tail twitched as if ready to spring up at any moment.
Only then did Rune realize it.
His tail was unconsciously expressing his frustration for him.
Rune racked his brains for a way to overcome his own oversight.
‘I need to calm my mind.’
Rune slowly drew in a deep breath from deep within his belly.
With each long inhale, his plump belly puffed out slightly, then slowly deflated as he exhaled.
‘Good.’
Feeling much calmer now, Rune gave Perdikion a look.
‘I’m okay now. Thanks.’
Then he turned his gaze back to Heungmi, who was pretending not to watch but clearly concerned.
“Kyuu? Kya.”
[You’re really saying it’s nothing, right?]
With that, Rune pretended to be oblivious while observing Heungmi’s reaction.
‘If it’s truly nothing, she’ll brush it off casually. If not, it’ll show.’
Heungmi shared traits with her mother, Baekmi.
Rune had never been great at reading people back in his Imugi days, but Baekmi had been a close friend for quite some time.
Predicting her behavior wasn’t hard.
And as Rune expected.
Her two black fox tails trembled slightly, then drooped limply over the blanket.
That was confirmation enough.
Now came the real problem.
‘Tricky. It’d be easier if she’d just come out and say what she wants.’
Rune looked calm on the outside, but inside he was fretting over it.
Suddenly, he thought of the one person best at handling such issues.
‘Right. I just need to think about what Christina would do.’
Rune flinched.
This had to be the right answer.
But every time he pictured it, his body stiffened.
‘Me……like Christina……?’
Rune tried imagining himself channeling Christina’s aura.
—Baby, are you okay?
—Your pretty face looks so upset. If you’re alright with it, why not tell me all about it?
“…….”
Whoa, that was horrifying.
Rune nearly recoiled in horror, clamping his jaws shut tight.
The thought of embodying that warm, sunny gentleness and affection made his scales crawl even just imagining it.
‘Nope. That’s impossible.’
He’d rather endure a full year of Christina’s combat training every day than say those lines.
‘Let’s just be honest.’
Having decided, Rune carefully chose his words.
“Kyukyukyut. Kya.”
[I just thought……if something’s bothering you……I’d be a little disappointed, that’s all.]
Heungmi’s black hair shifted slightly toward Rune.
A sullen pink gaze.
Rune continued, meeting her eyes.
“Kyuuu, kya.”
[You’re not nothing to me, Heungmi.]
Heungmi stared at Rune for a long moment, then dropped her gaze to the blanket.
But she didn’t fully turn away like before.
Rune sensed his opening.
“Kyuu. Kyut.”
[You’d worry if I got hurt or upset, right? You’d want to hear why. It’s the same for me.]
“…….”
Heungmi fell silent for a while.
Then she fidgeted with her mouth before hesitantly speaking.
“Rune……um……”
“Kyu.”
[Yeah.]
As Rune prompted her gently, Heungmi spoke with a troubled expression.
“Heungmi……is actually part demon, you know.”
Rune blinked once, then nodded.
“Kyuu.”
[Your true form, the Demon Realm Rose, could be considered that……but……]
The Demon Realm Rose infused with a succubus soul.
But that was just the shell—the core soul was the one Rune had revived: Ilmiho, Heungmi’s soul.
‘So what?’
Rune couldn’t fathom it.
She’d never mentioned it before—why bring it up now?
‘Christina even checked when she allowed her to stay in the lair. She confirmed she wasn’t a demon.’
And Christina had clearly determined Heungmi was closer to a beastkin than a demon.
Heungmi added in an uncertain tone.
“Actually……I heard you had big trouble in the Elf Kingdom recently. Because of demons.”
“!”
Rune realized what was coming next.
He voiced his realization.
“So you’re saying, since your true form is the Demon Realm Rose, you thought I’d hate you for it?”
“Y-Yes……”
The fox beastkin drooped her head again and spoke.
“I know you wouldn’t, Rune. But somehow……it stung right here.”
She pressed a small hand lightly to her chest and blinked her pink eyes.
Now Rune understood.
‘She thinks I hate demons, so I’d hate the Demon Realm Rose from the Demon Realm too.’
Of course, Rune had never felt that way.
His room full of beautiful roses brimming with floral scent.
Gazing at them sometimes tickled a corner of his heart.
He’d just felt a bit embarrassed to admit it.
‘But saying that might raise more questions about why it’s embarrassing.’
Rune started with the clearest point.
“Kyukyuu.”
[You’re just Heungmi. And strictly speaking, I don’t hate demons.]
Perdikion’s eyes sharpened at “I don’t hate demons.”
He was probably irked by Rune’s lax attitude toward demons.
But the mood didn’t allow him to call it out right then.
Heungmi looked at Rune with hopeful eyes.
“Really?”
“Kyukyu!”
[Of course. Actually, the Curse Tool Crafting Kit I bought? I got it from a demon.]
Perdikion’s glare grew fiercer.
Ignoring his expression, which looked ready to roar, Rune pressed on.
“Kyukyuk.”
[Besides, strictly speaking, you’re not a demon. Christina vouched for that.]
Rune reminded her of Christina’s words on the day she first awoke.
“Kyuu, kukku.”
[She said even though she’d never seen you before, you were closer to a fox beastkin. Remember?]
Heungmi’s drooped fox ears perked up slightly as she lifted her head.
“I remember. Christina scared me back then, though……”
Rune spoke as Heungmi trailed off.
“Kyukyu.”
[But not anymore, right?]
“Yeah……”
Fortunately, she seemed convinced.
Rune nodded and crossed his forelegs.
“Kyuu. Kyau.”
[Think about it. If you were a demon, Christina would be the one trembling more than me.]
“Eek, true.”
A spark lit up in the pink-eyed fox beastkin’s gaze.
Rune seized the momentum.
[And remember when you gave Christina that gift to show your gratitude not long ago? She loved it, didn’t she?]
“!”
Before returning to the Gold Dragon lair, the accessory box Heungmi had prepared.
Heungmi recalled how Christina had been deeply moved and thanked her.
Her black fox tail swished gently.
“Right! She said she was so thankful and touched.”
Heungmi’s small hand fiddled with the multicolored pouch hidden inside her clothes.
“Christina made this pouch for me too, and always gives me yummy treats. She makes sure to include my favorites: apples, strawberries, chocolate snacks—one of each.”
Gradually smiling again, Heungmi lay back comfortably, looking blissful.
“Heungmi is loved.”
The sparkle returned to Heungmi’s eyes and voice.
“Kyuu kya.”
[Yeah. Everyone here likes you.]
At the same time, Rune secretly poked Perdikion in the side.
“Kyak. Kak.”
[Y-Yeah. I like……no, I don’t dislike you.]
Perdikion bit his tongue mid-sentence.
It might have ended awkwardly.
But fortunately, Baekya flapped over to Heungmi.
“Pip-yak!”
Baekya landed nearby.
The bird hopped on dainty legs and rubbed against Heungmi’s cheek as she lay on the blanket.
And Jed quickly chimed in.
Jed’s voice grew wistful, as if reminiscing.
“Hee—really?”
Heungmi’s fox tail wagged bigger and bigger.
Jed, riding the wave, raised his voice even more.
Rai, wanting to say something too, drew pictures in the air.
[ (??? )♡ ]
Watching the lively light drawings, Heungmi spoke up.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Her face, with tears welling slightly, broke into a bright smile.
Clank!
Dullahan, who had been listening silently, relaxed his shoulders.
Jed burst into hearty laughter.
[ (*?∇?*) -♡ ]
“Pip-yak!”
Rai scattered light, and Baekya rubbed its head against her cheek.
“Kak.”
[Looks like that settled it nicely.]
Perdikion sent a telepathic message for Rune’s ears only.
Rune nodded in response.
“Kyu.”
[Yeah.]
It was something Rune hadn’t expected, but looking back, he couldn’t help a small chuckle.
“Kyuu.”
[Here, try these too.]
For Heungmi, who must have been upset in silence, Rune pulled out some homemade snacks from his stash.
Heungmi’s eyes lit up.
“Wow! Chocolate candies!”
Candies made from super sweet, delicious chocolate.
Rune had diligently included them in the Fragrance Box Tainted by Darkness too.
How much time passed?
Suddenly, Jed started making strange noises.
“Piyak?”
[ (?Д?;) ]
Baekya and Rai too.
Everyone stared at Jed—or rather, the battle axe Paralium—with baffled eyes.
Jed blabbered on regardless.
“…….”
Rune narrowed his eyes, gauging Jed’s state inwardly.
‘Is this guy drunk on the fragrance box?’
It was absurd.
Rune stared at Jed, mouth slightly agape, at a loss for words.
The Fire Dragon hatchling thought his little brother was shocked stiff and leaped to his feet.
“Kyak! Kyaaaak!”
[What the hell is this dwarf doing?! Can’t you see Rune’s shocked?!]
Perdikion bristled like an angry cat, fur standing on end.
Rune, clueless to how he looked, wondered.
‘What’s your deal?’
Before he could say anything, Jed wailed dramatically.
Heungmi’s words only fueled the chaos.
“Uncle Jed, don’t cry!”
It was pandemonium.
Rune felt like facepalming.
“Kyuuu……”
‘I thought we were done with the drama, and now this?’
The group erupted into chatter once more.