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Chapter 4
Negative thoughts kept washing over me at random.
He’ll really come, right?
“What if he lied…?”
Even if Valentin didn’t come, there was nothing I could do about it.
Feeling stifled, I climbed up the tower. In the room at the very top—with its remarkably high ceiling—stood a tree taller than me by a head.
It was small in size, but there was nothing particularly crooked or special about it.
“And this is supposed to be my life gauge.”
This was the Tree of Life Nathan Raphelia had spoken of.
If I failed to break the curse before all its leaves fell, I would close my eyes along with this tree.
Even when I first arrived, I was bothered because a few leaves had already fallen.
Looking at the tree, now much thinner than before, made my chest ache.
It still looked lush for now, but it wouldn’t be strange if it were stripped bare at any moment.
Watching my life gauge decrease was hardly pleasant. I took out the telescope that had felt like part of my body for the past two weeks and peered out the window.
Trees and more trees… trees and— a carriage?
It was a black carriage.
I leapt to my feet and rubbed my eyes, then pressed them back to the telescope. Through the lens, I saw the rose emblem engraved on the side of the carriage.
A long sword piercing through a rose, its petals scattering.
“He really came.”
Valentin hadn’t lied.
He had come to keep his promise to me.
The moment I realized it, my tail began wagging beyond control—on par with a helicopter’s propeller.
I dashed down to the first floor. I failed to control my strength and crushed the stair railing into powder in my hand, but I ignored it lightly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The thunderous noise echoed through the entire castle, and the rabbits popped their heads out, ears twitching.
“Squeak?”
“Valentin’s here!”
That was all it took.
I sprinted through the garden and reached the tightly locked iron gate in the blink of an eye.
Only when I stood before it did I realize I hadn’t even looked in a mirror. I quickly ran my fingers through my mane.
I have to maintain my dignity.
Though whatever dignity I had left had probably vanished while I was running down here in a frenzy—but as long as Valentin didn’t know, wasn’t that fine?
While I steadied my breathing, the black carriage came to a smooth stop beyond the iron bars.
Finally, the carriage door opened, and the man I had longed for stepped out.
A firm chest and broad shoulders that couldn’t be concealed by a white shirt. Long legs that matched his soft beige trousers perfectly.
When both his feet touched the ground, it felt as if time itself had stopped. As though the world revolved around him.
I stared at him blankly through the bars, only coming back to my senses when our eyes met.
Valentin’s neat lips had thinned.
“Ahem…!”
I fixed my gaze on the bricks and pretended not to see anything as I pulled the lever. The tightly shut iron gate slowly opened on both sides.
Now there was nothing separating us.
He stood there quietly, looking up at me, and offered a polite greeting.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
Inviting?
Wasn’t it closer to a threat?
His consideration in wrapping a threat in the word “invitation” almost brought tears to my eyes.
“May I come in?”
Tilting his head slightly, he asked out of courtesy. I couldn’t trust my voice not to tremble, so I simply nodded.
If my voice shook, it would be obvious how stirred I was.
Valentin smiled faintly at me and stepped over the threshold into the garden.
Everything—truly everything—felt as though it would work out perfectly.
For three days, Valentin did everything I had prepared with me—touring Raphelia Castle, tea time, reading, even chess.
The best part was that I now had someone to talk to.
When I spoke, someone answered. How could something so ordinary be this delightful?
Of course, it wasn’t that talking with the rabbits wasn’t enjoyable. Without them, I might have forgotten how to speak during those four months.
I was so grateful for them.
I gently nudged the mother rabbit sprawled at my feet and spoke.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what do you usually do?”
“I manage a small town.”
He stirred the coffee in his teacup with a teaspoon as he answered.
Manage a town? He looked young. Already? Was he some kind of official?
Or perhaps it’s his father’s territory? Is the man before me the son of a lord?
Though he looked like a priest at first glance, there was a noble air about him—like someone accustomed to authority.
When I widened my eyes, Valentin corrected my thoughts with an awkward smile.
It was written plainly on his face that he could see right through me.
“My father is also a steward… but I didn’t inherit it. I earned it myself.”
Capable and confident.
He was skilled in conversation as well.
There was something about the way he answered—leaving things just two percent incomplete—that made you want to hear more.
Valentin was a swamp you could never escape.
And I, utterly conquered by his overflowing charm, had been smashing every piece of furniture inside the castle.
Crack. Crash. Bang!
From stair railings to sofas, tables, even sturdy oak doors—everything turned to powder in my hands.
Each time, Valentin crossed his arms and observed me closely.
The harder and more durable the object I shattered, the brighter his eyes sparkled.
“Could you break marble as well?”
He smiled brightly at the floor connected to a pillar, and my fist instinctively angled downward.
But what if the castle collapses?
Sanity briefly returned. When I hesitated, Valentin stopped me.
“I spoke carelessly. You might get hurt—better not try the marble.”
Did he think I hesitated because I was afraid of getting hurt? Even if I got injured, I healed faster than most people.
Still, I didn’t want to be crushed beneath the castle, so I nodded obediently.
The magic castle usually repaired broken sections instantly, but this time the collapse might outpace the regeneration.
For reasons unknown, Valentin took immense interest in my smashing things.
I enjoyed that, so I put on a destruction show every day.
Is he a pervert?
The suspicion crossed my mind but quickly faded.
It’s nothing major. Everyone has a few strange quirks.
He looked far too gentle to even kill a person; I assumed he was simply drawn to displays of raw masculinity.
Speaking of injuries… why was he hurt last time?
I remembered that when he first visited, he hadn’t been lightly injured. The question slipped out naturally.
“Why were you hurt that time?”
Valentin answered immediately.
“I was attacked by a demon beast while scouting.”
“A demon beast?”
“Yes. The number of demon beasts has been increasing over the past few years. I went to the Black Swamp to investigate reports of a new type appearing, and I was ambushed.”
According to the map, the northern part of the Oman Continent was the Black Swamp, where magical beasts lived.
Magical beasts weren’t intelligent beings, but they were smart enough to distinguish their territory from human lands.
Then what are demon beasts?
Reading the confusion on my face, Valentin kindly elaborated.
“When magical beasts are exposed to dark energy for a long time, they become demon beasts. They lose most of their intellect and reason, and their forms vary so widely that it’s impossible to catalog them all.”
His sorrowful green eyes beneath long lashes swept over my face.
“Both magical beasts and demon beasts are troublesome, but demon beasts are more difficult to deal with. There are many mutations.”
“Mutations?”
“They evolve in ways we never anticipate. Some possess unimaginable strength. On rare occasions, a few are said to gain intelligence on par with humans. Though such cases are practically legends.”
It sounded like something from another world. Magical beasts, demon beasts…
The thought of him fighting such terrifying creatures made Valentin seem even more impressive.
“Most ordinary people don’t distinguish much between magical beasts and demon beasts. Since magical beasts rarely leave their territory, if one appears in a human village, people simply assume it’s a demon beast.”
I nodded like a child listening to a folktale. With a faint smile, he stepped closer.
I widened my eyes, trying not to show how flustered I felt.
“Wh-what is it?”
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
His unexpected words caught me off guard.
Come to think of it, he must have many questions. It was impressive he hadn’t asked before.
Until now, Valentin hadn’t asked anything about me.
He hadn’t even asked about the rabbits, who clearly understood human speech. He remained calm about everything.
“Go ahead.”
He leaned closer. A fresh floral scent mixed with a soft soap fragrance drifted into my nose.
Lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, he asked,
“What is at the top of the tower?”
I closed my mouth.
At the very top were Nathan Raphelia’s portrait, countless magical tools, and the small tree that revealed my remaining lifespan.
It was also the only place in the castle Valentin hadn’t been allowed to enter.
With Nathan Raphelia’s portrait there, it would be the perfect place to confess my curse.
Could I really tell Valentin about my curse?
Even though I had resolved to accept his kiss and return to being human, I hesitated to shatter this peaceful time.
When I faltered and couldn’t answer, Valentin stepped back.
“If it’s difficult to answer, you don’t have to.”
His expression truly seemed indifferent, and for some reason, that unsettled me. We had only spent three days together, yet my feelings for him were already uncontrollable.
Maybe this person wouldn’t despise me.
After finally making up my mind, I slowly rose to my feet.
“I’ll show you.”
And as though embarking on some grand undertaking, I took heavy steps forward. Seeing my serious expression, Valentin followed in silence.
After climbing many stairs, a door appeared—one that didn’t suit the splendid castle.
I let out a small sigh and inserted the key into the lock.
With the sound of metal clicking, the door opened.
By the window stood the telescope. A massive bookshelf filled with mysterious books and odds and ends. Beyond a round table, a single tree planted in a pot. And covering half of one wall, a large portrait.
Within a golden frame beautifully adorned with butterflies and flowers, Nathan Raphelia gazed down at us, his red lips drawn into an arrogant smile.
Having grown somewhat accustomed to beauty after spending time with Valentin, I glanced at him.
What will he say? He’ll surely call him beautiful.
After all, it was a face that drew admiration at first sight.
But after staring silently at the portrait, Valentin moved to a spot overlooking the Ratelenta Forest without a word.
What? Why isn’t he saying anything?
Normally, wouldn’t someone make a comment? There was a beauty here capable of conquering the world with that face!
He didn’t even ask who it was.
Perhaps after seeing his own perfect face in the mirror every day, someone like Nathan Raphelia barely registered.
Handsome people, honestly…
While I stood there flustered, pondering the brain structure of beautiful men, Valentin examined the telescope.
“Have you been waiting here for me to come?”
He tapped the telescope lightly with his finger.
How can even that simple gesture look so cool?
I answered honestly.
“Yes, wondering when you would finally arrive…!”
Wait. How did he know I had been anxiously waiting for him?
My mouth fell open in shock.
