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chapter 4
“Iriel? What on earth is wrong? Is it because of that lizard brat from earlier?”
I just shook my head in frustration.
And when I imagined the truly bleak future that awaited me, tears began to blur my vision.
If I made a single mistake here—no, even just by breathing—I could already see a future in which I’d be beaten.
Seeing the tears falling from my eyes, Rudels’ own gaze shook as he wiped them away with his sleeve.
“Iriel? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“Boo… boohoo…”
I couldn’t hold back my sorrow and ended up bursting into tears.
Fear had intensified, making it impossible to endure any longer.
Because of my hair color and magic, I was an outcast among witches, and living alone, I was now caught by the most powerful heir of the Ifin family in the Beastmen Kingdom—my life hanging by a thread.
This was where my mental limits had finally arrived.
Rudels, seeing me silently crying, grew restless. He seemed so flustered that his hidden ears and tail even popped out.
Even while crying from fear, I found myself wanting to touch his drooping tail just once.
Rudels moved to sit next to me, awkwardly hugged me, and patted my back.
The roughness of his hands and the warmth of his body finally helped me calm down.
Once I was barely composed, hiccupping and still shaky, Rudels suddenly ground his teeth and muttered in a chilling tone:
“You should change the guards.”
“Hic!”
I was startled by his words, causing another hiccup to escape.
I tried to hold it in, covering my mouth and holding my breath.
But my trembling body wouldn’t stop, and the hiccups continued.
Rudels made a strange expression, then smiled gently and stroked my head.
“Oh. Maybe I spoke too harshly. I’m really sorry, Iriel.”
“Hic! It’s okay, hic! Ah… hic!”
Meanwhile, the carriage slowed as it moved forward, and the horse Beastman driving it called out to us inside.
“We have entered the Beastmen Kingdom, Your Highness.”
“Take us straight to the castle.”
“Understood. We’ll escort you comfortably!”
The horse Beastman, both driver and leader of the carriage, cheerfully shouted while neighing.
With the clatter of hooves, the carriage began moving. Rudels glanced at my trembling body and whispered quietly:
“Welcome to the Beastmen Kingdom, Healer Iriel.”
At those words, my hiccups finally stopped.
‘Ah… I really have entered the Beastmen Kingdom… I’ve walked into the wolf’s den on my own… haha! Ha! Ha ha!’
I forced a smile toward him, weary but relieved. As the clever wolf heir had wished, I had now stepped into a new world.
Clack, clack.
The sound of hooves echoed as we traveled through the streets.
The Beastmen Kingdom wasn’t very different from other countries. The only notable difference was the ears and tails of the Beastmen.
They walked around in human form but didn’t bother hiding their ears or tails—it was a symbol of their identity.
Some even walked freely with fully animal-like faces, striding across the streets.
I tried to hide my appearance as best I could, staring blankly at the lively street scene.
Such a sight was rare for me.
After my coming-of-age ceremony, I had immediately run off into the mountains, so I only saw crowds like this when visiting for royal duties.
And Beastmen! According to my original plan, this was impossible.
Rudels’ question snapped me out of my daze as I gaped at the streets.
“Iriel, are the town streets fascinating to you?”
I slowly turned my head and nodded slightly at Rudels sitting beside me.
“Yes. They look so lively, and I really like that.”
“Heh.”
He made a sound I couldn’t place, peering outside with interest. Then, with a seemingly indifferent expression, he said:
“You find such an ordinary scene appealing?”
“Yes. I like it. Peaceful scenes feel happier to me.”
I spoke sincerely. Compared to the Witch Kingdom, this place felt like paradise.
In the Witch Kingdom, it was pure chaos by comparison.
Witches had an overwhelming desire to flaunt their power. Whether by showing off money, magical power, or beauty and ranking each other, they were constantly striving to prove their superiority.
So fights and riots never ceased in the streets. It was lawless. Those who couldn’t defend themselves often starved to death because they dared not go outside.
Even recalling those times made me shudder. Thinking of the day someone’s head had exploded made me want to stop thinking about it entirely.
Yet, it was astonishing I was still alive. Thanks to healing magic, I had survived—but without it, I would already be dead.
I turned from looking outside and spoke to Rudels.
“I’d rather see people alive and safe, even if it’s boring, than see them fighting and suffering.”
Rudels didn’t respond, only looked at me with a somewhat surprised expression.
It was understandable. A witch valuing peace? In the Witch Kingdom, such a thing would mark me as an eccentric or even a lunatic.
Witches would never desire such a thing unless they themselves ruled amidst chaos.
I scratched my head and babbled nervously.
“Well… I’m a bit unusual. As a witch, wanting peace more than fighting may seem strange, but… that’s just my preference. Haha.”
Rudels looked at me with a blank stare as if pondering something, then suddenly turned his head back to the window.
Feeling I might have made a mistake, I fidgeted with my fingers, watching his reaction.
Since my employer was the eldest son of a duke who despised witches, I naturally kept my head low.
As I observed him carefully, I noticed the top of his ears were slightly red.
He was resting his chin while looking out the window, so I couldn’t see his face, but his ears hinted at slight excitement.
‘Did I provoke him? Or is he annoyed because I acted too good in front of my employer?’
I buried my face in my hands, feeling despondent.
Why is social life so hard?!
The carriage eventually left the crowded streets, entering a quiet area untouched by foot traffic, approaching a massive castle gate.
As expected for a branch of the royal family, the castle was enormous.
It was so large that it could easily encompass a small mountain, too vast to take in all at once.
As the carriage stopped at the gate, it opened as if waiting for us.
I tried to get out, but Rudels stopped me, placing a hand on the back of mine.
“Trying to get out now? There’s still a long way to go.”
“Eh? How long…?”
“Hmm… not too long. About twenty minutes?”
‘Twenty minutes? Just to pass the front yard?’
I widened my eyes in silent astonishment.
He chuckled at my reaction and explained:
“My mother loves gardening. She plants flowers and trees for all four seasons, and even built a greenhouse to grow rare herbs and plants. That’s why, over time, she’s moved one or two small mountains to expand it.”
I almost fainted at the thought of them casually moving two entire mountains just to make a garden.
Do these Beastmen always go this big? Was their family really that rich?
I admired the well-maintained trees and flowers as the carriage passed through the garden.
It was so beautifully arranged that I couldn’t help but marvel at it.
Along the way, I noticed several workers carrying saplings.
Each worker carried one or two small trees with green leaves, heading somewhere, and I wondered aloud.
Rudels muttered indifferently to himself:
“Ha… seems like she planted more apple trees while I was out.”
“Eh? Apple trees?”
“Organic, homegrown foods are popular now. Wealthier families increasingly raise their own plants and animals for consumption, and my mother is doing the same.”
Judging by the dozens of trees, “a little” seemed an understatement.
Seeing workers carrying two trees each on their shoulders, I thought she must be incredibly extravagant.
With my modest sense of money, I couldn’t help but shiver as if it were my own money being spent.
As we crossed the vast garden in the carriage, I enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
It was clear the Duchess had cultivated it herself, showcasing nature’s beauty in every corner.
I gasped in awe as I noticed a castle ahead.
Built from bluish stones, it loomed closer and closer, and I swallowed hard.
If I were to be disliked here, I could leave as a corpse.
Rudels rested his chin on his hand, blinking lazily.
I clenched my fists tightly, staring at the ground in tension.
“We’ve arrived, Your Highness!”
