Chapter 8: Dancing with the Monster (1)

　　As they entered the village, Astina glanced back once more. Hafen, walking beside her and pulling the cart, turned to meet her gaze.

　　“What are you so worried about?” Hafen asked, his voice laced with curiosity. “Surely not about the Countess you left behind.”

　　Astina shot him a glare, turning her head with an indignant huff.

　　“And why shouldn’t I worry about my sister?”

　　“Is the Countess not strong enough to fend for herself?” he countered.

　　“…Just because she’s strong doesn’t mean she can’t be hurt,” Astina muttered, her voice tinged with a familiar sorrow.

　　Hafen mulled over her words before nodding in agreement.

　　“You have a point.”

　　Whether he truly understood the weight of his concession was another matter. Astina pouted but did not challenge him. It felt strange, this simple exchange. How many years had it been since she had spoken with anyone?

　　The only words she’d heard from others were shrieks of “Monster!” or desperate cries for help. Yet here was Hafen, acknowledging that Brillin could be hurt. It was such an obvious truth, but he was the first person to ever voice it.

　　Astina risked a sideways glance at him. When he felt her gaze and turned, she quickly snapped her attention forward. As he pushed the rattling cart, Hafen asked casually, “How long have you two been living alone?”

　　“For the past eight years,” she replied.

　　“Eight years ago? You must have been so young,” Hafen remarked, his brows furrowing.

　　“I was twelve, and my sister was fourteen.”

　　“You mean to tell me two girls, twelve and fourteen, have been living all by themselves? All this time?”

　　Keeping her eyes fixed ahead, Astina gave a simple nod. Hafen stopped in his tracks, his face a mask of disbelief. He strode forward to walk beside her and opened his mouth, then closed it again, utterly at a loss for what to ask first. Two young noblewomen, living alone in a vast, empty castle. Every part of their daily lives—finding food, staying warm, mending clothes—must have been a constant battle.

　　Hafen’s own childhood had been far from idyllic, but he had never known true hunger or rags. Even if the food was nearly spoiled, he was always given more than enough. He’d been in a wretched state when he was cast out of the Imperial Palace, but by then he was old enough to fend for himself. What on earth had happened at Berhi Castle eight years ago?

　　“How did the late Count and Countess die?”

　　Astina froze. For a fleeting moment, a dark shadow flickered in the golden eyes that turned to him. Her expression iced over, and a dry, sharp warning crept into her voice.

　　“I’ll say this only once, for my sister’s sake, so listen carefully. Never bring up our parents in front of us again.”

　　He didn’t dare ask why. Astina looked as if she was a breath away from snapping, and Brillin wasn’t there to restrain her.

　　Hafen nodded quickly.

　　“I understand. I do, so please, calm down.”

　　She held his gaze with a fierce glare before turning away. He let out a quiet breath of relief, concluding that she was dangerously sensitive to the word “monster” and any mention of her parents. They walked in tense silence until the market came into view. Astina pulled her hood down further, obscuring half her face before melting into the bustle of the stalls.

　　Since her visits were infrequent, she always bought as much as she possibly could. She had planned to place her usual large order, but Hafen’s spending habits were beyond anything she could have imagined.

　　Unable to watch him pile provisions into the cart until it groaned under the weight, Astina finally demanded, “Are you planning to buy out the entire market?”

　　“I’d like to, but this cart is too small,” Hafen said with a grave expression. He picked up a potato that had tumbled from the mountain of produce and scanned his surroundings. Spotting an opportunity, he tossed the potato to Astina. “Wait here.”

　　“What?” Astina reflexively caught the potato, staring at his retreating back in bewilderment.

　　He approached a merchant a short distance away and began to negotiate with an air of great seriousness. The merchant, who had been shaking his head adamantly, suddenly bowed low after Hafen pressed a gold coin into his hand. He then unloaded all the goods from his freight wagon and handed the reins over.

　　Hafen returned to Astina, triumphantly pulling the wagon. He began transferring the supplies from the cart to the wagon, then bellowed to the butcher, “I’ll take everything from there to there!”

　　The butcher could hardly believe his fortune. Astina could only stare, utterly speechless. Hafen helped the dumbfounded girl into the driver’s seat and proceeded to sweep through the market like a conquering hero.

* * *

　　Meanwhile, Brillin sat on a frost-covered rock, gazing toward the village and sighing, a low growl rumbling in her chest. It was always like this when she sent Astina to the market alone. She couldn’t stop thinking about her sister, who was so afraid of being by herself, and it was agonizing not to be able to go with her. Would it be better this time, with Hafen along? Or would his presence only make things worse?

　　Though he had listened to her, Astina clearly disliked the prince. Surely nothing would happen in the village.

　　As she craned her neck anxiously, a steaming bowl suddenly appeared before her.

　　“Countess, why don’t you come inside and wait?” Theo offered with a warm grin, gesturing toward the makeshift tent Mikhail and Dorius had erected.

　　Mikhail grumbled under his breath that Dorius had done all the hard work of pitching a tent large enough for Brillin, but Theo was the one taking the credit.

　　Brillin shook her head, accepting only the bowl. It looked as small as a sauce dish in her massive hand, but its warmth seeped into her fingers.

　　“Grrr.”

　　Though he couldn’t understand the sound, Theo smiled again, hoping it was a sign of thanks. He settled on the ground beside her.

　　“Countess, did you and the young lady undo Varius’s seal together?”

　　“Hmph.” Brillin nodded.

　　“Should I call it fortunate that you shared the curse? As you might guess, Varius had a form like yours, Countess, and possessed the mana that now belongs to the young lady. The magic that devours sanity and the immortal body—they were split between you, weren’t they?”

　　“Grrr.” Brillin nodded again.

　　There was so much she wanted to ask, but without Astina to translate, no one could understand her. Suppressing her frustration, she looked at Theo. Her menacing gaze sent a shiver down his spine, but Theo held his smile and pressed on.

　　“When we return, would you show me where Varius’s seal was located?”

　　It was a simple enough request. Brillin was about to nod when her head snapped toward the village. She sensed a presence. For a moment, she thought Astina was back, but the approaching shadow was far too large. Brillin shot to her feet and ducked behind a thick tree trunk.

　　Her enormous body wasn’t completely hidden, but she curled into herself, trying to avoid causing any trouble while Astina was away. Theo felt a pang of pity. He never would have expected such considerate actions from a creature whose appearance alone was terrifying.

　　Determined to send the newcomer away quickly, Theo climbed onto a rock and stretched his neck. In the driver’s seat of a large freight wagon sat a familiar face.

　　“Countess! It’s all right. It’s the young lady and His Highness.”

　　“Grrr?” Brillin peeked her head out from behind the tree.

　　Theo waved, calling back loudly, “Yes, it’s Lady Astina! It seems they’ve bought a freight wagon.”

　　“Hmph.” Only then did Brillin uncurl her large frame and step toward the road.

　　Spotting her, Astina leaped up from the driver’s seat and waved frantically. From a distance, her voice carried on the wind.

　　“Brillin!”

　　Brillin waved both her hands high above her head and gave a little hop.

　　“Woof!”

　　It was a heartwarming reunion, but Brillin’s “little hop” sent her soaring at least three feet into the air. The sight of her launching from the ground, waving her long, gleaming claws, made Hafen’s blood run cold.

　　The moment the wagon stopped, Astina scrambled down and threw herself into Brillin’s arms. An outsider might have thought they’d been separated for years, not a mere few hours. The sheer emotion of the scene tugged at Hafen’s heart. These two young sisters had survived for eight years by clinging to each other, all while being branded the monsters of Berhi.

　　Recalling the vicious rumors that had reached even the capital, Hafen sighed.

　　Astina took Brillin by the hand, leading her to the back of the wagon to show off their haul.

　　“Brillin, I bought so much meat! And salt, and a whole sack of sugar!”

　　“Grrr, grraah.”

　　“Of course! I bought tons of milk, cheese, and butter, too. Look! I even bought salted fish!”

　　“Rawr. Grraah.” Brillin stroked her sister’s head in praise. Astina giggled, rubbing her cheek against Brillin’s massive palm.

　　“Grraah?”

　　“This freight wagon? He bought it. He actually bought all the food, too,” Astina said, jutting her chin toward Hafen.

　　“Grrr? Grraah.”

　　“Why should I pay him back? They’re going to eat it with us, aren’t they? If they’re staying in our castle, they can certainly afford this much. He looks like he has plenty of money.”

　　“Grr! Grraah. Rawr.” Brillin shook her head, chiding Astina with a series of sharp growls.

　　It was incredibly rare for her sister to scold her, and Astina’s eyes widened in shock. The sight of her crestfallen sister was heartbreaking, but Brillin couldn’t let her rudeness slide, not when she would have to learn to live with others. Theo was one thing, but Hafen was a prince. If he chose to make an issue of it, things could become difficult.

　　She had to be firm, just this once.

　　Even as Astina stared up at her with wide, pleading eyes, Brillin’s expression remained stern. This had never happened before. Brillin, who had always been so forgiving, refused to back down. Hurt and afraid, Astina felt tears welling in her eyes as she clutched at her sister’s robe.