“Lily, make me a second bowl!” Marigold’s voice was like a string being plucked from a broken violin.
Lily winced as she filled another bowl of chicken soup with a ladle before placing it on the dining table.
“Geez, you’re so slow!” Marigold complained, though she happily ate the chicken soup Lily had made anyway.
Lily gulped as she watched Marigold and Jack eat happily while she was punished with no food until tomorrow night.
Her stomach was already growling, but she endured it and left the house through the back door to wash the dishes first before deciding whether to go out and hunt or simply sleep while enduring her hunger.
Fortunately, this was not her first punishment.
Her boss had denied her food many times in the past, and she had become adept at hunting small animals in the forest.
But she kept thinking about what Gareth had said, that she was forbidden from rescuing, killing, or taking anything from the forest while he was not around.
He had been so serious about it, and the white fox was proof that something wrong might happen soon.
Nevertheless, all she could do right now was sleep while hungry and tell Gareth about the white fox once he returned tomorrow morning.
As she washed the dishes outside, Lily’s heartbeat suddenly quickened, and the instincts she had honed after years of going in and out of the forest told her that someone…
or something was watching her from afar.
She immediately got up and scanned her surroundings.
It was dark, as the barn bordered the forest and was separated from it only by a shallow river.
However, if there was truly something around her, she would definitely be able to catch its shadow.
As her eyes darted toward the forest, she noticed a blue light coming from within.
It was only a small dot at first, but it gradually grew bigger and bigger until Lily gasped, unable to believe what she was seeing.
It was a strange man with long, platinum-white hair and ruby-red eyes.
White fox ears protruded from his head, while nine tails swayed behind him, with soft blue flames burning at the tip of each one like nine candles lighting his way.
He was walking through the air, and worst of all, he was walking…
no, flying toward her!
Lily took a step back and turned around, wanting to rush into the house and find Jack.
At the very least, the old man had a musket that he could use to fight back.
But before she could take another step, her nape was grabbed from behind, and she almost fainted from shock.
A chill ran down her back, as if autumn had come early simply because of this strange man’s presence.
She could neither run away nor struggle to break free, as the hand gripping her nape seemed to be imbued with a strange power that petrified her on the spot.
“Ohh?
This scent…
very interesting.” A magnetic voice came from behind her.
Unlike Gareth’s voice, which was calm like a deep lake yet still carried warmth whenever he spoke, this man’s voice sounded sweet and pleasant to the ears, but Lily could not sense even the slightest kindness from him.
The man leaned closer to Lily’s ear and commanded, “Tell me, little woman, were you the one who took my spouse?” His command felt like a leash that had suddenly been loosened, and Lily could finally speak again.
The first thing she did once she could open her mouth was…
“HELP!
THERE’S AN INTRUDER!!” “Haha, how cute,” the man chuckled before tightening his grip on her nape.
“Now tell me, Gareth’s woman, were you the one who took my spouse?” At first, Lily did not want to say a thing after calling for help.
She was too scared that she would offend this mythical creature even more.
Yet, when he mentioned Gareth, she quickly connected the dots between this strange fox man and the white fox that Marigold had just killed.
Lily knew there had to be something unusual about Gareth’s identity because he kept everything about himself hidden.
He also often went in and out of the forest for long periods of time, only to return looking a little more ragged than usual.
But for him to be acquainted with a mythical fox creature…
Lily bit her lip and replied, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.
I don’t know a Gareth!” “Not only are you a little killer, but you’re also adept at lying, huh?
I thought that guy was the honest kind,” the man sneered.
His grip on her nape tightened even further, making Lily wince in pain.
“Don’t lie to me, little woman.
His filthy mutt scent is all over your body.
It’s strange that he hasn’t marked you yet, but that’s good news for me.” Lily did not understand a thing he was saying, but this man seemed dangerous, and she doubted Gareth could fight him with all the strange powers he possessed.
So, even if it might cost her life, she decided to protect him.
After all, Gareth had a hometown and probably a family waiting for him there.
Meanwhile, Lily was merely an orphan who had been brought to the barn to work.
She had nobody by her side, and based on her own reasoning, her life was less important than Gareth’s.
Lily decided to remain silent, even if he strangled her to death.
But right at that moment, the door was slammed open from inside the house, and Jack rushed out with a musket in his hands, while Marigold hid behind him.
“WHERE IS THE DAMN INTRU…
der…” Jack cocked the musket, ready to shoot, but his voice gradually died when he saw the man standing behind Lily.
From a single glance, it was already obvious that they were not dealing with an ordinary intruder.
They were facing a mythical fox creature, one who could probably kill them without even blinking an eye.
Ren looked at the bald old man with disinterest, but then his gaze shifted to the blonde girl hiding behind him, and the corners of his lips curled upward.
“I can smell her blood sticking to your skin,” Ren said as he stared at Marigold.
“So it was you who killed my spouse, huh?” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Apup Nine blue flames in the dark, stealing your will and drag you into the forest~