“Anyway, never leave that with you anywhere.”
I looked at the pocket watch for a moment, then nodded and slipped it into my pocket.
A higher god, huh. Come to think of it, they said it was a talisman that would create a connection with a god. Did I meet that high god and that’s why the talisman turned into a watch? Could that child I saw in the dream be…
Lord Bihyeon grabbed my arm while I stood there blankly and headed toward the dining hall, even pulling out a chair and making me sit down. When I looked up and met his eyes, the message was clear.
Eat first.
“Ah, you’re here! I got the recipe and everything.”
“Ah, Lord Hyeonung. Hello.”
“What’s with you writing this many recipes? Hurry up and take the honey pastry recipe already!”
“Yes, I’ll take it today.”
Still a little dazed, I looked at the bear and let out a small laugh.
“I made a lot of food for you too, so take it all with you later. Hm, it might be too heavy for you… just ask Lord Bihyeon to carry it!”
…You want me to use him as a porter?
A god?
My expression turned serious, and the bear burst out laughing.
“Hahaha!”
But I was still serious…!
No, wait. It’s fine. Good things are good things. If you laugh, good fortune comes too. Yeah…
I frowned for a moment before the tension drained out of me and I sat down again.
The tiger came in carrying an armful of dishes, their tail swaying as they looked at us.
“You’re here again?”
“Hello, Mr. Tiger….”
“Call me Yeonho. Oh, right. The pudding was good.”
“Ah, that’s a relief. I’ll make more tomorrow. I only added a little because I was worried it might not suit your taste.”
“It was good. Haru said it was tasty too.”
Haru… oh, they meant the fox.
I stood up to help the bear busily setting the table, but the tiger pressed a hand onto my shoulder and pushed me back down into the chair.
“Oh, right. The walnut pie…”
“I delivered it. They gulped it down right there.”
“…Was that small too?”
“Most likely.”
Anything bigger probably wouldn’t fit in the oven…
Should I just make a lot of them?
When I looked at him with a serious expression, he laughed.
“Eat and rest for a bit before you go. They said they’d come down from the mountain later to see you.”
“Not ‘that person.’ It’s Yoon Hansol.”
“Yes, to see you.”
Wow. I thought we’d gotten somewhat close, but apparently not at all…
Looks like I was the only one thinking that.
I sniffed quietly and scooped up the soup the bear handed me.
I’d meant to wait until they started eating first, but I got annoyed and took a bite before them. Even then my conscience pricked at me, so I snuck glances around.
He snorted with laughter and gestured for me to eat.
Oh, what’s this. There’s clam meat in it. It’s good.
“So, are you coming to the festival too?”
“Come on… there’s no way. I promised I’d watch the café that day.”
I shook my head vigorously at the bear’s question.
“Why not? If you wear Lord Bihyeon’s robe, nobody will know you’re human.”
“But when does the festival start?”
“The Central District starts this week. Every festival begins on their day of birth.”
Ah, I see. …Wait?
“Huh?”
I took another spoonful of soup, then suddenly whipped my head around and locked eyes with Lord Bihyeon.
“Your birthday?!”
“If you mean the day I was born… yes?”
“Why didn’t you tell me!”
I’m really good at making cakes. Actually, that’s my specialty!
I blurted it out loudly with a frown, and Lord Bihyeon chuckled.
It was irritating, but he looked genuinely amused, and something tickled in my chest.
Fine. I’ll let it slide since he’s smiling.
“Lord Hyeonung… I’ll make the cake, so please don’t make one. Got it?”
“You can make something like that too?”
“Of course. It’s my specialty. I even wrote it in the recipe book. At the very back.”
It was something I was proud of, so I’d even drawn little illustrations and written detailed explanations.
“R-really? That flashy thing was a cake. Well… something like that… ahem. So you’re really not going to the festival? It’d be fun.”
“No.”
At my firm answer, the bear smacked his lips.
Then he grilled some salted fish as well and waved for us to eat.
He sat down beside me, carefully picking the bones out of the fish and placing the meat onto my plate.
Instead of pushing it toward Lord Bihyeon, the bear slid the plate toward me and glanced at him nervously.
Then he brought over the freshly grilled fish, picked the meat apart again, and held it out toward me.
We exchanged glances, and seeing the steam rising from it, I quietly moved it over toward Lord Bihyeon.
He was sipping the soup, and he laughed softly before sliding the plate back toward me as if to say it was fine.
For the first time in a while, I finished an entire bowl of rice and gulped down water.
This time I jumped up quickly to help with the dishes—
and suddenly my body lifted straight into the air.
“…Are we doing this again…?”
The tiger had hoisted me over their shoulder the moment I stood up, as if they’d been waiting.
They carried me out of the dining hall and then gently set me down on the ground.
“Mr. Tige—… Lord Yeonho?”
“Yeah. Go play.”
“I need to help with the dishes.”
“Then keep Lord Bihyeon company.”
They gave me a small shove and walked back into the dining hall on all fours.
Lord Bihyeon soon came out slowly from the dining hall with a tray in his hands. On it were rice crackers and tea.
He sat down in the pavilion, set it on the table, and beckoned me.
I stood awkwardly for a moment before approaching.
He held out the tea toward me and nodded with a smile.
“…What is it?”
“Plum tea. Do kids these days not like it?”
“No, I like it….”
But hearing someone with that face say “kids these days” felt incredibly strange.
I took the tea, sat beside him, and took a sip.
The refreshing, sweet scent of plum spread through my mouth.
Whew. My stomach was full, so I let out a small breath and looked up at the sky.
Just then—
Chirp—chirp!
The birds I’d seen before flew closer.
One bird landed on my knee and tilted its head at me.
It was a beautiful purple bird.
It looked like a purple gemstone, and I froze in the exact same position I’d been drinking tea in, worried it might startle if I moved.
My arm trembled slightly in the air while only my eyes moved.
Lord Bihyeon laughed softly beside me.
“You’ll scare it if you make loud noises….”
I muttered through clenched teeth, and Lord Bihyeon reached out his hand.
When he moved his finger, the bird on my knee hopped onto his hand.
Whoa…
As I slowly relaxed my body and shifted, the bird suddenly—
Flap-flap!
—flew onto my shoulder.
When I held out a finger, it stepped onto my hand and tilted its head.
Chirp, chirp.
It seemed pleased as it rubbed its face against my cheek.
I blinked blankly, then laughed because it tickled and gently stroked its head with my finger.
While I was completely absorbed in petting the little bird, something slipped into my mouth.
A rice cracker.
I reflexively chewed it.
“Do you want to go to the festival?”
“I told you I have to work.”
“You can go after it’s over.”
“It goes that late?”
“On my birthday it lasts all day.”
Oh… that’s actually kind of tempting.
Maybe it’d be fine if I just stopped by briefly to look around…
But I shook my head.
If I went and someone realized I was human, it would probably put Boss Bbiik in a difficult position.
“You said there are entities that hate humans. I won’t go.”
“Wear my clothes. And if you stay close to me, they won’t notice even without them.”
“Do you want to go with me?”
Does he keep asking because he has no one to go with…?
I didn’t think that was likely, but I asked teasingly.
Lord Bihyeon lifted the corner of his mouth and nodded.
“Yeah. I don’t have any friends to go with.”
…What?
I thought he’d deny it.
“…Th-then should we just look around for a bit together?”
Since it’s your birthday, I’ll make an exception.
For some reason I felt oddly happy and nodded slightly.
Lord Bihyeon stared at me for a moment, then smiled with clear satisfaction.
What’s with him. He doesn’t even call me by name, yet somehow…
I finished the plum tea and grabbed another rice cracker.
The bird came over and started pecking at it.
“Ah! Wait a second. Is it okay for it to eat this? Is it?”
“It’s fine. Hyeonung made it.”
Oh… okay?
Good thing.
I lowered my arms that had been flailing in panic and held the cracker out so the bird could eat more easily.
Creak—
At that moment the door opened and a slightly larger bird flew in.
The beautiful bird dropped the flower it had been carrying in front of Lord Bihyeon.
Then it turned its head and looked at me.
The elegant white bird tilted its head and walked closer before sticking its face toward me.
A crane? Maybe… it looked like one, but it’s not like I’ve ever seen a crane up close.
Chirp?
“Our guest.”
Chirp!
“Alright. Tell them we’re coming.”
Chirp.
The bird spread its wings.
Creak—
The door swung wide open.
What? Can’t they fly over the wall?
“Hm? Can’t this one fly high?”
“No. Unless the Door allows it, most things can’t come in here. Except little ones like these.”
Lord Bihyeon reached out and gently stroked the head of the small bird on my shoulder that was diligently eating the rice cracker.
I watched the bird leave through the door again before meeting his eyes.
“That flower… isn’t it the mountain spirit’s?”
“It is. They’re inviting you to the lake. Do you want to go?”
“The lake?”
“Yes. It’s at the very top of this mountain.”
“Oh, I want to go!”
I’m curious. A lake at the top of the mountain…
My eyes sparkled, and Lord Bihyeon laughed quietly.
“Haru. Bring the outer robe.”
“Yes.”
At some point the fox had appeared behind us.
They nodded and went into the room, soon returning with a black outer robe embroidered with a golden dragon.
Lord Bihyeon draped it over my shoulders and took my hand as I stood up.
I relaxed and followed as he slowly led the way.
As soon as we stepped through the open door, a warm wind brushed past us.
All the trees on the mountain swayed gently, and for some reason it felt like they were welcoming me.
“Hold this.”
He handed me the flower the bird had brought.
I immediately recognized the string tied to the end of the flower.
So it really was from the mountain spirit.
The bookmark string I’d given them was tied there.
I smiled softly and hugged the flower close to my chest.
The flower was strangely similar in color to my bookmark string.
As soon as I took it, the trees blocking the path moved their branches aside, opening the way.
I walked slowly along the path behind Lord Bihyeon.
We were still holding hands.
“Oh, right. I should tell you beforehand—when we go up there, my appearance will change. Don’t be surprised.”
“Huh?”
“This place above is sacred ground, so I can’t maintain my current form. When we enter the lake it will change back again, though….”
The fog grew thicker and thicker.
My ears started to ring.
I understood about half of what he said and missed the rest.
Frowning, I tightened my grip on his hand.
“W-what did you say, Lord Bihyeon? I can’t really hear—”
Huh?
The moment I thought I’d lost his hand, something brushed against my body—
and I suddenly floated up into the air.