“You’re not just scared to talk, are you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that. Such questions are considered rude among beastmen. There’s still discrimination among races.”

“Really? Among races?”

“They tend to look down on herbivores or small animals.”

“Oh dear, that’s unfortunate. So it’s because they’re strong, huh?”

“If you looked like a human all the time, no one would ask you such questions. If someone does ask, just skirt around it and say you’re from the wolf tribe.”

“Alright. We’re heading to the wolf territory of Robeiro anyway.”

What kind of people are the wolf beastmen? I was curious at that moment.

Idrish caught my wrist. He looked closely at my palm.

“You’re not injured, are you?”

Oh, it’s because it’s stained purple. I didn’t even notice it earlier.

“Yes, it’s stained with grapes. Want to smell it? It has a sweet scent.”

I held my hand up to Idrish’s nose. Idrish smelled it again with a serious face. His appearance was funny, and I barely managed to hold back my laughter.

“I thought you had been eating grapes all night. Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

“There’s no particular reason. I wanted to do it all by myself.”

“Don’t struggle alone next time. Have someone else do it.”

“What’s the point of having someone else make a gift?”

“Should a gift have a meaning too?”

Idrish asked coldly. That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door. I quickly got up to open it, and the conductor was standing there. A middleaged woman with a long neck and bright red lips. The woman smiled warmly, almost reaching her eyes.

“I’m here to check the passengers.”

“Ah, yes. Just a moment.”

I quickly took out the train ticket as Jeros had told me beforehand and handed it over. The conductor wrote a few things with a pen and returned it.

“Are you a couple?”

“Uh…….”

“Yes.”

I hesitated to answer, and Idrish appeared behind me and replied. I glanced up at him over my shoulder.

Close, so close.

“I see. You make such a wonderful pair. There will be no stops until tomorrow morning, so have a good night.”

The door slammed shut, and I was squeezed between Idrish and the door in a drowsy state.

Why doesn’t he move away?

As I was thinking that, Idrish locked the door with a click.

“Why, why lock it?”

“Did you ignore Jeros’s words? He told us to lock the door when sleeping at least a hundred times.”

“Ah…….”

I shouldn’t have had the soup first.

Idrish was well prepared. After checking that he was lying in bed, I cautiously sat on the edge.

So, we really have to spend three nights in this cramped room with Idrish. Sigh.

Then the only option left for me is one!

“What’s this, why did you turn into a hedgehog?”

What? As a hedgehog beastman, I can change into a hedgehog whenever I want, can’t I?

I proudly walked on all fours and laid down at a safe distance from Idrish.

Yes. With such a small body, it’ll be easy to get by. I don’t have to sleep close to Idrish either.

I smiled enough to show my small front teeth.

“What are you thinking?”

Idrish asked without missing my smile. I couldn’t possibly answer. Idrish, knowing the same, picked me up.

Put me down, you brute!

Ah. This isn’t good. Being a hedgehog makes me too small to resist Idrish.

“You turned into an animal to sleep far away, didn’t you? No way.”

Why!

“You didn’t even break the curse today because of the travel, did you?”

Well, that’s true, but it’s because of unavoidable circumstances…

Idrish tapped my nose.

Can you stop hitting me there? My nose is so sensitive. I hissed in anger. Regardless, Idrish placed me on his chest.

“If you want to turn into a hedgehog, sleep on top of me, nightblossom.”

That’s not what I wanted. Maybe it’s better to be human…

I could hear Idrish’s rhythmic, strong heartbeat. It had been a long time since I’d heard it. Somehow, it even felt cozy. Exhausted from staying up all night, sleep rushed in.

(This is a time divider.)
The first thing I felt before waking from sleep was a regular sound.

Thump, thump.

My body swayed slightly to the rhythmic sound.

Ah, that’s right. I was on a train.

“Umm.”

I tried to toss and turn, but my body wouldn’t move as I wanted. I tried to open my eyes, but they were so swollen that it wasn’t easy.

I barely pulled out my arm and swept back the hair that covered my face strand by strand.

Huh?

I opened my eyes wide.

Damn, I’ve turned into a human. I was definitely a hedgehog when I fell asleep.

I couldn’t tell when I had changed. However, it was clear that I was now tightly embraced in Edrish’s arms.

Edrish seemed not to have woken up yet. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be holding me like this.

I moved with a twitch so he wouldn’t wake up. Then, the thick arm that encircled my back tensed. I stuck back to him again.

Ugh, this is dangerous.

Then, a good idea came to mind.

I quickly turned into a hedgehog. Taking advantage of my reduced size, I escaped his embrace and turned back into a person…

Ack! I got squashed!

Suddenly, Edrish’s weight shifted forward as I disappeared. I was about to be crushed by his massive body.