“It’s like it’s eating a human head like candy, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we take it out before the head breaks and it dies?”

One of the servants was about to approach.

“Don’t go near. It will bite.”

Tatatante stretched out his arm to keep the servants away.

“Is it in a bad mood because it just woke up?”

As he leaned back and walked, the servants’ anxious eyes followed him.

With every step, his long hair fluttered. The long hair was shiny black, stretching down to his waist.

His coppercolored face was exceptionally pronounced, as he was born from the royal bloodline of Taran Kingdom.

Dressed according to the diplomatic delegation’s protocol, he looked like a relaxed priest.

“Isn’t that the guy who was sleeping face down with such a boring expression? Is it because he just woke up or because of seasickness?”

“I don’t know, but his mood has suddenly worsened.”

“Um……. that kid will get bored and quit too. Leave it as it is.”

The wolf chewed on the human head, growling, then spat it out when bored.

“The king must have had a deep purpose in sending that child to the empire, right?”

“Who knows. It doesn’t seem like they have a big plan either.”

After that, the furry creature suddenly disappeared in the evening.

(This is a time divider.)

Charlotte looked down from the reception room window.

It sounded similar to a young animal’s cry.

“……A puppy?”

“It looks like a wolf.”

Charlotte pressed her eye sockets hard.

She rubbed her sore eyes several times, and the wolf pup ‘kwang’ cried.

It was a fine whitefurred creature. With its head tilted, crying like a beast, it was only fistsized.

‘Kwang!’

The maids wandered around, confused.

“Oh, oh? Where did that creature come from?”

“It’s too small.”

“Oh my, it’s too small even if it’s small. Look at its white fur without a speck of dust. It seems like it came with the diplomatic delegation since it’s well taken care of.”

The white furball jumped down from the windowsill and walked into the reception room.

“Is it a wolf?”

“Yes. It looks like a wolf pup. I remember they brought a wolf envoy from the Eastern Continent this time.”

“Then it must have escaped from the diplomatic delegation’s residence.”

“Yes. The little thing came so far. Oh my. Look at its feet, all muddy. Your Highness, shall we chase it away?”

Charlotte, looking down at the chessboard, answered.

“There might be someone looking for it. Go outside and look.”

The white fur was fine and transparent. The neat appearance had been touched by human hands often.

Charlotte leaned her arm on the windowsill, looking down at the wolf at an angle.

‘Kkewoong.’

The wolf pulled her dress hem with its teeth.

“Your, Your Highness!”

“Leave it. It seems to have teeth.”

The wolf squatted and rolled backward.

“Your Highness. I asked outside, and it seems one of the envoy’s gifts, a wolf pup, has gone missing. It must be this creature.”

Charlotte held the creature in her arms, and it curled its tail as it settled in her arms.

“It has blue eyes too.”

“It seems to be of noble lineage.”

Charlotte stroked its chin, and the creature lay on its back. The white fur was fluffy.

The soft fingers were licked by a tongue, the unfully grown teeth tickling the fingertips.

“Stop.”

The wolf closed its mouth.
It seemed to wag its tail gently, but it didn’t appear to be an entirely tame creature.

Charlotte tapped its nose, and the creature grabbed her nose with its front paw and purred.

“It will fall asleep soon, with its purring.”

That was the case.

The creature curled up and fell asleep. It, who was thumping its tail against her arm, soon curled up.

“Let’s go for a walk.”

“Shall I bring something to cover you? The clothes are thin.”

“Bring a shawl to cover the shoulders.”

“Please wait a moment.”

As soon as the white shawl was draped, the child was covered by the shawl. Duke Jacob Bronthe secured the shawl with a brooch.

Charlotte gently stroked the creature with her straight fingers. The soft fur felt good to touch.

“I’ll send someone to the North Palace.”

“It’s fine. They’ll be coming from there already.”

Indeed, that was the case.

A delegation from the Eastern Continent was approaching from afar.

“Heeek…!”

The expression was a little strange.

“Why is the expression like that?”

“Oh, no. I’ve never seen such a look before because it’s shy.”

The delegation’s attendants got tangled up among themselves.

“Since it’s asleep, move it carefully.”

(This is a time separator.)

The delegation settled in the Northern Palace,

And Charlotte found the hill of the riding ground for a walk.

“What kind of place is the ancient temple of the Eastern Continent?”

“There’s not much known in detail, it’s now closed, and all that is known is that it was the origin of an ancient civilization. It’s the beginning of civilization, where that civilization settled, and the traces of the most brilliant light in the past.”

“Why did you close such a temple?”

The chamberlain asked as if he did not understand.

“The closure was part of the ancient covenant, so it only preserved its old symbolism since the ancient covenant. If that’s the will of the ancient ancestors. It’s not our place to argue.”

By the ancient covenant, sorcery and dark magic were driven underground,

And restrictions were placed on the temples by the covenant, and the old gods lost most of their power.

“It’s an ambiguous story.”

“The ancient covenant is originally that kind of territory.”

Charlotte stopped.

“This child again….”

Charlotte looked down at her feet.

‘Keeung!’

She narrowed her eyes.

It was a fluffy white wolf cub.

“Didn’t I send you back?”

“The Eastern Continent’s delegation took it, but it seems to have sneaked out again.”

“The attendants had a strange expression; you fooled them, didn’t you?”

Charlotte stroked the wolf.

The wolf licked her fingers with a moist sound.

‘Keeung.’

The fluffy bundle scratched with its front paw as if asking to be held.

“Is the floor cold because it’s still a pup?”

“It seems to whine like a child who doesn’t want to be alone.”

“The white fur might make it look more like a child.”

As she embraced it, warm warmth rose. The whining child snuggled into her arm.

Charlotte sighed a dry breath.

“……It’s cold.”

When she frowned, a droplet of water fell again on her forehead.

“Raindrops are falling. I’ll get an umbrella. Please take shelter under the tree for a moment.”

The chamberlain left to fetch something.

It was when Charlotte was sighing, taking shelter from the rain.

Droplets of water hung on the leaves fell to the mud.

Plunk. Plunk, plunk.

Everything seemed buried in the sound of rain, and the surroundings became silent.

The ground beneath them slowly vibrated. It was an odd sound for rain.

“A shadow?”

“What?”

“It looks like a shadow is moving over there.”

A heavy shadow lay beyond the crossroads.

Even the sunset was now gone.

The shadow flowed like ink.

“Katarina.”

At her command, those who were hiding slowly revealed themselves.

“……It’s the Northern delegation at the palace. Something’s coming.”

Charlotte, looking back at the shadowy crossroads, narrowed her eyes.