So, the heroine should appear before I leave… It’s been a year since the wolf showed up; when exactly is this female lead going to make her entrance? I can’t even recall how many full moons have passed. What if, by some freak chance, the story’s changed because I picked up that wolf…?

A shiver ran down my spine at the sudden thought. No, that can’t be it. Technically, I waited a whole week after finding the wolf, hoping the heroine would show. She probably hasn’t shown up because it’s not time yet. Yeah, that must be it.

“Liliana, want to check out the clothes?”

In no time, Aunt Mazi had whipped up three outfits. I looked at the clothes Aunt had laid out and gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up.

“I absolutely love them, Aunt Mazi. As always.”

“Good to hear! Two sets are casual wear, and I made the other a bit fancier in case you need to go out. But, didn’t you buy clothes for the wolf not long ago?”

“Oh, right. It hasn’t been that long… but the young one keeps tearing them up… Haha. How much do I owe you?”

I awkwardly smiled, recalling the wolf pup tearing up another piece of clothing that morning.

“No need to pay. You’ve been working hard. Just take them.”

“No way! You gave me clothes for free last time too.”

Insisting on paying, I handed Aunt Mazi seven silver coins. As she tried to refuse, I hurriedly left the store. I’d already received so much help, and it weighed on my conscience to take even more.

Stepping out, I felt the gaze of the giggling monsters on the human me, but I was used to it by now. I quickened my pace, thinking of the lone wolf waiting for me at home.

So, it was about a year ago that I picked up that wolf.

The nights in Ordo were dark and daunting. With no light other than the moon, Ordo became a haven for outlaws at night. A little over two years after settling in Ordo, I was walking home as usual after working at Uncle Kunta’s shop.

On that day, during my routine commute, I stumbled upon a scene that was anything but ordinary.

My home wasn’t far from Aunt Mazi’s shop. To get there, I’d have to pass through a wooded area where the homes of the Stag Beetle monsters and Sky Cow monsters were nestled. One evening, as the sun began its descent and I strolled through this wooded path, I stumbled upon faint whimpering sounds.

Perhaps I should’ve ignored the sound that day. Yet, something about the frail, almost fading whimpers made it impossible to just walk on by. So, despite the angry clatters from the stag beetle nearby, I followed the sound deeper into the woods.

And that’s when I found him: Kasan, the wolf. At first sight, I knew this wounded wolf was Kasan. How? Because there couldn’t be another injured young grey wolf abandoned in Ordo other than Kasan.

In the original story, Kasan was depicted as the son of the chief of the grey wolves. He barely escaped with his life from a civil war within his tribe, finding refuge in Ordo. Due to his severe injuries, he’d lost all memories of who he was, only to be saved at the brink of death by the story’s heroine.

Kasan wasn’t the spotlight character in the initial parts of the story. Those sections mostly focused on his recovery and regaining his memories, making the romance feel somewhat child-like…

But once Kasan matured, he evolved into a breathtakingly dashing wolf, and his romance with the heroine intensified, overshadowing other male leads. Fans went crazy, calling it the best character development ever.

I never expected to witness a part of the novel while living in Ordo, so coming across the wounded wolf initially left me startled. His condition seemed far graver than mere written descriptions.

But I didn’t immediately take him in. After all, as a passive reader, I had no intention of altering the original plot. No matter what kind of lives the main characters in this world lived, all I wished for was a peaceful life with my mom.

Still, I couldn’t just abandon him. I saw the stag beetle monster, clearly irritated, ready to get rid of the injured wolf kind. I handed the monster a single silver coin. I pleaded with it to not dispose of the wolf but instead leave him here and merely apply some medicinal herbs to his wounds. After all, the female lead might find him here, and wouldn’t it be better than moving him somewhere else?

With that, I left the scene, believing it to be my first and last entanglement with the novel’s characters. But my expectations were shattered the very next morning.

I was horrified to see a wolf lying in front of my house door (I thought it was dead) and screamed in alarm. Despite my shrieks, the wolf, lying still, showed no sign of regaining consciousness.

I went to the house of the stag beetle monster to confront him, but without evidence, and facing its blatant defiance, I couldn’t get back the silver coin I had given it.

I first applied medicine to the severely injured wolf’s wounds. After some contemplation, I placed him under a large tree a short distance from my house, thinking that it was all I could do until the female lead discovered him.

I genuinely believed that was the end of it. But even after a week, only the unconscious wolf lay there, with no sign of the heroine or even a single insect monster. Eventually, I couldn’t bear it anymore and brought the young wolf into my home.

A year has since passed. The wolf, who once looked on the brink of death in my arms, had grown so much he could probably eat me and still be hungry. And the pure wolf, who once didn’t know how to gain energy, has now long transformed into a lustful beast, often nipping at my neck.

Why on earth hasn’t the heroine shown up yet?

Silently cursing the situation, I felt a twinge of danger as the wolf, instead of simply nuzzling my neck, started to lick it.

“Hey… Stop that.”

“Lily, you smell like the fragrance oil after bathing.”

Well, yeah, I bathed because I had to go to work.

It’s a scented oil human use since monsters aren’t fond of our natural smell. But oddly enough, it seemed to excite the wolf’s sense of smell more than expected.

The sound of his heavy breathing, as if savoring the scent of my skin, was uncomfortably clear in my ear. From behind, the wolf’s arms subtly tightened around my waist.