“Alright, alright, let go for a second.”

“Lili, I want to kiss you.”

“What?”

“I want to. Your scent is too tantalizing.”

Damn hormonal wolf. After you ate my lips like that yesterday… You’ve no idea how much effort it took me to reduce the swelling in the morning.

This damn wolf never seems to get enough, increasingly demanding physical affection lately – proof enough. Now it seems like he doesn’t even need any energy transfer as an excuse.

I caught the wolf’s forward-moving lips.

“No. I have to go to work.”

“So can I have just a tiny bit?”

With his lips still in my grasp, the wolf mumbled, gazing at me with a sulky expression. I released his lips, pushing him gently away.

“No. Not a chance.”

“So, can you not go to work today?”

It wasn’t some battlefront for working moms. And each time it was time for me to head to the office, it was a struggle to console this glum-looking wolf. Today, as always, I soothed his head, barring my departure route, and calmly chose my words.

“I’ll return early today.”

“Can’t I go with you? I’ll work, too.”

No. The monsters are afraid of you.

And, if by any chance a rumor spread about a wolf from the wolf tribe wandering the Ordo, the wolf tribe leader could send his minions to kill the wolf. Especially since in the book, the female lead escaped from the Ordo to elude wolves clans pursuit.

Now, whether the original story has started or not, it was risky to let the wolf outside.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to work, I’ll come early today. Just don’t cause any mischief like yesterday. And remember? Never go outside.”

“You’re always saying ‘no.’ That’s not fair, Lily.”

The wolf’s ears fell flat. Somehow becoming ‘Ms. Always saying No’, I felt a pang of guilt. Knowing full well how frustrating a full day at home could be, I felt a small stab of sympathy.

His crestfallen face and dejected gaze only served to amplify my discomfort. Riddled with guilt, I reached out and caressed his head.

“When the full moon comes, let’s go for a walk.”

During a full moon, beasts’ [demi-humans] powers would strengthen, and fewer monsters roamed about. So, it should be okay then. Besides, taking the wolf-kind out during the full moon when his powers exploded would pose a lesser risk to my purity.

“Really? Is that okay?”

The wolf, his ears and tail perking up, sparkled his eyes. Seeing that cute look, I answered with a smile.

“Yes. Really.”

“So, when you get back from work, can I kiss you as much as I want?”

“Yes. Sure… wait, what?”

“Yes! That’s what you just said, right?”

No, that’s not what I meant…

The wolf didn’t even bother to look at me, already giddy, picking up my work bag. He passed me the bag, adorned with a lovely smile.

“Lily, hurry back. Just like you said, I’ll be here waiting for you, behaving myself.”

With a captivatingly beautiful smile, the door slammed shut before I could even reply.

What just happened? Stunned, I stared at the closed door, then quickly turned around. If I dawdled any longer, I’d be late for work. As I walked, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was getting deeper and deeper into something — but that must be my imagination, right?

Today, with just one day left to the full moon, the sun seemed exceptionally hot. During my quiet time in the bakery, I aimlessly looked outside and spotted the shimmering wings of an insect monster from afar. The mail-delivery butterfly! I cheerfully rose from my seat.

“Miss Liliana, you have a letter.”

The butterfly monster, folding its fluttering wings, entered the bakery and handed me a letter. I gave it two coins and a bottle of honey I had prepared earlier.

“Thank you as always. Any fresh news or updates?”

Butterfly monsters, who delivered mail, roamed the entire continent, making them some of the first to know about new events or news.

I’d been wondering if the still-unheard-from heroine might have landed somewhere other than Ordo, so for the past six months, I’d been treating these butterfly monsters with kindness.

Today, I had bottled some blue bee honey leftover from making honey bread. It was the butterfly monsters’ favorite type of honey. The monster’s antennae twitched in delight as it took in the scent of the honey, its face lighting up with happiness.

“Blue bee honey! Lilianna, I’m so grateful. You know, lately, the butterflies have been fighting over who gets to deliver your letters? I’m really lucky it was me today.  Anyway about the news… I haven’t heard anything significant… Is there anything specific news you’re looking for?”

“Oh, no. I’m just curious about what’s going on in the world.”

“I see. I thought there might be some news since you always ask. I don’t have any new updates, but I did hear a rather peculiar rumor.”

A rumor?

“Well, it’s not confirmed… but.”

Spit it out already!

While drawing out its words, the butterfly dipped its antennae into the honey. Its eyes, seeming to desire something, darted and settled on something for a moment before moving away. What caught its gaze was none other than a honey bread displayed on the shelf. The freshly made honey bread showcased its soft and moist appearance.

I packed a piece of honey bread into a bag and handed it to the monster. Pretending not to be affected, the monster took it with a feigned irritated smile. It really had a weak spot, I thought.

“Liliana, Do you know of Furkan? The continent dominated by the Black Raven clan? There’s been some talk about the Raven Mountain in Furkan causing a stir. Rumors are saying the sacred spirit of the Raven clan has disappeared. But who knows the truth? When there’s a disturbance, scared monsters always start baseless rumors. This time too, it might just be another one of those rumors.”

The sacred spirit of the Raven clan disappeared? Why…. why now?