[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 9 - The Fox (5)
"Ahh...!"
"It's been so long since I had such warm food!"
"You're the best, big brother!"
The children, clutching their cheeks, were melting away.
The foxes, their mouths full of food, moved their cutlery with expressions of happiness.
The table was overflowing to the point of breaking its legs.
From warm beef stew to stacked steaks, and soft baguettes...
A feast of magnificent dishes.
"It’s so delicious... I feel like I’m going to cry."
"Me too."
"The bad mister in the basement... he used to hit us if we said we were hungry."
"And it was cold. But here it's warm."
"Hoo..."
The hungry children devoured the food in a frenzy.
At the age where they were always hungry, having spent so long in that dark prison without proper meals.
The foxes chewed their food diligently.
Fortunately, it seemed they ate a variety of foods without being picky.
They even picked up vegetables well, which was commendable.
Seeing them eat so earnestly, a strange sense of affection arose in my chest.
"Everyone, eat slowly. There’s plenty of food."
I spoke with a bright smile.
While my gaze was on the table, my hands moved quickly with the knife.
Skillfully displaying my cooking skills.
Apparently, the food was to everyone’s taste.
Even Irene, who was initially wary thinking there might be poison, was now diligently clearing her plate.
"...What are you staring at?"
"Nothing."
Heh heh. I let out a proud smile.
Irene seemed to observe for a moment before turning her attention back to the aromatic stew.
Her tail behind her swayed pleasantly.
‘As expected... the first step in taming is to fill their stomachs.’
I muttered inwardly.
What I had pulled out of the drawer just before was, in fact, a pink apron.
"Children like that... are a bit annoying, aren’t they?"
= It’s heartbreaking to see the children crying.
"It seems they need a little correction."
= I should extend a helping hand.
"I didn’t want to go this far, but... it’s your fault for annoying me."
= Cooking myself is a bit troublesome, but I’ll try my best for you.
"Don’t be scared, everyone. It’ll definitely be enjoyable."
= I’m good at cooking, so don’t worry. It will surely be delicious.
Wearing the apron grandly, I headed to the kitchen and started preparing the food.
Even though it had been a while since I last cooked.
Perhaps my body remembered. The food was quickly made.
After all, who did I learn from? If I couldn’t make food like this, that person would cry.
‘Thanks for the opportunity to use it.’
As the delicious smell spread throughout the room, the children’s cries subsided.
The malevolent mastermind served the hungry children their meals.
After all, satisfaction is what breaks down defenses.
For hungry foxes, such kindness must have been like salvation.
The idea of approaching with food. It was a truly terrifying scheme that I had come up with.
"Is it to your liking?"
With a sinister smile hidden, I walked toward the table.
There, the small foxes were huddled together.
When the children saw me approaching, they beamed with wide smiles and wagged their tails.
"It’s delicious!!"
"You’re different from the bad misters..."
As expected, children are children.
Their fear of me seemed to disappear quickly.
I gently reached out and patted the nearest fox’s head.
Very slowly.
Flinch.
In an instant, fragile shoulders trembled.
The fox seemed to tense up but soon accepted the touch.
As I shared this gentle interaction, a surprising reaction soon emerged.
The child began to well up with tears.
"...Sniff."
"Ah, did you dislike being patted? If it was rude, I apologize."
"Ah, no..."
The small fox shook its head in response to my question.
The child wiped away the falling tears and murmured with a trembling voice.
"This... it’s been so long since I had this."
In the brief sentence, many emotions were embedded.
"I'm suddenly crying, sniff, I can't stop. The food is so delicious… It's making me cry."
"..."
I waited quietly.
It must have been hard.
Locked in a cold dungeon, soothing a hungry stomach, swallowing tears, despairing at the approaching future, and repeatedly enduring the agony of resignation.
It was a wound too harsh for a child.
‘Poor thing.’
I silently sympathized.
Suffering punishment merely for their fate, how unfair the world must be.
A flower blooming from the ugliness of adults.
The name of the memory rooted in its meager splendor is sadness.
Just yesterday, the children had been locked in a cage.
They had resigned to the belief that there would be no hope.
In such a situation, a miracle happened. They escaped the cold floor and were able to have a warm meal with their friends.
The feeling of relief based on that deep gap.
That must be the reason for the tears flowing.
"It’s okay now."
I offered simple comfort.
"Nobody will torment you anymore."
The little fox bowed its head deeply.
I patted the child soothingly and intentionally spoke in a playful tone.
"Now now! Good children don’t cry. You should stop, okay?"
"Sniff... yes."
"The food is getting cold. You should eat it while it’s warm."
"Umm."
The little fox, sniffling, began to use the fork.
Indeed, children open up their hearts easily with just a few acts of kindness.
It’s a pitiful thing.
They shouldn’t open their hearts to someone like me.
I’ll make them regret it thoroughly.
"Everyone, eat a lot. There’s plenty of food prepared."
A mountain of piled-up food.
This is the ultimate move.
-Grandma’s sincere heart, eat a bit more, punch-
I fed them until they could no longer eat, until they lay down.
***
Crying, laughing, being cautious, and then letting their guard down.
The children, who showed such a spectacular range of emotions, soon fell asleep all together.
It seemed they couldn’t overcome the food coma.
After eating until their bellies were full, one by one, they started closing their eyes and eventually fell asleep in a heap.
‘...They must be tired.’
They probably still had the fatigue from the auction house life.
Even though they were in a sensitive and anxious time, it was fortunate that most of them seemed to open up their hearts.
"How commendable."
I muttered to myself absentmindedly.
The small foxes sleeping on the floor. As I carefully moved them to the beds, a voice interjected from the side.
"I’ll help too."
It was Irene.
The girl who approached quietly helped with the transport.
Still not having shed her suspicion of me, she watched me with a fierce gaze every time I picked up a child.
A snarling fox.
"I haven’t done anything yet."
"I know."
"And I don’t plan to do anything in the future."
"That’s not certain."
"I see."
It seems taming will be difficult after all.
As I murmured softly, I laid the last child in bed.
Carefully, so as not to wake them.
Covering the foxes with blankets, I felt a faint gaze from the side.
"..."
The girl looked at me without a word.
Her cold face had somewhat complex emotions.
She seemed confused.
‘Did I overdo it?’
From Irene’s perspective, it might be rather unsettling.
A person she met for the first time yesterday was showing an inexplicable kindness.
It’s natural to worry if something went wrong.
‘No... since I’m a dark master, it might be right to say something went wrong.’
I laughed at the absurd thought.
As I quietly gazed at the peacefully sleeping children, Irene spoke up first.
"That’s unexpected."
"What is?"
"It seems you like children. I thought you’d scowl and find it bothersome."
"That’s not the case."
I was closer to liking them.
I admired the unique purity that children possess.
Unlike adults, tainted by the world’s stains, their innocence. I envied that.
I had long been unable to possess it.
"Just that I don’t get close."
"...I’ll thank you in advance. For taking us out of that hellish place."
"Don’t mention it."
"And thank you for the meal. It was delicious."
"I’m glad it suited your taste. I’m pleased to receive such praise."
A few light exchanges.
I quietly observed the girl. Her transparent black eyes were solely filled with the image of the children.
It was a scene filled with a tender atmosphere.
-I trust no one.
As I was lost in thought, a scene from the original story flashed before my eyes.
A scene from the mid-point of the original game.
When I first uploaded the strategy guide video.
It was a story from the first backstory episode [The Untamed Fox] in the original story.
-Sold!
According to the flow of the original story, Irene is sold as a slave at the auction house.
Afterwards, the fox, who suffers brutal abuse from the nobles, eventually kills her master and escapes.
Thus begins her wandering in the streets.
At a time full of despair, a fateful meeting occurs.
-Who are you? You look so pretty.
The Empress’s first princess, Charlotte Little von Staufen.
In the story, it was the Little Prince, Charlotte, who discovered the fox.
-Come with me.
Charlotte, who recognized the fox’s talent.
She took Irene in and made her her close aide.
The Little Prince cherished the fox, and the fox relied on the Little Prince. They became best friends.
It seemed that only peaceful days would follow, but...
-Did you hear today’s news?
-The children who were trapped with me... they all died.
The atmosphere of the story darkened rapidly with the news that arrived one day.
The fox told the Little Prince:
-They died in various miserable ways. From abuse to torture, taxidermy, and butchery...
-Not a single one escaped unscathed…
Tears streamed down.
But what was contained in the dew was not only sadness. It was closer to a terrible self-reproach.
The girl lamented.
-They even took away what little remained.
-They were the only hope I had kept since teacher passed away.
-The children who trusted me even in the cold cage died miserably...
-And I-I brazenly survived.
The fox’s despair was the final note of the part.
It was not a typical story but a special hidden episode that could be seen when a certain route was taken.
I was the first to discover this.
The reactions to the video I uploaded were still vivid.
Half were amazed at how I found it, while the other half mourned Irene’s story.
Irene, who always seemed steadfast.
Since it was a scene where such a character collapsed, it seemed users were quite shocked.
I felt a little proud.
It meant I had prevented such an event.
'The original story will change, but… that’s something to think about later.'
For now, wouldn’t it be okay to celebrate?
I had prevented Irene’s misfortune and paved the way to get closer to the original protagonists.
For a while, a feeling of satisfaction lingered.
What pulled me out of my musings was, none other than, the fox’s call.
"I don’t understand."
"Uh... What?"
"About you. I just can’t figure you out."
The unexpected remark made me turn my head to see a pair of eyes staring intently at me.
The calm, star-like pupils.
After a brief pause, the girl spoke again.
"...You said you wanted to tame me?"
"Ah, indeed, I did say that."
I belatedly remembered and nodded.
I see you remembered. I thought you might have dismissed it as a passing comment.
"That’s right. I brought Miss Irene here for that purpose."
"Is it really that important?"
"Of course."
It was a clear answer. However, the girl’s expression turned more perplexed.
She asked softly.
"What does taming mean?"
She questioned the meaning of taming.
I was momentarily stunned by that bold question. I reflected on its meaning.
To tame something.
It was now a value forgotten by many.
Yet, it was still a shining landmark for me.
I answered absentmindedly.
"Taming means… to form a relationship."
"...?"
A moment of silence lingered. Our differing gazes collided.
"What?"
"I intend to form a relationship with you. I’ll tame you to my liking."
"......"
The plain definition of taming.
I thought I had conveyed my true feelings as they were, but Irene’s reaction was somehow strange.
Her blank face twisted.
Her brow furrowed, and her eyes were filled with disdain.
The fox took a few steps back, then muttered with a cold voice.
"...You trash."
Her gaze was like looking at waste.
Irene wrapped her arms around her shoulders and tightened her previously loose defenses.
I responded dumbly.
"Oh dear...?"
Did I say something wrong?
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]