The trees shed their leaves and sprouted new life again. When greenery wrapped around the entire forest, various flora and fauna welcomed their hot peak season.

Then winter arrived in an instant with silently accumulated snow, and after huddling through the cold, spring would come around again like always.

During the six years that passed, Aila’s chest and hips grew unrecognizably large, transforming into a lovely figure, and Valentin also developed in height, shoulders, and muscles, acquiring the physique of a robust man.

Life in the cabin was always enjoyable within the cycle of seasons, and now it was summer.

Thanks to Valentin obtaining beastfolk horns for her every year, Aila’s cabin became prosperous.

Clothes made from soft fabric piled high in the closet, food overflowed including quality wheat and meat and fresh fruit, and daily necessities like imported solid soap and candles were plentiful.

The size had grown to rival a proper house, and the interior had become remarkably splendid—it was no longer a shabby cabin.

A kitchen with charming tools and a dining table made of brown wood, a couch where two people could sit together and a side table had been added.

And there were two of every item.

In the center of the wall hung Valentin’s antlers.

Last year, saying the time had finally come, Valentin had given them to Aila, but she didn’t want to sell them so she kept them. His antlers were tremendously large and beautiful compared to others, and they didn’t need the money badly enough to sell them.

Even without selling his antlers, money was always abundant from the many antlers obtained from other beastfolk. They received a lot of help, yet Aila had never actually met them.

Valentin had said he would introduce her to the beastfolk living in the western forest someday, but had never shown them to her even once.

There were other changes from before.

Unlike the past when she spent most of the day gathering herbs, now she spent more time decorating the house with wildflowers, playing with squirrels living in nearby trees, or making food with ingredients bought from the village.

Cooking used to be mainly Aila’s job, but now Valentin handled it.

Though Valentin spent most of his time with Aila like this, he occasionally left the house. Even when Aila said she’d go with him, he firmly refused.

She was curious what he did, but he only repeated that he had somewhere to go without telling her details.

At first she thought maybe he went to the western forest, but that wasn’t it. Going there and back would take quite some time, yet he wasn’t out that long.

Aila told him everything, yet he was making secrets. Resolving to find out later for sure, she quietly watched Valentin’s retreating figure disappear.

Left alone, Aila went out to the village for the first time in a while.

After becoming an adult, she didn’t need to sell herbs anymore so she hadn’t gone much until now, but last time when selling antlers, the shop said business was difficult so she hadn’t received proper payment and needed to collect it.

Arriving at the village entrance and walking the path as usual, men whistled and threw out frivolous remarks.

“Where are you going?”

“You look bored—need someone to talk to?”

“Want to hang out?”

“There’s a fun place over there.”

They sent lecherous smiles and gazes while giggling among themselves. With inexplicable displeasure, she quickly passed them and arrived at Rex’s leather shop.

No one was inside the shop. Looking toward the display counter or sales counter, there was no sign of anyone. Just when she thought someone had stepped away briefly, a commotion came from deep inside.

“Ahhh!”

It was a woman’s scream. No, it sounded like crying, or like gasping for breath.

Was she hurt somewhere? What was happening? Aila felt frightened.

While gauging whether this was a situation requiring help or not, a familiar voice came from inside.

“You filthy b*tch, squeeze tighter.”

The owner of the curse was Rex. He yelled curses at his wife while shouting. Her steps approaching inside stopped on their own.

Could he be beating his wife? What should she do?

“C*nt like a dog. You love it, don’t you?”

This time it was a different voice. A younger man than Rex. The voices of the two men alternated.

While hesitating not knowing what to do, someone came out. It was Fin, Rex’s son.

Fin was pulling up his waistband and fastening his belt. White stains of unknown origin dotted his front. Walking toward the sales counter, he lifted his face that had been bent toward his waist, seemingly sensing a presence.

“Aila?”

Fin was around the same age as Aila and they had run into each other a few times when she came down to the village. She didn’t remember conversing much, but she remembered his name and face.

“It is Aila, right?”

When he was young he had a gentle impression, but he’d changed beyond recognition. 

His height had shot up but was slightly shorter than Valentin, he had bushy beard down to below his ears like his father, and heavy double eyelids. His eyes were bloodshot red from whatever he’d been doing.

“Nice to see you, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah. Hi.”

Fin’s eyes scanned Aila’s entire body and blatantly stared at her chest and hips. It was a gaze similar to the street vagrants from before. His gaze slowly scanning up and down stopped once near her chest and once near her navel.

“Almost didn’t recognize you. You’ve gotten so pretty.”

Valentin often said she was pretty, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth couldn’t be more unpleasant.

When Valentin said it, heat rose to the nape of her neck and her heart beat rapidly, but at Fin’s words, far from fluttering, her mouth felt astringent.

Moreover, all her attention was focused on the sounds flowing from beyond the door. The woman kept screaming like she was hurt somewhere, and from the situation it seemed Rex was beating her.

Had Fin just come out after watching that scene?

“Ah, you don’t need to worry about it.”

Fin said indifferently. However, Aila couldn’t pretend not to notice. Who was the woman inside, and why was she suffering?

“…Um, is the person being hit your mother?”

“What?”

Fin burst into laughter like he’d heard the most absurd question. The way he tilted his head back and glanced sideways made Aila feel looked down upon.

“Cute.”

“…”

“I guess it’s because you only live in the forest.”

Fin placed one arm on the display counter and continued.

“No one told you, huh.”

“…”

“It’s not my mother, and she’s not being hit. That woman is wagging her tail with great joy right now. When it’s over, Father will pay her too.”

Didn’t that make no sense at all? That sound being joyful? 

If she was happy, she should be laughing, but no matter how positively she tried to hear it, the sound coming from the back was a scream.

“It’s true. You can believe me.”

When Fin firmly shut the door, the woman’s moaning subsided.

“…Okay.”

Though suspicious, Aila decided not to press further. It didn’t seem like it would help much anyway.

“What did you come for?”

“I didn’t receive payment last time.”

“Really?”

“Your father seems busy, so I’ll come back later.”

“No. It should be written in the ledger, so I’ll find it for you.”

Fin pulled out a stack of papers from a drawer and checked while running his finger over them. Even during this, the woman’s moaning continued.

“Here it is. Found it.”

Fin snapped his fingers, then opened the money box and counted out money.

“Check it.”

Aila tried her best not to pay attention to the noise clinging unpleasantly to her ears and checked the money she received.

“Thanks, it’s right. I’ll be going now.”

“Wait, Aila!”

She tried to leave hurriedly but Fin caught her again.

“Do you like animals?”

Of course she liked them. For Aila who had lived in the forest since childhood, animals were her friends until Valentin appeared. There were many small animals around the cabin including squirrels, rabbits, and mountain birds.

Even now, one of her important daily routines was preparing food when she saw animals that couldn’t find proper food.

“If you have time, come see the ranch.”

“Ranch?”

“Yeah. My uncle runs a small ranch.”

“What animals do you raise?”

“Sheep.”

“Do you work there too?”

“Not full-time. The shepherd who was working quit recently so we’re short-handed. I mainly help Father with the shop, but I go to the ranch sometimes.”

“Won’t I interfere with your work if I go?”

“No way. You just need to look around. I’ll milk some fresh sheep’s milk for you too.”

She showed reluctance and tried to choose words of refusal, but Fin persistently clung.

“There’s something I want to show you too.”

“Something you want to show me?”

“Yeah. It’ll definitely be interesting. I guarantee it.”

She didn’t particularly want to go, but he was so persistent that Aila had no choice but to follow Fin. During the journey, Fin amiably struck up conversation and asked about forest life. 

His tone suggested it must be hard, but since she’d lived in the cabin since childhood, there weren’t really any inconveniences.

Arriving at the ranch, Fin immediately milked a sheep and held it out to Aila.

“Try it.”

Perhaps because it was freshly milked, it was very fresh and warm. After taking a few sips of the sheep’s milk in the tin cup, Aila lifted her face and asked Fin.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?”

“No. We have to go over there for that.”

Turning the corner, another pen appeared. Two sheep were separated in a distinct space there. 

Thinking they might be special care subjects, she observed them when Fin leaned against the wooden fence with a sinister smile.

What exactly did he want to show her? No matter how she looked, there was nothing special.

She was thinking that when—

One sheep climbed on top of another sheep’s back. Unlike Aila who was flustered thinking a fight had broken out, Fin raised the corners of his mouth while alternately looking at Aila and the two sheep.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?”

“They’re not fighting.”

“Then?”

“He’s satisfying the female.”

She couldn’t understand at all. What was being satisfied? To Aila’s eyes, it looked like one was unilaterally tormenting the other.

Pressing down on the back from above with its large bulk and repeating strange movements back and forth—wasn’t it natural to feel bad?

The sheep on top didn’t stop its actions even when the sheep underneath cried out. Aila, who usually loved animals, felt pained. She wanted to go into the ranch right away and protect the sheep underneath.

“Don’t worry. She’s enjoying it right now.”

“Enjoying it?”

“Females are like that. They lose their minds just smelling a male.”

Fin stroked the shoulder of Aila, whose eyes were wide open. An inexplicable displeasure swept through her body.

“You really don’t know anything. You’re cute.”

When Aila grimaced and moved her body, Fin removed his hand and grinned. It was a smile like he was hiding his intentions and wearing a mask.

“Isn’t living in the forest really uncomfortable?”

“Not particularly.”

“It would be nice if you came down to the village. I’d show you interesting things often.”