“Being chased, you say?”

Ann lied to the young boy we encountered, just as I had instructed her.

She told him we had been unjustly kidnapped, escaped, and were now being pursued.

‘No matter how I look at him, he seems like an ordinary human. Is that boy really a fairy?’

At that moment, his short brown hair turned snow-white.

His eyes, vibrant green like the fullness of summer.

Skin smooth and pale as porcelain, with delicate and striking features.

He gave off an air as mysterious and enchanting as the mythical sirens said to lure people to their deaths.

The fairy was breathtakingly beautiful, as if he had stepped right out of a storybook.

“Follow me for now. I’ll take you to my father. He’s the village chief here.”

His voice was mesmerizing, his expression dreamlike.

His eyelashes, fluttering slowly as though he might drift off to sleep at any moment, gleamed white in the sunlight.

But as if it had all been a lie, in the blink of an eye, he was back to being the ordinary boy from earlier.

“Rory. Did you see that just now?”

“Huh? See what?”

Rory blinked at me with innocent eyes.

Was I the only one who saw it?

Ann didn’t seem fazed either.

The fleeting, picture-perfect scene that had captured my eyes replayed in my mind.

The boy’s messy brown hair and tanned skin seemed like they might dissolve into the forest at any moment.

As he turned to guide us, our eyes met.

His warm, earthy gaze held a mysterious depth, seeming to conceal all the secrets of the world.

“Hmm. It’s nothing.”

I brushed it off and grabbed Rory’s sleeve.

The boy smiled faintly, spun halfway around, and began to walk.

As we passed through the fields and ventured deeper into the village, curious gazes turned toward us.

Rather than suspicion toward outsiders, their eyes were filled with excitement and a hint of nervousness, appearing to anticipate a new connection.

“Oh, by the way, my name’s Sprout. This is my house.”

What? Sprout?

I stared at him in shock, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Sprout was the name of the fairy youth who had once suffered from unrequited love for Cinnamon and fell ill with longing.

I had only thought about hiding in Greenvalley, never imagining I’d see Sprout’s childhood.

When we entered the quaint, mushroom-shaped house, a man was sitting on the sofa, reading a book.

His messy hair and tanned skin were strikingly similar to the boy’s.

Though his features seemed ordinary at first glance, his face had a charm that drew you in.

He looked so much like Sprout that I could easily imagine this was what Sprout would grow up to be.

“Father. I brought guests.”

“Guests?”

“They said they’re being chased by bad people.”

Sprout’s father stood up smoothly, his gaze falling on us.

With a gentle smile, he extended his hand to Ann.

Though his features were unassuming, his smile was so captivating it could easily charm even the most cunning fox.

“Oh dear. It seems you’ve been through some trouble. I’m Brussel, the chief of this village.”

“Ah, hello. My name is Ann.”

Dazed by his smile, Ann cautiously reached out and shook his hand.

Then Brussel stepped closer and pressed his forehead against hers.

“Ann. May peace settle upon your heart.”

Ann froze, blushing furiously, unable to move.

Sprout quickly pulled his father away, separating the two.

“Father. You can’t just do that to people from outside; it’ll startle them.”

At that, Brussel furrowed his brows, seemingly aware of his mistake.

“My apologies for startling you. In our village, Greenvalley, it’s customary to greet someone by clasping their right hand and touching foreheads.”

“No, it’s fine! Really, I wasn’t that startled!”

Ann waved her hands frantically, smiling brightly.

Even so, her face was as red as a tomato as she fanned herself repeatedly. Though she avoided his gaze, she kept sneaking glances at Brussel, which was, somehow…

I rose onto my tiptoes and whispered into Rory’s ear.

“I think Ann has a crush on that guy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Her face turned red. Isn’t it adorable?”

“Ah, the young lady is even… cuter…”

“I know.”

When I replied curtly to the stammering Rory, his face turned as red as if it would burst.

Honestly, how adorable.

To me, both Rory and Ann just seemed endlessly cute.

While I watched the two of them with satisfaction, Brussel guided us to an empty house.

“This house is kept vacant for people who occasionally lose their way in the forest and wander into our village. It is cleaned often, so it should be comfortable. Please rest here and come to our house later. We will prepare lunch for you.”

“Thank you, Chief.”

“Please, just call me Brussel.”

“Br-Brussel, sir.”

Leaving Ann, who bowed her head deeply while conversing with Brussel, Rory and I entered the house first.

The mushroom-shaped house, which had seemed small from the outside, was surprisingly spacious inside.

On the first floor, there was a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom, and on the second floor, there were two cozy rooms.

After unpacking our simple belongings, I securely hid the jewels and money under the bed.

I was already looking forward to the days we would spend in Greenvalley.

“Mel… What if the Count finds his way here?”

Rory asked with a worried expression.

He seemed frightened by the scale and seriousness of my runaway plan.

I gently ran my fingers through the hair on his round, rosy cheeks and forehead, smiling.

“Don’t worry. He won’t find us. That will never happen.”

Rory leaned into my hand, closing his eyes.

Feeling my touch for a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, which were brimming with trust.

“Rory. Do you trust me?”

“Yes, I trust you.”

Rory grabbed my hand, lowered it, and pressed his forehead against mine.

It was as if he were mimicking Brussel’s Greenvalley-style greeting.

“I am your person, young lady.”