Sprout was eating the bitter, tasteless greens like they were the most delicious food in the world.

His half-lowered eyes and the fork tightly gripped in his hand were focused on conquering the salad.

I pushed aside the salad and green sandwich Ann had served onto my plate and bit into the spinach pizza.

The pizza slice was as big as my face, and it seemed like eating just one slice would fill me up.

If I lived here, would I have to eat things like this every day?

I thought I might have to occasionally go to the village to buy and eat meat.

Children need to eat a lot of protein to grow up strong.

How do fairies grow tall and gain weight while eating only grass…?

It’s truly a mystery.

“Sprout has always been lonely because he doesn’t have friends his age. Would you two play with my child?”

Brussel maintained a polite tone not only with Ann but also with young Rory and me.

As if he knew everything.

His unreadable eyes simply glowed with warmth.

“Sure, why not? I’ll do it.”

I answered cheerfully and took another bite of pizza.
When Rory wiped off the topping I had spilled on my clothes with a tissue, I said, “Thanks, Rory.”

Sprout had suddenly stopped eating and was staring at us intently.

Then, tilting his head, he gazed above my head.

“But…”

Sprout’s dreamy voice escaped his thin lips.

“Why do you have extra ears?”

“What?”

“Your ears. Are they headbands? They’re really big. They even look really soft and fluffy.”

“Sprout, be quiet.”

Brussel, looking flustered, tried to scold him, but Sprout couldn’t take his eyes off the top of my head.

I dropped my pizza.

Wide-eyed, I touched the top of my head, but there was nothing there.

Of course, that was normal.

When I’m in human form, my ears transform into human ears.

‘Just as I caught a glimpse of Sprout’s true form, could it be that this fairy can see my true form too?’

I felt both amazed and embarrassed at the same time.

Brussel also seemed to have seen the large ears of my fennec fox form but pretended not to notice.

If my being a fennec fox was exposed, it also meant that Brussel already knew I was the daughter of the Hauser Count family.

Sprout, who had never been outside the village, wouldn’t have known, though.

“Brussel.”

I called out to him as he stuffed greens into his son’s mouth.

Brussel flinched and turned to look at me.

“How much do you know?”

Brussel let go of his son and blinked thoughtfully for a moment before smiling.

“I do not know much, but my eyes see far more than what Sprout has seen.”

“Can’t you tell me specifically?”

“Those who possess eyes that see much must also have mouths that remain silent. I apologize for not being able to provide the answers you seek.”

“Then can I trust you to keep quiet about us being here?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Betrayal will not be forgiven.”

What could a three-year-old possibly do? But I made a small threat nonetheless.

It wasn’t based on any solid reasoning, just a gut feeling that Brussel would be more of a help than a hindrance to us.

However, Brussel responded seriously.

“Do not worry, Merchen.”

Wow.

He even knew my name, which I hadn’t told him.

I had only expected him to figure out that I was a certain young lady from the Hauser Count family.

Judging by how he treated Rory with such respect, it seemed like he could truly see something.

Not only our identities but perhaps even more.

When Brussel mentioned my name, Ann and Rory were startled.

They and Sprout stared at us with puzzled eyes, clearly not understanding the conversation we were having.

After finishing our meal and returning to the mushroom-shaped house that Brussel had provided for us, I briefly explained things to Ann and Rory.

I told them that Sprout and Brussel were fairies and speculated that they might have seen my true form.

But I added that they seemed trustworthy, so there was no need to worry, and we could relax.

The two of them accepted my outlandish story seriously.

If it were me, I might have dismissed it as the imaginative ramblings of a child.

The day in Greenvalley came to an end.

After dinner, Ann bathed me early.

And a little while later, a small argument broke out between Ann and me.

“I’m going to stay with Rory. Ann, you can sleep alone.”

“No, young lady. I’ll sleep on the floor, so it’s fine.”

“I said I don’t want to!”

Ann had insisted on sharing a room with me.

Each room only had a narrow single bed.

Rory and I were small enough that sharing a single bed was spacious, but it wasn’t big enough to share with Ann.

While it might be possible in my fennec fox form, I might accidentally transform back into a human in the morning and kick Ann in the face or something.

Ann then suggested that I sleep on the bed while she would sleep on the floor.

She reasoned that while it was fine for Rory and me to share a room now since we were young, we would eventually need to separate rooms as we grew older.

“Then we can separate later!”

I couldn’t let Ann sleep on the hard floor, so I stood my ground.

After several rounds of back-and-forth, I finally shouted, “It’s an order!” and only then did Ann relent.

Feeling proud of myself for securing Ann’s comfortable sleeping arrangement, I crossed my arms smugly.

Then, I let out a small sigh to myself.

“Hoo. This makes me feel like a stubborn little kid.”

I was doing this for her sake, but it made me feel like a bratty child.

Like a kid having fun playing with a friend who came over, then throwing a tantrum and crying when the friend’s parents said it was time to go home.

Poof!

As the sun set, I inevitably transformed into a fennec fox.

“Kyuu!”

Ann dried my fur until it was fluffy and placed me on the bed before heading to her own room.

A little while later, Rory, who had been groaning to himself while washing up, climbed onto the bed.

“Mel, can I pet you?”

Yawning, I nodded, and his small hand carefully stroked my back.

“Young lady, you seem like someone who’s lived multiple lives.”

Thump.

“You’re younger than me, but you’re so much smarter. I keep causing you trouble, and there’s so much I don’t know… I’m sorry for making you run away because of me. I’m such a coward…”

Oh no. Why are you saying that?

His dejected expression tugged at my heart.

“When we were in the underground waterway, I couldn’t do anything when you fell into the water. If it weren’t for that strange light, we would’ve been stuck there… I’m just a stupid fool.”

But you carried me out of the underground waterway, and that’s why we’re safe now.

I don’t know what that strange light you mentioned was either, but…

And when I was struggling on the train, I was able to pull myself together, thanks to you.

“Kyiiing.”

“Ah!”

I gently bit Rory’s finger without hurting him.

Then I crawled onto his lap and looked up at him with my black eyes.

Don’t say things like that, little one.

You’re neither a coward nor a fool.