Shimei is back from the forest.
These days, he’s recovered enough to take a walk in the woods.
“Gurua (Welcome back)”
“. . . Ah. I’m home.”
When I looked, Shimei had something hanging from his left hand.
I wonder what it is.
I take a look.
“. . . do you care?”
He holds it up to me.
“It’s a horned rabbit. Earlier, I set a trap while taking a walk.”
It was a horned rabbit that was held up.
There are two.
Once upon a time, I was wondering if I should make it a pet.
“Wait a minute. I’ll handle it right away.”
“. . . Gyuru? (. . . Handle it?)”
“. . . You said you wanted to eat meat, didn’t you?”
“Gu, Gururi!? ( Oh, meat!?)”
I want to eat!
I want to eat meat!
As expected of Shimei.
The Shimei stock in me is soaring.
But. . .?
Did I tell him that?
“. . . Well, first of all, open here.”
While I was thinking about it, he had already started dismantling his prey.
“. . .gu, guru (. . . g, gross)”
I turn my face away and close my eyes tightly.
This rabbit can’t be a pet anymore. . .
After waiting for a while, the fragrant smell of roasted meat wafted through the air.
The scent that I crave stimulates my appetite regardless of whether I like it or not.
“Look, it’s done. It’s a ‘Roasted Horned Rabbit’.”
He put the food on the plate and served it.
The fat bursts open and looks very delicious!
I lower my head and tried to bring the tip of my nose closer to the meat.
“. . . Kyuwaa (. . . fuwaa)”
It smelled good.
When my heart was trembling with emotion, someone suddenly stroked the tip of my nose.
I was startled.
The one who touched it was, of course, Shimei.
(Wh-what happened. . .?)
It’s the first time he’s touched me.
As I was puzzled, the hand moved to my cheek.
He is silent and continues to stoke my face.
Kind and gentle.
(Wah. . . . . Wah uwah. . .)
Forgetting about the long-awaited meat, I was uncharacteristically excited.
Evening.
Shimei and I were in the front yard of the hollow house.
“The sun is going down. . .”
Come to think of it, it’s getting a little dark around here.
My dragon eyes can see through any darkness.
So I don’t need lights at night.
But he’s not like that.
“. . . Ugh. It’s hard to light. . .”
Shimei is trying to light a fire with a flint.
But it doesn’t light well.
It rained a little this morning, so I guess the firewood I put together was damp.
“Giiruru (I’ll do it!)”
He nodded and walked away from the firewood.
I bring my face closer to the firewood.
I took a deep breath and blew out flames.
But even though it’s being reduced to the maximum, the flames I blow out are quite powerful.
After a while, the firewood began to crackle.
A fire is lit on the wood, and it burns brightly.
. . . .Good.
It’s like this.
As I stared at the lit flame, I felt something touch my cheek again.
Shimei’s palm.
“. . . I’m sorry. Thank you.”
Even today, he gently strokes my cheeks, nose, and chin.
Somehow my head popped up.
My consciousness becomes fluffy.
“Let’s make a meal. Let’s see. . .how about some wild boar stew? Stew the meat until it’s tender.”
“. . . Kyurufu (. . .Well then)”
The moonlight and the flames of the bonfire softly illuminate the area.
We sat around the pot and enjoyed our meal.
He’s cooking today and every day.
It seems that today’s meal is called ‘Spicy Grilled Dodo Bird’.
I wonder what it’s like.
All the dishes made by Shimei are delicious.
Up to this point, I had been completely caught by my stomach.
(. . . Huh? Isn’t this feeding!?)
I am now his pet.
“I’ll give it some time. It’s better to let the spices blend in.”
I nod my head.
At some point, Shimei began talking to me often.
Thinking back to when we first had minimal conversations, it’s been a lot of fun for a while now.
I looked at him.
Spices are rubbed on the meat of the slaughtered bird.
We are both silent for a while.
He began to speak, his eyes still on the food as he did so.
“. . . I’ve been chasing my father’s back, a great dragon knight. . .”
Are you talking to me?
But is sounds like a monologue.
“That’s why, since I was young, I’ve spared no effort in my studies and martial arts, and in fact, I’ve been able to do many things better than others. . . I think I was able to continue to live up to my father’s expectations.”
I don’t talk back.
I listen carefully to what he has to say.
He looked back at me lightly and smiled softly.
“But at some point. . . Maybe I put too much pressure on my shoulders. . .At some point, I became feared by both my friends and the knights under my command, and before I knew it, I started keeping my distance from them. . .”
As he talks, he grills the seasoned bird in a stone frying pan.
It smelled delicious.
“I’m sure I was trapped in a narrow field of vision. . . But, White Dragon. Ever since I met you here and got to know you. . . I feel like the tension has been released.”
Shimei laughs lightly.
I like him better now.
“Come on, it’s done. Let’s eat!”
He gives me a plate.
The grumpy man he had been at the beginning was no longer there.
When is he going to tell her that he knows she is human!?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!
