Side story 2
***
Adeline began pestering Ihedia early in the morning.
"Hurry up, Mother!"
"Just wait a little longer. It's not even fully light out yet."
Ihedia tapped Adeline's nose, who had an impatient personality, and chuckled.
"Oh, the sun isn't up yet!"
"Why do you want to go to the Lante Forest so badly?"
"Father said it's an incredible place, incomparable to the sky of wolves, and that I couldn't even imagine it until I saw it for myself. It's so intriguing that even my father, who is usually insensitive to aesthetics, would say such a thing."
"Poor Adeline, you've been swayed by your father again."
Ihedia snorted and shook her head, and Kayan, who was standing next to her, interjected.
"You seem to be misunderstanding something. I'm not insensitive to beauty; I lost my sense of beauty because of your mother. There's nothing in the world more beautiful than my woman."
"Again, again. Father, please."
"Moreover, the reason the Lante Forest remains such a fantastical memory is because your mother was there."
"Ha, conversations with Father always start with Mother and end with Mother."
Adeline pressed her forehead in exasperation.
Kayan gently pinched Adeline’s cheek.
“Don’t be so jealous, pup.”
“I’m not a pup. I’m a proper wolf girl now.”
“I know. My puppy.”
“Oh, really!”
As expected, Adeline's reaction was the same as always, and Kayan and Ihedia burst into laughter.
***
"Wow, it's like angels live here..."
Unable to resist Adeline's urging, the three of them left for a picnic in the Lante Forest much earlier than planned.
Adeline had been curious for a long time about what the place where her father and mother first met actually looked like.
Every time she heard about how Kayan felt when he met Ihedia in the Lante Forest, Adeline's curiosity skyrocketed.
Elmir, surrounded by mild weather all year round, was a wonder to Adeline, who was born and raised in a winter land.
From the moment she entered the border of Elmir, she couldn't take her eyes off the colorful flowers and trees, but the Lante Forest was on a whole different level.
As her father had said, it felt like a mere human had mistakenly stepped into a place where sacred angels lived.
The greenhouse her father had built for her mother was similar to this place, but she realized it was nothing more than a mere imitation.
Adeline envied her father for having met his destined partner in such a wonderful place.
If there was a heaven, could this be it?
"Don't go too far. You must stay close by."
"Don't worry! I won't go far."
For some reason, Ihedia didn't quite believe Adeline's answer.
"I'm here, so what's there to worry about?"
Kayan wrapped his arms around Ihedia's waist and smiled.
That was because Kayan could easily find Adeline wherever she was with the special senses shared by wolves.
Moreover, this space was as well-guarded as the palace, and there was no danger of encountering wild beasts.
If one were to name the most dangerous creatures here, it would be Adeline and Kayan, the wolves.
Thus, the forest creatures had reason to be cautious.
Kayan whispered softly into Ihedia's ear.
"I'm so excited to have this rare moment alone with you, but can't you see that?"
Then he called out to Adeline, who was walking away.
"Have fun. It'll be even better if you come back after the sun goes down!"
As soon as Adeline disappeared from view, Kayan kissed Ihedia.
Ihedia's face turned red in an instant as she suddenly felt shy.
Kayan found his wife, whose cheeks were still red from his kiss, utterly adorable.
In Kayan's mind, the image of Ihedia as a child, whom he had met in this forest, came vividly to mind.
The two children who had met back then had, after many years, become husband and wife and returned to this place with their daughter.
Somehow, his heart swelled with emotion.
Kayan and Ihedia gazed quietly into each other's eyes.
They said nothing, but in that moment, they knew they shared the same feelings.
Ihedia cupped Kayan's face and kissed him again.
The touch was softer than cream, and Kayan's heart raced even faster.
No matter how much time passed, his passionate feelings for Ihedia never faded.
It would remain that way forever.
Kayan accepted Ihedia's movements and held her tightly around the waist.
Just like then, a brilliant shower of flowers fell from the sky.
Kayan felt as if the sweet scent of flowers was flowing from her lips.
***
Adeline was near a spring in the middle of the forest.
She returned to her wolf form and chased rabbits and squirrels, or threw herself onto piles of fallen leaves and played.
The small animals were startled by the sudden appearance of a beast and ran away in a panic.
If Adeline had really let loose, she could have hunted down every animal in the area within an hour, but she decided not to.
Her father had warned her not to kill wild animals for fun.
The sound of birds chirping in the sky sounded like music.
Adeline found herself humming a tune.
Of course, it was nothing more than the howl of a wolf.
Ssssh.
Then, an unusual sound came from somewhere.
Adeline awakened all her senses, as a wolf would, and tracked the source of the sound.
A fierce beastly aura flashed across her innocent face.
Upon closer inspection, the sound did not come from a small animal living in the forest.
Adeline listened more closely.
The sound of metal armor rubbing against each other and military boots stomping on the ground mixed together and came at regular intervals.
"Are they palace guards?"
It seemed to be a member of the royal palace guard on patrol.
Adeline lost interest in an instant.
Of course, she knew that there were no huge beasts roaming around that could threaten her, nor were there any unknown intruders.
If that were the case, her mother would not have brought her here in the first place.
Nevertheless, Adeline felt a sense of disappointment.
It would have been more exciting if it had been a wild beast or a stranger.
If she were to defeat such a dangerous creature with her bare hands, she might become a great wolf princess who would surpass her father and make a name for herself in Elmir.
Well, her mother would probably be terrified, though.
Meanwhile, the owner of the footsteps was getting closer and closer to her.
‘Just in time, I was getting bored.’
A strange interest flashed in Adeline's eyes again. She possessed extraordinary strength compared to her peers. Like Kayan, she also had the bloodline of the great Hirpus.
She heard that her father also used his superhuman strength to make a name for himself in Elmir when he was young.
Blood could not be denied.
Although she could not match her father due to the limitations of her gender and physique, among Anut's peers, no boy could match her.
Whether it was archery, swordsmanship, or horsemanship, she was unmatched.
Even when she occasionally competed against older wolf warriors who had already retired from active duty, she didn't fall far behind.
Achieving such results as a woman was unheard of, so Adeline's arrogance grew day by day.
Having spent her free time sparring with warriors, Adeline had a rough idea of her level in Anut.
But what about a knight from another country?
Having never left Anut, she couldn't make a quick judgment, and that fact fueled Adeline's dangerous curiosity.
Moreover, she was now in the form of a wolf. As a wolf, she could wield tremendous power compared to when she was human, which made her even more confident.
Her opponent would mistake her for a wild beast and swing his sword, but Adeline wasn't afraid at all. She thought of it as just another common sparring match in Anut and raised one corner of her mouth. It was because she was the type of person who felt more stimulated when facing a difficult opponent.
‘If he comes from that direction, he'll definitely pass by here.’
She quickly hid behind a nearby tree.
Soon, a man who appeared to be a knight came into view. However, he was smaller than she had expected.
A knight apprentice around her age.
Adeline was creeping up behind him when it happened.
The knight, who had already noticed the unfamiliar movement behind him, quickly turned around and reached for his sword.
The moment Adeline's eyes met the knight's, her plan to seize his weapon vanished like a bubble. Adeline could no longer move forward and froze in place like a statue.
The boy’s eyes, more mysterious than the view of Lante, shone brightly in a mysterious purple.
In that brief moment, many thoughts flashed through Adeline's mind.
How could human eyes be like that? Could he not be human? Could there really be an angel living in this forest?
‘No, am I seeing things?’
Suddenly, Adeline's heart began to pound wildly.
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