Chapter 8

Since the day after we met again, this is the first time Ralph hasn't come.

Perhaps it's because I turned down his sudden proposal to live together yesterday. Still, I think it was only natural to refuse.

I appreciate his feelings, but being taken care of and living together would be going beyond the bounds of gratitude. Besides, I don't even know anything about Ralph.

Moreover, living with a mysterious young woman would likely affect his future. This is for the best.

"Hey, isn't Master Ralph coming today?"

"Yeah."

"Having such a wonderful person come and help you is a miracle in itself."

"…Yeah."

The old lady, who always greeted Ralph, looked a bit sad. Actually, I was feeling a bit lonely too, probably because we had spent every day together for a month.

But this is my usual daily life. I just want to live quietly and peacefully for a long time. That's all I need to think about.

I tried to shake off any unnecessary emotions and decided to work energetically as usual, but thanks to Ralph's excessive work every day, there was nothing left to do.

Deciding to go outside, I opened the door when—

"Whoa, don't scare me like that. It's been a while, Lissette."

"…Roy."

Standing right in front of the door was Roy, the old lady's grandson. As a noble, he comes to check on his grandmother from time to time as his parents tell him to.

"Still in a place like this, you never get tired, do you?"

"Of course, I plan to stay here forever."

"A place like this is a waste for a woman like you. How about finally moving to the capital and living together?"

"Thank you, but no thank you."

Despite his good looks and family background, he has always approached me like this. His taste is really bad.

Still, being invited to live together in the capital by two men in a row is quite unusual. What on earth is going on?

"Alright, if you change your mind, just let me know."

"Sure, sure, thanks."

With that, Roy went into the old lady's cottage. I sighed deeply and decided to go pick some strawberries, heading into the forest.

◇◇◇

"Good, I've picked plenty."

About an hour later, with my basket full of strawberries, I was heading back to the cottage in high spirits.

Thinking about making some sweets, I was humming a tune when I heard leaves rustling behind me. Assuming it was someone from the village, I turned around casually and was stunned.

There was a monster that looked very much like a bear.

"…W-Why?"

Why is there a monster in this forest? This is a sacred area, and monsters shouldn't appear here,

"N-No…"

My mind went blank, and I couldn't breathe properly. My heart was pounding so loudly it hurt, and my fingers were trembling coldly.

It kept getting closer, and I snapped out of it and started running. I don't want to die. Why? I don't want to die.

But it was only a matter of time before it caught up. Eventually, I was cornered at a dead end and collapsed on the spot.

—Ah, I'm going to die again.

Apparently, I'm not 20 this time. What kind of sacred area is this? I don't want to deal with this anymore. I just want to live a carefree life like a normal girl.

I kept thinking about that, but—

"…Huh?"

The pain I expected never came.

When I finally opened my eyes cautiously, the monster in front of me was frozen like a statue. Its body was trembling slightly, and its eyes, which reflected me, were filled with intense fear.

—Why is it afraid of me?

A few seconds later, the monster's body split open vertically.

There was a thud and a squelch, and it collapsed to the ground. A pool of bright red blood spread out, and the warm liquid soaked my feet.

Then I noticed someone behind the mass of flesh. They held a large sword, about the size of a child, and when I saw their face clearly, I gasped.

"Lissette-sama, are you alright!?"

Ralph, with a face that looked like he was about to cry, ran over to me. It seems he had killed the monster.

"I was late because of work, and I hurried to follow Lissette-sama's presence to get here. Why is there a monster in this place…"

"…Why…"

How could he take down such a large creature with one blow? What does he mean by following my presence?

As these questions kept popping up, my vision gradually darkened, and I lost consciousness.