"Zion, will you tell me for yourself what I am to you?"
"..."
"Hurry."
"You are..."
"..."
"You are...my benefactor who saved me from the brink of death."
The words the child spoke were Zion's lines from the novel. These were the words Zion was supposed to say to her.
I couldn't hide my embarrassment.
And that, while kneeling, shedding desperate tears...
"..."
I stopped thinking. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was becoming trash. Just as I was unable to hide my confusion, Zion, who had been hiding behind me, peeked his head out.
"Zion, I told you not to come out!"
I was startled and hid Zion behind my back again.
It was the meeting of the male and female leads. It wouldn't be strange to fall in love at first sight, so my defenses were only natural!
Never mind everything else, you guys are too young!
"Why are you preventing me from seeing her?"
"Not yet."
“Then what about later?”
"...It won't work for now."
I vaguely brushed it off and hid Zion tightly. I could hear voices grumbling that I was being too harsh, but there was nothing I could do.
Even though she was still quite young, I still couldn't let that kind of flag get planted.
'Why did she come to the North already? Has the plot of the novel gotten twisted?'
Just as I was deep in thought, Little Red Riding Hood spoke.
"Thank you for saving me."
The child adjusted her posture and bowed her head in greeting. It was an extremely polite and courteous attitude.
It was a clearer and more pleasant voice than I had expected. Perhaps it was because she was still a child, but I could not even imagine the description of her swinging a stick at Zion.
I erased the sentence that automatically popped into my head. I smiled awkwardly and shook my head.
"Uh-huh, no, it's obvious. I'm glad you look okay."
“By the way..."
Little Red Riding Hood dragged out the end of her sentence. She had something she wanted to say, but she was hesitating as if she couldn't bring herself to say it.
“...What is it?”
I asked cautiously. Judging by that innocent-looking face and eyes, it didn't seem like she would kill us.
'Besides, she probably doesn't know yet that Zion and I are wolf shapeshifters.'
I glanced at Zion, who was hidden behind my back.
Hmm. Zion's ears were still well covered.
Although Red Riding Hood voluntarily set foot here, true to her nature as a villainous heroine, she could have killed off everyone, including the savior.
So, it would be better for both me and Zion's reputation to pretend to be a human who secretly snuck into the prisoner area.
"Where am I? Who am I?"
...I thought it would be okay.
“W-what are you saying...?”
I stammered like a fool.
No way. Probably not.
It can't be that way! Seriously, if it's like this, it'll be even crazier! Are you listening, Author?!
However, as always, our plans do not go as intended.
Little Red Riding Hood blinked her red eyes and spoke, with a sullen face, cautiously.
"...I don't remember anything."
Oh. Crazy. Oh my god.
***
"You really don't know? You don't remember a single thing?"
"Yes, I just remember it was hot."
Little Red Riding Hood nodded with a sullen face. I groaned and covered my forehead.
This very young girl could not remember how old she was, what her name was, or even why she was lying here injured.
It seemed like she had been in some kind of accident before collapsing, but in any case, it appeared to be the aftereffects of that.
The timing is incredible, too!
Of course, I knew her true identity. Because I had seen the book.
However, it wasn't like I could step forward on her own and say, "Your name is Rachel, and you are a dragon beastman who knows how to control fire! My brother is none other than the leader of the South. Good heavens, isn't that amazing? Now that you know everything, you can just go back to your house."
Should I take her there myself? I hesitated for a moment.
However, to me, a wolf, that was tantamount to suicide.
'What if I take her there and get mistaken for a kidnapper...!'
The mere thought made me dizzy. A faint moan escaped through my lips.
"..."
As if sensing my anguish, Zion, who had been hiding behind me, peeked his head out again.
Zion's blue eyes took in the red cloak—that is, Rachel—with great care.
"..."
"..."
The children's gazes met.
"..."
Just in case, I observed the children's movements. It was still a long time before the original story began, but you never know.
It’s a bit too early for the fated love between the two of them to begin right now. Considering their age, too.
As I’ve said repeatedly, this novel was a trashy, dark, 19+ story. Hello, a female-dominant, male-submissive novel heavily spiced with MSG.
"...Hello."
Zion cautiously offered a greeting. It seemed he had become curious about a girl his age, whom he was seeing for the first time.
Perhaps it was only natural. After Mom passed away, we lived hidden away in the forest.
Since Zion is still too young, he couldn't hide his wolf ears and tail well.
He looked like a human on the outside, but his protruding ears were those of a wolf.
We, who could be neither human nor wolf, had to hide our appearance.
Besides, I knew the future. I had no choice but to do so to prevent my future of burning to death and Zion's future of becoming the heroine's foot-wiper.
However, it was impossible to continue living in hiding. I needed immediate food and firewood. In other words, ultimately, I needed money.
I left the forest with my hair hidden by a hat and my face by a mask.
The North was a place with very low temperatures and snow that fell every day. It was very difficult to find medicinal herbs in the snow-covered North.
However, fortunately, I had a medicinal herb guide that my father left behind before he passed away.
It took a lot of effort to find the medicinal herbs, but somehow I was able to find them.
If I happened to find a rare medicinal herb, I could sell it for a large price.
After deducting living expenses, there wasn't much left, but I still saved money tenaciously. It was to buy a 'castle'.
Wait, it's not that 'sex'. Of course, this is an R-rated dark novel, but...!
To continue, my father was a human weaker than a wolf. A poor commoner, therefore, he had no surname.
Since my father did not have a surname, naturally, neither Zion nor I had one. That was the reason we could not easily go to the human world.
The human world and the beast world lived strictly separated from each other. For this reason, brokers only helped 'wolves with identities' smuggle themselves in.
Of course, there was no way that we, being poor mixed-race, had a legitimate status.
But as is the case with everything in the world, there was nothing that money couldn't do.
A regular customer mentioned in passing that in the adult world, even social status can be bought and sold.
So I worked really hard to save money.
I planned to buy an identity immediately once I reached my target amount. After that, I intended to cross over to the human world and try living as a human, but...!
The plans I had been steadily building up came crashing down.
'Is the information about the original work wrong?'
I racked my brain. But there was no way I could remember such minute details.
...Because I focused only on those kinds of scenes.
While I was struggling in pain, the two little kids were staring at each other silently.
Zion blushed and waited for a reply to the greeting offered first.
"..."
However, Red Riding Hood simply turned her head away with a cold expression.
Hmm?
I blinked, forgetting even to groan in pain.
Soon, Little Red Riding Hood smiled shyly as if nothing had happened and said.
"Um, my benefactor."
"A benefactor? That's too grandiose. I'm just..."
"Thank you for saving me. I want to repay you for this kindness."
"No! You don't have to pay it back!"
"However, since I am in this state..."
Little Red Riding Hood seemed unable to hear me. Despite the cold weather, I was sweating profusely.
"If you don't mind me asking."
The girl paused for a moment, then cautiously continued speaking.
"Could I stay here for a while?"
"What?"
"Just until my memory returns. I'll repay your kindness after that."
I lost my mind.
Ah. I can hear the sound of life getting twisted. I can see this novel sinking into the abyss of despair!
"That is..."
I had to shout that absolutely not, that he should regain her memory quickly and return to her home immediately, no matter what it took, and I had to shake off those innocent eyes!
But.
“...Why not?”
How could I say such a thing while looking into those clear eyes, devoid of a single trace of malice? Besides, this is a child who has just woken up after collapsing!
"Eve, blessings come to children who do good deeds, so you must become a good person."
Suddenly, I heard my mother's voice from the distant beyond. Her last will and testament.
In the end, I ended up saying what I shouldn't have.
"Th-then of course. Just until you regain your memory..."
"Thank you!"
The girl in the red cape, smiling brightly, grabbed my hands with both hands.
No matter how much she had lost her memory, the child was a dragon.
Sweltering heat spread throughout my body. It was such intense heat that I would have touched the work I was holding if it weren't for the magic.
Little Red Riding Hood said with a big smile.
“Benefactor!”
“I’m not a benefactor..."
I muttered with a dazed look on my face.
I am the wolf shapeshifter you will kill in the future. A hybrid at that...
I had to swallow my tears while hiding Zion behind my back again.
'Mom, you said that doing good deeds brings good luck.'
It wasn't a blessing; the heroine who is going to kill me just showed up...
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