"Yes."
Just then, Rachel, who was in my arms, began to struggle. I released my grip on her. Rachel then came down to the floor and stood between Noelier and me.
Rachel, holding my hand with her left and Noelier's hand with her right, spoke with a proud expression.
“It’s our family!”
"That's right!"
As if watching for the right timing to cut in, even Zion, who had been fidgeting, quickly slipped between us.
I examined Camel's face, flushed with shock.
Believe, please believe...! Just as it was about to turn out that way.
"Wow!"
Camel suddenly let out a loud cry. At that, I involuntarily flinched.
"H-how dare I... the hand of someone like that...!"
He squeezed his eyes shut as if he had seen something he shouldn't have and stretched out his hand. He looked just like a zombie.
'Succes!'
I inwardly cheered. The cold Southerner depicted in the novel was nowhere to be seen.
Camel, who had been squeezing his eyes shut, squinted them. Our eyes met as I smiled awkwardly.
"...!"
Then, the tips of his hair began to turn red, just like when he had gone berserk after eating the gem.
Startled eyes glanced beside me. The face, which had been flushed red, turned deathly blue as if nothing had happened. It was fascinating to see how the expression changed moment by moment.
"I, I am sorry! I had a foolish thought!"
"... Yes?"
“Excuse me!”
Camel spat out some incomprehensible words, kicked open the door, and ran out. It happened so quickly that there was no time to stop him.
'No!'
I clutched my head with a look of despair.
If I let that man get away, it was certain that rumors would spread that I was Noelier's mate!
It was just as I was about to leave the cabin to catch him.
“Sister”
My footsteps came to a sudden halt at Zion's call. I turned my head toward Zion.
"Zion, let's talk later. I have to leave soon..."
"You don't have to go, older sister!"
"Uh?"
“Ruby is gone.”
Zion said that and gestured to my side. I lowered my gaze. Rachel had vanished before I knew it.
***
"Gasp, gasp..."
Camel ran frantically. Until the cabin was out of sight. How long had he run? Thinking this was enough, Camel stopped. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm his pounding heart. But it would not settle easily. It seemed to be because of the silver-haired woman, and it seemed to be because of the leader's terrifying face.
He shook his head vigorously. This was not the time to harbor such vain thoughts.
'Let's go back for now. I have to announce this joyous occasion right away.'
He opened his hand. A blue light flickered faintly within it. Then, just as a small bird was about to emerge from the fire.
A familiar sound of flapping wings was heard from somewhere.
Are they colleagues who came to pick me up? Overjoyed, he lifted his head toward the sky.
"...!"
However, that excitement did not last long. His face was filled with shock.
Rachel, riding on a large firebird, was looking down at him in a crooked posture.
"Ah. Miss...!"
He stammered in a surprised voice.
“Are you going already?”
"Well, that's..."
"I'm not finished talking yet."
Rachel said that and looked down at the man's hand.
The phoenix blooming in the man's hand vanished with a loud crack. The blue flame disappeared as if cold water had been poured over it.
Rachel jumped down from the firebird.
At the light movement, Camel recoiled and stepped back, and Rachel's firebird vanished with a great flapping of its wings.
Camel shouted, stammering.
"Miss, so you were pretending not to know!"
"Of course."
Rachel smiled, twisting one corner of her mouth upward. At the sight, Camel shook his head inwardly. As expected, the persona she had shown to the silver-haired woman was all an act.
"Why on earth are you acting like this, Miss? Besides, if they are married as well, couldn't she just come to the South?"
Camel was confused. Reading the look in his eyes, Rachel opened her mouth.
"Think carefully. Think about why you and I are acting this way."
"What do you mean?"
"My sister-in-law is human, you know. How scared do you think she is?"
Camel slowly nodded. It wasn't wrong.
"...Of course, it must be scary. Our existence."
“Then what should I do?”
"...Necessary?"
Camel blinked with a bewildered look on his face. It was a look of complete cluelessness. Rachel's brow furrowed.
How can men be so frustrating! Zion, her brother, and even this Chameleon were going crazy from the frustration.
"I need to get ready to welcome my sister-in-law."
"...Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Rachel nodded and approached Camel. Camel flinched.
Rachel was much smaller in stature than Camel. However, she possessed an aura that could not be easily ignored. At times, she even appeared stronger than the blind man.
'Like someone who has lived the whole world.'
Camel swallowed hard. Rachel, who had approached Camel before he knew it, spoke with a serious expression.
"Listen carefully. My sister-in-law can use ice magic. You know that well because you've experienced it yourself."
Camel thought of Eve.
Thanks to the help of the silver-haired woman, he was able to escape the power of the jewel. In a way, she was his savior.
Camel nodded as if agreeing.
"Yes. It was a truly tremendous power."
"But other wolves can use ice magic too. It's nothing particularly special."
“...Yes, of course.”
"But look, my sister-in-law can control my brother's fever with that."
Camel recalled what had happened at the cabin.
The sight of her unhesitatingly reaching out to the leader, whom others wouldn't even be able to make eye contact with.
And the leader, who bent down to receive the touch as if he had been waiting.
"...!"
Camel's eyes widened. Rachel nodded and continued speaking.
"Do you remember? That legend about searching the entire North for the wolf that stole the heart."
"Of course I remember. How could a woman from the South not know that?"
"But I couldn't find it. In the end, my brother was born with only one heart."
"..."
"But if we have my sister's ice magic, my brother can live."
"Then, this isn't the time to be sitting around! We must hurry and escort them..."
Camel hurried around with a flustered look on his face. Watching this, Rachel narrowed her eyebrows slightly and shook her head firmly.
"Before that, there is something you need to do."
"...Are you asking about what needs to be done?"
"Right. What do you think it is?"
A sudden question came back. Camel, who had only blinked his eyes, spoke in a voice lacking confidence.
“What you have to do is..."
"..."
"....For now, reporting that the Leader’s consort has appeared in the South...'
"Yes!"
Rachel nodded vigorously as if praising him. Camel's face flushed with delight. It was the first time he had been praised by Rachel. He giggled like an idiot.
“Come on, Camel.”
Rachel took another step closer to Camel. Rachel's red eyes lit up with a serious light. Even Camel, who had been smiling, looked serious in response.
"I am going to give you a mission starting now."
“Mission?”
"Right, no one in the South has ever received this mission."
"...!"
"You're the only one."
Camel's heart swelled with emotion at Rachel's words.
He had never once carried out an important mission. The words of those who claimed he could only change his body color and eavesdrop like a rat echoed in his ears like tinnitus. But.
'To think it's the only mission only I can do!'
Suddenly, he thought of his rival, the lizard shapeshifter. That obnoxious face of his, the one who used to mock him for knowing nothing but changing my body color!
'So, I will perform this task perfectly.'
I stake the chameleon's honor!
Camel nodded with a serious expression. His snake eyes were gleaming with Southern pride.
Rachel smiled, pulling up the corners of her mouth subtly.
"Spread the word well so the dragons don't look at my sister with curious eyes or harbor suspicions."
"Is that enough?"
"Right. It's a really important matter."
My sister is human, so she will be afraid of dragons.
Rachel spoke with strength, human.
"Just think about it. My sister-in-law is someone who lived in hiding in the North."
“Of course.”
"What would people think if we said she came from the North?"
"They'll think it's a wolf...?"
"Then what would my sister-in-law think?"
"You'll be... hurt, won't you? Because... you're human."
"Yes."
Words followed one another as if playing twenty questions. Rachel, who had been nodding along to the story, spoke with a serious expression. Her voice instantly became subdued.
"If by any chance my sister-in-law gets scared and runs away..."
Rachel slowly trailed off. Her dark, sunken red eyes were visible through her lowered eyelashes.
"Ugh!" Camel, trembling like someone struck by lightning, snapped back to his feet like a trained soldier.
"Absolutely not! That will never happen! Isn't she the one who will be the Leader's consort? Even bowing in gratitude wouldn't be enough!"
Rachel wiped her expression completely. Then, she nodded with a pleased look on her face.
The operation seemed to work well.
'It was a big mistake to try to feed the jewels to my older sister, though.'
Rachel snapped out of her thoughts. Getting the work done was the priority.
"Now, go ahead."
"Yes!"
Camel answered bravely and spread his hand. The blue flame that had died down was burning again. The phoenix that bloomed from his hand trembled as it looked at Rachel.
The blue firebird, watching Rachel's reaction, inflated its body large enough to ride on.
"Don't worry, Miss!"
Camel, mounted on the back of the Phoenix, had eyes full of determination. Rachel smiled and waved her hand.
The blue phoenix soared up with a powerful flap of its wings.
Rachel, who had been quietly gazing at the scene, turned lightly. Small footprints were adorning the white winter forest.
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