Chapter 7

The thing about him was that he strictly kept his word.

“Hurry up. There’s only one place left.”

“Pyapyapyat!”

‘I’m not asking for a tour guide, but at least tell me which parts of the house you frequent!’

Esteban was being incredibly thorough about his promise not to kindly explain what was what. Like a bus driver racing toward the final stop as his shift ended, he seemed driven by the sole purpose of finishing the lap around the mansion before his lesson started. I was basically just skimming the building at high speeds.

At this rate, I’d be better off exploring on my own!

“Pyapya… Kyang!”

Just as I decided to come back later with Lani, I failed to notice him stopping abruptly and slammed my face right into his leg. As I clutched my protruding snout and glared up at him, Esteban let out a smirk.

…He’s laughing? He thinks this is funny?

“Since you’ve probably only ever taken the processed medicine, this must be your first time seeing it in person.”

‘Processed medicine? What is he talking about all of a sudden?’

As I tilted my head in confusion, a familiar scent wafted past the tip of my nose. It smelled a bit like flowers, yet also a bit like sweet chocolate. As I sniffed the air, Esteban’s voice spoke up.

“That blue, bell-shaped flower over there—that’s the Bluebell.”

‘Bluebell?’

My head whipped around at his words, and there it was: a cluster of Bluebells in full, glorious bloom.

Bluebell. Just like the name suggested, these blue, bell-shaped flowers were rare herbs that activated the flow of basic mana. For the Fennec shapeshifters, who are born with minuscule amounts of mana, this herb was an incredibly vital resource upon which the very survival of the family depended.

Of course, it wasn’t just for Fennecs; it was a precious herb for the elderly whose mana flow had slowed, or for anyone born with low mana reserves. The problem was that Bluebells only grew in limited locations, meaning production was extremely low.

‘High demand and low supply means the price must be astronomical.’

For a poor family like the Fennecs, it was something you could never obtain unless you literally put your life on the line, just as I had.

“I’ve never heard of or seen a fox with such greedy eyes before.”

‘Is it even possible NOT to be greedy here? Do you know how much money I could make just by digging up and selling a few of those roots?’

I shot a sideways glare at Esteban, who was poking fun at me, and quietly licked my lips. Honestly, if I could just get a few roots and cultivate them, I’d happily be the Winchester’s pet fox, just like Ariel said…

‘The problem is they won’t grow anywhere except Winchester territory.’

It seemed they couldn’t even grow them just anywhere within the Duchy, either. From what I’d seen while touring the mansion, the Bluebells only bloomed here, in the garden.

‘I heard most of the Bluebells on the market are grown in the Winchester estate further from the capital, though.’

While there were Bluebells that grew outside Winchester lands, the amount was so negligible that it wasn’t an exaggeration to say the Winchesters held a total monopoly. Naturally, because they were such a cash cow, even the Imperial Family was desperate to cultivate them. They had mobilized every famous botanist in the Empire, but any Bluebell planted outside Winchester soil withered and died within days.

‘Well, that means there’s no point being greedy right now anyway.’

I decided to worry about cultivation methods later. Staying here for five years might give me enough time to figure out the secret behind why they only grow here.

At that moment, I saw Lani running toward us. Panting for breath, she reached Esteban and spoke.

“T-Teacher Ellen has arrived, Young Master!”

“Good.”

‘Ellen is the teacher who’s going to show him how to handle mana, right? I wonder if that’ll help me too?’

I looked at Esteban, remembering what Rendel had said earlier. Esteban turned to the waiting Lani and said, “The tour is over. Take her back to her room.”

“Yes, Young Master. Shall I bring Teacher Ellen to your room as usual?”

Esteban thought for a moment before shaking his head. “No. From today on, I think it’s better to do it here in the garden.”

“Ah, yes! Then I shall bring Teacher Ellen here! My Lady, shall we go this way…?”

I pretended not to hear Lani and plopped my butt down right next to Esteban. Esteban’s face immediately crumpled.

“What are you doing?”

“Pyapyat!”

‘What does it look like? You’re having your lesson here, so I’m having mine here too!’

Technically, I had never officially asked to join the lesson, so from Esteban’s perspective, my behavior must have seemed baffling. But I had just made the decision myself, so there was no helping it.

‘And honestly, isn’t it better for Esteban the sooner I manage to humanize?’

“The tour is done. Now go back to your room.”

“Pyapyapya.”

‘I know. I’m staying for the lesson.’

“Hey.”

“Pyapyapyat!”

‘If I learn how to handle mana from this Ellen person and succeed in humanizing, wouldn’t that be good for you too? I’ll be really quiet! I won’t be a distraction!’

“I told you to go.”

“Pyapyapyapyat!”

‘I said no! Let’s learn together!’

I yipped and shouted at him, but quickly tucked my tail between my legs when I saw his expression harden. It occurred to me a bit late that I was being a bit too bold for someone trying to audit a class without paying tuition. I directed a pleading look at him, trying to convey that I would stay as quiet as possible so as not to interfere.

Watching my sparkling, puppy-dog eyes, Esteban scowled and turned to Lani. “Isn’t she just saying she’s hungry?”

“Pyapyapyat!”

‘No, I’m not!’

“Ah! Yes, I’ll go prepare a meal in the Lady’s room immediately!”

“Pyapyapyapyat!”

‘I said that’s not it!’

“My Lady, if you’ll follow me…?”

As Lani leaned down to lead me away, I ducked around her and hid behind Esteban. Lani’s eyes shook with shock at my unexpected rejection.

“M-My Lady? Did I… did I do something wrong?”

“Pyapyapyat… Pyang?”

‘No! Definitely not! I’m sorry, Lani. It’s just that I really need to hear this lesson…?’

Suddenly, Esteban grabbed the scruff of my neck and hoisted me up. Without even looking at my panicked face, he practically tossed me over to Lani.

“Don’t let anyone near the garden until the lesson is over.”

“Yes, Young Master!”

‘W-What is he doing—?’

I blinked, processing the fact that I had been handed over to Lani regardless of my opinion. If I stayed stunned like this, I’d end up back in my room being fed apples.

‘To be honest, as a rational, intellectual being, I didn’t want to resort to this kind of method, but…!’

“PYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAT!”

I flailed and screamed at the top of my lungs. Lani’s eyes went wide with bewilderment.

“M-My Lady?”

While Lani was dazed by the sound—which was essentially an air-raid siren—I leaped from her arms. I scurried back and wedged myself between Esteban’s legs, making it clear once more that I was staying.

Lani and Esteban both stared at me, looking completely dazed.

‘Sorry, Lani. It’s not that I dislike you; I just really need this lesson!’

“My Lady, why on earth are you acting like this…”

“Hey, fox.”

Suddenly, Esteban’s voice rang out, colder and more frozen than usual. His red eyes flared with an unprecedented killing intent.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if you don’t want to get caught in a rampage and die, stop this now.”

Hearing him hiss those words with such a lethal expression, I finally understood why he was reacting so sensitively.

‘He’s scared. He’s afraid I’ll die if he loses control.’

Knowing the fragile heart behind Esteban’s “mature” front made my own heart feel heavy. Seeing my expression stiffen, Esteban seemed to think I had finally understood his warning. He let out a shallow sigh and spoke.

“Now, follow your maid—”

“Pyapyapyat!”

‘I’m not going! I won’t! How can I leave now that I know you’re thinking like that?’

I wedged myself even tighter between his legs and gripped his calf firmly with my front paws.

“Did you not just hear me—”

“The butler told me you were here. My apologies for being late, Young Master Esteban.”

A pleasant-looking man with wavy brown hair came running into the garden. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he blinked in confusion as he saw me clinging to Esteban’s leg and Esteban trying to peel me off.

“A… desert fox?”

‘No. Actually, I’m the fennec fox who’s decided to become your student starting today.’