“Bell!!”
My name echoed through the darkness-filled mountain. It was a fierce roar, just like the last time I’d heard his voice, yet the emotion behind it was completely different.
Kalz surged forward, swiftly positioning himself protectively in front of me. He turned sharply, eyes urgently seeking mine.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I-I’m fine.”
My voice trembled, tears threatening to spill from my eyes at his worried tone. All my earlier resentment melted away in an instant, replaced by relief and joy.
Rather than feeling relieved at simply being rescued, I was far more grateful to see him again. I couldn’t bear the thought of our last memory being that cold hallway. How deeply I would’ve regretted it if that had truly been our final goodbye.
The wolves momentarily faltered at the lion’s unexpected appearance, but they soon regained their courage, baring their teeth once more and closing in with practiced coordination. Their movements, honed by hunting, sent chills down my spine.
I was grateful Kalz had come for me, but could he really win against them? As a lion, surely he was stronger than wolves. Yet, whether a beast who was once human could follow the laws of nature was uncertain. And there were three wolves, eyes locked onto us. I’d heard that numbers usually determined the outcome of a fight.
Resolving to join in if necessary, I steadied my breathing and watched Kalz’s back intently. At that very moment—
Shing.
A sharp, silver gleam flashed from Kalz’s hand. A sword. He silently pointed the tip toward the wolves. His simple yet flawlessly controlled stance revealed clearly that he was no stranger to the art of swordsmanship.
Honestly, wasn’t a lion using a sword a bit unfair? Of course, I was more than happy to welcome unfairness if it was in our favor during a crisis. It just felt a bit awkward because I’d naturally assumed he’d fight with claws or fangs. Then again, Kalz always kept his nails neatly trimmed, now that I thought about it.
Either way, the fight didn’t last long. Kalz had the clear advantage—he was bigger, stronger, and armed. The wolves didn’t stand a chance. After several attempts to rush him, ending each time with fresh wounds from Kalz’s sword, the wolves quickly lost heart and tucked their tails. Kalz growled a final warning at them.
“Leave now, and I won’t chase.”
Whine…
The wolves seemed to understand, retreating quietly into the darkness. Kalz watched closely until they’d completely disappeared, then finally sheathed his sword. As he turned toward me, I couldn’t help blurting out the question that had been nagging me.
“You can use a sword?”
“Seriously? It’s been hanging right in the middle of my room—haven’t you noticed?”
“I thought it was just for decoration.”
“Since you’re spouting nonsense again, you must not be seriously hurt.”
After quickly assessing my condition, Kalz sighed and held out his hand.
“Come on, get up. Let’s go home.”
“……”
“I get that you’re still upset, but save your stubbornness for later. This isn’t the time.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what?”
“…I can’t move. My legs won’t work.”
It was humiliating to admit out loud, but it couldn’t be helped. Standing in the freezing cold for hours, sprinting until my heart nearly burst from encountering a bear, and then barely escaping wolves—I was completely drained, both physically and mentally. My legs simply refused to hold me up anymore. Embarrassed, I lowered my head. Kalz awkwardly scratched his chin, then turned around and squatted down.
“Get on.”
“Huh? N-no need.”
“So, you’d rather sit here all night?”
“Just give me a minute, I’ll walk on my—”
“The longer we stay, the more animals we’ll attract with the smell of blood.”
“Understood, excuse me then!”
Remembering the bear from earlier, I hastily wrapped my arms around his neck. What else could I do? Bears tore people apart.
Kalz’s broad back and sturdy arms made for an unexpectedly comfortable ride. Even while navigating the rough mountain path, it felt as smooth as walking down a paved street. Leaning into his warm back and thawing my frozen cheeks, I couldn’t hold back another question.
“By the way, why did you call me that earlier?”
“Call you what?”
“You called me Bell.”
“Is there something wrong with that? It’s no big deal.”
If it was really “no big deal,” why were his ears twitching like that? This man seriously couldn’t lie to save his life.
“When did you find out that my nickname was Bell?”
“…A few months ago, when an injured merchant visited my castle and joined me for dinner.”
“Wait, who…? My father?”
Then he’d known before I even arrived at the castle.
“Your drunk father spent the whole evening boasting about his beautiful, thoughtful third child named Bell. Naturally, I assumed he was talking about a daughter.”
“I see. But then why haven’t you called me that until now?”
“What a strange thing to ask. Since when were we close enough to use nicknames?”
He had a point, annoyingly. Still, hearing that made me want to punch him, just a little.
“So, what, we’re suddenly that close now? Because no one told me.”
“It slipped out in the heat of the moment. It’s shorter and easier to shout.”
“Ah, I see. So you called my nickname because you were worried I’d get hurt, but we’re still not close enough to use nicknames, right?”
“……”
“You’re carrying me on your back because I can’t walk, yet we’re still not close enough for nicknames, huh?”
Even though I pestered him persistently, no further answer came. It wasn’t even fun teasing him when I couldn’t see his face. Pouting, I let out a dramatically heavy sigh.
“I suppose it makes sense. After all, I drunkenly kissed you once and got kicked out—expecting nicknames is asking too much.”
“I never kicked you out.”
Ah, that earned an immediate response.
“Oh, please! Stop lying. You literally shouted at me to leave immediately if I kept acting as I pleased!”
“…Fine. Just stop choking me, unless you prefer falling.”
“Oh—sorry.”
In my agitation at Kalz’s denial, I hadn’t realized my fingers were tightening around his neck. Embarrassed, I quickly adjusted my grip, resting my hands on his shoulders and leaning my head against his back again.
“You nearly burst my eardrums back then. I went to apologize, and all you did was yell at me.”
“…I didn’t mean what I said that time.”
“Then why say it at all?”
“That’s…”
I wanted to wait for his answer, but my eyelids were growing unbearably heavy. The tension drained from my body completely, replaced by warmth and exhaustion. Maybe it was because the adrenaline had faded or simply because I was nestled against something warm, but keeping my eyes open was impossible. As sleep overtook me, I faintly heard Kalz’s voice through the haze.
“…I’m sorry.”
With that final memory, I drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
