Love is the sustenance of the heart for women.
To receive love, they adorn their appearance and correct their behavior.
The certainty of being loved boosts confidence and becomes a source that fills inner anxiety and emptiness.
In love, they feel special and valued, bringing vitality to their lives.
The sensation of being loved is more than simple happiness; it acts as a form of certification that instills confidence in their worth.
In other words, a woman who does not receive love is like a flower without water, slowly wilting away.
“Ueheh… Ju-in…”
Here lies a fox girl.
Her pink ears droop listlessly, and her nine tails hang down lifelessly.
Face buried in the fluffy ground like clouds, her body is gently embraced. Yet, this does not provide any comfort to the girl.
Like a pet that becomes gloomy when separated from its owner, the fox girl is also depressed due to being apart from her master. Of course, in her case, it isn’t a pet and owner relationship, but rather slave and master.
The girl’s name is Lin.
Her outward appearance is just that of a cute little fox, but in reality, she is a once world-threatening fox deity, a Gumiho.
The original form of a Gumiho is closer to that of a mature woman. However, now she appears no different from a naive child.
“Ju-in is a liar… saying being a slave is bad. It’s worse that Lin isn’t a slave anymore…”
And even though a promise was made to grant her spirit after defeating the White Nine-Tailed Fox, it was not fulfilled, and she disappeared completely.
It’s reaping what you sow. Of course, Lin holds most of the shares, but there were other reasons for this situation as well.
“Master is a busy person. Crying won’t make them return.”
This is due to the maid girl who is engrossed in reading next to Lin.
She was subdued by the sudden appearance of the maid girl while causing a ruckus over a trivial reason to monopolize her master. While preventing Lin from going wild, Carami was whisked away.
It’s hard to believe that a maid subdued a Gumiho. Yet she is, in a sense, the strongest maid in the world.
Because she is the top master of mages, the Great Witch.
Mirabel.
That’s the name of the maid girl.
The thick tome Mirabel is reading is an omnipotent book that combines the universe of infinite knowledge and the Akashic Records. It contains the beginning and end of the world, and perhaps even the secrets of this realm.
Lin does not like Mirabel. No, she clearly dislikes her. More than anyone who stole precious food, even a cat person from days gone by.
“Lin wants to see Ju-in! It’d be easy to go, so why stop me!”
Well, that’s because they don’t let you go see the master!
You are a greater villain than a Gumiho!
“If Lin doesn’t smell Ju-in, she’ll catch a disease and die!”
“It’s alright. I will resurrect you, so feel free to die peacefully.”
“If there’s no Ju-in, Lin can’t sleep!”
“Ah, that’s the same for me as well.”
There’s no sign of giving in at all.
How can such a monster-like girl exist in this world?
This isn’t a game; the power balance is absurd.
If Mirabel wasn’t Carami’s slave, or at least if Lin also had shackles around her soul, it would be a fight worth having.
Lin, unlike Mirabel, doesn’t know how to put on shackles herself.
“Don’t you want to see Ju-in at all!”
“I want to see him very much.”
“Then let’s go find him!”
“That’s not possible. I have already disappointed Master. I can’t go find him first. Only when Master acknowledges my worth again and needs my existence will I visit.”
“Ugh.”
Such a stubborn maid.
Lin feels like she could die of frustration.
“Initially, you were an adult just the other day. Why are you acting like a child now?”
Mirabel strikes at the heart of the matter, but Lin doesn’t flinch. Instead, she tilts her head as if to say, “What nonsense are you saying?”
“It’s basic shape-shifting to act according to one’s changed body, right? And there’s no original form for a Gumiho. This is also Lin’s true form.”
Right now, Lin is in the form she had as a Sanmiho. A girl of similar stature to Mirabel. The only thing that changed is that she has nine tails now.
Lin insists on the form of Sanmiho among the many shapes she can take because this form holds many good memories with Carami.
There was no other reason.
“Then you can stay here! Why on earth are you stopping Lin from going to meet Ju-in!”
“I am Master’s maid. I was told to keep you here. What are you to Master?”
“Li, Lin is…”
Not a maid…
She wants to claim she’s a slave, but the shackles have disappeared.
The only thing that comes to Lin’s mind is…
“Pe, pet?”
“…?”
At Lin’s blunt reply, Mirabel is for the first time pulled away from her book. It seems there’s an opening in Lin’s odd eyes.
“That’s right! Lin is Ju-in’s pet! It’s only natural for a pet to want to be by its master’s side!”
“Managing your master’s pet is also the role of a maid.”
“Ugh.”
There’s no escape from the predator.
She truly is a hunter specializing in foxes.
Now, Lin, tired of whining, buried her face back into the cloud.
With a shallow sigh, Mirabel squinted her eyes and looked at her with pity.
“Why not do something instead? You never know, if you raise your value, Master might need you and come looking for you.”
“Lin doesn’t know about that.”
You’re already a Gumiho; how can you increase your value here?
Lin gave up on the conversation.
Talking to her yields no results.
Morgana, who was watching the dialogue between the two god-like girls, chuckles. With eyes shaped like crescents, she glances at Yu Hwa across from her.
“Yu Hwa. You always said Gumiho was dangerous, but it turns out there’s nothing to it? Not even a whimper against our Master.”
“Hmm…”
“Well, it’s probably the difference in level between a direct descendant witch and a yokai.”
Morgana savors a sense of victory that feels palpable amidst the girls’ quarrel. She elegantly sips coffee, lifting her pinky finger. It tastes exceptionally sweet today.
Yu Hwa, sipping tea quietly, feels strangely bitter today.
Wooooo.
In the undulating space of the dream realm.
Hekbi enters, swaying her black tail.
Her hands are full of documents.
“Yu Hwa.”
“What is it?”
After the power of Cheon-ho vanished, Yu Hwa entrusted the guild to Hekbi. It was already a challenging situation, and without Cheon-ho’s strength, both her physical and mental capacities were not what they used to be.
As Hekbi had finished her own affairs in Heukwolsah, she took over the guild from Yu Hwa. Hekbi was a yokai, and her intelligence matched or surpassed Yu Hwa’s.
Of course, since she was still inexperienced in many ways, she often came to consult Yu Hwa.
“About the spirit rental contract you had with the Traur Kingdom previously, the elf from the guild has come to inform you.”
“Ah, right. That was a thing.”
It was the largest contract Yu Hwa had undertaken before stepping down from her position as the guild master.
With the help of spirits closely connected to nature, the land could be made much more fertile. They could maximize everything, including crop growth, yields, and quality.
To think of renting such spirits at a high price; an impressive plan indeed.
“Was it the Death God’s guild?”
A newly established guild that hadn’t even been around for half a year. Yet now, it had become the top guild of the kingdom. Yu Hwa couldn’t help but admire the business acumen of the Death God’s guild master.
“What were you going to say?”
“Well, the elf from the guild is said to be arriving at Vestia soon, so I came to inform you.”
“No need to report every little thing. You are the guild master now.”
“I don’t really want to…”
When Yu Hwa caught Hekbi’s gaze, it was as if to say she was passing the buck by claiming she didn’t want to do it, prompting Yu Hwa to clear her throat.
“Ahem, consider it all experience. It will all be useful when you grow up.”
“I’m already a yokai who has lived for hundreds of years. I feel I have lived enough and experienced enough.”
“But why do you keep saying ‘I’ and ‘I’? Shouldn’t you be saying ‘Grandma’ instead? Should I call you ‘Grandma’ now?”
“…”
Hekbi fell silent.
No matter how long she lives, she dislikes being called a grandma.
Hekbi wants to stay a girl for her entire life.
“Little blackie.”
Who dares call the great Hekbi ‘little blackie’?
Hekbi looked down for a while. Lin had rolled over and was gazing up at her from under her feet. Hekbi let out a sigh involuntarily.
“…What’s wrong, Lin?”
“Lin wants to try business too.”
“Why do you suddenly want to do business?”
“Ju-in loves money. If Lin earns a lot, he will be happy.”
“I’ll give you money, so just stay still.”
“No! Why does everyone stop Lin from doing anything! Lin wants to do something too!”
“Ugh…”
Hekbi let out a big sigh.
Covering her eyes with her hand.
Fatigue overwhelmed her.
If the past Gumiho had been selfish and possessed kingly qualities, Lin is just a foolish little child. Crying and rolling on the floor at the drop of a hat.
Isn’t this what it feels like to raise a child? It makes Carami, who tamed such Lin, seem even more impressive.
“What kind of business do you want to start?”
“I don’t know!”
“At least you should have something you want to do to accept help from us.”
“Hmm…”
Lin, pulling on her lips while deep in thought. It seems that after turning into a child through shape-shifting, her intelligence has also declined. Or perhaps it was the shock of her master leaving that caused this to happen.
Since Hekbi looked incredibly tired, Yu Hwa subtly intervened.
“How about trying a fortune-telling shop?”
“A fortune-telling shop?”
“You’re a yokai, after all. You should be able to tell fortunes.”
“Woooh. Genius hag?”
“Haah…”
With that kind of attitude.
Yu Hwa sighed as well.
Lin sprang up excitedly.
She finally had something she wanted to do.
“It’s decided! Lin will become the king of fortune-tellers!”
