I feel like I’ve just woken up after a very long sleep.
What can I say? It feels like Snow White, who was awakened by the kiss of a queen instead of a prince, after being jabbed by a dwarf.
If you don’t understand this nonsense, then you’ve grasped it exactly. It means I have no idea what’s going on either.
“Ugh.”
I struggled to lift my heavy body. I held my dizzy head and looked around.
On the side table, there was an aromatic candle that smelled of herbal medicine. The room looked just like an inn from a martial arts story; it was unmistakably Yu Hwa’s Celestial Pavilion.
Why am I here? I vaguely remember getting hit by the claws of a Blood Wolf in the Dark Night Forest. After that, it’s all a blur.
Then, wasn’t it Lin who brought me to the Celestial Pavilion? She must have thought that Yu Hwa could heal me. This seems like the most plausible guess.
“Ugh….”
A sigh escaped my lips as I got out of bed. There was no strength in my legs. It felt as if I had been lying in bed for several weeks.
‘Is it because my belly was stabbed?’
When I slightly lifted my shirt, I saw a grotesque scar on my left abdomen. No wonder I couldn’t muster any strength.
That said, I can’t believe the wound healed completely in just one day. Yu Hwa, if nothing else, handles sorcery incredibly well.
‘I hope Lin grows up quickly like that too.’
I tidied up my clothes and somehow crawled out of bed into the outside. This is a separate space for lodging. The atmosphere was strangely serene.
I looked around and just walked towards where my feet were headed. What I discovered while wandering around the upper floors was not dog meat… but Ho Yeon.
“Ho Yeon.”
“Ka, Carami-nim?”
Thanks to passing Yu Hwa’s test, I received a free pass to the Celestial Pavilion. Because of this, I could be considered a distinguished guest at the Celestial Pavilion.
But why is that? The way Ho Yeon looks at me is as if she saw a ghost rather than a distinguished guest.
“You’ve woken up!”
“Yes, well. I’m awake, so I guess I’ll be walking around?”
And with that, she fussed. Anyone would think a vegetable had just woken up.
“How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
“I do feel a bit strange, but it’s not a problem.”
“Thank goodness. Ah, the Elder asked me to bring you to her as soon as you wake up. I will guide you.”
“That’s fine. I’m not new here, and you must be busy, so please continue your work.”
I skillfully found Yu Hwa’s office, the heaven. Her sorcery was only during my first visit; since then, she had settled quite well in her place.
Just between Lin and me. Sometimes, we traveled the same route as the staff, but once I regained my senses, we were the only ones who arrived properly. She was equally merciless to her own staff.
‘If she goes senile, she’ll regret being alone for the rest of her life.’
Of course, I hope Lin will live a long life before she becomes a Gumiho.
Lost in thought, I quickly arrived in front of the office. As I opened the door and entered, the familiar sky welcomed me, complete with Yu Hwa drinking tea on a cloud.
“Cheon Ho-nim.”
“Oh, you’ve finally woken up.”
“Thanks to your treatment, Cheon Ho-nim. I owe you a favor. Where is Gran Da Lin? I didn’t see her in the room; is she here?”
“That’s right. She was practicing. Just finishing up…”
Yu Hwa’s words trailed off. For a split second, I didn’t miss the gaze of her pupils drifting behind me. Lin was undoubtedly planning to pull a prank from behind.
Thud.
A soft touch covered my eyes and obscured my vision. Look at that. Lin is up to her tricks again… what is this?
‘Her hand seems a bit large, though.’
Moreover, given Lin’s height, she’d have to jump to cover my eyes, but her hand remained fixed, not moving an inch. It looks like she’s reaching out from her place.
“Whooo~ is it?”
This voice is similar to Lin’s yet subtly different. More mature? If Lin grew up, this might be her voice, but it doesn’t suit her right now.
“…Who are you?”
“It’s been a while since I heard my master’s voice. Are you saying that to me, Lin?”
“Lin…?”
“Wrong.”
The hand that was obscuring my view dropped, and my body turned around. In front of me stood a pink-furred fox girl.
“The answer is the most lovable Lin in the world.”
Wagging five tails.
*
“So you’re saying I collapsed not yesterday but a month ago?”
“Pretty much.”
While I was deeply shocked, Yu Hwa casually sipped tea as if it were no big deal. It seems these species struggle with a sense of time, no matter where they are.
‘A month… Unbelievable.’
I still can’t grasp it. I was wondering why my legs were trembling; it seems weird to walk fine after lying in bed for a month.
No, my trembling legs are not the main issue, especially compared to Lin, who has wrapped her arms around me so tightly.
Five pink, swaying tails. Suddenly, Lin has turned into a Gumiho while I was out cold. The plump Lin has grown into a beautiful girl.
Roughly in middle school?
It’s great that Lin grew up. She blossomed beautifully and adorably.
But… but…!
‘I wanted to see Lin’s growth process!’
This feeling of loss is inexpressible. It’s akin to losing a country, perhaps even more.
Lin suddenly shoved her face into my view.
“How’s that, master? Lin has grown a lot, hasn’t she? Isn’t she pretty?”
“Not ‘master,’ but ‘juin’…”
“Hehe, Master, that’s a way outdated way of speaking! It was when Lin was super young.”
“No, it was just a month ago…”
“Really, Master~ A lady’s past should never be questioned?”
Wow, look at her talk.
The world is truly doomed.
It seems she has learned not just sorcery but also the cunningness of a fox while being with Yu Hwa. Her seductive gaze and tone of voice have changed remarkably.
The pure Lin is forever lost to the past.
“Master… Is it really that bad? Is Lin weird?”
Perhaps reading my troubled expression, a shadow crossed Lin’s face.
I know this isn’t how I should feel. I anticipated she would grow up eventually, but it all happened so suddenly that I just can’t cope.
What’s more, it’s not just her height that changed, but her entire image.
Yet, no matter how she’s transformed, Lin is still Lin. The fact that she is my slave hasn’t changed. As her master, I must cherish her with unwavering affection.
“It’s absolutely not like that. I’ve just woken up after a long time, so I have much on my mind. You’ve grown beautifully.”
“Right? I knew my master would say that. Hehe.”
Lin leaned her head toward me, lowering her ears side to side to make it easier for me to pet her. Though her appearance has changed, this part remains the same.
I stroked Lin’s hair. She seemed pleased, as her five tails danced joyfully.
“How nauseating. You two should go to your home and do that.”
“That was the plan anyway. I’ve been out too long.”
I also need to check on the cat café and meet Seira. She might be worried, but she would still have her concerns after suddenly disappearing.
Well, Seira is quite dependable. There shouldn’t be any problems. She must be doing just fine.
I left the Celestial Pavilion.
I can somehow manage my status as a Gumiho, but five tails are an entirely different matter. It would be like advertising, “I’m about to become a Gumiho~.”
Fortunately, Lin has perfectly mastered transformation magic, so she can even adjust the number of tails. Lin walked around with only one tail remaining.
The place I found was Seira’s home.
“Where did the house go?”
But there’s no house. Not just absent, but it was completely gone. There should definitely have been Seira’s house in this spot, but now only an empty lot remained.
I caught a passing cow lady and asked. She was the one who used to bring milk to Seira.
“Excuse me. Was there a house for Seira here?”
“A house? It suddenly collapsed a month ago. I thought it was struck by lightning. Come to think of it, weren’t Seira and someone else living together? Where have they gone?”
“Due to certain circumstances… do you know where Seira went?”
“Well, I don’t know. She looked blank, just carrying a bag and headed somewhere. Maybe she went to an inn or a dormitory?”
After the cow lady shared the information, she entered her house. I quickly finished the freshly milked milk she gave me.
Wiping away the milk from my mouth, I thought for a moment. A month ago matched the time of my collapse, meaning something else must have happened while I was passed out.
“Lin, do you know anything about it?”
“Seira crushed her own house.”
“Her own house?”
“I was really surprised… She almost died!”
Her completely unexpected statement leaves me speechless. There’s no reason to destroy one’s own home unless she received disaster insurance or was given funding for reconstruction.
After thinking it over, I recalled that the incident happened on the day of the full moon. Given that Seira is a Werewolf, perhaps she went rogue under the moon’s influence.
‘If I don’t know where she’s gone, I can’t find her right now.’
Well, if I go to the immigration office or the border where Seira works, I might run into her, but that direction is completely opposite. Before heading there, I should stop by the cat café.
Thus, I sought out the cat café. Thankfully, contrary to my fears, it was operating normally and looked the same as it did a month ago.
The cat people who spotted me after a month were startled.
“Proprietor! Where have you been all this time?”
“I was unwell and have just returned. Was everything alright while I was gone?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, except for the dog people and cat moms causing a fuss.”
“That sounds like good news.”
A cat café isn’t a place that requires specialization; everyone there is a cat person who can express themselves. It’s a good thing that the place can run without a proprietor.
“Proprietor! I missed you so much.”
The one who greeted me with a distinctly affectionate demeanor compared to the other cat people was Persi. She saw me as some kind of savior since I rescued her from the alley.
As predicted, Persi tried to cling to me.
Swoosh.
A pink tail blocks the space between Persi and me.
“Lin?”
Lin subtly pulls me back. The warm smile she had been showing me has vanished, replaced by a fierce glare directed at Persi.
“I’m Lin’s master. Don’t come any closer.”
