Fox (5)
"Delicious...!"
"Warm food... I haven't had this in so long!"
"You're the best, mister!"
The children melted, their cheeks cupped in their hands.
The fox children, mouths full of food, moved their utensils with happy expressions.
The table was laden, its legs groaning under the weight.
A feast for the eyes: warm beef stew, stacks of juicy steak, soft, fluffy bread, and more.
"So good... I think I'm gonna cry."
"M-me too."
"The mean men in the basement... they would hit us if we said we were hungry..."
"And it was so cold. But it's warm here."
"Sob..."
The starving children devoured their food.
They were at the age where they were always hungry. They had spent a long time in that dark prison, barely getting enough to eat.
The little foxes chewed with gusto.
Fortunately, they seemed to enjoy everything and ate a balanced meal.
It was heartwarming to see them happily picking at their vegetables.
A strange tenderness bloomed in my chest as I watched them eat with such relish.
"Take your time, everyone. There's plenty more food."
I said with a gentle smile.
My gaze remained on the dining table, but my hands moved quickly, skillfully wielding the kitchen knife.
My culinary skills were as sharp as ever.
And everyone seemed to enjoy the food.
Even Irene, who had initially eyed everything with suspicion, as if checking for poison, was now diligently emptying her plate.
"...Why are you staring at me like that?"
"It's nothing."
I let out a small, proud chuckle.
Irene seemed to assess the situation for a moment before turning her attention back to the fragrant stew.
The tail behind her swayed happily.
'As expected... the first step to taming is to fill their bellies.'
I muttered to myself, making sure no one could hear.
Just now, what I had pulled out of the drawer was none other than a pink apron.
"As expected, children like that are... a bit bothersome."
=Seeing the children cry like that... it breaks my heart.
"They need a little... correction."
=We need to lend a helping hand.
"I didn't want to go this far... but this is what happens when you inconvenience me."
=Cooking myself is a bit of a bother... but I'll do my best for you.
"Don't worry, everyone. I'm sure you'll enjoy this."
=Don't worry, I'm a good cook. I'm sure it will be delicious.
I confidently tied the apron around my waist and headed to the kitchen, immediately starting to prepare the meal.
It had been a while since I last cooked.
But it seemed my body remembered; my hands moved with practiced ease.
Well, considering who taught me, I'd be a shame if I couldn't even manage a simple meal like this.
'Good thing I learned well.'
As the delicious aroma filled the room, the children's cries subsided.
The evil mastermind presented the meal to the hungry children.
After all, a full stomach lowers one's guard.
This act of kindness must have seemed like a godsend to the hungry foxes.
Using food as a way to get close... the idea itself was terrifying, even if it was my own.
"Does everyone like the food?"
Hiding a sinister smile, I walked towards the dining table.
The little foxes were gathered there, huddled close together.
As the children noticed me approaching, their faces broke into wide smiles and they wagged their tails excitedly.
"It's delicious!!"
"Y-You're not like those mean men..."
As expected, children will be children.
It seemed their fear of me had vanished quickly.
I gently reached out and stroked the head of the nearest fox.
Very slowly.
A flinch.
A moment of trembling, a fragile shoulder tensing.
But then, the little fox accepted my touch.
As we were sharing that tender moment, an unexpected reaction followed.
The child's eyes welled up with tears.
"...Sniffle."
"Oh dear. Did you not like being petted? I apologize if I overstepped."
"N-No..."
The little fox shook its head at my question.
Wiping away the tears, the child mumbled in a choked voice,
"This... this is... it's been so long."
A short sentence, yet laden with emotion.
"I suddenly felt like crying, hic, I can't stop. The food is so good... and that makes me so sad."
"..."
II waited patiently.
It must have been difficult for them.
Trapped in a cold basement, enduring hunger pangs, swallowing tears, despairing over the future, and repeating the agony of resignation.
It was too cruel a wound for a young child to bear.
'How pitiful.'
I sympathized in silence.
To think that they were punished simply for the crime of fate, how unfair the world was.
A flower blooming with the blood of adult wickedness.
The name of the memory rooted in its beginning is sorrow.
Until just yesterday, these children were confined in cages.
They had given up all hope.
And then a miracle happened. They escaped the cold floor and were able to share a warm meal with their friends.
A sense of dissonance rooted in deep relief.
Perhaps that was the reason for the flowing tears.
"It's alright now."
I offered words of comfort, my tone matter-of-fact.
"No one can hurt you anymore."
The little fox hung its head.
I soothed the child and forced a playful tone, "Come now! Good children don't cry. You have to stop."
"Sniffle... Okay."
"The food's getting cold. It's best when it's warm."
"Yes..."
The little fox whimpered and picked up its fork.
As expected, children's hearts are easily swayed with a little kindness.
It's a shame, really.
They shouldn't be opening up to an evil mastermind like me so easily.
I'll have to make them regret it.
"Eat up, everyone. There's plenty more where that came from."
A mountain of food piled high on the table.
This was it, my ultimate move.
-The-Eat-A-Little-More-It's-Grandma's-Wish Punch-
And so, I fed the children until they could eat no more and lay sprawled on the floor.
***
They cried, they laughed, they were wary, and then, they let their guard down.
After such a rollercoaster of emotions, the children eventually drifted off to sleep.
They must have been exhausted.
They had eaten until their bellies were round, after all.
One or two of them closed their eyes, and then they were all out like a light.
'...They must be tired.'
The fatigue from their time at the auction house probably hadn't worn off yet.
They were at a sensitive and anxious age, but I was relieved that most of them seemed to have opened up to me.
"Good children."
The words slipped out unconsciously.
As I carefully carried each sleeping fox to bed, a voice chimed in beside me.
"I'll help."
It was Irene.
The girl approached and silently assisted me.
Whether she still harbored suspicions about me, I couldn't tell, but every time I lifted a child, she would shoot me a wary look.
I clicked my tongue playfully.
"As I said, I haven't done anything yet."
"I know."
"And I don't intend to, either."
"That remains to be seen."
"I see that's how it is, then?"
Taming someone really is difficult.
With a quiet murmur, I placed the last child in my arms onto the bed.
Gently, so as not to wake them.
As I was tucking the foxes in, I felt a gaze upon me.
"..."
The girl watched me silently.
Her usually cold expression held a mix of complex emotions.
She almost seemed confused.
'Have I been too nice?'
From Irene's perspective, this must all seem very strange.
A man she had just met yesterday was showing her and the other children inexplicable kindness.
Perhaps she was right to be wary.
'Actually... considering she's been kidnapped by an evil mastermind, being wary is probably the right reaction.'
I chuckled to myself, pushing the absurd thought away.
As I gazed at the peacefully sleeping children, Irene spoke first.
"You're surprisingly..."
"Surprisingly what?"
"You seem to like children. I thought you would grimace and say they were annoying."
"That would be absurd."
If anything, I was closer to liking them.
I enjoyed the innocence that was unique to children.
Their pure, untainted hearts were a stark contrast to the grime and dirt of the adult world. I envied that.
It was something I had longed for, for a very long time.
"However, I won't get attached."
"...Well, thanks anyway. You did save us from that hellhole."
"Don't mention it."
"And thanks for the meal. It was delicious."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Your compliments are most appreciated."
We exchanged a few more pleasantries.
I quietly observed the girl. Her clear, black eyes were fixed solely on the children.
A tender atmosphere filled the room.
-I don't trust anyone.
Lost in thought for a moment, a scene flashed before my eyes.
It was from the middle of the original story.
The part where I had first uploaded the gameplay video.
It was the story featured in the first side story episode, [The Untamed Fox].
-Fail!
According to the original storyline, Irene would be sold into slavery at the auction house.
Subjected to cruel treatment at the hands of the nobles, she would eventually snap, killing her owner and escaping.
The girl would become a wanderer, lost and alone.
And it was during that time of despair that a fateful encounter would take place.
-Who are you? You're very beautiful.
The First Princess of the Empire, Charlotte Little von Staufen.
Charlotte, the girl who played the role of the Little Prince in the story, would find Irene.
-Come with me.
Recognizing Irene's talent, Charlotte would take her in and make her her personal attendant.
The Little Prince would care for the fox, and the fox would depend on the Little Prince. They would become the best of friends.
It seemed like a peaceful life awaited them... but then...
-I heard the news today.
-About the other children who were trapped with me... they're all dead.
One day, news would arrive that would drastically darken the mood of the story.
The fox would turn to the Little Prince and say,
-They died in all sorts of horrible ways. Abuse, torture, taxidermy, even butchered for meat...
-Every single one of them, a miserable end.
Tears would stream down her face.
But those tears weren't just filled with sadness. They were filled with a deep, agonizing guilt.
The girl would lament,
-You're taking away even the little that I had left.
They were the only hope I had left after Master passed away.
-I couldn't protect them.
-Those children who believed in me, even in that cold, dark cage... they all met such horrific ends...
-And here I am, shamelessly alive.
The episode would end with the fox's despair.
It wasn't part of the main storyline, but rather a hidden episode that could only be unlocked by taking a specific route.
And I was the first one to discover it.
I still remember the reactions when I uploaded the video.
'Half of the viewers were amazed at how I found it, and the other half were heartbroken by Irene's story.'
Irene, who had always seemed so strong and unyielding.
It was a scene that shattered her image, and it had quite an impact on the players.
I felt a sense of pride.
After all, I was the one who prevented that event from happening.
'The original story might be changing... but that's a problem for future me.'
For now, I felt I deserved a little celebration.
I had prevented Irene's tragic fate, and in doing so, I had also created an opportunity to get closer to the main characters.
A feeling of satisfaction washed over me.
But I was pulled out of my thoughts by the fox's voice.
"I don't understand."
"Huh... What?"
"You. I can't figure you out at all."
Confused by her sudden statement, I turned to look at her. Her eyes were fixed on me intently.
Her calm, black pupils reminded me of stars.
After a moment of silence, the girl continued,
"...You said you wanted something from me, right?"
"Hmm?"
"You said you were going to tame me."
"Ah, yes, I believe I did say that."
It finally came back to me, and I nodded.
So she did remember. I thought she might have brushed it off, considering I had only mentioned it in passing.
"That's right. That's why I brought you, Irene."
"Is it really that important to you?"
"Of course."
My answer was clear and concise. However, the girl's expression only grew more puzzled.
She asked quietly,
"What does it mean... to tame someone?"
She questioned the meaning of taming.
Her bold question gave me pause. I pondered the meaning internally.
To tame something.
It was a value long forgotten by many.
But even so, it was still a shining beacon in my life.
I answered without hesitation,
"To tame is... to form a bond."
"...?"
A moment of silence hung between us, our contrasting gazes locked.
"What?"
"I intend to form a bond with you. To tame you to my liking."
"..."
I had laid bare the definition of "taming" in its simplest form. I thought I had conveyed my true feelings honestly, but Irene's reaction was... unexpected.
Her bewildered expression shifted into one of disgust.
Her brows furrowed, and her eyes held a look of disdain.
The fox girl took a few steps back, then muttered in a chilling voice,
"...You piece of trash." [T/N: Lol]
Her gaze was as if she were looking at something utterly repulsive.
Irene hugged herself, the guard she had momentarily let down snapping back into place.
I could only stare back blankly.
"Huh...?"
Had I said something wrong?
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Oh, it got updated, thx
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