"You're not a beastman, are you?"
Sunny's sudden question made Dog Bro visibly stiffen...
"I knew it..." Looking at Dog Bro's expression, Sunny wore a smug smile.
That mischievous smile made Dog Bro's heart jump, and he almost instinctively asked, "How did you know?"
"I'm not telling you!!" Sunny proudly ran to the door and stuck out her tongue at Dog Bro.
Dog Bro froze for a moment, staring blankly at her as she left. Yet he felt no urgency at all from being exposed, because he knew she was the kindest girl in the world and would never hurt him...
But for some reason, an inexplicable unease rose in his heart...
"She's exactly the same as that silly girl from before..." As Sunny walked down the road, the corners of her mouth curved slightly upward, and her eyes were filled with amusement. Her mind kept replaying every move of that silly boy she had mentioned.
She was now certain that the big fellow was not some beastman, nor had he come because he owed her mother a great debt and wanted to repay it after traveling thousands of miles. He had come for her—for her alone...
The discovery filled her with delight and satisfaction...
Many days ago, when she had learned that something had happened in the imperial capital where Xim was, she had no idea how many times she had cried. There were too few people in this world who cared about her—so few that she would have traded anything to ensure their safety.
With that, the young girl suddenly reached a corner, leaned her back against the wall, and slowly sank to the ground. A distinct, feeble pallor appeared on her face as she murmured, "That silly boy must have suffered a lot after turning into