The children chewed with their small mouths and enjoyed the meal.

“Sister, I’m done eating!”

Zion said with a proud face, sticking out a cleaned empty bowl.

“Good job. You’re not picky. Whose brother listens so well?”

I tapped Zion’s butt*. It was time to take the empty bowl.

^{(T/n: It’s really his butt lol)}

‘Oh, my God, that’s crazy!’

My face turned into a shock. Perhaps happy with the compliment, Zion’s ears popped out.

I opened my mouth without any time to control my facial expression.

“Ears!”

“Huh?”

“Ears!”

I tried to explain this situation with minimal facial muscles. Do something wrong, and Ruby might find out he is a wolf. I keep forgetting and didn’t take into account the rivalry between the wolf and the dragon, but I didn’t let my guard down once I remembered, since, I had no idea what to do.

Zion, who felt my gaze and saw my hand gestures, put his ears away with a sad face. I quickly looked at Ruby. Fortunately, her gaze was fixed on the bowl.

I quickly pulled Zion toward me. Then, I lowered my voice as low as I could and whispered.

“Why are you taking your ears out all of a sudden? Do you want to see me go crazy? I told you Ruby shouldn’t see it, right?

“But Ruby ····.”

It was time for Zion to continue his words with a look of injustice displayed across his face.

“Unnie, I’m done eating.”

Ruby, holding a clean emptied bowl, approached me. I quickly erased my embarrassment and smiled effortlessly

“Was it tasty? Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Ruby said so and approached Zion.

“Zion.”

“Uhhh.”

“Let’s play together.”

Ruby smiled broadly and pulled Zion’s arm. Zion looked between me and Ruby for a while, then slowly nodded.

It was a small house, but to the children, it was a huge playground. I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw them holdinghands. Ruby is following me diligently now, but once she finds her memory, she may change suddenly.

‘I’m glad we didn’t get caught. I have to be more careful in the future.’

I shivered, trying to erase my imagination.

* * *

The winter forest, where darkness had not yet cleared, was covered with a bluish morning light.

“Sister….”

Ruby, who had woken up, came to me. I said in a small voice, glancing at Zion, who was still in a deep slumber.

“Get some more sleep. I’ll be right back.”

“Yes, …. Don’t go. Sleep with me more.”

Ruby shook her head as if she were grumbling. Her cute voice made me smile.

“But if I don’t go now, I can’t make any money.”

When I spoke in a playful voice, Ruby blinked and asked.

“……Do you have to make a lot of money?”

“Yes. Your sister needs a lot of money.”

Tons of money.

“Why?”

As if the sleepiness had disappeared in a flash, Ruby asked in a curious voice.

Why not? To escape before you kill us in the future… I recalled the thoughts I had like I was listing off convictions, and suddenly stopped. Then, I looked down at the girl.

“….”

I reached out slowly and stroked Ruby’s head.

Black hair like the night sky scattered smoothly through my fingers. I was captured in the child’s red eyes. I said with a small smile.

“I’m going to make a lot of money and move to a better place.”

“… Moving?”

“Yes, I’ll have to be rich enough to move out, then eat and live well after moving out.”

I grinned as I said so. Then Ruby, who was gazing at me, hesitated and held out something. It was a small ring.

“What is this?”

“I picked it up in the forest.”

“Forest?”

“……I’m sorry. I shouldn’t go out recklessly ….”

Ruby murmured in a sullen voice.

“You went  without any memory, and you don’t know what the wolves will do to you.”

I spoke sternly.

“Ruby, you know, you were in an accident and you were alone in that cold forest. Someone might have attacked you. Besides, you don’t remember anything.”

Ruby nodded with a sullen face at my words. Ugh. I felt weak when I saw her downturned lips.

“… It’s not like I don’t know how you feel. Well, let’s do this. I’ll be back after finishing my work as soon as possible today. Why don’t you go out with Zion and have a snowball fight?”

Ruby’s face lit up in an instant when I said that. It was no exaggeration to say that it contained all the light of the world.

I picked up Ruby’s ring and put it on my hand. The ring looked so expensive that I wondered how she picked it up in the snow.

“Thank you. I’ll keep it safe.”

I smiled and thanked her. Then Ruby smiled and shook her head.

“Uh. Don’t keep it and sell it.”

“··· Huh?”

“Money.”

Ruby said so and rounded her thumb and index finger. It was a sign indicating money.

“That’s gonna be worth some money.”

“….”

Be honest with me. You didn’t lose your memory, did you? I swallowed my words and laughed.

“Well, yeah, it does look expensive.”

“Right?”

“Ruby gave me, uh, something to make money with?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. I’ll sell it well.”

Is it correct to answer a child like this…? I got up from my seat with a confused mind.

“I’ll be back.”

“Bye, sister.”

I raised my  hand with the ring and shook it. Ruby smiled and waved at me.

  * * *

Rachel yawned loudly. She had sleepy eyes and looked around her, but she couldn’t see her sister. Even today, her sister seemed to have gone out early for her business. No matter how much she slept, she was still asleep by the time her sister left. Perhaps it was because of the coldness of the North, which cools down the heat, Rachel, who had rubbed her eyes a few times, looked at the cooling fireplace.

“….”

She then glanced at Zion, who was still in a sweet dream.

Rachel, who carefully got up from her seat, approached the fireplace. One small hand spread out against the few remaining firewood. Then, a big fire began to burn. Is this enough? Rachel shook her hand like a worker who had just finished a big job.

‘Zion fell asleep, and sister went out too. Shall I take a look around?’

Rachel poked her head out through a small window. The forest covered with white snow was still quiet and still. The sound of the windows rattling in the occasional gust of wind and the sound of the wood burning could all be heard.

“….”

In Rachel’s red eyes, there was the dreamcatcher that Eve had bought for her, and Rachel reached out and fiddled with the feathers at the end of the dreamcatcher.

“Now you will only have good dreams.”

Rachel thought about what her older sister said. Having nice dreams. At first she didn’t believe what she said. No matter how hard she tried, those nightmares often bothered her. But her sister’s words became true. The nightmare that constantly haunted her did not appear anymore. Rachel stared at her dreamcatcher, and headed back to her bed. It smelled of winter that her sister had.

‘It’s cozy and comfortable, just like you.’

A smile came to Rachel’s mouth. The child blinked her eyes slowly. She was getting sleepy again.  Her eyes were completely closed and the children’s murmurs filled the small cabin.