The morning sun bathed the land in a gentle glow, casting long shadows over the open road. The cool breeze brushed against Hazuki’s face, carrying the scent of fresh grass and morning dew.
For once—he felt refreshed.
With his hands behind his head, he walked leisurely along the path, humming a light tune.
"Yep... this is nice."
The road ahead stretched endlessly, winding through rolling hills and scattered trees. The sky was clear, the birds were singing, and best of all—
Nobody was chasing him.
"Let’s hope I find a place today. A town or sothing..."
He yawned, stretching his arms.
"Would be nice to sleep in a real bed instead of... well, the damn dirt."
Still—there was no rush.
For once, Hazuki actually enjoyed the journey. The way the sunlight danced across the landscape, the distant mountains standing tall like silent guardians—this world, for all its bullshit, was kinda nice.
He smirked.
Then—a small thought crept into his mind.
"Heh... wonder what Ellyn is doing right now."
He chuckled to himself. His smile lingered a little longer than usual as he continued walking, disappearing into the horizon.
Achiu!
Ellyn sneezed, her cat ears twitching slightly. She sniffled, rubbing her nose before looking around the lavishly decorated room. Sunlight filtered through the elegant curtains, casting a warm glow on the neatly arranged furniture.
Nearby, a maid carefully brushed her hair, moving with the practiced grace of a seasoned attendant. The maid paused, glancing at her through the mirror.
"Princess Ellyna? What’s wrong?"
Ellyn blinked, tilting her head.
"Hmmm? Oh, nothing~"
The maid raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Then—she noticed Ellyn’s soft smile.
"What’s with that look?" the maid asked, continuing to brush.
Ellyn closed her eyes for a mont, her tail swaying lazily. Then—she grinned mischievously.
"Ah, nothing~"
Her smile widened, her fingers lightly tapping her cheek.
"Just wondering what a certain ’Uncle’ is doing right now."
The maid sighed, shaking her head.
"You really are attached to that man, huh...?"
Ellyn simply giggled, her eyes twinkling with amusent.
"Maybe~"
Deep down—she knew. Sowhere out there, Hazuki was probably complaining, running for his life, or making trouble for himself.
And honestly? That thought made her morning even better.
Ellyn gazed out the window, her eyes reflecting the morning light. The warm breeze ruffled the curtains, carrying the faint scent of flowers from the royal garden.
She rested her chin on her palm, her tail flicking lazily.
"I hope you don’t cause too much trouble, Uncle..." she thought, sighing softly.
Knowing him... he was probably running from sothing, getting into fights, or sohow making enemies without even trying.
A small giggle escaped her lips.
The maid raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Then—Ellyn lifted her gaze toward the clear blue sky.
"I wonder if Uncle misses ."
She pouted slightly, hugging her knees to her chest. She wasn’t lonely. No way. But still... the idea that Hazuki might not even be thinking about her felt... a little unfair.
"He better miss at least a little."
The maid behind her chuckled, overhearing her muttering to herself.
"Princess, if you miss him, why not go find him?"
Ellyn’s ears twitched. Then, she quickly shook her head, hiding her expression.
"W-What are you saying?! I don’t miss him! I was just... just wondering!"
The maid smirked knowingly.
"Of course, my lady. ’Just wondering.’"
Ellyn huffed, looking away. Yet, despite her words—her tail kept swaying happily.
Ellyn recalled the chaos from last night, the way her father’s loud voice nearly shook the palace walls. She sighed, massaging her temples as the mory replayed in her mind.
The Royal Palace – Last Night
"WHAT!?!? YOU MADE A PINKY PROMISE OATH?!"
King Lioness III’s booming voice echoed through the royal chamber. His golden hair bristled, and his sharp, lion-like eyes stared at his daughter in sheer disbelief.
Across from him, Ellyn sat calmly, sipping her tea as if nothing was wrong.
"With who?!" the King demanded.
Ellyn set her cup down gently.
"Umm... a certain human."
"HAAAAA!?!?"
The entire room went silent. The surrounding royal advisors and officer stood frozen, their eyes wide. So whispered nervously, exchanging glances. Queen ira, seated beside the King, simply sighed, rubbing her forehead.
anwhile, King Lioness III stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth.
"We have plenty of candidates from the Beastkin Kingdom! Your cousin—the strongest of the Tigerkin! The handso Lionkin prince! Or even the Duke’s son from the Catkin family! Yet you choose a human!?!?"
Ellyn tilted her head innocently.
"Well... it’s not like I chose him."
She slowly raised her hand, revealing the faint glow of her golden Absolute Eye.
"It’s this eye that chose."
King Lioness III froze, his expression darkening.
"Haaa... seriously? Your Absolute Eye?"
He sat back down, exhaling deeply. Then—his gaze sharpened.
"Fine. Then why didn’t you bring him here?! Introduce him to us!"
Ellyn twitched slightly.
"Well... errr..."
The King leaned forward.
"What?"
Ellyn quickly looked away, suddenly interested in the ceiling. The Queen narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Then—Mrs. Faria, Ellyn’s personal knight, stepped forward and knelt.
"Your Majesty..." she began carefully.
"Yes?" King Lioness III looked at her, expecting an answer.
Mrs. Faria cleared her throat.
"Princess Ellyna introduced herself and made the Pinky Promise with that human... well..." She paused. Then, with a straight face, she finished—"...in her child appearance."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?"
King Lioness III rubbed his temples, looking like he had aged ten years in just a few minutes.
"What a troubleso daughter you are..." he muttered, sighing heavily. His eyes locked onto Ellyn, who sat casually nibbling on a cookie, pretending she wasn’t the cause of his stress.
"You left the castle saying you had an important mission..." he said slowly, his voice filled with exhaustion.
Ellyn blinked innocently.
"And then—" he continued, gritting his teeth, "—you did that ’important mission’ while keeping up your child appearance!?"
Ellyn stopped nibbling.
"Err... Umm..." She awkwardly looked away.
The Queen sighed, shaking her head.
"Honestly, Ellyna, what are we supposed to do with you?"
"Haaa..." The King leaned back on his throne, staring at the ceiling. Then—he sat up sharply. His eyes darkened.
"Faria."
Mrs. Faria, still kneeling, straightened her posture.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
The King’s expression was serious.
"This human that Ellyn made a Pinky Promise with..." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Did he force her?"
The room grew tense. The nearby advisors stiffened, waiting for Mrs. Faria’s answer. Ellyn tilted her head, curious how Faria would respond.
Then—Faria slowly exhaled and replied with a straight face.
"No, Your Majesty."
She paused for effect. Then, calmly—
"More like... our princess was the one who forced him."
Silence.
The King blinked.
"...What?"
Mrs. Faria nodded, completely serious.
"Yes, Your Majesty." She adjusted her kneeling posture.
"She started asking him questions like a child asking an adult. Then, before he even knew what was happening—" She paused again, glancing at Ellyn. "—she lured him into accepting the Pinky Promise."
More silence.
The King’s mouth slightly opened. His tail twitched. His ears twitched. His eye twitched.
Then—
"HUHHHHH!?!?"
His shout shook the entire castle. Ellyn took another bite of her cookie, unfazed.
"It’s not my fault Uncle is so easy to trick."
The King looked like he was about to explode.
"ELLYNA!!!"
Present Ti – Ellyn’s Room
Ellyn let out a quiet giggle, hugging her pillow.
"Father really lost it."
She rolled onto her side, looking out the window again.
"I wonder what Uncle is doing now..."
Her eyes shimred with curiosity.
"Probably still being an idiot."
She smiled softly, her tail swaying.
"Hmm~ I can’t wait to see him again."
( End of Chapter )
User Comments
0 comments from readers