The fox’s rebelliously narrowed eyes widened as large as lanterns.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
‘Ran.’
A forgotten voice resurfaced in its mind.
‘One day, there will be a human who calls you by your name.’
Ran.
That was the name the dead heavenly fox—its mother—had personally engraved into the fox’s soul.
And now Silia had given it that very same name once again.
‘When you meet the human who calls you by your name, don’t let them go. That will be someone who sees your true nature.’
‘What if guessing my name was only a coincidence?’
‘Whether it is coincidence or not, your soul will tell you.’
“Ran. What do you think? Do you like it?”
Silia gazed deeply into Ran’s eyes as she asked.
Ran could not bring itself to deny it.
It was the name of its soul.
A name that burrowed deep into its heart and spread through it.
“Looks like you do like it.”
What in the world are you?
Everything about her had been strange from the beginning.
How could a mere holy knight sense the sacred spiritual power flowing within a yokai’s blood and take it in?
She was neither a shrine maiden of the Eastern Continent nor a saint of the Western Continent, so how had she done it?
“I thought it suited you perfectly. No one else could ever fit this name.”
‘It’s coincidence. It has to be coincidence.’
Ran glared stubbornly, trying to reject the thought.
But to Silia, it merely looked like a sulking kitten clamping its mouth shut.
‘Why is he pouting?’
Coaxing Ran gently, she held out the sweet potato she had already cooled down.
Ran sharply turned its head away, but—
‘His nose is twitching.’
Biting the inside of her cheek to suppress a laugh, Silia mashed a piece of sweet potato between her fingertips.
Then, without warning, she pushed it straight into Ran’s mouth.
The fox jolted in shock.
‘This crazy human!’
Though still young, Ran was a yokai. If it bit down hard enough, her finger could easily be severed.
Cursing her recklessness internally, Ran unconsciously licked her finger.
Lick, lick.
Sweet.
It sucked eagerly without realizing it, and Silia mashed more sweet potato into its mouth.
“Mrrrwaung….”
Ran grumbled in dissatisfaction while pretending it had no choice but to lick her fingers.
Eventually, Silia burst into laughter.
“How can you be this adorable?”
Her face softened completely as she murmured, planting kisses all over Ran’s head and snout.
“Why are you so cute?”
‘What is she even talking about?’
Hmph!
Ran snorted sharply and chewed the lump of sweet potato noisily.
Meanwhile, Silia suddenly felt like she wanted to put that tiny snout into her mouth instead of the sweet potato and shower it with affection.
She never imagined she would grow this attached to a fox.
It felt as though a dam holding back all the affection within her had burst open, pouring endlessly toward the fox as if it had been waiting for this moment.
It was so lovely, precious, and dear that she hardly knew what to do with herself.
With its silver fur, holding Ran felt like cradling a small piece of silver in her arms.
And those dazzling golden eyes—
They sparkled like diamonds glittering inside a golden goblet.
It was practically a living treasure of gold and silver.
Just imagining the day she would have to let it go already made her chest ache.
‘But I have to send him away. What if he gets hurt because of me? If something like that happens again….’
Silia forced herself to smile.
‘Protecting myself alone is already difficult enough.’
She pushed all her anxiety and fear aside.
‘For now, I’ll just love him with all my heart. So that when we part, I won’t be left with regrets. I’ll give him everything….’
“Cute. Pretty. Adorable.”
Rubbing her cheek against Ran’s fur, Silia murmured blissfully.
But after finishing the sweet potato, Ran began struggling again.
It had spent nearly twenty years captured and abused by humans.
If it collapsed so easily now, it felt like it would never forgive itself.
Out of sheer stubbornness, Ran rejected Silia.
It was becoming harder and harder to push her away, and the fact that it liked hearing her call its name was unbearable to accept.
She could not be allowed into its heart this easily.
That simply could not happen.
“Did you hate it?”
Silia asked in a crestfallen voice.
Ran only continued to struggle.
Looking hurt, Silia placed Ran back into the cage and closed the bars.
Though it was still a cage, soft blankets made from luxurious fabric lined the inside, making it surprisingly comfortable.
Ran curled up in the corner.
“Goodnight, Ran.”
Setting the cage beside her bed, Silia spoke quietly.
“If you have a nightmare, I’ll wake you up. So don’t worry.”
Ran pretended not to hear her.
But Silia was a holy knight who always kept her word.
All throughout the night, she repeatedly woke Ran from its nightmares, patted its back, and soothed it back to sleep.
“Shhh, it’s alright. No one will hurt you. Good boy….”
With that singing voice of hers.
With gentle hands that made Ran’s resistance seem meaningless.
As Silia headed toward the garrison, she sank into thought.
‘What’s the problem?’
Ran had seemed close to opening its heart, yet lately it had been acting strangely.
As if on purpose, it reacted aggressively and attacked without hesitation.
Even trying to discipline it changed nothing.
‘Will things really improve at this rate?’
Silia reminded herself not to rush.
The wounds in Ran’s heart were unmistakably deep.
They were not something that could be healed with a day or two of care.
All she could do was wait and continue treating Ran consistently.
Ran needed time.
‘The real problem is the scratches all over my body.’
As the claw marks on her body increased day by day, the members of the order had begun looking at her strangely.
They hesitated to ask because she was naturally so cold and intimidating, but their confusion was obvious.
“Commander!”
The moment she stepped out of the commander’s quarters, a tall man spotted her and hurried over.
Silia widened her eyes slightly.
‘Eric?’
“Sir Eric. What brings you all the way here?”
Eric’s eyes narrowed after giving her body a long once-over.
Bright red scratches ran across her neck, cheeks, and the backs of her hands.
Completely unaware of the deep furrow forming between his brows, Silia spoke calmly.
“Well? What brings you here?”
“Commander.”
“Yes?”
“Has something happened recently?”
The question finally came out.
Startled, Silia fell silent.
Inside, she was flustered, but outwardly she merely looked cold and displeased, as if insulted by such an impertinent question.
