The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella

Elodie was lost in thought when it happened.

“Chik chiiik. (This way, please.)”
A harvest mouse knight, seemingly informed in advance, took the lead.
To avoid trampling the delicate dwellings of the tiny mice underfoot, they walked along a carefully paved path that followed the fortress walls.

They had taken about ten steps when a grand castle, standing at the height of the Duke himself, came into view.
“Oh…”
So this was the High Priest’s castle. The sight of it made her heart feel inexplicably small.

Rather than evoking trust or reverence, it only made her want to shield and protect it.
‘Could it be that Ratson is just a mascot?’
Most deities had symbolic animals associated with them.

If harvest mice were the sacred animal of the god, then it was only natural that Ratson had become the High Priest.
As Elodie entertained this reasonable suspicion, a door, barely the size of a palm, swung open.
From within, a pair of harvest mice emerged, clad in white silk robes embroidered with gold.

Elodie recognized them immediately.
They were the High Priest and his spouse.
Her parents.

‘Parents…’
She had never even dared to hope for such a thing.
For someone who had spent every day simply trying to survive, the concept of family had always been a luxury beyond reach.

Instead of daydreaming about whether she had blood relatives somewhere, she had needed to risk her life scavenging for food.
So now, she had no idea how to react.
Because she had never once imagined this moment.
As Elodie fidgeted restlessly, unable to keep her gaze fixed on one spot—

“Chik…!”
The harvest mouse couple trembled, their whiskers quivering, tears brimming in their eyes.
Then they ran straight toward her.

Their golden crowns nearly slipping from their heads.
“W-Wait— Ah!”
Startled, Elodie reflexively extended her hands to catch the rushing Ratson couple.

They landed neatly in her palms.
Their tiny faces were soaked in tears.
With trembling limbs, they clung tightly to the child’s thumb, their tiny paws squeezing as they let out a series of desperate squeaks.

“Chik, chiiik… (My child, my child…)”
Their warmth spread through Elodie’s fingers, thawing the cold that had settled there.
Her palms grew damp.

“…”
Elodie no longer had it in her to complain about the size of their domain.

No—she simply couldn’t.
Though the weight in her hands was barely there, the immeasurable depth of their love pressed down on her heart with crushing intensity.
Their emotions crashed over her like an unstoppable tide.

Leaving her no choice but to receive them with her entire being.
‘Family.’
Even a mere mouse like her had been someone’s precious family.

It was so overwhelming, so achingly bittersweet, that she thought she might suffocate.
“Chiiik, chik. Chiii… (We’re sorry, my child. We are so sorry.)”
Elodie was beginning to understand.

What it meant to have someone waiting for you to come home.
“Chiiik chikkk…”
Had the other harvest mice realized what was happening as well?

Those who had been cowering in fear just moments ago suddenly rushed forward, swarming around the child.
“Chiiiik!”
“Chi… Hrk. Chihik…!”

Oh, my dear, you’ve finally come back! Hngh! Hic…!
As the harvest mice sobbed and wailed, Elodie found herself floundering, unsure of what to do.
She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, struggling to find the right words.

And then, she realized.
There was only one thing to say at a moment like this.
Something she had never spoken before.

Something she had never thought she would.
“…I’m… home.”
I’m home.

After all these long, long years.
Finally.
***

The Ratson domain was instantly flooded with tears.
"Everyone, stop crying already."
Elodie felt conflicted.

It was strange and touching that they were crying over her, but at the same time, she felt a little guilty.
It was like her heart was being tickled by feathers, making her cough lightly—but the sensation didn’t go away.
“Chiiik?!”

“No, it’s not a cold. It’s just… something.”
Apparently, even coughing wasn’t allowed anymore.
The overwhelming attention was almost too much, yet she couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from curling up.

“Here, Dad.”
Elodie placed the golden crown back on the harvest mouse wearing the High Priest’s ceremonial robes.
“And you too, Mom.”

She helped the small mouse in a pristine white dress put her fallen shoes back on.
‘Mom and Dad are so… small.’
Of course, they were small. They were harvest mice.

She had always been one herself, but seeing them from a human’s perspective for the first time felt strangely novel.
‘If I squeezed too hard, they might pop.’
Was that thought… blasphemous?

Elodie carefully placed her tiny, precious parents back on the ground.
Their round, black eyes were still brimming with tears, making her feel like she had done something terribly wrong.
“There, there. Stop crying.”

“Chiiik…”
“That’s right. Stop.”
After soothing them, Elodie cleared her throat.

"Calm down. I'm doing just fine."
If she thought back to her past life, both objectively and subjectively, "just fine" was far from the truth.
Every single moment had been a battle for survival.

But she knew that if she spoke the truth, it would shock them.
And considering how tiny a harvest mouse’s heart was, she didn’t want to risk them having a heart attack.
So instead, Elodie quickly pointed at Sera.

“Sera always saved me, helped me, and stayed with me when things were hard.”
“Chiiik… (That child…)”
At that, the High Priest of Ratson solemnly declared,

“Chiiik, chii—chik. (Treat this child with the highest honor.)”
“Chik! (Yes!)”
As soon as the command was given, the harvest mice, still wiping away their tears, moved with perfect coordination.

They immediately began bringing out the most elegant food they had—tiny, adorable dishes fit for their size.
"…"
Elodie watched the surreal sight unfold with a complicated expression.

It was like watching mice offer tributes to a human.
Even their full-sized cakes would only be a single bite for a person—would it even be enough to be called a meal?
“This is… way too cute…”

But Sera seemed delighted.
If she was happy, then maybe it was fine.
Though, she seemed a little too happy about it, which was a bit puzzling.

Just then, Elodie’s mother, the High Priestess, hesitantly spoke.
“My child, may I ask… how your curse was broken?”
“That… was probably Sera too.”

Elodie trailed off, lost in thought.
She had been cursed to turn into an animal.
The magic had transformed her so completely that it didn’t even recognize her as what she once was—it must have been a powerful curse.

‘But how exactly did she break it?’
The only thing Elodie remembered was crying her eyes out and confessing her feelings to Sera.
And then, suddenly, the curse had shattered.

Since Sera had been the only one there, she must have had some kind of positive influence.
“I… don’t really know how it happened.”
At that, the High Priestess shut her eyes tightly, her expression grave.

“The curse placed upon you…”
The curse?
Elodie’s ears perked up as she listened intently.

“…Could only be broken by receiving a kiss of true love.”
“A ki… of… what?”
Her voice came out dazed and slow.

“…Sera, do you… love me?”
“Huh?”
Sera’s eyes widened at the sudden question.

Since she didn’t understand the language of the harvest mice, she had no idea what was being discussed, making Elodie’s words seem completely random.
But then, after a brief pause, she set down what she was holding—a three-tiered dessert tray and a tiny teacup (both mouse-sized).
And with a bright smile, she answered.

Her blue eyes sparkled like a summer sky, warm and dazzling, just as they always did.
“Of course. It was love at first sight. How could anyone not?”
“Sera…”

That’s my line!
My angel.
My salvation, my joy, my everything.

I would gladly give my soul…
“I love you too.”
Elodie turned to Sera, her eyes shimmering with raw emotion.

Placing a hand over her chest, she spoke with deep sincerity.
At that moment, she made a firm decision.
"Mom, Dad."

She called to her parents with a serious expression.
“I want to live with Sera in the human world. Please give me your permission.”
“…”

“…”
“…”
The Ratson couple froze in place, as if struck by lightning.

The harvest mice, who had been eagerly preparing a welcome party, also went completely still.
The celebration had just turned into something entirely different.