The Little Companion Of The Beast

Episode 11.

If you ask me directly, I don’t know Staria either. I’ve never thought about it separately. Maybe it’s because I grew up hearing that I would marry ‘that person’ since I was little, so I just accepted it as a given.

When I looked into it again, it was strange.

The ‘that person’ I actually met was rough, lethal, and did not hesitate to threaten me, which made me sad. Furthermore, he did not like me and had no intention of marrying me.

But what does it mean that my mind still hasn’t changed?

The experiences of a child who lived only ten years were not rich. They were meager and insignificant. The only major events in the desert were things like a calf being born, someone fighting someone, or a flock of birds destroying the crops.

Then, bad guys came and ran away to the forest. Her life changed completely. However, she could not adapt to the changed life and could not abandon her life in the village.

My body was in the forest, but my heart was in the desert… …. When I was with ‘him’, I forgot about reality. It was as if I was in a safe and peaceful desert village.

The village women used to lament their situation and gossip, saying that since ancient times, the best man is the one who makes women feel comfortable, and that if a man wants to live with her as soon as they meet, it means love at first sight.

‘Do you want to live together?’

The heart of the child who had longed for love began to beat fast. The yellow eyes, with their sparkle deepening, looked upward.

The moment our eyes met, her red lips opened.

“Cheer up, baaaaah!”

I guess it was love at first sight!

Haska’s leg almost twisted at the blunt confession. If he had done something nice to make her like him, then it would have been different. He had threatened her not to cry and that he would kick her out every now and then, so wouldn’t it be normal for her to hate him?

‘Is that slang?’

It was clear that the phrase love at first sight had other connotations. Should I ask what it means in your community?

It’s annoying. It’s best to ignore it. 

Haska decided to pretend not to hear and go on his way.

“This is your final warning, stay away.”

Whether he said no or not, I decided to forcefully pull him away and reached out my hand. I grabbed his sausage-like arm and used all my strength not to let go. If I let him do this, I would have to be held until daybreak.

Haska grabbed her waist and lifted her up.

“iced coffee.”

“Just throw it away.”

“…….”

“Stay still.”

I put my feet, which were kicking in the air, down on the grass… … .

Well, wouldn’t it be the case that a less mature human being picks up and falls?

Isn’t this the end of something like this? Haska, who had been hastily reaching out to feel the pulse, was dumbfounded.

Because I could hear a snoring sound.

“Are you sleeping?”

“…….”

“Are you really sleeping?”

What is this fatigue that feels like a life-or-death battle? Haska just wiped his face.

***

The next day, when I woke up, the butler was waiting for me, overcome with emotion and at a loss.

“You are amazing! You have accomplished something that no one else could do.”

A question mark appeared above Staria’s head. Taylor patted her shoulder and said, as she stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what she had accomplished.

“You have tied your lord to the castle. Lady Staria has done it.”

Me?

Still not knowing English. Staria listened to the butler’s next words.

The introduction was long, but to summarize the main point, Haska decided to stay in the castle even though it was not his stay. During that time, Taylor tried everything to get his lord out of the shabby cave, but to no avail.

“You told Staria not to go into the cave, right?”

You caught him, but he really didn’t go?

Thinking back on the confrontation with ‘that person’ before she fell asleep as if she had fainted, Staria was dumbfounded.

“Starria is the first person to change the will of the lord.”

You believed the absurd claim that the cave would collapse?

The joy was short-lived.

“The lord said, ‘Let’s wait and see.’ As the head butler who has been waiting for the mistress of the castle without fail, I am deeply moved to hear that he will keep an eye on Lady Staria.”

Waiting and seeing wouldn’t be a good thing. My remaining lifespan could depend on how quickly the cave collapses… … .

Taylor hatched a plan so that her cheeks wouldn’t appear to be hollowing out.

‘Is it finally liberation?’

He, who had a lot of work to do and was desperately looking for a mistress to take care of the household, had to raise Staria without making her look bad. If this little lady grew up well and did her part, he would be able to prevent death from overwork and have a comfortable future.

Therefore, you are my retirement plan.

“I will treat you as a young lady from now on.”

No! It’s too much!

As a Staria who was living on the sidelines, I had to firmly correct this misunderstanding. What a shame it would be if it was later revealed to be untrue. I didn’t want to incur resentment for not telling them the truth.

Woah woah.

Staria held Taylor’s agitated hand and helped him take a deep breath to calm down.

“I apologize for being so hasty. I am a very cautious person, but I lost control of myself in front of you, Staria, and started acting wild…….”

Taylor was the one who considered all the possibilities before making a decision. He was the one who tried to solve the important problem of deciding on a landlady for Veraquin in one fell swoop.

Taylor, who felt regretful in hindsight, looked back on his actions and reflected on them.

‘It’s because of you, brother.’

Taylor, who emphasizes manners, ironically had a reputation as a child of being uncouth.

Respect for elders? He didn’t. He didn’t hesitate to verbally beat up those who brag about living longer. After all, Taylor was also a member of the tribe. If you weren’t strong, you didn’t have to bow your head.

On the other hand, he treated those who were worthy of respect with respect, but the only people he gave his position to were his lord and his human older brother.

‘My brother often did things that didn’t match the cause and effect, but that became a breakthrough that allowed him to overcome crises.’

I thought he was no ordinary human, but he was of the prophet’s blood.

I owe you a lot and my life was saved.

‘You left like the wind without even giving me a chance to repay you.’

Staria resembles its older brother. It’s not just similar, it’s almost identical.

It wouldn’t be strange to even say that he is my brother’s descendant.

Maybe that’s why I was polite and addressed him as ‘nim’ without asking or inquiring.

‘What if I’m your bloodline?’

Since Taylor needed information to find the cause and to check whether the hostess was qualified or not, he decided to dig up Staria’s background.

The atmosphere is key to getting someone to open up about their personal life. He had his servant bring him some snacks, creating a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.

“It’s a comforting snack when you’re feeling overwhelmed by work. Try it.”

“Ugh.”

“oh my god.”

Taylor was so moved that his determination to verify it with his own eyes was rendered meaningless.

The chef only gave him one, so he cut it in half and gave it to him.

It is not when you are rich, but when you are lacking, that you are the real deal. It seems like the family members will ignore you and just fill their own stomachs, even though the family finances are tight.

Taylor, who was happily sharing a macaron, asked slyly.

“There was sand on the clothes you were wearing. You seem to have come from the desert. Am I right?”

Staria nodded.

“Did the villains who chased you do anything bad to the place where Staria was staying?”

“Uh huh.”

“Then, what about Staria’s family?”

Three fingers were raised. There were three people in the family. Taylor, who was trying to find out more about the members, had to stop. Her face had turned pitch-black.

‘Did I touch your trauma?’

In the first place, it wasn’t something that should be done to a child who suffered from aphasia due to shock. It was something that could be found out by using the information network.

Taylor was about to give up, but there was something he couldn’t give up on.

“Staria, do you happen to know Zoroaster?”

***

In the beginning, in a time when evil was rampant, a hero appeared, defeated evil, saved the suffering, and founded a nation… … That nation was the first nation on the continent, the Tatian Empire.

Among the founding fathers, there was a great prophet, Zoroaster, who helped lead the hero to victory. As time passed, he suddenly disappeared when the hero closed his eyes. There were various theories, such as that he fell ill and disappeared, that he was buried with the hero, and that he went up to the sky on a cloud.

You don’t know Zoroaster?

He grew up hearing the legend of the main character, so he knew it, and Staria said it was obvious. But Taylor’s question wasn’t something that was universally known.

“If you knew the Prophet, you would know what he looked like.”