Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch34

Chapter 34

"I should go to the main castle now."

Having composed herself, Rib looked at Pallas and spoke.

"Yes, you should. It's been a while. Walking might be difficult, so I'll—"

"I appreciate the thought, but I'd like to walk."

Pallas glared at Rib with narrowed eyes as she refused his rare act of kindness, then snorted.

"Very well, then. Rabbit."

Pallas turned to Na-bom for some reason, then nodded toward Rib and said:

"Take Rib's hand."

Na-bom tilted her head, not understanding the situation.

She was going to the main castle where everyone was staying, right? Until now, she'd seemed unable to see the children even when she wanted to—so why now?

Was she worried about how they were sleeping? Well, now she could visit them secretly.

Come to think of it, Lady Pallas, like me, isn't one of the Countess's "loved ones." She'd thought he was close to everyone in the Grizzly family, but perhaps that was a misunderstanding.

The expression on her face clearly showed she was thinking something rude, but Pallas let it slide.

"Answer."

"Yes!"

Na-bom answered brightly, then extended her hand to Rib. As Rib carefully took her small, delicate hand, Na-bom puffed out her chest and smiled.

"Leave it to me!"

---

"This way, Countess."

Na-bom pointed the way with her free hand, speaking as if guiding her through the castle.

Having successfully humanized as she'd longed to, Na-bom was now in an incredibly high-spirited mood. She felt as if she could do anything.

When Rib nodded and smiled, Na-bom's spirits soared even higher. Holding Rib's hand tightly, she walked through the snow.

Ppodeuk. Stepping on the snow with her boots, Na-bom let out a suppressed gasp.

It's different from stepping with rabbit paws!

The sensation of snow beneath the leather soles. The sound of snow quietly falling from the sky to the ground. The cold air touching her nose. Her bare skin, not covered in fur, stung in the chilly wind.

Perhaps it was all perfectly ordinary—but for Na-bom, every human sensation was new.

Watching Na-bom, clearly excited, Rib let out a soft laugh.

As the garden before the main castle came into view, Rib called out to Na-bom.

"Child, I'd like to stop somewhere for a moment."

"Yes, just say the word!"

Smiling at the enthusiastic reply, Rib this time led Na-bom to the right side of the garden.

The place they arrived at was the greenhouse.

Na-bom's cheeks flushed slightly.

Of course the Countess would know the castle better than she did—she'd been acting like a tour guide.

"Come on in."

Rib blinked at Na-bom and gestured for the girl to follow. After a moment's hesitation, Na-bom entered the greenhouse.

Rib slowly began to look around. Her familiar footsteps, her gaze as if she knew exactly where each plant was, and above all—her expression, like someone returning to a beloved place.

She must really love the greenhouse.

As Na-bom watched Rib's back, she turned around.

Gazing at Na-bom's bewildered expression, Rib then turned her eyes toward the plants and began to speak, as if reminiscing.

"I tended this greenhouse myself. He—I mean, Count Theodor—asked Lady Pallas to create it with magic."

As she spoke, Rib crouched down and carefully stroked the petals beneath the calyx of a yellow geranium.

Na-bom also crouched beside her, quietly looking at the flower, and asked:

"Do you like flowers?"

"More than me, the children did. Ferdinand, Louis, and Koko—their faces would light up at the sight of flowers. Though that was when they were very young, barely infants."

Lost in memory, Rib smiled—then slowly her lips straightened.

"So much time has passed, yet this place hasn't changed at all. Not a single weed to be seen."

Her face looked somehow lonely and sad.

Watching Rib, Ferdinand's face came to mind.

"Really. Mother doesn't scold us about it anymore."

The greenhouse Ferdinand and Louis had brought her to. What feelings had they held when they visited this place? Surely, they must have thought of the Countess—their mother. A place that was once happy had become sad.

Just like home had for Na-bom.

Sometimes, when her condition improved, she'd go home with her mother.

A home she'd visited after a long time outside the hospital.

It was a place that smelled of her family—her mother, father, and Na-eul—a warm, cozy place.

And yet, whenever she saw unfamiliar objects in the house, whenever she heard stories of memories the three of them had made without her—an inexplicable sadness and sense of loss washed over her.

Perhaps she'd never return here again. That thought made her endlessly afraid and lonely.

"Countess!"

Without thinking, Na-bom called out loudly and grabbed Rib's hand.

"I love it here too! The greenhouse, I mean. Ferdinand and Louis brought me once, and the greens were so delicious I still can't forget the taste of the dandelions! Ah, right! I-I'm sorry, Countess—I ate some of your dandelions..."

Rib, who had been blinking her mysterious golden eyes at Na-bom, soon covered her mouth and began to chuckle. Then she burst into laughter and nodded.

"I'm glad they were tasty."

Relieved at Rib's answer, Na-bom gave an awkward smile.

The geranium swaying beside Na-bom's white face.

Its yellow color seemed more vivid and beautiful than before—and Rib smiled happily.

As the two strolled through the greenhouse sharing small talk—someone came looking for them.

Na-bom spotted her first and ran over calling her name.

"Anna!"

Scurrying along the greenhouse path, she buried her face in Anna's belly without hesitation.

White hair swaying at her waist. Black eyes looking up at her. Anna knew those clear eyes.

"S-Snowflake-nim? You've finally succeeded in humanizing!"

"Yes. Thanks to all your help, Anna. Thank you so much!"

"Kkeueu!"

Making a strange sound, Anna clutched her chest and trembled—then pulled Na-bom into a tight embrace.

"No, it's all thanks to Snowflake-nim's own effort. Being able to speak with you like this—it's truly an honor!"

At Anna's voice, brimming with excitement, Na-bom grinned and rubbed her head against Anna's stomach as she replied.

"I'm happy we can talk like this too."

At that, Anna let out an even higher-pitched cry and began stroking Na-bom's head.

"But what were you doing in the greenhouse this early in the morning? And where is Lady Pallas?"

"Oh, yes, well..."

Just as Na-bom opened her mouth to explain everything, footsteps approached from inside the greenhouse—and Anna turned her head.

Rib, who had been watching them, was slowly walking over.

"My—my lady...!"

At the sight of Rib, Anna released Na-bom and carefully approached her.

Stopping about two paces from Rib, Anna forced a smile.

"To see you in the greenhouse this early in the morning... It's been a long time, my lady. Are you well—no, have you been keeping well?"

Choosing her words carefully as she greeted her, Rib smiled and spoke.

"Anna. So you've been tending to this greenhouse all this time."

"...My lady?"

As Anna stared at her with a bewildered expression, Rib took a step, then another. Slowly, she placed her palm over Anna's hand.

"Thank you so much, Anna."

"......"

Anna dropped the basket she'd been holding. A small trowel, scissors, and a spray bottle rolled out.

To Anna, frozen in place, Rib quietly said:

"It's all right. I can speak to you, Anna. I can touch you. It's all right now."

The warm voice. The gentle hand stroking her own.

Anna's eyes filled with tears.

A miracle she'd never imagined had come.

Anna embraced her lifelong mistress.

Back   Next