Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch40

Chapter 40

"Ber?"

"Th-this is Koko's—your daughter's things."

At Ber's desperate attempt to block Rib, the servants stopped.

Looking at Ber with earnest eyes, Rib gave a rueful smile. Slowly approaching, she knelt to meet the girl's eyes and stroked her white hair.

"Yes. You're right."

Rib nodded in agreement. Her black eyes were clearly focused on Ber, yet they seemed to be looking somewhere far away.

"But it's all right. Holding onto those things forever would only grieve Koko."

Her hand moved from Ber's head to her shoulder. Rib straightened up.

"Koko would surely want us to move forward, to live our lives."

That's why she sent you to us. Her voice caught, and Rib couldn't finish the last words—but she smiled.

"......"

Ber was at a loss for words.

Because it was exactly how she herself felt.

I hope Mom, Dad, and Na-eul feel the same way.

She wanted them to forget her and live ordinary, happy lives.

So that was how Koko felt too. If so, she couldn't stop the Countess.

Ber lowered her arms and stepped aside, standing quietly beside Rib.

The servants resumed their work.

The bed, the wardrobe, the desk. The fire quickly caught the wood and began to blaze fiercely.

Crackle, crackle. Gray smoke rose toward the sky along with the flames. Rib watched in silence. Ber instinctively took Rib's hand.

"Thank you, Ber."

She met Rib's gaze for a moment, then turned her eyes back to the fire.

Her grip on Rib's hand tightened.

Her vision blurred, and though it wasn't cold, her shoulders began to tremble. Soon, sobs escaped her lips.

Only then did Ber realize—she was crying.

Why am I...

Ber shook her head in confusion.

"I-I'm sorry. It's not me who should be sad—it's you, Countess..."

I'm sorry.

Sniffling, Ber apologized—and Rib bent down again. Wiping her damp eyes, Rib smiled.

"You're such a kind child, Ber."

Hearing those words, her tears stopped.

The black eyes looking at her. Rib's face, tinged crimson by the firelight.

Gazing at Rib's face, Ber thought:

Ah.

Maybe she wasn't a "replacement" after all.

Rib knelt to meet Ber's eyes. As Rib embraced the girl, Grandmother, who had been watching, also leaned in.

Feeling Grandmother's gentle hand stroking her head, Ber closed her eyes.

---

Today was the day Ferdinand, Louis, and Ber would have their private lesson together.

Louis, excited about studying with Ber for the first time since her humanization, had arrived early at the study.

While waiting for Heinz, Louis tried to coax Ber, who was sitting quietly at her desk, into playing. After a brief moment of awkwardness, Ber joined Louis in energetic play.

Seeing the two rolling around on the sofa, Ferdinand burst out laughing.

"But Heinz is late. Why?"

"Yeah. I came early to study with Ber."

Louis pouted—then brightened again.

"Ah! Maybe today's lesson is canceled?"

"Always trying to skip. You need to study at least a little. You should know some basics, no matter what."

"I came to study, but Heinz isn't here. So I'm not at fault."

He had a point, so Ferdinand fell silent. He really was good with words.

"Anyway, let's play more until Heinz comes!"

Shouting excitedly, Louis started tickling Ber, who was lying sprawled on the sofa. Ber burst into laughter, twisting her body.

"He—ha, ticklish... stop, haha, stop, Louis!"

"Stop bothering Ber and do some prep—ugh!"

"Don't just sit there being boring, come play."

"K-kek, i-it's almost time for Heinz, so stop..."

"I won't just take it! Revenge!"

"Keuhak, Ber!"

Soon, the three were trapped in tickle-hell.

After tickling each other until breathless, they leaned back on the sofa and began catching their breath.

"Ber."

Louis suddenly spoke.

"Now you're officially part of our family."

He didn't even know what paperwork meant, but he spoke well. Ferdinand narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah."

"You're the youngest daughter of the Grizzly family now. So that means—Ber is our little sister, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

As Ber nodded in agreement, Louis leaned in.

"So why don't you call me oppa?"

"...Uh."

Ber faltered.

That was true. Adopted Verdiana was eight years old—the youngest of the Grizzly family. Nine-year-old Louis and ten-year-old Ferdinand were naturally her older brothers. That was correct, but—

They're just kids.

Ber looked at Louis and pouted.

In the country called Korea where she'd lived, age determined hierarchy. Even in the children's ward, she'd been the senior patient!

Thinking that, she avoided Louis's somewhat reproachful gaze. But where she looked, there was another brother.

With an expression that screamed Yes! Yes!, Ferdinand, seated to her right, was looking at her.

Trapped between Louis on the left and Ferdinand on the right, Ber rolled her eyes and began to deflect.

"That's true, but... it's a little unfamiliar."

She'd had a younger sibling, but never an older brother or sister.

"Then you just need to get used to it!"

Louis said, as if it were obvious—Ber turned to him with a stunned expression.

"Come on, try it. Go ahead."

"...Ugh."

At Louis's hopeful expression, Ber froze.

"It's okay—just try once."

Ferdinand coaxed gently.

But Ber was silent. For quite a while.

Unable to bear it, Louis leaned in again.

"You don't want to...?"

With a genuinely hurt expression.

This is serious. Ber finally steeled herself and clasped her hands together.

"...O."

Oppa, oppa... No, this is a count's house in a romance fantasy world—oppa doesn't quite fit.

Thinking, she chose her words.

"Oraboni."

She squeezed her eyes shut and barely pronounced it. It was just one word, so why did it make her cringe?

Then a thud made her open her eyes.

The two had fallen off the sofa.

"Ferdinand? Louis?"

Ber hurriedly jumped down.

As she reached out to check on them, trembling—

Deolkeong! The window flew open. Turning, a white owl flapped into the study.

A white... owl?

The owl was oddly carrying a person's clothes in its beak.

It stretched its leg, flicked the curtain by the window, and slipped behind it. The curtain glowed brightly, and a human figure appeared. After quickly dressing, he stepped out.

"Young Masters, young lady! Sorry I'm late—I slept in for the first time in a while..."

The owl—no, Heinz—apologized and looked around the room.

Ferdinand and Louis were collapsed on the floor, and Ber was sitting beside them, eyes wide. She stared blankly up at him.

No way.

She'd never imagined the old man was a white owl beast-person.

Meanwhile, Heinz, confused, frowned.

"...What on earth happened here?"

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