Home/I Became the Emergency Food Supply of the Bear Family/ch83

Chapter 83

The ball began.

To the soft, somewhat slow music, the men and women in the hall danced slowly.

Ber also took Kaien's fingertips and carefully stepped.

She was dancing—something she'd never even imagined in her past life.

Perhaps because she couldn't move her body as she wished before, Ber had struggled with dance lessons. Still, she'd managed to bring her skills to a decent level before entering the Academy. Even with the young viscount of Noirel, she didn't trip.

Yes. I'm a rabbit—a top-tier Arctic hare with the longest limbs among rabbits.

An Arctic hare. Reincarnated as Eostre's incarnation, harboring spring's power.

She was experiencing one thing after another that she'd never dreamed of in her past life. She'd found a new family, cured the Countess's curse, and healed Kaien's lung disease—the very man dancing before her.

And she'd also healed Ferdinand's injury.

She'd never been so grateful to be the incarnation as at that moment when she healed Ferdinand.

Because she possessed spring's power, the original plot had changed drastically. The biggest change was this man—Kaien Noirel.

In fact, the original had continuously hinted at Kaien's ending.

Death.

To survive, Kaien had to keep turning back the time of his lungs using Einja's power.

But in the latter half, there were hints that Einja would lose her power—so in the ending Ber never read, Kaien might have actually died.

"......"

As that thought struck her, something swelled up in her chest. Feeling like she might burst, Ber quickly lowered her head.

She tried to focus on the dance, looking only at her shoes and Kaien's, but her thoughts kept returning to that terrifying day.

His shoulder, torn open. Blood soaking his clothes, dripping to the floor. Ferdinand's lips turning purple, his face growing paler.

She was scared.

As despair flooded in, her vision darkened.

She was afraid Ferdinand might leave her like that.

It was the first time she'd felt this way—because she'd never been the one left behind. She'd only ever left others.

So this is what it feels like to be the one left.

"Verdiana?"

When Ber stopped dancing and stood still, Kaien carefully looked at her face. Not wanting him to see her crying, she bowed her head deeper.

They were in the center of the hall. But Kaien paid no attention to their surroundings—he only looked at Ber.

Ber was sobbing quietly, head bowed. She clearly didn't want to be seen crying.

Kaien pulled her shoulder and gently hid her face in his chest.

"It's okay. You can cry."

Slowly stroking her back, Kaien whispered in a low voice:

"It was a serious injury. You must have been very scared. It's only natural to suddenly break down."

At his gentle words, as if reading her heart, Ber slowly raised her head.

Smiling softly at her tear-streaked face, Kaien reached out. His fingertips carefully wiped away the tears.

"Ah."

With a short exclamation, Kaien smiled brightly.

"They've stopped."

"......"

Ber bowed her head again.

She clutched her chest and squeezed her eyes shut.

Why is my heart beating so fast?

---

The ball ended.

After changing back into her uniform in the dressing room, Kaien's escort still wasn't over.

He stopped at the garden path leading to the Magic Department dormitory.

"I'll escort you this far. I heard you're leaving right after tonight—you can join the others and head to the main gate."

"Yes."

Nodding, Ber released his arm.

"Thank you for today—truly."

"That's my line. Thank you for being with me tonight."

Bowing, she turned toward the dormitory—but her feet wouldn't move.

"Verdiana."

Just then, Kaien called her name.

"The letter I sent you before—everything I wrote there is true. No lies at all."

After everything that had happened, she couldn't help but believe it was sincere.

When Ber nodded quietly, Kaien stepped closer and gently took both her hands.

"Anything at all—if you need my help, call me anytime. Okay?"

Looking into his earnest eyes, Ber couldn't hold his gaze.

Head bowed, she kept humming—and Kaien looked at her in puzzlement.

"Verdiana?"

"...Senior."

Ber gritted her teeth and called him. Then she raised her head and said with a tense expression:

"Come this way for a moment."

At her forceful look, Kaien obediently followed.

Ber crossed the bushes beside the garden path with her long legs and headed under a dense tree. Its large leaves blocked the lights scattered across the Academy—hiding them in shadow.

"Why here...?"

Before he could ask, Ber's body emitted light. Her uniform crumpled to the ground—something wriggling from the jacket sleeve poked out its head.

White ears standing straight above her head, a small furry face. Black, round eyes. An Arctic hare.

Startled by Ber's sudden animalization, Kaien dropped to his knees to shield her small body.

—Senior Kaien.

Ber's voice echoed directly in his mind.

A voice that reached him even without animalizing—another miracle proving she was the incarnation.

—Please animalize too.

"Huh? But if I—"

The image of the rabbit freezing in terror at the sight of a giant black wolf was still vivid. But Ber shook her head, drawing an X with her paws.

—I-it's okay—just hurry!

"...Alright. Then, could you turn around for a moment?"

Ber obediently turned around—the rustle of fabric followed. After a flicker of light, a solid paw carefully touched Ber's back.

—You can turn now.

At the cautious voice, Ber took a deep breath and turned.

......

A large, black wolf.

Perhaps because she was now certain this wolf wouldn't hurt her, it wasn't as frightening as she'd expected.

She quietly looked up at the wolf's eyes. Seeing her meet his gaze so calmly, Kaien blinked hesitantly.

Last time, she'd frozen the moment she met his eyes—reminded of the White Wolves who had drooled with sharp fangs, wanting to eat her. But today was different.

She felt as if she might be drawn into the dark waves within his gray sea of eyes. She studied his eyes, nose, mouth, ears—and soon saw his past in them.

A small, thin black puppy.

The one she'd seen under the tree in the Academy garden.

And the one collapsed outside Grizzly Castle.

—We didn't first meet in the Academy garden, did we.

...!

The wolf's gray eyes widened. Those eyes, unable to hide their surprise, clearly affirmed her words. Ber let out a soft laugh.

—Did you get home safely that day?

Kaien didn't answer. As if not expecting one, Ber quietly studied his face and reached out her thin paw.

—I'm sorry about that day.

Her small, downy paw touched the wolf's mouth. Ber braced herself on her hind legs and stretched further, her paws wrapping around the tip of his snout.

—I'm not scared of you, Senior. I know now—you're not someone to be afraid of.

Stretching her small paws to hold his face, Ber whispered.

Kaien still didn't answer.

The sound of sobbing breaths and tears flowing down to wet Ber's paw tips spoke for him.

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