“Sigh… What do I do now?”
Despite how loudly I had shouted at the headmaster, the moment I came home, the worries collapsed down on me like a mountain.
I kept tearing at my poor pillow, overwhelmed by sudden waves of anxiety.
‘Are wolf beastkin really as vicious as the rumors say? What if they try to kill me the moment they see me? What if I can’t even come back alive this time?’
The more I thought about it, the more depressed I became.
Should I refuse the assignment now, even if it meant I could never become an Honorable Sheep?
“Cherrybell succeeded at her first assignment… and here I am, the older sister, looking so pathetic….”
My younger sister Cherrybell was a prodigy known throughout Mederland.
Teach her one thing, and she’d master five.
Especially in her major, Herbalism, she showed astonishing talent.
She was already on the elite track to becoming a professor at such a young age.
“No. Mom and Dad said it. Everyone has different things they’re good at!”
But no matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out what my strength was.
No matter how hard I tried, people only said I was clumsy, and whenever I tried to do something, those around me would desperately beg me just to sit still.
“…I really don’t have anything I’m good at, do I…?”
Life was so unfair.
Clearly, when I was born, the gods must have forgotten to pour in my share of ability and talent, and when Cherrybell was born, they dumped it all on her instead.
There was simply no other explanation.
I rolled around and around on my fluffy bed in frustration.
Even though I truly loved and cherished Cherrybell, I couldn’t help but feel this ugly jealousy creeping in.
It hurts to always fall short of everyone’s expectations.
‘I wanted to be a big sister Cherrybell could depend on….’
Maybe that dream would only come true in my next life.
Even if I were reborn ten times, it still might be impossible.
As I sank deeper into my gloomy thoughts, there was a knock at the door.
A moment later, the maid Beryl peeked her head through the gap.
Her clear skin was sprinkled with freckles.
“Young Lady, it’s time for dinner.”
I didn’t really feel like eating today — my mouth was dry, and my heart was heavy.
But… there was still a chance my favorite food might be on the table, so I figured I should at least check.
“…What’s on the menu?”
“Potato soup, pumpkin soufflé, and your favorite, roast turkey.”
“Figrets’ roast turkey is always delicious….”
Of all days, why did Figrets have to outdo himself today?
That clueless man.
At that moment, my stomach let out a growl like thunder.
“…I’ll be right down.”
***
Dinner was as peaceful as ever.
The potato soup slid down my throat so smoothly I barely even noticed it, the pumpkin soufflé melted sweetly on my tongue, and the roast turkey — the deep, savory juices and the chewy meat — was pure perfection.
I remembered hearing that our ancestors mainly survived on grass.
What a life of patience that must have been.
I, for one, couldn’t even imagine living on a vegetarian diet.
Truly, they were great and remarkable people.
As I reached out for another piece of roast turkey,
I caught sight of my parents gazing at each other with eyes overflowing with love.
Their gaze was so heated and sweet, it seemed like honey could drip from the air between them.
“If God ever painstakingly crafted a true masterpiece, it must be you, my darling,” my father said, glancing at my mother, who was elegantly slicing her turkey.
Mother responded with a shy smile, clearly not disliking the familiar praise.
“Oh, if you go around saying things like that, people might think you’re being ridiculous for your age.”
“Let them. If anyone dares to tarnish your honor even a little, I’ll bet my horns on it — I’ll make them regret ever being born.”
“My dear… you’d even stake your precious horns…?”
“My honey… for you, I could give up even these horns.”
Parents being affectionate was a wonderful thing — after all, it filled the house with laughter and warmth every day.
But… being their child, having to watch their endless displays of affection everywhere, in every corner of the house, and for such a long time… well, it could be a little exhausting.
‘Not that I dislike my parents or anything!’
A smile crept onto my lips as I watched them, but then — reality crashed back into my mind.
The assignment that might well be the last of my life.
And the target was, of all things, a wolf beastkin.
I’d said I would do it, but tonight, tonight I had to actually go meet the client.
“…Haaah….”
A sigh slipped out before I even realized it.
At that moment, the cozy conversation between my parents abruptly stopped.
When I looked up, their eyes were fixed on me.
“My sweetie. Are you feeling down?”
“May, were we being too loud?”
Their faces were a mix of embarrassment and worry.
They must have misunderstood — thinking my sigh was because of them.
“Ah, it’s not because of you, Mom and Dad.”
“We’re fine, really. But why don’t you tell us what’s bothering you?”
“It’s really not because of you,” I said.
“…Are you sure?”
Mom’s voice came out especially soft, almost deflated.
Dad’s broad shoulders, too, drooped heavily when I glanced at him.
The food I’d just been enjoying now felt stuck in my chest, like a hard lump.
I hadn’t said anything because I didn’t want to worry them — but seeing them looking so uncertain made it impossible to stay silent.
“It’s just that… tonight might be my last assignment.”
“Oh, sweetie… you must have been worried sick.”
“I acted all tough in front of the headmaster, saying I’d pull it off no matter what… but honestly, I’m not confident. The client is… well, not the best.”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with the client?” Mom asked gently.
I hesitated for a moment, then confessed, “The client… is a wolf beastkin.”
Dad, who had been quietly listening, paused as if carefully choosing his next words.
Then, with a warm voice, he said,
“A request involving a wolf beastkin… that’s not something you usually see offered to a noble sheep beastkin. Our little May… you really are something special.”
“…Really?”
I mumbled, not entirely convinced.
“My dear, as we’ve always told you — everything comes down to your own heart. Listen to it, and decide. Whatever you choose, we’ll always respect and support you.”
Dad’s words eased my heart a little.
But the heavy gloom didn’t completely disappear.
Whenever I felt like this — heavy and anxious — I always liked hearing the story of Dad’s first assignment.
It was a story that made me feel better, no matter how many times I heard it.
Spearing a pea listlessly with my fork, I mumbled,
“Dad… tell me about your first job again? How did you succeed?”
“You really do love that story,” Dad said, smiling so warmly his eyes curved like crescent moons.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“As I’ve said before, I didn’t do anything particularly special,” he began with a chuckle.
“I just gave a sharp punch to a little lamb who couldn’t fall asleep.”
“And what happened then?”
“Well, it turned out they were so exhausted, after taking a hit to the solar plexus, they slept straight through three days. It was… quite satisfying.”
Dad’s first client had been a carnivorous tiger beastkin.
For a sheep beastkin — and a young one at that — to physically overpower a tiger beastkin was nothing short of a miracle.
I looked up at Dad, my eyes wide with admiration.
“Weren’t you scared?”
“What was there to be scared of?” Dad said with an easy smile.
“No matter if they’re a tiger beastkin — they’re just another beastkin, same as me.”
Just another beastkin.
That simple phrase echoed quietly in my heart.
I… was already trembling at the thought of my client being a wolf beastkin…
Maybe it was natural, given the stories about wolf beastkin in Meadowland.
Every rumor about them was negative.
Cunning and wicked.
Demons who should not even exist in this world.
There was another saying too — that if you encountered a wolf beastkin on the road—
…it was said you’d be better off ending your life before being caught in their gaze.
But after hearing Dad’s words, I started to wonder —
Maybe I’d been looking at wolf beastkin through a lens of prejudice all along.
“May,” Mom said softly, drawing my gaze to her.
“I’ve actually met several wolf beastkin before.”
I blinked, startled.
This was the first time I was hearing this.
Mom had never mentioned it before — not even once.
“You did? When?” I asked, wide-eyed.
“It was before you were born,” she said, her voice gentle.
“Back when I traveled beyond the Meadowland as a Solver.”
In Meadowland, those who succeeded in their assignments could choose: stay safe within its peaceful walls, or venture out into the wide, often dangerous world to help restless souls find peace.
My parents had chosen to go beyond.
And not only had they survived — they’d built a legendary record of successful missions.
I’d heard whispers that no one had yet broken their incredible streak.
Hearing that now only made my curiosity bubble up even more.
I couldn’t sit still — like a little child, I tugged at Mom with my voice.
“And then? How did you meet them? Were the wolf beastkin really as fierce and demonic as the stories say?”
My face must have been practically sparkling with curiosity, because Mom let out a small, tender laugh.