The Beloved New Daughter-In-Law of the Wolf Mansion Chapter 192 - Side story 5

“I said I can go by myself!”

 

“How could I possibly let you go alone?”

 

The shadow wolf wagged its tail as if agreeing with Arsene’s words.

 

The wolf, which had been weaving between Arsene’s shadow and the tree’s shadow, now charged straight at me.

 

“Whoa!”

 

In the time I hadn’t seen it, the shadow wolf had grown massively in size, and its huge tail wasn’t just wagging—it was fluttering wildly.

 

“Look, I need to go with you.”

 

When Arsene responded calmly and gestured with his hand, Yeckhart’s knights brought forward the prepared carriage.

 

In the end, I reluctantly got into the carriage with Arsene.

 

“What did you say her name was?”

 

“Jennifer.”

 

“Mhm?” 

 

“Jennifer’s Orchard.”

 

The orchard of the wolf-beast who had cared for me while I was living without my memories.

 

Just because I regained my memories didn’t mean that the memories from the time I had lost them disappeared again.

 

Because new memories hadn’t overwritten the old ones, the cherished moments I shared with Jennifer still remained within me.

 

‘So I was just planning to go alone and properly thank her.’

 

And Arsene. 

 

Arsene insisted on getting into the carriage, insisting he couldn’t let me go alone.

 

He nodded at me.

 

“That’s right, Jennifer’s orchard. I heard about it last time.” 

 

“Mhm, Father asked about it, remember?” 

 

“Right, I heard he already went and gave his thanks.” 

 

“Mhm? Already?”

 

My eyes widened in surprise.

 

He already went? And by himself at that?  

 

“W, wait, without going with me?”  

 

“Yeah, I heard he went alone. You know that day you and I spent resting in the room all day? I guess he must’ve gone then.”

 

Inside the carriage, Arsene stretched, straightening his stiff body.

 

I stared at Arsene, my mouth hanging open.

 

“I thought he’d be going later than me!” 

 

“You know Father’s personality—when something like this happens, he deals with it immediately.”

 

“Maybe I forgot a little about Father’s personality while we were apart…” 

 

Kendrick Yeckhart is the leader of the wolf clan.

 

And Jennifer is an old wolf beastman living lonely in the chief’s territory.

 

‘Hmm… She wouldn’t have been surprised, right?’ 

 

Jennifer was a coward. 

 

It was a little hard to believe that Jennifer had had a private meeting with Kendrick, the leader of the wolf clan.

 

But whatever.

 

‘Father is a good man.’ 

 

I quickly brushed off my needless worries.

 

Kendrick was a good beastman and a good leader, so Jennifer probably wasn’t all that surprised.

 

Besides, knowing Kendrick’s character, it was certain he wouldn’t have treated my benefactor carelessly or disrespectfully.

 

‘Mhm, it must have been fine.’ 

 

I’ve never seen anything bad come out of a meeting between two good beastkin.

 

Since they’re both good people, it would be fine. 

 

Swaying.

 

A cool breeze blew in through the open carriage window.

 

***

 

“Jennifer, is this real?”

 

“Of course it is, Linsy…”   

 

I gaped at the sight of her house filled to the brim with gifts.

 

I had guessed that since Kendrick went to see Jennifer, he must have repaid her in some way.

 

“Gasp, that’s a lot…” 

 

“I think so too. It’s truly something to be grateful for. I kept saying over and over that there was no need to give such gifts, but he insisted that I accept them.”

 

Jennifer, holding my hand and looking at the gifts, only then noticed Arsene standing behind me.

 

Startled, she quickly bowed her head.

 

“Sir Arsene…!”

 

“No need to be so formal. Are you Jennifer? Thank you for taking care of my wife.”

 

Arsene bowed his head and spoke politely.

 

His manner was as polite and courteous as Kendrick’s.

 

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Linsy.”

 

“That’s right, I talked about you, Jennifer. I said I had to go and thank you properly, since last time we parted so suddenly that I couldn’t even say thank you…”

 

“Oh, you didn’t have to come all the way to see me again…”

 

Jennifer’s eyes grew moist as she spoke.

 

Huh? Are you crying?

 

I was a little flustered.

 

“Jennifer, are you okay?”

 

“Mhm, Annie, no… Linsy.”

 

Jennifer carefully took my hand.

 

Her hands were rougher and more wrinkled than mine, and larger and wider.

 

It was a hand that clearly showed the wolf traits, with large, paw-like features.

 

“I’m really glad you’ve regained your memory.”

 

“Mhm…” 

 

“The five years I spent with you were so joyful and fun. At times, you even felt like my own daughter—or granddaughter.”

 

She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes.

 

“I sincerely congratulate you on regaining your memory and being reunited with your family. And since it’s chilly, don’t wear thin clothes; you tend to fall easily, so don’t run; you get scratched and hurt easily, so don’t brush against branches…”

 

Jennifer rattled off a string of affectionate scoldings, just as she had done over the past five years.

 

“Take care of yourself even after you leave. Come visit occasionally when the fruit is ripe.”

 

“Can I pick some?” 

 

“It doesn’t matter if you pick them all! But leave at least two, since I need them to bake a pie.”

 

She smiled brightly.

 

“And at that time, thank you for saving this wolf territory, the Tamar lands, and the beastmen.” 

 

“…!”

 

“Are you surprised that I know this story? It’s already a well-known tale among the beastmen.”

 

Jennifer continued, her eyes closed, her voice soft.

 

“After learning that you are the Young Madam of the Yeckhart mansion, I really wanted to tell you this. I spent the whole night choosing my words just to say it to you…”

 

“Jennifer! Why do you speak as if we’re parting? I’ll keep coming to see you, and I’m not taking any of my things with me.”

 

“Even though your stuff, accumulated over five years, fills the storage room?”

 

“Still! I’ll come back to eat Jennifer’s apple pie, just like I did for the past five years.”

 

I hugged Jennifer’s neck.

 

She was warm. Like the home she’d given me for the past five years.

 

Where could there be a beastman capable of living in the same house with an adult woman who has lost her memory, feeding her and even giving her a job?

 

That kind of beastman would be hard to find.

 

I felt fortunate to have met Jennifer.

 

I introduced Jennifer to Arsene, and Arsene to Jennifer.

 

And she told everything about how and what I had been doing in this house over the past five years.

 

Arsene, who had been insanely curious about how I spent the past five years, listened to every single detail without missing a word.

 

We chatted in her house until the sunset, then finally got up.

 

The sun was slowly setting.

 

“We’ve been here too long. We should really be going now, Jennifer.”

 

“Alright, if you want, you can come anytime. You know where the key is, right?”

 

“Jennifer, I told you not to leave the key outside!”

 

“Now that I don’t know when you’ll come, how could I do that?”

 

She smiled. 

 

I smiled at Jennifer, then looked at the “gifts” I had brought.

 

I had worked hard to prepare and bring those too, using the allowance I had saved up.

 

Compared to Kendrick’s gifts, mine were far too few and modest.

 

“I’ll bring something better next time…”

 

“Forget it, there’s nowhere to put them all. But I don’t want to sell them either.”

 

“Some of them seem to be meant for selling, don’t they?”

 

“Phew, but how could I possibly sell the things Sir Kendrick gave me?” 

 

Jennifer, who had been chatting with me for a while, suddenly grabbed my hand.

 

“By the way, wait a minute!”

 

Then she returned with a warm apple pie and a basket full of apples.

 

“It’s pie! When did you bake it?”

 

“It’s your favorite, isn’t it? I really wanted to bake it for you. Eat it on your way. It tastes best when it’s warm—share it nicely with Arsene.”

 

“Mhm, I will!” 

 

After hugging Jennifer one last time, I told her, “I’ll come again,” and then left the house.

 

Then I turned my head to look at it.

 

“Goodbye, Apple Tree House.”

 

The house where I’d lived for the past five years.

 

It felt real to be leaving that place and returning to Yeckhart, my “real home.” 

 

‘Goodbye, everyone.’

 

I looked at Arsene, holding a warm apple pie in my arms.

 

And then, holding onto Arsene, I said,

 

“I know it’s late, but would you like to stop by somewhere else with me?”

 

“Won’t the pie get cold?”

 

“We can go and eat it.”

 

“Okay then.”

 

Arsene agreed without asking where we were going.

 

I turned to him and smiled brightly.

 

“I’ll take you to the hill where the apple pie is the best!”

 

“To the hill?”

 

“Mhm, you can look forward to it.”

 

I grabbed Arsene’s hand and jogged along, leading him.

 

And I hoped the setting sun, slowly dipping below the horizon, would linger in the sky a little longer.

 

I wished desperately that it would shine on us until we each took a bite of the apple pie.