The fox did not trust humans.

There was a time when she was less experienced, and the memory of her life being destroyed by a thorough betrayal remained vivid.

- "I am someone who runs a small business in the capital."
- "I came to the village for work, so we might as well get to know each other."
- "I wish to be friends with all of you."

She lost count of how many times she regretted it.

If only she hadn’t trusted that man, if only she hadn’t relied on him so easily, the village would never have been turned into a sea of flames.

That brutal memory remained as an enormous trauma.

On the day her world disappeared in flames, Irene swore an oath.

She would never trust humans again.

She vowed never to rely on others out of weakness, never to suffer the humiliation of betrayal again.

This belief, growing within her, bound the young girl tightly.

‘I won’t be deceived.’

She would not trust.

She would not rely.

She would not desire.

No matter how kind people seemed, humans would betray once they turned their backs.

She should never lean on them.

That was the value by which she lived.

And she thought it would always be the same.

She was sure of it.

- "Would you let me tame you?"

She met an unusual boy.

At first, it was inevitable.

To save her younger siblings, she had to accept the help of a human she despised.

She joined hands, thinking it would be just this once.

- "I will take you in."
- "I will help you escape this hellish place."

But she never let her guard down.

It was a choice born of necessity, not one tied to trust or fragile hope.

On the contrary, she often showed blatant hostility.

Yet—

- "I just need a friend."

Even so, the boy never backed down.

He simply stayed by her side and reached out his hand.

Time after time, she received his help.

- "You don’t need to worry."
- "Your younger siblings are well taken care of."

He took in her siblings, who had been trapped behind iron bars, providing them a warm home where they no longer had to live in fear.

- "I’m here to rescue you."
- "Everything is okay now. You’ve held on so well."

Even when she was captured by the black magicians, the boy came for her without hesitation.

He held the exhausted fox in his arms and comforted her for a long time, whispering kind words.

- "Miss Irene."
- "If there’s a way for you to be even a little less unhappy, I am willing to lend my strength."

The fox felt confused every time.

She didn’t want to acknowledge it.

The hatred she had felt toward humans seemed to fade bit by bit.

So she kept pushing the boy away as he approached.

‘This is strange.’

Cracks appeared in her once solid resolve.

Light seeped into her dark life.

He handed her the peace she had longed for.

Hearing those gentle words, the walls she had built so deeply within her heart felt as if they could crumble at any moment.

Although she couldn’t voice it, she felt fear.

‘I must not rely on him.’

She must not lower her guard.

She must not trust him.

But her heart did not obey, and she found herself leaning on him more and more.

So she tried even harder to be alone.

‘This is my problem to handle… on my own.’

That was why she didn’t ask for help.

She couldn’t bring herself to do it.

It was stubborn pride, rooted in her resolve never to trust a human.

It seemed like everything was collapsing, but even then, the boy was watching over her.

He supported her in her most dangerous moments.

- "You did well, Miss Irene."
- "Take a moment to rest. I know there’s a lot you want to say, but it’s okay to put it off for now."

His soft voice melted into her ears.

As soon as she heard it, she felt relieved.

The fear dissipated, her legs gave way, her eyes welled up, and her fists clenched tightly.

Why did she feel so reassured?

‘I…’

The fox realized it.

She could no longer deny it.

The emotions that surged within her threatened to burst forth at any moment.

She decided to accept it.

‘I rely on you.’

Despite having vowed her whole life to doubt others, he was the only one she trusted.

It may have taken her far too long to come to that realization.

- "Would you let me be tamed by you?"

I…

I had already been tamed by you.

So deeply that I couldn’t escape.

Even if she struggled, entangled in the threads of sticky emotion, they only grew more complex.

She feared being betrayed again.

“Get a hold of yourself…”

But she was already clinging to him.

Tears streaming down as she held onto his lifeless body.

“No… if you die like this…”

She pressed her lips to his.

Breathed warmth into him.

Repeated the action over and over, her head bending close, sharing her breath in their mingled desperation.

It was an earnest, fervent act.

“Hah, hah…”

Their rough breaths mingled.

The boy, now at peace, resumed the breathing that had once stopped.

Irene’s trembling hand gripped his sleeve.

Relief flooded in, followed by an intense resignation.

‘Ah.’

She had fallen into an inescapable pit.

The thought of possible betrayal terrified her, yet she couldn’t let go of his shaking hand.

It was too late to turn back.

All she could do now was hope.

‘Please.’

May this wretched self not be abandoned by you.

Muttering faintly to herself, the fox rested her body quietly.

---

The boy had survived the crisis.

Though he had lost consciousness, Irene’s swift actions had saved his life.

Golden hair rested on the deck.

“…”

A peaceful expression.

He looked as if he were in a deep sleep.

Beside the collapsed boy, an exhausted Irene panted.

She was soaked, her appearance disheveled.

“Hah…”

Her tired breath came out thin.

They had narrowly avoided becoming fish food.

The waves in the early morning were nothing short of a disaster.

Luckily, she had recovered enough strength to save them.

Irene brushed her tangled hair back.

“I can’t… stay exhausted.”

She muttered, as if hypnotizing herself, before forcing her trembling legs to stand.

Then, she carefully lifted the unconscious boy.

Leaving him like this would undoubtedly lead to problems.

Though the worst had passed, he hadn’t regained consciousness.

He needed to change out of his wet clothes and rest somewhere warm as soon as possible.

‘A ship this large… it must have a cabin.’

With that thought, she began to walk.

Just as she was about to step inside the ship—

“We meet again.”

A voice sounded from behind.

It was Nameless.

When had he returned? He was leaning against the railing, cleaning his weapons.

His black suit was soaked with blood.

“…”

The fox belatedly reacted and backed away.

She hid the boy behind her and raised the sword she had been using as a staff.

Was it because of her depleted strength?

Her arms trembled slightly, but she showed no sign of it as she assumed her stance.

The end of her sword pointed at the green-haired man.

“I don’t know why you’re so wary.”

Nameless reacted indifferently.

His expression showed no sign of wavering.

He seemed disinterested, but Irene didn’t let her guard down.

She remembered the conversation they’d had earlier.

‘They didn’t seem friendly.’

It was clear they were opposing forces.

Their exchange had been intense.

Since the boy had defeated the Sovereign’s right-hand man, Nameless had plenty of reason to hold a grudge.

And now was the perfect time to act, with the boy unconscious.

‘Damn… there’s no way he’d pass up this chance.’

Deciding so, Irene prepared for battle.

But—

Nameless made no move.

He simply checked his gear and straightened his blood-stained suit.

“Hm.”

“…”

Her grim prediction missed the mark.

As she blinked in confusion, Nameless spoke with a calm tone.

“There’s no need to be on guard. I have no intention of attacking.”

“What…?”

Irene narrowed her eyes.

She looked confused.

Why wouldn’t he attack now?

She stared at him as if asking for an explanation, but Nameless kept his indifferent expression.

He muttered a few unintelligible words.

“I simply follow orders.”

“What are you—”

“He doesn’t wish for the death of the star. Even if an opportunity presents itself, if it doesn’t please my master, it’s meaningless.”

Nameless paused briefly.

Then he continued.

“Moreover, there is a reason I can’t kill him.”

“A reason?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you more. It’s not my place to speak carelessly.”

“…”

“If you’re that curious, ask him directly.”

Ending the conversation unilaterally, Nameless finished cleaning his weapons and stood on the railing.

He bowed his head politely.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“What?”

“I’ve fulfilled my side of the deal. There are no more enemies on board. I’ve even taken care of the bodies, so feel free to use the ship at your leisure.”

“Wait, but—”

“When he wakes up, please convey my regards. Goodbye.”

With a flutter—

Nameless leaped off the railing without hesitation.

The young man disappeared, followed by a bird taking flight.

Its green wings flapped powerfully as

 it soared through the night sky.

Irene watched the receding figure, stunned.

“…”

I opened my eyes to an unfocused gaze.

What I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.

As I retraced my faint memories, I soon realized I was inside the ship.

It looked just like the cabins I had glimpsed earlier.

‘It was Irene after all.’

I recalled the sight of crimson hair just before I lost consciousness.

How much time had passed?

A throbbing headache pounded in my head.

Probably from pushing myself too hard, my condition was far from pleasant.

I took a deep breath.

‘First, I need to assess the situation.’

Just as I tried to shake off my grogginess and sit up, something felt off.

“Hm…?”

My body felt unusually heavy.

It was as if something soft was pressing against me.

Looking down in the direction of the weight, I saw an unexpected sight.

There was a swaying crimson tail.

“…”

Black eyes stared at me intently.

The girl, who was lying with her body draped over mine, gave a faint smile as our eyes met.

“You’re awake.”

A quiet whisper filled my ears.

It was none other than Irene.

The fox, wearing only a thin white shirt, lay against me as if cradled in my arms.

The ears atop her head drooped contentedly.

“I was worried… you didn’t wake up even after two days.”

Irene rested her cheek against my chest.

I was left dumbfounded, repeatedly forming questions in my mind.

“…”

What.

What exactly happened?