MTMLF CH 21

Chapter 21

Decision to Leave the Forest

“I’m sorry, Father. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

Noah lowered his head and admitted his mistake. Seeing that, Rupert no longer looked angry.

“Take care of them yourself.”

With that short order, Rupert turned around, carrying Jania in his arms.

“Are you planning to return to that house again?”

Noah asked curiously.

“Yes.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just go straight to the Duke’s estate?”

“That’s not possible.”

Rupert looked down at Jania’s sleeping face. He remembered how stubbornly she had insisted she wouldn’t leave her home, and the memory made him smile.

If that was her will, then he had to respect it.

Noah sighed quietly at the sight.

“Then what should we do with the druids?”

“Don’t lock them up. Just deal with them.”

“What? But shouldn’t we torture them for information first—”

“Enough. Kill them. Leave no one alive.”

“……”

Rupert’s anger was sharp, almost like arrows piercing Noah’s body. The knights nearby also felt the chilling pressure.

But when Noah thought about it carefully, he realized his father was right.

Leaving druids alive—druids who knew about the Purifier—was far too dangerous.

He finally nodded.

“Understood.”

Rupert left with Jania in his arms, leaving everything else behind.

***

“Mm…”

A ray of morning sunlight poked at Jania’s eyes. She groaned softly, still half-asleep.

Then suddenly her eyes snapped wide open, green irises trembling hard.

“W-was it all… a dream?”

She blinked around at the familiar room.

The same room she had slept in every night since coming into this world.

It almost made the terrifying events of last night feel unreal.

“No… it couldn’t have been a dream… Ow.”

She tried to sit up but collapsed back onto the bed with a small cry.

Her body was still weak, likely because of the strange ritual the druids had performed.

“The druids… what happened to them?”

Her last memory was of Rupert—his golden wolf eyes shining as he came to save her. Just thinking of it made her chest tighten.

The door suddenly burst open.

“Janiaaa!”

“Ella?”

The little girl ran in, hopping straight onto the bed with such force that water splashed everywhere from the cup in her hands. Jania blinked in surprise as cold droplets soaked her.

“A-ah, s-sorry! I was trying to bring you water…”

“It’s okay.”

Jania smiled warmly at Ella’s worried face and patted her head.

“Thank you.”

“Hehe…”

But Ella looked down, embarrassed. Then suddenly, water began to refill her cup on its own.

“Huh?”

“You were told not to run with water, weren’t you?” came a calm, deep voice.

Ella didn’t care about the scolding—she just grinned happily at the cup full of water again.

Jania’s eyes widened when she looked past her and saw Rupert standing there.

“Rupert—no, um… Your Grace.”

This time Rupert wasn’t in his wolf form.

He was dressed in a neat black military-style uniform, the kind knights wore.

Looking at him like this, Jania couldn’t casually call his name anymore.

She nervously averted her gaze.

‘Wait… Ella too?’

She noticed that Ella was also wearing new clothes she had never seen before.

“Why are you calling me that?”

Rupert asked.

“B-but…”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll call you ‘Master.’”

“W-what? That’s not—!”

Jania’s face went bright red. Ella blinked at both of them curiously, forcing Jania to change the subject with a cough.

“Um, what about Ella’s clothes?”

“I asked Noah to bring some. I thought you wanted them.”

“Ah, yes. I did… Thank you.”

She remembered the ragged clothes she had sewn before. Maybe Rupert had seen them and guessed she wanted something better.

Embarrassed, Jania placed the cup on the table and asked the question that weighed on her mind most.

“Um… last night. Those people… what happened to them?”

Rupert’s face turned icy cold. The pressure made Jania’s words die in her throat. But then, as if realizing her fear, he gave a soft smile.

“You’ll never see them again.”

“I-I see. Haha…”

Jania forced an awkward laugh. She instinctively knew better than to ask more.

‘So… it’s all over now?’

The druids who had trapped the real Jania and stolen her power were gone.

Maybe it was safe to keep living here now. But…

‘Because of me, this forest became cursed.’

Even if it wasn’t her fault—the druids had spread that barrier to keep beastmen away—the result was the same.

The forest’s balance was ruined. Wild beasts disappeared, replaced by monsters, and the ecosystem had already started to collapse.

‘If I leave, maybe the forest can heal again.’

She felt it would be better to go. And, if she was honest, the memories of last night were too painful to stay here much longer.

Cold sweat slid down her neck even as she tried to smile.

“You’re safe now, Jania.”

“Ah…”

“That will never happen again.”

His voice was firm and certain. Hearing him, Jania felt like she really would be protected from now on.

Relief washed through her, and she let out a soft sigh.

“Jania, are you sick?” Ella whined, clinging to her side.

“No, I’m fine.”

“You sure? Really sure?”

“Yes, really.”

The warmth of Ella’s little body made the lingering cold in Jania’s own chest slowly fade.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll bring it to you,” Rupert suddenly offered.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Until now, all she had eaten were hard bread, dried meat, cheese, some fruit, and roasted wild game.

Could he really get something different?

Jania looked up at him with hope.

“I… I really want soup.”

“Soup?”

“Yes.”

It was simple, but impossible to make with what she had here. She actually craved rice porridge, but since rice didn’t exist in this world, soup was the closest thing.

“Very well.”

“……!”

He accepted immediately. He must have supplies his knights had brought from outside. Jania’s heart filled with anticipation.

***

“Is it good?”

“Yes, very good!”

Jania answered quickly, spooning soup into her mouth with bright eyes.

It was warm, creamy, and savory with cheese, just the right amount of salt, and soft bread on the side.

It was heavenly compared to the rough meals she’d been having. Her cheeks puffed up as she ate hungrily.

“Slow down. No one’s going to steal it from you.”

“Yes, sir—mhm.”

Beside her, Ella also ate soup, practically burying her face in the bowl. Watching her made Jania’s chest ache a little.

‘Poor Ella… I only gave her hard bread and dried meat before.’

As a rabbit, Ella could eat grass just fine, but in her five-year-old human body, such food was cruel.

Jania had tried to make soup with scraps before, but it had tasted awful.

“Um… R-Rupert…” Jania hesitated after finishing her meal.

Rupert sat beside her, one leg crossed, watching her with a faint smile.

“Just Rupert. No titles.”

“B-but I’m just a commoner…”

“Then I’ll call you Lady Jania.”

“N-no! Please don’t. I’ll stop too.”

Flustered, Jania waved her hands.

Rupert’s smile only deepened. She sighed, fanning her hot cheeks before speaking again.

“Thank you… for everything you did.”

“I only did what I should.”

“No, it really helped me a lot.”

If not for him, she would still be trapped, drained of her power, and used as a living sacrifice by the druids.

She might have lost her memories completely, living on in ignorance forever. The thought made her shiver.

Looking up at him, Jania spoke firmly:

“And… I want to go with you, Rupert.”