Chapter 6: Return Home

Seolyeon was flustered.
She had stormed in, ready to curse out the man for still sitting around and playing at home when she had sent him to find her little sister, but her sister had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
‘Did she hear me curse?’
A child is like a sponge.
They absorb everything they come into contact with.
For example, just as Seol-ah had been trying to imitate Seolyeon’s “Awooo” howl for the past two years, children learn and mimic things adults never expect.
She had clamped her mouth shut the moment she saw her sister’s big tail, but it was possible that Seol-ah had heard the little sound that escaped, “son of a…”
Seolyeon wanted Seol-ah to grow up straight and proper.
She hoped that at least her sister wouldn’t become a person full of violence and profanity like herself.
That’s why, in front of Seol-ah, she had always presented herself as a kind and gentle person, but what if this incident had ruined everything?
Seolyeon imagined a foul-mouthed Seol-ah.
—Idiot!
—Moron!
—I’m a cool wolf!
It might be okay.
‘Ah, no.’
Seolyeon shook her head.
She had almost lost her senses just imagining her sister’s cute side.
More importantly, she needed to change the subject as quickly as possible so Seol-ah wouldn’t learn any curse words.
“Seol-ah, where on earth have you been. I was so worried!”
“Well, I was on my way to the mister’s house, but I saw a popsicle and went to eat it, then I got into a big fight with a hamster… ah, of course, I won! Anyway, after that, when I was about to eat the popsicle, an arctic fox suddenly appeared and stole it, so I was chasing after that…”
“Wait, what?”
Seolyeon’s eyes, which had been smiling as she listened to her sister’s long-winded chatter, shot wide open.
It was because she had heard a word she couldn’t just ignore.
Seol-ah tilted her head, then placed her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and said.
“I fought a hamster and won!”
“No, a little after that.”
“I was about to eat the popsicle!”
“One word after that.”
Seol-ah thought for a moment about what she had said, swishing her fluffy tail, before speaking.
“An arctic fox stole my popsicle!”
“An arctic… fox…?”
Seol-ah nodded her head up and down vigorously.
She nodded with such a big motion that Seolyeon was genuinely worried her triangular, fluffy ears might just fall off.
But more importantly, there was a serious matter at hand.
“You saw an arctic fox?”
“I didn’t just see her! I coolly cau…”
“You saw one, right?”
“Uh, uh… yes.”
Faced with her sister’s serious expression, Seol-ah couldn’t continue her boasting and could only nod in bewilderment.
Sensing something strange was going on, the polar bear asked.
“What’s wrong? Is there something about arctic foxes?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“No, really, I spent all day looking for the kid, and instead of a thank you, I get cursed at, and now you’re making me super curious but won’t tell me anything… I’m such a pushover, a real pushover.”
“I said I’d give you wyvern meat. Just be satisfied with that.”
“You were supposed to give me that anyway, in exchange for the fish I caught.”
“I don’t have anything else to give you, even if I wanted to.”
As Seolyeon growled, the polar bear scratched his head and averted his gaze.
That bold wolf had been difficult to deal with in many ways since she was young.
He thought that it was strange how the sisters were so different, with the younger one being so cute.
“Anyway, are you leaving right away?”
“There’s nothing to do here.”
“Why don’t you come by for some fishing with Seol-ah later? Hey, Seol-ah, if you drill a hole in the ice on that lake over there and throw in some bait, you can catch a huge fish. You wanna try catching one too?”
As Seol-ah’s eyes sparkled at the polar bear’s exaggerated gestures and she was about to answer, Seolyeon covered her sister’s mouth and snapped.
“Don’t teach her weird things!”
“What’s so weird about it? Wolves catch fish and stuff too.”
“If I say don’t do it, then don’t.”
Seolyeon said, thinking about the size of the fish the polar bear usually caught.
If Seol-ah tried to catch one of those, she wouldn’t be catching it; she’d be swallowed whole.
Absolutely not.

“Thank you~”
Opening the door and stepping out into the snowy field, Seol-ah bowed deeply to the polar bear.
Then, she tilted over and face-planted in the snow.
“I caught a mouse!”
“…”
A moment later, Seol-ah stood up, brushing off the snow, with a mouse in her mouth.

“No candy for a week.”
“What?!”
As soon as they opened the door and entered the house, Seol-ah’s mother spoke.
Startled, Seol-ah’s tail puffed up with a ‘poof,’ and she asked back.
“It’s your punishment for making your mom and dad worry. Do you have any idea how chaotic our house was yesterday?”
“B-But…”
Seol-ah said, on the verge of tears.
The special wolf beastkin candy, made by processing popsicles, was a snack Seol-ah ate almost every day.
To have that banned!
“What do you mean, ‘but’! Your mom, dad, and sister were worried sick, thinking something terrible might have happened to you!”
“Wuu…”
As someone who was once an adult, Seol-ah understood her mother’s concern.
Therefore, she couldn’t bring herself to argue back.
She could have used her young body to throw a tantrum, but this was purely her fault, so her conscience wouldn’t allow it.
Seeing her tearful daughter, Seol-ah’s mother let out a sigh and hugged Seol-ah tightly.
“Don’t do things like that from now on, alright?”
“Yes…”
Feeling the warm body heat, Seol-ah’s body instantly melted away.
Like a snowman under the sun.
Seol-ah’s mother looked at her daughter’s fluffy, yet slightly messy, tail as always and said.
“Your tail got really messy from sleeping outside. Go to your sister and get it groomed.”
“Okay!”
“Sigh, when will she stop making me worry…”
Seol-ah’s mother grumbled as she watched her daughter run off.
A moment later, Seolyeon appeared.
“Mother.”
“Hm? Oh, Seol-ah just went to look for you.”
“Ah, really? I should go back quickly then… Anyway, do you have the key to the study right now? There’s something I need to look up.”
“The study? Why?”
The study in Seol-ah’s house stored various records passed down from the pack leaders.
To prevent the records from being damaged by strong winds and snow, the study was always under strict management.
“There’s something I need to look into regarding Seol-ah’s species…”
“Shh, what if Seol-ah hears you.”
“…There’s something I need to look up about arctic foxes.”
Judging by the scent, Seol-ah didn’t seem to be nearby, but Seolyeon corrected herself.
Seol-ah’s mother rummaged through a cupboard for a moment before taking out an iron key.
Seolyeon took the key, hesitated for a moment, and then asked.
“Is Father still planning to hide it?”
“Yes. It seems he plans to hide it until she’s an adult.”
“Can you really hide it until then? Arctic foxes… are different from wolves. Just their size alone…”
“They’re very different. But we have to try for as long as we can, don’t we? Imagine how shocked Seol-ah would be if she found out now. She’s so happy thinking she’s a wolf.”
‘Getting obsessed with a picture book that even children find childish.’
Her mother muttered quietly.
Seolyeon wore a sullen expression.
Irritation practically sparked from the movement of her tail.
“I think we should tell her soon…”
“Your father must have his reasons. You’re not the pack leader yet, so for now, please respect your father’s decision.”
“…Yes.”
*
“Hehe…”
Ever since my reincarnation, I’ve come to like books.
To be honest, the only book I’ve read here is this picture book I always keep in my tail, but in the end, liking a book is liking a book, so it’s the same thing.
Anyway, when I get groomed, I have to take out the things I’ve stored in my tail.
My sister has repeatedly told me that’s the only way to get my tail brushed nicely.
Maintaining the cleanliness and appearance of one’s tail is essential for a wolf beastkin.
Especially since I, unlike the other kids, have a super big tail, the importance of tail care goes without saying.
I took out various items from my tail, including the picture book.
A pretty pebble, a shiny pebble, a pebble my sister gave me…
Gasp, there’s a piece of a popsicle too.
It seems I left it over from eating in the den last night.
Nom, nom.
Savoring the sweetness of the popsicle, I took everything out of my tail with a flurry.
My tail fur flew everywhere.
When I came to my senses, it was as if white snow had settled in the hallway.
Gasp.
What do I do?
If my sister finds this mess, I’m going to get scolded.
My tail trembles.
My ears too.
I hastily looked around.
Then, my eyes landed on the window.
Without hesitation, I threw open the hallway window.
“Hyaa!”
A fierce, cold wind whips in with a loud whoosh.
My hair flies, and the tail fur that had been decorating the hallway floats up into the air.
Hehe, this is the power of ventilation.
There can’t be a wolf as smart as me to think of such a plan!
“Huh?”
However, contrary to my expectation that the fur would be blown out the window in an instant, it began to swirl in a large vortex in the center of the hallway.
Then, the fur that had only settled near me began to fill the entire space, from the ceiling to the floor!
Even the snow blowing in from the window was added to the mix, making the hallway a complete and utter mess!
“Aack!”
I hurriedly closed the window, but the already ruined hallway did not return to its previous state.
And at that very moment, my sister opened the hallway door and appeared.