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“It’s nothing much. The villagers sent me. They say a tiger has been coming down to the village, a real monster, and it keeps carrying people off. They’re all beside themselves with worry.”
Eomdongi’s body stiffened. Dokyeom stepped down from the porch and approached a few paces. The hunters glanced at Dokyeom, taking in his neat appearance, then looked at Eomdongi as if he were a scoundrel.
“The village is in that state, so I was curious if a tiger was causing trouble here too. And what do I see? The butcher in town says that once a month, some young man comes down from the mountain carrying meat on his back. He says the game isn’t something a man could catch. So I came to check. And well, seeing that partner of yours, it doesn’t seem impossible.”
“Th, that’s right. I caught them. A tiger… I’ve never even seen one.”
Whether because Eomdongi’s eight-foot frame looked like it could take down a bear, or because the traps, axes, and bows scattered around the yard seemed convincing enough, the hunters didn’t press further.
“Anyway, be careful. If anyone comes to check, just say Dalpae dropped by.”
Eomdongi stood alone in the yard until the hunters’ figures disappeared. His shoulders were rigid, his feet planted as if frozen.
No one called to him first. It wasn’t until the snow began to fall again that Eomdongi turned and headed back to the kitchen.
Eomdongi’s gloomy expression as he crossed the yard looked like fear, like he might cry. But he said nothing. Not even to his mother.
****
At some point, snow began to fall heavily again. It was then that Cheongi, huddled in an empty den to escape the cold, wiped away tears and lifted their head.
[Eomdongi must have nothing to eat…]
Last year, there were a couple of wild boar stored away, but this year only one deer. With the mountain paths treacherous and snow piled high, it wasn’t easy for Eomdongi to go hunting from that isolated house.
There seemed to be roe deer nearby. Cheongi shook themselves and left the den, stepping into the snow. They caught a fat roe deer and climbed the mountain path.
[Eomdongi only said that because he’s worried about me. In a little while, his anger will cool, and we’ll be like before. For now, let’s make sure he doesn’t go hungry.]
Cheongi crossed a mountain and came down the familiar path to the thatched house. The flickering lamplight beyond the sliding door seemed to welcome them, so they stood still in the yard, stealing glances through the paper screen.
When Cheongi was as small as a fist, they had lived with Eomdongi. In that warm place full of his scent.
[……]
Cheongi silently laid down the roe deer they were carrying and stared endlessly at the small door.
“[No, hyung. You’ll really get sick. You’ve only eaten potatoes since yesterday. Ah, just eat something.]”
“[Pii, pii-e-]”
“[See, even Dali is worried. What a stubborn mule! Just take your medicine!]”
It was someone else’s voice. Not just one, but three. Cheongi had no idea who they were or why they were in that space.
But they kept their mouth shut, afraid of making a sound. They even tried to leave, unable to hide their hurt. But the moment they heard Eomdongi’s voice.
“[I-I’m such an idiot… I didn’t even know you were sick. I’ll go pick some herbs tomorrow.]”
They ended up bursting into tears. That place was originally theirs. Not a place for strangers to occupy.
Why… are you worried about someone else? Why not me?
I only have Eomdongi. I only need his attention. Is that so wrong?
[Is it… because I’m not human?]
Cheongi stepped back from where they stood. For a moment, Eomdongi’s shadow flickering on the paper seemed to turn this way. Cheongi fled from that place for the first time, running as fast as they could.
Wondering why they felt so wronged, Cheongi eventually returned to the empty den and sobbed while curled up.
[A human… How do I become human?]
Cheongi didn’t know how to become human. They only knew how to take over the body of a dying beast and act as its owner. To enter a human body again, they would need to find a human whose energy was drained to the point of death.
But,
[Eomdongi said we mustn’t harm humans…]
Even if they found such a human, would Eomdongi be happy with that?
Then suddenly Cheongi stopped crying and raised their head. Eomdongi’s words flashed through their mind. The words when he was worried about someone.
‘
[They seemed sick.]
If that person… If I become that person, maybe Eomdongi will like me.
Cheongi looked outside the den where the snowstorm raged. Beyond the mountain, where Eomdongi’s house stood.
****
“Haah, ha…”
Thud, thud-
Someone climbed the untrodden mountain path with grim determination. Out of breath from the ascent, they paused to look back at the path they’d come.
‘‘
This was from a hunter who went up the mountain at the villagers’ request. Those who had been secretly anxious exchanged glances and breathed sighs of relief.
‘
‘
‘
‘
At the end of the path, the village came into view, now faint. Ju Uiryeong pressed his lips tight and glared at the village for a moment.
Cowards. They had been all for it before, but now they turned their backs coldly and pretended not to know.
“Just let them all die.”
They weren’t even real people anyway, so what did it matter? That was why he had climbed the mountain, practically chased out by their glares. Plus, during the two days he’d waited in the village, there had been no news from Geon Ita, Kang Taesan, or Lee Jihyun, and his anxiety had peaked.
“Where are they? Why no contact? So annoying.”
Frowning, Ju Uiryeong looked around the rugged mountain and then started moving again. Since coming here, even his patron ‘Gapp’ hadn’t been communicating well.
Ju Uiryeong’s ability was a conditional skill that could only be used when communicating with Gapp. Communication was like ammunition for him.
He could use the skill anytime, but if Gapp refused to lend his power, Ju Uiryeong couldn’t use any ability.
Of course, that wouldn’t happen as long as Ju Uiryeong didn’t offend Gapp.
“What’s that? Aren’t those knife marks?”
Ju Uiryeong spotted knife marks on a tree and ran over. Looking closely, he saw marks on specific trees. They seemed to be trail markers left by the hunters.
Following this path should lead to Eomdongi’s house.
Ju Uiryeong immediately followed the marks uphill. Footprints gradually appeared in the deep snow. He moved countless steps, tracing the knife marks, until he found a stump that the hunters used as a resting spot.
[The demon ‘Gapp’ of the Lemegeton shouts for you to step back!]
“Wh-what?”
Before he could even react to that, a dark object crashed down from the high mountain with a roar right in front of him. Snow sprayed everywhere, and the ground shook with a heavy impact.
“Aaagh!”
Ju Uiryeong jumped back in shock. Hiding behind a tree, panting, he looked at what had fallen. Suddenly his shoulders stiffened.
It was a tiger. The one that had crushed the woman’s head at the laundry spot. No. An even larger beast lay dead on the ground, its neck broken.
“Wh-what… Why is a tiger falling from above…”
Ju Uiryeong blinked in confusion, then slowly looked up at the mountain. On the cliff-like peak, a dark silhouette flickered like a shape underwater.
As soon as he realized, two dark objects crashed down from the cliff with a roar.
BOOM!
Ju Uiryeong was terrified and hid behind a tree. His heart pounded and his skin prickled. In that brief moment, he saw two people.
A woman and a man.
The snow kicked up by the impact hung in the air like fog, leaving no time to assess the situation. As soon as the snow settled, Ju Uiryeong quickly moved his eyes. He saw two figures tangled together in the snow, throwing punches.
Thwack!
The one who threw the punch was a man with a fierce scowl. The one who caught the punch was,
!
Ju Uiryeong barely stifled a scream that was about to escape.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read I’m Just a Cat, So How Did I End Up as Someone’s Wife?! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : I’m Just a Cat, So How Did I End Up as Someone’s Wife?
