The Fox in the Alley Learns How to Be Spoiled by a Knight - Wounds in Sleep, and the First Question

Morning light filtered through the thin cloth curtains, spilling into the living room. The fire in the hearth had already gone out, and in its place, pale white light faintly traced the grain of the wooden floor. Against the wall stood a well-worn wooden shelf. On top of it, a candlestick still held the stub of a candle, burned down to almost nothing. The corner of the living room. The gap between the wall and the shelf. Noel sat there, huddled. Her knees were drawn up, her tail draped limply over her own legs. The silvery-white tail had been washed clean of mud, and in the dim room it seemed to glow with a faint brightness. Her dull golden-yellow fox ears twitched constantly, small movements probing the air of the house. (*It's quiet.*) It was nothing like the mornings in Kagemichi. There, there had always been someone's voice. Shouting, crying, footsteps squelching through wet ground, the clatter of broken bottles rolling, the morning bustle of the distant market. All of it, jumbled together, had reverberated through her body through those thin walls. Even in sleep, someone had been screaming in the depths of her ears. Here, it was different. Sometimes, birds came to the persimmon tree in the garden. That was about the only sound she could hear. "Noel!" A bright, bouncing voice tumbled in from the far end of the hallway. Then came the rapid patter of small feet kicking against the floor. The door burst open, and Lyall came flying in. His springy, silvery-white short hair scattered the morning light. The small freckles on his right cheek seemed somehow more visible than usual. His frame looked just the slightest bit rounder than it had a few days ago. Behind Lyall, Finn shuffled in slowly. His longer, mostly straight hair swayed lightly over his eyes, and his bluish-gold eyes fixed directly on Noel's face first. "Good morning, Noel." A small voice. The end of the word quietly faded away. "Good morning. Did you two sleep well?" Noel slowly pulled her back away from the wall. She raised the pitch of her voice just slightly. The voice she always used in front of her younger brothers. The voice of a brave older brother. "Yeah! I slept super good!" Lyall bounded over to Noel's feet as if pouncing. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she crouched down. With that same momentum, he rubbed his golden-yellow ears against the nape of her neck. Warm. "Hey, Noel. Are you working again today, big brother?" "...Yeah. Taking care of you two is my job." "I think Noel is the most amazing big brother in the whole world!" Lyall said it while grinding the tip of his nose into the area around Noel's shoulder blades. Innocent, warm, and utterly direct words. (*Big brother, huh.*) Something twinged sharply inside Noel's chest. The "big brother" Lyall spoke of was her—the one who had worn rags in the back alleys, covered in mud, biting at adults, driving people away with filthy words for the sake of her younger brothers. And this child truly believed she was the most amazing in the world. "Noel is amazing." Finn continued, quietly but clearly. He pressed his body close to Noel's side. More reserved than Lyall, but he definitely pressed his cheek against Noel's arm. "...Thank you, both of you." Noel said it in a deliberately light tone. The truth was, it hurt. Being the most amazing big brother in the world—to this small heart, it was like having heavy stones placed upon it, one after another, little by little. But in front of these two, she couldn't let that show on her face. Lyall's tail wagged back and forth vigorously. Finn's tail hung low as always, but the very tip was lifted just a little. "What are we gonna play today?" "Play, or maybe go out to the garden for a bit." "Garden!" An immediate answer. "Garden is good." Finn nodded, small. "Alright. But first—wash your hands and drink some morning water." "Okaaay!" Lyall's reply rang brightly through the living room. Pulled along by the hand, Finn followed him out of the room. Noel stood up and placed her hand on the small chair by the wall. (*...It's fine. I'm fine.*) She murmured it only in her heart, not aloud. In front of her brothers, she didn't voice it. ────── The garden was filled with sunlight. Though it was the entrance of autumn, the sky before noon was still blue, casting the shadows of the three of them onto the dry earth. When the wind blew, the persimmon tree at the edge of the garden swayed the tips of its still-green leaves faintly. Lyall immediately crouched down and began poking at a small insect on the ground with his finger. Finn leaned his back against the trunk of the persimmon tree, gazing up at the sky, motionless. Noel watched their backs from a short distance away. (*If I'm not watching, it's dangerous.*) (*You never know what's where.*) In reality, the garden of the house on Knight's Hill was safe. Beyond the stone-paved path stood a well-tended hedge. Elsa, the wife of the retired knight next door, sometimes waved over at them. There was nothing dangerous at all. But Noel's eyes couldn't help searching the shadows around the three of them. The habit ingrained in her from those back alleys wouldn't fade. "Noel, look at this!" Lyall, with mud-covered hands, had picked a small white flower. He held it up toward Noel, beaming. "Yeah. That's a pretty flower." "I'm giving it to you, Noel!" "...Is that so. Thank you." The flower she received had petals that were slightly wilted at the tips. Noel gently tucked it inside her jacket. Lyall smiled, satisfied. (*I have to protect their smiles.*) (*Because I'm their big brother.*) Finn turned toward her. "Noel, are you coming over here?" He tilted his head slightly. The tip of his left fox ear had a small notch missing. An old scar from being bitten by a cat in the back alleys. "Yeah, I'm coming now." Noel walked slowly over to Finn. ────── As evening approached, the color of the sky gradually tilted toward madder red. A while after Noel and the others returned to the living room, the front door opened with a heavy sound. "...I'm home." A low voice. Alvin Crowley, knight of the royal guard, had returned from duty. His short, neatly trimmed black hair and dark brown eyes. He had removed his armor and appeared in the living room wearing a white shirt. In both hands, he carried oil-paper-wrapped parcels. His fingers were rugged, marked with old scars. On the back of his right hand in particular, a pale mark like an old bite wound remained. (*He's tired.*) Noel stole a glance at Alvin's face from her spot by the wall. He said nothing himself. His posture was as straight-backed as always. But there was a faint tinge of exhaustion around his eyes. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his neck where the armor had been removed. His duties at the royal palace must be considerably demanding. "Welcome home!" Lyall ran up to Alvin. His tail wagged wildly as he tried to playfully cling to Alvin's leg. "Welcome home." Finn also bowed his head from a short distance away. "Ah. Were you two good while I was gone?" Alvin's mouth softened just slightly. He ruffled Lyall's hair with a large hand. Noel didn't call out to him. She just watched the scene from the wall. Her younger brothers and the knight laughing together. She alone stood one step apart from it all. (*...That's fine.*) (*I don't cling to people like that.*) Alvin glanced over at Noel. Their eyes met. She immediately looked away. (*What's with that face.*) (*Don't look at me with those worried eyes.*) Noel puffed up her tail slightly and didn't look at Alvin any further. ────── Night came. Quiet settled over the house. The fire in the hearth cast orange shadows that flickered against the living room wall. Her younger brothers were already asleep in their room on the second floor. Noel lay on the living room floor with a single cloth spread beneath her. As always, she couldn't seem to sleep on a bed. The hardness of the floor by the wall still felt familiar to her body. Her sleep was shallow. She woke many times during the night. At any sound, her ears stood up. In the darkness, the memory of that rainy day would suddenly rise up. (*...No good.*) (*I need to sleep.*) Noel closed her eyes. How much time passed? Her consciousness sank thinly into dark water. Her heart lurched with a heavy thud. —The sound of rain. Cold. Rain at the entrance of winter. A dark hollow in the ground. The smell of mud. "Noel... I'm cold." A hoarse voice. Beside her, Finn was shivering faintly. (*It's okay, it's okay, I'll protect you.*) (*Please, no one come.*) Footsteps approach. Splash. The sound of stepping in water. A large hand reaches out. —Don't come!! Noel bit down, reflexively. She sank her teeth in. Hard, deep. She clenched her jaw, determined not to let go. Crunch—she broke through tough skin, and something faintly warm spread across her tongue. The taste of iron. The taste of blood. "...Nn." A low, short, suppressed sound. In the darkness, Noel was definitely biting something. It was a human hand. The hard feel of bone. A large hand with old scars. (*—Ah.*) Noel's consciousness slowly surfaced. The taste of iron still lingered in her mouth. She slowly opened her eyes. Alvin was kneeling right in front of her. In the dim light of the living room, he was staring at Noel, motionless. His right hand was at Noel's mouth. Noel's teeth were still sunk into the back of his hand, near the base of his fingers. (*I... did it.*) The moment she realized she had bitten him, Noel's entire body froze as if touched by ice. The strength drained from her jaw. Alvin didn't pull his hand away. He didn't even furrow his brow. He just quietly looked into Noel's eyes. He didn't let the pain of the bitten hand show on his face. That, paradoxically, terrified Noel. (*I'll be scolded.*) (*I'll be hit.*) (*I'll be thrown out.*) (*I'll be sold.*) It had been the same for seven years. The trigger was always this—her biting habit. Her body began to tremble, clattering. She tried to escape, bracing her hands against the floor. But her fingers shook, and she couldn't muster any strength. (*I'm scared.*) (*I'm scared, I'm scared.*) A sob was about to be crushed in the back of her throat. "...It's alright." A low, calm voice sounded right next to her eardrum. "It's just a bite on my hand. Nothing serious." Saying that, Alvin gently placed his free hand on top of Noel's head. She couldn't brush it away. She couldn't shake it off. A large palm. Rough and calloused, but the force of its touch was light, like stiff feathers. "You haven't done anything wrong." Those words loosened Noel's trembling, just a little. Alvin slowly pulled his bitten hand away from Noel's mouth. On the back of his hand, fresh red teeth marks had formed. Blood was oozing faintly. But he made no move to wipe the hand or press on it. "...So you don't need to cry." Alvin said. Noel realized for the first time that her cheeks were wet. (*Ah...*) Tears were overflowing, unstoppably. —She was crying. "...I'm not crying." Noel said it in a trembling voice. "...I see." Alvin said nothing more. He just quietly stroked Noel's head, over and over. (*Why doesn't this person get angry?*) (*Why doesn't he treat his wound?*) (*Why does he just let this happen?*) She didn't understand. The tears wouldn't stop, and Noel bit her lip. This time, her own lip. Weakly, then hard. Again, the taste of iron. —It was the taste of Alvin's blood. ────── The next morning. The faint taste of iron lingered in her mouth, and Noel jolted awake. (*Yesterday, I bit him.*) (*His hand.*) A certain memory. The sensation of having bitten down. Noel hurriedly scanned the living room. A new fire had been lit in the hearth, and a small pot was making a soft bubbling sound. From the kitchen came the sound of bread being sliced. Alvin w

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Episode 3

Name: The Fox in the Alley Learns How to Be Spoiled by a Knight
Author: Novelia

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