I stifled a chuckle, watching as Ai’s eyes darted back and forth over the uneven strokes of ink. It almost looked like a child had scribbled all over the page with reckless abandon. I wasn’t sure if Yuzu was just naturally bad at writing or if she had done this on purpose. Either way, I was impressed that Ai could even attempt to make sense of it.

  “Well?” I prompted, nudging her slightly. “Can you read it?”

  Ai sighed, rubbing her temple as if this was causing her actual physical pain. “It kind of says…” she dragged out the words, still squinting, “‘Mashiro stay. Yuzu come back soon. Drink soup. No go outside. Bery danger.’”

  I watched as she tried to read it, her expression shifting between frustration and mild disbelief. It was honestly kind of funny.

  “…I think this is supposed to say something about food?” she guessed, pointing at one of the more legible scribbles. “And this part here… uh… maybe about coming back soon?”

  I blinked. “You’re not even sure?”

  Ai crossed her arms and huffed. “Look, even if I can read the fox language, that doesn’t mean I can read this. It’s like she wrote this with her tail instead of her hands.”

  I chuckled at that, unable to hold back a small smile. “That bad, huh?”

  Ai sighed dramatically, placing a hand on her hip. “Honestly, even a child’s scribbles would be easier to understand than this.”

  I glanced back at the paper, still utterly clueless about its contents. Whatever Yuzu was trying to tell me, I hoped it wasn’t anything urgent.

  I snapped my fingers as realization hit me. "Wait! The sun on the drawing… Maybe it represents the afternoon?" I pointed at the little sun Yuzu had sketched above my cartoonish figure. "So, maybe she’s saying she went outside and wants me to stay here until then?"

  Ai leaned in again, frowning slightly as she inspected the drawing once more. "Hmm… that could be it." She traced her finger along the arrow pointing down. "Yeah, if this means 'wait until the sun is lower,' then it makes sense."

  I crossed my arms and nodded, feeling a little proud of my detective skills. "Alright, so Yuzu is out doing… something, and I’m supposed to wait here. Got it."

  Ai sighed, shaking her head. "It would’ve been a lot easier if she just said that in a way normal people could understand."

  "Hey, at least we managed to figure it out," I said with a grin.

  Ai gave me a skeptical look before glancing back at the note. "Barely."

  I stretched my arms upward, letting out a lazy sigh. My body still felt sluggish from waking up, but there was another issue pressing on my mind, something far more urgent than just drowsiness.

  "That being said," I muttered to myself, tugging at the edge of my cloak, "I’m getting kinda stinky. I wonder if there’s a bathtub somewhere around here." I lifted the fabric closer to my nose and took a cautious sniff. Immediately, I regretted my decision.

  A faint but undeniable scent of sweat and travel clung to my clothes, mixed with the lingering smell of the old inn’s wooden walls. My outfit had seen better days, especially after all the running, fighting, and overall chaos I had been through. Dirt clung stubbornly to the edges of my sleeves, and the once-pristine white fur lining had started to look dull and a little… well, questionable.

  I groaned dramatically, letting my shoulders slump. "Ugh. My clothes are getting bad too."

  As I said that, a wave of nostalgia suddenly hit me. I remembered the quiet afternoons at Catherine’s little home, the scent of fresh soil from her cabbage patch, the warmth of the sun against my skin, and the way she would casually wave her hand and clean my clothes with magic after a long day of work.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  "I miss Catherine," I murmured softly, my voice carrying a little more emotion than I intended.

  Before I could dwell on the feeling for too long, I felt something small and cold press against me. A gentle weight wrapped around my waist, soft yet unmistakably present.

  Ai stepped forward and hugged me.

  Her small arms barely reached all the way around, but the gesture was warm despite her naturally cold body. The snowflakes that constantly fell from her presence drifted onto my clothes, but instead of soaking into the fabric or melting into damp patches, something strange happened.

  I watched in fascination as the flakes dissolved into a faint shimmer of light, gently sweeping away the dirt and grime from my clothes and skin. The sensation was crisp and refreshing, like stepping into cool, morning air.

  “I’m your Spirit Guardian, Miss Mashiro,” Ai said softly, her voice steady. “I’ll help you if I can.”

  I blinked down at her, touched by the unexpected kindness. A small, genuine smile crept onto my lips.

  "Well… are you using the same magic to keep Yuki clean at the shrine?" I asked, tilting my head in curiosity.

  Ai pulled away slightly and gave me an expression that was somewhere between smugness and deadpan. "No," she replied flatly. "I would just throw her into a nearby lake if she got too stinky."

  I stared at her for a second before bursting into laughter. The mental image of Yuki flailing in the water, her pristine school uniform dripping wet while Ai stood on the shore with her arms crossed like a strict older sister, was too good.

  Picturing them like that, I realized something, they really did look like siblings. Their matching white hair, their shared icy-blue eyes… Despite their vastly different personalities, there was something undeniably familial about them.

  A laugh bubbled up in my throat as I imagined Yuki, her school uniform completely soaked, hair clinging to her face, floating in the middle of a freezing lake with a deadpan expression. The mental image was almost too perfect.

  "That poor girl," I snickered, wiping a tear from my eye. "No wonder she always looks kinda tired."

  Ai simply shrugged. "It’s effective."

  I couldn’t argue with that.

  I tapped my fingers against the wooden table, eyeing the wooden box of lukewarm soup. My stomach gave a low grumble in protest, clearly unimpressed by my hesitation. Yeah… this probably isn’t going to last me until afternoon.

  “So, what are you gonna do now, Miss Mashiro?” Ai asked, her voice soft and curious, almost teasing. It pulled me from my thoughts, and I realized that I had been staring absentmindedly at the small box on the desk, lost in thought.

  “I dunno,” I muttered, trying to put together a plan. “I’m not sure this soup can last me till afternoon.” I looked down at the bowl of lukewarm soup sitting on the edge of the desk, feeling its warmth seep through the ceramic. But the thought of drinking it without any real meal to go with it didn’t sound too appealing. I could already feel my stomach growling again, reminding me of the inadequacy of this little snack.

  Ai tilted her head and smiled, clearly undeterred by my lack of enthusiasm. “Then how about we go to a restaurant?” she suggested, her tone bright and full of possibilities. But then, as if realizing something important, she added, “Actually, one of the other reasons why I teleported here is because Miss Yuki is starving.”

  I groaned inwardly. “Ai…” I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Don’t do whatever Yuki told you to do, okay? You’re not her maid.” I was half joking, but honestly, sometimes Ai seemed to go a little too far in making sure Yuki was taken care of. It almost felt like she was indulging her every whim.

  Ai's smile remained playful, but a glint of something more serious flashed in her eyes. “Well, maybe not,” she said, her voice dipping into a mock-serious tone, “but I am her landlord, I guess? So I gotta keep my resident happy.” The mischievous smirk that followed only confirmed that she wasn’t as serious as she let on. Ai clearly enjoyed this role, even if she was only half-joking about it.

  “Besides,” she continued, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “it’s not like I’m doing this for free.” Her smile broadened, turning into something almost devilish. “I’m making her carve small wooden amulets, decorative charms, paper talismans, and prayer slips. Things like that.” She leaned back slightly, clearly pleased with herself. “Fufufu, she’s probably working while pouting right now.”

  I crossed my arms, giving Ai a skeptical look. "Wait, so you're saying Yuki is basically your live-in craftsman now?"

  Ai's fox ears twitched as she grinned proudly. "More like my shrine’s artisan. She makes charms, engraves wooden plaques, and even helps with maintaining the torii gates. She’s got nimble hands, so it works out well."

  I let out a small laugh, imagining Yuki sitting cross-legged in the shrine, furiously carving wooden plaques while pouting. "I take it she’s not exactly happy about it?"

  Ai chuckled, a mischievous glint in her icy blue eyes. "Oh, she complains all the time. But deep down, I think she enjoys it. She gets really focused when she’s working, and sometimes she even hums to herself."

  That was unexpected. "Huh. I guess if it keeps her busy, it's not a bad arrangement."

  "Exactly," Ai said, her tails swaying behind her. "And in return, I make sure she’s well-fed and has a roof over her head. It’s a fair trade, don’t you think?"

  I hummed, considering it. "So basically, she’s working to pay off rent."