The Seed Thief

Two months had passed since the ring had slipped onto Lulu’s finger.

The forest’s trees began to transform, their leaves turning shades of yellow and red, dancing gracefully in the wind. Summer flowers shed their petals and gave way to the growth of seeds. Mountain animals, with their short fur, now sported thick, insulating coats and diligently gathered food for the approaching winter.

The wind whispered through the forest, brushing against the witch’s house with a chilling touch. Sensing its presence, Lulu pulled the blanket over her head, covering herself completely yet her body couldn’t stop shaking.

After a while, huddled and restless, Lulu extended her hand and felt the empty space beside her. The sheets bore faint creases, still retaining a trace of warmth.

Realizing the absence of her bed companion, her senses gradually returned, and she focused on the sounds surrounding her. The clattering of dishes and footsteps emanated from the kitchen, accompanied by the sizzling sound of something cooking—a savory aroma tickled her nose.

Lulu’s lips curled into a smile. Ervandas had risen early and was preparing breakfast.

Since the day he brought chickens from the village, eggs had become a regular addition to their morning meal.

He would wipe the skillet with fat from a wild boar he had caught in the forest before cracking the eggs onto it. Sprinkling them with salt and pepper, he would then place them inside the freshly baked bread. The moment Lulu took a bite, Yum! She was practically in tears.

Though no words were exchanged, Ervandas seemed to have noticed Lulu’s delight, and from that day forward, he made sure to cook eggs for breakfast every morning.

As Lulu savored the lingering taste in her mind, her face suddenly froze. A small gagging sound escaped her lips.

“……?”

Confusion washed over Lulu as she questioned her own reaction.

Only moments ago, her mouth had been watering at the thought of breakfast, but now it felt as though she had eaten a bug.

Crouching down further, she tried to avoid any scents that she would normally have eagerly sniffed, feeling an overwhelming aversion.

‘I should get up.’

In the past, Lulu would sleep past lunchtime, but things had changed. These days, Ervandas, whose waking time had shifted slightly, would rise from the bed, and Lulu, feeling a sense of emptiness, would wake before the warmth dissipated.

Well, it was all thanks to their earlier bedtime. With the days growing shorter, they naturally found themselves snuggling up and retiring earlier than before.

Er’s hands were all over her before she even lay down. Sometimes, off in a state of fatigue before her usual bedtime. It made her wonder if it was part of Ervandas’ plan to lull her to sleep early.

‘That too, but…’

Previously, Lulu would jolt awake if Ervandas wasn’t by her side. However, over the past few days, she found it increasingly difficult to rise from bed. Strangely enough, she also felt the cold more intensely

Just as Lulu clutched her shivering body, Ervandas entered the room.

“Lulu, are you awake?”

“Nah, still not awake.”

Lulu’s response made him chuckle. He wrapped her body in the blanket, scooped her up, carried her to the kitchen, and sat down on a stool.

Usually, Lulu would protest and ask to be put down by this point, but today, she still had her face peeking out from the blanket, her eyes drowsy as ever.

“Well, can’t blame you.”

Ervandas cleared his throat as his gaze fell upon Lulu’s neck.

Since their wedding, Ervandas and Lulu had been intertwining their bodies almost every day. Of course, they occasionally took rest days too. Whenever Lulu was too exhausted from taking him in and tearfully begged him to stop, he didn’t push for more.

In fact, it had happened just yesterday.

Lately, Lulu had been sleeping longer. When Ervandas asked if she wanted to shower, she agreed but ended up dozing off in bed before he finished tidying up the kitchen.

He woke her up to bathe, but she struggled to open her eyes. Ervandas had no choice but to undress and embrace her, bathing together.

As their warm and soft bodies overlapped in the bathtub, it was only natural that he would respond below, but he wasn’t so cavalier as to probe inside an exhausted, sleeping person. Of course, if she fell asleep while doing it, it couldn’t be helped.

While gently washing the sleeping Lulu, his hands explored every inch of her body. He leaned down and grazed his lips against the nape of her neck.

“Uhm…”

Even in her slumber, Lulu’s body, which he had tamed night after night, still reacted sensitively. Ervandas took his time washing her, his hands lingering on each spot he had kissed, pinched, and rubbed. Lulu purred and moaned in response.

Though she became clean thanks to his gentle ministrations, Lulu’s body bore red marks.

Gazing at those marks with satisfaction, Ervandas deftly cut a piece of well-cooked egg fry and brought it to Lulu’s lips.

Normally, she would have eagerly accepted it with delight.

“…I don’t want to eat it.”

Lulu shook her head. Ervandas’s face froze upon hearing her words.

It was Lulu who had been enthusiastically researching how to enchant chickens to lay a hundred eggs a day (she gave up after Ervandas told her it wasn’t a good idea.) If she refused to eat anything else, at least she would eat the egg.

Ervandas immediately placed his hand on Lulu’s forehead.

“You don’t seem to have a fever.”

He sensed a slight warmth, but usually, Lulu’s body would feel warmer upon waking up. It didn’t seem like she was sick.

Ervandas tried to unwrap the blanket to examine her, but Lulu snatched it back as if telling him not to. She seemed to be shivering more than usual.

’Is it a cold?’

Concerned, Ervandas brought the corn soup he had prepared, a recipe he had always eaten when at the temple. Lulu often complained about its lack of flavor and typically ignored it. However, apart from the fried egg on the table, it was the warmest dish available.

“Lulu, can you give this a try?”

He suggested it, expecting her to glare at him as if to say, ‘Why would you make something so tasteless?’

Contrary to his expectations, Lulu stuck her head out and gulped down the soup.

Her appetite seemed to return, as she squirmed and stretched her upper body outside the blanket, snatching the spoon from Ervandas’s hand.

“I want more.”

Like a famished person, she began devouring the corn soup. Anything was better than not eating at all. But usually, she would question his choice and look at it with doubt. And now she was drinking it like this?

Regardless, Lulu gobbled up a big bowl of corn soup like a starving person and got up.

She still appeared a bit tired, but there wasn’t much difference from her usual self. Still, Ervandas couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Are you going to the forest?”

“Yes.”

After breakfast, Lulu always roamed the forest. Contemplating for a moment, Ervandas cleared her empty plate and spoke.

“Then wait a little while. I’m coming with you.”

“Huh? Going together? But what about the cleaning today?”

“Skipping one day of cleaning won’t be a catastrophe.”

If he had said that a few months ago, she would have thought he was crazy and yelled that it was a big deal. But now, Ervandas casually responded as he hurriedly tidied up the bowl.

Meanwhile, Lulu washed her face and brushed her teeth. With the weather turning cooler, they now used the indoor bathroom instead of the riverside. Thanks to Lulu’s magic, they always had warm water available.

When Lulu emerged from the bath, Ervandas handed her a set of clothes, as if he had been waiting.

“It’s clothes I’ve never seen before.”

“I found them while organizing the storage. They belonged to the Forest Witch, but I thought they would suit you too.”

At the mention of the Forest Witch, Lulu readily accepted the clothes. The outer garment, tightly woven with coarse thread, carried the scent of sunlight and breeze. While it didn’t retain the lingering fragrance of the Forest Witch, Lulu happily put on the clothes and stepped out onto the porch.

Thud!

Approaching as if it had been waiting for their customary forest adventures, the stone golem drew near. Lulu shook her head.

“I’m going to walk around with Er today. Just stay here.”

As Lulu said so, she placed her hand on the stone golem’s arm.

Poof.

The small pebbles that served as its fingers suddenly fell to the ground with a thud.

“Huh?”

Startled by what had just happened, Lulu looked back and forth between the golem and the pebbles.

“What happened?”

At Lulu’s words, the golem raised its arms and shook them.

Lulu examined the golem, but there didn’t seem to be anything unusual. The magic symbols inscribed inside showed no signs of damage, and the other components were functioning properly. Then what could be the issue?

Lulu recalled the moment when the golem’s fingers had fallen off when she touched it earlier.

‘So is there something wrong with me?’

Lulu looked at her own hand, but there was no sign of anything amiss.

“What’s wrong?”

While Lulu was lost in thought, Ervandas appeared. Lulu couldn’t explain to him what had happened since she didn’t know herself. Gathering the fallen pebbles from the ground, she addressed the golem.

“Well, it’s actually a good thing. These parts are frequently used, so they’ve worn out significantly. Today, Er and I will head to the valley to find new pebbles for replacement fingers.”

At the mention of new fingers, the golem stomped its feet and waved its hands in excitement, ‘What are you doing? Hurry and go.’

Bidding farewell with enthusiasm, the two of them headed into the forest.

“Are we going to the valley?”

“Yep. We need to find good stones.”

Connected to the forest, the mountains revealed cliffs where ores were exposed. With one look back at the forest, Ervandas understood why the former Forest Witch had chosen this place as her base. Various ores were buried within these mountains.

After a long walk, the two arrived at the valley. Lulu immediately used her magic to levitate herself and Er down. That’s when it happened.

“Ugh!”

The moment she attempted to use her magic, an intense dizziness overwhelmed her. At the same time, a wave of nausea surged from within.

“Lulu!”

Alarmed, Ervandas grabbed onto Lulu, who was staggering. However, she couldn’t seem to regain her composure. Ervandas quickly settled her down nearby and gently patted her.

Meanwhile, Lulu’s discomfort grew, and she began hitting her chest with a clenched fist, eventually retching and heaving.

After a while, Lulu’s face turned pale. Ervandas used the water he had brought to wash her mouth and lifted her.

“This won’t do. We should go back home.”

“Ugh…”

Normally, Lulu would have stubbornly insisted that she was fine, but this time she simply nodded, too exhausted to say anything more.

Upon returning home, Ervandas laid Lulu down on the bed. Lulu tossed and turned for a while, feeling uneasy, before eventually falling back asleep. Witnessing her in the most fatigued state he had seen since they met, a flicker of concern passed across Ervandas’ face.

He wondered if the food had gone bad, but the corn soup had been prepared carefully, and he had tasted it multiple times without any issues. Moreover, Lulu hadn’t been feeling well even before eating. So, it couldn’t be a problem with what she ate that made her suddenly nauseous…

“……!”

The thought made Ervandas jump out of his seat.

“Oh my God.”

He clamped his hand over his mouth and paced frantically around the bed.