Mr. Kadan in the Deep Forest - Chapter 3
Luna began her preparation. No one was willing to wash her, so she had to bathe and dress herself, but she was content.
The fact that she could warm her body with hot water before she died felt luxurious to her. After finishing her bath, a young village woman helped her with the rest of her dressing.
She introduced herself as Daisy.
“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been the sacrifice instead. I’m really grateful… sniffle.”
The woman, who was applying red powder to Luna’s lips, said with a sob.
Death and loneliness had always been close companions to her, so Luna was used to them. But someone’s concern and pity were unfamiliar yet comforting.
Luna was so grateful that she smiled warmly at Daisy. After seeing this, Daisy began to cry even harder. Luna didn’t understand why the woman was crying.
Once she was dressed, Luna wore a white veil and was taken to the heart of the forest. After traveling a while in the carriage, Luna noticed a particularly large tree, much taller than the others around it.
The villagers tied Luna tightly to the trunk of this tree.
Perhaps it was because she wore only a thin dress in the cold weather, but her lips that had been painted a deep red, had turned an unnatural blue, and her body trembled with cold.
The villagers set up a long altar in front of her, placing various meats, bread, and dried fruits on it. After the preparations, the village chief kneeled in front of the altar and loudly called out.
“Owner of the forest, we offer you this bride. Please, let go of your anger and allow us to survive this winter.”
The ritual was brief. The villagers quickly left, saying the beast would soon come and left Luna all alone.
‘Is this really how I’m going to die?’
Luna lowered her head deeply.
<Do what you can to survive, Miss!>
The words of the nanny who had raised her when she was young echoed in her mind. Now exhausted, Luna silently prepared herself for death and closed her eyes.
‘Have you been waiting long, nanny? I’ll be there soon. Wait for me.’
There was no lingering regret. She had experienced sleeping among a crowd, sharing food, and even arguing with someone. Some had cried for her, and before she died, she had worn beautiful clothes and been adorned. There was nothing more she could ask for.
Then, the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow reached her ears. The sound drew closer to Luna.
The footsteps were too light for a beast. Luna wondered what it could be, but she didn’t open her eyes. Whatever it was, she was ready to accept the death that was approaching.
The footsteps stopped near her. Then came the sound of something munching, squelching.
It began by greedily devouring the food set on the altar. A chill ran down Luna’s spine, but she kept her eyes tightly shut and held her breath.
After a long while, the creature approached her. At the same time, the ropes binding her to the tree fell away.
‘I’m going to be eaten now.’
Luna tensed every muscle and trembled uncontrollably. But the next sound she heard wasn’t the roar of a beast. It was a human voice.
“Go.”
A low, cold voice. Startled, Luna slowly opened her eyes.
Was it a human? It took about three seconds to distinguish whether the figure before her was human or beast. The massive figure draped in fur, with a wild mane of hair and a beard, exuded an intimidating, carnivorous presence.
Luna’s eyes trembled wide as she looked up at the man. He met her gaze for a moment before waving his hand dismissively.
“Go.”
Turning away, the man walked back toward the altar. He began sweeping the remaining food into a sack and added a few words as he worked.
“Not the village. They’ll catch you. Go west. Another village. No beasts that way.”
The man’s speech was halting, as if he hadn’t fully learned the language. But as he quickly tied the sack with a leather cord, his movements were skilled. When he finished, he glanced back at Luna once more.
“Cold after dark. Snow will fall. You won’t be able to move. Hurry.”
After a few more words, the man turned and disappeared into the forest.
Luna stared at the spot where he had vanished, her mind blank, before slowly collapsing to the ground.
‘He wants me to go to another village?’
She let out a hollow laugh. It was obvious that she would be rejected in any new place, cast aside as the cursed human she was.
‘Better a prepared death than living in loneliness.’
She didn’t want to survive any more. Whether she froze to death or was eaten by a beast, ending her life here seemed better than dragging it out.
Luna pulled her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. At least she would likely freeze to death before the beasts could get to her.
The sun set, and darkness quickly fell. Snow began to gently fall in the pitch-black forest. Luna felt the loss of sensation in her hands and feet as she drifted to sleep. This felt like a peaceful death.
＊ ＊ ＊
‘Warm.’
Had she died and reached heaven? A pleasant warmth enveloped her body.
Then the quiet sound of firewood crackling filled the air, followed by the tempting scent of food wafting toward her.
Luna savored the little peace she had longed for, sinking deeper into the body heat surrounding her.
‘Body heat?’
Luna quickly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the bare, firm chest of a man, not a thread of cloth covering him.
