Mr. Kadan in the Deep Forest - Chapter 7
Having been tasked with trimming the hair of slaves at the trader’s, Luna was quite confident in her ability to style hair.
“Isn’t your hair uncomfortable? I can trim it for you nicely.”
“……”
The man ran his fingers through his hair at her words, but didn’t respond. After finishing the stew in one go, he stood up from the table without a word.
‘Did I just make a mistake?’
Luna quietly finished her meal while watching the man organize ingredients in the kitchen. Afterward, she rolled up her sleeves and moved toward the bucket of water. She intended to wash the dishes she had used.
At that moment, a large shadow loomed over her, and her wrist was suddenly grabbed. The man had approached from behind and pulled her hand away from the water, ensuring that her injured hand didn’t touch it.
“You’re hurt.”
“I just wanted to clean up after myself. I want to help with anything I can.”
Being in his debt, she felt she should at least contribute in some small way. She didn’t want to be a burden.
If this was the slave trader’s cabin, she would have already been sold to the black market by now. Luna, with her head hung low, tried to think of ways to prove her worth.
The man silently stared at her hand, clenched in a fist, before pulling her wrist and guiding her to sit at the table. He rummaged through a corner of the shelf and pulled out a small book and some writing materials and handed them to her.
“You, can read?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I can.”
“Teach me.”
The man sat down across from her, nodding toward the small book. It was titled “Introduction to the Common Language for Children.” Luna quickly nodded in response.
She was confident in teaching. When she had been locked in the cellar, she passed the long, boring hours by reading the pile of books that had accumulated over time.
“I’ll do my best!”
Luna was so happy to finally have something she could do for him. A smile spread across her face, and it seemed as though she couldn’t stop it.
The man blinked and stared down at her quietly. She seemed like fresh snow untouched by anyone’s footsteps in the deep forest. If someone were to gather the purest snow and shape it into a person, it might look just like her. Perhaps that was why her smile glimmered like sunlight on the snow.
This was the second time the man had truly noticed Luna’s face. He had originally thought she was just someone passing through, but now, it felt as though she had become unforgettable, and his chest tightened with the sensation.
It was uncomfortable. The man scratched the back of his neck with his large hand, feeling inexplicably itchy and out of breath. He forced himself to look down at the book in front of him.
“Um, may I ask your name?”
“Name?”
“Yes. When learning to read, the first thing you need to know is your own name.”
“Monster.”
The man mentioned the strange word with an indifferent expression.
“…What?”
“People call me that.”
More specifically, they called him the hunter who hunts beasts, the monster forest keeper. The villagers referred to him like this, since he hunted beasts for money.
He didn’t mind it, neither good nor bad. He had no family or friends to call him by any other name, so he didn’t see the need for one. It didn’t matter what they called him as long as they understood.
But unlike the man, Luna couldn’t hide her confusion. After just two days, it was clear how diligent and warm-hearted he was. She couldn’t understand why the villagers used such an unpleasant title for someone like him.
“Do you like that name?”
“Didn’t think about it.”
“Sorry to be forward, but if you don’t mind, may I… give you a name?”
“Mm.”
He nodded without hesitation. It seemed like she wanted to call him something special now that she was staying with him. It wouldn’t be bad for him to have a new name, at least while she was here.
“How about ‘Kadan’?”
Kadan was the name of the hero from the fairy tale Luna had read while locked in the cellar.
The hero was a brave warrior who fought against a great fire to protect a sacred forest. He saved a princess in distress and married her in a happy ending. The hero was warm-hearted and kind, much like the man before her.
“K-Kadan?”
“Yes. It means a brave warrior.”
“Mm.”
Kadan. Kadan. The man murmured the unfamiliar name quietly, furrowing his brow. The ‘dan’ part kept sounding like ‘den’, and he had to practice a few times before it felt right.
“This is how you write Kadan.”
Luna wrote the name down on paper in the common language. The man, now Kadan, began writing the name with serious focus, though his handwriting looked more like drawing than writing.
Sitting at the small table with his back slightly hunched, he looked like a bear trying to do tricks, and Luna secretly smiled.
Then, snap. Kadan’s pencil broke. Perhaps nervous from writing for the first time, he had gripped the pencil too tightly.
“It’s okay. Everyone does that at first.”
Luna brought over a small knife from the kitchen shelf and skillfully sharpened the pencil. The man watched her with curiosity before taking the pencil she handed him. He marveled at the sharp point.
“Shall we try again, Kadan?”
“Mm.”
Shyly, the man muttered “Kadan, Kadan” as he slowly wrote the name.
