Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Ren wrapped me in a fur blanket as he carried me back to the tribe. The devil’s root paste and a few other books were in the bag that he borrowed from the hut. SInce the dress that I was wearing became loose, Ren made sure to pin and tie the excess fabric of the dress so it wouldn’t fall. It was only a temporary outfit for me until we could find a smaller dress. That or a way to turn me back to normal.

Along the way, I could not help but notice that Ren was stealing glances at me with a look as if he was about to cry. I even saw him raising a hand like he was about to pinch my cheek, but I glared at him warningly.

Wolf prince? More like the prince of simps.

I slapped his hand away for the 4th time as we entered the village. “No!” Stupid werewolf. He’s still trying to pinch my cheek!

“You’re just so adowable!” He cooed.

I raised my hand and slapped his cheek, but all it did was make him cry out of joy. I scrunched up my face in disgust. Ren must have sniffed something from that hut because he was acting pretty strange.

“I want down! Let me down!” I demanded and let out a high pitched scream.

“But you’re not wearing any shoes - OW!” Ren yelped when I bit his shoulders and pushed his face away. Still the werewolf boy did not let me go so I started screaming.

“Hewp! A pwedopwile!” I cried. The villagers around us were now giving us weird looks. Then I suddenly felt a familiar presence.

‘Master? I felt that you were in distress!’ My white wolf familiar suddenly stopped right in front of us.

“Custawd! Hewp me to get off of this guy!” I pointed at Ren, who was still reluctant to let me go. Unfortunately, my familiar was too focused and shocked as he looked at me that he was frozen on the spot.

“What the hell?!” Someone breathed behind me and I looked up to see Nate staring down at me with his mouth hanging open. “Rose!?”

“Yeaaah…?” I dragged the words out suspiciously when I saw the dangerous glint of admiration in his eyes. Now I feel like I don’t want to part from Ren right now.

“How did this happen!?” He demanded and stared at my face as I slowly blinked. A few seconds ago he looked like he was ready to scold Ren, now his face has softened and he smiled warmly. “Nevermind. You’re so cute! Give her to me!” Nate reached out to get me from Ren’s hands, but Ren glared at him and turned his back from Nate to protect him from me.

“Back off, bloodsucker. You’re scaring her!”

“Kids love good looking faces. And your face right now makes you look like a murderer.” Nate says as he briefly looked at Ren, before looking back at me with a wide smile. “Isn’t that right?”

“No. Get away fwom me.” I said in a deadpanned tone, but when you’re a kid who can’t pronounce everything right then they wouldn’t take you seriously.

It only motivates them more.

“THAT IS SO ADORABLE!” Nate squealed and grabbed Ren’s shoulder in order to reach me.

“Hey back off!” Ren pushed Nate away using his shoulder, but Nate was too persistent on grabbing me that Ren finally snapped. He literally growled and snapped at Nate’s hand with his elongated canine teeth. If Nate had not drawn his hand back then Ren might have bitten him.

“What is wrong with you!? You can’t be that selfish and have her all to yourself. She doesn’t belong to you!” Nate glared at Ren.

“She doesn’t belong to you either!” Ren retorted. Great. And now they are starting to fight!

While they were distracted, I wiggled myself deeper into the fur blanket until I dropped on the ground. I looked back up. Ren and Nate had not noticed that I was free. I smiled victoriously as I gathered the long dress around me and ran towards my trusted familiar, who was now leaning his head to greet me. But just before I reached him, someone blocked my way.

I looked up and gulped as I saw PRINCE Ace looking down at me with his arms crossed. I looked up at him nervously as I waited for him to scold me for finding myself in a bit of a situation again.

“Um…”

“Who are you?” He says softly and crouched down to face me. “Are you lost? You look familiar.” I moved my eyes from side to side, feeling awkward since I was debating on what to say. He hasn’t recognized me yet.

My eyes widened the moment that he started to pick me up and carry me into his arms. His eyebrow shot up when he saw the look of shock on my face. “What’s wrong? I won’t hurt you.” He says. “What’s your name?”

I feel like I was about to lose it anytime. I need to hit my head with something. “W-Wose.” I said hesitantly.

Ace scrunched up his brows and burned me with his observant gaze. “Rose? She has a child?!” His eyes widened in surprise.

“You dwick! I AM Wose!” I yelled at him.

“Don’t you dare utter a curse at your age!” He scolded me.

“Rose!” Ace and I looked at the two princes who were running towards us. Their attention was solely focused on me that they did not notice that I was with Ace. I shot my eyebrows up and pouted my mouth as I raised my hands up for Ren to take me. I feel like I would rather have him carry me instead of Ace.

But as soon as Ren attempted to take me, Ace gave him a warning glare and pulled me closer to him protectively. “Where have you guys been and why did this girl turn into a child?”

He’s not calling me an idiot? What the hell is happening?!

“I’ll explain in a while. Why don’t you hand over Rose first?” Ren bargained and attempted to snatched me from the elf prince, but Ace simply swatted his hands away. “She’s safer with me!” He snapped at him. I gulped at the intensity of his voice and somehow felt sorry for Ren that I looked up at Nate for extra help. But all he was doing was staring at me dreamily as he stood at Ace’s other side.

Stupid vampire.

“I’ll ask again.” Ace says when Ren still said nothing. “Talk!”

Ren didn’t look happy at the fact that Ace was holding me right now, but he managed to focus on the more important matter at hand. He brought the bag that he ‘borrowed’ in front of him and showed Nate and Ace the wrapped mortar. “It’s a dragon root paste that we found in the hut of Ingka.”

“Ingkwa?” I asked.

“He’s the brother of the chief and also Fical’s uncle.” Nate answered me then looked at Ace pleadingly. “Can I hold her next?”

Ace ignored him as he looked at the wrapped mortar. Then he looked back at Ren. “Who’s idea was it to go snooping around Ingka’s hut?” Ren looked at me as an answer to Ace’s question. I met the elf prince’s gaze and smiled sheepishly at him.

“Suwpwise?” I offered as I waited for him to hit me on the head.

I raised one hand and I closed my eyes as I waited for the impact to happen. But it didn’t come. Instead, all I felt was him patting my head gently that I have to look up. “Don’t go doing dangerous things.” He said to me, then he looked back at Ren. “Are you telling me Ingka really is the one who tried to murder the chief?”

“It’s enough of an evidence.” Ren nodded. “Why? What happened when you tried to meet with the chief?”

“We weren’t able to meet with the chief, because they were having an important meeting inside.”

“What? Lemme go and tawk to them! I will demand knwok some sense into him!” I said. “How dawe he ignowe my famiwiaw!” I was outraged! It was one of the reasons why I let Custard join them in the first place!

When I looked back up at the princes, they all had expressions that made me want to knock some sense into them. Ren was biting his lips and looking at me with tear filled eyes. Nate placed his hands on his cheek as he fawned while Ace looked away and covered his mouth with his free hand.

F*cking simps. I know I am cute! I have always been cute but they never act that way when I was their age. But now that I became a child they suddenly became one of my fans? Even Custard seemed friendlier than usual as he aggressively wagged his tail while looking at me!

***

Ace was still carrying me as we headed for the chief’s hut where a couple of guards were looking at us with disapproval. One of them approached us with an annoyed look on his face. “I thought we told you two that the chief is busy and has no time for you.”

I frowned at the rudeness of the guy and tapped on Ace’s shoulder and gestured for him to come close so I could whisper in his ear. He lowered his head and whispered some orders. After that, he gave me a look and I nodded. Looking at the rude man again, Ace raised a fist and punched the man across the face.

I gasped. I TOLD HIM TO SLAP HIM AND NOT PUNCH HIM! Oh well, the show must continue.

“How dawe you, mowtal!” Damn it! I sound pathetic! But I have no choice with my current situation. “Don’t you know who I am? I am Goddess Wose!”

The man seemed to recover from getting punched as he looked at me with wide eyes. “G-Goddess!? Why are you…?”

“I have exhausted my powews on healing youw chief! You show no gwatitude!”

“I am sorry Goddess! You want to meet with the chief, yes? I shall inform him immediately!” He panicked.

“A goddess does not wait!” I declared. “Eithew you move aside ow I will have my wolf feed on you!” And that did the trick. The man finally stepped back and allowed all of us to enter the hut.

As we entered, I saw another man aside from the chief and Fical. He was wearing some white felt at his lower body. He was also wearing a white bandana with a weird looking feather on his head as he felt for the pulse of the chief. Once they saw us enter, they all gave us surprised glances.

Fical’s gaze widened as soon as he saw me. “Goddess?” He gasped as he started to head towards me but was immediately blocked by Ren and Nate, who were giving him a disapproving glare.

“Move it, pal.” Nate tilted his head to the side to look menacing as so did Ren. “Get lost!”

Custard shook his head and pushed past Ren, Nate and Fical - making a room for Ace and I to walk through as we stood by the chief’s side. “Chief, we have proof that the healers did not poison you.” Ace started to say.

“I knew it. I knew that they were good kids and wouldn’t dare to hurt you.” The uncle, Ingka, says softly with a genuine smile on his face.

Or maybe that’s what he wants us to think! He is evil! He is an uncle!

Ace gestured at Ren. The wolf prince came over and showed the chief the wrapped mortar with the devil’s root paste. Ace pointed at it. “One of our allies here found this in the hut of Ingka.”

The chief let out a gasp and looked at his brother with a look of disbelief. Ingka looked surprised as well and shook his head. “How can that be? I never made that!”

“How dare you! What have I ever done to you that you would want to kill me?”

“I would never do that!” He gasped as Fical mournfully grabbed his uncle's hands behind his back. “Fical! You have to believe me!” Ingka kept on talking as Fical dragged him out of the tent.

“I can’t believe this.” The chief sighed and rubbed his temples sadly. “My own brother.” Then he looked at the princes. His eyes were clouded with an emotion that he tried so hard to hide. “You boys won the bed. I will have the healers be released while we lock up Ingka for some interrogation. You may ask the guard to release them when you head out.”

Ace and I exchanged a glance and figured that it would be best to leave the chief along for a while. I also wanted to talk to Nate and Ace about what we found in the hut. As soon as we left, we talked. I wondered about my current situation and whether or not I would stay like this permanently.

“You know? I think we should wisit the uncle latew in owder to tuwn me back to nowmal.” I said my thoughts out loud and felt them all pause to stare at me.

“NO!!!” They all yelled at me and even Custard was growling.