Winter passed and spring came.
Daily life during that time was nothing special. Feeding Raha well, taking them on walks. Attending to trivial needs while spouting meaningless chatter. Still, it was pretty decent. Surprisingly so.
Because Raha was cuter than I thought. Even setting aside their prettiness.
“You should be ready to have legs made now.”
They’ve gained quite a bit of weight. Well, after all that trouble, they naturally should have grown. Even raising a newborn kitten would have required less effort than this.
But somehow they don’t look very happy. I called Raha, puzzled.
“Raha? What’s wrong? I’m going to make your legs now.”
“…Right.”
“Aren’t you happy? You’ll be able to move around on your own now.”
For some reason, Raha made a complicated expression. That is to say, they didn’t look particularly pleased. There was something gloomy about it, and while they seemed happy, they also seemed hesitant. It was a really strange face.
“If you make my legs… do I have to leave?”
“That’s up to you.”
“You won’t drive me out?”
“Why? You’re pretty.”
Why do they think I’d drive them out? I don’t understand.
At first, I did plan to just attach their legs and send them off. But after keeping them around continuously, my thoughts changed. They really are pretty. An individual this pretty would be hard to find again.
If they say they’ll go, I’ll let them, but looking at how they’re acting, it doesn’t seem like they’ll say they want to leave. Then what’s the problem? As I stare at them wondering, they just fidget with their hands before avoiding my gaze.
They’ve definitely gotten prettier now that I’m feeding them well. These days they don’t even cry, making them even prettier. A smiling face really is the prettiest. Though I don’t really know what’s inside that tiny head.
What does this one think about while living? I’m suddenly curious.
“If I can stay… that would be good.”
And then they suddenly smile bashfully. They’re really strange. Their eyes are brimming with moisture as if they’re about to cry, yet they’re smiling. It’s a face where I can’t tell if they’re happy or sad. Still, they must be pleased. It must be uncomfortable to keep being carried around by me all the time.
First of all, I’m bothered. I’d like them to at least handle the minimum survival activities on their own. Moreover, if they hadn’t been afraid of just the Dryads, it wouldn’t have been this troublesome, but I already knew they were timid, so there’s nowhere to place blame.
I sat Raha down gently in a soft spot and took out a fragment. Then I placed it right below where the legs were cut off.
“This will connect the two pieces, and I’m worried whether you can handle it since you’re so weak… but it’ll be fine.”
“Is there nothing I need to do?”
“Mm. Just close your eyes. You can lie down if it’s uncomfortable.”
I’m the one doing the work; Raha has nothing to do. Just in case, I infused Raha with a bit more energy.
“If something feels strange, tell me. Nothing happened when I did it before, but you never know, right?”
“…Yes.”
Raha’s lips twitched before they barely answered. It seemed like they wanted to say something else, but I don’t know what. They’ll say it later when they want to. If it’s important, they’ll say it even if I tell them not to. I quickly stopped paying attention.
I’ve been passing my energy to them little by little in preparation for any situation.
There’s the fact that they’re weak enough to die, but I also did it for my own comfort. I need to attach their legs quickly and let them take care of themselves. Though it’s enjoyable to groom and care for pretty things every day, everything else is too bothersome. I just wish they could be pretty for me.
If this one had been just a bit sturdier, I wouldn’t have had to go this far.
“You really survived because you’re pretty.”
“I survived because Levia-nim cherishes me.”
“Be grateful for that.”
Raha smiled with their eyes closed.
“You’re right. I am grateful.”
They’re just timid and shy, but the individual itself is gentle. There are many fierce individuals even among the timid ones. I was pleased with Raha’s answer. At least this one knows to be grateful. Occasionally some strange individuals lose their minds and act out, but humans are good after all.
I infused power into the fragment I’d placed down and watched as it constructed a form. Perhaps because I’d done this once before, it seems faster than last time. Tree vines create the framework and fill in the flesh. Then the seams where they connect sprout skin-like covering that grows over the top.
The sparkling light faded, and I touched and felt the newly made legs.
“How is it? Can you sense it properly? Is there anywhere that hurts or feels numb?”
At my question, Raha finally opened their eyes. And stared at their own legs for a long while. Can’t they hear me properly? I don’t know why they’re staring with such unfamiliar eyes.
“You had legs before. Is this amazing?”
They’re just human legs. I only reconstructed the form with my fragment and grafted them on—what’s so amazing about that? Almost all grasses and trees can live just by being cut and attached. Living things with bones and flesh have difficulty regenerating, but things like trolls recovered just fine.
Well, there are individual differences in that too. It could be amazing if you think about it. Humans are so weak that even falling breaks their bones and makes them bleed. They might not have enough energy to regenerate.
After staring at their own legs silently like that for a while, Raha raised their head. Just when I thought they were staring at me intently, they suddenly jumped up and rushed at me. I caught them reflexively. With a loud crash, we both fell over.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like them?”
Raha shook their head back and forth while hugging me tightly. On top of that, they burst into tears and started crying.
“Thank you… I really didn’t think they’d grow back.”
“What? You thought I was lying? If I said I’d do it, I’ll do it. That’s obvious.”
“Right. You’re right. Levia-nim doesn’t lie.”
I don’t understand what this situation is. I awkwardly patted Raha’s back and asked.
“Are you happy?”
“Yes, I’m so, so happy…!”
“Do they move well? Don’t they hurt?”
“They move well. They don’t hurt. They’re fine.”
And they keep crying. Even though I tried to comfort them in my own way, it was useless. I made them because I wanted to see a smiling face, but they just cry. This one really cries a lot. They really cry too easily.
I don’t think even fairies could compare. Even a banshee would cry less than this. Of course, banshees cry while screaming, so it’s a completely different kind.
“Stop crying. You’re so weak your eyes might melt.”
“It’s because I’m happy, I’m happy.”
“If you’re happy, why are you crying?”
I can feel they’re delighted, but tears keep pouring out, so I don’t know what’s what.
***
I thought I’d be a bit more comfortable once I made the legs.
I thought it would get better since I could just do the cherishing part. Well, it is more comfortable. At least I don’t have to attend to them. But it became bothersome in a different way.
“Were you always this talkative?”
“Ah… am I being noisy?”
“Just so-so. It’s not bad, but I asked because you’ve been chattering all day.”
I don’t dislike it. Maybe because they’re in a good mood, even their voice comes out prettily. That’s good. But they keep following me around constantly and talking to me, which is bothersome.
“And do your own thing. Don’t attend to me.”
To make it worse, they even try to attend to me. They keep trying to do things. When I say it’s fine, they get really sullen. This is truly bothersome. I just want to dress them in pretty clothes, wrap and unwrap them, feed them delicious things and cherish them, but they’re doing that to me.
“I should be the one cherishing you. It’s strange for you to cherish me.”
“But Levia-nim is prettier?”
“That’s obvious, but it’s not for you to cherish me.”
I’m not a living thing. I’m the source of living things. That means I don’t need to eat, dress, or sleep. Yet they keep fussing around trying to make me do that. Trying to feed me, trying to wash me, and they’ve even put the clothes I bought for them to wear on me!
Look at this right now. They made some cooking and set it before me. And they keep trying to spoon-feed me. Just like feeding a baby bird.
I grumbled while dodging the spoon Raha was shoving at me.
“You eat it, you. I don’t need to eat.”
“This stew really came out delicious this time.”
“I’ll say it over and over, but I don’t know what human food tastes like.”
If the harmony is excessively off, I know enough to think this isn’t something to eat. That’s literally because the balance is off. But that’s the only extent I can tell—it doesn’t mean human food is delicious. I’m telling you photosynthesis alone is enough for me. Even that hasn’t been necessary since tens of thousands of years ago.
“I’m telling you I need to fatten you up.”
“Then, will you eat me?”
“Don’t say that even as a joke. You taste bad.”
“I wouldn’t mind if Levia-nim ate me…”
“Didn’t you say you were scared before?”
“I’m still scared… but I think it would be okay now.”
Geez, they’re really hopeless. Maybe because they’ve spent a long time with me, they’ve started making strange jokes. I sighed and corrected Raha’s foolish words.
“I’ve just put on the form of a human. I’m not human. No, in the first place, I’m telling you humans taste bad. Why would I make you eat something tasteless? My main body is an oak tree, so I can’t eat that either. Your teeth are dull and your jaw is weak, so you can’t chew it. If you really want to eat, should I tear off a fragment for you?”
I know it’s a joke. Though I don’t know what the joke is for. I deliberately responded to their joke in earnest.
I threatened them with a scary face, but Raha smiled brightly instead. Then they gently sat beside me and kissed my cheek with a peck.
“I want Levia-nim to feel the same happiness as me.”
“…I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but you eat the food.”
“If you just finish this.”
“I said I won’t eat it, you really don’t listen.”
“It’s my love.”
Though I don’t like it, I have no choice but to accept and eat it. If I hold out and don’t eat, Raha will starve too. I had to eat the food Raha was shoving at me while making all kinds of faces.
I don’t know why they only talk nonsense like this. I’d rather they just be shy and scared and cry like at first.
No, that’s not right. I don’t like that either. That’s definitely not it. It’s true that they’re prettier now. Raha is especially delicate, so I can’t let them cry for long. It would be bad if their eyes melted.
Look at this. I’m the one eating, but they’re happy as if they’re eating it themselves. I can put up with a little discomfort. Anyway, as long as they’re pretty, that’s enough.
