The moonlight was cold and clear. Bell and the fair-haired, blue-eyed fox-person clung tightly together. The girl's lips seemed to have been touched by dewdrops, carrying the soft warmth and sweetness of blooming cherry blossoms.
Haruhime felt as if she had drunk a potent liquor called forbidden fruit. Warmth and passion spread across her lips, yet her chest burned with an unusual heat, her heart pounding unbearably. The lingering kiss painted crimson flushes across her cheeks. For the first time, the fox girl tasted the flavor of love.
"Cranel-sama... I..." Haruhime faltered, flustered. Her tail swayed back and forth like a lost child, panicked and uncertain. All her prior knowledge seemed shattered and vanished by this kiss.
Bell murmured softly, "No need for words. Leave it to me." He tenderly stroked Haruhime's cheek, slowly undressing them both amidst their fiery kiss.
"C... Cranel-sama... you... I..." The next moment, Haruhime saw Bell's collarbone and instantly lost consciousness.
Bell gazed at this uniquely captivating girl and smiled softly. He gently smoothed Haruhime's golden hair, kissed her forehead lightly, then covered her with the quilt. This was enough.
Haruhime believed she was no longer pure, yet Bell knew the truth. He could never exploit this information gap to take her innocence. Only a blazing passion could save Haruhime's heart, teetering on the brink of shattering.
A prostitute symbolizes ruin. Since Haruhime held this belief as truth, what Bell needed to do was not make promises as a hero, but speak of passion as a lover. That was enough.
Let the fox girl cling to her misunderstanding until the appointed day, when he would reveal the truth. For the tide formed by her tears, love was Haruhime's sole solace within her prison.
Bell gazed at the fox girl's sweet sleeping form, waiting quietly for her to awaken. Her cheeks were flushed, her tail twitching slightly. What kind of dream was she experiencing?
…
Haruhime had always dreamed of heroes. Since she was a child, that dream had never wavered. She was confined within the vast mansion, the high walls cutting off her yearning for knowledge. Haruhime's greatest joy was reading all kinds of fairy tales. Stories of foreign knights seeking the Holy Grail, adventuring through labyrinths. Stories of mages who helped spirits sealed in magical lamps, journeying into the maze. Stories of a small warrior who saved a girl from demons. Heroic tales, fairy tales, scenic illustrations...
Unable to see the world beyond, Haruhime found her longing and solace in these illustrated books. Once, a few friends secretly snuck into the estate, carrying her over the high walls, letting her play freely. They were like heroes, allowing the young Haruhime to experience freedom and friendship. But those happy times were fleeting. When misfortune struck, Haruhime found herself trapped in a cage called Orario. She had once dreamed of this place. The labyrinth city in Tales of the Labyrinth Hero was thrilling beyond words. Yet when she found herself within it, all Haruhime saw was harsh reality. The cage was unbreakable, its chains burrowing deep into her heart.
Since becoming a prostitute, Haruhime had lost the ability to dream of heroes. Even though Aisha and the others often took care of her, no one told her stories of heroes. Everyone knew that such naive thoughts had no place here. To voice them would only invite ridicule. Besides, as a prostitute, Haruhime had no right to yearn for heroes. Her prison-like existence continued. Gradually, her spirit began to sink into an abyss.
Until one day.
Aisha, the warrior prostitute, often ventured into the Dungeon to train. Haruhime, due to her unique magic, only accompanied her occasionally. No matter how curious Haruhime was, Aisha never shared her solo adventures. After all, one involved perilous combat, and the other was Haruhime—utterly powerless. The gap between them was vast. But that day, Aisha surprisingly began sharing her experiences.
"On my way back, I bumped into a white-haired boy. He got knocked out by Goblins—just like you."
Goblins couldn't kill anyone. Aisha, acting out of kindness, brought the unconscious boy back to the Guild. Her tone wasn't mocking. It was more like she had encountered a strange person, as unique as Haruhime herself, and found it intriguing.
"And then... what happened to him?"
Though Haruhime didn't know his name, she found herself concerned about the boy she had never met.
"He woke up and went back to the Dungeon. The kid's got good eyes. I'll keep an eye on his movements for you when I get the chance."
Aisha scratched her head and replied slowly.
"Really? Thank you, Aisha-san!"
Haruhime didn't understand why she felt so excited. Perhaps it was the first time in a long while she had something to talk about that wasn't related to the brothel, something that relaxed the tension in her heart.
"Ugh, you're hopeless..."
Aisha chuckled softly at the childlike curiosity in her eyes.
From that day on, the boy became the main topic of their conversations.
"The weakest Adventurer?! That's just too much..."
Haruhime felt sympathy for the boy. Someone so determined and strong shouldn't be the subject of mockery.
"I've got some good news today—someone invited that kid to join their familia."
"Seems he actually managed to defeat some Goblins."
"I didn't run into him today."
"I spotted him at the tavern tonight, laughing and talking with that cute waitress."
"He really does have a man's eyes... Hey, silly fox, you're not jealous, are you?"
"He seems to have gotten involved in that Dungeon incident. I don't know the details, but the kid's safe and sound."
Aisha always had news about the boy. Haruhime listened, like she was hearing a tale from the past—sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes full of worry for the boy. She would feel jealous when the girls seemed to slow his pace. She would fantasize about whether she could experience such a fateful encounter if she ever gained her freedom. But it seemed that fate had no intention of sparing Haruhime.
And then, one day, the tragic news arrived.
"Silly fox, I don't want to keep this from you, so calm down and listen. That kid was attacked by something... Now rumors of his death are spreading all over the city..."
Haruhime's heart skipped a beat. She froze in place, utterly speechless. Though he was a stranger she'd never met, an unstoppable wave of sorrow washed over her.
"Hey... that kid had real guts. I don't think it's as simple as they're making it out to be." Aisha voiced her suspicion.
"Hmm..."
Haruhime couldn't recall how she responded. All she knew was that for the next few days, she felt utterly lost and disoriented. Haruhime had thought it felt like when she was young and someone snatched her storybook away. But after tossing and turning sleeplessly, she realized. She was being drawn to the boy. Even though they'd never met, Haruhime, who heard about his daily life, had already come to regard him as a friend. After all, he was a precious treasure she'd gained while trapped in her cage.
"That kid really didn't die! I saw him on the street! I knew it—he's not the type to just fall over like that." Aisha stormed back to the brothel, bringing the good news.
Haruhime nearly wept with joy. The weight on her heart finally lifted, and the days that followed brought nothing but good tidings.
"That boy was surrounded by so many beautiful girls..."
"Seems he and the tavern girl became lovers."
"He was strolling around town on dates—oddly enough, always with three people together."
Aisha recounted her observations with casual indifference. Yet Haruhime's heart was torn.
"It's only natural for that nobleman to experience a fateful encounter with love..." After all, that's how hero tales were always depicted. Even she, who had never met him, yearned to be near the young man.
"Lovers? So... so soon?!" The picture books she read as a child always glossed over the blossoming of romance until the very end. Amazed by this swift development, Haruhime felt a pang of melancholy amidst her astonishment.
"A threesome date?! That's so impure!" Completely forgetting her own situation, Haruhime delivered her criticism as if addressing the young man himself, without a shred of mercy. Yet as the words faded, what lingered in her heart was deeper sorrow and helplessness. Though she was happy for the boy, this was ultimately a story between him and another girl...
What followed was news that even shocked Aisha.
"They say that kid defeated the Minotaur... and leveled up..."
"The naming ceremony concluded, and his title is Little Rookie. The rumor about him leveling up in just over half a month... it's actually true..."
"That kid's gone on a honeymoon trip with the Thousand Elf from Loki Familia."
"His relationship with the tavern girl doesn't seem to have ended either. From what others say, he's pursuing a harem..."
Whenever Aisha relayed these updates, she would gaze at the collar around Haruhime's neck, her expression turning pensive. Perhaps she was weighing something. But Haruhime remained oblivious. Her thoughts were entirely consumed by the youth.
Even as others in the brothel laughed it off, saying, "Leveled up in just over half a month? That's gotta be fake!" Haruhime still trusted that youth.
Cradling the pillow in her arms as if grasping the flutter in her heart, she welcomed her dreams amidst excitement and joy. When the youth's title was announced, Haruhime wagged her tail, softly murmuring his name. Beyond 'Little Rookie,' she cherished his nickname: [World's Fastest Rabbit]. For it mirrored her own nature. Both rabbits and foxes possess tails. Though this was an unrelated fantasy, Haruhime felt it drew her closer to the youth.
When rumors swirled about the harem affair, Haruhime was torn. When a girl in the brothel called the young man scum, Haruhime immediately found the courage to argue with her. Yet when alone, she would always let her tail droop, fearing the young man had abandoned his fateful encounter.
No, that nobleman would surely protect the girls' smiles. At this thought, loneliness and sorrow washed over Haruhime once more.
I am but a prostitute. Even if the young man seeks a harem, he will never have a chance with Haruhime. He is like a hero. Haruhime cannot defile him with her filthy body. No redemption, no miracles—not even a fateful encounter is permitted.
Yet, Haruhime still harbors a thought.
If only I could see that noble one, I would have no regrets...
This thought lingered relentlessly in her heart. Finally, the fate that had toyed with Haruhime seemed, for the first time, to stand on her side.
On a night when the full moon rose, Haruhime encountered the young man. It was but a fleeting moment. Pure white hair, crimson eyes.
Gazing at the face beyond the window, Haruhime knew with certainty that this youth was the one who had haunted her dreams.
Ah...
This is enough...
This is enough...
In that moment when their gazes met, Haruhime smiled.