You Said You Were a Hunter, Not a Wolf - Chapter 109

Chapter 109. The Return of Memories

 

His heart plummeted as he looked at Rayne, whose expression mirrored his own grief. What on earth could have stolen her memories? Gritting his teeth, Ban suddenly reached out and gripped her shoulders.

 

“Rayne. Tell me. Who am I?”

 

Their eyes met. Rayne’s pupils dilated as she was overwhelmed by his sheer intensity.

 

“What’s my name?”

 

Her eyelashes fluttered. She let out a small hiccup as he held onto her body, which was twitching as if trying to escape his hold.

 

“Please, say something.”

 

Unlike his fierce gaze, his voice was thick with emotion. Rayne, caught in his large hands, trembled like a rabbit caught in a trap.

 

‘I-I’m scared.’

 

The tears gathering in her eyes swelled precariously, as if they were about to overflow. As she wept, she gasped for breath.

 

“I… I just opened my eyes and there were herbs here. So I just… nhhk, please, I won’t come back again. So don’t be mad, hngg….”

 

The tears that had been threatening to burst finally fell. He stared at the droplets flowing down her reddened cheeks in stunned silence.

 

“Ha….”

 

Ban let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the sky. The dark, cloudy horizon perfectly matched his internal state. He wiped his face with one large hand. The sobbing he heard in his ear was utterly miserable. In the end, Ban couldn’t bear it anymore and pulled her close.

 

“I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

 

She must not have expected him to hug her, because her small frame froze instantly. Feeling her rigid body, he carefully pulled back, and she sniffled with wide eyes.

 

“I won’t be scary anymore.”

 

As he gazed into her eyes, another clear teardrop fell. He reached out again, feeling a surge of guilt.

 

“There, there. Let’s stop. Alright?”

 

As he whispered softly and patted her back, she muttered something and gripped the hem of his clothes tightly. Finally, Ban, unable to move because of her small hands, quietly stroked her back. Then, something scattered in the yard caught his eye.

 

‘Mushrooms?’

 

Visible between the piled-up herbs was a bright green mushroom. He reached out and carefully examined the specimen he was holding.

 

Ha, so this was it.

 

He took a deep breath and tilted his head back. A wave of maddening relief washed over him.

 

‘It’s a mushroom. She brought this back from the lake.’

 

Judging from the bite mark, he could tell that she had eaten it. He examined the mushroom closely again. At that moment, his thick eyebrows twitched.

 

“Could this be….”

 

A listless sigh escaped him. He had thought the effects were different from what he knew, and this was the reason. This wasn’t a memory mushroom.

 

***

 

‘Rayne must have eaten a counterfeit.’

 

This mushroom was notorious for being difficult to distinguish from the genuine ones. This was because their colors and shapes were identical. However, the only difference between the true memory mushroom and this fake was the direction of the cap’s swirl. The real one spirals to the left, and the fake one spirals to the right.

 

‘This mushroom turns to the right.’

 

In the end, it turned out that what she had consumed was a fake. He had thought she was acting strangely like a child, but it turned out she truly had become one. Unlike the real mushroom, which restores past memories, the fake one regresses one’s mental age. If one eats this mushroom, their mental age becomes nine years younger.

 

‘The effect is short, anyway. It will return to normal within a day at most.’

 

Now that he knew the cause, there was nothing more to worry about. His task now was simple: he just had to take care of his companion who had become a child.

 

“Rayne, look at me for a moment.”

 

Her small head flinched at the soft voice, which was completely different from before. When she slowly raised her head like a frightened rabbit, perhaps out of curiosity, he cradled her round cheeks with both hands.

 

“Aren’t you cold? Your cheeks are frozen.”

 

Her eyelids fluttered as heat spread to her face. Rayne barely opened her hazy eyes and spoke.

 

“…..A little?”

 

When she trailed off, he responded with an affectionate expression.

 

“Then let’s go inside. Your face and hands are a total mess.”

 

As he helped Rayne up, he saw she was covered in dirt from head to toe. Had she been digging up those herbs? It had been a long time since he had seen her in such a state.

 

‘Why is this even cute?’

 

As his heart grew lighter, he was able to enjoy the situation. Her body was the same, but her mind was young. The corners of his mouth lifted at the sight of her childhood self, which he thought he would never see.

 

‘What should I say?’

 

He was already looking forward to whatever cute answer she might give. Just then, holding her thin wrist, he was about to enter the cabin.

 

Suddenly…

 

Rayne stopped. When he looked back in wonder, she was staring at the floor with her lips tightly pursed.

 

“Do your legs hurt? Should I carry you?”

 

Shake, shake.

 

“Then what is it?”

 

When he asked softly again, she muttered in a tiny voice.

 

“I can’t go in. Mom said I shouldn’t follow a stranger. No matter how handsome you might be.”

 

Judging from the way she held her legs together and refused to move, it seemed she really wouldn’t go inside.

 

“A stranger……….”

 

From a child’s perspective, it was definitely a situation where she should be cautious. On the contrary, it was fortunate, but…….

 

‘It hurts. More than I expected.’

 

His heart ached seeing her be so wary, as if she were truly looking at a stranger. He opened his mouth, smiling bitterly.

 

“You’re smart. You know that rule, too.”

 

“So I’m leaving now…….”

 

Just as she was about to turn around and flee, he delivered a decisive blow.

 

“If you come with me, I’ll give you all the herbs here.”

 

“……?!”

 

Rayne’s eyes widened. He continued speaking, wanting to touch her slightly parted red lips.

 

“You didn’t know, but I planted all these herbs. You wouldn’t just take them if you knew they had an owner, right?”

 

When he tilted his head and stared at her intently, Rayne flinched and clasped her hands together politely.

 

“…I didn’t know. I just saw them and got impatient, so I……. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

 

She had almost stolen his herbs. That was something she shouldn’t have done, no matter how urgent it was. When she apologized, biting her lip in frustration, he affectionately tried to comfort her.

 

“I’m not trying to scold you. I’m just making a suggestion. It would be nice if we both got what we wanted, right?”

 

After saying that, he felt a little strange. It was as if he were a kidnapper trying to entice a child. He waited for Rayne’s answer with a feeling of unease.

 

Contrary to his expectation that she would nod immediately, Rayne didn’t move an inch. She pursed her lips and stared at him persistently, clearly showing her suspicion.

 

“……”

 

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. How old was she to be so stubborn? It was admirable that she didn’t trust others easily. Regardless, he had to tempt her somehow.

 

“It’s true. What should I do to make you believe me?”

 

As he folded his arms and tilted his head forward, his golden hair flowed down. Rayne’s lips parted at the sight of his sculpted face. Her purple eyes became hazy as if she were possessed. Just as she was about to speak, Rayne suddenly slapped her own cheeks.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

The moment he tried to stop her in shock….

 

Stepstepstep—

 

Rayne ran right past him.

 

Is she trying to escape like this?

 

That was dangerous. Just as he was about to follow in a hurry, Rayne stopped and sat down in the yard. Then she began stuffing the piled-up herbs into her skirt.

 

“Ah…….”

 

It wasn’t an escape. As he waited silently, Rayne came back to him, staggering with her arms full of herbs. She looked so cute that he had to bite his lip. If he laughed and hurt her feelings, it would be a problem.

 

“Um… Can I really take all of these?”

 

Rayne came closer and hugged the herbs, asking tentatively. Her sparkling purple eyes were a mixture of anticipation and caution.

 

“Yeah. That’s fine.”

 

When he gave permission, she rolled her eyes thoughtfully.

 

“But……. Why are you taking me in? You’re not a bad person, are you? Are you trying to kill me…?”

 

As she bit her lower lip and watched him, Ban came closer and put a hand on her shoulder. Soon, their eyes met.

 

“I won’t kill you. I won’t do anything. I’ll just wash your face and feed you warm food. I’m an adult and you’re a child who needs help. And most of all.”

 

“……?”

 

“Bad people don’t say they’re bad. So asking them that question is useless.”

 

Rayne blinked in silence at the firm voice. It was the first time an adult had spoken to her like that. Ban let out a deep breath. She wasn’t actually a child, and these words meant nothing, but he still wanted to tell her.

 

“I know you can’t trust me. You don’t think I’m a very good person. But—”

 

As she waited for him to speak, holding her breath, he looked her straight in the eye and said.

 

“I’m not a bad person who would harm a child. So, trust this face that you like and follow me.”

 

Feeling the heavy atmosphere, he playfully raised the corners of his mouth. She, who had been quietly listening, smiled slightly.

 

“…Thank you. I’ll use these herbs well! If there’s anything you want, just tell me. I want to repay your favor, even if it’s just a little.”

 

Whenever she had a chance, she followed him around saying she would repay him. It seemed she was the same even as a child. The moment he snickered, Rayne bowed in greeting. Then, the herbs in her skirt fell.

 

“……!”

 

The moment they both bent down at the same time, their eyes met. The two of them, suddenly bursting into laughter, picked up the herbs while giggling together.