The story of how I, who became the beloved child of Winter Fenrir, was healed from despair

61: Toward the Desired Future

I have completely become the Winter Princess El… of this other world.

A tail sways from my waist, and my human ears are gone. The spots where my human ears once were are now smooth skin. It’s really surprising, right!?

Could it be that I can also take on a beast form…?

As I pondered this, I was once again drawn toward Fenrir, and he kissed me.

“Mmph!?”

“…Ah, sorry. El, your magic power is truly immense… I just borrowed a bit.”

“Oh, is that so…? Yeah, for me, it’s actually great that the magic I lost is coming back, so I’m totally okay with it.”

…Wait, what do I mean by ‘totally okay’!?

Hold on a second—what am I even saying? My face is bright red, so Fenrir, stop staring at me like that. It’s embarrassing!

“If we make this a daily routine, we could share magic power effectively.”

“D-Daily routine?”

“El? Are you embarrassed?”

“…Of course, I am!”

“I see.”

Fenrir smiled happily, and I was left speechless…!

I was frozen for a moment.

Is this going to be a daily thing?

Will I survive this without my heart stopping?

“If our magic becomes balanced… we should be able to live for the same amount of time. About 500 years, perhaps?”

“That sounds perfect!”

Without thinking, I eagerly agreed.

Realizing what I’d done, I froze again, only for Fenrir to kiss me once more.

A kiss fanatic!! No, but this is exactly what I wanted!!

What even is this!?

With a voice as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz, I managed to whisper, “I want to live together… forever.”

How many times have we reaffirmed this wish together?

What was once a fleeting dream now seems to be becoming a certain reality.

“Once things settle down, I’ll officially propose to you.”

Fenrir’s voice, filled with warmth, gently reached my beast ears.

I doubt I’ll ever forget it.

“「We wholeheartedly congratulate youーーー!!」” “「Kyah! Kyah!」”

Suddenly, a wild chorus of cheers slammed into my back.

As soon as our conversation reached a pause, Glare, still in unicorn form, skillfully knelt before us, while Chris bawled his eyes out, and Michelle blushed, staring at us with a big smile.

Orv and Tito, meanwhile, slapped each other’s shoulders, whistling and teasing us with all their might.

Hey, wait a second! There are still monsters around… Let’s stay on guard, okay!?

Flash! The tablet encased in ice lit up with a bright flash.

—Click. Click, click, click, click!

“Wait!? Isn’t that continuous shooting!?”

A vibration in my palm. It’s my smartphone.

The signal came from the tablet.

“Congratulations on your engagement.”

To my shock, a high-resolution photo of Fenrir and me snuggled together appeared, framed with white flowers and wedding bells.

“How thoughtful!!”

“We’re honored.”

What is going on!?

…All the tension just drained out of me.

…Huh.

The image of my smartphone blurred for a second.

…Does that mean…?

“Tell me about the anomaly disrupting this world… the one known as Fujioka El.”

“Unable to confirm its existence.”

That’s what the tablet declared.

The strange creatures within the ice began to blur as well.

The ties that connected these lost things to this world have been severed, and they are starting to return to Japan.