In Enci’s hand was a white bead.

“It’s a miss.”

“…Let’s do it again.”

Enci drew six more after that, but all of them turned out to be misses.

The anticipation that stood tall in his ears was gradually lowering.

“What are the odds?”

“Let’s say around 3%?”

“And you have to pay every time you attempt this?”

In the trial period that Enci was doing for free, he was already complaining a lot.

When Enci drew another miss and his ears dropped by about 3 millimeters, a knock on the door was heard.

As he opened the door, Tevon was shaking a basket of fruits and flowers. It seemed he came in a hurry to run an errand.

“Seo Jiwoo, are you still studying? How about taking a break and looking at the house with me?”

“Ah, sure.”

“What’s wrong with him again?”

Seeing Enci, who always easily turns low-mood, Tevon clicked his tongue.

“We made lottery and played with them….”

“Lottery? What’s that? I want to try it too. Just draw one, right?”

Then, Tevon reached into the box without hesitation and drew one.

Soon after, Enci and Jiwoo were left speechless.

“….”

“….”

“What’s going on? What is it?”

It was the bead that Jiwoo had chosen and painted earlier.

The winning ticket.

Looking at Enci’s expression, Jiwoo lightly pressed her lips against Tevon’s cheek and then pulled back.

“Hmm? Suddenly tempting me here?”

“This is the prize.”

“Ah, really? Lotteries are fantastic!”

“Get out, both of you!”

Enci was fuming after experiencing the concept of a lottery for the first time and realizing the irrationality of the system.

“Okay, okay. Let’s go see your house. Come on.”

Tevon, humming a tune, lightly lifted Jiwoo and headed out the door.

As soon as Tevon stepped outside.

The door slammed shut.

As if excusing it was because of the wind, the sounds of the wind chimes echoed.

…Who will teach her the language now?

* * *

“This side gets the best sunlight. The trees will grow well. I know it’s been uncomfortable sleeping at others’ places until now, especially since we’ve delayed choosing a place for Seo Jiwoo to live. I’m good at looking but not good at building, so once we choose a site, I’ll ask the old man for help.”

Tevon, acting like a guide, led Jiwoo to the site reserved for the house. He paused for a moment.

“Seo Jiwoo, what are you thinking?”

“Huh?”

“You look complicated.”

“Ah… sorry.”

In reality, Jiwoo couldn’t shake off the thought that Enci mentioned earlier.

The idea of what if she could go back to the original world continued to linger in her mind.

Since she was not able to return, she killed the longing by rationalizing that it might be better to not go back.

But for one fact, she could live much better in the original world. In a world where money could solve everything, maybe she could live better than she did here. Yes, just because of that.

Humans are so cowardly.

She had convinced herself that she chose this place on her own. She felt disappointed by Callan’s words that it was just a situational choice. She even got angry at the notion that such choices could change.

But, in reality, weren’t they all observing her carefully?

The very fact that there was conflict was evidence that this choice wasn’t truly the best outcome Jiwoo had hoped for.

Among people who genuinely liked her, Jiwoo found herself silently reevaluating things. It bothered her.

“…Tevon.”

“Huh?”

So, Jiwoo asked.

“Why do you like me?”

“Just because? But I guess that’s not what you’re really asking.”

Tevon pulled Jiwoo into a hug and asked her sweetly.

“What’s bothering you so much?”

Jiwoo hesitated, unable to give an easy answer.

“Helka told me, people here don’t change. Is that true?”

“Yeah.”

“If Tevon were to live with me from now on…”

“It would be awesome!”

“No, no, not that. Won’t you regret it? I mean, we’re different races, we have different values. There’ll be a lot to consider and care about.”

In truth, that was the reason. Jiwoo thought that coming to El Ragnell and saving Ellandos’ life were separate from marriage.

Even among humans who live only a few decades, marriage brings various conflicts. How could they not regret it when living with these beings for possibly hundreds, maybe even thousands of years? She couldn’t confidently make that judgment.

“That might be true. You’re human, after all.”

“So….really?”

“Huh. We might get a bit boring. We truly don’t change.”

“Is it that simple of a matter?”

Tevon chuckled.

“That’s right. I might be saying these things because I’m still young, but for humans, our lives might seem slow and boring. We don’t have trivial anniversaries, and there are no events where many people gather. Maybe when the livestock we raised gives birth, that becomes a special day.”

“It sounds peaceful.”

“Yes. But humans don’t live like that, right? They fight, compete, and find pleasure in winning. We’ll try our best to adapt to you, but given that you live in a different place, you’ll probably have to give up much more than we do. So, if something changes, it’ll likely be you who changes. We, on the other hand, won’t change. Maybe not for thousands of years.”

For a moment, there was a phrase that came to mind. However, a feeling of guilt prevented Jiwoo from easily expressing it.

But Tevon was too perceptive.

“Yes, Seo Jiwoo. Even for thousands of years, my liking for you won’t change.”

“…”

“Why you are so unsure about this is because you’re a person who consistently changes.”

“I’m sorry…”

Tevon had tried his best. But he didn’t have convincing words to persuade Jiwoo, so she wasn’t easily reassured.

“…If it’s good, it’s just good. I don’t know why everyone finds it so complicated.”

At Tevon’s words, Jiwoo briefly looked down, pondered, and then raised her head.

“Like you said back then, from the first time we met?”

“Um…”

Tevon, who had been repeating simple words, momentarily lost his words. After a while, the smile he showed while scratching the back of his head was a new expression for Jiwoo.

It looked somewhat awkward.

“Honestly, I don’t think it was from the beginning. I never really liked humans to begin with… Actually, on the night you first arrived, I went to check on you. I told you not to come out, and if you did, I was ready to kill you.”

Jiwoo reacted with surprise to this new information.

“Really?”

“Kuuuuhng….no, uh, I don’t know. If it had been true, you wouldn’t be alive right now.”

As the village’s top hunter, he had never missed a marked prey. Despite hearing such cruel words, Jiwoo didn’t feel disappointment or betrayal.

She knew that Tevon had a fierce temperament, and she had seen him kill without hesitation. However, Tevon had never directed that fierce gaze towards her.

“Seo Jiwoo, did you know that animals can commit suicide? I mean, they can end their own lives.”

“I thought only humans did that.”

“No, it’s different from humans. The main difference would probably be the ability to use tools or not. Sometimes animals, though it’s rare, seek predators to kill them. It’s a hard thing to hear.”

Tevon pointed to his own ears.

Being the best hunter also meant having the best hearing among their group. He never missed any sounds, and in fact, he was the first one in the group to hear Jiwoo’s complex heartbeat.

“And…”

Tevon, who was always bold with his words, hesitated while glancing around.

“The first time I saw you, your heartbeat was like that. It sounded like a cry for death.”

Tevon furrowed his brow, running his hand through his thin blonde hair. He still couldn’t quite understand.

“But you lived. You even went as far as saving others… Wah, I’ve never heard such a complex sound since I was born. That’s why I wanted to hear more. I kept thinking about it…”

__