Well, how should she put it?
Actually, Liuli could understand Serveyia’s theory.
Certain things between the same sex were indeed unusual.
Yike had certainly tried to seduce her, but the problem was that at the time, Liuli thought Yike was a man.
Being very confident in her own orientation, she had rejected her quickly.
Very quickly, in fact.
Liuli could accept the fact that she couldn’t be kept by a wealthy woman, but she wasn’t willing to be drilled by a man-maid.
“I think… it should count as… nothing?”
After all, that degree of interaction was hard to define.
It was like winking at a blind person—who was to blame? Was it the one winking, or the blind person?
Especially when the one winking knew the other person was blind.
“It is good that there was nothing. Otherwise, things would have become quite troublesome.”
Although Serveyia did not explicitly say what the trouble was, looking at her gentle expression, Liuli felt she knew exactly what kind of trouble it would be without being told.
“Do you really dislike Yike that much, Serveyia?”
“It is not that I dislike her. I just think she is very calculating. It is hard to say what her motives are. If she wanted to harm you, Little Fox, I am afraid you would be sold off before you even realized it. I really dislike this feeling of uncertainty.”
“It… doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to harm me, right?”
If Yike really had those intentions, Liuli felt that with her own experience level during all that time in university, she would have been captured by Yike more than once.
“After all, I have lived peacefully for so long. Yike probably doesn’t have any excessive thoughts about me, right?”
“Perhaps she didn’t before, but seeing the current Little Fox, I don’t think any member of the Fox Clan could remain unmoved.”
Liuli truly hadn’t expected to be so charming.
Hearing Serveyia’s words, she suddenly became curious.
‘If I really appeared before a member of the Fox Clan, what would happen?’
“Well, we should wait until I actually see Yike before talking about those things…”
Anyway, she hadn’t known Yike’s gender or her purpose before.
It didn’t seem impossible to just let it go.
Now that she knew the specifics of the situation, she would just have to be careful in the future.
“As long as you understand, Little Fox…”
Seeing Liuli’s thoughts, Serveyia felt a sense of helplessness deep down.
She wondered if Liuli had even listened to a word she said.
It seemed she would have to rely on herself to keep a close eye on the little fox in front of her.
Since the girl couldn’t perceive the danger herself, Serveyia, as her guardian, had to work a little harder.
…
The journey over the next few days was unremarkable.
No special incidents occurred.
The endless forest stretched to the edge of the horizon.
When they had arrived, they had used a Magic Array.
Liuli had not expected the Moonlight Forest to be so massive.
However, its size meant the journey grew longer, and Liuli felt she was beginning to grow tired of the forest scenery.
Fortunately, times had changed. Having a computer in the Motorhome was a huge help.
When she was bored, she could play games to pass the time, which truly made her feel less bored.
Other forms of entertainment were practically non-existent.
The only thing worth mentioning was a hunt.
Seeing how bored Liuli was that day, Principal Kaili suggested holding a small hunting session within the Moonlight Forest.
Initially, Liuli didn’t really want to participate.
She didn’t know anything about hunting.
She would just end up watching from the side, lacking any sense of participation.
If she was just watching, the fun would be greatly diminished.
“It is a good chance to move around. Plus, the prey we catch can be used to improve our meals. And if we are lucky enough to find some rare creatures, you can even keep one as a pet if you want, Little Fox.”
Serveyia’s angle of persuasion clearly appealed to her interests.
To be honest, Liuli might not be interested in the hunt itself, but if it was result-oriented—especially the part about improving the meals—it made her excited.
Every day lately, the food had been somewhat like fast food.
It wasn’t bad, but it made Liuli want a change of pace.
As for the second half of Serveyia’s suggestion, the rare creatures… she didn’t know if she would actually keep one.
After all, she had never developed the habit of keeping animals since she was young.
Her past self always felt that since she couldn’t even take care of herself, she didn’t have the right to keep an animal.
After becoming a Princess of Saint Laia, the situation hadn’t really changed.
Her life was still managed by the maids.
Moreover, Serveyia had always said she needed to be prepared to take responsibility before keeping an animal.
So, what did Serveyia’s current suggestion mean?
“So, will you help me take care of it, Serveyia?”
“No. But Little Fox, don’t you think keeping a pet is a very interesting hobby?”
“But I can’t even take care of myself. Can I really take care of a pet?”
“You just have to learn. As long as you want to keep one, there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome. It all depends on whether you truly want to. If you really encounter a small animal you particularly like, wouldn’t it be nice to learn how to raise it?”
Serveyia didn’t force the issue, giving Liuli the chance to choose.
When she had walked with Serveyia that night, she hadn’t seen any particularly special animals.
But that was because it was night.
Now that it was day, would she see some cute animals?
Indeed, what Liuli wanted to see wasn’t rare animals.
If possible, she actually wanted to see cute ones.
Ultimately, keeping a pet provided her with Emotional Value.
If that was the case, cute animals were better.
“Do you think we can find any cute animals on this hunt, Serveyia?”
“I am not sure. That depends on what kind of animal you want to keep, Little Fox.”
“Just a cute animal. If possible, it would be best if it was obedient.”
Many times, even if one was prepared at the start, they might lose interest in caring for a pet because of various reasons, especially if the pet was mischievous.
Liuli didn’t want to become that kind of Master, so if possible, she preferred a well-behaved pet.
“An obedient pet might require a longer period of training. Are you sure you can do it, Little Fox?”
“There must be some with naturally gentle temperaments. Oh, anyway, I have already agreed to go hunting with you, so stop asking so many questions~”
Liuli’s understanding of hunting mostly came from movies, television, or the occasional realistic hunting game.
Clearly, that experience wouldn’t be useful for today’s hunt.
After all, she was more of a spectator today.
There was no need to meddle in someone else’s professional field.
“Serveyia, what is our target prey for today?”
“Various carnivorous creatures. And of course, finding a pet for you.”
“A pet isn’t necessary, is it? Traveling long distances with a pet isn’t very convenient, right?”
“Opportunities are rare. You shouldn’t let it pass if you find something you like. Enough of that, why don’t you go say hello to Principal Kaili, Little Fox?”
Principal Kaili was nearby, arranging something.
Although it was a collective hunt, not everyone was going.
Some people had to stay behind to ensure the safety of the convoy.
Principal Kaili seemed to be handling those arrangements now.
“I want to stay behind…”
However, when she asked Aili, the girl’s answer caused Liuli some confusion.
“Aili, you aren’t coming with us?”
This was a good chance to show off her charm. Was Aili really going to pass it up?
“I am sorry, Princess. I do not particularly like hunting, and someone needs to stay and guard the convoy. I will stay at the camp.”
Fine. Since Aili didn’t like hunting, there was no need to force her.
She couldn’t force someone to do something they didn’t like, especially when they had clearly stated their dislike.
“Principal Kaili, are we leaving now?”
“Yes. Did Serveyia finally manage to persuade our Princess?”
“I was a bit bored, so I thought I would go out to clear my head.”
Liuli’s small amount of remaining Masculinity played a minor role here.
Although liking cute pets sounded more like a hobby for an elegant princess, if she were her former male self, she might have been a bit embarrassed to speak of such things.
“Haha, I understand. Staying in the Motorhome all the time always leads to various problems. It is good to get some fresh air.”
Principal Kaili looked very happy, as if she were looking forward to hunting with Liuli.
“Principal Kaili, do you like hunting very much?”
“I wouldn’t say I like it. It is just that being able to act together with the Princess is something I especially look forward to.”
Here it was again. Liuli curled her lip. Principal Kaili was always so enthusiastic toward her, which occasionally made Liuli feel a bit uneasy.
“Uh, Fina, are you coming with us too?”
Looking at Fina, who was rubbing her hands together nearby, Liuli was a bit uncertain.
A Mermaid hunting land animals alongside Elves and Humans sounded a bit strange no matter how you looked at it.
“Of course. Being able to hunt on land sounds very interesting, doesn’t it?”
Perhaps. For someone who lived in the ocean, hunting on land might indeed be interesting, just as Liuli might enjoy the feeling of hunting freely in the sea.
“From what you are saying, it sounds like you are very good at hunting on the ocean floor, Fina?”
“It is the ocean floor, after all. Growing common land crops is very troublesome. Back when there was less trade, we would grow a little, but after trade started, basically no one farmed anymore. If you want to eat something, you just take it from the sea. There are so many fish, after all.”
Fina’s explanation made Liuli think of an age-old question.
While it was true that Mermaids couldn’t eat much else besides fish in the ocean, what about other Beastmen?
‘What do Catfolk think of cats? Do they keep them as pets?’
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