The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella

He left a single remark before walking away without hesitation. But then, he suddenly stopped in place.

Did he think that was too much, even for him?

Of course. How many beastfolk of the predator class lived in this castle?

The moment the beastfolk clasped their hands together and prayed in desperation, he spoke again.

"Oh, and cat beastfolk too."

"Nyaaah!"

"Dog beastfolk too. I'm sure they'd be terrified as well."

"Whimper…"

"None of you are to appear before the young lady."

With just a few more words, he managed to crush the spirits of half the people present.

***

She had a room now.

Not a hole in the wall.

This is the first time I’ve ever had my own space.

It might have been just a room, but to Elodie, it meant something far greater.

For as long as she could remember, she had only been able to doze lightly, waking at the slightest noise.

She had always needed to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

The only place I ever felt safe was in Sera’s arms.

But she couldn’t stay there forever.

Now, it was her turn to protect Sera.

Thinking about all the things she could do in this space—strengthening her body, training, preparing—put her in a good mood.

Alright, first things first: walking.

If she practiced in secret and suddenly walked over to Sera on two legs, wouldn’t Sera be absolutely shocked?

And then, she would say…

Sera, stop thinking about carrying me around. From now on, I’ll be the one carrying you.

Elodie imagined herself as a massive, muscular mouse lifting Sera effortlessly into the air.

…Not yet.

She wasn’t there yet, but one day, she would make it happen.

Which meant she needed to go to the training grounds.

I also need to overcome my fear of crowded places.

She had to stay sharp.

She didn’t need to scurry around like a mouse anymore. She could walk anywhere she pleased, confidently—

Knock, knock.

"Hello! I’ll be serving the young Ratson from today on—oh! Young mistress?!"

Elodie awkwardly peeked her head out from under the bed.

Completely disheveled.

The squirrel beastfolk maid, Squirrel, gasped and rushed over.

After helping her out from under the bed and dusting her off, she asked,

"H-how did you end up under there?"

“…I thought I saw something.”

Elodie avoided her concerned gaze and mumbled vaguely.

She couldn’t exactly say she had panicked and instinctively crawled into the nearest hole.

"Next time, just call for me. I’ll help you out."

"Mm."

"Oh dear, your clothes are a mess. We should change them."

Clothes?

Elodie looked down at herself.

She was wearing a large, one-piece nightgown—probably the same one she had been wearing before she had been cursed and turned into a mouse.

Whenever she transformed into an animal, her clothes would disappear, only to reappear when she turned back into a human.

"It’s fine."

Though the dress was short, since she had been wearing it since she was three, it was still soft and clean as if freshly laundered.

For two whole years, while she had been missing, she had never once turned back into a human.

Sure, she had rolled on the floor a little and gotten some dust on it, but the room was kept so spotless that all she needed to do was shake it off.

"It’s really short, though. It’ll be uncomfortable if you try to move around. And it is just a nightgown."

Of course, it was uncomfortable.

But not just because it was short.

The real problem was that she wasn’t covered in soft fur anymore—she had to wear this rustling cloth instead.

"I don't wanna wear it if it’s uncomfortable."

"Pardon?"

"I’ll just wear whatever."

The flustered squirrel maid sat her down and desperately tried to reason with her.

"Humans don’t have fur, so they can’t regulate their body temperature as well. Here, look—your skin is smooth, isn’t it?"

"Mm."

"If you get sick from the cold, that would be terrible, wouldn’t it? No matter what, you have to wear clothes."

At the sudden babying, Elodie scowled.

It wasn’t like she had meant she would go around naked or something.

What, was she going to get arrested for public indecency?

She did have basic common sense, thank you very much.

"Then… do you have any preferences? Any colors you like?"

Elodie blinked up at her blankly, her large eyes unmoving.

"Nope."

"Then do you like cute things? Since you’re still young, maybe something sparkly and fancy?"

"I dunno."

"Well, it’s your clothes, so as long as you like it, that’s what matters."

That was the problem.

She had no idea what she liked.

She had spent her life thinking only about where to find her next meal.

What was the point of picking a favorite color when she was just struggling to stay alive?

Does that kind of thing put food on the table?

Life—no, mouse life—wasn’t that easy.

If humans had the luxury of worrying about these things, it meant they had too much time on their hands.

What did it matter if she wore something fancy or a burlap sack?

Then again… Cinderella couldn’t go to the ball because she didn’t have a dress or shoes.

For something so trivial.

It was just a piece of fabric.

The memory of that night, of feeling so wretched because she couldn’t even give Sera what she wanted, burned in her mind.

"Ah."

"Do you like sparkly things after all?"

"Sera likes sky blue."

"Hm? The young lady does?"

"Mm. And gold looks good on her."

Suddenly feeling determined, Elodie started picking something for Sera instead.

The maid, confused by the shift in focus, ended up enthusiastically helping her.

***

"Sera, present!"

Elodie, nestled in Squirrel’s arms, held out a box stuffed full of something.

She had nearly lost it several times because the maids had tried to carry it for her, afraid she’d drop it, but she had stubbornly insisted on bringing it herself.

"I picked it out."

Sera, resting in her room, looked up in surprise.@@novelbin@@

She was so dazed that she absentmindedly reached out, opened the box, and gasped, covering her mouth.

"Oh my goodness, Elodie. It’s beautiful."

She lifted the dress delicately from the box and twirled it against her body.

The lace trim, gathered like flower petals, flared out as she spun, floating weightlessly.

The gold dust scattered over the sky-blue fabric shimmered under the chandelier’s light, sparkling like stars.

She looks like she has a halo…

Had Elodie just given an angel her wings?

What if she actually flew away?

Elodie squinted, the brightness almost overwhelming.

Sera smiled—just like she had when Elodie had once plucked a scrappy little field flower for her.

Like she could light up the whole world.

She smiles like that no matter what I give her.

Even when the prince had piled extravagant gifts at her feet, she had never smiled like this.

She had only ever smiled politely, out of obligation.

Elodie had once thought that if Sera married a prince and had all the riches in the world, she would finally be happy.

What a foolish thought.

What Sera actually needed…

It was never something you could see with your eyes.

Even if Sera had nothing but rags to wear, she would still shine as long as she had love.

And because Elodie wanted her to shine forever, she decided—

She would love Sera for the rest of her life.

Even if the world abandoned her.

Even if Sera stopped loving her.

She alone would never—

"Hmm, I wanted to give you mine first."

Sera scratched her cheek sheepishly, setting the dress down before scooping Elodie into her arms.

"I haven’t picked one yet."

"Mm?"

"How did you find the perfect dress for me so fast?"

Well, obviously, because she knew Sera’s taste inside and out.

Ask her about mouse preferences and she’d draw a blank, but when it came to Sera—she could list hundreds of things.

"I was picking out something for you, but you beat me to it."

Only then did Elodie notice the pile of clothes stacked on Sera’s bed.

Sleepwear, casual dresses, formal gowns—every single one was child-sized.

"…For me?"