The Squirrel Will Raise the Baby Tiger — Chapter 4

WHAT IN THE WORLD? HE'S COMPLETELY FERAL!

HE SEEMS MUCH CLOSER TO LOSING CONTROL THAN I EXPECTED...!!

NOW I SEE WHY THE NOBLE LADIES WHO TESTED BEFORE ME CAME BACK IN SUCH A STATE.

THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO BE EASY...!!

THEY TOLD ME TO PULL OUT IMMEDIATELY IF IT FELT DANGEROUS, BUT...

AFTER COMING ALL THIS WAY WITH SUCH RESOLVE...

...I CAN'T JUST GIVE UP ALREADY.

IF HE'S ACTING ON PURE FERAL INSTINCT, THAT ACTUALLY MAKES IT SIMPLER.

ALL I HAVE TO DO IS SPARK HIS COMPETITIVE BEAST NATURE!

WANT TO MAKE A BET WITH ME?

WHAT?

I CAME HERE AS YOUR TUTOR, AFTER ALL, SO I CAN'T JUST LEAVE THAT EASILY.

BUT IF WE MAKE A BET AND I LOSE, I'LL WALK RIGHT OUT. HOW ABOUT IT?

WH-WHAT?

THAT'S...

I'M NOT DOING THAT! JUST GET OUT RIGHT NOW!

OH DEAR, I MUST SAY I'M DISAPPOINTED. AND HERE I THOUGHT YOUNG MASTER HOKAN WAS QUITE THE BRAVE SOUL.

DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE TOO SCARED OF LOSING?

UGH...

OH, HE'S TAKING THE BAIT!

...THOUGH TO LOCK HIM INTO A BET, I NEED A BIGGER PUSH.

OH, SURELY NOT. TO THINK THE FAMOUSLY VALIANT TIGER CLAN...

...WOULD RUN AWAY WITHOUT EVEN ACCEPTING A SIMPLE CHALLENGE? COULD THAT REALLY BE TRUE?

R-RUN AWAY...?

BUT OH WELL, IF YOU'RE TOO FRIGHTENED TO LOSE, THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE.

IT'S JUST TOO BAD YOU WON'T GROW INTO A PROUD, BRAVE TIGER.

Since you're such a scaredy-cat~

...WHAT KIND OF BET IS IT ANYWAY?!

HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER!

NOW, WHAT SHOULD WE BET ON?

SOMETHING SIMPLE, WITH A VICTORY PRACTICALLY GUARANTEED...

AH.

PERFECT, LET'S GO WITH THIS!

OUR WAGER WILL BE NONE OTHER THAN...

WHO CAN TAKE OFF THEIR SOCKS AND SLIP INTO A FRESH PAIR THE FASTEST!

SOCKS?

YEP. SIMPLE, RIGHT? SHALL WE SEE WHO WINS?

I've even got extra socks right here.

I'M OBVIOUSLY GOING TO WIN.

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT? NOBODY KNOWS UNTIL IT'S OVER.

READY,

...GO!

?!

LULUBELL WINS!

winner!

NO WAY...

THIS IS CHEATING! WHAT KIND OF TRICK DID YOU PULL?!

THAT WAS PURE SKILL ON YOUR TEACHER'S PART, I ASSURE YOU~

A TRUE, HONORABLE BEASTMAN OUGHT TO ACCEPT THE OUTCOME, WOULDN'T YOU SAY?

UGH...

DON'T MESS WITH ME! I'M NOT FINISHED...!!

HMM? WAIT, WHAT'S THIS?

OH DEAR! YOUR BIG TOE IS POKING RIGHT OUT!

A SOCK IS MEANT TO COVER THE WHOLE FOOT, SO DOES THIS EVEN COUNT AS WEARING IT PROPERLY?

FELL RIGHT INTO MY TRAP!

I POKED A HOLE IN HIS SOCK RIGHT BEFORE WE STARTED...

...JUST TO GIVE MYSELF AN EXCUSE FOR THE NEXT ROUND.

THEN DOES THAT MEAN YOU LOST?

"YOU"?

N-NO... DID THE TEACHER LOSE?

AW, THANK YOU.

HEARING YOU CALL ME TEACHER MAKES ME SO HAPPY, HOKAN.

A-ANYWAY! DID THE TEACHER LOSE OR NOT?

WELL, YOU DID MANAGE TO PUT IT ON, TECHNICALLY...

WE'LL JUST HAVE TO CALL THIS ROUND A DRAW!

WANT TO GO FOR ANOTHER ROUND?

AGAIN...? WHAT IS IT THIS TIME?

ROUND TWO WILL BE...

A RACE TO SEE WHO CAN CHANGE INTO FRESH PAJAMAS THE FASTEST!

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

FOR YOUR INFORMATION, MY LITTLE BROTHER DID IT IN FIVE MINUTES FLAT.

CAN HOKAN REALLY BEAT THAT RECORD?

FIVE MINUTES...?!

I SUPPOSE THAT MIGHT BE A BIT TOO TOUGH FOR YOU, THOUGH...

AH! BUT WAIT, I DON'T HAVE PAJAMAS ON HAND RIGHT NOW.

DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN'T DO IT AFTER ALL...?

JANE! HURRY AND BRING A PAIR OF WOMEN'S PAJAMAS!

EXCUSE ME? WOMEN'S PAJAMAS?

WELL, YOU SEE, THIS AND THAT HAPPENED, SO WE'RE HAVING A BET-

UNDERSTOOD. I WILL BRING THEM RIGHT AWAY. PLEASE WAIT A MOMENT.

SHE SAID SHE'D BRING THEM RIGHT AWAY! JUST WAIT A SEC!

HE'S COMPLETELY INVESTED NOW.

SINCE WE'RE STARTING A NEW WAGER, HOW ABOUT WE RAISE THE STAKES AND MAKE A NEW WISH?

WISHES?

A SUBTLE ODOR IS WAFTING OFF HOKAN.

IF HE HASN'T EVEN CHANGED HIS CLOTHES SINCE MOVING HERE, HE DEFINITELY HASN'T BATHED EITHER.

MY WISH IS... THAT TOMORROW, YOU AND I TAKE A BATH TOGETHER!

A BATH?! NO WAY! NEVER!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WIN, HOKAN.

COME ON, STEP RIGHT UP~

TCH. BUT...

NOW, WHAT IS YOUR WISH?

TELL ME JUST ONE THING YOU WANT, ANYTHING AT ALL.

MY WISH?

THEN IF I WIN...

...I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE NORTH.

HELP ME GO BACK TO BLANDUS, WHERE MY DAD IS.

YOUR DAD?

IF IT'S HOKAN'S FATHER...

...IS HE REFERRING TO DUKE KHUN RUSSELL'S LATE ELDER BROTHER, WHO DIED ON THE BATTLEFIELD?

YOU MISS YOUR FATHER, DON'T YOU, HOKAN?

THAT'S NOT IT!

I'M JUST GOING BACK WHERE I BELONG.

MY UNCLE DRAGGED ME HERE AGAINST MY WILL IN THE FIRST PLACE...

IT WAS MY DAILY ROUTINE TO LEAVE FLOWERS AT DAD'S GRAVE...

...AND NOW I CAN'T EVEN DO THAT ANYMORE.

HOKAN...

OH DEAR. NOW I ALMOST WANT TO LET HIM WIN.

BUT EVEN IF I TRULY WANT TO GRANT HIS WISH...

...TAKING A CHILD ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTH IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.

I could even be branded a kidnapper...

AN ADULT SHOULD NEVER MAKE A PROMISE TO A CHILD THEY CANNOT KEEP.

ADULTS ASSUME CHILDREN FORGET EASILY, BUT THEY DON'T.

AT THE VERY LEAST, I KNOW ALL TOO WELL THE SCAR LEFT BEHIND WHEN A FORGOTTEN PROMISE FOLDS A CORNER OF A CHILD'S HEART.

HOKAN. TRUTHFULLY, THAT WISH MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO DIFFICULT TO GRANT.

BUT HOW ABOUT THIS INSTEAD? WHAT IF WE JUST GO PLACE A SINGLE FLOWER AND COME RIGHT BACK?

A SINGLE FLOWER?

YES. WE CAN TRAVEL NORTH OVER THE WEEKEND TO SAY A PROPER GOODBYE TO YOUR FATHER.

WHAT DO YOU SAY? ISN'T THAT WORTH BETTING ON?

IF I EXPLAIN TO DUKE KHUN RUSSELL JUST HOW MUCH HOKAN MISSES HIS FATHER AND GENTLY PERSUADE HIM...

...HE MIGHT ALLOW A BRIEF WEEKEND VISIT TO BLANDUS.

IF DUKE KHUN RUSSELL TRULY CARES FOR HOKAN, HE WILL SURELY PERMIT IT.

THAT'S...!

FINE, I'LL DO IT! I'M GOING TO WIN NO MATTER WHAT!

I'M GLAD HE UNDERSTOOD.

PARDON THE INTRUSION. I HAVE BROUGHT THE PAJAMAS YOU REQUESTED.

THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE HERE! TEACHER! LET'S START RIGHT NOW!

ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT.

Thank you for the clothes, Head Maid!

YOUR TEACHER GETS SHY, SO LET'S PROMISE NOT TO PEEK AT EACH OTHER.

I shall step outside now.

YEAH, DON'T WORRY! NO PEEKING!

READY, THEN...

...GO!

I WON!!

winner!

WHOA~ LOOKS LIKE YOUR TEACHER LOST!

I DIDN'T THINK I'D ACTUALLY PULL IT OFF, BUT I REALLY WON...!

A-AHEM! I KNEW I'D WIN ALL ALONG!

HOW ADORABLE.

NOW, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I PASS THIS TRIAL OR NOT, MY JOB IS TO MAKE HOKAN'S WISH COME TRUE...

ARE YOU FINISHED?

YES!

WE'RE BOTH WOMEN ANYWAY, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER.

I'M SO SORRY, HEAD MAID. DID WE TAKE TOO LONG?

IT'S JUST THAT I'M IN MY PAJAMAS, SO IF YOU COULD GIVE ME JUST A MOMENT TO CHANGE...

...HUH?

WHY IS DUKE KHUN RUSSELL HERE?!