The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella-Chapter 126

Elodie's heart pounded wildly.

She clutched her chest, completely flustered.

‘What? Why is my heart racing like this?’

It was a feeling from when she was three years old.

Even if the memory resurfaced, it should have been buried beneath all the other experiences she had accumulated.

No matter how sentimental she felt, at most, it should have been a faint nostalgia.

‘Is it because I had completely forgotten and then suddenly remembered?’

Or was it because the memory had returned in such vivid detail, as if she had just lived through it again?

Daniel, whom she had regarded as nothing more than a passing stone on the roadside until now, had suddenly come into sharp focus.

His facial features, the way his expression softened when he smiled—

‘What is this?’

She was bewildered.

‘Is this even a normal reaction?’

Had she remembered Nyx Basilisk in the same way?

Thinking back, maybe. Maybe not.

At the time, she had been consumed by revenge and hadn’t given much thought to her emotions.

It was only natural for her to feel rage and murderous intent toward the person who had ruined her life.

Anyone would.

But falling in love—

That was an exceptional and unique emotion.

A completely different kind of feeling.

‘Does everyone react this way when they recall their first love?’

Her body’s involuntary response irritated her.

If she had been an ordinary ten-year-old, she would have been helplessly swept away by the intensity of it.

‘All this, just from a single memory.’

But counting her past life, she had long surpassed the mental age of an adult.

She had never loved someone romantically, but she could say with certainty that her love for Sera was just as deep, if not deeper.

Which is why—

‘Something’s off.’

There was no solid evidence, but she couldn’t ignore the feeling.

“Elodie.”

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of her name.

She snapped out of it to find Karon looking down at her with concern, still holding her in his arms.

“I’m fine. You can put me down now.”

“...”

Karon studied her intently, as if assessing something, then lowered his voice to a whisper.

“Is your heart suddenly racing like crazy within the acceptable range?”

“...You can hear it?”

Didn’t snakes have poor hearing?

“I can feel the vibrations.”

That answer was even more ridiculous than just hearing it.

Elodie felt like she had been caught with an embarrassing secret and mumbled with reddening cheeks.

“This is, um... It’s not because something’s wrong with my body or anything...”

Did he figure it out just from her expression and reaction?

Karon muttered under his breath.

“...It shouldn’t be this bad.”

“Huh?”

“You shouldn’t feel more intense emotions than when you look at Lady Bluewood.”

Karon finally set her down as he spoke.

‘His instincts really are like an animal’s.’

He had definitely noticed that her heart had gone wild after recalling Daniel.

And he could tell something was strange about it.

At that moment, the nanny, who had been watching anxiously from a distance, hesitated before approaching them.

“Did your memory return?”

Both Elodie and Karon turned to face her.

“Yes.”

The answer made the nanny’s face light up instantly.

“Oh...! That’s wonderful!”

Her warm, motherly expression softened further as she smiled.

“Do you think you’ll be able to treat Lord Palmer’s amnesia now?”

“No, I only remembered falling into the lake. That doesn’t mean I’ve fully cured my own amnesia yet.”

She probably had to recover more memory fragments.

Elodie frowned as Daniel’s image continued to linger before her eyes.

The urge to run to him was unbearable.

She wanted to embrace him, tell him that she remembered, that she had missed him, and that she was sorry for forgetting.

‘Am I crazy...?’

Her logical mind clashed with her uncontrollable emotions, leaving her thoughts in utter chaos.

“I think it’s better to recover all my memories as soon as possible.”

If she could mix this memory in with others, maybe it would dilute the intensity.

As she murmured to herself, the nanny’s eyes lit up.

“Don’t worry. I know all of your memorable places.”

“Really?”

“Yes! I’ll guide you right away. Leave it to me!”

She was so enthusiastic.

Now that she thought about it, she had been like this from the start.

Every time Elodie recalled something, the nanny would look forward to it with excitement, helping her eagerly.

For someone like Elodie, who needed to lift the curse and rebuild the Holy Kingdom as soon as possible, it was a blessing.

“Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”

Elodie nodded, deciding to follow the nanny’s lead.

Karon, watching her, narrowed his eyes like a snake observing its prey.

“Let’s head back the way we came. Stay close behind me, and don’t wander off.”

The forest was vast, and they had to be careful not to get lost.

If they took the wrong turn, they might end up somewhere completely different.

Just then, an unusually strong gust of wind blew through the forest.

Elodie’s ribbon, tied around her hair, fluttered violently.

And then—

It suddenly unraveled and was carried away by the wind.

“...?”

Elodie stared at Karon in disbelief.

She had seen it clearly—

The moment the wind blew, he had deliberately tugged at the end of her ribbon, loosening it so it would fly away.

The nanny, walking ahead, hadn’t noticed.

“You...”

Karon silently pressed a finger to his lips.

Shh.

Then, he extended his hand toward her.

“Let’s go find it. It’s your precious ribbon, isn’t it?”

No, not really.

‘But I’ll play along for now.’

She didn’t know why he was suddenly making her chase after her ribbon like a trained dog, but he clearly had a reason.

Just as Elodie was about to take his hand—

“Wait! You can’t go that way!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The nanny suddenly raised her voice, blocking their path.

Karon stopped, tilting his head slightly.

“Why not?”

“If you keep going that way, you might run into wild animals. That’s where the beasts live, and since no one’s hunted them for years, it’s even more dangerous now.”

“It’s fine. I’m here.”

Karon’s reply was calm.

He hadn’t said anything particularly dramatic, but an eerie pressure accompanied his words.

‘Well, he’s not wrong.’

Even if he was still recovering, he was a black mamba.

Wild animals with a survival instinct wouldn’t dare approach him, even without him using his venom as a threat.

Even newly hatched black mambas would lunge at enemies without hesitation.

And when a black mamba appeared in a territory, some creatures abandoned their homes entirely.

Elodie thought it over with indifference.

The nanny, however, forced a smile, looking increasingly uneasy.

“But there’s no need to put yourselves in danger.”

“It’s not dangerous at all. If you’re that worried, Edmund and Geno are nearby. We can bring them along and go together.”

“Oh, little lady, you’re doing it again. You promised me before that you wouldn’t do anything reckless.”

The gentle face of the nanny was gradually clouded with disappointment.

‘Hmm.’

Elodie reevaluated the situation.

‘I’m in a state where certain places trigger both my memories and emotions.’

Yet, the nanny was subtly trying to prevent her from going anywhere other than where she led her.

Why?

Was there something she wasn’t supposed to remember?

‘She cherishes me like a child and doesn’t want me going anywhere dangerous. Am I overthinking this?’

A middle-aged woman who had cared for her since childhood, worked in the Ratson family for a long time, was affectionate, and acted as if she knew everything about Elodie.

Someone who wouldn’t harm her.

She had assumed that much and entrusted her with leading the way without a second thought.

Even though she had no actual memories of the nanny.

But...

‘I haven’t been back in human form for long.’

Yes, that was the key reason she hadn’t doubted the nanny.

Or more precisely, the reason she hadn’t doubted any of the harvest mice.

If there had been a traitor among them, would they have really endured the curse, transforming into mice themselves?

Of course not.

They would have fled before the curse took effect and joined whoever had orchestrated it.

Being a harvest mouse beastfolk and being cursed into a mouse were two completely different things.

‘Even if there was a way to break the curse for themselves, they still would’ve had to live as mice for at least ten years if I hadn’t lifted it.’

Would anyone willingly live as a mouse for a decade just to fulfill some ulterior motive?

‘Sure, the harvest mice lived together in the Ratson estate, so it wouldn’t have been as harsh as what I endured alone in human lands. But even so...’

Even if they weren’t mice but apex predator beastfolk, no one would willingly give up their human body and speech for ten years to live as an animal.

Elodie had always assumed the enemy was external.

She knew that an internal traitor would be the most dangerous threat, yet...

She had even suspected the Emperor of Animallia, but had instinctively excluded the harvest mice.

‘But what if... they bore ill will toward me?’

A chill ran down her spine.

She would have had no way of fighting back.

‘Maybe that’s why the Ratson family was taken down so easily...’

Elodie swallowed hard.

She needed to be sharper.

If there had been a traitor among the harvest mice, then everything she had carefully prepared so far had been meaningless.

No, worse—

She had isolated herself, closing off opportunities to gain allies.

Elodie wordlessly met Karon’s gaze.

As she stared into his crimson eyes, she realized—

He had been thinking the same thing.

“...Alright.”

For now, she decided to comply with the nanny’s words.

For now.