Tamed or Captured - Chapter 14

People began to murmur, coughing loudly at the sight of the two of them.

“Spring has finally come to our captain……..”

They were the ones who misunderstood that the two of them were on a date while training….

Arriving at his house, Jackal looked around carefully to see if anyone had followed them before he locked the door. 

Looking at his back, Asha asked with a slightly wary look.

“But why did you lock the door….?”

Jackal looked back with a meaningful look.

“Because your identity cannot be leaked.”

“What…..?”

Asha blinked.

“Butterflies have the Spirit of the Wind in their chests.”

Asha felt a bit embarrassed when he suddenly spoke about it.

Jackal asked calmly.

“The wind was blowing around your hand. Is this the first time doing that?”

“Oh yes.”

“I think you used the power of the Wind Spirit.”

“The power of the wind…..?”

Asha asked in surprise, but Jackal still spoke calmly.

“You saw it before. You hit the bull’s eye on every shot.”

“Maybe it’s just because I have a talent for archery…..”

Aisha blurted out the end of the sentence because she was somehow embarrassed.

Jackal also said with a smirk.

“No matter how talented you are, how many people in the world do you think will hit the bull’s eye in a row like that?”

“Didn’t you do that?”

“……Now I feel bad for some reason.”

Jackal raised an eyebrow with a slightly sullen face. 

Asha looked at her hands and recalled the wind energy that had previously been in her hand. 

She didn’t even know if she was too focused on the target or if she had used the power of the wind spirit. 

Then Jackal said.

“Among all weapons, the bow is the most affected by the wind. Archers learned to read the wind over the years. In your case, you can freely control the wind, so there is no need for that.”

Asha muttered blankly.

“Then…… I really…….”

     Did I use the power of a butterfly? 

She felt somewhat moved and puzzled.

In her previous life, she didn’t know that she had such amazing power. 

Although she was a butterfly, she didn’t know as much about her abilities as the others. 

It is no wonder that Asha was taken to the Imperial Palace as soon as the mark of the Butterfly appeared, leaving little chance of knowing her abilities. 

Asha thought he was right, that she didn’t even think to find out. 

Because the only ability she had to learn was ‘making the Emperor bloom‘. 

As if her existence was only to make the Emperor’s Flower bloom, no one expected or wished for more power from her. 

But in the end, Asha failed to enlighten him, and everyone ridiculed and despised her. 

Just as the people around her did not value her, she also did not value herself. 

There were days when she felt useless. 

Seeing Asha’s face suddenly turn into tears, Jackal asked.

“What’s wrong? I think it’s something to be happy about.”

“……I’m so happy. I have always wondered. Why did it have to be me….? Why was I chosen as a butterfly, who could not do anything?”

“…..”

Asha asked, looking at him.

“Me too…..I’m valuable as a butterfly, right?”

Jackal said, looking straight ahead.

“Your value is determined by yourself, not by others.”

Asha’s eyes widened slightly. She felt as if she had been given a blow to the head. She had never thought of it before. 

Jackal added quietly.

“Live freely like a butterfly. Do not let yourself be tied down by anything or anywhere. That is why you must have been born as a butterfly.”

Asha’s eyebrows furrowed. He was the first person to tell her this. 

Asha soon murmured softly in a hoarse voice.

“Thank you…… Mr. Jackal.”

* * * * *

Asha’s archery skills improved day by day, reaching a point where she can deftly shoot arrows even on a running horse. 

Watching her ride a brown horse and hit the target with the lightness of an elf, Sosa snuck up behind Jackal and said.

“If that’s enough, can I go?”

Jackal didn’t answer. His arms were crossed, but he seemed to agree. 

Asha was no longer the fragile woman he had to protect, but a wonderful Lycaon. 

That night, when Asha returned home from her day at work, her eyes widened to find a new hunting suit on the bed.

It was a hunting suit made of pure white wolf skin in women’s size. 

As Asha blankly stroked the white fur, she heard a voice from behind.

“It’s your hunting suit.”

Asha looked back in surprise. 

Jackal was leaning against the door.

“It’s made from the wolf I caught in the wolf hunting quest. The village chief told me to just take it as a reward. To commemorate, wear it tomorrow for your first hunt.”

Asha’s eyes widened at the words ‘first hunt‘. 

Jackal said calmly.

“You could go hunting with your skills. They all agreed, and I don’t think it’s too dangerous because we’re hunting wild animals, not humans.”

Asha looked at the hunting outfit with an overwhelming look and held it firmly in her arms.

Just touching the soft white fur made her feel better, and her whole body felt warm.

Jackal asked gently.

“Do you like it that much?”

“Yes! I love it! Thank you for giving me such precious clothes.”

At those words, Jackal’s expression softened like melting snow. 

He ordered the hunting outfit for Asha when he went to a clothing store, but provided the fabrics. 

She always wore uncomfortable dresses in the Imperial Palace, but when she wore the hunting suit, Asha felt like she was about to fly. 

Jackal looked at her from behind her and ran his index finger across the tip of his nose.

He recalled when Asha saw the white horse and said it was beautiful, he was the one who had a fierce battle with the white wolf.

White leather would be a protective color that would not be easily seen by the enemy, along with Asha’s blonde hair in the winter snow.

For her, who always lived on the run and in hiding, it was the most necessary item and a thoughtful gift from Jackal.

* * * * *

Asha put on her hunting outfit as soon as the sun rose the next day and headed for the hall with light steps. 

Her back looked like a fluttering butterfly. 

When she opened the door,  the members of the organization looked at her at the same time.

And Jackal, who was standing in front of them, looked back, and his eyes widened a bit. 

Asha dressed in elegant elongated clothes with the soft pure white wolf fur was like an angel coming down from heaven.

They all looked at her blankly, as if possessed.

Asha thought that her outfit was wrong because of their gaze.

She blushed slightly and touched her outfit, then she glanced up and asked.

“This is my first time wearing something like this……  Did I put it on wrong?”

“No.”

“Shall I tie my hair then? It might get in the way when I’m hunting… … .”

“Do whatever you feel like.”

Without hesitation, Asha tied her long blonde hair high up with a brown leather strap. 

Even her movements were graceful and beautiful. One of the members rolled his eyes and pretended to faint.

When her soft white neck was revealed, Jackal’s eyes were slightly larger, he said unexpectedly.

“Untie it.”

“What?”

“Untie your hair. Don’t tie it too high, just tie it as low as possible. If your ponytail shakes… As you said, it could get in your way.”

Jackal spoke firmly, but Sosa noticed and laughed secretly behind his back. 

Asha gently untied her ponytail and tied a low ponytail as he instructed. 

Previously, she looked lively and cute, but now she looked calm and elegant. 

Either way, she really didn’t look like a hunter. 

Jackal clicked his tongue, but someone spoke with a very serious expression on his face.

“Let’s hire more female hunters in the future.”

“Let’s do it! That’s right!”

“I’ll tell you the hunting plan.”

Jackal ignored them and spread out a map of the forest on a wooden table.

“We’re going to hunt just for food, so there’s nothing particularly deviating from the basic rules.”

He told Asha, who is going on her first hunt, the area in which to hunt, what to do in case of an emergency, and how to call nearby colleagues. 

Small pieces of wood cut into the shape of a wild dog on the map, moved here and there. 

After the Lycaons finished arming themselves and leaving the hall one after another, only two people remained.

Jackal noticed that her hair was tucked into her hunting outfit. He involuntarily reached out. 

The moment he pull her hair out, he made eye contact with Asha. 

The blue and purple eyes looked at each other and trembled slightly.

The two of them quickly averted their gaze away, and an awkward atmosphere suddenly arose.

“…… Then we will leave too.”

Jackal withdrew his hand and trudged out of the hall. 

After Asha held her breath, she exhaled and fiddled with her hair, and her face turned slightly red. 

She felt the warmth of his touch. 

Asha was the last to come out. She quickly mounted the horse with an arrow in her shoulder.

     I’ve been practicing hard. I can do it well.

Asha instilled self-confidence.

As she traveled up the mountain trail with the group, Nagy smiled at her side, teaching her his hunting knowledge, including how to find a rabbit hole, a badger hole, and a tree hole that might have squirrels.

The group members passed by, cutely touching Nagy’s head with their palms.

“That’s right, you catch those little cute little animals. Because your older brothers are going to catch the big fish today.”

Nagy shouted even louder, spurred by their words.

“You brothers catch beasts that crawl on all fours! I’m going to kill the winged beast!”

Jackal, who had been listening quietly, spoke.

“……If you don’t catch the prey you just talked about, you will be dusted off today.”

“…….”

After that, no one spoke.

Jackal’s words were more terrifying than the blizzard from the north. 

When they finally reached their destination, he turned and said.

“If you find an animal that you cannot catch by yourself, call using the horn.”

“Yes!”

“Then spread out.”

Following his instructions, the Lycaons began to scatter into the forest like wild dogs. 

     This is my first chance to be recognized as a Lycaon. 

Asha also made up her mind. She checked the bow and arrow barrel once again and headed into the forest.