Chapter 4: The Seventh Month

The morning of the seventh month since Lydia arrived at the giant tree.

She was washing her face with spring water.

“The water has gotten quite cold. Autumn will be here soon.”

After that, as usual, she went to the field to harvest vegetables, then made soup and began eating it together with bread she had baked.

“Mmm, it’s delicious.”

She had recently started baking bread.

She found the method written in a cookbook on the bookshelf.

When she tried it, it went better than expected, and she began making various kinds.

She also simmered fruit to make jam and even started brewing wine.

Everything turned out delicious, and she was very satisfied, but only her self-sufficiency skills kept improving, which made her feel a little depressed.

“…Winter will be here soon. I really need to seriously think about escaping from here.”

If they had not come to get her even after seven months, then surely something must have happened on the outside.

“There’s no way the two of them were punished just for protecting me… right?”

Worrying about that, she was making jam in the kitchen—when suddenly.

Tap. Tap.

She heard a sound like something striking the giant tree.

“Oh my, you’re early today.”

Lydia cheerfully picked up the basket she had prepared and headed down the stairs.

She called out toward the hole.

“Good morning, Leohart.”

“Good morning, Lydia.”

A cute child’s voice answered her.

When she peeked through the hole, the black-haired boy Leohart, whom she had helped three months earlier, was standing there.

His cheeks were fuller than before, and he was wearing ordinary clothes.

Since the time she helped him here, he had begun visiting Lydia frequently.

He seemed to have his own circumstances, and since he did not like talking much about his home or daily life, she tried not to ask.

Lydia crouched down and asked a squirrel to carry bread outside through the hole.

“Here you go. It’s a new one with figs in it.”

“Thank you. I’ll eat it.”

Leohart thanked her happily.

Lydia peered outside through the peephole.

Seeing Leohart’s face as he ate with such enjoyment made her feel happy.

After that, at Leohart’s request, she read him a book.

Inside the giant tree were many books, including plenty of children’s fairy tales.

The one Lydia chose that day was a story about adventurers traveling the world.

“All right, I’ll start reading.”

“Yeah.”

At Lydia’s calm voice, Leohart leaned against the trunk of the giant tree and listened quietly.

When she finished reading, Lydia said cheerfully.

“Adventurers are wonderful. Traveling and solving mysteries, it sounds so exciting.”

“Do you want to become an adventurer, Lydia?”

At Leohart’s question, Lydia laughed softly.

“I don’t think I could. I’m too laid-back. If anything, I’d want to be a pharmacist.”

“Like the forest pharmacist from the book the other day?”

“Hehe, that sounds nice. That would be ideal.”

Talking like that, just as always, they spent a relaxed time together, eating snacks.

Then, when the air began to take on the feel of evening, Lydia spoke gently.

“It’s getting dark, so you should go home.”

“…Okay.”

Leohart stood up reluctantly.

After receiving the souvenir bread and jam with a “Thank you,” he waved his hand and went home.

Watching until the boy’s figure disappeared, Lydia let out a sigh.

Perhaps because it had been so lively, loneliness suddenly washed over her.

“…Just when are those two planning to come?”

She murmured that to herself.

After that, Lydia continued to live the same unchanging days.

She cooked meals and ate happily with the animals, and spent enjoyable time with Leohart, who appeared once every few days.

Through their conversations, she learned that Leohart was not good at writing.

He had learned to read properly, but it seemed he had stopped studying writing partway through.

“Then I’ll teach you.”

From then on, Lydia and Leohart began exchanging letters.

Leohart wrote letters with great effort, and Lydia corrected them and wrote replies.

Watching Leohart improve rapidly, Lydia was secretly impressed.

This child seemed to be remarkably intelligent.

—

And then, when eight months had passed since Lydia arrived at the giant tree.

As evening fell and Leohart was about to leave, he suddenly asked.

“By the way, why do you always stay inside the tree, Lydia?”

Asked why she did not come out, Lydia gave a wry smile.

“Actually, I can’t get out.”

“Really? Isn’t there a door?”

“No, there isn’t. I tried my best to break the walls, but my magic couldn’t do anything.”

Leohart tilted his head.

“Why did you go into a place like that?”

“…I only planned to hide for a little while. I was told someone would come to get me soon, but no one ever came.”

“I see. …Aren’t you lonely, being alone?”

So as not to worry him, she spoke in a bright voice.

“I’m fine. I have the animals.”

“…I see.”

Leohart lowered his head as if hiding his expression.

After receiving the souvenir bread and jam with a “Thank you,” he walked away with a thoughtful look on his face.

Watching his retreating figure, Lydia sighed.

She truly wanted to go outside.

“I can’t stay here forever. I have to do something before winter comes.”

Once snow fell, it would become difficult to leave the forest.

She wanted to find some way to get outside while she still could.

—

And then, one late autumn afternoon, as she was thinking about whether there might be some method.

Tap. Tap.

She heard the sound of something striking the wall.

Lydia lifted her face.

“Oh my, you just came the other day, and you’re here again already.”

As usual, she took the basket filled with food and hurried over to the hole, where she found a boy wearing unusually fine clothes.

“Oh? What’s the matter? You look handsome today.”

The boy opened his mouth, as if having steeled himself.

“Lydia, I came today to say goodbye.”

“…What?”

Lydia’s eyes widened.

“What happened?”

“I’m going back to the main house in the royal capital.”

“I see…”

Lydia murmured while averting her gaze.

Loneliness washed over her.

Sensing it, the boy made a pained expression.

He knelt by the hole and spoke with serious eyes.

“I’ll become strong, and I’ll get you out of here, Lydia. So please wait until then.”

Lydia’s eyes grew moist.

He must have realized how much she wanted to leave this place.

“…Wait there a moment.”

Saying that, Lydia brought over a bottle of recovery potion from her work desk.

She offered it outside the hole together with bread and jam.

“I made this in case you ever get hurt. Take it with you. And the bread is raisin bread, your favorite.”

“Thank you, Lydia.”

The boy wiped his tears and carefully placed them into the leather bag slung over his shoulder.

Then he reached his hand into the hole.

A small hand appeared before Lydia’s eyes.

“One last thing. Let’s shake hands.”

“Yes, of course.”

Lydia gently clasped his hand with both of hers.

The soft, warm touch made her feel like she might cry.

After Leohart left, glancing back again and again, she let out a sigh.

She was very happy about his feelings, but he was still a small child.

Surely, he would soon forget about her.

‘That can’t be helped.’

Thinking that, she gently put away the letters she had received so far into her desk drawer.

After that, she began making efforts to somehow escape the giant tree.

She tried using magic to climb upward, and making ropes from vines.

However, snow soon began to fall, and her escape plans were brought to a halt.