The Seed Thief

Vol. 2 Chapter 5.4

Ervandas pointed to a corner of the living room, where Lulu kept things she had picked up while wandering through the forest. At first, Lulu freaked him out when she brought even the cicada's shed skin and put them there.

"Don't bring trash here," Ervandas said. When he was about to throw it away, Lulu cried out, "Those are magic ingredients..." Only then did he realize his mistake and apologize. He set up a box in one corner of the living room for Lulu to store things she brought from the forest.

Thanks to that, the house remained tidy except for that dusty corner.

"It's just going to collect a bit more dust...Alright, I'll tidy it!"

Noticing his soft gaze sharpen slightly, Lulu hurriedly extended her hand and rushed toward the wooden box. Though Ervandas had become affectionate with her every moment, he remained strict regarding cleaning.

While organizing the ores, plant roots, and insect carcasses inside the box, Lulu noticed something she had momentarily forgotten.

"Ah, right. There it is."

She raised a dirty, stained piece of cloth. It was a crude gift from an old man she had met in the forest. Though it was shabby, to Lulu, it was a new and interesting item. Holding it in her hand, she wondered how to use it, then she gathered a lock of her long hair in one hand and tied it up while murmuring.

Long ago, when the forest witch was still alive, she often tied Lulu's hair with a similar cloth string. The unruly hair would be tamed, and the cool breeze brushing against the nape of her neck felt pleasant. Whenever Lulu clung to the witch's clothes and giggled, the witch would always compliment her, saying how beautiful she looked.

Recalling an old memory, Lulu's fingers continued their motion. Once she finished tying, she hurried towards Ervandas, who was sweeping the corridor.

"Er, how do I look? Am I pretty?"

Anyone with ears and a brain could understand the implied plea for immediate compliments. Lulu lifted her head triumphantly and shrugged shoulders, eagerly awaiting the forthcoming praise.

Ervandas struggled to suppress his laughter at the sight of Lulu approaching. Tying her hair was not something she did often. Naturally, she lacked expertise in the matter. Like right now.

Without looking in the mirror, she haphazardly tied her hair, and a few stray hairs sticking out in different directions.

Well, the point was that she still looked beautiful.

He planned to give all the compliments she desired and re-tie her hair. Of course, in the process, he would also caress her white nape.

Approaching Lulu with that thought, Ervandas realized that the white ribbon tying her hair was something he had never seen before.

"That ribbon, was it inside? It's stained and looks like it needs to be washed."

"This must be something the village man lost. When I came back to where he was, he was already gone."

"The village man?"

"Yes, the man who taught me what a human seed is."

"...I see. How did he teach you?"

Ervandas' voice grew cold, but Lulu, unaware of his change in tone, answered.

"I met him while passing through the forest. He was all alone, with his pants down, gripping his penis and vigorously shaking it. Then, he made weird noises and filled his hand with seeds."

"You got a good look?"

Ervandas' voice grew slightly colder.

"Yes. I wondered what he was doing. So, I asked if he happened to know about the human seed. Instead of screaming or running away, he called me over and said he would tell me. He seemed like a kind person."