Chapter 01
Prologue
Q. When I opened my eyes, I was in a pure white snowfield. What kind of situation is this?
A. Probably hell. Or heaven.
But it was too cold to be heaven, and too quiet to be hell.
āWhat on earth is going on?ā
I slowly searched through my memories. The last thing I remembered was going to bed as usual after getting off work late at night, setting my alarm for early morning.
I think I had prepared a simple breakfast and a note for my younger sister before sleepingā¦ and thenā
Still in my coat, I must have collapsed onto the blanket and fallen into something I couldnāt tell was sleep or unconsciousness. And when I opened my eyes again, this was where I was.
I was tightly wrapped in something, unable to move at all, and everything in front of me was completely whiteā¦ whiteā¦
āWow, itās so cold I canāt even think straight!ā
For some reason, I realized I was dead. In the moments when my consciousness faded, I had the intuition that this wasnāt normal sleep. I had been working without proper rest for days, and there were many times I thought I might actually die like this.
It seems the youth I thought was endless couldnāt withstand four years of overwork after all.
Strangely, I felt relieved. If I was dead, I wouldnāt have to work anymore. My younger sister was already an adult, so I felt a little sorry, but I had been at my limit for a long time.
I hadnāt had a single proper day of rest in four years. I was crushed by the burden of having to take care of my sister.
I just wanted to rest. To sleepā¦
Just as I thought that and closed my eyesāwhy did I open them again in a snowy field?
āDo they kill you again after you die? What bad taste.ā
This was definitely something meant to kill a person.
At this rate, I was going to die again. I had barely died and I was already about to die againātears blurred my vision. I didnāt want to die again, but there was nothing I could do alone.
I couldnāt even walk, let alone move. And it was so cold my whole body was frozen stiff.
āIf you were going to kill me anyway, you couldāve just done it cleanlyā¦ how cruel. If Iām going to die anyway, just end it in one blowā¦ it would be better for everyoneā¦ā
My breath turned white and scattered into the air. With nothing else to do, I ended up focusing on even that.
āEven watching my breath scatter is boringāhuh? Hekā¦ā
As I grew bored of waiting to see when I would die, a white-furred wolf appeared.
āI did ask to be killed in one hit, but I didnāt mean I wanted to be eaten alive!ā
A wolf! A real wolf!
I had hoped it might be a big dog, but no matter how I looked at it, it was too large to be a dog.
Cold sweat ran down my back. I knew some animals were larger than dogs, but was it always this big?
āOrā¦ am I just small?ā
My thoughts were getting sluggish from the cold. Alone in a snowfield, with a wolf right in front of me, and I was thinking nonsense instead of doing anything. But there was nothing else I could do.
āItās not attacking right away?ā
I blinked twice. Was this what people did to cats? Better than doing nothing, I guess. If I was going to be eaten, it would hurtā¦ maybe if I behaved well, it might spare me. As I thought that, the wolf started to approach.
Wow, did it get annoyed because I winked at it? I shouldnāt have done that! I shouldāve just acted harmless! Regretting my actions as if I had hastened my death, I tried to make a soundābut my lips wouldnāt move at all, as if frozen. Ahhh.
It wasnāt that I didnāt want to speak. I simply couldnāt.
Unlike my anxious mind, my already-frozen facial muscles were stiff beyond belief, and even my blinking was slow. The wolf tilted its head as if thinking deeply after sniffing me with its long snout.
It might eat me, but honestlyā¦ it was kind of cute.
āIf itās cuteā¦ maybe it could eat meā¦ it must be hungryā¦ā
Telling myself it might be better than freezing to death, I noticed something strange on the wolfās leg as it paced around me.
There was blood flowing from it.
āIt must be injured and needs nourishment.ā
The wound looked quite bad. The fur on its thick thigh was soaked in red blood, and the wound seemed to reopen slightly with every movement. That must hurt. Even though itās so cute.
In the animal world, injuries to the legs can be life-threatening. You canāt run away. The smell of blood attracts predators.
āI hope it heals.ā
Not that I was in any position to worry about it. But still. If it heals, maybe it wonāt need to eat me.
Then something unbelievable happened. The wolfās wound began to heal rapidly. I wasnāt sure if this was heaven, hell, or just a dream. The wolf stared at its leg for a moment, then sat down heavily.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Soft! Warm! And slightly smelly! But nice!
The wolf lay down behind me, and the surrounding cold eased a little.
It seemed to think I had healed its leg. As if it was repaying a debt. I hadnāt done anything, but since I couldnāt speak, I decided to shamelessly accept it.
āAnywayā¦ā
I had a feeling for a while, but now it was certain. I must be small. No matter how big the wolf is, it shouldnāt be several times the size of an adult woman.
āI think Iāve become a baby. Iām insane.ā
Who on earth would abandon a baby in a snowfield like this?
Thanks to the wolf, I didnāt seem like I would die immediately, but even if I could survive the cold, humans need food. I would probably starve soon.
The safest future I could imagine was growing up among a wolf pack like in Mowgliā¦
Hey, are you female? Could you share some milk? I wonāt eat much. I promise I can be a small eater. Iāve starved a lot before when I couldnāt afford foodā¦
From where I lay wrapped up, I couldnāt even tell if it was male or female. The massive tail fur was thick, warm, and soft. Even if it has teeth, itās fine. Survival comes first.
Thinking all this in my head was starting to make me feel like I was losing my mind.
But I couldnāt stay sane in this situation anyway. What is this? Why am I here? Why am I a baby? Is this wrap a swaddling cloth? Who abandons a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in a snowfield? Who is that trash?
Am I really dead? Am I? Is this a dream? Itās too cold for a dream.
āMore importantlyā¦ is this even Korea?ā
My head spun.
Mowgli, Little Prince, so where am I? What is happening to meā¦
āHuungā¦ā
After a long time, my frozen lips finally parted, and a tiny sound escaped. Right. I really am a baby. That was definitely the sound of a babyās weak cry.
Anyone would recognize it as a babyās cry. I am a baby.
Hearing the small sound, the wolf lifted its head. Its large snout moved closer and gently nudged my cheek, its wet, big nose touching me as if reassuring me.
Are you going to raise meā¦ like the Little Prince?
Leaning against the wolf that curled around me protectively, I made up my mind. If itās from you, Iāll eat anything. Seriously, I hope youāre femaleā¦ until I get teeth, please let me just drink milkā¦
āYou thought it was a wolf pup.ā
Ah. A young voice.
I lifted my gaze from inside the wolfās embrace.
He looked about five years old. The first thing I saw were bright golden eyes sparkling with curiosity. A gust of wind scattered his well-kept golden hair. For a moment, I thought I was dreamingāhe was too beautiful.
Standing against the white snowfield, the boy with golden eyes said:
āWhat is this?ā
āā¦A human.ā
