Collector’s Cage - Chapter 16

“Hoh.”

“If you’re not going to raise it by abandoning it like a wild animal, isn’t taming it the natural thing to do?”

Hearing those words, Froy imagined Hermie sitting on his own palm. Just as Jobern had said, his palm felt ticklish and strange.

“Hmm.”

But if he couldn’t take her out of the cage, how was he supposed to handle her? Froy clicked his tongue as if disappointed.

“And small animals are sensitive to sound, so be careful not to stress her out.”
“I understand.”

Froy also listened carefully to the various other precautions for keeping small animals that followed. There were so many things to be cautious about that his worries began to grow.

***

Before Froy returned, Hermie had found her own way to solve her physiological needs. It was to do her business on some cotton and throw the soiled cotton out of the cage.

She felt a shame that seemed to strip away her human dignity, but there was no other choice. After all, she couldn’t sleep very well next to her own waste.

And that evening, Froy returned.
For some reason, he moved carefully, muffling his footsteps. He carefully closed the door so it wouldn’t make a sound and quietly changed his clothes.

Step one to becoming friends with a small animal:

Reduce your presence so the sound-sensitive animal doesn’t get frightened.

He was following Jobern’s lecture well.

As Froy acted strangely, this time it was Hermie who observed his behavior. She was a little surprised when he took off his clothes. His lean, muscular physique was more toned than she had imagined.

‘Unexpected.’

Hermie had high standards for men with good bodies.

Most of the young merchants who had to carry heavy loads were in good shape, and in the summer, they would often work shirtless due to the heat, so she was tired of seeing muscular men.

Even by Hermie’s standards, Froy’s body was well-sculpted enough to earn good marks. It was a statuesque body that perfectly matched his ash-blond hair, icy blue eyes, and a face so proper it seemed ascetic.

The broad shoulders, adequately thick forearms, slender waist, and the curves of his chest and abs were exactly Hermie’s preferred style. She secretly swallowed her saliva.

‘I showed him everything. It’s only fair that I get to look this much.’

Hermie, who felt slightly guilty as if she’d become a pervert, made an excuse to herself. Hermie had been thrown out naked. She rationalized that since she had suffered more, this much was okay.

After changing his clothes, Froy kept glancing toward the cage. He couldn’t bring himself to approach directly and instead lingered around, pretending to go to the bookshelf or lighting a candle.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

It was a gesture of being conscious of Hermie. He was the owner of the room, so why was he acting so hesitant, like a guest invited to someone else’s house?

Step two to becoming friends with a small animal:

Gradually close the distance.

Froy wandered around the room for a long time before approaching Hermie.
But that behavior, as if he had some ulterior motive, only made Hermie more nervous. After pacing around the room for a while, Froy finally approached the cage.

“Hermie.”

A low, soft voice calling her name echoed. It was a charming voice.

Step three to becoming friends with a small animal:

Frequently call their name to build rapport.

He called Hermie’s name and waited for the fairy to relax her guard.

‘Why is he like this?!’

Hermie raised her head from the handkerchief with an even more tense expression. As she revealed her face, Froy pushed something like a cookie through the bars of the cage.

“Were you okay on your own?”

He shook the cookie as if offering it to her. However, Hermie stubbornly held her ground. Without pressing further, he placed the cookie inside the cage and turned away.

Step four to becoming friends with a small animal:

Offer food by hand to make them like your hand.

Froy, who wanted to befriend Hermie, planned to use his hand to offer food from now on.
Next, there were various ways to interact, like touching, gentle pats, and kisses, but it wasn’t the stage to try those yet.