The Hunting of Snow White: A Grim Tale - Chapter 18

But even now, she couldn’t stop worrying about Lucky. His once plump belly now seemed somehow thin, and whereas he used to be constantly lively, he now seemed listless and drained of energy.

Seeing him like that, Prina couldn’t help but feel guilty, as if he was suffering alongside her because of her actions.

But hunger wasn’t the only thing tormenting her.

She was already used to enduring hunger, so after a while it quieted down, but the thirst grew steadily worse.

Squeak. Hearing Lucky whimper beside her, she saw that he, too, looked about to collapse, and he wobbled over to rest his head on Prina’s knee.

This won’t do. At this rate, something could happen to Lucky as well.

In the end, Prina had no choice but to open the door.

The moment she saw the glass of water on the silver tray, she couldn’t resist and drank it to quench her thirst, then waited for a moment. She wanted to be sure it was safe, just in case something was wrong with the water, so that Lucky wouldn’t get hurt. Fortunately, her thirst disappeared and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After confirming that the water was safe, Prina cautiously shared it with Lucky.

After quenching their thirst, the delicious smell of food, which arrived right on time again that day, wafted to her nose.

Gulping, Prina picked up a small white bread roll from the basket. The water had been fine, so surely this would be as well. She was already rationalizing it in her mind.

The fluffy brioche released a wave of buttery fragrance even before she took a bite. As soon as she took a large bite, it half-melted in her mouth. Compared to the rock-hard bread she’d eaten at the monastery, it was incredibly soft and delicious.

When nothing happened after eating, Prina’s appetite returned. She first fed Lucky some carrot and apple slices.

Afterward, she ate the steak and soup, too. In this way, over three days, Prina gradually adapted to her new space and meals, and she learned exactly when food would arrive at her door.

As she began to properly eat the provided meals, the portions started to increase. Anything Prina didn’t touch was left out, and the meals became richer with the foods she ate most eagerly.

One day, a slice of sweet chocolate cake even appeared for dessert. When she scooped a piece from the corner and put it in her mouth, the sharp sweetness made her shudder. Truly, she thought her tongue might melt from the taste.

‘He must be a hunter after all.’

As the man simply provided food necessary for survival, maintaining a distant attitude, Prina found herself becoming curious about him.

When she’d first met him in the secret forest, he had worn a perfectly fitted, dark coat. Judging by the sturdy leather sewn on the shoulders and elbows, it seemed to be a hunting coat. He’d worn tough boots and leather gloves, with a light cape over his shoulders. Thinking back on it, he really did seem like a hunter.

But there was something unusual about him. He didn’t seem like someone who hunted animals as a mere hobby or job. The way he looked at her glinted with a predatory ferocity, like a true predator.

And then there was that black hair…

The fact that he revealed it so openly especially weighed on her mind.

“……”

As she retraced the reason why he kept bothering her like a bone stuck in her throat, she realized it wasn’t just a sense of kinship.

Just as others were afraid of her black hair, Prina too might have felt the same fear or aversion when she saw his.

The thought made her feel deeply ashamed.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve been nothing but a burden. I haven’t even thanked him.’

Just hiding in this room out of fear, yet accepting every meal he provided. When she thought about it, even this room was something the man had given her. If he had driven her out of the mansion, could she be eating warm food and sleeping in comfort like this? She wasn’t sure.

If he hadn’t saved her, she would have suffered something terrible at the hands of Sir Arthur and would not have escaped death. Despite the ferocity in his eyes, in the end, he was the one who had saved her life.

One thing was certain.

He was, in his own way, helping her.