What should I do? Did I overdo the cute act these past days? Lem seems completely smitten with me. Ugh, I shouldn’t have acted so adorably when he cut my hair. And when he taught me the local dialect this week—I shouldn’t have clung to him so eagerly. Seriously, what do I do? Forget gender—even by appearance, I’m just a five- or six-year-old girl.

Lem had been discussing me with this man named Master Dwayne in Human Tongue, a language I hadn’t fully grasped yet. Since it sounded vaguely similar to Great Ghoul Tongue but remained unclear, I only caught fragments. They seemed to believe I was an abandoned half-breed Ghostkind child. They even warned me never to show the pathetically short horns on my forehead to others.

But mid-conversation, Lem suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace. My face burned crimson, and I could barely stammer a word.

He released me after a moment. By then, I was dizzy and disoriented—probably from overexerting myself learning his language these past days. My head felt heavy, and their chattering debate blurred into meaningless noise.

Soon, they reached a decision: they’d take me to Master Dwayne’s shop in town. They bickered briefly over who’d carry me, but I insisted I could walk. That ended the argument.

As we walked, Lem slowed his pace and explained his relationship with Master Dwayne in simple Human Tongue. It turned out Dwayne was Lem’s biological father. Their family situation? One sentence summed it up: Lem’s household was more tangled than a royal court drama.

Lem’s father—Master Dwayne’s first wife—had been a Ghostkind half-breed. She died over twenty years ago during the Carrion Feeding riots, when Corpse Eaters resurrected as Undead within the city. Dwayne, then a Ghoul Hunter, suffered severe injuries in that chaos. He retired from hunting and partnered with a female blacksmith whose forge had been destroyed and husband killed in the same riots. They opened a new shop together.

After six years of partnership, they married in the seventh spring. A few years later, they had a daughter: Lena, Lem’s half-sister. Lem also had a non-blood-related sister named Ilya.

Now, only Dwayne, his second wife, and their youngest daughter remained in the house. Lem lived separately in the Hunter Settlement north of town—close by, yet rarely visiting. His eldest sister had left for the Knight Academy in the Royal Capital and never returned.

Even eleven-year-old Lena, influenced by Lem, now demanded to become a Ghoul Hunter too.

*"But Lena has even less hunter talent than I did,"* Lem concluded as we finally entered Dwayne’s modest weapon shop after an hour’s walk. *"I don’t advise her chasing that dream. She should give up, learn blacksmithing from Auntie, and inherit the old man’s shop instead—taking my place and Ilya’s."*

*"Who lacks talent?!"* A girl’s voice snapped from the shop’s depths. A black-haired, black-eyed girl stomped forward, half-angry, half-delighted. *"You calling me untalented?!"*

*"Hey there, kiddo. Rough day minding the shop alone?"* Lem grinned—a warm, unfamiliar expression I’d never seen before.

*"I’m not a kiddo! I’ll be fourteen next month!"*

*"Place looks dead anyway. Business struggling, old man?"* Lem ignored her protest, scanning the empty shop.

*"Spare your worry, penniless hunter. I just secured a major contract with Dante, the new garrison commander. Apprentices and their mother are overtime in the forge—which is why this wildcat’s stuck here alone."*

*"Hmph. Doing well, then."*

*"Lem-nii! Long time no see!"* Lena’s mood flipped instantly. She clung to his arm, suddenly sweet. *"Ready to teach me swordsmanship like you promised?"*

*"How many times? Swords are useless against Corpse Eaters! Spears and bows only!"* Lem ruffled her hair impatiently. *"Besides, I’m here for something else today."* He gestured toward me, awkwardly hovering at his side.

*"Huh? Is this silver-haired, red-eyed girl your lover?"* Lena’s sharp gaze locked onto me.

*Lover? Seriously? You need a wife before you can have a lover!* I screamed internally but kept my voice sugary-sweet, using my fledgling Human Tongue: *"Not a lover! I’m Lem-nii’s hunter apprentice!"*

Lem beamed at my words. Lena’s scowl deepened.

*"Acting cute or provoking me?"* She loomed over me, her dark hair practically crackling with irritation. Her obsidian eyes narrowed. *"I was Lem-nii’s first apprentice!"*

*Such a child, fussing over this.* I surrendered gracefully: *"Then you’re my senior, Lena-nee! I’ll call you Senior Apprentice Lena from now on."*

Her frown vanished. Preening, she declared: *"Mmm! Good! Senior Apprentice Lena will teach you proper sword stance!"* She dashed off, returning with two wooden practice swords. Thrusting one at me, she vibrated with pride.

*"Hold on,"* Lem intercepted her. *"I came to buy clothes and gear for Alice. Playtime later."*

*"Actually…"* Master Dwayne’s eyes gleamed. *"Lena, didn’t that tiny garrison girl—Yulia—soundly beat you with a wooden sword last week? Why not test yourself against Alice now?"*

*"If Lena wins,"* Lem jumped in smoothly, *"you formally take her as a hunter apprentice. If she loses? You give Alice her old clothes for free—and she abandons this hunter nonsense to study blacksmithing."*

*"You’d actually take her hunting?!"* Dwayne paled.

*"Of course not. We tested Alice in the forest—she’s remarkably skilled. Besides…"* Lem smirked. *"You still have Lena’s old clothes, right?"*

*"N-not sold yet. Fine! Lena—if you lose to someone years younger, you drop this hunter dream forever. Full-time forge duty."*

*Wait—since when did I agree to fight?* Before I could protest, Lena cut in:

*"Deal! Yulia’s an exception. I won’t lose twice to little kids!"*

*So confident, Senior Apprentice.*

*"Shop’s empty anyway—let’s use the weapon-testing yard out front!"* Dwayne declared.

Lem swept me up, whispering in my ear: *"Alice, hold back—but don’t lose. Our budget’s healthy, but free clothes mean a feast at the town’s best restaurant tonight."*

*He’s that sure of me? I got wrecked by Marn in the forest just days ago!* But the promise of a feast ignited my resolve. *"I’ll give it my all!"* I chirped from his arms.

*"Hah! Just don’t injure my sister!"* Lem chuckled, carrying me outside to a clearing cluttered with weapon-testing logs.