Chapter 14 – Werewolf III

Could three girls ride on a single ordinary bicycle?

While it might be possible if they maintained a peculiar posture, I didn’t want to do that.

In the end, with Hwanggu’s joining, we all had to walk.

“Hwanggu.”

“Yes!”

“Make sure to pull that properly.”

“Yes!”

Hwanggu nodded at my words.

The bicycle that could no longer be ridden was now Hwanggu’s responsibility to pull along.

She followed my instructions well.

If she had a tail like a puppy, it would have been spinning like a propeller.

“Ugh…”

Aurel didn’t seem happy about Hwanggu joining us.

She kept glaring at Hwanggu suspiciously.

Despite the unpleasant gaze, Hwanggu kept smiling brightly and twitching her ears.

“Ugh…”

I silently looked back.

The situation was slow because we had to walk after dismounting the bicycle.

I had hoped to reach Seoul before the sun rose, but at this pace, we might only arrive by the next day.

Wouldn’t it be better to let Hwanggu run while Aurel and I rode the bicycle?

As I pondered this, Hwanggu met my gaze.

Her harmless, sparkling eyes and slightly upturned lips formed an incredibly cute smile.

“Hehe…”

Hwanggu smiled foolishly at me.

Seeing her face, I remembered the recent event.

How could I forget her pitiful gaze as she followed the bicycle?

I must indeed have a weakness for children.

Thinking of Hwanggu’s pitiful look made my heart ache.

Making such a cute and pitiful child run on all fours felt cruel.

I shook my head as if to dispel the thoughts floating in my mind.

Hwanggu, who had been watching me, looked surprised at my sudden movement and then started shaking her head as well, mimicking my action.

“Hey, cut it out…!”

Aurel, who couldn’t just stand by, stepped forward and started shaking her head too, as if to show she could mimic me well.

Her golden hair fluttered and obscured my view as her head shook rapidly.

What on earth are we doing?

I squinted at Aurel and Hwanggu.

Although they both looked like small, cute girls, they might have been older men before.

How can adults not feel embarrassed doing this?

Of course, it suits them well now…

Lost in these useless thoughts, I walked for a while.

Suddenly, I felt the surroundings become slightly brighter.

“Charlotte…!”

I nodded at Aurel’s voice.

It wasn’t just my imagination.

The faint moon had started to disappear, and the detestable sun was beginning to take its place.

As dawn approached, the comforting darkness around us started to fade.

“This way!”

I quickly moved.

We needed to find a place where the sunlight wouldn’t reach and where we could rest comfortably.

Hwanggu followed, tilting her head in confusion, but there was no time to explain.

As time passed, the hateful sun approached.

Not much time left.

Just as I thought that, I spotted a large staircase between the collapsed buildings.

A path leading underground.

I didn’t know what the situation inside was, but it seemed better to avoid the sun than the buildings without a roof.

“This way!”

At the end of the stairs leading underground.

It seemed to be a bookstore.

I forcibly pulled the half-dented door open and pushed the children inside.

An underground bookstore.

A very safe place where sunlight couldn’t reach.

The inside of the bookstore was relatively intact compared to the outside world.

Scattered books and broken bookshelves were unavoidable, but it was amazing that the building itself was intact.

“Here…”

“It’s a bookstore.”

I tried pressing the nearby light switch, just in case.

But as expected, the lights wouldn’t come on in a world without electricity.

Only the clicking sound of the switch echoed sadly.

Aurel and Hwanggu seemed fascinated by the smell here, sniffing continuously.

The mix of mold, dust, and the unique smell of book ink created quite a peculiar scent.

“Charlotte.”

“What?”

It was Hwanggu who called me.

She was clutching the bicycle handle tightly and looking at me.

Even here, she didn’t want to let go of the bicycle as I had instructed.

“Is this our destination?”

“No, this is just a place to rest. And put the bicycle somewhere safe.”

“Okay!”

Hwanggu nodded at my answer.

She quickly ran over and carefully placed the bicycle in a suitable spot.

After confirming this, I began to move an intact bookshelf nearby.

Screeeech!

“Charlotte?”

“What?”

This time, it was Aurel who spoke to me.

Aurel gently pushed the large bookshelf and asked me.

“Why are we moving this?”

“To create some space.”

I replied while looking around.

The area was filled with books that had fallen from the shelves, leaving no room to move.

We needed to clear a space to rest.

Understanding my intention, Aurel brought another bookshelf and helped me.

Screeeech!

Screeeech!

The heavy and large bookshelves made a grating noise, leaving numerous scratches on the floor.

If the bookstore owner saw this, wouldn’t they scream?

While worrying about the owner’s fate, we finished clearing the space.

“Hmm…”

I stroked my chin, looking at the empty area.

It wasn’t a bad spot to take a short break.

I pulled a sofa buried in the pile of books and placed it in the cleared space.

The condition of the interior items was quite good. Probably because the entrance was blocked by the collapsed exterior building, preventing people from entering the bookstore.

At that moment, Hwanggu, who had been watching me from the corner, ran up to me.

“What do we do now?”

“Just rest for a while. We’ll leave when the sun sets.”

Hwanggu seemed eager to help.

But everything was already sorted.

She nodded with a slightly sullen expression and went to a suitable spot to lie down on her belly and curl up.

It was more like the behavior of a canine resting rather than a human.

I watched her with a bemused expression.

“Charlotte!”

Aurel’s voice called out.

I turned my head to see Aurel had made a large chair out of books.

“Tada!”

Aurel proudly puffed out her small chest, showing off her creation.

“I made this for you, Charlotte!”

I crossed my arms and looked at the chair Aurel had made.

The book steps at the base and the large chair above it looked grand, like a throne from a movie.

Did she really stack the books into such a precise shape in such a short time?

“Please have a seat!”

“Hmm…”

I walked over slowly, hesitating a bit.

She had made a book throne for me, and I felt I should sit in it at least once to appreciate her effort.

It wasn’t because I liked the throne made of books.

Plonk…

The backrest wobbled precariously, so I couldn’t sit comfortably, but it looked quite impressive.

I crossed my legs and propped my chin on one hand, striking a pose.

“Wow!”

Aurel was delighted to see me sitting.

Then, Hwanggu, who had been watching from afar, suddenly got up and started gathering books.

It looked like she was also trying to build something.

The neatly stacked books didn’t reach Hwanggu’s height.

She built three walls out of the books and placed a wide wooden plank on top to create a roof.

Hwanggu smiled proudly at her creation.

She then crawled under it and curled up.

Hwanggu had built a house out of books.

I watched her thoughtfully.

Sitting on the throne made of books brought back memories.

Memories of building secret forts out of books, chairs, and blankets during childhood.

I raised my hand and made a fist.

A small hand, no different from my childhood.

In fact, it looked even paler and softer than before.

Just as Aurel and Hwanggu had the appearance of little girls, I too had the appearance of the small, cute vampire Charlotte.

So, should I give it a try…?

Yes, just a bit.

After all, there was nothing to do until the sun set.

I nodded and stood up.

“Charlotte?”

I didn’t bother answering Aurel’s call.

I started moving books around.

As I built the walls with books, Aurel came over to help.

“What are you making?”

Aurel asked as she looked at the long wall of books.

After much hesitation, I answered.

“A castle…”

“A castle?”

“Yes, a castle!”

At that moment, Hwanggu, who was hiding in her house, peeked out and shouted.

Her ears twitching indicated she heard my conversation with Aurel.

Hwanggu showed great interest in my mention of building a castle.

She left her house and ran towards me.

“Oh no!”

Aurel tried to stop her, but Hwanggu didn’t seem to care.

“I want to help build the castle too!”

After much hesitation, I nodded.

Feeling embarrassed about acting like a child only lasted for a moment.

There was no one watching. The children here didn’t know my true self.

So acting like the little vampire Charlotte was natural.

I nodded and allowed Hwanggu to join in the construction.

Vampires and werewolves are incredibly strong, so they could move a lot of books at once.

The three of us worked hard to build the castle.