The children watched the playful bickering between the two of them curiously while slowly emptying the remaining plates.

Mirabelle decided the safest option was simply ignoring the hyena Beastman entirely and focusing on the pups instead.

Even though they all ate like they were starving, they still carefully made sure everyone else got to try the best pieces too. Nobody stole food from another child’s hands.

’They’re well raised,’ Mirabelle thought quietly.

She wondered what had happened that left them wandering around without parents nearby.

But she also knew it wasn’t her place to pry into private matters.

Eventually every plate sat empty.

Then the little rabbit boy carefully approached her again while holding something in both hands.

It resembled a small bun made from potatoes and root flour — probably the closest thing this world had to bread rolls.

"May I take this with me?" he asked softly, though there was still a surprising clarity in his tiny voice.

"Of course."

Mirabelle watched delight bloom across his face.

His ears immediately perked upright with excitement.

"Come on!" he shouted toward the others.

Then he sprinted away on his short little legs, skillfully hopping around larger Beastfolk moving through the crowded festival.

The others hurried after him moments later.

Mirabelle followed them with her eyes in complete bafflement as the pups disappeared into the crowd.

For a moment she thought they were gone entirely.

Then suddenly she spotted them climbing onto the large platform surrounding the Beast Goddess statue.

The rabbit pup looked around carefully before gently placing the little potato bun beside the other offerings already gathered there.

The others joined him shortly afterward.

Mirabelle couldn’t fully see what they were doing from this distance, but it looked as though they pressed their hands briefly against their chests before bowing deeply toward the statue.

They remained like that for several seconds.

Then straightened again.

And immediately came sprinting back toward her.

Mirabelle barely had time to blink once before all five boys stood in front of her again.

Then, to her complete surprise—

they bowed to her too.

"Thank you, kind female, for the food," the badger pup said seriously.

And then they were finally gone for real, vanishing back into the moving festival crowd.

Mirabelle watched after them quietly.

Then Kaelith stepped beside her from behind.

"They probably belong to the merchant caravans."

"The merchants?" She turned toward him in surprise.

Kaelith nodded.

"Traveling merchants often collect orphans during their journeys and let them travel with the caravans. The children receive food and protection in exchange for smaller tasks and work."

That was somehow both comforting and deeply sad at the same time.

Why didn’t other families simply adopt them?

Mirabelle had countless questions.

But she chose not to ask them now.

Kaelith had clearly gone through a lot of effort to give her a beautiful afternoon, and she didn’t want to darken the atmosphere.

Around them, the festival continued in warm golden afternoon light. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

To their right, lively music drifted through the clearing while dancers spun across the open space beneath hanging lanterns and fluttering ribbons.

Bright skirts twirled through the air together with loose hair and laughter while drums created a fast wild rhythm that seemed to vibrate through the earth beneath their feet.

Ahead of them, crowds moved between merchant stalls carrying fragrant food, flowers, jewelry, fabrics, and glowing cultivation materials.

The entire tree city felt alive around them.

Warm.

Loud.

Breathing.

Mirabelle suddenly reached for Kaelith’s hand again and tugged him forward.

"Come dance with me."

Kaelith blinked as Mirabelle suddenly pulled him toward the dancers.

"You want to dance?" Genuine delight immediately spread across his face.

Mirabelle instantly became uncertain.

"A little," she clarified quickly. "Completely without ulterior motives."

The hyena Beastman grinned.

"That explanation helped me immensely."

Before she could rethink her decision, he was already leading her toward the open space beside the musicians.

The music here sounded nothing like the elegant ballroom melodies from the noble banquet.

This was louder.

Wilder.

It almost felt alive.

The melodies moved between the surrounding Beastfolk as though the music itself were some living creature weaving through the festival while claiming the entire clearing as its territory.

Drums rolled through the air beneath sharp string melodies and wooden flutes while Beastfolk laughed and spun through the open space beneath shifting sunlight.

Couples danced close together before separating and reconnecting again in fluid instinctive movements.

Mirabelle watched for approximately three seconds before accepting one very important truth:

She had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

But honestly?

Neither did half the people here.

So instead of panicking, she simply slipped into the moving crowd beside Kaelith and decided to trust instinct over rules.

Maybe...

this was actually the perfect opportunity to test how naturally compatible they were.

If they constantly collided or stepped on each other’s feet, perhaps the Beast Goddess herself was trying to warn her.

Kaelith seemed to reach a similar conclusion.

Because instead of aggressively leading her, he carefully adapted himself to her movements.

Watching her.

Reacting to subtle gestures.

Learning her rhythm.

And somehow—

magically—

it worked immediately.

Mirabelle spun beneath his arm while laughter escaped her lips almost uncontrollably.

Kaelith caught her waist before she lost balance during a faster turn, steadying her effortlessly before letting her go again.

The movements between them felt strangely natural.

As though they understood each other physically without needing words.

Whenever she moved unexpectedly, Kaelith adjusted instantly.

Whenever he pulled her closer, Mirabelle somehow already understood where he intended her next step to go.

Not once did they awkwardly crash together.

Not once did he step on her feet.

They were having far too much fun.

Warm sunlight filtered through the enormous tree canopy overhead while music and laughter blended around them into something bright and dizzying.

Mirabelle’s curls flew through the air every time Kaelith spun her while the fire opal bracelet flashed golden-orange light across her wrist.

The hyena Beastman laughed openly now too.

Bright. Young. Happy.

It transformed him completely.

Several nearby dancers started smiling simply because the two of them looked like they were enjoying themselves so much.

At one point Kaelith suddenly pulled her backward against his chest to avoid another dancing pair crashing into them.

One strong arm wrapped securely around her waist while his other hand caught hers.

Mirabelle felt the rumble of his laughter vibrate through his chest directly into her back.

Safe.

For some reason, the thought appeared instantly.

Safe.

And that realization settled deep inside her heart.