Side Story: A Picnic with Charlotte! ~Lunchboxes with Butterfly Tuna Sandwiches~
CHARLOTTE was a fox girl who once lived in the forest. Her father was a great hunter, her mother was a skilled cook, and her older brother was a kindhearted person. Charlotte spent her days going out into the woods, picking medicinal herbs, collecting nuts, and sometimes even hunting small game like rabbits and birds.
Her family had a rule that, whenever they fought, they had to make up by the next morning. That was why the mood in their home never felt strained, even with the occasional argument. Their days together were largely peaceful.
Charlotte believed that happy life would last forever. But one day, tragedy struck.
Slave traders came and set the foxfolk forest on fire. The men were killed and the women were captured. Charlotte and her mother were caught together. Her father and brother were murdered.
Her mother bit one of the slave traders to give Charlotte an opportunity to flee. But that decision led to the slave trader killing Charlotte’s mother on the spot.
The only remaining member of Charlotte’s family was Charlotte herself.
Charlotte couldn’t even make use of this chance to escape—the chance her mother died to give her. She was taken from the forest and put up for sale as a slave.
The slave auctions were conducted in many different places. Charlotte was locked in a cage and appraised by people who looked at her with repulsive eyes.
One by one, her fellow foxfolk were sold off.
Charlotte didn’t speak a word. She didn’t want anyone to sense weakness in her. That was why no one ever purchased her.
Once no one in the country showed any interest, the slave traders took her overseas.
All the slaves were packed into large cages on the ship. The air felt thin, like it was hard to get any oxygen, and the rocking of the ship made her sick. This was the horrible environment she endured for the entire three-day sea voyage. Charlotte hated being in crowds ever since.
Finally, they arrived in a foreign land. Beastfolk were uncommon in this part of the world, so Charlotte drew the eyes of many.
In the midst of all her suffering, Charlotte began to consider joining the rest of her family. She had lost all hope for the remainder of her life. But that was when Charlotte met a young Fore Elf girl. This kind girl shared a delicious steamed bun with Charlotte.
Its dough was soft and fluffy, and the red bean paste inside had a gentle flavor. Charlotte couldn’t remember the last time she ate something truly “delicious.” It was as if warmth began to pour into her heart.
It tasted like happiness. It took Charlotte back to the meals she shared with her family.
Even Amelia, the mythical beast with Mell, helped encourage Charlotte and bring her back from the depths of despair.
Just knowing she wasn’t alone made Charlotte’s heart feel full. She couldn’t give up yet. There were still compassionate people in the world who cared about her. She knew she would probably be treated terribly once she was sold to someone, but Charlotte decided to be strong and live for the people who’d once treasured her.
Despite her resolution to face the grim future awaiting her, things turned out much differently than she had imagined.
Mell was actually a knight going undercover at the slave auction. She rescued Charlotte from those horrible slave traders.
“No one will ever hurt you again.” Charlotte didn’t speak her language, but that was what she felt like Mell was saying.
She waved goodbye to Mell, hoping to see her again one day.
In this foreign land, Charlotte was cared for in a facility full of people in white coats who looked after sick people.
The kind-looking woman tried to explain Charlotte’s situation using hand gestures. Charlotte was too skinny, so she would need to stay there and receive treatment for a while.
Charlotte got to take hot baths, eat as much food as she liked, and sleep in a clean bed each night. The facility felt like something from a dream. Everyone was nice. They didn’t treat Charlotte like she was bad. It was the first time since losing her family that Charlotte got any real sleep.
Once her energy was back, she was sent to a separate facility within a giant castle. Charlotte was taught the local language in a room full of books. The others there had circumstances similar to hers. Once she spoke enough of the language, she learned that this place existed to give them the knowledge they would need throughout their life.
The teacher was a nice person who didn’t scold Charlotte when she forgot her words. She did her very best to educate Charlotte, and all the fellow students were good-natured people too.
But there was one problem. Charlotte hated crowds, so gathering in the cafeteria for each meal made her lose her appetite. Some days, she couldn’t even take a single bite.
As time went on, she lost more weight and energy. The teacher grew concerned. Charlotte didn’t want to cause more trouble for the person who was treating her so well, but eventually, she was honest about her problem. The teacher prepared a separate room where she could eat her meals alone.
Now that she had learned the language, she was able to communicate. Charlotte’s wounded heart was slowly healing once again.
After that, Charlotte was offered a few paths forward.
She could study under the castle chefs, become a maid for a noble family, or be adopted into a commoner’s home. Her teacher recommended adoption—that she could live a happy life with a new family.
Charlotte appreciated her concern, but she was more interested in repaying the knights who saved her. She expressed a strong desire to go and help them, even though it wasn’t one of the options presented.
After lengthy discussions, Charlotte was allowed to become a maid for the Royal Knights of Enoch. Not only that, but she was going to be the personal maid for the Second Expeditionary Squadron. That was the unit where Mell, her savior, worked.
Charlotte jumped up and down with joy when she realized she would be able to repay them directly.
But it wouldn’t come right away. First, Charlotte needed to train to become a maid.
The training facilities were full of women from around the country. They had to learn how to brew tea, work in the kitchen, do laundry, and clean rooms. There were many skills involved in being a maid.
Even though she had to stay in large groups, Charlotte fought through these difficulties in order to see the people who saved her again.
Two months later, Charlotte was finally reunited with Mell.
It had been so long, but Mell and Amelia still welcomed Charlotte with open arms. Charlotte couldn’t imagine being any happier than she felt in that moment.
She went around and met the other members of the Second Expeditionary Squadron. Mell even compared each of them to a family member, like a mom or a dad or siblings, so Charlotte would feel more comfortable.
Everyone was so kind to her. They told her she could treat them like they were really family.
Working for the Second Expeditionary Squadron healed most of the remaining scars on Charlotte’s heart.
Some days, her chest still ached when she thought of her deceased family. But she decided to view these memories as something precious too. Charlotte was the only one left to grieve for her family, after all.
Charlotte truly loved her new peaceful life.
Every day, she prayed that it would last forever.
🥞🥞🥞