CHAPTER 3
Cruella was stunned at the gesture. She just realized she was naked all this time. She smiled sheepishly. "Thank you. By the way, my name is Cruella. And you are?"
The girl smiled and replied, "I'm Evangeline Bartford. I'm the daughter of Duke Arthur Bartford of Algori Kingdom."
"A daughter of the duke. So you're a princess! That's why you're beautiful!" Cruella's eyes twinkle and pinched Evangeline's cheek.
"Ha-ha, but I'm nowhere near as beautiful as the princess of Algori Kingdom." Evangeline waved her hand and smiled sheepishly.
Suddenly, Cruella's stomach growled. They both looked at each other and laughed.
"I'll go hunt!" Cruella left directly without waiting for Evangeline's response. In just a few seconds, Cruella came back with a hare.
"Whoa, that was fast!" Evangeline was amused. They immediately cleaned it and cooked it.
A few minutes later, they were both stuffed. It was the first time in two years that Cruella ate cooked food.
"By the way, Evangeline, can I call you Eve?"
"Eve?" Evangeline's eyes sparkled and nodded. "You can call me Eve, but can I also call you Ella?"
Cruella was stunned.
'Ella, huh? I like it.'
"Okay!" she agreed and smiled. "Eve, why are you being surrounded last night? Where are your companions?" she asked in curiosity.
Evangeline sighed. "Actually, I... I ran away from home."
"Huh?"
"My father had arranged a political marriage for me, but I don't want to marry that guy! He's bad news."
"Arranged marriage?" Cruella was stunned. There's still such a thing!
"One of the reasons why I came here is because... I want to see the legendary Great Wolf. According to the legend, 2 years ago, a gigantic great wolf appeared in this forest but it didn't show up again. They say that the great wolf is like a god.
It's so powerful and one breath from that great wolf will destroy an entire nation." Evangeline continued.
"And last night, I accidentally stumbled upon the group."
Cruella had a strange expression. The great wolf in question is her. What would Evangeline do if she found out I am that great wolf she talked about?
Cruella hesitated but decided to keep her identity a secret for the time being or trouble may find her.
"Nah, Ella, did you see the great wolf?" Evangeline's eyes sparkled while looking at her.
Cruella smiled faintly. "Yes! She's so huge and powerful! All the powerful monsters in this forest were devoured by her!" she said proudly. She complimented herself.
"Really? That's amazing! Do you know where it lives?"
Cruella shook her head decisively. "No. I'll be killed if I know. It's too dangerous so you better stop that idea."
Evangeline was disappointed. However, she didn't realize the most important point in this matter. The key is that the great wolf can devour everything. Evangeline failed to realize that just last night Cruella devoured some humans which only the great wolf can do.
"Nah, Ella, can I touch your hair?" Evangeline gulped while staring at Cruella's hair. Her hands shivered in anticipation. She had been stopping herself from caressing Cruella's silver-red hair. It's so long and silky and she couldn't help but admire it.
"M-My hair?" Cruella blink her eyes. In her previous life, no one ever touched her hair, not even her unseen mother, so she nodded.
As Evangeline caressed her hair, Cruella felt something in her heart. The feeling was comfortable. It was the first time she let someone get close to her by having physical contact. She was deprived of such affection since she was born. She kind of long this kind of feeling.
Cruella couldn't help but hug Evangeline. The latter was surprised slightly but also returned the hug happily. As an only daughter, Evangeline longed to have a younger sister. Hence, she was happy to meet Cruella.
"Ella, can you be my sister?" Evangeline blurted out as she looked at Cruella expectantly. She doesn't know why but she felt comfortable around Cruella.
Cruella's eyes sparkle and her heart skip a beat. 'Sister...'
Her mouth hung in awe and then curled into a beautiful smile. She nodded happily and said, "Yes!"
Deprived of family affection in her previous life and being alone for two years in this life, Cruella had enough. So she promises to find someone to treat her like family. And it just happened she met Evangeline this time when she evolved and could transform into human form.
Since Evangeline is the first member of her family, she made a vow to protect her from now onward. Moreover, someone as beautiful as Evangeline was bound to get into trouble.
Meanwhile, Evangeline was over the moon and she squealed enthusiastically.
She finally found a sister. Evangeline grew up alone and lonely.
Her parents were busy with their affairs and rarely visited her.
Hence, the emptiness in her heart grows every day.
She didn't even have someone to call a friend to spend some time.
She was always cooped up in her room, reading some books, doing calligraphy, arts, and so forth just to entertain herself.
Just like that, the two girls became sworn sisters and became closer as they embarked on their journey. Evangeline led Cruella out of the vast forest called Dark Forest. However, Evangeline and Cruella got lost and ended up going to a more dangerous area where more powerful monsters gathered.
These monsters fled before when Cruella dominated the forest and didn't dare go near Cruella's territory no matter what.
They were afraid of Cruella to the point that they would tremble if they met her.
The Great Devourer Wolf has a great reputation for all monsters because even the legendary fire dragon lost to her.
These monsters were familiar with her aura even though it was concealed and she had a human form. Hence, upon seeing a silver-red hair, they again flee for their dear lives. They didn't even hesitate to run as far away as they could.
However, the other monsters are not so lucky and they were devoured by Cruella in one fell swoop.
Of course, Cruella knew that the smartest monsters had fled before she could devour them.
However, she is not that cruel and hungry to the point that she will track them one by one, so she lets them go and only devour those not fast enough to escape.
Evangeline was used to Cruella devouring some monsters that got their way so she was nonchalant the entire time.
Sometimes Cruella let Evangeline fight some monsters and taught her more advanced magic.
One of Cruella's hidden skills is to manipulate someone's skills and transfer new skills using her creation magic.
Evangeline is talented and under Cruella's guidance, she has improved by leaps and bounds. Her current level was enough to protect herself from harm.
The duo didn't notice that they embarked toward the west leading to Albania, the most prosperous kingdom among the four kingdoms.
A month later, they arrived at the exit of the forest and came to a small town called Crowest Town.
Cruella was in a daze upon seeing the human territory for the first time she came into this world.
She was excited and her mind was full of images of delicacies and sweets.
In her previous life, due to her poor condition, she couldn't afford those delicious delicacies and longed to taste it ever since.
A few minutes later...
Cruella's eyes sparkled when she saw a bakery and dragged Evangeline inside.
"Sis Eve! I want to eat these!" Cruella said like a child as she pointed to a strawberry cake and other sweets. Her mouth watered at the sight of sweets.
Evangeline chuckled and said, "Nope. We can't afford them right now."
"What?!"
"I have no money, so we have to sell some valuables first and come back later," Evangeline explained.
Cruella pouted her lips dejectedly. She forgot the importance of money in the world since she was reincarnated as an animal.
"C'mon, let's go to the guild first." Evangeline dragged the pouting Cruella out of the store while the latter didn't take her eyes off the sweets that seemed like waving at her to eat them all.
"We have to register as adventurers to take some jobs or we'll go hungry." Evangeline let her on.
Cruella nodded and clung to Evangeline's arm as she noticed that people were staring at them as they walked. Even though the people were whispering compliments for their beauty, Cruella still felt uncomfortable because she wasn't used to that kind of attention.
Later, they arrived at the entrance of the guild.
Evangeline opened the double door and the duo entered.
All eyes were on them and mouth hung in awe.
They were very beautiful and it was rare to see a beauty enter the guild.
The duo was even more beautiful than the princess of their kingdom. So imagine how stunned they were.
"Welcome to Crowest Town Adventurer's Guild! I'm Irene. How may I help you?" the receptionist greeted enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling seeing the duo.