This is not the time to worry about the excursion members. The bigger problem was me.
Come to think of it, I have to live with two men who have zero survival ability now. Dammit.
I hope Enoch wakes up soon, but even if he does, he should rest for the time being. In the end, it was my job to take responsibility for everyone's survival.
Just like the head of the household who supports his family's livelihood.
As if a noble lady catching fish wasn't enough, I am now a noble lady who takes responsibility for the survival of the male leads.
I took a seat on the wooden deck in front of the cabin, making a squirrel snare trap.
I made some snares and tied them to a wooden pole.
"What are you doing?"
Arthdal, who came out of the cabin, approached me with a curious face.
"I am making a squirrel snare trap. I saw a lot of squirrels passing by in the forest where I was collecting mushrooms. I will install it there."
Arthdal seemed to understand my words, but then again looked at the wooden pole in my hand with a face full of disbelief.
"You can catch an animal with this?"
"Squirrels are curious animals. They will be wary and go down the tree at first, then climb up again through the snare, and get stuck here. I caught some when I was young, so I know......"
I hurriedly shut my mouth after saying unnecessary words by mistake.
"You caught a squirrel when you were young? You? A noble lady?"
Arthdal asked me as if he couldn't believe what he just heard. Cold sweat ran down my back.
"I've been wondering for a while, what kind of education did the Duke of Floné give you? I would like to attend a class next time."
I was embarrassed and tried to avoid his gaze and just smiled. I don't know what he was thinking, but he touched his forehead and shook his head.
"If it's a class that produces a weirdo like you....., it would be fun."
Fortunately, among these people, Margaret is known as a crazy weirdo.
"Anyway, it doesn't seem to be of much use. You'd better make an ordinary trap. And where did you get that wooden pole from.....?"
"If you're not going to help, don't nitpick."
Arthdal was staring at the squirrel snare trap with a face that looked like he had a lot of things to say.
That was very similar to the expression that our department manager Kim made right before nagging when I was at work in my past life.
"Rather than that, how about you just rest? I don't think I've ever seen you rest."
Unexpectedly, Arthdal was worried about me.
Come to think of it, these days, even when I sleep, the feeling of tiredness doesn't go away easily. I thought I'd get used to it, but I'm not used to living in the rainforest at all.
Anyway, it's a relief that I don't have to worry about a sticky event with the male leads.
It was expected, but the development of the story was moving unpredictably.
Obviously, around this time, there should have been 'high-level events' surrounding the female lead Yuanna, but there was no sign of that.
Is it because Yuannna was indifferent as if she was not interested in the male leads at all?
"I'm just going to make this and install it and rest. I need to eat meat."
"I'm saying this because it doesn't seem like any animal will be caught with that. Don't waste your time on useless things and just rest."
For a while, I thought he was worried about me. Cheekydal, who was not good at listening to others, criticized the squirrel snare trap I was making and started nagging at me. As expected, he's like Manager Kim.
I just ignored him, finished the squirrel snare trap, and got up.
"By the way, do you know how to shoot arrows? Kayden made a bow for me."
Arthdal tilted his head at my question.
"Of course, I do. I used to often use crossbows in hunting competitions. What a great game I've got in the competitions—"
"Wait, you even went to a hunting competition? You know how to hunt, but why pretend you can't?"
I cut off Arthdal's saga at once.
"I mainly use crossbows or arrows in hunting competitions—"
"Oh, that's great. By the way, Kayden made the bow for me. Finally, you too can be productive."
Stop asking for food only with your mouth, you have to do something now.
"What did you sa—"
"Then shall we go?"
"You never listen to people until the end, Young Lady."
Arthdal eventually burst out in anger.
Maybe he overheard all of our conversations through the open door, Ruzef came out of the cabin with the bow and arrows made by Kayden.
"If you two are going to leave, can you please do it quickly? His Highness the Crown Prince should rest, but you guys are too noisy."
When Ruzef warned us in a somewhat nervous tone, Arthdal burst out laughing as if making fun of him.
I spoke to Arthdal without hesitation, "So you can shoot arrows, right? It would be nice if you could catch birds or even small animals."
Arthdal received the gear from Ruzef, nodded his head, and started boasting loudly, "Ha. It's time to show off my skills. I'm better at catching flying birds than animals on the ground."
Isn't it usually the opposite? That's interesting.
"Then, shall we go?"
Arthdal meekly followed me.
We went into the forest to the west of the cabin. It was a place where I used to collect mushrooms and I often saw squirrels passing by there.
I put the squirrel snare trap against a tree I had previously seen them sniffing around.
If I set it up like this, the squirrel is more likely to climb the tree through the soft snare and get caught.[1]
[1] If you are confused by this sentence, you can google "squirrel snare trap" to see how it works. I'm not posting it here because it might be too disturbing for some people.
While I was setting up the trap, Eunji slithered out of my dress pocket. He circled around me to see what I was doing, then quickly disappeared somewhere.
"Oh, Eunji! Where are you going?"
At my call, the kid who was going through the bushes looked back at me and jumped. I don't think he's asking me to follow, but to wait for a while.
'What are you going to do?'
He seemed to be asking me to wait, so I had to. I quietly watched Eunji slither away into the bushes.
At that moment, Arthdal notched the arrow on the bow and looked around while pulling the bowstring taut.
I sat nearby to not get in the way and watched him. I thought he was totally useless. Who would have thought he could shoot arrows?
-flapping sound-
And then, I saw a bird flying through the branches of the trees.
Arthdal quickly sensed the movement and released the bowstring.
-shoot-
The bird was shot down by a single arrow. That's on target.
I opened my mouth wide in surprise and looked at Arthdal.
"Stay here. I will pick it up."
Arthdal said with a fairly confident face and disappeared. Oh, he made that face again.
I was quietly collecting mushrooms while waiting for him. Then Eunji appeared in front of me, carrying something in his mouth. Rather than carrying, it was accurate to say that he was dragging it.
"......huh?"
It's a rabbit. Eunji was still a baby snake, so he was about the size of two palms put together, but he had already hunted a rabbit twice his size.
The top predator in the food chain is indeed amazing.
"Good job Eunji. That's amazing!"
I was excited, stroking Eunji's scales, and pouring out praises. It is said that praise makes even whales dance, and Eunji was so excited that he was slithering around and acting cutely.
"Aww, good job, good job, my baby!"
As I was shouting and clapping, Arthdal appeared.
"What are you doing?"
He looked at me and Eunji alternately, as if seeing something bizarre. I was a little embarrassed and clasped my hands together.
"Eunji has caught a rabbit. That's why......"
Arthdal's gaze turned to Eunji and the rabbit wriggling on the ground.
I looked at the bird in his hand while he looked at the rabbit.
It has a long tail and differs in color only on its face, which at first glance looks like a pheasant, but is not. It seems to be a different species of bird that only lives here.
"It looks like a long-tailed bird," said Arthdal, noticing that I was looking at the bird in his hand.
"A long-tailed bird?"
What a simple name.
"Oh, it's a bird that usually lives in the hot northern regions, but it's also here."
Perhaps because he was a hunter, he seemed to have a wealth of knowledge.
Of course, that's all he knows.
"Shall we go back?"
I got up with Eunji and the rabbit and replied, "Yes, let's. I think we should come to check out the trap once before going to bed."
Arthdal nodded at my words.
We both returned with a rabbit and a long-tailed bird.
Of course, it was my responsibility to skin them. Enoch was still not awake, and Ruzef and Arthdal were nobles who had never even been near the kitchen.
I'm sure Margaret would have done the same......
I stopped thinking about it and went into the kitchen with the rabbit and bird in my hands.