Page 210 of The Wishing Game

"You heartless heathen," I mutter.

The cow releases anothermoo, nuzzling her snout against my belly.

"Shh, it's okay, baby. I won't let the bad man hurt you."

A look of shock crosses his face.

"W-what? Bad man? I brought you a cow!" He thunders.

"And now you want to kill it."

"Because you cannot eat it raw!"

"I will not eat it at all," I huff.

How could he think I would eat this cute cow now that she's adopted me as her human?

His brows go up in indignation.

"But I brought it for you to eat," he repeats. "It needs to be slaughtered and cooked, or your weak human body will get sick." Of course he would find another way to insult me and myweak human body. Why the hell is he even here?

The mention of slaughter makes the cow burrow deeper into my embrace, and I give him another scathing look for scaring the cow.

"You're scaring her!"

"It is a cow!" He grits his teeth. "Toeat. You have eaten cows before."

"But not a cute one like this. How could I eat it after seeing her?" I ask as I direct my attention to the cutie in my arms. "You're a cute girl, aren't you? We're going to be good friends."

"You arenotkeeping the cow," he suddenly states.

"You gave it to me."

"Toeat! Not to keep as a pet," he groans.

"Well, it's your mistake for assuming I'd eat it," I retort. "But you've given it to me, so now it's mine and you no longer have a say in it."

"Human!" His nostrils flare as he stares me down.

I continue to pet the cow, all the while returning his glare with a mutinous one of my own. I've already established a connection with her—one that heartless Ze would havenoidea about.

He continues to look at me for moments on end before he releases a deep sigh.

"You like it that much?"

I nod decisively.

"I shall make arrangements for her accommodation," he eventually relents, though it takes everything in him to accept this defeat.

"Balthazar," he calls out again, and his man scurries over to get the cow.

"I don't trust you," I hiss at Ze, holding on tightly to the leash.

"I give you my vow the cow will come to no harm, human." He rolls his eyes.

"Your vows are of no consequence to me. You are a liar and I don't trust you."

He narrows his eyes at me, his body tense.

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