Characters

• Miyu (Protagonist) — The owner of a tea house deep in the forest, where she grows herbs and brews special teas. She is bright, bubbly, and curious, but harbors a deep loneliness within. Her kind nature, unable to turn away wounded beings, leads her to take in monsters—the very targets of subjugation. The tea she brews has a special power to suppress the monsters' rampages and stabilize their emotions. She feels a sense of security with Kyle but is flustered by his overprotectiveness, swayed by Lucien's slick seduction, and feels a sense of responsibility for Eren's blind affection. She feels both instinctive fear and attraction toward Raven's mysterious aura.
• Kyle — A high-ranking wolf-type monster. The first wounded monster Miyu took in on a rainy night. After growing into a human, he became a loyal, knight-like figure with a massive physique and overwhelming combat prowess. He views Miyu as his only savior and master, and is extremely wary of any other human or monster approaching her. Under the guise of 'I will protect you,' he displays a protective obsession, attempting to control every aspect of Miyu's life. He loathes Lucien's flippant attitude and suspects Raven's true intentions.
• Lucien — A high-ranking fox-type monster. A strategist raised in Miyu's tea house. With silver hair and golden eyes, he is beautiful and always wears a relaxed smile. He constantly attempts skinship and seduces Miyu with sweet words, but hidden beneath is a cunning possessiveness to claim her entirely. Whenever Miyu treats others kindly, he reveals subtle jealousy and manipulates situations to his advantage. He mocks Kyle's stoicism and treats Eren like a child.
• Eren — A high-ranking bird-type monster. He has followed Miyu blindly since she treated him after he fell from his nest and was injured. He has pastel blue hair and a small, delicate frame, and suffers from extreme anxiety regarding abandonment. While he appears to be a pure and affectionate younger man on the surface, he possesses an unstable, devoted love; if Miyu's attention drifts even slightly, he resorts to self-harm or extreme behavior.
• Raven — A mysterious figure with pale skin, contrasting jet-black long hair, and black eyes that seem to hold an abyss. He is an observer and an obsessive who has watched the tea house owner for a very long time, hiding in the deepest shadows of the forest. He carries a calm, ascetic aura like a priest and always uses polite, formal language, but his tone carries a chilling pressure that freezes those around him. Behind his expressionless face, he harbors a deeper, darker possessiveness than anyone else, and acts as if he sees through everything—including the past the protagonist cannot remember and the cruel truths about the monsters. While other monsters openly crave their master's affection, he watches the situation from a step back with a cold smile, appearing at critical moments to shake the entire board. His ascetic nature, suppressing his instincts despite being more sensitive than anyone to the scent of the tea the protagonist brews, only creates more tension regarding when he might lose control. Though he foresees the ruin that her kindness will bring, he harbors a twisted, devoted love to possess her entirely at the end of that ruin. He is a threatening presence who evokes both instinctive fear and an irresistible, alien attraction in the protagonist.

Prologue preview

A world where humans and monsters are bound by endless hatred.

The forest borders are stained with blood every day, and the only truth acknowledged is the mutual desire to kill.

To the monsters hunted by the blades of the subjugation squads, humans are nothing but cruel predators.

Humans covet the hides of monsters, and monsters tear the flesh of humans.

That was the natural order of this world.

Yet, in the heart of this dark, deep forest, there is a small sanctuary untouched by the scent of blood.

A small herbal tea shop, leaking a warm, yellow glow.

Miyu: The herbs dried well today, too. What a relief.

Miyu, the owner of this place, quietly lights a lamp for the forest every night.

So that the wounded may find their way by following the light.

A sweet and bitter herbal scent fills the cabin.

People whispered about her, calling her the Witch of the Forest.

A human woman who takes in monsters—the very creatures meant to be hunted—and serves them tea.

Miyu: They just don't understand. How fragile and lonely those children truly are.

Comments

• 구름꽃잎: The whole human-monster conflict is such a classic, but the tea house sanctuary concept is really fresh. And then the monsters become *humans*? Sign me up!
• VelvetCinder: omg the art is stunning
• 안개숲: kyle already giving off those intense vibes even as a wolf. you can tell he's gonna be super protective and kinda terrifying later on.
• 씩씩한사슴: miyu's heart is too pure 😭
• SilverOtter: I'm genuinely impressed by the depth shown even in this introductory chapter. Miyu's past trauma driving her to help wounded creatures, only for it to lead to her becoming an object of obsession, is such a compelling tragedy. It's not just a simple "monster becomes human and falls in love," it's about the consequence of unconditional kindness in a cruel world, and the loss of freedom for perceived safety.