I’m just a completely ordinary girl living in the forest for some reason.
I’m definitely not a plant monster girl like an Alraune.


Suddenly, a group of humans appeared from deep in the forest.
And not just any humans, but several fully armored soldiers.

This is bad.
If this continues, I’ll be treated like a monster and hunted down.


To avoid revealing that I’m a plant monster, my only option is to pretend to be human and politely convince them to leave.

Even so, a flower this enormous would naturally look suspicious.
Closing my buds to hide won’t be enough, just my bulb below looks dangerous enough.

Still, not encountering them entirely would be best.
In terms of mental peace, pretending to be a flower is easier than pretending to be human.


The moment I saw the human figures, I covered my entire body with vines.
The vine cocoon was complete.
From the outside, it should look like just a tangled mass of vegetation.

Of course, my human form was hidden too.
That way, from a first glance, no one should be able to realize I’m here.

On the other hand, I have a feeling this will make me look pretty suspicious. But it should be better than being completely exposed and immediately discovered as a monster.

Even so, I’m far too large for an ordinary flower, so there’s still a chance someone might investigate me. Hiding among the vines like this, the mass of vines is still highly suspicious from an objective perspective.

Is this really good enough? I’m worried.

From the distance, I can hear men’s voices calling out.
“You see anything?”
“Not here?”
“Maybe over there?”

It really sounds like they’re looking for someone.
Could it be me?
If it is, a confrontation might be unavoidable now.

I really don’t want to fight humans.


The soldiers’ footsteps were getting closer, reaching into the range of my vines.

They started talking.

“What’s with those vines?”
“It’s weird they’re all clustered like that, it looks unnatural.”

Ugh… they definitely think I’m suspicious.

Please.
Don’t come over. Just pass me by.

“Something’s suspicious… maybe they’re hiding there. Let’s go check it out.”

Huh? They’re coming here?

What should I do? It’d be terrifying If they surrounded me.
How many guests are there?


I quietly moved the vines to peek through a gap.

Five soldiers in total.
All fully armed, as expected.

They weren’t dressed for hunting in the forest. In fact, they look like they came for a fight.

They were muttering that someone might be hiding here, so I guess they really came to take me down after all………


I haven’t done anything wrong.
It’s awful to think they’d kill me just because I happened to turn into a monster.

I used to be a saint, you know
I was human once, just like you.
I risked my life serving the kingdom just like you soldiers.

Though, they probably won’t let me go. Even if I told them my story, I doubt they’d believe me


“Hey! Did those vines just move?”
“Bingo. Looks like someone’s in there.”


Uwaah!

I messed up.

Peeking at them gave away my hiding spot.

There’s no way to stay hidden now.

Steel yourself, me
I was the saint who once bore the weight of a whole kingdom, wasn’t I?

Act with the confidence of a proper actress.

Yes. I’m human. Just a completely ordinary girl living in the forest.

Alright. I’m not totally convinced about this backstory, but I think I can pull it off.

I just need to mimic a human perfectly.

Here I go, me.

Let’s do this!


I cautiously emerged from the vines, showing only my face, of course.
My upper body was still hidden, and everything below my waist stayed tucked safely behind the vines.


“Hel…lo.”

A greeting is basic etiquette.
I needed to show I’m harmless.


“What?! There’s someone there!”
“Why is a girl coming out of the vines?!”
“A beautiful girl just came out!”
“Wow, she’s gorgeous!”

The soldiers cried out in surprise
.

“It seems she’s not the one we’re looking for.”

The soldier in the center muttered.
Seems like I wasn’t the one they’ve been searching for.

Phew… so they weren’t coming here specifically to hunt an Alraune.

That means there’s a chance they’ll leave me alone.


“Miss, don’t be afraid. We are soldiers of the kingdom. Come here where it’s safer.”

He beckoned me to go forward.


But I can’t go.
Even if I wanted to, I can’t go.

Because I’m not just an ordinary girl, I’m a plant monster.

“I… can’t go there.”
That’s all I can say.

“Did you get caught in those vines and can’t get out?”
“Alright, we’ll get you out of there.”
“Don’t worry, we’re pretty confident in our strength.”
“Being able to help such a lovely young lady, we’re lucky guys today.”

Huh!?

No, stop! Don’t come over here!

If they come closer, they’ll see I’m not human.

My lower body has a massive, terrifying bulbous mouth that can swallow a person whole.

If they realized it’s connected to me, they’d assume I’m a carnivorous plant monster lying in wait for prey.

“Don’t… come”

I waved my hands, trying to drive them away.


But in doing so, my upper body slipped out from within the vines.


“Hey, why is she dressed like that?”
“Yeah, she’s almost naked!”
“Indecent!”
“Could she be… a forest seductress?”


It’s none of your business

Come to think of it, I’d been a plant for so long that I’d forgotten how unusual it is to dress like this.

My upper body is practically naked, with my chest being only partially covered by vines.
No regular village girl would ever dress like this, let alone in a dangerous forest, wrapped in vines.


But it’s not like I wanted to dress like this either.

And you, the soldier who called me a seductress… come see me alone later. I have something to say to you.

“Young lady, are you from that nearby village?”

“…No, I live alone.”

I wanted to say I’m from a village, but if they ask me anything about the village, I won’t be able to answer.
It might be safer to just say I’ve always lived in the forest. I don’t know, maybe the other option would’ve been better

The soldiers studied me suspiciously.

Yeah, they definitely don’t trust me.


“Come out quickly.”

“I… can’t. The vines are… tangled.”

I’m sorry for lying.
But I’m telling the truth, in a way. I can’t move because I’m a plant.


“I can get… myself out. You knights… don’t need to help.”

Please, just leave already.
Go find whoever you’re looking for and leave the forest.

“No way. We can’t leave such a beautiful girl alone. Wait there, we’ll rescue you.”


Oh no, This guy… he’s a good person!

No, that’s not it!
Leave me alone.

If I were human, I might be flattered and tempted to follow. But as a plant monster, it would be disastrous.

So stop!

“Corporal, wait!” one soldier called.
​​
The man called “Corporal” by the other soldier stopped.

“I remember a saying from my hometown. If you meet a beautiful woman in the forest, never follow her. She’s probably an Alraune.”
“An Alraune?”

The soldier seemed to be from the south, where Alraunes are common.

He then explains how Alraunes were vicious monsters with women’s bodies that lured humans out, ensnared them, and captured them.

What should I do, most of that was basically correct.

And on top of that, this situation looks exactly like me, an Alraune, pretending to be a girl to lure in a human man.

This is bad. I think I’ve gotten myself into a real mess.


“Miss, could you show us your legs?”

They really suspect me now.

“Sir knight, I… am not an… Alraune. I’m human. Please believe me.
”
“You look human, but only from the waist up. What if you’re hiding a flower underneath?”

……Yes. That’s accurate.

Not only are flowers blooming, but there’s a massive bulb with a mouth down there too.

“Even if you’re tangled in the vines, you should be able to move a little. If you want me to believe you, at least show me one of your legs, or part of your lower body.”


They’re looking at me with pure suspicion.
If they thought I was truly human, they wouldn’t be saying that, right?

And asking to see my feet? That’s a first. Even in my previous life no one ever said that.
Telling me to show my lower body is just way too indecent.

What am I supposed to do? I don’t have feet.
Can’t they just accept roots instead?


No, that would be the same as admitting it.

I have no choice but to say the vines are keeping my legs from moving.

When I gave that answer, as expected, the soldiers immediately started murmuring again.

“See, I told you it’s weird.”
“She probably doesn’t even have legs. Her lower half is likely a plant, like an Alraune.”
“I knew something was off. I’ve never seen a woman who wraps vines around her chest.”


I haven’t seen a woman like that either, except… well, me.


I guess they’ll never believe me unless I show them my legs.
Every word I’ve said must seem like a trap to lure them closer.

True, I do act like a carnivorous plant year-round, but I’m taking a break today. I wanted you to feel safe.

“Miss, could you stay very still?”

“…Okay.”

Suddenly, Corporal-san raised his spear.

Wait. Hold on.

Is he… going to throw that?
Is he trying to stab me??

Unaware of my confusion, Corporal-san hurled the spear straight at me.

Eek!

I should block it with my vines… but that would reveal what I am.

I shielded my face with my thin human arms.
If he aimed for my pistil, there’s no way these arms would protect me.

I might die.

But he hasn’t completely confirmed my identity yet.
If that’s true, then he must have aimed somewhere else. I should still be safe.

The spear pierced slightly below me, hitting my bulb wrapped in vines instead of my pistil.

Ugh… that hurts…

It went through the vines and stabbed deep into the bulb itself.


“As I thought.”

Corporal-san ordered his men to prepare for combat.

“This thing’s a plant monster. That young lady must be part of its body.”

What? That was enough to expose me?

Why!?

“The moment the spear hit, the vines moved for just a moment to protect her. And when the spear struck, she flinched and had a very painful expression.”

What? That was all it took?
This corporal’s insight is way too sharp.

“I’m… not an Alraune! I’m human! Please believe… me!”

I desperately forced the words out.
I’m bad at speaking, but I don’t have a choice anymore.

“Your body may look like a human, but you’re not very good at talking like one. Stop making excuses, plant monster.”

The soldiers all pointed their weapons at me at once.


Sigh. If the truth is out, there’s no helping it.

They threw a spear at me, so they must be convinced by now.
Guess I’ll stop pretending to be human.


I used my vines to pull out the spear.
Then I healed the wound and sealed it up.

My body, blooming from the flower, became fully visible, and the bulb beneath emerged as well.


The soldiers gasped in shock.

“She’s really growing out of a flower.”
“And her lower half is a plant.”
“What’s with that mouth? She’s completely carnivorous.”

Corporal-san blinked repeatedly, clutching his head.

“Well, I’ll be damned. She really is a monster.”

He whistled as he glared at me.

Oh, wait. Was he testing me?

Grrr…

Ugh, they really were one step ahead.

They must have suspected, but couldn’t get close because I might be dangerous. And they couldn’t just stab someone who might be human, because that would kill them.


The soldiers began shouting accusations.

“She almost fooled us!”
“She was going to lure us in and eat us with that mouth!”
“Cowardly creature. I’ll tear you apart!”

That’s not true!
Please believe me. I may be growing from a flower, but I’m human!

My lower half may be a bulb with a scary big mouth, but I’m not a terrifying monster. I’m harmless.

I’m just a flower.

So don’t attack me. Don’t be hostile.


“Beautiful flower monster. Quietly accept your fate and allow us, soldiers of the kingdom, to slay you.”

The soldiers approached with weapons drawn.

I’ve been completely exposed.
What should I do?


It looks like I really can’t pass as human anymore.

***

Author’s Note:

Thank you for reading.

Next Time: Now That I Think About It, It’s Really Embarrassing for a Human to See Me Like This