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Chapter 12
Coco’s violet eyes, sparkling as if they held sunlight, slowly scanned the room.
Then, as if hope drained out of them, they turned empty.
“Tch. Unni’s not here.”
“Tch? What do you mean, tch? I’m here too, you know.”
“I thought Unni came to see me… but it’s only Lord Rus…”
“Ha, seriously… Anyway, eat first.”
Coco’s mouth fell open as she stared at the table, now filled to the brim with a lavish spread.
“Wooooow!”
She drooled a little, clumsily trying to cut a chunk of meat. It was rather adorable.
How could anyone kick out someone this tiny? Honestly, that’s just heartless.
Without realizing it, Rus took her plate and began cutting the meat for her.
“So you got kicked out? But you kept hanging around anyway?”
“No! It’s a strategic… mm… two steps back for one step forward!”
“Then isn’t that just one step back?”
“…?”
Watching Coco tilt her head in confusion, he let out a laugh.
“You’ve been told you’re cute a lot, haven’t you?”
“Yep!”
“…Huh. You’ve got some nerve.”
But why didn’t he feel annoyed?
“Fine. You’re cute. Since you got kicked out, want to come live at my house?”
Just as Coco looked up at Rus with sparkling eyes—
The dining room door opened, and Chloe appeared, looking drowsy.
“You. Stop trying to lure the kid. She wasn’t kicked out.”
“…Ah, Chloe Ardos. Look who the trash dragged in.”
As he frowned, Chloe sat down across from him and replied coolly,
“What?”
“No matter what, isn’t it too much to kick out a little kid and leave her outside in this cold?”
“I didn’t kick her out.”
“That’s right! I wasn’t kicked out!”
“Then why were you in front of the door…?”
“Our house has sparkly light that comes in through the door! So I went outside early in the morning to look at it!”
Coco enthusiastically rambled about the glass doors of the Ardos seaside estate.
When the morning sunlight streamed in, the reflected light was beautiful, apparently.
“…Huh. That’s strange.”
Rus suddenly glanced around.
Now that he thought about it, the dining room felt different today too.
Instead of darkness—so typical of Chloe’s space—sunlight filled the room.
“She’s… really unusual.”
A faint smile curved at the corner of Chloe’s lips.
Rus cleared his throat a couple of times before speaking.
“Anyway. I did have something to tell you. I’ll just say it and go, so relax that glare.”
“What is it?”
“You know the tiger spirit beast Father brought from the Grand Duchy of Ribera?”
“The one they captured during the monster war when it suddenly went berserk?”
“Yeah. The one he brought to examine its special ability.”
“What about it?”
“That spirit beast apparently escaped from its enclosure. You don’t want to run into it by accident, so be careful. It’s extremely ferocious.”
“Hm…”
Chloe sipped her coffee, looking deep in thought.
At that moment, Coco carefully interrupted.
“Um… what’s a spirit beast?”
“Oh, Coco doesn’t know? Ahem. Listen carefully. I’ll only explain this once. Animals are divided into three categories.”
Rus began explaining proudly.
Coco perked up her ears.
After hearing Rus’s detailed explanation, this was how it went:
First: Animals.
Ordinary animals. Puppies like Coco and even the “Emperor of Mice” fell into this category.
Second: Spirit Beasts.
Beings that look like animals.
However, they possess unique supernatural abilities after receiving a fragment of divine blessing.
Spirit beasts are instinctively drawn to a human they choose.
Through something called “imprinting” with their chosen human, they can greatly strengthen that person.
And the spirit beast will gain abilities similar to those of its human partner.
But “imprinting” is extremely rare.
Coco mentally noted that part down, but she couldn’t focus on what he said after that and forgot it.
Third: Divine Beasts.
…Divine beasts are incredibly, unbelievably amazing animals who can apparently do almost anything.
You could basically consider them the strongest beings in the world.
But very little is known about them, Rus trailed off.
“So a super strong tiger escaped!”
“Well, basically. So you be careful too, Coco. Father was really invested in that one.”
“Ooooh.”
“There’s a huge bounty on the tiger’s head. But it seems no one’s been able to catch it. Anyway, things won’t settle down until Father returns. And by then, you…”
As Rus trailed off, Chloe finished flatly,
“When Father returns, she’ll be disowned.”
“Tch…”
I want to keep being Unni’s little sister…
Rus scratched the bridge of his nose.
“Chloe Ardos. Anyway, don’t treat Coco too harshly.”
“Mind your own business. I’ll handle it.”
Tension crackled between them.
I sipped my milk gloomily, recalling Unni’s words.
“You’re not my sister. There’s only one person I recognize as my family.”
Even now, while barely pretending to be family, she says I’m not her sister.
If I’m officially disowned… we’ll really grow apart, won’t we?
That can’t happen.
We have to get closer—so Unni can recognize me.
Just then, something Rus said earlier popped into my head.
That the tiger’s head carried an enormous bounty.
“Um, so…”
“Yeah?”
“If I catch the tiger…?”
“Pff—PFFFT—!”
I quietly scooted away from Rus, who had just spat out his wine.
“…Anyway! If I catch the tiger! I won’t be disowned, right? I can keep being her sister?”
Rus, who had looked dumbfounded, suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! A five-year-old twerp thinks she’ll catch a tiger spirit beast?”
“Yes!”
“Hm… probably. If you caught a spirit beast, Father would reward you generously. He’s a total meritocrat. If you get on his good side, even if you’re not the blessed child from the oracle, you might become part of this family.”
“Gasp! Then I—!”
My heart pounded as I tightly gripped my milk glass.
But Unni cut in coldly,
“No. Rus, stop joking. She’s small and weak. What could she possibly catch?”
My eyes widened.
Small and weak?!
Coco’s pride is hurt!
I flexed my tiny, slightly bulging arm muscles.
“D-Don’t I look super strong?”
“Weak.”
“Tch.”
Still…
If I catch a spirit beast, everything will change.
A rosy, happy future unfolded in my mind.
“Our baby caught a spirit beast? What a genius. Truly my sister!”
“That’s right! I’m Unni’s real little sister now!”
“Oh my goodness, I’m so proud of you. I should roast a whole pile of sweet potatoes for you!”
Thud.
My milk glass landed grandly on the table.
Rus wiped the milk from above my lip with his finger and muttered,
“Honestly, I have no idea what goes on in that tiny head. Anyway, you must be really worried about being disowned. Even if it happens, don’t worry too much. I’ll make sure to prepare a place for you—”
“I’m going to catch the tiger spirit beast!”
I, brave puppy Coco.
I’ll catch Duke Ardos’s tiger.
And then, I’ll officially become Unni’s little sister!
