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Chapter 8
“Meow!”
I rolled around happily on the bed.
The fresh scent of soap from the soft blanket wrapped around my body.
The room assigned to me was very small and simple.
Well, simple compared to the size of this mansion.
Compared to the underground storage room where I had lived before, it was practically heaven.
I spent quite a while lying happily on the bed when I heard footsteps outside the door.
Immediately, I tensed and jumped off the bed, running toward the entrance.
Bang!
The door opened.
Standing there was a bald man as large and muscular as Alec.
He had a fierce-looking face, and a terrifying tattoo of a dragon breathing fire wrapped around his forearm.
I thought all dragons were slim and elegant. I guess there are dragons like this too…
In a rough voice, he said,
“I’m Bane of the guard unit. I’ve been assigned as your personal attendant.”
Scary!
Frightened, I curled up in a corner.
He roughly set down a dish.
“Hurry up and eat.”
Carefully watching him, I trotted over to the plate.
On it sat a beautifully roasted whole chicken.
How long has it been since I had a proper meal?
Just as I was about to greedily tear into a drumstick, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
I should at least thank him for bringing me food.
After all, being able to enjoy such a delicious meal outside the North was already more than I could ask for.
And if he was going to be my personal attendant, it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression.
I approached Bane, who stood with his arms crossed and a cold expression on his face.
“Meow~”
Bane looked puzzled.
I immediately flopped onto the floor.
Then I rolled from side to side.
Roll, roll—
Thank you so, so much!
It was my gesture of gratitude.
But as Bane watched me rolling around, his expression changed.
*
What is this?
Bane stared blankly at the little beastkin cub rolling around on the floor.
The meaning of that gesture seemed obvious.
Help me!
But what did she need help with?
Mia glanced repeatedly at the dish.
Wait… does she want me to feed her?
For a hostage to ask to be fed…
Bane was speechless.
Well, she’s practically a newborn. Maybe she can’t help it.
Normally he would have ignored her.
But Phoebe’s strict orders echoed in his mind:
Take care of the hostage no matter what.
With a sigh, he crouched down and awkwardly cut the chicken into small pieces with a knife.
His huge hands made the task surprisingly difficult.
“Meow?”
Mia looked at him curiously.
After cutting the meat, he skewered a piece with a fork and held it out.
“Come here and eat.”
Mia seemed surprised for a moment before trotting over.
As she approached, he got a closer look at her face.
A tiny face framed with white fur.
Pointed ears.
A small pink nose twitching eagerly at the smell of meat.
And lips curved slightly upward.
How can something look that adorable?
At that moment, Mia placed a paw on his arm and gently bit the piece of meat.
Then she began chewing.
Her small white cheeks puffed and moved adorably.
Cute…
Before he realized it, he had forgotten she was an enemy hostage.
Mesmerized, he continued feeding her piece after piece.
Watching her eat so enthusiastically made him strangely proud.
When the plate was finally empty, he unconsciously reached out and vigorously patted her head.
“Meow, meow!”
“There you go. Such a good eater— Huh?!”
Bane suddenly gasped.
What am I doing?!
Phoebe’s warning rang through his head.
Don’t fall for her just because she’s cute.
As he hurriedly withdrew his hand, Mia looked up at him and cried out again.
“Meow!”
Her bright eyes sparkled as she looked at him cheerfully.
His heart seemed to melt.
This is dangerous.
If I stay here any longer, I’m going to fall for that cuteness!
“I-I’ll be going now!”
Clutching his broad chest, Bane fled the room as if escaping for his life.
*
Why did he leave so suddenly?
I watched Bane hurry away.
Still, he was clearly a kind person.
I had only tried to thank him for bringing me food, and he had actually fed me himself!
He had even patted my head.
His hands were rough, but very warm.
Thinking how fortunate I was to have such a nice attendant, I relaxed.
Not long afterward, the door opened again.
This time, a man with dark blue hair and sharp eyes entered.
A large scar crossed his face.
“Bane was bragging loudly, then ran away almost immediately.”
He sighed.
“Ah, I’m your new attendant. Joey of the guard unit.”
Why did they suddenly change attendants?
Before I could think about it further, Joey spoke sharply.
“Prepare for a bath.”
Come to think of it, my fur was still a faint gray color.
Soon, I heard water filling a bathtub.
After a while, Joey called out in a flat voice.
“Come in.”
I approached the tub and dipped a paw into the water.
The temperature was perfect.
This would be my very first bath.
Grateful that Joey had prepared it for me, I thanked him.
“Meow, meow!”
I lay down and rolled around again.
But Joey’s expression shifted slightly.
*
Until just moments ago, Joey had scoffed when he first saw Mia.
It’s just a little furball.
Why had Bane run away over something like this?
That idiot Bane is softer than he looks.
Bane might have been huge and muscular, but he had an unexpectedly delicate side.
Joey was different.
As a Wind Dragon known for being cold and intimidating, he was certain he wouldn’t be swayed.
After filling the bath, he said flatly,
“Get in.”
“Meow, meow!”
Instead of entering the bath, Mia rolled around.
Joey frowned slightly.
Help me?
Judging from how she pointed at the tub and rolled around, she seemed to be asking for assistance.
Does she want me to wash her?
Was this what the Lord had warned them about?
Acting cute? Acting pitiful?
Still, he was certain he wouldn’t fall for it.
Confident in himself, Joey lathered up plenty of soap and began washing Mia.
Then, while cleaning one of her front paws, he noticed something strange.
What’s that?
Through the wet white fur, he saw tiny pink paw pads.
Unlike the sleek, sturdy feet of dragons, these were soft, round, and adorable.
Like little jelly cushions.
He had never seen anything like them.
I want to touch them…
The thought escaped before he could stop it.
Embarrassed, he looked away.
But those paw pads kept drawing his gaze.
Finally, curiosity won.
He gently poked one.
Squish.
The most satisfying texture he had ever felt.
I want to touch them more…
Just then, Mia looked up at him.
“Meow~”
Then she stretched out her paw toward him.
Her bright eyes sparkled.
“May I… touch them more?”
“Meow, meow!”
Grab!
Without thinking, Joey took her paw.
Squeeze.
Squish.
“Meow~”
Mia let out a happy, ticklish sound.
Watching her reaction felt like someone was gently scratching his heart.
“Hah… You’re just too ador— Huh?!”
What am I doing?!
Coming to his senses, Joey quickly released her paw.
Then he sharply turned his face away.
But her adorable face and chubby pink paw pads continued tempting him.
No.
This is dangerous.
I need to get out of here immediately.
“I-I’ll be leaving now!”
And so Joey, too, abandoned Mia in the bathtub and fled the room.
*
“What exactly are you two talking about?”
Inside the mansion’s guard room,
Bane and Joey stood before Phoebe, who was glaring at them coldly.
“Captain, well… the thing is…”
“You’re telling me she’s so cute that you can’t take care of her? Joey, you even ran away while bathing her?”
Joey hid his soap-covered hands behind his back and stammered,
“I-I’m sorry. But if I’d stayed any longer, I felt like I’d be enchanted by her. She must have some kind of charm aura or something. It would probably be better if someone else took over…”
“Are you joking?”
Phoebe snapped.
“You’re members of the Drake family’s guard unit!”
It was then that another voice spoke.
“What exactly did that furball do to cause all this?”
Bane and Joey inhaled sharply and turned around.
Standing there was Leon, the head of the family.
Phoebe hurriedly bowed.
“My Lord, it’s nothing. It’s my mistake. I’ll correct the situation immediately.”
But Leon shook his head.
“No. I should see it myself.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“I want to know exactly what that little thing is doing.”
Then he added sharply,
“If it’s as serious as this, you’ll resume your original assignment and become her attendant yourself, Phoebe. No objections.”
Phoebe could only nod.
“…Understood.”
*
I sat blankly in the bathtub, covered in bubbles.
Joey had suddenly run away while washing me.
Everything except my front paws was still dirty.
Maybe he really needed to use the bathroom.
Either way, like Bane feeding me earlier, Joey had kindly washed me without even being asked.
Dragons are nicer than I thought.
Well…
Everyone except Phoebe seemed nice.
Maybe I had judged them unfairly.
Just then, I heard approaching footsteps.
Thinking Joey had returned, I happily turned toward the door.
But the moment it opened, every hair on my body stood on end.
Standing there was Leon, wearing a terrifying expression.
Why is Leon here?
To be continued…
