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chapter 49
“Oh my, Cherry! After washing, your beauty really stands out!”
After Kenich’s call, Ria had rushed over, and I… had been washed thoroughly.
“Tsk.”
Still, taking two and a half hours in the bath? I thought I’d become a sous-vide squirrel.
Turning my head in displeasure, Ria followed me, holding a hand mirror.
“But don’t you feel nice being this clean? I was so worried the ink might run. But… it seems you’ve gotten strangely whiter.”
“Tsk?”
At Ria’s words, I quickly looked into the mirror.
My fur, which had looked golden-brown like a perfectly baked madeleine, was now closer to white—somewhere between pale yellow and cream.
‘This isn’t “strangely”; it’s definitely whiter…!’
I stared at Ria in shock. She, too, was reading the instructions of the high-end pet shampoo with a serious expression.
“Hmm… it says there’s no bleaching effect…”
After checking the instructions multiple times, her expression became increasingly grave.
“Di-did I scrub you too hard, Cherry? Is your body feeling prickly, or do you have a fever?”
She lifted me onto her palm, inspecting me from every angle. She seemed to think she was the cause of this issue.
Her serious expression soon turned fierce, as if she might attack someone at any moment.
And then…
Bang, bang, KA-BOOM!
The heavy thuds echoed throughout the bathroom.
It was Ria Viper banging her head against the wall.
“Tsk, tsk…!”
Why are you doing this again?!
“It’s all my fault, Cherry! But to think your fur became so soft and white, like a cute little rice cake! I am not worthy of serving you!”
Whether this was the Black Dragon Castle’s way, or Ria Viper’s way, I no longer knew.
“Tsk, tsk!”
Ria, stop!
This isn’t your fault—it’s a natural phenomenon!
I quickly ran and clung to Ria’s arm.
I poured out my urgent explanation, but there was no way she could understand such complex words.
Occasionally, she could miraculously understand my meaning, but we usually communicated through gestures and body language.
So I decided to change tactics.
“Tsk, tsk?”
Is this… me?
I pressed my face close to the mirror, unable to look away.
After staring at my reflection for a while, I twisted my upper body to look at Ria.
I pressed my left cheek with my fist, making my eyes as wide as possible.
‘Ugh.’
Even I thought I looked like a narcissistic squirrel.
But it was the only way to stop Ria.
Sure enough…
“KYAAH!”
A crow-like scream came from behind.
Ria, who had stopped banging her head like a woodpecker, let out a delighted scream.
“Cherry, you’re so cute I could get a nosebleed! I, Ria Viper, can’t… can’t breathe! I need to get a photographer right away. No, first, I need to bring my lord… Actually, I want to be the only one to see this!”
“Tsk, tsk…”
Alright, breathe first, then speak.
After drying our fur completely, Ria and I crossed the banquet hall and headed to the garden.
We decided to enjoy some fresh air together during this rare free time.
But then…
“Tsk?”
What’s that sound?
From the quiet Black Dragon Castle came murmurs that had never been heard before.
And the closer we got to the castle gate, the louder the noise became.
“Are guests coming? I haven’t heard any such news.”
Ria frowned slightly.
Sensing something strange, she carefully put me in her front pocket.
She gently moved her hand behind her back.
I couldn’t see well from inside the pocket, but I understood the meaning of her action.
‘Probably…’
She was preparing for any possible situation.
After all, Ria was one of the top assassins of the Black Dragon Castle.
If an uninvited guest appeared, she would be ready immediately.
“Tsk…”
Holding my breath without realizing it, I watched as Ria got closer to the castle gate.
“Move carefully without causing a scratch. Especially that box—our lord cherishes its contents, so be extra careful!”
For some reason, the unfamiliar visitors passed through the castle gate without obstruction.
A long line of carts followed behind an old-fashioned black carriage.
The workers moving the goods and the guards protecting the carts totaled easily over thirty.
‘A trade guild?’
I peeked my head out to observe the situation.
Each carriage and cart, starting with the lead carriage, bore a red rose emblem.
‘Red roses… Ah, the Rose Guild?’
I thought of a name I often heard in the capital.
The only guild trading beyond Wigdnia and the Western Continent, boasting enormous scale and wealth.
‘I heard they’ve amassed more wealth than most noble houses…’
It seemed they even had dealings with the Duke of Kroitz.
‘The scale is enormous.’
Nothing like the carts I’d seen in the Bear Mountains.
If there was one distinguishing feature—
‘The guild master’s identity is shrouded in mystery?’
Rumor had it that anyone in the capital who had seen the guild master’s face met death.
Who could this person be?
I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing the carriage.
The dozens of guards and the unusually expensive-looking crates suggested the guild master was likely in the first carriage.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Ria, we need to be careful.
Chop, chop.
I tapped Ria’s arm, signaling it was time.
Then, clatter.
The lead carriage shook, and the door with the rose emblem slowly opened.
And…
“Tsk, nothing has changed here.”
A woman with fiery red hair, as vivid as burning flames, appeared.
She irritably pushed back her wide-brimmed hat and muttered under her breath.
Her shoes were adorned with gems unlike anything from her countess days, and her dress hugged her waist, flowing softly—like a rose in full bloom.
“Tsk, tsk…”
That’s the guild master.
From all the guild masters I’d seen, I instinctively knew.
She was the veiled master of the Rose Guild.
But the surprise didn’t end there.
“Long time no see, Princess Yelloyze.”
It was because of Ria, who bowed deeply while covering me with her hand.
‘P-Princess…?’
I hid in the pocket in shock.
It made sense—Yelloyze Kroitz.
The only princess of Wigdnia, renowned across the continent for her fierce, dragon-like presence.
It wasn’t unusual for dragons of the Black Dragon Castle to be a little eccentric, but Yelloyze Kroitz was the “real deal.”
Stories of her beheading bandits who blocked her path were already infamous.
‘Are those rumors true?’
Whether true or not, the danger was undeniable.
The proof: Ria’s hand holding me trembled.
Then, two short taps on my backside—our secret signal.
‘Danger.’
I curled up inside the pocket immediately.
Footsteps in high heels drew closer.
“Yes. It’s been a while, Ria.”
“Four years, Princess. But why come without notice…?”
Ria’s words faltered unusually.
“Do I need permission to come to my own house?”
“Not that. Princess, you know the Black Dragon Castle is not a place you favor. I just came to inquire about your well-being.”
“True. There’s nothing but boredom in this castle.”
Yelloyze did not argue. She sighed deeply and accepted it.
“By the way, I’ve heard an interesting rumor. A rat has entered the Black Dragon Castle.”
