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Chapter : 14 Because You’re Cute (4)
Wow, seriously.
“Now you understand, Shana. You shouldn’t judge someone solely by their appearance.”
“So cool….”
“What?”
This is amazing! This is insane!
“Did you see, Raybun? She transformed!”
“…Transformed?”
“She was a tiny puppy! Then, whoosh!”
“…Whoosh?”
“In the blink of an eye! Into a pretty unni!”
“A pretty… unni….”
“Isn’t it awesome?!”
“……”
“Amazing! Cool! Incredible!”
“……What does ‘incredible’ even mean?”
“It means the best!”
Rayven made an uncertain expression.
“What is she reading?” he muttered quietly.
Whether he said that or not, I only had eyes for the little girl.
The girl looked closer to Rayven’s age than mine. She had long black hair, pale limbs, and fierce black eyes. A stain that looked like blood lingered around her mouth.
That must hurt. How badly injured was she for there to be blood on her lips too?
I was certain the puppy’s injuries had come from being beaten somewhere. If her insides hadn’t been damaged, she wouldn’t have coughed up blood.
Who could have done that to such a small child?
The body wrapped in what looked like rags was pitifully thin, and her face, covered with dried blood, had sunken cheeks.
Good heavens….
“Are you okay? Baby, you don’t have to be scared. It’s okay….”
“What’s okay about this?”
“Don’t do that, Raybun! You’re scaring her! It’s okay, come here….”
The pale face glaring at us was beautiful, but filled with fear and wariness.
I pushed away Rayven’s arm as he tried to move me behind him and stretched out my hand. He didn’t budge an inch.
Why is this kid so strong?
“Come here, baby….”
“You mustn’t, Lady Shana.”
“Maria?”
“I can’t overlook this any longer.”
Maria spoke firmly and lifted me into her arms.
At the same time, Ella approached the girl.
Bailey spoke.
“Ella, is it a poisonous species?”
“No. She belongs to a large-dog breed, but she was still just a puppy. Her human form isn’t much different.”
“Any weapons?”
“None. Still, we don’t know what she might do. It’s best not to approach her while she’s in human form. I’ll handle it.”
The conversation…
Why does it sound so professional…?
It felt like I had just discovered my nanny and babysitters had secret lives.
They said they were A-rank mercenaries, and apparently that was true.
Rayven shook his head.
“You’re late.”
“We judged that she wasn’t dangerous.”
He looked like he had a lot more to say but kept his mouth shut.
I tugged on Maria’s sleeve.
“Maria, don’t hurt her!”
“That’s what I should be saying. Look at this. You’re bleeding.”
“Ella, don’t hurt the puppy! Got it?!”
Ella replied with a hint of laughter.
“I’ll capture her without causing any injuries. Lady Shana, aren’t you going to worry about me too?”
“Ella too… be careful….”
“Yes.”
There was so much confidence in that relaxed answer.
Her coolness level…
was exploding.
Ella looked like the refined daughter of some noble family, but she effortlessly subdued the frightened girl who was trying to bite her.
“Maria, let’s go!”
“Go where?”
“To the puppy!”
“Oh my, I don’t see any puppy.”
“Stop joking!”
“How could I possibly win against Lady Shana? Yes, yes. We’ll go.”
Rayven sighed.
“I can’t tell whether you’re overprotective or neglectful.”
“If it were Anais, she wouldn’t have allowed Lady Shana to approach from the beginning.”
“Ah, as expected.”
When did Father get here?
Ignoring the conversation behind me, I approached the girl while being carried by Maria.
The girl was on her knees with her hands bound behind her back by Ella.
Up close, she looked even thinner.
Ella, who was holding her from behind, almost looked like the villain.
Looking into the girl’s fierce, venomous eyes, tears suddenly welled up in mine.
“L-Lady Shana?! You’re crying?”
“What?”
“What did you say?”
Two shocked voices rang out simultaneously from behind me.
Rayven, why are you surprised too…?
“Lady Shana, what’s wrong? Are you afraid of blood after all? I’m sorry. I’ll get rid of her immediately—”
“No!”
“Pardon?”
“You can’t hurt her! She’s my little sister!”
“……Little sister……?”
Ella, Maria, Bailey, and Rayven all turned toward Father.
Father let out a dry laugh.
“Shana, your mother and I have never given you a younger sister.”
“I picked her up!”
“Can one acquire a younger sister by picking one up?”
“Don’t hurt her. I’ll be nice to her….”
I struggled wildly in Maria’s arms.
Now that I think about it, Maria is incredibly strong.
I’m kicking and squirming with all my might, yet she isn’t moving at all.
I need a new strategy.
“Put me down, Maria. Hmm?”
“Acting cute won’t work.”
“……If you don’t, I’ll hate you….”
“Ah. That’s a problem.”
Maria pretended to think for a moment before gently setting me down.
Then, in a tone that sounded like she was reading from a book, she said,
“Oh no! Lady Shana is just too strong! I accidentally let her escape!”
“You’re ridiculous, Maria.”
Before I knew it, Bailey had swooped in and picked me up again.
Well, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Shana, give me your hand.”
“Ah, Mom….”
The boss had arrived.
I obediently held out my hand.
The finger the puppy had bitten had a wound that was honestly too large to call small, though thankfully the bleeding had stopped.
Mother’s expression looked very ominous.
If only I could heal myself, I could have pretended nothing happened….
What a shame.
Even then, my eyes kept drifting toward the kneeling girl.
Though her wounds had been healed, she clearly hadn’t recovered her strength. Her complexion was pale, and her breathing was still rough.
Should I have used more healing clay?
“…Shana really doesn’t hurt….”
“There was blood pouring out, and it doesn’t hurt? Our Shana is tough, isn’t she?”
“Not hurt! Shana strong!”
It seemed Mother wasn’t as angry as I’d expected.
“The puppy was just scared. That’s all….”
“So Shana wants to raise a puppy?”
“Y-Yes! Will you let me?”
“Well, Mother….”
Mother lifted her lowered gaze.
Her long eyelashes rose, revealing cold green eyes.
Gulp.
“A dog… a puppy… that injured my daughter. I don’t see why I should forgive it.”
“…M-Mom, scary….”
I’m pretty sure she replaced a swear word with “dog.”
“I came because it was strangely noisy, and found Shana injured.”
Ella, Maria, and Bailey all flinched.
“I felt reassured because Kyle was with her, but I don’t understand why he was only watching.”
Father’s face turned pale.
“His Highness is present….”
“I tried to stop her.”
“If you can’t even handle one Shana, how do you intend to become a great ruler?”
“Your daughter isn’t exactly easy to handle….”
Rayven clicked his tongue.
Is he really only eight years old?
“Shana, what scares Mother most is seeing Shana get hurt.”
“…Uu….”
“I’m sorry, but we can’t keep that puppy. What if she suddenly turns violent and bites you again?”
“N-No she won’t….”
“Really? Can you guarantee that? You’ve only just met her.”
“But….”
“You may have seen a beastkin for the first time today, Shana, but beastkin can transform into animals. Unlike humans, they’re stronger and more violent. Without a slave collar, they can’t be tamed.”
“But she’s hurt! She’s suffering….”
“She looks perfectly fine to Mother.”
Well, that’s because I healed her….
But saying that would only pour fuel on Mother’s anger.
Mother looked more firm and strict than I had ever seen her.
It was proof of how much she cherished me.
At the same time, it made me even more anxious.
The black-haired, black-eyed girl reminded me so much of Mina.
When I imagined Mina abandoned somewhere, thin and starving like this girl, it felt like my heart was being torn apart.
Even if I couldn’t keep her forever, I wanted her to at least have a proper meal.
“U-Uu….”
“Shana?!”
What is a baby’s greatest weapon?
“Waaah! Waaaahhh!”
Tears.
Trying to force them out made my crying sound awkward.
Tears. I need tears.
Covering my face with my hands, I desperately searched for the saddest thoughts I could find.
Though, my hands are still way smaller than my face….
Ah, right. Sad thoughts.
I wonder if Mina is doing okay.
My sudden death must have been hard on her.
After our father passed away, Mina and I had been each other’s only family for four years.
We had always been close, but those last four years were especially precious.
“Unni, please don’t push yourself too hard.”
I didn’t push myself.
Even when I did, it wasn’t hard.
I miss you.
I had only intended to pretend to cry, but the moment I thought of Mina, real tears burst forth.
Mother, who had been watching me with a sigh, immediately turned pale.
“Shana…! A child who always pretended to cry but never actually cried!”
So she’d known all along….
“Hic… sob… Don’t send her away….”
“Shana, please don’t cry. H-Hey, what can Mommy do for you?”
“She… my… little sister… hic.”
“Little sister? D-Do you want us to give birth to a little sister?”
No, that’s not what I mean.
“I… I wanna stay with her…. Waaaah!”
“O-Okay. Okay! Fine! Just please stop crying. At this rate you’ll collapse….”
Tears are the best.
I wanted to stop crying immediately, as if nothing had happened.
But because I had been thinking about Mina, the tears wouldn’t stop no matter how much I blinked.
Now that Mother had given permission, there was nothing standing in my way.
I slipped out of Bailey’s arms and walked toward the girl on my own.
As I approached, Ella restrained the girl even more forcefully.
“Let her go, Ella!”
“But Lady Shana….”
“It’s okay!”
“……”
“I said it’s okay.”
Reluctantly, Ella released the girl.
Before the girl could run away, I threw myself at her.
She could have simply let me fall and escaped.
Instead, she caught me in her arms.
See?
She’s kind.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to be scared anymore….”
I wanted to pat her back, but my arms were too short to reach.
My hands barely reached her side, fluttering uselessly.
The girl spoke in a trembling voice.
“Why are you being nice to me…?”
“Because you’re cute.”
“What… is that supposed to mean…?”
Isn’t that the most important thing?
Cute things deserve protection.
So…
when you’re a puppy again,
would you let me hug you just once?
And maybe give your nose one little kiss?
Protect the puppy at all costs.
