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Chapter 2
Crossing the Rainbow Bridge
I pressed down on the fluffy clouds with my tiny paws.
Right after I struggled so hard that all my claws felt swollen from crossing the Rainbow Bridge—
My fluffy puppy body and my soul separated.
“Even if I can’t make you your sister’s daughter, I’ll at least make you her younger sibling.”
I simply blinked once.
And just like that, my soul slipped neatly into the body of a child.
“Wow! This is super amazing!”
I waved the hands that had replaced my white tail.
As I did, information about this body seeped into my mind.
A freshly made body, hot off the press from the Dog God.
And maybe thanks to the God’s blessing?
To humans, it was set up so that they would recognize me as a child who “lived with her family in a rural village until age five, then was adopted into her older sister’s noble house.”
“My name is Coco, just like before. I’m five years old!”
Plump hands like perfectly steamed sweet potato buns.
Short limbs like stubby little turnips.
Round, white feet!
Silver hair and purple eyes—what a cool-looking kid!
“I’m really my sister’s little sister now!”
I sprang up from the bed where I’d been lying quietly.
“I gotta hurry and go see her!”
But the moment I stood up…
My arms and legs flailed—
Thud! Crash!
My tiny body fell straight to the floor.
“Ugh…”
I had encountered my first obstacle.
“Using a human body… I’m not used to it.”
Walking on two legs after walking on four was incredibly hard.
It felt like my body had turned into a huge log!
But me, Coco—
I will absolutely succeed in taking this incredible first step.
Because I have to go see my sister.
“I came to save her, so this much is nothing…!”
With great determination, I lifted one leg with a strained little grunt.
And somehow, I managed to stand—awkwardly—on two feet.
“Success!”
I had crushed the first danger in style!
Just as I was looking proud of myself, the door opened and a maid with brown hair stepped in.
“Miss, I heard a noise and came in. Are you alright?”
“Ah… Yes! I’m otay!”
“In that case, shall we prepare to pack your things? You’ll be leaving the estate soon…”
Leaving?
That means—
“Coco, walkies!”
“Yeah! I love walkies!”
I nodded vigorously, remembering my sister’s voice.
The maid gave me a pitiful look.
“Not a walk… You’ll be leaving the family.”
“Eh…?”
In her hand was a sheet of paper.
[Request for Eviction and Dissolution of Adoption]
“Um… what kind of ‘dissolution’ is that…?”
“It means… you may have to leave this estate soon.”
My round mouth opened as wide as a dry chestnut sweet potato.
Five minutes after celebrating becoming my sister’s sibling—
I was about to be kicked out.
* * *
Not long ago, a divine oracle descended upon the House of Ardos.
In short:
“Adopt a child blessed by God. Through this child’s special ability, your house shall prosper.”
The family quickly found a child who met the conditions.
A commoner girl.
Living in a southern seaside village.
Five years old.
And most importantly—when touched with a holy relic, she manifested a stigmata!
That child was me, Coco!
But…
“When a holy relic is placed against the so-called ‘Blessed Child,’ a stigmata appears. When we tested you, the mark clearly manifested as proof of God’s blessing, so we brought you here and registered you into the family…”
“B-But?!”
“A month ago… the stigmata suddenly disappeared. It’s unprecedented. Many priests came to investigate. Don’t you remember?”
“Umm…”
…Dog God, what kind of setup is this?!
This is a thorny path!
The maid looked deeply sympathetic.
I didn’t understand everything, but I answered bravely.
“But maybe if you test me again now, it’ll be different? It could show up again!”
She only shook her head.
“The Duke of Ardos has departed for the northern campaign. Even if we request a re-examination, it will be difficult to carry out immediately.”
“Th-Then I have to leave now…?”
“Not immediately. Since the mark appeared once and the case is unusual… the dissolution is on hold for now.”
“….”
“The Duke will confirm your ability after he returns. Then priests will check again for the stigmata. If you’re not truly the Blessed Child, the adoption will be revoked.”
At least I wouldn’t be thrown out right away.
Still… I felt a little gloomy.
It meant I might not become my sister’s real sibling.
‘But it’s okay! There are always trials on the road to saving your sister.’
I returned to the human world to make my sister happy.
That’s all that matters.
“And lastly… your intelligence will shine and rise whenever it concerns your sister.”
If there’s nothing I can do about the adoption right now—
Then I’ll meet my sister first!
“How can I meet Chloe Ardos?”
“C-Chloe, my lady? You wish to meet a direct bloodline member?”
“Yes!”
“It’s difficult under normal circumstances. Especially Lady Chloe. Even if your adoption stands, meeting her would be extremely hard.”
Boom.
It felt like a rock dropped onto my head.
Then the maid muttered,
“Ah! There is one exception.”
“Gasp!”
“If you perform a great service, it’s possible. One of our attendants once met the direct family after earning merit.”
The moment I heard “great service,” confidence flooded me.
I puffed out my plump belly proudly.
“That’s easy!”
“Pardon…?”
“It’s my specialty!”
I craned my neck, scanning the surroundings.
‘If I’m going to earn merit…’
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a place for it.
‘Then I’ll just walk somewhere I can!’
I took a grand but wobbly step.
I’ll meet my sister no matter what!
“Miss, where are you going?”
“Huh?”
“It’s time to sleep. Co-o.”
…Swoop.
My round, squishy body was lifted helplessly.
And just like that, I was forcibly tucked back into bed.
* * *
How to Earn Merit — Step One:
Move alone!
But the maid was always beside me.
So I pretended to nap, purring softly.
Luckily, this body supposedly slept 20 hours a day.
The maid was easily fooled.
Step Two:
Sneak out of the annex at dusk.
‘Dogs are super good at sneaking!’
My sister used to praise me—
“Our Coco is world champion at secretly causing trouble.”
And it was easy.
Sadly, I’d already been labeled “fake,” so hardly anyone guarded me.
‘Even if my tiny round feet can’t go far in ten minutes…’
Still, I found something.
“Found it!”
I stared at a fancy barn.
‘From my walks with Sister, this lawn in front of the barn is the best place to earn merit!’
I clumsily opened the barn door.
Feed troughs full of hay.
And far in the distance—
What I was looking for!
Just as I was grinning excitedly, voices drifted through the slightly open door.
“Thunder is dying. If Lord Luce finds out, he’ll be furious.”
It was Dot, the veterinarian I’d seen before I died.
“Lady Chloe… you must let him go now. If you keep holding on, Coco will suffer too…”
I shook my head hard, trying to forget that voice like a hallucination.
Another vet spoke.
“Thunder has no strength. He barely eats.”
Through the crack, I saw a horse.
Majestic black mane.
‘So that’s Thunder?’
But he looked weak.
Even with delicious carrots in front of him, there was no light in his eyes.
“If we try to approach, he kicks servants. Several have broken ribs.”
That’s why everyone stood far away.
“We can’t even bind him. Lord Luce dotes on Thunder too much.”
Luce Ardos.
My sister’s older brother.
Apparently very prickly and shoots wind from his hands.
‘Just like Sister loved me… Luce must love Thunder.’
Being sick is really painful.
Poor thing…
But I had no time for sympathy.
Earning merit to meet my sister was more important.
I hid in a blind spot outside the barn and waited until the vets left.
* * *
Finally alone in the barn.
I carefully tiptoed to the corner.
And then—
“Ball!”
I found the old ball my sister and I used to play with.
It had been a year!
Guess the servants don’t clean well.
Anyway, great for me!
“Hehe!”
Next to Thunder, who lay still as a dead mouse,
I very carefully stood the ball upright.
“D-Did it work?”
Ten minutes later—
The rolling ball stopped.
“I finally stood the ball up!”
I bounced happily.
“Now I can meet my sister!”
Right then—
Thunder yawned widely.
Then muttered as if looking at an idiot,
“You’re really stupid. That’s not what ‘earning merit’ means.”
“Huh? Then what does it mean?”
As I asked, the ball rolled away again.
‘Failed again!’
I slumped and picked it up.
But Thunder suddenly rose to his feet.
“W-W-W-Wait… Did you just answer me?”
