It’s not like I can tell him, “The dog you abandoned is dead, and it’s still waiting at that house, so come take a look.”

[BARK! HEH HEH!]

At some point, Nana had finished eating. They planted their butt firmly on the ground and stared blankly at Camilla, tail wagging nonstop.

Like a kid who’s finished their meal and holds out the empty bowl, hoping Mom will praise them.

“......”

Camilla slowly stroked Nana’s head. Watching them close their eyes and enjoy her touch, a sigh slipped out of her before she could stop it.

“Do you still like people?”

After being abandoned by people and dying like this?

Watching them willingly follow a human hand even now, without a hint of resentment, made her chest ache.

This is why I hate it.

Young, gentle things.

They’re so stupid that once you see them, you can’t just leave them alone.

“I’ll come again.”

After one last pat on their head, Camilla turned back toward home.

*****

“King.”

[GYUU.]

“That one says they don’t like it.”

[GYUU?]

King tilted his head as if asking what she meant.

“They don’t want to come to our house.”

A week passed after that.

Whenever she had a spare moment, Camilla went to take care of Nana, and she tried to bring them home for good.

It would be far better than being alone there.

She even got King’s permission. At first, the creature growled and acted like it hated the idea, but in the end, it nodded with a displeased look.

But then...

Do you want to come to our house?

The moment she said it to Nana, they immediately slipped inside the house and hid.

[I tried telling them too, but they said they don’t want to. I guess they like it here.]

Laura, too, seemed to have already suggested Nana come with her. She shook her head with a disappointed expression.

Why would you like it here? There’s nobody.

[Some people who saw Nana before gave them food and felt sorry, so they tried to take them home. But every time, Nana ran away. And then when the people left, they said Nana would end up coming back to this spot again.]

“...They’re really an idiot.”

[GYUU?]

“Not you.”

As Camilla let out a sigh, King licked her hand as if to comfort her.

“Where is that dog? Want me to bring them?”

“......!”

A voice suddenly reached her ears.

“Could you at least make some noise before coming in?”

It was Duke Kais Escra. She didn’t even know when he’d arrived. He stood there with his arms crossed, staring down at Camilla like an idiot.

“If you come to my house, I’ll let you raise dozens of dogs.”

...Am I a child? Are you trying to bribe me with dogs right now?

Camilla stared at Duke Kais Escra with a baffled look for a moment, then stood up. She’d planned to feed Nana before going to the trading house.

“I’ll let you raise a hundred.”

No, thanks. Is he trying to turn a house into a kennel?

Ignoring him as he kept spouting nonsense to the very end, Camilla headed straight for the kitchen.

“Miss! That’s today’s dinner ingredients!”

“So?”

“...So you can enjoy something delicious.”

“I’m not the one eating it.”

“Are you making dog food again?”

“Yeah.”

Leaving Head Chef Gelard behind, silently shedding tears over yet another batch of top-grade fish being turned into dog food, Camilla packed a lunchbox and headed for where Nana was.

“Nana.”

[BARK!]

Nana was sitting alone in front of the house as always. The moment they saw her, they came running over and started bouncing around her in excitement.

“I brought something tasty again today.”

[HEH HEH!]

Seeing their tail wag even faster, Camilla smiled faintly and hurriedly laid out the food.

[.......]

But Nana didn’t pounce on the food right away like usual. Their gaze was fixed somewhere else.

Camilla followed that gaze and turned her head, and her expression stiffened slightly. A woman who looked to be in her mid-fifties was standing there.

[Nana.]

[BARK! BARK!]

At the woman’s quiet call, Nana bolted over without even looking back. Like they couldn’t contain themselves, they ran circles around her again and again.

They jumped up to lick her face, rubbing their face against her legs, pouring out their joy with their whole body.

[Yeah... I missed you so much too.]

Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she pulled Nana into her arms.

[You waited a long time, didn’t you?]

[HEH HEH!]

As if to say it was okay, as if to say thank you for coming back like this, Nana licked away her tears.

Only then did a smile touch the woman’s lips.

The woman’s body, holding Nana tight, began to grow faint. Nana’s body, too, started to blur along with hers.

“......”

Camilla just watched in silence as the woman and Nana disappeared like that.

Only after Nana vanished completely did a short sigh spill from Camilla’s lips.

“You could’ve at least eaten first.”

The containers of food were still sitting there on the ground. An inexplicable hollowness washed over her, and another long sigh slipped out.

So that was it. The reason Nana hadn’t left this place was because they’d been waiting for their owner. Even if that owner abandoned them and left, could they really be that happy?

Still... I guess they had a shred of conscience. If they came to find Nana even after dying.

“Why did you have to tell us to scatter her here, of all places?!”

“What can we do? It was her last wish.”

Just then, voices drifted over from somewhere.

When Camilla turned her head, a man and a woman were walking toward her, carrying something carefully.

That...

An urn. This world had cremation too.

People who couldn’t afford to donate to a temple, or who didn’t have space to make a grave, cremated the dead like that and scattered the ashes wherever they wanted.

“I think it’s because of that dog. Mother wanted to take it with her to the very end.”

“How am I supposed to take care of Mother and a # Nоvеlight # dog at the same time when she can barely move?”

“She missed it so much before she passed away...”

“Enough. Let’s just scatter it and go. If someone sees us scattering this in the yard, people might start saying—!”

The man holding the urn flinched. Only then did he notice Camilla standing off to one side of the yard.

“What is it?”

He shifted the urn slightly behind him as he spoke. Camilla gathered up the food containers from the ground.

“I saw a dog here before. I came back after a long time, but I don’t see it anymore.”

“Ah...”

Camilla didn’t say anything else and started walking.

She didn’t feel like blaming them at all. Everyone had their own circumstances. The only thing she felt was pity—for Nana and their owner.

Is it still a relief?

That the one Nana waited for so desperately wasn’t the child who abandoned them personally.

Camilla headed home, leaving that bitter feeling behind.

*****

BARK BARK! WOOF WOOF! WHIIIINE! ARF!

“Ugh... what is that noise?”

The next morning, Camilla jolted awake to unfamiliar racket outside. Still half-asleep, she stumbled out, and for a moment she wondered if she was still dreaming.

...What is this? What kind of mess is this?

WOOF WOOF! BARK BARK!

Dozens of dogs were tearing around the front garden in a frenzy.

“Daughter, you up?”

The moment her mouth fell open without thinking, that familiar voice reached her. It was Duke Kais Escra.

“How is it? My gift.”

“Gift?”

“You looked like you wanted to raise dogs. I went to a shop early this morning and brought them.”

“.......”

“Should I have brought more?”

“...You.”

“What?”

“Go return them. Right now!”

Chapter. Realization

“Welcome.”

As usual, the Duke of Sorpel was already seated in the dining room.

After greeting him lightly, Camilla’s gaze went straight to one person.

“What happened to the dogs?”

“That’s harsh. To treat the first gift your father ever gave you like that.”

“Are dogs objects? You’re giving them as a gift!”

Dozens of them, at that! When she fired off her glare without restraint, Duke Kais Escra finally raised both hands.

“I returned them. No refund.”

Looking displeased, as if he didn’t like returning them, Duke Kais Escra made a face. Only after glaring at him one more time did Camilla quietly sit down.

“Things were more normal in the old days.”

Ravi and the rest of the family also stared at him with incredulous expressions. Of course, Duke Kais Escra acted like he didn’t see any of it.

If anything, like he thought she didn’t understand his feelings, he clicked his tongue at Camilla again and again.

“Was there a puppy you wanted to raise? Then you should’ve told your father sooner.”

The Duke of Sorpel clicked his tongue lightly as well. If he’d known before this uproar happened, he would’ve handled it first. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“It had an owner.”

“If you want to raise it, I’ll meet the owner and negotiate.”

“It’s fine.”

Camilla shook her head softly.

“It’s already dead.”

“...Dead?”

“Yes.”

At Camilla’s calm answer, everyone’s movements froze.

Was that why? Her complexion looked especially bad when she came back in. Had she gone out and confirmed the dog’s death?

“What breed was it?”

“I’ll find one that looks exactly like it and bring it to you.”

“Should I bring those dogs back?”

Camilla hurriedly shook her head. She’d said it lightly, but the reactions were so enthusiastic that it made her flustered instead.

“I just thought the owner was in poor health and couldn’t take care of it, so I looked after it for a little while. I don’t like animals.”

[GYUUU?]

...Not you.

Camilla flinched at King staring at her, then snorted a small laugh and waved her hand.

“Anyway, take this.”

A little later, the Duke of Sorpel handed her an elegant envelope.

Camilla’s brow twitched the moment she saw it. The seal stamped on the front was far too familiar.

“It’s from the Imperial Family.”

“Consort Jabiela sent it.”

These damn royals—why are they taking turns acting like they can’t stand not seeing me?

Since when did you miss me that much.

One of the people Camilla had long filed under “obnoxious nobles” was Consort Jabiela.

To everyone else, she looked kinder and more virtuous than anyone. But the Consort Jabiela Camilla had watched for years was unbelievably obnoxious.