Chapter 19

“It’s strange; why did you transform?” I muttered while placing the puppy on the dining table.

The fluffy white bundle tilted its head to the right when I tilted my head to the right, and the same when I tilted it to the left. Though he surely understood my words, why did he perform such adorable actions?

I struggled with the impulse to hug Prince tightly while screaming with joy. However, I decided to refrain from doing so, as it seemed likely that he would turn into a human before dinner.

“You mentioned not knowing how to transform, right?”

“Woof!”

“But I have a rough idea.”

“Woof?”

I rested my chin on the table and lightly tapped his black nose. The prince narrowed his eyes and backed away, then dashed towards me with a pitter-patter sound upon seeing me smiling. He looked at me with eyes that revealed his unfathomable thoughts.

When the prince was a puppy, his pupils were pitch black and round. However, under the light, you could see a hint of purple mixed in.

This small creature, which exuded such a mystical, whimsical feeling, captivated me.

As I stared blankly at Prince, he flopped onto the dining table, exhaling heavily.

“It’s not certain, but it seems like you transform when your emotions intensify.”

“….”

“Just like when I hugged you earlier, and you became flushed. But it’s strange. The book about the founding king mentioned being able to transform easily. Not a puppy like you.”

“Woof! Woof!”

What does he want to say? The prince barked as if he were objecting. I gently flipped over his paw, covered in dust. His jelly-like, fluffy paw pads twitched.

“No, I wonder if the founding king also looked like this when he was young.”

When I worked at the Raost Marquisate, there was a time when I read a book about the upbringing of the founding king. Regrettably, due to my regression, it had become a vague memory.

Anyway, the book included illustrations, and the depiction of him as a child was undoubtedly that of a ferocious wolf cub, despite being small in size.

“But when you transform into a much larger form… Ah, I don’t know. Should I prepare dinner?”

Could it be because only half of his blood was flowing through his veins?

I pushed aside my curiosity and placed Prince back on the floor. He trotted to the kitchen faster than me.

“Are you hungry, by any chance? Tonight’s dinner is lamb ribs.”

A savory aroma wafted from the dinner left in the shade. Whether he caught the scent or simply wanted to see it, he pounced on my leg with his front paws.

But was it alright to give human food to a puppy? Especially food that’s heavily seasoned?

“Ah, I understand. Just wait a moment, please.”

“Woof!”

The prince didn’t leave me time to ponder. He used to be so shy when he was human, but now that he’s a puppy, he seems to exude confidence. I couldn’t resist his constant insistence, so I quickly grilled a rack of lamb ribs.

As the delicious smell spread through the kitchen, the prince started whimpering and crying. I didn’t know he was such a demanding puppy.

“It’s hot, so you need to let it cool down before eating. Be careful with the bones.”

“Woof, woof. Woof…”

After transferring one lamb rib to a plate, I sat down on the floor. The excited prince circled around me and quickly bit into the rib. Watching him in a way I had never seen before, I was slightly taken aback and confused.

He swiftly ran off, carrying the bone, and disappeared into a corner. It was as if he had transformed into a real dog.

He growled and started tearing into the meat, just like a true canine. Observing this, I wondered if he had no intention of turning back into a human today. I chuckled to myself and grilled another lamb rib.

Then, I took out a pan and reheated some already cooked potatoes, sprinkling butter and spices from a basket.

“I’m back.”

“Oh, you’re here, Sir Janiche. Dinner is ready.”

Just as I finished tossing the salad in the sauce, Sir Janiche appeared in the kitchen. He nodded when he heard my words, looking around.

Soon, he noticed the prince, who was busy devouring the remaining bone, and couldn’t control his laughter as he asked, “Why is the prince behaving like that?”

“I don’t know. You can’t ask him because he’s a dog now.”

As soon as the prince saw him, he dropped the bone carelessly and ran towards me. It was as if he had regained his senses, and before, he was fully immersed in his instincts as a puppy.

However, he showed no signs of returning to being a human despite waiting for dinner. I lifted the prince, who was sitting on the floor, and placed him on my lap.

“What should we do if he doesn’t turn back into a human…”

“If that happens, we will take responsibility and take care of him.”

“Will we? I already borrowed picture books to teach him how to read.”

“Even as a puppy, he might be able to read picture books.”

In the end, we decided to have dinner without the prince. Due to his small stature, he seemed satisfied with the lamb rib he had eaten earlier and yawned, readjusting his position.

I gently stroked the prince’s head and picked up my utensils.

While Sir Janiche and I were having dinner, the prince remained curled up on my lap, fast asleep.

“Your Highness, please wake up.”

Perhaps he was tired from today’s treasure hunt. Even after the meal was finished, the prince was still sound asleep. Sir Janiche even secretly stroked his fur without him realizing it.

I tried to wake him up by gently shaking him, but he opened his eyes for a brief moment and gave me a mischievous smile before falling back asleep.

“I guess I have no choice. I’ll have to sleep with the prince again tonight.”

“You did the same yesterday as well, didn’t you?”

“Yes. There was nowhere else for him to sleep. He said he wouldn’t use the top floor anymore.”

“Daphne, after this winter, the prince will come of age.”

“Well… that’s true. Or perhaps you, Janiche, can take the prince with you?”

That part had been bothering me as well. Although he was said to transform into a puppy, the prince’s original form was that of a young man. He had the speech and intelligence of a young child, making it difficult to remember that.

He suddenly brightened up and asked, “Should we do that? Are you sure the prince won’t dislike it?”

“He might not like it, but he’s deeply asleep right now.”

I tried to hand the prince over to him.

At that moment, the prince opened his eyes wide and started barking fiercely, making a sound that seemed impossible for his small size.

“Growl… Woof! Woof!”

“Ahh! Why are you doing this, Your Highness?”

As the prince barked, I thought he might transform into a monstrous beast right before my eyes.

In fact, hazy smoke seemed to be emanating from my hand where I held him. If he were to transform into a giant animal in the dining room, it would ruin everything.

The thought was terrifying. I quickly covered his eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck. Suddenly, the sleepy puppy kicked and struggled.

The smoky haze that had surrounded him disappeared in an instant.

“Sir Janiche… Did you do something to upset the prince?”

“No… I didn’t…”

He murmured sadly and left the dining room. I had made the decision that the prince and him should not be together. And my decision turned out to be correct.

We then stepped into the quiet hallway, and the prince immediately stuck out his pink tongue before proceeding to lick my cheek.

“Your Highness, did you do this just to sleep with me?”

“Woof!”

I shrugged my shoulders, took the prince’s body, and headed towards my room. Holding the puppy in my arms, I could feel a warm energy enveloping my body.

Come to think of it, I’m feeling a bit tired too. That evening, before the round moon had even risen, I fell into slumber with the prince in my arms.

* * *

Later, I woke up from a deep sleep, feeling as if I couldn’t breathe. Strangely enough, the prince, who used to appear in my dreams endlessly, no longer appeared in my dreams after I encountered him in reality.

“….”

If I lowered my eyes slightly, I could see a bundle of white fur. It was warm, soft, and ticklish. And the bundle of fur was lying on my neck, forming a crescent shape.

Although my bed was not particularly wide, there was enough space for this small body to lie down.

“Wow, Your Highness. Why sleep on my neck of all places?”

I lightly poked the prince’s side, and he confidently wagged his tail and looked at me.

“I see. You’re seeking revenge from yesterday? That’s mean.”

I wanted to give him a thousand kisses, but I held back. I pushed the prince, who refused to get off my neck, and sat up. He lay down on the bed, pretending as if nothing had happened.

“Try to turn back to a human now, and I’ll sit on your neck.”

“…Woof!”

“Just kidding.”

Still, I’m grateful that he can be so energetic in the morning. Just the fact that the number of people in this castle has increased by one makes such a difference in my daily life.

I smiled at the prince and combed my tangled hair. By the way, has the prince not turned back into a human all night long? I hope nothing serious has happened.

Lost in various thoughts, I took off my pajamas, and the prince jumped into the covers, hiding his body. Seeing him like that, it seems that his human consciousness is definitely awake.

“It’s time to go outside. I wonder what kind of food the castle sent today.”

After changing into a maid’s uniform, I picked up the prince and asked him. Of course, he could only bark and couldn’t do anything else, so it was just my self-monologue.

While walking through the corridor, I constantly caressed the prince. He looked at me with a bewildered expression, but I didn’t care. When else would I have the chance to pet him until he’s satisfied?

“Ah, you’re so cute. Ah, you’re lovely.”

The more my hands touched him, the flatter the prince became. His fur was being pressed down more and more, and I didn’t even realize that we had arrived at the gate.
It wasn’t until the hot sun was about to set that the prince raised his head and looked around in confusion.

And then he froze when he saw a silver-haired girl holding a wooden basket.