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Chapter 4
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ONE day, when the moon hung high in the sky, Theo infiltrated the maid’s quarters and tapped on her window.

“I came here secretly because I wanted to see you.”

“Theo!”

“I’ll come more often from now on. Just hold on a little longer until I gather my strength. I’m sorry…”

“No, It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not right for an Emperor to be weak and powerless like this. I will declare you as my Empress.”

“…But will they listen?”

“I’ll try to persuade them. I can feel that I’m gaining more strength from you. I’ll work even harder for you.”

With Theo’s face in front of her, she could forget all the hardships of the day. Everyday, she endured with the hope of someday being together with Theo.

However one day, while summoning a small sun in the laundry room to dry the laundry, she was caught by someone. It was Aquinas, a black mage who had become an ally of Duke Biolark and attained the position of the imperial mage. Aquinas recognized Pudding, who possessed the power of the sun, and sneaked into her room.

His green eyes gleamed, and he spoke with a sinister tone.

“Why is the Child of the Sun here? You must not be allowed to live.”

“The Child of the Sun? What is that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t need to know. Just be grateful that I will make good use of your Heart of Sunstone. Die!”

Whoosh!

A red summoning circle appeared as Aquinas unleashed his black magic. Black iron chains, tighter than ever, coiled around Pudding’s body.

“Gah! I-I don’t even know what you’re talking about! S-Save me! Theo! Theo… Urgh!”

“Shh. How dare you utter the name of His Majesty the Emperor. All you can do is die quietly.”

Aquinas’ eerie green eyes stared at her. Then, he twisted what he held in his hand, an object that reflected the heart of Pudding, with an evil smile. Unspeakable agony surged through her as he squeezed the heart. She reached out her hand, calling Theo’s name, but no matter how much she called, he did not come.

“Ack… Theo!”

“Foolish girl. Even if you manage to survive, you will be nothing by the Emperor’s side. Perhaps you had a foolish dream of becoming his Empress?”

“Ugh…!”

Aquinas’ black spear, summoned by his black magic, sliced through Pudding’s body.

By the time she heard Aquinas’ vile laughter, which sounded brighter than the sun itself, Pudding had already taken her last breath.

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“WOOF, woof? (So, that’s how I died?)”

The moment when Aquinas’ wicked hand and black magic constricted her heart replayed vividly in her mind.

Shiver.

The little Pudding raised her head and made up her mind, tapping the floor with her front paws. A whimper of anger resounded from the adorable small dog’s mouth.

“Arf, woof… woof, woof! (I can’t die so unjustly in this life!)”

Suddenly, she heard something. Reacting to the sound, her small triangular ear peeked out from her brown fur, and she made a decision.

“Pudding, Pudding! Where did you go?”

It was Theo’s affectionate voice. Pudding wanted to rush to him immediately, but hesitated for a moment.

‘I can’t stay by Theo’s side like this. If I continue like this, that damn mage will kill me and take my heart.’

However, she couldn’t hide her instincts. A dog’s nature was to respond to its owner’s call. Her small and fluffy tail wagged enthusiastically.

‘No, I can’t. I have to endure it.’

Pudding frowned slightly and remained still in her place, pretending not to notice even when Theo approached.

“Pudding, I called you. Didn’t you hear me? What are you doing instead of coming to me?”

Seeing Theo’s radiant and gentle face, he looked like a prince who came out of a book. When Pudding turned her small body and sat down, Theo reached out and lifted her up in his arms. Then, he gently rubbed his cheek and nose against her soft and smooth fur. Pudding pushed Theo’s cheek with her paw.

“Arf. (Go away.)”

“Pudding, why? Are you mad?”

“Arf!(Leave me alone!)”

When Pudding showed a sharp response, Theo let her go and gently stroked her head as if he was disappointed. Pudding wanted to wag her tail in response to his warm touch, but she barely resisted the temptation.

Thinking that Pudding was sulking, Theo brought her a toy, but she pretended not to react.

‘No, I can’t. From now on, I have to distance myself from Theo. That’s the right thing to do if I want to survive.’

Pudding turned away from Theo and covered her face with her front paws, avoiding him forcefully. It pained her to have to turn him away.

‘What if I run away forever so I never have to see him again?’

Although she hadn’t fully regained all her memories from her past life, since she had learned the reason for her death, she couldn’t just let it go and accept her fate.

‘Yes, I have to find a way to survive. I have to find a new owner. If I keep getting lost in sweet dreams like this, I might attract the attention of the mage.’

Aquinas, the mage. He was Duke Biolark’s ally, Theo’s uncle. But it seemed like there was more to it.

‘There seems to be some hidden truth. Why did that person target my heart? What was he planning to do with it?’

In the past, Pudding didn’t know much about the Heart of the Sunstone. She only knew that she felt good when she received sunlight and that she could occasionally summon a small, round sphere. It seemed to be because she possessed the Heart of the Sunstone.

The round sphere she summoned was like a small sun, emitting a warm and bright light that could be used as a torch in the dark. It was useful even in cold winters. Theo and Daisy liked it too.

Sometimes, when Theo got hurt while playing outside and came home, she used the light of the sun to heal his wounds. Theo and Daisy were amazed because healing magic was something that only the priests in big towns could perform. However, it only worked on minor wounds or mild illnesses due to her limited power.

When she reached adolescence, a clear imprint of a sun pattern appeared on the back of her hand, and since then, she could summon the small sun more freely and her healing power became stronger. There were also times when flowers and grass grew larger when she caressed them with sunlight.

Since then, there had been a few occasions when her heart, which responded to sunlight, throbbed intensely, but Pudding found it bothersome and ignored it.

Perhaps she didn’t fully realize her own power. Apart from summoning the small sun, Pudding had rarely used the power of the sun. No one had ever taught her about her power.

But in this current life, it seemed important for her to properly understand her abilities. It was a power so significant that it cost her life, so it was undoubtedly a useful and valuable ability. In order to protect herself, she needed to become smart and strong.

On the day when she was dying, unaware of anything, she clearly felt the pain.

And another important fact was that she wasn’t just an ordinary puppy. Theo’s current age was eight, and in seven years, when he turned fifteen, Duke Biolark would succeed in his rebellion and come to the cabin.

There was still plenty of time until then, but it was always difficult to part ways the longer she grew attached. The current Theo only knew her as a cute little puppy. Furthermore, it would be about two years before Pudding successfully transformed into a human. By then, she knew that Theo would never let her go.

So it was right to run away before succeeding in becoming human. That way, Theo could live without ever knowing her true human form. That left about two years of time for her.

“Woof, woof, woof! (Alright. Let’s run away from Theo before that happens!)”

However, this life was different from the past. She needed to be make plans. Pudding shook her fur and pondered, deciding to think deeply about finding a way to survive. But today, it seemed like she had used her brain too much all at once.

“Woof. (I’m hungry.)”

She tilted her head and looked down at her body, noticing that her belly was skinny and it was growling.