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Chapter 3
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EVER since that day, whenever Pudding took a nap under the sunlight, she would continue to have dreams. The dreams were fragmented, but Pudding vaguely sensed that they were all connected to reality.

Dreams of swimming and playing in the water with Theo, or falling off the bed while sleeping together and causing him to cry—it would manifest in reality just like her dreams.

However, it wasn’t only happy dreams that Pudding had. She also had very scary and sad dreams. On the day she had such a dream, Pudding felt pain in her heart and couldn’t eat all day.

One day, as the sunlight lingered around her, Pudding realized everything. The dreams were about her past life and that the events she saw in the dream would actually happen in the future. Moreover, this current life was her second life, and she wasn’t just an ordinary dog but a weredog.

‘Yes, I was a human.’

And the reason for all of this was because she possessed the Heart of the Sunstone, which contained the energy of the sun. She attempted to touch her small heart with her front paw, but her short legs hindered her efforts, and she gave up. However, she could clearly feel the powerful and warm energy of the sun.

Thump, thump.

With the Heart of the Sunstone, she was blessed with the sun’s protection. It was also the reason why she would feel drowsy when exposed to sunlight. However, the reason she couldn’ be with Theo was also because of this Heart of the Sunstone.

“Woof…. (Terrible….)”

Remembering the agonizing moment as if her heart was being ripped out, she trembled all over. Even her fluffy tail shrank into her hindlegs. She didn’t want to go through that again.

“Woof, woof. (I don’t want to die).”

In her past life, Pudding had lived happily with Theo and Daisy in the cabin for a long time. Naturally, they had become the closest of friends to each other.

Though Pudding’s growth was slow, she realized that her heart responded to the sun’s energy when exposed to sunlight, making the process of transformation into a human much smoother.

When she had become a human, she was still referred to as Pudding by Theo, but it didn’t matter what name he called her.

“Pudding, you mean everything to me.”

Whenever Theo hugged her, his ocean eyes would gaze at her fondly, and her heart would feel warm and fluttery. Though she occasionally noticed Daisy’s worried gaze, she didn’t pay much attention to it. As long as she was with Theo, there were only happy and sweet moments.

“Let’s live together here for a long, long time. Daisy can hurry up and get married and… you can marry me too.”

“What are you talking about? Why would I marry you?”

“Well, then who were you planning to marry?”

“…I, I’m a weredog.”

“I don’t care if you’re a dog or a cat.”

“Well, friends don’t usually do that.”

At the time, they laughed it off as a joke, but her heart kept pounding without rest. She couldn’t forget Theo burying his head in her brown hair and mumbling, ‘I like you’ or the scent of grass wafting through the air around them.

He was her owner, her childhood friend, and perhaps her first love. Theo was such a presence in her life. The cabin in the woods, the farm they started together with their animal friends; everything was heading toward a rosy future. But that happiness doesn’t last forever.

The Duke of Biolark, Theo’s uncle, came to the cabin in the forest and revealed the whole truth.

“Your Highness, now you will ascend to the throne as the Crown Prince. You must go to the palace!”

To Theo, who believed himself to be an ordinary boy, the secret about his birth shocked him. Since he had a splendid blonde hair and an extraordinary beauty, he had suspected that he was of noble birth, but he never dreamed that he would actually be a prince.

Pudding moved her clear eyes and listened to what the Duke of Biolark was saying, while snuggling on Theo’s arms.

It seemed like a lie, but it was true. Daisy, who had always been so comfortable and friendly with him, immediately kneeled before Theo. Due to the sudden change of circumstances, even though Pudding sat on Theo’s lap, he somehow felt foreign.

It felt like Theo was going to leave for a place so far away that she wouldn’t be able to reach. He seemed as distant as a romantic prince from a fairy tale, rather than someone living with her. At the same time, a scary and fearful thought crossed Pudding’s mind. She wondered if she was going to be abandoned again…

‘If Theo leaves, will I be abandoned again? What will happen to me…?’

Unknowingly, tears welled up in her black eyes.

To summarize Duke Biolark’s long and detailed story, it went something like this:

Theo’s real name is Theodore Khan Ardion. He was the third prince of the Cantium Empire. Externally, he was known as a deceased child of the imperial family.

The Empress conspired to eliminate the second and third princes, who were born from different consorts, in order to solidify the position of her son, the first prince, with the throne in mind. She tried to poison and send assassins to the young princes.

However, with the help of Duke Biolark, the older brother of his birth mother, Theo managed to escape from the palace at the age of three and found refuge in a secluded cabin deep in the forest, embraced by Daisy, who was a maid of his mother.

Daisy raised Theo like a younger brother, hiding about his imperial bloodline. She intended to tell him the truth once the Duke of Biolark had completed all the preparations. Hence, when Theo turned fifteen, the Duke of Biolark finally succeeded in his rebellion and came to the cabin in the forest to bring Theo to ascend to the throne.

Faced with the sudden change, Theo refused to go to the imperial palace, feeling confused. It was natural since he had lived his whole life in a small cabin in the forest, with nothing but a free and happy daily life.

“…I don’t want to go. Why should I go? I’ve never wanted such a position…!”

However, Theo had no choice. The Duke of Biolark said, “Your Highness is the only remaining bloodline of the imperial family. You must go. It is for the sake of your late mother. The fate of countless people and the destiny of the empire depend on you, Your Highness.”

“…But I like it here.”

“Are you going to abandon the empire with such childish thoughts?”

“…Besides, I don’t know anything. I’ve never even thought about living in the palace.”

“I will teach you everything step by step. I have prepared the best environment and the best teachers for you, Your Highness.”

For several days, the Duke of Biolark persistently persuaded and helped Theo tp understand, using his innocence and lack of knowledge against him. Eventually, Theo had no choice but to accept his own destiny. With a change of heart, Theo cautiously spoke to his uncle, “Then I have one request.”

“Whatever it is, please tell me.”

“Please allow me to take the child, Pudding, with me to the palace.”

“…Is the child precious to the Crown Prince?”

“Yes, above all else.”

Duke Biolark’s face momentarily stiffened at Theo’s innocent response, but he readily accepted.

‘A commoner? We can use her as a playmate for the Crown Prince.’

“Very well. If the child is precious to the Crown Prince, then she can be kept by your side. A dog like Pudding must have some adorable qualities, even though I’ve never seen one before.”

With Duke Biolark’s permission, Theo joyfully suggested to Pudding that they go to the palace together.

“Uncle said it’s okay for you to come to the palace! Pudding, will you come with me? We’ll be living in a castle that is bigger and more splendid than this cabin.”

Although Pudding wasn’t inclined, she had the thought of going wherever Theo was, so she followed him towards the palace. However, the moment she set foot in the palace, she embarked on a path from which she could never return.

Theo ascended to the position of Crown Prince and soon became the Emperor of Cantium. But even as the Emperor, he had no freedom to do as he pleased. As the Duke of Biolark became the regent, he interfered in every minor action of Theo’s, and his precious friend Pudding was sent to another palace to prevented her from meeting him, while working as a lowly maid.

Still, Pudding did not give up hope. She had expectations and a glimmer of hope that someday, when Theo gained power, he would come to meet her. Even though she endured mistreatment from maids of noble families, she managed to persevere.