Chapter 3

“…A puppy?!”

“Bark!”

“A puppy.”

“Bark!”

The white bundle of fur occupying the space where the prince should’ve been was smaller than my forearm. It wagged its tail vigorously, creating ripples in the air as if it was painting with its tail.

What a sight! Why is it so endearing? Could this be the cursed prince hidden behind the rumors?! I lifted the puppy, which was now cautiously retreating and barking, into my arms.

“Let’s see, it seems the prince is not present here,” I murmured as if speaking to the puppy’s ears, intentionally directing my words for it to hear. With that, I took my first step into the room.

The prince’s bedroom, where I entered after fully opening the door, was as spacious as an entire floor could be. The place was adorned with plush cushions covered in layers of dust and was overflowing with toys that would delight children. The prince’s secluded room was more vibrant than I had anticipated. Due to the mere fact of being confined, I had naturally assumed this place to be inferior to even the darkest subterranean prison.

“In that case, there’s only one answer. Adorable puppy, are you truly none other than the prince?!”

“….”

“Up until a moment ago, you were barking so energetically, and now you’ve suddenly gone silent again. By the heavens, why are your paws so tiny?”

I examined its slightly damp and grimy soles. It was evident that these neglected surroundings had dirtied its feet, having trodden through this neglected place without proper care. By the way, what’s with this mildew-like smell? Given that there was only one small window on the room, barely allowing sunlight to stream in, it was almost void of any space that could be warmed by the sun’s rays.

For most people, enduring a month in such a place would likely result in severe depression. With every step, the dust swirled through the dim light that filtered through the air, creating an otherworldly haze.

“It may not be worse than a prison, but it’s certainly not better either.”

“….”

“But when will you return to your human form?”

“….”

“Perhaps you aren’t the prince after all. But is your gender a male…?”

“Bark! Bark!” I raised the trembling puppy in my arms with both hands. As I attempted to check beneath its soft, pale pink belly, the puppy fiercely resisted, barking at me. But by then, I had already quickly verified its gender. This puppy was undoubtedly one hundred percent male.

It was unlike a grotesque beast described in the novel, now that I see it in person, it was nothing more than an innocent animal companion. I had harbored a suspicion that the gap between the creature depicted in the novel and the reality might be substantial. As expected, this puppy must be the prince.

“While you’re undeniably cute and endearing, since we can’t communicate, would you please transform back into a human?” I inquired the puppy, who appeared lost with an inquisitive tilt of my head.

Surely it wouldn’t be as straightforward as in fairy tales, where a kiss would break the curse and release the transformation, right?

Even if such a condition were applicable, the subject would likely be a princess from some kingdom, not a mere maid like me. I affectionately ruffled the puppy’s soft head and then belatedly spotted the prince’s discarded clothes strewn near the doorway. These were the clothes the prince had been wearing when he greeted me earlier, brushing me aside.

“Could it be that upon returning to human form… you’ll be… bare?”

It was a moment of cautious inquiry directed at the small creature in my arms. Then, a spiraling mist seemed to emanate from the tiny life in my embrace, and a slender arm suddenly emerged. It felt almost like witnessing magic. In the blink of an eye, the puppy transformed into the prince, as if performing a swift enchantment.

Perplexed, I closed my eyes at the surreal sight, only to reopen them to find myself pinned to the ground by a solid weight. What met my gaze was the bewildered gaze of a long-haired, broad-shouldered man.

“….”

“….”

“…Ah, greetings. Prince Asheradren.”

“M-me… Wh-what are you trying to do?”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

His strong hand seized both my wrists and bound them over my head. The prince’s violet eyes, brimming with emotion, conveyed a sense of fear as he grabbed my hands above me. His robust shoulders seemed to stiffen as he struggled to meet my gaze, unsure of how to proceed.

The prince appeared as though he couldn’t fathom the situation he was in, as if he couldn’t understand the scenario at all. To any onlooker, it would seem as if the prince were uncertain of how he intended to treat me.

“You… You shouldn’t enter here. This is a forbidden area.”

“Oh…”

“Moreover… You’ve witnessed the monstrous form I’ve become. If this fact were revealed…”

“What would happen?”

“…you would die, like my former nanny.”

That was the essence of what he conveyed. However, that nanny had severed ties with him at least a decade ago. Not only the royal couple, it appears that the transformation of a human into an animal was a concept not easily embraced. The nanny’s departure left him alone, much like a discarded creature. He subsisted on food brought by nameless maids who periodically changed, while I remained nameless to him as well.

“Does that mean I am now a ghost?”

“I… I don’t know. However, those who have laid eyes upon me are said to meet their demise.”

“Who said so?”

“…My former nanny, who came here before.”

That nanny, a paragon of talkativeness. The King, just as the Queen’s childbirth was assisted by a midwife, had executed the midwife, but he hadn’t ordered the execution of the nanny or maids who cared for him afterward. This kingdom isn’t as cruel as the prince envisions. Although, for a prince who has yet to venture beyond his room even once, it is indeed a place of ample cruelty.

“But Your Highness, since a while ago, your arm has been causing me discomfort. And while it may be impolite to say so, you are quite heavy…”

“I, I apologize.”

Upon returning to his human form, despite having threatened me menacingly, the prince displayed a remarkable timidity. As I lifted my head to speak, he shuddered and hastily withdrew. I rose to a seated position, quietly observing the prince who skillfully concealed his lower half with an adjacent cushion. His lips moved with thoughtful deliberation, while his lengthy strands of silvery hair cascaded untamed.

Nevertheless, it’s evident that the nanny provided him with at least some basic etiquette. I hadn’t anticipated that the abandoned prince would display such modesty about his undraped form. With measured steps, I approached him, retrieving the prince’s shirt and trousers.

“For now, please put these on. The floor was soiled, staining the clothes somewhat, but I didn’t know where to find your new attire.”

“Yes, the maid who was here before you had brought them to the door. She had stacked them over there on the bed…”

“What? Isn’t there a wardrobe here?”

“A wardrobe… what is that?”

I couldn’t answer. The prince seemed to be unaware of the purpose of the dusty wardrobe in the corner, so the door was half open, and inside, it was filled only with stuffed dolls with popped-out cotton. The prince’s bedroom seemed to have remained trapped in childhood. There was no traces of books or ink, and a table with a broken leg was inexplicably flipped on the floor.

The pillows seemed gnawed by some creature, feathers occasionally flying through the air, and socks of varying sizes and colors lay bundled on the floor like a ball. Upon a closer look, this was quite an extreme degree of disorder. The prince struggled into his trousers with unpracticed hands and carefully fastened the buttons of his shirt, stealing occasional glances at me. However, there was no way I would help him dress. He was clearly uncomfortable with encountering a stranger after such a long time.

“An wardrobe is a place to store clothes, not a hiding spot for damaged dolls.”

“I didn’t hide them. I put them there to play with later.”

“Prince.”

“…Yes?”

“How old are you?”

“Um… nineteen.”

The prince counted his age with his fingers, folding each one as if he found something lacking, including his toes. It was quite a scene. I hadn’t imagined that the kind man who had saved me and died before my regression would be this foolish. But thinking about it, was this not natural? The prince had remained in a childlike state, without any interaction with others.

“Will you be staying here? You said you would come back in an hour, but you just barged in on your own…”

Unintentionally, I must have looked at the prince with pity. The prince retorted to me with an annoyed expression. However, he couldn’t properly express his anger, as if his massive size was suppressing it. His voice grew smaller and smaller, he fiddled with his hands, and repeatedly avoided my gaze. I sighed and picked up the mop wedged in the door.

“Now that I know how dirty this bedroom is, I can’t just leave it like this. I will do the cleaning, so please, Your Highness, go outside and have a meal.”

“Th-this is ridiculous! How can I go outside like this?”

My words had undoubtedly strike a chord, as the prince leaned in closer, his visage contorted with a sense of urgency. Suddenly, his eyes widened in alarm, and he shouted with an intensity one might expect upon hearing news of the world’s impending doom.

It was a jarring contrast to the vision of my beloved prince that had frequented my dreams. Could the transformation from that pitiful creature to a grown man of such stature truly have transpired in a mere year?

Mired in an indescribable sense of disappointment, I gazed wordlessly at the broom in my hands. By then, the prince was stammering, obstinately attempting to form words, his lips quivering in the process. Yet still, he never took the initiative to don the clothes. He remained, as always, averse to encountering a stranger after such a prolonged absence.

“Goodness, gracious! What is that over there?”

“What, what is it?”

I looked at the ceiling. The innocent prince followed my gaze, but of course, there was nothing there.

“Ah, there’s nothing… Oh!”

By the time his violet gaze returned to me, I had already approached him. Just a head taller than me, he was surprised for a moment, then abruptly leaped back, eyes wide with surprise. The next moment, he was suspended in the air, releasing a burst of smoke as he morphed back into a dog.

Adorable.