Episode 13

Mamela couldn’t muster a response even to the sounds coming from outside. She alternated between looking at me and the door with a confused expression on her face. Then, a voice that I had heard somewhere before reached us from beyond the door.

“Mamela, may I come in?”

There was no doubt about it. This voice belonged to Mamela’s family. I looked at Mamela, who was still holding me awkwardly and had gone stiff. Her complexion kept shifting between pale and white.

“It’s clear that it would be troublesome if they found me,” I thought.

I tried to wriggle out of Mamela’s grasp to hide under the bed. However, Mamela clung to me even tighter, refusing to let go. She had an expression filled with thoughts.

“I was wrong. Let’s just hide under the bed.”

I struggled to free myself from Mamela’s grip, but she held on firmly. I tried to signal her to let me go by tapping her with my paw, but she kept staring with an intensely contemplative expression.

‘I guess that’s not going to work. I should just hide under the bed.’

As I contemplated my options, I heard Mamela’s brother’s voice once more from beyond the door.

“Mamela?”

As much as I didn’t want to meet him right outside the door, it would be a lie to say that I didn’t want to see him. I remembered those days when I sat by the window, looking out longingly at Mamela’s family. But if Mamela didn’t want this, I couldn’t go against her wishes.

I exchanged a brief glance filled with thoughts with Mamela. While we silently communicated, I suddenly felt a surge of determination. I mustered my strength and smacked Mamela’s hand with my paw, trying to break free. She was startled, and her grip loosened.

I took that opportunity to escape from her grasp and burrowed under the blankets. The pink blanket covered my vision, and I nestled close to Mamela’s legs.

‘I won’t go anywhere. I’ll be just right here, so don’t worry.’

After a while, a faint trembling voice came from above.

“Brother, I… I’m not feeling well right now and would like to be alone.”

Mamela’s words took a while to come out, but the response was almost immediate, and it was in a rather disturbed tone.

“Did you get seriously hurt? I should call a doctor. But before that…”

“It’s not like that! I just want to be alone for a bit…”

As I gently lifted the blanket with my paw, I saw Mamela, her face showing signs of anxiety. I placed myself close to her legs, trying to reassure her.

A little later, the voice from the other side of the door became silent, seemingly without an answer.

As a somewhat extended silence followed, Mamela’s hand lightly touched her clothes as if she were sweating. Then, our gazes met through the gap in the blanket. Mamela whispered with a hushed voice.

“Aril… If my brother comes in, you must absolutely not make any noise, okay?”

To reassure Mamela, I extended my front paw from under the blanket and patted her hand gently. At that moment, a sigh-laden voice came from beyond the door.

“…Well then, rest up for now. If you’re in quite a bit of pain, aren’t you? Let me know…”

The footsteps turned and faded away.

After a moment, Mamela let out a long sigh as if she had been holding her breath.

The pink blanket covering our view was swiftly lifted. Mamela, still with a pale complexion, came into sight. Actually, upon closer inspection, she seemed to be in slightly better condition than before.

With a whimper, Mamela slumped onto the bed. She reached out and pulled me towards her, hugging me tightly.

“I’m relieved… I didn’t want them to suddenly discover I was hiding you. At least I wanted to tell them myself.”

I widened my eyes in surprise.

Did Mamela… want to tell her family about me? Was she not embarrassed to show me anymore?

Before I could delve into these thoughts, there was a knock on the door from outside. Mamela stiffened once again, and I nudged her from under the blankets.

“Miss, it’s Jona. Master has left.”

“Oh… I got startled, thinking it was my brother again.”

“I came to deliver a message. May I come in?”

After Mamela’s approval, Jona entered the room and delivered his message.

“Master says you won’t have any lessons starting today until you enroll in school.”

Mamela initially blinked in confusion but soon her eyes sparkled with delight. She also petted me more vigorously.

“Maybe my brother gave me the day off because he thought I was sick!”

“No, it’s not like that. He just said you won’t have any lessons at all until you start school.”

Mamela jumped up from the bed, a puzzled expression on her face at first, but soon her eyes sparkled with joy. She spoke to Yona with a mix of excitement and curiosity.

“Why? All of a sudden?”

After a quick nod from Jona, Mamela chuckled and blew a sarcastic sigh.

“My brother can be quite unpredictable. Right, Aril?”

“Meow?”

Mumbling to herself, Mamela seemed to be in a good mood as her lips curled into a faint smile.

“Come to think of it, Mamela was always so tired when she returned from her lessons.”

Recalling the times Mamela had occasionally complained about it, I gently rested my forehead against the back of her hand.

“You’re in luck, Mamela. It seems like you don’t have to go to lessons today.”

Mamela responded to my playfulness by hugging me tightly and lightly patting my cheek.

“Oh, you’re so cute! I couldn’t resist you.”

I squirmed because it was getting hard to breathe.

But for some reason, Mamela seemed to understand my actions and replied with a warm smile, “You’re just too precious.”

We didn’t seem to communicate as effectively as I thought…

Jona, who had been observing us from the side, finally spoke up after a while.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

Mamela raised her head, her fingers still in my fur. I finally managed to catch my breath.

Jona hesitated for a moment as if she were about to say something unusual, and then she continued, “This is the third time, you know?”

“Third time? What do you mean?”

“Refusing to meet your brother… Until now, you’ve never done such a thing, and Lord Idilos must be very disappointed.”

“…My brother? Did he really say that?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that… Your Brother’s mood has been… different.”

Jona’s face turned a shade of pale blue, and she lowered her head with a troubled expression, glancing at Mamela.

Mamela released her tight grip on me and smiled as she replied,

“There must have been some challenging tasks keeping him occupied. Besides, isn’t brother always in the study for twenty hours a day? He probably doesn’t even have enough time to sleep properly, let alone meet me.”

Listening to Mamela’s words, I was shocked.

Twenty hours a day? That’s almost the entire day! If he works for twenty hours, when does he have time for sleep? I’m still young, so I don’t know much, but I spend most of my day sleeping and still feel drowsy most of the time.

Mamela’s family seemed incredibly remarkable.

While I was in awe, Yona, who seemed worried, said with a concerned expression, “Miss… Are you alright?”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Mamela grinned and asked, “Aril, did you know?”

“Meow?”

“Brother actually prefers work over me.”

I looked at her with widened eyes, wondering how she interpreted my actions. Mamela continued with a smile,

“Of course, it’s just my imagination.”

I sighed in relief internally. I already felt certain that he cared deeply for Mamela.

When he was about to leave in the carriage, he always glanced at Mamela’s window. Even though I had to hide from his view at that time, I could sense the strong bond between them.

‘But come to think of it, Mamela spent most of her time alone. Her family was often away for a long time when they went out,’ I thought to myself.

Even though Mamela now spent time playing with me, she used to be alone in this room most of the time.

When she went to her lessons, she was left alone. Even though it was just for a short while, I wondered how lonely Mamela might have felt before I came into her life.

Mamela sighed softly. “You know, I understand the real reason why Brother is so obsessed with work, but it’s quite amusing.”

I was surprised. She felt certain about why her brother was so focused on work, and she found it amusing?

I crawled over and nestled beside her, softly purring. Mamela looked at me and chuckled.

Mamela had fallen asleep so quickly that I couldn’t help but marvel at her ability to doze off almost instantly.

“Taking a nap, huh? Since we don’t have any lessons today, should I take a nap with you?” I whispered.

She didn’t respond, already lost in her dreams. Her breathing had slowed down, and she seemed completely relaxed.

I gently raised my head a little while later, only to find her peacefully asleep.

“She really falls asleep so quickly…” I thought to myself, a bit amused by her ability to doze off so easily.

I decided to comfort her by lightly patting her arm with my front paw. My intention was to ensure she had only good dreams while she slept.

As I patted her arm, I focused my energy on sending positive and calming vibes her way. I hoped that this would help clear any lingering negative thoughts from her mind and fill her dreams with positivity.

Mamela shifted in her sleep, letting out a contented sigh. It seemed like she was having a pleasant dream.

I eventually withdrew my paw, satisfied with my efforts. I wanted Mamela to wake up feeling refreshed and in good spirits.

“Mamela, are you feeling better now?” I silently wondered, hoping that my presence had helped her find some peace.

With a sense of contentment and a growing sense of sleepiness myself, I leaned against her arm and closed my eyes. The gentle rhythm of her breathing and the warmth of her presence made it easy for me to drift off into a peaceful slumber.