Chapter 16: Not your average dog or cat?

Prince Edward has given me a fluffy puppy with silvery white fur.

Is it my imagination, or have I been receiving a lot of animal gifts recently?

“Sealver, Luna, dinner’s ready.”

Sealver is the name I gave the puppy because of its long, fluffy, silvery-white fur.

Sealver and Luna get meat jerky because they won’t eat regular pet food.

Dogs and cats are meat eaters by nature, but they won’t eat raw meat; I’ve tried baking and boiling, but they seem to prefer dried meat for some reason.

I know it sounds crazy, but this is a different world than Japan, and I’ve decided to accept that the animals’ food environment may differ from ours.

Ruria just finished his meal with me; he eats the same food as us humans, so I eat in my room with Ruria because it’s more fun than eating alone.

I have Blanc deliver letters to Layleigh-san’s for me. I haven’t seen Laseid and Layleigh-san recently, so I’ve been sending them letters telling them how Ruria is doing.

[I have nothing else to teach you.] Laseid hasn’t appeared in a long time, and I’ve been feeling a little sad and lonely――.

“It’s been a long time, Mariel and little boy.”

“Kii-Kii~yui?!”

Ruria becomes enraged as soon as Laseid steps onto the balcony, seemingly asking, [What are you doing here?!]

When Luna saw Laseid, she hissed “Shhh!” and Sealver growled “Grrrr!”. they must have thought a suspicious fellow had arrived.

“Luna, Sealver, it’s okay. That’s Ruria’s Otoo-sama.”

I stroke Luna and Sealver’s heads, soothing them and enjoying the fluff; they have nice fur today.

“Huh? There are even more of them. What exactly is going on? “

“Prince Bernhardt gave me Luna the cat, and Prince Edward gave me Sealver the dog.”

Laseid’s gaze hardens as he turns to look at Luna and Sealver.

“Cat? Dog? No. They aren’t cats and dogs.”

“What?!”

I look at Luna and Sealver. Luna, on the other hand, is a cute kitten, and Sealver is a cute puppy.

“The cat is a Zouyu, and the dog is a Fenrir; both are still young.”

Zouyus are auspicious beasts that live on the eastern continent and are said to appear only when a virtuous ruler appears.

Their white fur is said to become covered with black spots and stripes as they age.

The Fenrir is a wolf-like monster, but like the dragon, it is a legendary monster that is said to appear only on rare occasions.

“Neither of these guys won’t reveal themself in the public; I guess you’re just more easily attracted to such things, like my little boy.”

“Is that so? They look like cute puppies and kittens to me.”

“…They only act “cute” to you.”

I’m not ready to give up Luna and Sealver, even though I know they’re not just cats and dogs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such beautiful, fluffy creatures.

Ruria and Blanc are equally adorable. I’d like to live the slow life alongside them.

I’d like to slow down and spend time with dogs, cats, owls, and dragons… I’m glad my wish came true after I took my last breath as Marie.

” By the way, isn’t Bernhardt here today?”

“Come to think of it, he hasn’t been around for the last three days.”

Every day, Prince Bernhardt visited this room at various times.

“What, you missed him?

With a sly grin, Laseid teases me.

“There’s no way,”

He was probably just curious because his opponent was a five-year-old girl and grew bored afterward; that’s just a crown prince’s whim.

I was getting ready for bed when the doorbell rang.

“Mariel, it’s me; may I enter?””

“Otoo-sama? Please come in.”

The visitor was Otoo-sama. That’s unusual.

Otoo-sama entered my room and sat in the nearest chair.

“Mariel’s cute friends must be having a good dream.”

Otoo-sama turned his head to the window and squinted. Ruria, Luna, and Sealver were sleeping huddled together by the window, which is their favorite spot.

“Aren’t they cute when they sleep? By the way, Otoo-sama, what can I do for you?”

Otoo-sama looks down when he sees my face.

“I don’t want to marry off my lovely Mariel, but…”

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

I’m only five. I won’t be married for a long time. And I may never marry.

“Mariel received an engagement proposal.”

“Eh?!”

Engagement proposal? To whom? Prince Edward?!

Annoyed, I decided to ask Otoo-sama in all seriousness.

“Who is he?!”

“…Prince Bernhardt of the Crotalion Empire.”

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh?!