TDAA Ch 44

“I like taking care of Master Siol. Master Siol needs me, you know. So I’m going to be more of an adult from now on.”

“But you’re a knight. You don’t have to go that far….”

“My master told me to take good care of Master Siol. I won’t listen to Master Siol on this matter.”

Now certain that Siol wasn’t going to make an issue of the matter he’d been worried about, Luber had no hesitation in turning his head away with a prim air. Of course, it was much better than seeing him act cautiously, but Siol was dumbfounded.

It was understandable. Just a moment ago, the puppy had been agonizing over how to act between Ladie and him, half-crying and begging for forgiveness, but in an instant, he had turned back into Ladie’s dog. How could his mood and attitude change so drastically like this?

“Wow…. You really….”

“And I’m going to work hard for a while.”

Having said that, Luber really did start to look after Siol diligently. It was to the point where Siol wondered if he was being a little too diligent.

First, he went to the head chef and either whispered something, or perhaps he let him touch his fluffy belly again, but the quality of the food brought to him improved noticeably. He tidied up the surrounding area while Siol was researching, kept water heated so Siol could drink warm water, and even reported on the progress of the door’s restoration without being asked. He even listened carefully for the sound of the blue dragon’s footsteps and would take out an outfit for Siol to wear when the dragon arrived at the lake, and he always had a chair prepared by the second-floor window.

“Luber, you don’t have to go this far.”

“Just leave me be. I’m only doing this because of my guilty conscience. Once I feel a little less sorry, I’ll go back to lying down in front of the fireplace and sleeping.”

It was a spirited declaration.

But it had already been four days. In that time, Siol had admired four different new outfits on Eorzen. It wasn’t just the clothes that changed. He must have brought everything with him, because his accessories changed with each outfit. It seemed the rumor that there were so many jewels in the castle’s basement that it was a hassle to clean them up wasn’t an exaggeration after all.

Eorzen looked good in anything, but he was particularly beautiful today. It might have been because his long hair was loosely braided, so it didn’t cover his face as he looked at his documents.

Seeing Siol glued to the window, unable to tear himself away, Luber grumbled.

“Things like scripts are meaningless, you know.”

“But….”

“What do you mean, ‘but’? I’m the expert in that area. You know I’m the most-loved dog in this mansion.”

“Not the most. Titi is the most-loved.”

“Master Siol!”

Luber shouted. Luber somewhat respected and wanted to be like Ryufen, but at the same time, he felt a sense of rivalry. He was quite serious when he fumed that he used to be the most-loved dog in the mansion, but Ryufen came back and stole that spot.

It seemed what annoyed him more was that Ryufen himself didn’t seem to particularly want that affection. On that point, Siol agreed. Ryufen would accomplish amazing things as if they were nothing and then just scratch his belly and yawn, making those who couldn’t do the same feel a surge of frustration. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was sort of a lazy genius feel.

“Anyway, what’s important isn’t some script, but going up to him and saying, ‘Hello’.”

“Umm….”

“There’s no such thing as a wonderful first meeting. That’s all a misconception. It’s just that ordinary meetings get glorified as special depending on people’s moods. But to put it another way, that means any meeting can become special if you think of it as special. Just like how when people meet me, they’re happy just because they met me!”

“Luber, you’re really… full of confidence….”

How could he be so full of self-love and confidence?

Siol was deeply impressed. One could think that way, sure, but how could one say it out loud? For Siol, it was an utterly impossible feat.

But after hearing stories like, “I lifted my head to be petted and he gave me a kiss,” or “He tried to rub my belly, so I politely refused and just stared at him, and he offered me a treat,” or “A maid was feeling down, so I licked her face and she smiled brightly,” his confidence couldn’t help but swell, even if he didn’t want it to.

A feeling that, while he could never go that far, he could at least manage a “Hello.”

“Okay, I’ll go talk to him later this afternoon.”

“Why not now?”

“…Not right now, but I think I can do it a little later.”

Luber looked at Siol as if he were looking at a troublemaker.

It was incredibly humiliating, but not wanting to get an earful, Siol hurriedly stood up. Then his foot got caught on the chair, and Luber caught him as he tumbled forward.

“Master Siol! You have to walk one step at a time!”

Did he think I fell because I didn’t know that? Siol was so flabbergasted that he couldn’t even think of a response.

Luber had a stern expression on his face, as if he had offered some great piece of advice. Siol looked worriedly at Luber, who had started out as his attendant and was now acting almost like his nanny.

Even though he’d told me to just leave him be, is it really okay to let this continue? Am I ruining a knight?

“What’s wrong? Are your legs trembling? Is that why you fell? I’ll carry you on my back!”

“No, no, it’s not that! I’m fine, Luber! I can walk!”

While Siol was lost in confusion, Luber misunderstood, crouched in front of him, and stubbornly lifted Siol onto his back. It was no use resisting. Scared of causing a commotion and being noticed by Eorzen, Siol had no choice but to let himself be carried. Luber quickly left the spot with Siol on his back.

Eorzen, who hadn’t taken his eyes off his documents, glanced in their direction as soon as the two shadows disappeared from the window. The blue dragon’s eyes shone with a cool light.

Unfortunately, no one noticed that the actions of the big puppy living in this mansion were thoroughly getting on a certain dragon’s nerves.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

Every time they encountered people on the way down the stairs who worriedly asked if he was hurt, Siol quickly denied it. Of course, their reactions weren’t very convincing. It was understandable, since Luber, who held a fair amount of unofficial influence in the mansion, was fussing over him.

In the end, Siol was carried all the way to the underground laboratory.

By evening, a false rumor that Siol had injured his leg and couldn’t walk might be sweeping through the mansion. Siol groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. He had to show people he could walk before that happened. Before Ladie heard the rumor and came running in alarm.

On the day Luber had confessed to reporting to Ladie about Eorzen, trembling as he attended to him and begging for forgiveness, Siol had told him it was okay. After that, Luber stopped trembling. Unfortunately, that was the only thing that changed. From then on, he began to attend to Siol confidently, without trembling.

The biggest difference between then and now was that originally, Luber had been uncomfortable, but now, it was Siol who was uncomfortable.

“Luber…. I told you, I’m okay….”

“But you staggered.”

“That’s just because you…!”

“…Did I do something wrong…?”

Luber was a puppy.

And a cute puppy at that, who played the part of a superstar in front of others, but who would easily get discouraged in front of Siol.

No, why is he not discouraged at all when I’m telling him off, but only gets discouraged at times like this?

Siol was beginning to suspect that this might also be an act from Luber. Otherwise, there was no way his attitude could change to suit the situation so conveniently.

“Please, just remember that I’m not as weak as you think…. Okay?”

“But….”

“Please.”

“…Okay.”

Luber nodded, though he had a sulky expression. It would have been better if his expression were a little more compliant, but Siol decided to let it go for now.

Truthfully, he was a bit too tired to press the issue further. Besides, he had something to do. He was really going to go greet Lord Eorzen today, so he had to pick out an outfit.

Standing in front of his wardrobe, Siol let out a low groan as he looked at the collection of white shirts and dark-colored pants. The coats were all baggy things focused on warmth. They were warm, of course, but they were lacking for standing before Eorzen. But it was obvious that no matter what he wore, it would lose its luster in front of that beautiful man.

He had always thought of him as a beautiful man back in the land of the beastmen, but he had become even more beautiful recently, now that he had started grooming his appearance. The blue dragon, adorned with beautiful gems like rubies, pearls, and emeralds, was truly so stunning that once you started looking, you couldn’t tear your eyes away.

But why did the blue dragon dress up so beautifully every single day?

On the first day, he could have done it to meet Ladie. He was in a position like a representative of the beastmen’s land, so appearing in a shabby state could have brought shame upon them. But even after several days had passed, he continued to wear new clothes, style his hair differently, and wear jewelry every day. The sparkling jewels made the blue dragon look even more beautiful. An ordinary person couldn’t help but fall for him.

Since Eorzen began the strange practice of sitting and working in front of the frozen lake, there wasn’t a single servant in the mansion who hadn’t gone to sneak a peek at him. Maids and manservants alike, regardless of gender, went to steal a glance at the blue dragon whose beauty was almost inhuman. And one time led to two, and then three.

The maid, Ronia, said that his cold, frosty appearance didn’t feel human, so it was less like looking at a beautiful person and more like gazing upon a living god. It felt as though you were encountering a wondrous being.

Their attitude was so blatant that Eorzen seemed to be aware of the situation. While Siol hid behind a curtain on the second floor to watch in secret, the servants would steal glances as they passed nearby, so there was no way a beastman’s keen senses would miss it.

And yet, Eorzen neither showed any displeasure nor made any requests, like asking for a screen to be set up.

He just sat there every day like that, beautifying himself daily as he became a spectacle.

“Ah.”

As Siol rummaged through his wardrobe to choose something to wear in front of Eorzen, he suddenly realized.

‘His mate… is in this mansion. He’s doing all that to show his mate….’

The moment he realized that, Siol lost all the courage he had built up over the past few days.