The Duke’s Companion

Surprised, I turned my head in a chilling mood and then freaked out.

A flying toy car pierced a long flower pot next to the door.

I couldn’t shut my mouth in shock.

“I don’t kick that hard.”

No, how did a kick with this little foot fan that big flower pot in the first place? It was clear, as with the previously cracked mirror, that humans had made things stale!

‘What should I do?’

The accident I had caused was completely distracted. I turned my head and looked at Mamela.

Mamela, who was looking at me with a surprised expression, met my eyes. Her complexion gradually darkened.

“…Aryl.”

I quickly closed my eyes at the terrifying voice.

There was the sound of a chair being pulled back, and the sound of Mamela’s footsteps and sighs came closer. The future I drew was dark.

I crouched, as pitifully as I could. But suddenly the sound of footsteps stopped.

“How many steps are left before you come to me?”

She lifted her head in wonder. Mamela stopped her steps and saw her looking at her sofa. Her hair was as white as white paper.

She had forgotten the sofa …!

Mamela murmured, a nuttiness on her face.

“You troublemaker…”

She left the room without even looking at me.

I circled the same seat and trembled with anxiety.

I looked around the messed-up room with eyes of despair.

‘I’m in trouble. I think Mamela is angry.’

The soil and broken fragments of the pot that poured out as it had holes in the pot, and the torn sofa and… the toy that broke the pot and flipped over.

From my point of view, it was a serious mess. I sat on a cushion of thorns and waited for Mamela to return.

After a while, Mamela returned with a tired expression on her face. She checked the condition of her room again, and Mamela called me as she touched her forehead as if she had a headache.

“Aryl.”

“Meow…”

“How can you get into trouble when you’re about to forget? This is too much.”

I lowered my head and listened to Mamela’s angry voice. Well, I didn’t do this on purpose either…

I know I’m wrong, but I want to say something, so I whined timidly.

Mamela let out a sigh, and she grabbed me and lifted me. I lifted my head in embarrassment as my body suddenly rose.

“Meow”?

I asked where I was going, but she neither answered nor patted me, but Mamela took me to the corner of her room. There was a box that looked like a toy barrel.

Mamela opened the lid of the box and put me inside. I opened my eyes and poked my head out of the box.

“Meow…!”

“I don’t think I can clean this up. So stay here for a while. Maybe the other maids will come.”

Mamela’s determined and quick way of speaking was not the same as usual.

I looked up at her with my head off, but Mamela closed the lid of the box. I had to be bitten coldly.

Soon after, Mamela’s appearance disappeared outside, and instead, several unfamiliar people entered the room. I guessed it by ear as I heard the rustling sound.

“They must have come to clean the room.”

I lay face down in the box and lowered my tail gloomily.

I’ve never seen Mamela so angry before. What if she hates me and kicks me out?

Just imagining it made my eyes wet and buried my head.

The cleaning time was quite long. When will these strangers leave?

I could hear them talking from outside. 

“It seems that broken things are often found in the lady’s room these days.”

“Are you under a lot of stress in your studies?”

“It can’t be. Everyone was aware of your enormous desire for learning.”

With the sound of broomsticks, someone lowered their voice.

“Hey, didn’t you hear that the lady was expelled from the school right away because she went to the headmaster to ask to cut back on her studies a few days ago?”

“Right. Emma, who went to the car park, heard the headmaster scolding her.”

“What? It’s ridiculous. How he treats her like gold.”

‘I overheard people talking. I wish I could understand what they’re saying.’

You might be talking about something interesting. For example, the story of Mamela’s family…

“The headmaster was originally strict with the young lady in terms of education.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because the headmaster is so famous, I’m afraid he’ll be compared to the young lady…”

Suddenly, there was a clattering sound like a slap on the back, and a human burst out.

“Hey, that makes sense. You’re trying to keep the Imperial Family from being flawed. Don’t you know that Cadellarot is not on good terms with the Imperial Family?”

“Well….”

A loud noise continued for a while, whether the debris from the flowerpot was being removed.

I played with my sullen forefeet and grinned my ears whenever the shards of the pots hit each other.

After a while, a human whispered in a low voice.

“But how did things go wrong? Cadellarot is the only blood relative of the Imperial Family.”

“I don’t know. Except for five years ago, the Lord declared that he would be isolated from the Imperial Family.”

I blinked my eyes slowly. Hearing their incomprehensible conversation made me sleepy.

I lowered my head without realizing it, but I woke up again and repeatedly raised my head.

‘No… I can’t sleep…’

The string of consciousness was narrowly connected as if crossing a single rope. Eventually, without realizing it, I nodded and started to fall asleep.