READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 13
For the past few days, the mansion has been unusually busy.
Originally, it was a mansion that rarely had any guests, to be honest, you could even call it reclusive.
But after moving to this new mansion two years ago, the first guest, and a noble one at that, was scheduled to visit.
Everyone was so lively preparing for the visit that even I, lying in the garden, could see it.
Time passed as they busily prepared to welcome the guest.
Finally, the day of the guest’s visit arrived.
“Rain! Are you there?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Let me touch your hair!”
As usual, the maids of the mansion barged into the doghouse where I was alone.
By the way, Rain is my name.
The few people in this mansion who call me by my name are the maids who have come here.
“Your hair is so smooth.”
“Can we tidy up your place?”
“Go ahead.”
Occasionally, when they had free time, the maids would come to the doghouse to take care of me.
At first, they were clearly scared of me.
“Ah, you spilled the snacks I left here.”
“Oh, did I? I forgot.”
“You should have kept them in the container, let me clean this up for you!”
But now, that fear has long disappeared.
Maybe it’s because the lady calls me ‘doggy’ every day, so the scary image has faded.
“Today, a guest is coming, so be careful not to wrinkle your clothes or mess up your hair.”
“Okay.”
“By the way, the lady said she’s going to show you off? We need to make you look even better.”
“Thanks for that…”
Some of the maids, especially those who work in the garden, seemed to find it boring.
They often touched my hair.
This time, because of the guest’s visit, they were even more thorough.
“Stay still. Don’t shake your hair.”
“…I won’t.”
“Alright, let’s try a full-back style today?”
But having the maids around like this is comfortable and nice.
It feels like just yesterday I was stuck with the guys at the Coliseum all day.
I don’t know how I survived back then.
If they told me to go back now, I’d rather die than go.
“This is something I bought at the night market, it’s supposed to fix your hair.”
“Oh, that? Everyone’s been using it lately.”
“Just a little… Oh no, I put too much! I’m sorry!”
But the way they treat me is… a bit ambiguous.
It’s too careful to be treating a dog.
But it’s too casual to be treating me like a knight, like Darren or Kaiden.
I guess it’s like treating a very precious dog?
Anyway, I know they mean well.
“What are you all doing?”
“Ah!”
“Get back to your places!”
And so, the maids were busy grooming me until the head maid caught them and scolded them, causing them to scatter.
Left alone again, I lay down in the doghouse.
Hmm, it does feel a bit more spacious after they tidied up.
I’m always grateful for that.
I should definitely repay them if I get the chance.
By the way, when is the guest supposed to arrive?
I think I heard they were coming in the afternoon.
It’s noon now, so I might as well take a nap.
Everything’s fine, but there’s nothing to do besides training.
There’s just not much entertainment in this world.
But I think being bored is better than being exhausted, so I closed my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again.
“There’s a doghouse here?”
“Must be where the pet they’re raising lives.”
I heard voices outside the doghouse.
“Oh…”
“Judging by the size of the house, it might be a pet monster, so don’t get too close.”
…Who is it?
It’s not the usual voices of the servants.
“I’ll take a look.”
“Be careful.”
And then, I felt someone approaching, determined to check it out.
It’s probably not the masked person like last time.
I could roughly guess who it was, so I went out to greet them before they could peek inside.
“Hello.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
The two people were surprised by my appearance.
One was a girl who looked about my age, and the other was a middle-aged woman.
“Who, who are you?”
“Are you the caretaker?”
“No, I live here.”
…They must be the guests who were supposed to come today.
Why are they here alone? Where’s the lady?
“Are you the guests who were supposed to visit today?”
I asked politely, since they’re probably nobles.
“Ah, yes, we are… but who are you?”
“I’m…”
As I emerged from the doghouse, the two looked confused, and I thought I should explain myself.
But just then.
“You two over there!”
The lady came over from the garden.
“What are you doing with the doggy?”
“Doggy…?”
The lady confidently called me ‘doggy,’ and the two guests’ faces filled with questions.
Hmm, I guess the rumors haven’t spread because we’ve been reclusive.
The servants here are tight-lipped.
“Doggy, come here!”
The lady called me over, so I went, and she held out her hand.
…I guess she wants me to put my head on it?
I knelt down on one knee.
Pat pat.
“Good job!”
…To be seen like this in front of outsiders.
Well, it’s not particularly embarrassing.
After all, it’s a common sight for the servants passing by.
I’ve long since become indifferent to being treated like a dog.
“The doggy you were going to introduce… is a person?”
“Yes! I’ve been raising him for two years.”
“My goodness.”
But it seems there’s still some common sense left in this world.
The two guests still looked bewildered.
Yeah, that’s the normal reaction.
What kind of lady raises a person like a dog…
“…If I had known, I would have brought a different gift.”
“What did you bring?”
“I brought dog toys… I should have asked beforehand.”
…What?
Their reaction is different from what I expected.
The two were surprised but soon nodded as if they understood.
“He’s a very impressive doggy.”
“Yes, he has a noble air. He’s been well taken care of.”
Damn it.
I thought I had learned a lot in this world, but I guess I still have a lot to learn.
“Hehe, our doggy is quite handsome, isn’t he?”
Pat pat.
The lady seemed pleased with the compliments and patted my head even more.
But as a result, the hairstyle the maids did got all messed up.
…The maid who did it would cry if she saw this.
“Our doggy has many talents!”
“Talents? Does he have any special skills?”
But it seems the lady wanted to show off even more.
“I was going to show this off later… Doggy! Teleport!”
“Huh?”
“Teleport!”
“Ah…”
Look at those sparkling eyes.
I wondered how she was going to show off.
Was it really a show-off?
“Alright.”
Well, I should listen to her.
I stood up and used Fleet to move to the top of the doghouse.
“Huh?”
When I disappeared, the two guests looked momentarily surprised.
“Fleet?”
“…You know it.”
I turned around as I said that.
They recognized it was Fleet.
“Wow, he looks about my age, but he can use Fleet so well?”
“That’s doggy’s specialty!”
“He’s not just any doggy.”
Yeah, it must be amazing.
Where in the world is there a doggy who can use Fleet?
And so cleanly at that.
I may not be good at other things, but I’ve really worked hard on Fleet.
“Can he do anything else?”
“Of course! Our doggy has so many tricks.”
There’s a lot I can show.
But are we really going to do it all here?
It’s a bit embarrassing to show off my full repertoire in front of guests.
“Lady…”
So, I cautiously tried to stop the lady.
But just then.
“What are you all doing in the garden?”
The voice I wanted to hear right now came.
“Lowell?”
“Yes, my lady, you’re with the guests, I see.”
Right.
That old man’s timing is always impeccable.
“Ah! Hello, Mr. Lowell…!”
“Haha, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
But.
The noble girl immediately bowed her head upon seeing Lowell.
…Is he really that great?
The lady treats him like a kind grandfather, but the other servants treat him with respect, so I thought he must be something.
But even other nobles act like this?
“The pleasure is mine.”
Moreover, the middle-aged woman next to the girl also gave a small bow to Lowell.
He’s definitely a respected elder.
“By the way, my lady, you’re showing off the doggy I trained.”
“Trained…? By you, Mr. Lowell?”
Lowell casually dropped that as soon as he arrived.
At the mention of training, the two guests’ eyes turned to me.
Wondering if it’s ‘training’ as a doggy.
Or perhaps ‘teaching.’
…What’s there to wonder?
If I can use Fleet, then I must have been taught.
“Hmm.”
“He’s definitely not an ordinary doggy…”
And so.
I tried to ignore the slightly burdensome gazes of the two guests.
“What are you all doing down there?”
A woman’s voice was heard.
Not from the front or back.
The voice came from above, so I looked up.
Whoosh-
A woman descended with the wind.
Her red hair fluttering.
The one I had only seen from a distance.
“Teacher?”
“Master!”
Even the respected Lowell, who I thought was great.
A mage descended from the sky.
“So we meet here? Hmm…”
And then.
The woman’s red eyes turned to me.
Not like the lady’s beautiful gem-like eyes, but more like burning flames.
“So you’re the doggy?”
Pat pat.
The woman reached out and patted my head.
“You look more feisty than I thought?”
Seeing even the lady’s master, a great mage, treating me like a dog so naturally, I sighed inwardly.
Well, whatever.
I guess this is the norm.
I don’t have to hide in the house when guests come anymore.