CH 21

Days after the meeting was held. As my eldest brother said, there was a proclamation in the capital.

Breeding of monsters is prohibited regardless of status. If you have a breeding monster, bring them to the gymnasium of the imperial castle and dispose of them.

The deadline is one week from the date of the proclamation.

The content of the proclamation was that if a person reported having breeding monsters even after a week had passed, the accuser would be rewarded and the accused would be punished severely.

“So the tea party, which is held regularly every weekend, was also canceled. It’s such a bummer. What is that? I was going to invite Nell because this meeting is at my house.”

Rebecca let out a sigh, and I quickly shook my head saying it was okay.

“No, I’m fine. I have a very shy personality.”

What social club does Rebecca belong to? The Countess died early, so perhaps she entered on the recommendation of the chaperone. I’m not sure, but I don’t think there’s a single social gathering in the capital that will welcome me anyway. Rather than going there and eating food, it’s best to eat pudding comfortably at my house.

“By the way, what does this law have to do with the Tea Party?”

Raising a wing cat was a trend in our group, too.”

“Aha….”

Rebecca stirred the tea with a teaspoon with a gloomy face.

“Everyone is very sad. There may be many people who brought it with a light heart because it is just a trend in the social world, but there are many people who have raised it with affection like a family, but they only give them a week to ‘dispose of’ it. I think this decree is really too much.”

“I Know. The people who cherished the monsters they raised must be very upset.”

I also developed a fondness for the stray cat I met on the street and handed out sausages to the cat several times. However, to ‘dispose’ of a family member who has been together for a long time. What I would have done if it were me, nothing came to mind.

“By the way, didn’t Becky raise a pet monster? I heard it was fashionable at social gatherings.”

“Yes, I raise too.…”

At my question, Rebecca let out a sigh with an upset face.

“The wizard in charge of the monster was lazy, so it became rabid.”

“What?”

“I said that Prince Khalid saved me from the monster last time, right? That monster is the one I raised.”

“The monster went out of control? Oh my God, isn’t it dangerous if even a wing cat runs out of control?”

When I asked if she was hurt, Rebecca shook her head. Bitterness spread across her face as if she remembered what had happened at that time.

“It’s dangerous. So I asked them to take out their magic regularly, but they hired such a lazy person. And what I raised wasn’t a wing cat, but a snow fox.”

“Snowfox? uh….Isn’t Snowfox a mid-level monster? I heard that it is usually difficult to tame compared to the lower classes.…”

“Yes. So it was very difficult to bring. I spent a lot of time and money and gave a lot of money…It’s such a pity that it happened.”

Rebecca let out another sigh with her gloomy face, then she struggled to smile. She smiled as if she was brushing away the ashes of her burnt body.

“But thanks to that, I got to know Duke Khalid. I will remember and never forget.”

Rebecca smiled with her hands clasped tightly, smiling happily with the face of a girl in love.

Seeing that, I felt my heart tickle for no reason. What does it feel like to fall in love with someone? I couldn’t imagine it now.

“It was very pretty with a little sky blue on the tips of his hair. I have a drawing, would you like to take a look at it?”

“Yes, I want to.”

The monster illustration I saw did not contain the picture properly, so I had to guess the appearance only with a rough description. What a white fox with sky blue on the tip of its fur. What the hell does it look like?

“Oh my god! It’s pretty!”

“There is a small doll made of this monster’s hair. Do you want me to give you one as a present?”

“Really? Yes, I want it!”

“Oh, just as I did with the Duke of Khalid, it will certainly help Nell’s love.”

Rebecca was very happy as if she were receiving a present and gave me a little Snowfox as a gift. The Snowfox doll, the size of my fist, with light blue hair at the tip, was really, really, really cute, so I said thank you to Rebecca.

* * *

“Then I’ll take you home, lady.”

“Oh, no. Please go to Silver Line 4 instead of home.”

“Not Line 16 but 4?”

“Yes. I will stop by the handicraft store.”

I’ve been confined to knitting for the past few days, and I’ve used up all the yarn I bought.

I’ve been stuck at home for the past few days and I’ve used up all the wool I bought. It’s different. You can ask the employee to run an errand, but in fact, it was comfortable for me to see and buy it myself because there were various colors, starting with the type. It’s also good for inspiration.

“Ta-da! Helen, look at this. I got a present from Becky.”

“Oh, how cute! What yarn is this made of? I’ve never seen a yarn of this color before!”

“It is made of hair, not yarn.…fox fur.”

“I see. Do foxes like this really exist? I really want to see it in real life.  So cute.”

“Hmm….It’s a bit hard seeing it in the real.”

It’s a very dangerous situation.

“Yes?”

“No. Ah, it seems we’ve arrived.”

The rattling carriage stopped, and Philip, who was sitting next to the coachman, opened the carriage door and helped me get out of the carriage.

“Then, lady. I’ll be waiting for you at the carriage stand.”

“Yes. I’ll go there when it’s all over!”

The carriage road was wide, but because of the heavy traffic, it was impossible to park the carriage anywhere.

As Uncle Hans pulled the carriage to the carriage stand, Helen opened the umbrella and Philip followed me. Is it because of the recent monster incident? Philip’s body, which looked around, was filled with spirit.

“The atmosphere is more relaxed than I thought. I thought it would still be rigid.”

“Because it’s been a while. Besides, this street has not been attacked directly.…. Ah, over there, the knights are patrolling, aren’t they?”

Looking at the place Helen was pointing to, there were two knights in black overalls standing there.  Judging by the red half-cloak draped over one shoulder, it seemed to belong to the Knights of the Red Lion.

“I think Alex also is on patrol by now, right?”

“Maybe”

I’m a little worried, but even after all this, since His swordsmanship skills are excellent, there shouldn’t be a problem with even mid-level monsters.

‘No way another higher-level monster will appear.’

Come to think of it, what is Leonhard doing now? Someone came from the Crimson Hotel just yesterday….I didn’t bother to ask my eldest brother what letters they exchanged.

It would be a big deal if my older brother misunderstood that there was really something between the two of us.

‘A fiancé other than me… Can you find it, right?’

I guess so. No matter how many adopted children, he was the Marquis of Ajas.

Considering the popularity of Duke Khalid, who had already been married once and had lost his wife, he could be engaged to a good lady, too. Of course.

“Welcome…Wow, you’re here again! Did you finish using the yarn that you bought then?”

When I opened the door and entered, I was greeted by a girl with long brown hair braided on both sides.

I also gave a friendly voice to the child who greeted me and talked to me warmly.

“ I told you my hands were fast. Couldn’t you believe it now?”

“I didn’t know you would be this fast. Are you here to buy yarn again today? Or do you need the magic yarn I showed you before?”

“I don’t need magic yarn, and I want to see some wool yarn and embroidery thread.”

Because I have gotten a Snowfox doll, I should make something for Rebecca too.

[‘Oh, as I told you before, I was really pregnant. We decided to have a wedding as soon as New Year’s Day is over. Nell, you’re going to come, right?’]

“….”

“Lady?”

“Ah, well. that is. Can I see the golden yarn?”

“Yes, hold on.”

While the handicraft kid went inside, I looked at the yarn on the stand. Black and white. I was contemplating whether to knit a doll with this, but Helen, who was behind me, whispered in my ear next to me.

“My lady, why are you buying the golden yarn?”

“huh? As a gift for Becky, Just embroider her handkerchief.”

Actually, I want to make a swaddle jacket and embroider it, but it would be better to hide the story from Helen.

“Ahhh. It was supposed to be a present for Lady Norman. again.”

“What?”

Seeing Helen sweeping her chest, I think she misunderstood something…no way?

“Look at me. I’m not trying to present it to Leon!”

“Right? But the lady found the golden yarn.”

“I didn’t want to see him anymore…oh!”

I jumped up and protested out of frustration, then dropped the ball of yarn I was holding.

But perhaps the floor of the store was a bit sloped, and the round ball-shaped ball of yarn quickly rolled out of the store.

“Oh, my God! Helen, hold this.”

“Young lady, I…”

“No. I dropped it, so I’ll pick it up.”

After dissuading Philip from going, I followed the ball of yarn out of the store.

“What? Where did it go?”

But, the ball of yarn I thought would be outside the store was nowhere to be found. It doesn’t even have legs, so where did it go?

“Oh! There!”

A black cat sitting at the entrance of the alley next to the store kicked a ball of wool with its front paw. I entered the alley after a cat chasing a ball of yarn that had rolled into the alley.

“Hey, that’s not a toy. It’s–?”

“Meow.”

wait for a sec. Now that I see it, he’s not a cat?

The fur was all black, so I couldn’t see the wings attached to the back. The red magic stone embedded in his forehead was visible only now when he raised his head high. In addition, even the right ear with the tip cut off…

“Ruby?”

“Meow!”

As if that was his name, Ruby, who quickly lost interest in yarn, came to my feet and wiggled his tail.

‘Really cute!’

I sat down and stroked Ruby’s head.

“Why are you here?”

“Meow—.”

“Yes, there is no way you can answer”

How far is it from the Crimson Hotel to here?

When I was looking back at the geography around here in my head, suddenly Ruby pulled up her fur and quickly went into the inside of the hem of my dress. There was no time to stop him.

“Oh, look at you. you-–!”

“Excuse me, I have a question, Lady.”

At that time, a sweet voice came from behind that made my spine shiver. Why did I get goosebumps from his sweet voice? I don’t know.

Feeling the cat’s tail coiling around my ankles in the hem of my long dress, I slowly got up and looked back.

There stood a black-haired man with eyes the same color as Duke Khalid’s. However, unlike the Duke’s purplish eyes, which were close to wine, the man’s had red eyes resembling dark blood.

The man who gave off a sharp and cold image had a very brilliant appearance like Leonhard.

However, as it was in front of me it was not Leonhard, the man’s bored face and eyes were too dangerous to admire purely.

What should I express? Feels like my survival instinct said ‘This man is dangerous’ and warned me with a red warning light.

“Did you not see a single monster around here?”

The corners of his mouth were curved, but his blood-red eyes were not smiling at all.

Right below it, the pattern of Estroa covering one cheek was telling.

I know who’s that man in front of me.