Oh. My. God. This is amazing! I expected the tiger’s fur to be rough, but it was silky and soft. It feels so nice!
I took my time enjoying the sensation of the tiger’s luxurious fur to my heart’s content, and the tiger didn’t mind at all—he patiently let me pet him.
Once the tiger and I were acquainted, he told me he would show me around the garden, so I climbed on his back, and we went for a walk together. Score!
…Wait a minute. Where are we? I don’t recognize this area. Oh man, Mama is going to give me an earful if she finds out! I need to get back before she notices I’m gone.
“Lars, what’s that on your back?”
Whoa! That surprised me; someone’s here!
I looked in the direction the voice had come from and saw a shockingly handsome boy who was definitely on par with my brother in the looks department.
“Don’t worry; Lars is a gentle feline,” he told me. “But you should get down. It’s dangerous up there.”
Aww! I don’t wanna!
I tried to resist but was pried off the tiger’s back. The handsome boy was holding me in his arms…
I can tolerate it when it’s my brother, but this is embarrassing!
The most noticeable thing about this boy was his eyes.
His eyes, which almost seemed to glow with inner light, were a delicate almond shape and the color of amethysts.
He sure is easy on the eyes! Ha!
His hair was slightly wavy and seemed to fall perfectly without any effort. The indigo-colored strands looked so soft and silky that I wanted to touch his hair and see if it was as soft as it looked. Not only that, but his facial features were perfectly symmetrical.
Looks like it’s true what they say—that symmetry correlates to beauty!
…But now I’m even more embarrassed!
“No hug!” I whined.
Put me down!
When I struggled and flailed, the boy laughed.
You demon…!
“Nooo!”
I fought to escape until the white tiger, apparently named Lars, came to my rescue.
Thank you!
The white tiger grabbed me by the scruff and gently placed me on the ground. Once my feet were on solid ground, I clung to the tiger, seeking comfort. The tiger stood protectively between the handsome boy and me.
“It’s rare for him to let anyone other than me get close to him.”
Oh, so this boy is the white tiger’s master.
“So, what are you doing here, kid? Where are your parents?”
Where is ‘here,’ anyways? I don’t know my way around the palace!
“Mama ish… warking…”
Damn it! Why is it so hard to speak properly?! This demon! Spawn of evil! His face is smiling, but I can see it in his eyes—he’s laughing at me!
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Ne-farty-ma Oppe!”
Oh my god, I can’t even pronounce my name right! I spent so much time practicing, and I still can’t say it!
“A relative of Duke Osphe, hm? …Come with me.”
Wait a minute! I have to get back! Mama is going to be furious…! What, do I not even get a say in the matter?! I’m happy that Lars is letting me ride on his back again, but I don’t want to go! The boy seems to be leading us deeper into the palace; are we even allowed here?
Before I knew it, we’d stopped in front of a closed door in a ridiculously opulent room. Two men who appeared to be guards were standing watch outside the door.
This is kind of scary!
The door opened, and on the other side was a room that appeared to be an office. The door was gaudy, but the interior of the room was normal. All that it contained was a desk and several bookshelves.
Hold on, is Lars even allowed indoors? Well, I suppose someone would’ve stopped us by now if he wasn’t.
“What is it, Will? Who is that child?” an older man sitting at the desk asked.
This handsome boy’s name is Will? …Hm, I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before…
“Duke Osphe, she seemed lost, so I brought her here.”
I wasn’t lost! I could’ve found my way back if I wasn’t abducted!
“Neema!”
Huh? Why is Papa here?
“She was playing with Lars alone in the garden, so I took it upon myself to help her find her way back.”
“Huh?!” the older man and my father exclaimed at the same time.
Hmm, I don’t know what’s going on, but I guess I’ll go to my father.
“Papa!”
I slipped off Lars’ back and reached up toward my father for a hug.
“Neema!” he cried, hugging me tightly.
Papa, your face looks practically deformed when you rub it against me like that. There you go again, ruining your cool-guy image!
“What are you doing here, darling?”
I don’t even know where here is!
“Came wif Mama! Wash lonely, so Larsh play wif me!” I responded with a winning smile. I was sure my kind papa couldn’t be too angry with me.
“You were lonely, huh? I’m sorry, honey.”
You’re so kind, Papa, I love you!
“Thank you very much, Your Highness.”
Tch! What did he just say?! What did you call this demon, Papa?!
I must have misheard!
“You too, Neema. Say thank you to His Highness.”
Send up the white flag; I surrender! ‘Your Highness’… That’s, like, what you call a prince or something, right? No freaking way! His face may be nice, but his personality is terrible… He seems like a cliché, stereotypical character in a novel or something…
“…Tank you vewy much.”
I got my papa to put me down and even curtsied properly as I said it. Let’s call the terrible articulation charming and leave it at that.
When I rose from my curtsy, the prince ruffled my hair affectionately.
What a pain in the neck…
“No!”
I ran to my father and hid behind him.
“Is this your youngest daughter?” the man seated at the desk inquired.
Now that I think about it, if my father, who’s a duke, is here and a prince is also here, then this guy’s probably the king, right? That would make him my father’s boss. I need to greet him properly, or it will reflect poorly on Papa.
“I’m Nefertima Osphe. I’m twee yearsh old.”
All right! The pronunciation was a bit off, but I managed to say my name correctly this time, at least!
“What a clever girl. My name is Gauldi Russ Gaché; I’m currently serving as king of this country.”
Thought so. He has the same easy-on-the-eyes amethyst eyes as the prince. Anyway, I’d better do what I can to make sure Papa stays in his favor.
“Naish to meet you, Mishta King!” I said with the most charming smile I could muster.
I prefer cuddly animals, but the smile of a little kid is formidable as well, right?
Okay, good; the king is smiling too.
…Papa’s making that disgustingly sappy face again, though. What am I going to do with him?