Chapter 5

She’s so unreasonable. First, she attacks me; then, she starts sobbing and insulting me. But I guess getting to see Zenobia flustered was a reward in its own right. I’m definitely grateful for that. Maybe I’ll try to cheer her up with some face licks. “What’s that? Zenobia isn’t here today?” The maid nods in reply to Lady Mary. “Yes. She told me she was going to the city to purchase a new sword. It appears she won’t return to the mansion for a while.” “Really? I was hoping I could go to the lake with Routa again today…” Lady Mary, who was excited to go out and play now that her afternoon classes had finished, droops her shoulders dejectedly. Oh, right. Her sword broke the other day. Is an unarmed knight even a knight? It sounds like Zenobia’s gone on a journey to retrieve her identity. You could say that I was the one responsible for shattering that identity in the first place. But I still don’t think I did anything wrong! If the sword hadn’t broken, I’d be dead. If anything, Zenobia got what she deserved. Serves her right. I hope she spends a ton of money on another fake sword. That way, it’ll break if she attacks me again. I give a nefarious chuckle, and Lady Mary turns to me to continue the conversation. “Looks like we’ll have to go to the lake ourselves. Can we?” “I’m afraid not. Everyone who could possibly escort us has the day off. And the master ordered that you be accompanied by a guard should you go anywhere.” Lady Mary has been taking regular trips to the lake for her afternoon playtime, while also bringing sandwiches for picnics. They’re a mixture of carrot and pumpkin between colorful slices of various types of bread, along with herb-roasted chicken and smoked salmon. I would love to have that again. Oh, right. We can’t have that now. That’s a shame. “Which means you will have to spend your afternoon at the mansion today.” “…Okay.” The young lady nods obediently and heads back to her room. I huff and follow after. “Woof, woof! (Lady Mary! Aren’t you tired from your studies? I really recommend a good nap! Naps are the best! Let’s treat ourselves to doing absolutely nothing together! You can bury yourself in my fluff!)” I wag my tail and hop around excitedly like a good, faithful dog. “Routa, please be quiet.” “Arf? (What?)” My lady flat out refuses my suggestions and opens the window. She sticks her head out and looks around. The mansion is big, but there aren’t many people who work here. I can’t sense anyone, and the gardener doesn’t seem to be here, either. “No one’s around. Now’s our chance…” “Arww? (What are you doing, my lady?)” I stare blankly at her as she puts on a wide-brimmed hat with a flower and casually steps up onto the windowsill. “A-arwf?! (M-my lady?! Isn’t that a little improper?!)” “Shh! Quiet. We’re only going out for a little bit, just the two of us. It’ll be fine. If we don’t stay too long and make it back before lunch, we’ll be okay.” Hmm. It’s at least an hour’s walk one way. That would take up way too much time. Plus, it’s hot. We should just laze around the house. “Come on. Let’s go, Routa.” Her mind is made up. She won’t listen to anyone when she gets like this. That tomboy side of hers is peeking out again. If I howled right now, the maid would come and put a stop to her plans, but then Lady Mary would be upset, and I don’t want her to hate me. She studies hard every day; the stress must really build up. A picnic by the lake sounds fun, too. I guess I don’t have a choice. I’ll go with her. In all honesty, my lady is so headstrong that it was bound to end up this way. “Woof, woof! (W-we’ll go for a bit, then come right back! Missing a meal is unforgivable!)” “Hee-hee-hee, okay. That’s why I love you, Routa.” “Arwf… (Great. So now you understand me…)” She holds down her skirt and hat and jumps out the window. We’re only on the first floor, so she’s in no danger. I follow her out the window. “All right, let’s go, Routa. Quietly, now.” “Woof! (Okay, my lady. I’m great at sneaking.)” When I sneak into the kitchen at night to steal snacks, that is. A (self-proclaimed) dog and girl walk along the town road between the trees. “Phew. This is taking forever.” Lady Mary lets out a sigh. Neither of us normally go on long walks. I may be lazy, but I’m still a dog—well, wolf—so I’m not tired at all. “Let’s rest in the shade of that tree.” “Woof! (Sounds good! I love resting! Actually, why don’t we just give up here and head back?)” “We’re not going back.” “Arww…? (Really…?)” I lie down, and mistress uses my back as a headrest, sighing. The maid normally brings her tea, but her only company at the moment is a big, useless dog. The least I can do is be her pillow. Rest well, my lady. It’s really hot out today, so the occasional cool breeze feels nice. We rest in the shade of the tree for a while when mistress unexpectedly leans into me. I can hear her calm, even breaths. “Arrf? (Uh-oh… Did you fall asleep?)” She must be burned-out. She studies every day from morning to night. “Arwf… (Hmm, nothing else to do. Guess I’ll sleep, too…)” Oh, no, I can’t do that. We need to get back before lunch, or they’ll find out we left. I can’t bear to hear my lady get scolded. I go to wake her up by poking her cheek with my nose when I notice a strange scent. It’s not Lady Mary, of course. She only ever smells like flowers. “Grwwl… (This smell…)” I subconsciously wrinkle my nose. This is the same scent from the carriage. It’s the smell of beasts, like dirt, filth, and blood mixed together in a putrid stench. Where is it coming from? “Grr…? (That way…?)” It’s coming from inside the forest. And it’s getting stronger. My large ears perk up, searching for sounds. If I concentrate, I can clearly distinguish the subtle sounds of the birds chirping and the breeze blowing through the leaves. My hearing homes in on the owner of the strange aroma. “Grr…! (Found you…!)” I can hear a group walking. My expert hearing can even tell me what they look like and how many there are. They’re pretty small. Their footsteps make them sound like they’re roughly the size of children, but there are a lot of them. Five, no six. If I focus, I can hear them talking.