“What’s wrong, Damiana?” her father asked.
The sight of the middle-aged man in a black coat caused me to recoil. During my brief stint as a fennec, a nobleman and a merchant had tried to capture me. Now, that very nobleman had appeared right in front of me. No wonder his voice had sounded familiar.
“Ally?” Embert asked, having noticed me recoil.
“I’m fine,” I replied in a whisper. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Who the hell is that woman?!” Damiana shrieked, her face twisting into an ogre’s scowl. “What’s going on here?! Who do you think you are, clinging to my prince like that?! Show me your face!”
Damiana stomped towards the gazebo, her outstretched hand pointed at me. Just before she could enter, however, something repelled her. Upon closer inspection, a magic barrier had been erected around the gazebo. “Eek!” Damiana yelped before toppling backward. After catching his daughter, her father narrowed his eyes in my direction.
Care to glower at someone else? I didn’t do anything.
“Who dares lay her filthy hand on my holy woman?” Custode asked with a snort. “I’m most unamused.”
Apparently, the barrier had been his doing.
“Squishy!” the slime cheeped furiously. Somehow, he still looked cute when angry.
“Well done, Custode,” Embert said with a satisfied chuckle.
Custode smirked. These three—prince, dragon, and slime—made for a wicked team.
In any case, Embert let go of me and went to stand before Damiana and her father. He now wore a smile of genuine delight rather than the previous mask.
“You’re being incredibly rude, Lady Damiana,” he said. “This is my beloved fiancée. I cannot permit the likes of you to casually lay your hand on her. Furthermore, I heard some rather peculiar remarks from you. If you continue acting with such disrespect, I’ll have to take that into consideration as a representative of Gandolfin. You understand what I’m saying, don’t you, Royal Prince Pieno?”
Though Damiana gaped in disbelief, her father’s expression remained the same. That said, his aura clearly changed. Unfathomable darkness radiated from him. I had no words to describe his demeanor except deeply unsettling.
I still need to introduce myself, I thought despite my slight sense of revulsion.
Thus, I stood, joined Embert’s side, and curtsied. “My name is Alexandra Vistriano,” I said with a smile. “I’m Crown Prince Embert’s fiancée.”
My stomach turned when I met Pieno’s gaze. It felt as though his body had been crafted from negative emotions. Embert wrapped an arm around my waist to provide reassurance. Presumably, he’d sensed my discomfort.
“As I said, Alexandra is my beloved fiancée,” Embert said. “I planned to introduce her during the Founding Festival, but we’ve gotten somewhat ahead of schedule.”
Pieno stared at me as if appraising something for sale. “If this young lady is your fiancée, she must be the holy woman, no? It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Holiness. I’m Pieno Cotarini—the King of Bragioga’s younger brother. Rumors of you have reached my ears for quite some time. Considering your beauty, perhaps you should be called a goddess rather than a holy woman. I would be honored if you allowed me to kiss your hand as a gesture of friendship.”
Despite his gentle words, wickedness lay beneath his gray eyes. When I hesitated, Embert hid me behind his back.
“As I said, I cannot allow anyone to touch Alexandra casually,” Embert said. “Not even the royal prince. Don’t make things too difficult for us, would you? Otherwise, you might incur the wrath of our divine beast.”
After catching sight of Custode in the gazebo, Pieno snorted. “Is that the divine beast you speak of? Quite a grand name for such an adorable little creature.”
Damiana took this opportunity to cackle with laughter as well. “Oh my, are you talking about that little black creature? Aren’t dragons supposed to be much larger? Perhaps Lady Alexandra isn’t much of a holy woman if she can only summon that tiny little thing.”
A wave of hostility surged from Embert. However, I felt an even more terrifying pressure from behind. It originated from Custode.
“Crown Prince,” the dragon said. “Don’t fly into a rage over their nonsense. Those who can’t even gauge my power are of no significance.”
Embert chuckled. “Perhaps you should take your own advice and stop radiating such a menacing aura.”
“Alas, that awful girl sickens me to my core.”
“Yes, I couldn’t agree more.”
Thus, Embert and Custode continued glaring at Damiana.
“Eek!” she squealed.
“Haha, forgive us,” Pieno said with an ingratiating smile. “We seem to have offended you, Prince Embert, and your divine beast. Come with me, Damiana. We’ll take our leave here. Once again, I’m terribly sorry.”
He then took Damiana’s arm and began to leave. After a few steps, however, he turned back towards me. He wore a composed expression as if nothing had occurred.
“Your name is Lady Alexandra, correct?” he asked. “By way of apology, I would love to have you over for tea during your stay.”
With that, he strode away before anyone could react.
The air around Embert turned frigid. “That sly devil has set his sights on you, has he?”
“I definitely won’t be having tea with him,” I said. “Something about him gives me the creeps. Plus…” I proceeded to tell Embert about Pieno’s ominous conversation with the merchant.
“Fascinating,” Embert said. “This information could prove quite valuable.”
My shoulders slumped. “Sorry I wasn’t able to hear them more clearly.”
Embert shook his head. “What are you saying? I’m just glad you weren’t captured. Who knows what terrible fate might have awaited you had they succeeded? You mustn’t approach that sly devil from here on out. Of course, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you as well.”
“Thanks,” I responded with a laugh.
“Squishy, squishy!” the slime cheeped while bouncing on my shoulder.
Apparently, he would protect me, too.
“Thank you, Squishy,” I said.
“Don’t forget me,” Custode chimed in. “I’ll turn your enemies into ash if you desire.”
I laughed again. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
On top of having a fiancé who I love, I also have reliable allies, I thought. How blessed can a girl get?
And so, I returned to the castle with a grin.
✦ ✦ ✦
🦊 🦊 🦊
☆☆ Embert’s Point of View☆☆
“IT’S about time,” Janus remarked while checking his breast pocket watch.
“You’re right,” I replied, staring down at my right hand. “Let’s leave once we’ve taken care of these documents.”
Her ears were just as soft as… no, even softer than I anticipated.
I balled my right hand into a fist. When Ally’s fennec ears had sprouted a second time, I’d touched them with this very hand, unable to restrain myself. I’d also breathed into her ears, causing them to twitch adorably. Similarly, Ally’s shoulders had trembled with surprise. After losing complete control of myself, I’d poked her ears and caressed their backsides. As I’d attempted to touch their insides, however, Pieno and Damiana had appeared. Unfortunately, that had caused Ally’s fennec ears to vanish.
I wanted to enjoy them a little while longer.
“That was a supremely rude interruption,” I muttered to myself.
“What are you talking about?” Janus asked, his sharp ears not missing a single syllable.
I wouldn’t be able to deceive a man of Janus’s caliber. As such, I told him about everything except for Ally’s fennec ears.
Janus chuckled, radiating a frigid aura. “Surely, you wouldn’t allow my adorable sister to have tea with the royal prince.”
“Of course not.”
I couldn’t let Ally associate with Damiana or that sly devil any further.
“It’s a relief to hear that from you,” Janus said with a smile. He then left the room with the documents in hand.
Once alone, I leaned back in my chair and stared at my hand again.
“I can’t wait to stroke Ally’s head when her fennec ears pop up again,” I mumbled.
How would it feel to caress her fluffy ears and silky hair at the same time? Eventually, I wanted to touch her bushy tail as well. Stroking it from base to tip would be delightful. Perhaps burying my face in it would be just as splendid. As those thoughts crossed my mind, I couldn’t suppress a chuckle.
“This might not bode well,” I muttered.
Apparently, I had something of a fetish for animal ears. I’d vaguely suspected this the first time, but now, my thoughts had surpassed perversion. Nevertheless, I couldn’t forget that fluffy sensation. The mere thought of Ally’s fennec ears was unbearable.
“What am I to do?” I asked. “I might have to keep Squishy by my side at all times.”
Otherwise, I might lose my inhibitions. Or perhaps I was barely clinging to them at this point. Fortunately, I always regained some composure when Squishy attacked me.
In any case, I heaved a deep sigh, unable to get the image of Ally’s twitching fennec ears out of my mind.