“I had a lot of fun today. How about you, Ren?”
Ren cooed softly as Misha brushed his fur, both of them sitting on the floor after returning from the festival. His special brush was made from stiff boar hair, so it ended up feeling like a massage on his skin. Recently he had taken quite a liking to it. Even now he was lying flat on his side, lost in the sensation.
“There were so many different shapes and sizes of lanterns on that altar. Just looking at them all was a lot of fun. It’s too bad I couldn’t stay long enough to see them lit, but apparently there’s a spot in the castle where you can see the bonfire. Geord told me his secret spot, so let’s go sneak up there later.”
Misha’s happy voice was like a lullaby to the already entranced Ren, who was totally absorbed in the sensation of her firm brushing. Misha giggled at the soft sound Ren made, somewhere between a reply and a satisfied groan.
As fun as it had been, spending an entire day in crowds of people must have been exhausting for him. Misha had been a bit concerned about taking Ren, considering the city would be even more packed than usual during the festival, but Geord had assured her everything would be okay, so she’d brought him along anyway.
But while Misha had been on edge the whole time, worried about how Ren would react to the crowds, the wolf pup himself had been basking in the love and attention from everyone, and he’d snapped up the scraps of meat that various stall owners tossed his way as they passed.
Apparently, his experience in the castle had acclimated him to the presence of strangers, as he never so much as balked at new faces reaching out to pet him on the street. And according to Geord, Ren had remained alert, keeping a steady eye on the people passing them by. It seemed his training with the watchdogs in the castle was bearing fruit. Misha was really proud to see how much he was growing even when she wasn’t around.
As the sun began to set, Geord brought Misha back home, where she quickly had a bath and returned to her cabin. After making dinner and organizing all the things she had bought over the day, she didn’t have any real plans for the rest of the day. Lalaya and Ryan were out of the castle, visiting various churches across the city as part of their royal duties.
While the Moonflower Festival was intended to celebrate the coming of summer, it was also a time to pray for a good harvest to come. Members of the royal family couldn’t just sit back and have fun the whole time.
“I hope she doesn’t overwork herself and get sick again. Maybe I should adjust her breakfast for tomorrow.”
Although the princess was healthier now, she was still weaker than the average person, so Misha spent some time ruminating over nutritious herbs she could add to the morning meal.
Catching the change in Misha’s tone, Ren opened his eyes slightly to look at her, but Misha was too lost in thought to notice. He cocked his head in confusion as Misha’s hands stopped. Deciding that the brushing must be over, he stood up, stretched, and gave his fur a quick shake. He then moved on to his prize of the day, a cow bone wrapped in skin that Misha had bought for him from one of the stalls they’d visited.
“Oh, had enough brushing already?” By the time Misha came back to reality, Ren was fully absorbed in his toy. Misha noticed he had already made quite some progress into it, the tip already having been chewed off, meaning he must have been at it for some time. With a shrug, she put away the brush.
Despite the young wolf being fully absorbed in his snack, something caused Ren’s ears to snap to attention, and he nimbly jumped to his feet. He turned to stare at the door, and after just long enough for Misha to get curious about his behavior, a knock sounded.
Kino’s quiet voice came from beyond the door. “Excuse me. Are you present, Lady Misha?”
Ren’s tail gave a single wag.
“Yes. Is something wrong?” Misha hurriedly replied, and the door swung open in front of her to reveal Kino standing there in the usual butler uniform.
“Sir Kite Dyson has requested to see you,” Kino said, putting a hand to his chest in a polite bow. “Would you like to see him at the castle, or shall I guide him here?”
“Kite? What does he want this late?” He hadn’t mentioned anything about coming to see her during the ball the night before, so it was odd for him to be calling for her now, she thought as she stood up. “No need to make him come all the way here. I’ll go see him. Would you mind taking me to him?”
Even though she had already had her bath, she had planned on going to see the burning of the lanterns later with Ren, so she was already back in her usual dress. As such, she didn’t have to worry about her appearance before heading out. She wasn’t in any kind of formal wear, but that hardly mattered at this point.
“Very well.” Familiar enough with Misha to have expected this, Kino set off without hesitation.
“Let’s go, Ren!” After a bit of hesitation, she urged Ren, who had been politely sitting by while she spoke to the butler, to come along. Misha didn’t know what Kite wanted, but if it took very long, it might run into the time they needed to see the burning of the lanterns. The castle was big enough that they might miss the whole thing if she had to come back and get Ren afterward.
With a happy bark, Ren stood up and trotted after her.
Kino gave the pup a quick glance but otherwise said nothing. In truth, the staff of the castle had already been informed that Ren was permitted to accompany Misha anywhere she went in the castle. It was Misha’s own idea of manners to keep him mostly at her own cabin, though now that they had grown used to their new accommodations, he also had free rein over the gardens surrounding it too.
On top of already having permission, Ren was obedient and didn’t object to people stroking his luxuriously soft fur, so the staff had fallen in love with him. Many people had started taking walks through Ren’s garden during their breaks to see him; he was quite the mood booster.
“Sorry for the wait, Kite! What’s wrong?” Led to a waiting room, Misha found Kite standing alone within.
With a small smile, Kite rose from the sofa where he was seated and walked over to her. “I’m sorry for bothering you so late. Actually, we received orders to depart Redford early tomorrow morning, so I wanted to come say goodbye,” he explained, escorting her to the sofa opposite his.
A bit self-conscious about Kite’s “nobility mode” behavior, she nevertheless allowed him to guide her to her seat, eyes widening as his words sank in. “You’re leaving tomorrow morning?”
Of course, she understood Kite wasn’t visiting Redford for the fun of it. He was here to bring Misha some belongings in her father’s stead, who was still unable to travel due to his injuries. It was only coincidence that he was here during the Moonflower Festival, his attendance at the royal ball a result of circumstance rather than planning. His most significant job in Redford had been to deliver the duke’s letter to the king, so if he hadn’t been ensnared in Misha’s dance practice, his time in Redford likely would have ended with little more than a short audience with Ryan.