Chapter 27 - The Dog
As soon as Jaina arrived, Theoris held out a thick bundle of paper.
“What is this?”
“Check it out.”
Jayna turned to its first page.
<1. Agris Jane 2. Hans Kin 3. Prina Anz 3. Godot Range…>
There were portraits with names of people from 1 to 101. Under each portrait, there was information including height, weight, blood type, hobbies, and aspirations. Reading the information, Jayna recalled her once-favorite audition show that she used to watch.
‘But why is everyone’s face…’
Jayna knew she shouldn’t judge people just by their looks, but none of them looked great. Among them, there was not a good-looking person in Jayna’s eyes.
“Please choose.”
“What?”
“Is there no one you like?”
‘If he’s asking if I like someone…’
Jayna looked at the papers and looked at Theoris’ face alternately. Then Theoris grinned after realizing what Jayna might be thinking.
“For your knight.”
Jayna, who was reading the papers as if she understood as she had to choose a candidate for her paramour, blushed.
“I know!”
Jayna felt guilty and responded with an attitude, then Theoris smiled quietly.
“Why am I choosing my knight like this? Normally, don’t you have to line them up and see them myself in person and choose?”
“If that’s what you want, I can do that for you.”
“No, I don’t want it. It’s too much.”
“I thought so.”
At Theoris’ light smirk, Jayna pouted her lips and turned to the next page. All information about Agris Jane, the first knight of the list, was written down. There were graphs that displayed family environment, past activities, physical strength, muscle strength, speed, and loyalty.
“But suddenly, why do I need a knight?”
“Because I think you need a knight for protection.”
“I don’t really need it. I’ll be at home most of the time anyway…”
“You never know. Who knows if you’d end up getting out like last time?”
Jayna quietly shut her mouth. If it was Theoris that Jayna knew, she was sure he could hire someone to follow and watch Jayna. Knowing that, Jayna thought that Theoris was being respectful for letting her choose her own knight.
“Please give me some time to think.”
“All right.”
Jayna returned to her room with a heavy bundle of paper.
‘Wait, Cotton Candy hasn’t come back yet.’
She thought that it would come back by now and would be lying on the bed, but Cotton Candy wasn’t there. Normally, Jayna wouldn’t have cared that much, thinking it’d come back on its own, but leaving it behind where Poppy was, she was worried. In anxiety, Jayna went back to the breeding house.
“Poppy? Cotton Candy?”
Contrary to Jayna’s concern, Poppy and Cotton Candy had just become friends. No, it was actually a little early to think that they had become friends. Cotton Candy was on Poppy’s back and lied down comfortably as if Poppy was its bed.
After Cotton Candy heard Jayna calling it, it stood up. Poppy bowed its head quietly as Cotton Candy made a muffled sound then Cotton Candy tumbled over Poppy’s head and ran into Jayna’s arms.
‘Poppy growled so much earlier. I can’t believe it became so gentle now. Well, I’m glad these two became close.’
“Good, Poppy and Cotton Candy. Two of you should be friends from now on.”
Cotton Candy flipped over in the palm of Jayna’s hand, making a cute crying noise.
“Oh, wait, Cotton Candy. Open your mouth.”
Jayna pulled out a tuft of black hair from Cotton Candy’s mouth. It was a little short, but it was definitely Poppy’s hair.
“Cotton Candy, you shouldn’t bite Poppy!”
As Jayna scolded Cotton Candy, it nodded its head and curled up its body. Jayna realized that Poppy was being generous, knowing that Cotton Candy was still young. She was surprised that Poppy let Cotton Candy bite even if its hair was plucked like this.
* * *
After that, the two demons went for walks together. Judging from its size and usual personality, Jayna thought that Poppy was being easy on Cotton Candy because it was still young, but Jayna was wrong. Cotton Candy often bullied Poppy by biting or riding on its back. Its bite might not be so painful because of its size, but Poppy made a loud yelping noise every time. But it never attacked Cotton Candy back.
“No, Cotton Candy. Don’t bother Poppy.”
Jayna pulled Cotton Candy back who was biting Poppy’s tail. Cotton Candy tilted its head and blinked as if it didn’t know what was wrong.
‘I’m not going to be deceived by you anymore.’
“If you keep doing that, I will hate you.”
As if it was in despair, Cotton Candy lowered its ears.
“You promise you wouldn’t do that again, right?”
Cotton Candy responded with a short cry. Seriously, it was a demon in appearance, but it was just like a puppy. While Jayna was trying to make Cotton Candy and Poppy become closer, Homel, who was from afar, suddenly ran towards Jayna. Seeing his unusually serious expression on his face, Jayna knew something happened.
“What’s wrong?” Jayna asked quietly.
“I feel someone approaching nearby,” Homel responded and grabbed his sword that was wrapped around his waist.
‘Oh, Poppy and Cotton Candy.’
They were rolling around and playing with each other, not knowing what was happening.
“Poppy and Cotton Candy, come here.”
Cotton Candy heard Jayna’s voice and jumped out of Poppy’s head and rushed to her. No, it was about to run to her. The moment Cotton Candy was about to jump to run into Jayna’s arms, a gloved hand grabbed the back of Cotton Candy and snatched it. Cotton Candy whined and struggled with its two feet floating in the air.
“Is this what you are calling ‘Cotton Candy’?”
Long blue-purple hair that resembled the light of the night sky just after the sun had set, the golden eyes that looked like they had been plucked from the stars shone clearly. A young boy, whose height was too short to reach Jayna’s chest, grabbed Cotton Candy and asked Jayna.
Act 9. Jayna doesn’t have patience
Cotton Candy looked at Jayna and cried.
“Child, you can’t hold it like that. You are hurting it.”
At Jayna’s words, the boy’s eyebrows furrowed. The boy responded with a very displeased expression, “Child?”
“Um… kid?”
“Asynth.”
“What?”
“Asynth!”
When Jayna asked, the boy said his name as if he was teaching her how to speak. Only then Jayna realized that the boy was telling her his name.
“Okay, Asynth.”
“Sir Asynth.”
Jayna sighed inwardly. Seeing that Homel had drawn his sword, the body didn’t seem like an ordinary little child, so she couldn’t be rude to him.
“Okay, Sir Asynth. Can you let go of the demon?”
“Let go of the demon?”
What’s wrong this time?
“Sir Asynth, could you please let go of the demon?”
Finally, Asynth let go of Cotton Candy with a satisfied expression on his face. Cotton Candy, after it fell to the ground, rolled around and jumped into her arms. Jayna stroked Cotton Candy’s hair, knowing it was probably shocked. Asynth clicked his tongue seeing Jayna.
“I’ve never seen or expected to see an adult demon acting cute to a human.”
Jayna was taken aback by the words of Asynth, talking like an old man. She was sure that he was out of his mind. If not, he wouldn’t be able to say that Cotton Candy was an adult demon when Cotton Candy was so tiny.
“Are you an escort?”
Homel answered Asynth’s question.
“I’m the butler.”
“Okay. I have to talk to the girl so please stay out of the way for a while.”
“I can’t let you.”
“What?”
Asynth looked annoyed.
“Do you not know who I am?”
Since Jayna met him, she thought that he was talking like an old man, like an old-fashioned boss. Anyone asking ‘Do you not know what I am?’ was always old-fashioned. Jayna didn’t think Homel was the kind of person who wouldn’t accept such nonsense, but unexpectedly, he responded to Asynth’s every question.
“I do know. Didn’t you just identify yourself as Sir Asynth?”
“Yes. Then get away. It’s an order.”
“The Archduke of Akrana has ordered that no one should come near Archduchess, Her Highness. I am serving for Archduke, His Highness, so I can’t obey your command, Sir Asynth.”
Upon hearing Theoris’ name, Asynth’s expression brightened.
“Is Theo here?”
For some reason, hearing someone calling Theoris by his name didn’t make Jayna feel good.
‘Now is not the time to be concerned about that. I need to think about how to get out of here first.’
In an instant, a sword flew from afar towards Asynth. The ground shook with a huge roar and dust. Jayna turned her head towards the familiar hand wrapping around her shoulder.
“Theo.”
“Are you okay, Jayna?”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
Jayna wiped the sweat from his forehead as he looked like he came in a hurry.
“Theo, it’s been a while.”
Asynth laughed leisurely in the dust wind. A faint yellow aura flickered around him. Theoris’ sword must have struck him directly, but he didn’t get hurt, nor did he get any dust on his clothes.
‘Listening to the way he’s speaking, he seemed to be very close with Theoris…’
“Don’t call me like that.”
“Aren’t you the one who let me call you by your name?”
“I did back then, but not now or in the future. Jayna is the only one who can call me by my name.”
‘How come they are having embarrassing conversations so casually?’
Asynth’s facial expression is distorted.
“You are finally crazy.”
“Unfortunately, I am sane.”
“Are you so sane that you pointed your sword at me?”
“Didn’t Sir Asynth threaten my wife first?”
Asynth smirked as if Theoris was saying something ridiculous, then smiled leisurely.
“Okay, the day we meet will come soon anyway, so I’ll go away today. Girl, I will see you next time.”
A yellowish grain of light wrapped around Asynth’s body. And after a while, Asynth disappeared. Even after a while he disappeared, Theoris didn’t put down his sword.
“Theoris, who was that child?”
He knew both Theoris and Homel, and seeing Homel being polite to him, he must have been a member of the Imperial Family. But none of the imperial people Jayna had learned from reading books looked like that.
“He’s the dog of the imperial family.”
“What?”
“It’s a long story. Let’s go inside first.”
