Chapter 9: The societies pet

A grand mansion, rivaling even the most majestic palaces of the empire, proudly displays its vast splendor. From within one of the innumerable offices of this immeasurable estate, a delicate voice is heard.

“…a banquet?”

“Yes.”

Despite the considerable passage of time, the elderly man still retained a noble dignity as he bowed deeply and respectfully to the woman before him.

“Is there a reason I must attend such an event?”

“It is a banquet to celebrate the upcoming marriage of the third princess. His Majesty has specifically expressed his desire for your attendance, Lady.”

The woman’s brow furrowed, but her face remained flawlessly beautiful. Her long black hair was calm like the night sky, and her amethyst-like eyes sparkled brilliantly.

“Well, if it’s for the third princess, I suppose I must go. She is our closest ally.”

As the black-haired woman removed her coat, the old man took it naturally and hung it on a coat rack. The woman walked elegantly to the desk in the office and sat down.

“What is the latest trend in society?”

“There is no need for you to concern yourself with such matters, Lady.”

“I need to know what I need to know. I can’t afford to be called old-fashioned.”

“Haha… who would dare say such a thing to you, Lady?”

Anyone who valued their life wouldn’t dare, of course.

The old man intended to say that, but knowing the woman before him was well aware of this, he simply wore a gentle smile.

“I may not know the preferences of the young ladies, but I do have a general understanding of the current social landscape.”

As the woman nodded briefly, the old man began to explain the latest happenings. From information about a family that failed spectacularly in expanding their salt business to the buzz about newly developed white chocolate, he recounted everything, from trivial gossip to significant events.

The black-haired woman rested her chin on her hand as she read through documents. She seemed to be half-listening to the old man’s words, yet he continued to speak.

“There is no concrete evidence yet, but there is information that the third prince has recently approached the Demon Cult.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The information comes directly from ‘Shadow.’”

The woman’s amethyst eyes gleamed ominously, and a crescent moon-like smirk of ridicule spread across her lips.

“If he just quietly picked up the scraps, he could live a fairly decent life. But it seems he is determined to shorten his lifespan.”

It wasn’t something one should say about royalty, but the old man did not object.

“I hate people who don’t know their place. They always cause unnecessary trouble.”

Having finished reviewing the documents in a brief moment, the woman stretched and looked out the window. She then fastened the sword hanging next to the desk around her waist and stood up.

“So, is that all the information?”

“Ah, and while it might not be something worth your attention, there is a peculiar person in high society recently.”

“Hmm?”

The woman’s amethyst eyes filled with curiosity.

“A young lady from the Blanc family… There’s been quite a bit of talk about her lately.”

“The Blanc barony? I think I’ve heard of it…”

“The previous baron squandered the family fortune on gambling and died. His position was inherited by his wife.”

“Ah, that reckless baron. Anyway, what about his daughter?”

“People are calling her the ‘Pet Lady.’”

“The ‘Pet Lady’?”

“Yes. She is said to have such a lovely appearance and obedient personality that she follows people around like a pet dog, hence the nickname.”

The woman’s laugh escaped at the old man’s unnecessarily serious explanation. It was a ridiculous story compared to the previous ones, yet strangely, it was also the most intriguing.

How could the word ‘pet’ be attached to a person’s title? The absurd combination of words brought her considerable amusement.

“Haha, at least that young lady seems to know her place very well.”

The woman’s name is Viviana Merdellia.

She was the only daughter of the Merdellia duchy, one of the four great ducal families of the empire, renowned for its mastery in swordsmanship.

***

“Tina, say ‘ah~’.”

“Ah~”

As I gently opened my mouth, a tiny cookie entered. I slowly chewed the cookie, savoring its softness and sweetness that satisfied my taste buds.

“Mmm, it’s delicious.”

“Hehe… It’s a new cookie released this month by the Mardelin pastry shop. I waited in line to get it just for you, Tina.”

“Really? I love it, Lady Versha.”

Her eyes, which had a faint blue tint, lit up with a bright smile. Lady Versha, as she was called, patted my head and gave a soft laugh.

“Just looking at you makes me smile, Tina. Why don’t you stay at our mansion? I’ll take good care of you.”

“I think I would be happy every day if I could spend it with you, Lady Versha.”

“Really? Then this week, why don’t you come to our mansion-“

Lady Versha’s blue eyes widened at my words. She spoke with excitement, her cheeks flushed, but another woman with purple hair placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Lady Versha, it’s not fair to hog Tina all to yourself.”

“…Lady Sharione.”

“Tina, would you come here?”

The woman called Sharione opened her arms toward me. Without hesitation, I rushed into her embrace. She held me comfortably, like a mother bird caring for her chick.

“Even though my fiancé has been bothering me lately, I feel less stressed thanks to you, Tina.”

She sighed deeply, holding me tightly. Looking up at her with a bashful smile, I said,

“I really missed you, Lady Sharione!”

“I missed you too, Tina.”

“But a fiancé… are you getting married, Lady Sharione?”

It seemed like an unpleasant topic, as Sharione’s forehead slightly furrowed. She sighed briefly before answering my question.

“Yes, it seems that way.”

“Do you really have to get married?”

“It’s an arranged marriage set by the family, so I have no choice.”

I gently entwined my fingers with hers, trying to suppress the sadness inside. Looking up at her with a face on the verge of tears, I spoke in a tender voice.

“I don’t want that… Then we won’t be able to stay together. I really like you, Lady Sharione….”

“T-Tina….”

Sharione’s usually calm voice was trembling. Her black eyes were filled with emotion, and the corners of her mouth, which had been set in irritation until just a moment ago, were twitching with a faint smile.

“It’s impossible to be separated from Tina! No matter what happens, Tina will always be our precious pet.”

Sharione wrapped her arms around me and hugged me with all her strength.

‘…I can’t breathe.’

I felt pain from the sudden pressure and struggled to breathe, but I didn’t show it and nestled into her embrace without resistance.

“It would be great to marry Tina. Every day would be filled with happiness, like taking walks and shopping together. It would be a constant comfort.”

“Really…? I think I would be happy if I married you too, Sharione.”

“Hehe, Tina, you’re really… Oh, right.”

Sharione, feeling much better, kept a light smile on her lips as she took something out from inside her dress and handed it to me.

“I participated in an auction this time, and it reminded me of Tina, so I bought it as a gift.”

What she handed me was a small box luxuriously wrapped. When I opened the box, I found a necklace with a resplendent blue jewel in the center.

“Sha, Sharione… This is…?”

“It’s a blue sapphire. I want Tina to have it.”

“You already gave me an expensive dress last time… And this is too precious for me to use… It’s like putting pearls on a pig.”

Sharione, removing me from her embrace, poked my forehead with a disgruntled look on her face.

“Don’t say such things! What pig could be as beautiful as Tina? Don’t you dare compare yourself to such lowly animals.”

“R-really?”

“Of course. And you are our pet. It would be embarrassing for us if we didn’t at least give you this much adornment.”

Versha, who was sitting across from us, nodded in agreement with Sharione’s words. Overwhelmed by their sincere gazes, I reluctantly hugged the box to my chest with both hands.

“Then I’ll gratefully accept it. Thank you so much, Sharione….”

“Hehe… Tina, you just need to stay pretty and obedient like this forever.”

Sharione and the others were people with power not inferior to Mardian. Looking at the women gazing at me with satisfied smiles, I thought to myself.

‘I wonder how much this will fetch if I sell it.’

I should just sell the jewel in about two years.