“Ishel’s face looks quite bad. Did something happen?”
“Woof…”
After finishing the bath, Alek, who came to invite me for a meal, patted the back of his head and asked.
“It’s because the young lady took a bath.”
“I see. Ishel disliked bathing when she was in her mermaid form.”
“Woof! Woof woof woof!”
How can you talk about it as if it’s nothing, Alek? You’re a mermaid too! You’re a canine too!
If you’re a canine, you should dislike baths!
“Gruuung…!”
Now I understand why dogs dislike baths.
Of course, I wasn’t dunked into water.
But the lukewarm water pouring over my head, the damp, heavy fur, the water droplets dripping down my body—
The sensation of someone’s hands all over my body—ugh.
No matter how professional a butler Anna is, that doesn’t make it okay.
“Woof. Woof.”
I chewed on the dried chicken breast with a very displeased expression. Then Alek lightly tapped my forehead as I enjoyed tea.
“Woof!!”
“Don’t be angry. I come bearing good news.”
Good news? What is it? If it’s nothing special, I might get bored!
I snarled, showing my adorable little fangs. But he seemed quite confident as he smirked and lifted a letter.
The extermination campaign in Beijing has finished.
“…Wooof?”
So, could it be?
“Yes. They’ll be arriving soon.”
~~* * *~~
Fahrenheit.
He is Alek’s older brother, the duke of the Lycans’ territory, and the first elder brother who adores Ishel.
Furthermore, even after losing his father at a young age, he did not inherit the family branch’s title but proudly succeeded as duke—skilled in both martial and scholarly arts, handsome, and perfectly mannered! A rare, perfect man in this world.
‘But he’s the tragic supporting character who dies by the protagonist’s hand in this novel.’
Maybe that’s why the author killed him off.
Because you shouldn’t have a supporting character better than the main villain, right?
“Woof…”
But I absolutely cannot let Parren die. Yeah, that’s right!
To do that, I must become human as soon as possible and recruit him to our side.
“Wooof-of!”
I clenched my front paws in determination, and as I did, I heard a sulky voice above.
“Miss, you’re brushing your fur now. If you move, it won’t look pretty.”
“…Miiing.”
Why am I even fixing myself up since morning? I’m just inside the house anyway.
As if reading my mind, Haley started nagging again.
“A noble lady must always maintain proper manners and focus on her appearance. In a little while, we’ll go for a walk, won’t we?”
“Wooof-of.”
“Even if you’re a mermaid, staying cooped up in your room will make your body stiff. You absolutely must go for a walk today.”
“Wo-oof…”
To block any more nagging, I pressed my ears down with my front paws.
A few minutes later, I was moved to a cozy chair in front of a mirror.
“All done.”
“Wow! You’re so adorable!”
“…Hmmm?”
Really. It is quite cute.
Recently, I made a dress inspired by the popular style in the capital, transformed into a dog’s outfit.
It’s a flowing, light pink shumi dress layered over a basic purple one, with a side-slit cape.
It looks like Juliet from Romeo and Juliet.
Especially since the trend is to crush gemstones roughly and attach them to the neckline and puffed sleeves without faceting, indicating wealth based on the number of jewels used.
I raised my paw and fiddled with the bluish beads on the puffed sleeves, and Anna said:
“Really pretty. These are pearls newly imported from the Ocean Kingdom, and they’re worth enough to buy three carriages.”
“Woof!?”
“Why are you so surprised? This much is nothing for the duke to provide as budget for the noble lady.”
Anna, speaking as if she’s envious, wrapped a silver belt with gold leaf around my waist and skillfully tied a ribbon behind.
“There. This was originally a hair ornament you used when you were human, but I’ll use it now to secure your cape. It has a Lycans’ emblem on it.”
“Anna, good job. With this, even if you’re a dog now, everyone will know you’re someone special.”
Haley smiled brightly and tightened the ribbon on the belt further.
“Wooof-woof-of.”
Feeling unexpectedly happy, I wagged my tail.
“Mrs. Creme Sud’s treats are boiled beef, sweet potatoes, and spinach-flavored sticks. They’ll be delicious.”
“…Wooof.”
That’s enough. I was delighted.
Boiled beef, sweet potatoes, spinach—made into a snack? What kind of hybrid dish is that, chef?
Of course, since I’ve shifted to a dog’s taste, it should taste good too.
Just then, I heard a knock, and we turned our heads toward the door.
“Wooof?”
The door was wide open, and Alek stood leaning at an angle.
“I came in because the door was open. Are you ready, Miss?”
“Wooof-of.”
“Good. Looks like it.”
He grinned and approached me, kneeling on one knee to match my eye level.
“Lady, would you do me the honor of escorting me to the Gracia Garden?”
“…Hmmm.”
Under the chandelier, his dazzling silver hair shimmered, and his deep blue eyes curved into a gentle crescent.
In a more gentlemanly manner than usual, I quickly stepped forward and placed my front paw in his offered hand.
“Wooof-of.”
Good! I grant you permission!
~~* * *~~
Galaon was a vast empire encompassing deserts, grasslands, and snow-capped mountains, and thanks to that, most noble families’ territories were larger than those in other empires.
But the place I was in was the Lycans’ duke domain, home to the highest noble class.
It was about the size of a small royal palace, so the distance from my room to the greenhouse was much farther than I imagined.
“Pick me up.”
“Wooof-of?”
“Stop talking nonsense and carry me. Walking would make my paws sore.”
In the end, I obediently snuggled into Alek’s arms.
‘It’s comfortable.’
Though it took quite a while to get there because the duke’s estate was enormous.
“Ishel, are you okay? Is it uncomfortable?”
“Wooof.”
Alek, who was a big idiot, kept asking if I was okay every few steps—annoying, but I didn’t mind.
When he asked for the 44th time if I was alright, I finally saw the greenhouse.
How much effort did they put into it?
The greenhouse’s weather changed with each full moon, as if the seasons shifted, and flowers representative of each season bloomed profusely then withered away.
“Wooof…”
It’s truly incredible.
Outside the duke’s estate, it’s winter all year round, but here, it’s like a perpetual spring.
Staring at the stunning natural scenery spread before me, I swallowed hard.
Now, as spring fades into summer, it’s the beautiful month of May. Fragrant flowers, fresh grasses, and lively insects are everywhere.
Turning away from the closed door, I looked around, scanning the surroundings.
Haley smiled brightly.
“Why do you look so excited, like you’ve never seen it before?”
“Wooof.”
It’s because I really haven’t seen it before, so I can’t help it.
Even though Ishel’s memories and the original story coexist, they only live in body and mind.
Haven’t I experienced it myself?
Excited, I dashed out swiftly along the well-polished stone path.
“Wooof-of~!”
The lush nature was filled with beautiful sculptures too.
“Ishel, it’s dangerous to go alone.”
But even if I ran, Alek’s hand was always there to catch me.
“Gyaang?!”
He, with his long legs, quickly caught up and blocked my path as I was about to turn right.
Then he slipped his hand under my armpit, lifted me up.
“Let’s settle in first, then play. Okay?”
“…Wooof.”
We first took a seat on the nearest white terrace.
Looking at the unknown flowers clinging to the pure white arched pillars, Alek lounged on a long bench, as usual.
“Wooof-of?”
He wanted to play together.
“I’m just here to protect you. You look tired.”
Ugh, that guy always stays in the duke’s estate all day long—what’s so tiring about that?
‘That noble, gentlemanly tone earlier totally got me.’
“Woof!”
Feeling playful, I turned around without hesitation and ran to where Anna and Haley were.
“Miss! Should we play with a frisbee? I have a flying disc!”
“Anna, that’s not proper. You’re a noble lady. It’s appropriate to learn the names of flowers for the flower arrangement class you’ll attend with the other ladies.”
Unlike Anna, who was very excited, Haley still insisted on etiquette even in the garden.
Their eyes sparkled with sparks of contention.
“But, nanny. Isn’t that boring? Right, young lady?”
“Enduring boredom is one of the qualities a noble lady must have. You, too, as a noble, should understand that.”
Watching the two bicker gave me a headache.
Besides, I prefer exploring this beautiful garden over playing ball, throwing discs, or memorizing flower names.
I pouted, realizing they weren’t paying attention to me at all, and quickly turned away.
‘Hehe, I’ll explore alone.’
This is the duke’s garden, protected by strict security. Who could possibly stop me?
I sneaked out of the terrace without them noticing.
“Wooof~ Wooof-of~.”
Looking at the beautiful flowers and plants, I felt like I was in a botanical garden.
After wandering around the garden for a while, I suddenly snapped to my senses.
“Wooof?!”
I was so happy, but now I realize I shouldn’t be.
I need to become human, stop the protagonist’s plans, and save my family from ruin.
Why am I so excited about a picnic, then?
But the picnics as a human and as a dog felt strangely different.
Even though I was just in the backyard, butterflies and ants that seemed insignificant looked fascinating compared to when I was human.
Is it animal instinct? Dogs do love walks, after all. And, well…
‘Somehow, I want to hunt.’
Hunting!
~·~·* . * . *·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released on July, 23.
See you then!!
