“Woof.”
The creature in the mirror looked like a fluffy, round ball of cotton.
“Woof, woof.”
Its fur was whiter than the snow-capped mountains seen through the window.
Its round face was adorned with eyes like glossy black marbles.
A damp black nose, and triangular ears that stuck out prominently.
A plump little bottom that I wanted to touch, topped with a long, fluffy tail that curled upwards.
Its adorable paw pads were tinted a peachy hue and felt soft and squishy.
“Woof. Woof. Woof…?”
And the sound of its cry was unbearably cute. When it opened its tiny mouth and barked, it emitted a sweet, whining cry: “Woof!”
Yes. Not a human voice… but the cry of a beast.
“Woof?”
Why did I turn into a puppy?
When I tilted my head, the fluffy ball in the mirror also tilted its head as if puzzled.
“Woof, woof. Woof, woof.”
Hmm, no matter how I think about it, this must be a dream.
A dream. Of course it has to be one.
I wandered around the mirror like a puppy eager to pee, finally dismissing this situation as just a dream.
But did it make sense for a human to become a puppy?
Besides, before I opened my eyes as a puppy, I was definitely lying on the narrow, old bed of a tiny cram school room.
And now, I was in a spacious, beautiful bedroom that looked like a princess’s chamber.
“Woof, woof.”
Yeah, it’s just a dream, so what does it matter!
Proudly raising my tail, I decided to explore the stunning room I could never see in reality.
“Hmm… hmm…”
But as soon as I placed my paw on the plush carpet, I fell into thought.
‘Why am I dreaming of being a puppy? Could it be because of that fantasy novel I read last night?’
The fantasy novel I read before sleeping was titled “The Black King.”
It was about humans who could transform into beasts—called beastmen or “sennin”—fighting to claim the throne.
Though I didn’t finish reading it and fell asleep midway, I remember thinking as I drifted off: ‘If I become a beastman, I want to be the white puppy version I raised when I was a child. It was so adorable.’
And I wondered: ‘Could it be that I somehow entered that novel’s world because I thought about it so much? Maybe I’ve been possessed the body of the white puppy beastman?’
Of course, it was probably just the sound of a dog… or rather, a bark.
“Wo… woof. Woof.”
Talking to myself ambitiously, I moved my front paw forward eagerly.
Others might think I was just a tiny ball of fluff crawling around, but I was determined.
‘Even if it’s just a dream, if this puppy is a beastman, it must be a noble. After all, I’m in such an opulent bedroom.’
Suddenly, I felt quite elated and puffed out my chest.
“Woof!”
Alright, maybe I should look for a portrait of the noble lady who lives here.
“…Woof?”
But in this grand bedroom, beyond the semi-transparent glass door leading to the bathroom, and even in the powder room with an ivory-colored vanity, I couldn’t find any portrait.
Wow, this room really is huge, like a palace.
“Hmmm…”
As I moved my paws and thought about resting, I saw a magnificent portrait on a table next to a beautiful flower vase.
“Woof, woof!”
I found it.
I stretched my short neck as long as I could to look up at it.
But wait. These people look familiar.
I plopped my bottom onto the carpet and stared blankly at the pale silver portrait.
“Woof, woof?”
Inside a sturdy frame, three men and women were depicted.
The beautiful silver-haired main characters were smiling so happily that even viewers felt joyful.
And at that moment, I realized three things.
“Woof…!”
First, the man with silver hair and blue eyes in the center of the portrait was the ‘Duke of Fahrenheit Lycan.’
It was an illustration that looked like a direct copy from the novel I read yesterday, so I couldn’t deny it.
Second, the words written below the portrait weren’t in Korean, but somehow I could read them.
It meant: “For a Happy Day at the Lycan Dukedom.”
And lastly…
Considering the first two points, this world seemed to be very similar to the world in the novel I read yesterday… And according to my memory, that happy noble family was destined to be wiped out soon…
By the hand of the protagonist.
“Woof…?!”
The overwhelming sensation of reality surged through me, and I leapt up from my seat.
“Woof… woof. Woof. Woof!”
Calm down. Calm down. This is just a dream, yes, a dream.
My tail flicked excitedly as I stood up.
Come to think of it, even though it’s a dream, why is the sensation of the floor and the carpet so vivid when my paws touch them?
A shiver ran down my spine, and my legs trembled.
I hurriedly pinched my cheeks to confirm whether this was reality or just a dream.
“Woof… woof.”
I didn’t want to do that! But what if this is real?
I hastily lowered my paw that had been touching my cheek.
“Woof.”
But I raised it again. I had to.
Then, I lifted a trembling toe and extended my claws.
My adorable little claws sparkled under the chandelier, and a prickling sensation spread to the tip of my nose.
It has to be a dream.
If I poke my cheek with these claws, it won’t hurt at all. Or maybe I’ll wake up from this dream.
“…Woooof?!”
But unfortunately, the sharp sensation from poking my cheek caused me to topple sideways with a thud.
“Wo, wooof…?”
Lying there, I blinked. And soon, the overwhelming reality hit me, and my doubts about being this puppy vanished.
The setting of the novel was the continent of Nonem, and the mighty empire of Gallaon.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to call it a beastmen empire.
Because all the royal family of Gallaon and their four ministers were beastmen.
The news of the clouds parting, the red hawk Marquis Aquila.
The trade across waves, the blue whale shark Count Squalus.
The magic that devours death, the black anaconda Marquis Serpens.
And finally…
The sword that protects life, the silver wolf Duke Lycan.
The Lycan family was a beastman family capable of transforming into a silver wolf.
But unusually, unlike others in the family, the youngest daughter, ‘Irshelia Lycan,’ was given the setting of a tiny, pure white dog.
At this point, I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to. So…
“Woof, woooff!”
So, it meant I had become the noble daughter of the soon-to-die Lycan family—Irshelia, the puppy?
“Wo… woo… Woof. Wo-oof… Woof! Woof!!”
I cried bitterly.
Cry after cry.
And then, against my will, the memories of Irshelia flooded into my mind like a tidal wave.
All of Irshelia’s memories from birth until now overwhelmed me, making my stomach churn and my head spin.
“Wo… W-woof.”
My vision blurred.
What do I do now?
