Chapter 8
“Chyuut!?”
Insignificant?
Ebi’s tiny bean-sized fists trembled with fury.
If this turned out to be worse than sunflower seeds, she was going to kick the plate across the room!
(Well… maybe after pocketing a few first.)
While she was making that fierce resolution, the Duke personally lifted the cloche.
And an unexpected dish appeared.
“Chyu…?”
W–wait, that’s a macaron, isn’t it?
How long had it been since she’d last seen one?
Ebi sniffed curiously, studying the macaron.
It’s way smaller than the ones I know…
Truly, it was so tiny it could almost be called pitiful.
Just the right size for Ebi to hold in both hands and take a bite from.
Still, it smells incredibly sweet and nutty…
Gulp.
After shooting a sly glare at the Duke, Ebi cautiously took a bite.
Crunch!
The crisp outer shell broke apart, and the fragrant almond sweetness of the filling flooded her mouth.
And in that instant—
“…!”
A flash of electric flavor pierced through her taste buds.
Ebi froze completely.
It felt as if her body had left gravity behind and was drifting through space, while a dragon’s breathstorm roared across her tongue.
Delicious beyond words…!
Barely regaining her senses, Ebi took another bite of the macaron.
And time stopped once more.
Each time she took a bite, she would freeze midair with her head jerking upward, which made the servants struggling to serve the meal barely contain their laughter.
Meanwhile, the Duke—watching Ebi’s every move—absently rubbed at the corner of his own lips.
When Ebi finally finished the macaron and looked down at her empty hands with a hollow expression, the Duke made a subtle gesture to one side.
“Do we have more?”
“Of course, my lord.”
It was the chef who had made the supposedly “insignificant” macarons.
Up until yesterday afternoon, he hadn’t even imagined he’d be baking special-size nut macarons. The dark circles under his eyes told the story.
Yet, seeing Ebi’s intense reaction moved him deeply as a chef.
“Here you are, little lady squirrel.”
The chef carefully picked up another macaron and held it out toward Ebi.
But as the shadow of that large hand loomed over her, Ebi’s head jerked up in alarm.
The approaching hand was big enough to grab her whole body in one go.
Her eyes twitched.
“Ppi-piit!”
With a sharp squeak, Ebi darted out of the chef’s reach.
Spotting a dark, narrow crevice nearby, she instinctively dove into it—headfirst.
It was the Duke’s sleeve.
One of his eyebrows rose slightly.
The chef blinked in shock, staring at the bulge wriggling inside the Duke’s sleeve, only a little tail poking out.
When the Duke’s cold gaze shifted to him, the chef panicked and bowed low.
“M-my apologies! I only meant to offer the macaron—”
“Give it here.”
“P–pardon?”
“The macaron.”
“Ah, y–yes, of course!”
The Duke took the macaron and held it near his sleeve.
“Not going to eat it?”
“……”
A moment of silence—
Then pop!
Ebi’s head cautiously poked out of the sleeve.
After a moment of hesitation, she grabbed the Duke’s index finger with her tiny hands and began nibbling the macaron.
Each time the Duke pulled the macaron back a little, Ebi’s small body was drawn further out of the sleeve along with it.
Watching the scene, the chef spoke in a voice full of both relief and amazement.
“She ran away when I tried to feed her… yet she’s eating so well when it’s you, my lord.”
The other servants around them looked on with utter disbelief.
“……”
A faint, arrogant smile curved across the Duke’s lips.
“This one, at least, seems to have better taste than most.”
The servants blinked, stunned.
Did he just… say that?
But they were all seasoned enough in this household to seize a good mood when it appeared.
“Ah! Finally, someone who truly appreciates your lordship’s greatness. Every time the young masters growled at you, I could never understand why.”
“Indeed, the little lady squirrel’s loyalty is no coincidence!”
“Hmph. As if.”
The Duke gave a short snort—
but it lacked his usual irritation or scorn.
The servants even felt a little relieved, almost happy.
Which led one of them to push their luck—
“My lord and the little lady look quite close. Like… a father and daughter, almost.”
At that instant, the Duke’s expression froze.
The others turned pale, staring at the speaker like, Are you insane?!
The warm, cheerful atmosphere of the dining hall turned to ice in a heartbeat.
“S-sir, I’m sorry! I misspoke—”
The Duke glared down at the trembling servant clutching their mouth, then abruptly stood up.
“I’ll give you an hour.”
“P–pardon?”
“To run for your life before I take your head.”
“Eek! M–my lord! Forgive me! My lord!!”
The Duke didn’t look back as he strode out of the dining hall, just as briskly as he’d entered.
Ebi, who had been distractedly eating the rest of the macaron, tumbled out of his sleeve and hurried after him.
W–wait! Why’s he suddenly like that? Did I do something wrong?
The Duke’s steps were long and fast, and though he glanced briefly back at her following, he didn’t slow down.
Ebi soon began to stumble.
Ugh… my stamina’s the worst.
“Ppi… piik…”
Wait for meee!
As she panted to catch up, a door beside her suddenly swung open, and a maid stepping out nearly crushed her underfoot.
“Kyah!”
“Pi-piit!”
Ebi barely dodged the maid’s shoe, leaping up in fright.
“I-I’m so sorry! Are you all right? I’m terribly sorry!”
The maid bowed repeatedly, looking stricken.
She’s probably terrified of that scary Duke.
If she hurt the child the Duke was temporarily protecting, she’d be in serious trouble.
Though honestly, he wouldn’t care much unless I was actually injured. It’s not like I’m his real daughter anyway.
Ebi gently patted the tip of the maid’s shoe as if to say it was okay. By the time she was done, quite a bit of time had passed.
Sigh. I guess I’ll have to find another chance to earn points with the Duke.
After calming the maid down, Ebi turned to head back to her room.
The maid, relieved, also turned around—
—and froze.
Standing there motionless, watching the entire scene, was Duke Noctis himself.
The maid squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for punishment.
But silence followed.
When she cautiously lifted her head, there he was, frowning as always.
“……”
The Duke clicked his tongue as he glanced at where Ebi had been.
If the little creature had been hurt, that would have been troublesome—but she wasn’t, so it was fine.
The one nearly stepped on had only herself to blame, after all.
So why, then, did his mood feel so strangely foul?
Soft breathing.
Ebi lay curled up asleep on the bed, her tiny body round like a ball.
As pale winter sunlight streamed through the window and painted delicate beams across her fur—
Pop!
Her eyes flew open, and she quickly looked around. No maids had entered yet.
“Chyu. (Good.)”
Ebi stretched lightly, then placed her hands on the floor and began doing push-ups.
“Chyu, chyu! (One, two!)”
Her little arms trembled.
“Threeee!”
Nice! Three whole push-ups today!
Next—sit-ups!
“Chyu… chyu! (One… two!)”
Next—jogging!
Though her goal was still to be adopted by the Duke, since she finally had such a comfortable living space, she wanted to work on her health too.
Her stamina was so poor she got winded after a few steps—it needed fixing.
But she couldn’t let the Duke or the servants see her training. If she looked too healthy, they might kick her out faster.
So she could only do this when nobody was around—
“Oh my, you’re already up?”
“Ppiit!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Ebi jumped into the air.
The visitor was a slim knight with chestnut hair—Olga.
“Good morning! It’s been a while since the first day, hasn’t it? Or… maybe not that long? It feels like forever, though…”
“Chyu?”
Why was a knight here instead of one of the maids?
Ebi tilted her head, and Olga suddenly clutched her chest dramatically.
“Haa… good job, Olga! You beat out Lisa and got here first!”
“……?”
This lady… might be as weird as that butler Baird.
Whether she noticed Ebi inching back or not, Olga smiled brightly.
“I made a—uh—deal with the maids so I could take care of you today. I’ll be coming by often, so don’t be too surprised, okay?”
“……”
“So then, Lady Squirrel—what would you like to play today?”
Yes, actually.
“Chyu-piit.”
Ebi pointed at the door.
I want to be alone. Please leave.
I need to work out.
“Oh, you want to go outside? Great idea!”
Olga promptly scooped Ebi up in both hands.
“How about the library? I have a book I’d love to read to you! I can even show you around the rooms on the way!”
“Chyu…”
Sigh. Life as a flying squirrel…
Too tired to protest, Ebi just plopped down on Olga’s palm.
But the moment they stepped into the ducal library, Ebi couldn’t help but jump up again.
No wonder—the place was grand beyond imagination, far surpassing the Rusten estate’s library.
“Chyu, chyuung!”
Ebi clapped her cheeks with both hands in awe.
She’d thought the Black Wolf family were just muscle-headed villains, but their collection was enormous.
This might even rival the Imperial Palace! (Not that I’ve ever been there…)
To someone who’d only known Rusten’s showy but shallow library, this place was a new world.
Ebi’s little body practically vibrated with excitement.
I have to explore!
“Oh my, Lady Squirrel?”
Ebi scurried up to the top of Olga’s head, then leapt toward a nearby bookshelf.
She climbed higher, spread her gliding membrane, and soared across the library.
“Chyu-pi! (This is amazing! The best!)”
She zipped between the shelves, gliding and circling in joy—
Until suddenly, one particular book caught her eye.
