Episode 4
I shook my head quickly. No, I shouldn’t do that. That would be really bad.
Besides, there wasn’t even a good place to hide it. And even if I did hide it, she would notice right away. This might be “my” territory now, but Marimella had lived here much longer.
And most of all, I didn’t want to lie to her.
I can’t keep hiding it forever. The longer I do, the more she might hate me…
In the end, I lowered my head and slowly pushed the ruined fish doll toward Marimella. She turned at the sound.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“Awuu…”
I licked the fish doll with its poor, half-ripped tail. Marimella’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Aril, you did this?”
“…”
She picked up the torn tail with her finger and let it drop. I shivered, too scared to lift my head.
What if she throws me out the window? What if she kicks me and pushes me into the fireplace?
What if she abandons me forever…?
Dark thoughts tangled in my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and trembled.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, my cheeks were squished and my head was lifted. My eyes met hers.
But instead of being sharp and cold, her golden eyes sparkled like she was expecting something fun.
“Aril, do you know you did something wrong?”
“Awuuu…”
My voice came out muffled from her hands pressing my cheeks.
Is she scolding me right now?
I looked down nervously. After all, I’d completely ruined the doll. Surely she must be disappointed in me.
But then, to my surprise, she said brightly:
“Wow, amazing! Aril, are you a genius?”
I blinked in confusion. Marimella rubbed my cheeks with a big smile.
“So you really liked the fish doll that much?”
“Awoo?”
“Okay, okay. I’ll go get you a new fish. Wait just a second!”
And with that, she dashed out of the room.
I was left staring at the door, stunned. She’s… not angry?
…That’s a relief, right?
When I lowered my head, I saw the old doll barely hanging on with its broken tail. It looked so pitiful now, almost dead.
Before long, Marimella returned.
“Aril, give that to me.”
She took the ruined doll from under my paw. I watched it leave sadly. It had been with me since the first day, after all.
Just as I was lowering my head in disappointment, something dropped in front of me. Another fish doll—just like the old one, but a different color.
She… she really brought me a new doll? For me…?
I looked up at her with sparkling eyes. Marimella sat down beside me, smiling warmly.
“Since you’re still a baby, I kept some spares ready, just in case. I’m clever, right?”
It was true! She had brought it just for me!
“Awoo!”
I licked the new fish once, then snuggled into her arms. She laughed and patted my back.
Yes. Marimella was definitely the kindest human in the whole world.
Finally, I was healed enough to run around freely. I played happily all over Marimella’s room.
I crouched and pounced on anything I saw—knocking over what was standing, rolling what was lying down.
So much fun!
“You’re so noisy…”
Marimella sighed weakly. The brown-haired woman next to her nodded.
From what I’d seen, she was always with Marimella, helping her. I think her name was “Yona.”
Yona looked around at the messy room and said:
“The doctor said it would take months to recover, but it’s only been three weeks.”
“Then he must’ve been a quack.”
“Miss! Where did you learn such crude words?”
“Why? My brother says it.”
“…From the master?”
Yona let out a small, defeated sigh.
“Please don’t learn bad habits from him, miss.”
“Mm.”
I ran up with a ball of yarn in my mouth, asking Marimella to throw it. She smiled, reaching out—
But Yona interrupted.
“Miss, did you finish your homework?”
“Ah… not yet…”
“Your lesson is soon. Homework comes first.”
“…Fine. Sorry, Aril. We’ll play later.”
She patted my head gently, but didn’t take the yarn.
Instead, she walked to her desk. Yona left the room.
I sat with the yarn ball, watching her.
Now that I thought about it, when she wasn’t playing with me or reading, she always sat at that desk.
What does she even do there?
Every time she picked up a pen, she looked so drained.
Not wanting to bother her, I started rolling the ball by myself.
A while later, she groaned.
I turned my head. She muttered gloomily:
“I don’t want to go to class…”
Then she collapsed onto the desk. It must’ve been time again.
She always looked down at this hour, but today she seemed even worse.
I padded over and chirped softly, “Awoo.”
She lifted her head, and when our eyes met, her face crumpled. She rushed over and grabbed me tight.
“Aril…!”
I tried to squirm away, but she held me so firmly my healing wounds hurt.
“I don’t want to go! Teacher Arveng gives way too much homework!”
It was suffocating…!
When I wriggled, she hugged me even tighter, almost crying. So I gave up and rested my head and paws gently on her shoulder.
Marimella spoke between sniffles:
“The lessons are so boring too! I fall asleep every three seconds. I even asked my brother to change teachers, but do you know what he said?”
She set me down and mimicked a stern voice:
“If you were truly a Cadellarot, you wouldn’t be dozing during study. Master Arveng is a renowned scholar, and you must learn from the best.”
I blinked at her, amazed by her impression.
Her face fell again.
“Isn’t that too much? He’s kind about everything else, but with studying, he’s so strict.”
She flopped on the floor, face down. I looked at her sadly.
“Even Father and Mother weren’t this harsh…”
Her voice was heavy with hurt. I licked her hand to comfort her, but she stayed gloomy.
Then—knock, knock.
“Miss, it’s time for your lesson.”
“…”
She didn’t move.
“Miss? Should I come in?” Yona asked gently.
“…No need. I’m coming.”
Slowly, Marimella got up.
She stroked my head like usual, then left. But her face was dark with sorrow.
Why does she always look so miserable at this time?
She was cutest when she smiled, yet every day around this hour, she looked like she aged overnight.
Worry grew inside me, mixed with curiosity.
…Maybe I should secretly follow her?
Now that I thought about it, she never actually told me to stay here.
Even though I couldn’t understand her words, I believed our hearts were connected.
It’s still her house, so going out just a bit should be fine.
Convinced, I padded to the door. I had seen her open it many times.
I jumped, pressed the handle with my paws, and dropped.
Click. The door opened easily. I squeezed through the gap.
That was much easier than I thought.
I put my nose to the floor right away and sniffed.
Her scent wasn’t hard to find. I followed it with my short legs.
Wow… this place is huge…!
When I lifted my head, I gaped at the grand hallway. It felt like a hundred of me could fit here.
The high ceiling and dazzling lights made me dizzy.
I shook my head to focus.
But why is it so empty? Where are the other humans?
The silence felt like floating alone in a vast ocean. Was it always like this?
I sniffed again. Soon I reached some stairs—one leading up, the other down.
From below came noise, like many humans were there. So I wasn’t completely alone.
But upstairs was deathly quiet.
I sniffed both ways.
“…Awoo?”
Something was off. I rubbed my nose with a paw and sniffed again.
My brow furrowed. Still strange.
Why… does her scent lead both upstairs and downstairs?
Maybe she had passed both ways.
But usually the fresher scent would be stronger. Here, both were almost the same.
Could there be another human with the same smell as her?
I sniffed again and looked up the stairs.
After thinking, I decided:
I’ll check upstairs first. Fewer people there. If she’s not there, I’ll go down.
So I followed the trail, which grew stronger and stronger.
Finally, I reached a door where her scent was the thickest.
I knew it! I’m amazing!
Proudly, I licked my paws.
Now I just open the door like before.
I crouched, ready to jump—
But then I heard noises inside.
Wait. Something’s wrong…
I froze and pricked my ears. Rustling, footsteps.
Two people.
But their steps were heavier and larger than Marimella’s. And their voices were deeper, lower.
My eyes widened.
This isn’t her…!
