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IBP 101
Chloe hugged me tightly and whispered.
“Let’s live together for a long, long time. Is there anything else you want, our Coco?”
“Hmm...”
Thinking carefully, there was something I absolutely needed.
It was memories with my sister.
For the sake of a future so distant it felt far away—five years from now—I had to steadily accumulate memories with her.
‘How should I build up memories?’
So that when I eventually go to the dog star in the distant future, I can savor the memories of my sister.
‘I can just put lots of things that hold memories in a bag and carry it with me!’
Actually, I wasn’t sure if I could take things from this world to the dog star.
But wouldn’t the puppy god turn a blind eye to just one bag full of memories?
Then I can brag about it to Cherry, Ryan, Choco, and my other friends. I should pack some presents too!
“Sister, sister. Then, you know, could you buy me a bag?”
“Of course! The coolest bag in the world... hmm, I should buy one that looks like our Coco, right?”
I tilted my head back and forth as if perking up my ears and laughed excitedly.
“Wow! Is it shaped like a puppy?”
“Yes. I think I should.”
“Heehee! As expected, my sister is the best!”
“My baby. The things you want are so tiny and small. I could give you the whole world.”
“Wow! Give me the whole world? Does that mean you’ll hug me?”
“Huh?”
“Because you are my whole world.”
At those words, spoken as if it were the most natural thing in the world, my sister’s eyes reddened, and she hugged me tightly.
Today, her embrace no longer smelled salty like salt.
It smelled only of happy hope.
At least in this moment, it felt as though neither Dahlia, nor Gillen, nor the wicked hallucinations could come between us.
* * *
“Where did Dahlia Melomande go?”
“Over here! Down that alley!”
Dahlia barely managed to enter the back alley, clutching her disheveled hair.
After rumors spread that her relationship with Gillen had begun immorally, Dahlia had fallen into a deep abyss.
When she returned to the Marquess Amadeus's estate, they blocked her visit entirely.
Dahlia had been completely abandoned by both high society and her lover.
So...
“Where on earth did she go?”
“Didn’t the head of the Melomande family say so? That they knew nothing about it and to ask their daughter?”
“Right. Can we recover the business investment funds immediately?”
It was only natural that the reputation of Dahlia’s Melomande family was cracking.
As those who had invested in her began to withdraw their funds one by one, the business was also collapsing.
Since there were more than just one or two investors, her distortion ability was no longer useful.
‘There is only one lifeline.’
She hurriedly entered <Bishop>.
Bishop, a small coffee house in the capital.
A place where gentlemen playing chess could be seen through the thick haze of hookah smoke.
This was a location with private rooms where one's status was strictly guaranteed and secret conversations could be held.
And as Dahlia entered the reserved private room, a lady with her face covered by a veil appeared before her.
Her name was Lucrezia Ardos.
“Lady Lucrezia!”
“The only reason I am meeting you is because of my business funds, and because ‘that person’ told me to deliver a message to you.”
Though she cut her off coldly, Lucrezia also felt a bitter taste in her mouth regarding Dahlia’s downfall.
Because she had invested poorly in Dahlia, her external activities had become difficult, and it felt as if her hands and feet had been cut off.
Nevertheless, the reason she still held the position of Duchess Ardos was...
‘As expected, it’s thanks to the deal back then.’
...Lucrezia narrowed her eyes, thinking of Duke Ardos's weakness.
“That person is very enraged by your incompetence, Dahlia Melomande. At this rate, it is obvious you will be cut off.”
“...”
“However, the merciful one has given you one last chance. I heard you took the bead that Marquess Amadeus possessed. That person wishes for you to use that bead to manifest your supernatural ability more powerfully.”
“...The, the bead...”
“He said that if you succeed in making a comeback in society with that bead, there may be room to look upon you again.”
Dahlia’s face turned pale. Only then did she notice the bead was missing and panicked.
...She had used the bead but had not cleaned up the traces.
‘Surely, by some slim chance, if that bead had fallen into Chloe’s hands...’
But that was impossible.
Chloe wouldn’t even know what the bead was.
Moreover, if Chloe had known the bead's identity, she would have already revealed it along with the fact of her affair.
“Why. Is there a problem?”
Dahlia hesitated to say that the bead had already been used and destroyed.
She was someone who had always spent her time stealing from others and using shallow abilities to evade responsibility. She simply couldn't be honest.
Besides, if she spoke honestly, she would be ruthlessly discarded by 'that person.'
So, biting her trembling lip, she murmured.
“...No, I will definitely show my utility to that person again. It won’t be hard to put society back in my hands. Rumors are covered by bigger rumors. If I spread a more powerful rumor, people will naturally shift their gaze toward it.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I just have to tarnish Chloe, the one who spread the scandals about me.”
“I doubt whether your abilities make that possible. You’ve failed continuously.”
At Lucrezia’s words, Dahlia bit her lip so hard it nearly bled.
She had tried to bury Chloe all this time, but Chloe kept springing back up like a weed. Now, she needed a way to pull her out by the roots.
“If I use my ability to kill someone and frame Chloe, saying she... she killed them... Then, Marquess Amadeus will find her disgusting too.”
Watching her, Duchess Lucrezia stood up first.
As is typical of villains, she had no interest in Dahlia’s future or what would happen to her.
“I don’t care how you do it. Just keep in mind that this is your last chance. Neither Marquess Amadeus nor that person ever takes in a loser.”
Soon, Dahlia’s eyes gleamed.
Looking exactly like someone preparing for their final act.
* * *
And so, the day after sleeping side-by-side in my sister's bed.
“Since it’s been a while since we slept together, I feel like our Coco smells like 'kkosun-nae'.”
“Sister, what is 'kkosun-nae'? You say it all the time, so I was curious.”
“Hmm... Our Coco has the best smell in the world.”
“Huck, then you have 'kkosun-nae' too, sister!”
My sister gave a little 'chomp' and gently bit my front paw—no, my plump little hand—without hurting me.
Then, as if she didn't want to be apart from me, she made a purring sound against my belly for a long time before sitting up.
“Anyway, our Coco, just wait one day. Sister will make a bag and bring it... No, I mean, anyway.”
“Hmm?”
“...Anyway, our Coco, just wait in the annex, okay?”
“Hup! Wait! I understand!”
I brought my hands together in a formal attention posture and looked at her with sparkling eyes.
Then, after telling me to 'wait' and putting a treat in my mouth, my sister took me back to my annex.
‘Sister is a little strange today, but she doesn't smell suspicious.’
So, I marched bravely into my annex.
‘Because I have a very important task to do today.’
First of all, eliminate the wicked Emperor of Mouse.
That wicked Emperor of Mouse, who dared to change the spelling on my sign to something wrong, was eating cheese in a corner of my room!
“You! Emperor of Mouse!”
But the mouse seemed unaware of its crime.
With a proud expression, it showed its front teeth and flicked its tail.
“Ahem, what is it, you foolish puppy who doesn't even know spelling? Thanks to me writing the spelling on the sign so well, your sister liked it and said you were smart, didn't she?”
“Gah... That's the wrong spelling! I wrote it while looking at a dictionary with Caligo!”
“Is that so? But in our mouse world, the spelling of the Emperor of Mouse is correct.”
For a moment, I felt so frustrated I almost fainted.
After a mouse-style spelling class was held for a few minutes.
[Am-pae-ler Op-eu Saeng-dyu]
“This is correct.”
“No. Em-pe-rer—”
“Ha, I give up! I'll just live as a foolish mouse.”
Eventually exhausted, we lay on the bed and rubbed our faces against the pillows.
But right then!
I heard a 'tap tap' sound from the window.
Through the gap of the window I had left slightly open while waiting for Agent Jack's visit, a blue feather fluttered.
“Jjek-jjeki?”
A blue feather—no, a blue bird—fluttered and poked its body through the window.
“Yes, it is I. Jjek-jjeki. As of today, the bird providing information to this Ardos Ducal House and to you, Arru, shall be this Jjek-jjeki!”
“Huck!”
“Well, be honored! Since you are so affectionate, you must miss Agent Jack, right? I'll bring him along occasionally.”
“Yes! I love it! I missed you, Jjek-jjeki! Now we can be together for a long, long time!”
I grabbed Jjek-jjeki and hugged him to my chest.
Just like how my sister hugs me.
At that, Jjek-jjeki wiped his eyes with a feather and murmured.
“...Yes, if you can truly live a long time.”
“Hmm? Why? Am I not going to live long again...?”
They said I could live for five more years.
“Get your head straight. It seems that you, Arru, and your family member Chloe Ardos are currently in danger.”
“What? Who is it this time? Dahlia? Gillen?”
“This time it is Dahlia Melomande. She is trying to deal a blow to Chloe somehow. This Jjek-jjeki saw it clearly with his own two eyes! Listen to my story.”
Jjek-jjeki bragged that the security for both humans and animals was so tight that if it weren't for a great information broker like himself, no one would have heard a word.
A few minutes later.
After hearing everything from Jjek-jjeki, I held my spinning head.
And I made a decision.
“I'll take her down in the most cowardly way in the world.”
The still-exhausted Emperor of Mouse chimed into our conversation.
“How are you going to do it?”
“Sister always told me. Leave the dangerous things to the human adults, and as a puppy, just walk the happy path of sweet potatoes.”
“Then, are you going to your sister?”
I shook my head solemnly.
The method I'll use this time is...!
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