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IBP 110
I glared at Gillen's greasy face as he approached my sister.
My sister naturally stepped in to block me, but...!
“Oops!”
I made a mischievous face, intentionally drawing Gillen's gaze toward me.
Then, Gillen, who had been staring intently at my sister, reached out a hand toward me politely.
“Ah, I see. You must be the fragile little lady Chloe always keeps by her side. It’s been a while since the hunting competition, hasn't it?”
...For a moment, the contrast with how he used to bully me in the past, calling me a mute animal, made me feel like I was going to throw up.
Feeling like I might hear those hallucinations again, I shouted loudly.
“Coco isn't fragile at all!”
“Ah, is that so.”
As if he were no longer interested in me, he fixed his gaze back on my sister.
But I continued to look at him, tilting my head from side to side.
“Gasp!”
“What is it, little lady?”
“Mister, I'm sorry, but did you perhaps put fish oil on your face?”
He looked momentarily dazed by my polite tone.
“...What do you mean by that?”
I spoke intentionally loud.
“Because there's so much oil on your face, Mister!”
They say you can't spit on a smiling face.
Beaming brightly, I held out a napkin from the side of the table and spoke kindly.
“I think you should wipe it off! Oh, then my sister and I will be going now! It smells a little bit like fish...”
He couldn't possibly get angry at a child's playful joke.
“Fi-fishy smell...?”
While he stood there stunned by the words 'fishy smell'—despite appearing dressed lavishly from head to toe—I grabbed my sister's hand and bolted across the deck.
Gillen stood there blankly, looking like a chicken chasing a dog—absolutely not a dog chasing a chicken!
Ironclad defense around my sister! Close surveillance!
After looking around for a while like a guard dog, my sister squeezed my hand as if she couldn't believe me.
“Don't worry, Coco. Your sister won't be talking to Gillen for a while anyway.”
The phrase 'for a while' felt a bit unsettling...
Just then, Caligo, a welcome face, appeared from across the deck.
Grand Duke Rivera seemed to be coming behind Caligo, but he wasn't clearly visible.
Because...
‘Whoa, is that really Caligo?’
I opened my eyes wide and stared at Caligo.
Where had his usual fluffy hair gone? Today, his hair was styled neatly back with pomade.
His pure white tailcoat shimmered, perhaps because it was made of a luxurious material. Even the white shoes he wore to match the coat were perfect.
My goodness!
Today, Caligo...
“You look so cool!”
* * *
Caligo felt his earlobes turn red at Coco's words.
‘I look cool?’
His body moved awkwardly, like a stiff soldier.
Even though he walked so rigidly, he eventually reached Coco.
Caligo waved his hand, looking into Coco's wide eyes.
“Hi, Coco.”
“Caligo! Why are you dressed so coolly today?”
For some reason, he felt strange receiving Coco's praise.
‘It must be because she's my first friend.’
And, looking at the beaming Coco, Caligo recalled what his brother had said earlier.
“Caligo, how would you feel if you became family with Coco?”
“How would I feel if I became family with Coco?”
“Yes.”
When he heard those words, Caligo couldn't answer properly.
He had simply nodded a few times half-heartedly, his cheeks flushed.
‘I don't know what kind of family he means, but...’
There are stories like that in the fairy tale books he read often as a child.
...The story of the puppy knight and the kitty princess.
“...Then, I think I'd really like that.”
Since Coco is a 'real' puppy knight...
If they became family, wouldn't it become a fairy tale story that ends with 'they lived happily ever after'?
Isn't that what family is?
As he recalled the conversation with his brother, Coco grabbed his sleeve tightly and smiled refreshingly.
“Caligo! Did you see the ocean here? It's so amazing, right?!”
“I've seen the ocean a few times in the North. As far as I know, the ocean is originally a place full of ice. I already knew about the ocean, but this is the first time I've seen such a peculiar one.”
In truth, he felt like his mind was spinning after seeing the brilliant sea.
However, he didn't want to act like a child in front of Coco.
As he tried to speak maturely, Coco nodded with sparkling eyes.
“Wow! Is that how it is? The ocean was ice, not water! Caligo, you seem so grown-up...!”
“I am an adult. I protected you in front of the investigator last time, too.”
“That's true, you seemed very grown-up.”
At that moment, a small snickering sound was heard from nearby. It was Grand Duke Rivera and Lady Chloe.
Caligo looked around with a prickly expression and asked,
“Why does everyone look like they're holding back laughter?”
“Maybe it's because Caligo is so impressive?”
“Ah, is that so.”
He nodded and thought.
‘If I had known, I should have brought Amius.’
Since the tiger spirit beast shouldn't touch water, his brother had placed it in a spirit beast protection cage he made himself.
But seeing Coco's sparkling eyes, he felt a bit regretful that Amius wasn't there.
If he had entered wearing these cool clothes alongside Amius the spirit beast, he would have looked even cooler.
But then, Lady Chloe gripped Coco's hand tightly.
Immediately, Coco's gaze shifted toward Chloe.
Coco was wearing a bright smile that she showed to no one else but Chloe.
The moment he saw it, Caligo clutched a part of his chest.
‘I think I'm sick again.’
Every time Coco's gaze left him, a part of his chest kept aching.
* * *
While I was talking with Caligo for a while, my sister squeezed my hand and smiled.
“Coco.”
“Yeah?”
“No matter what happens from now on, remember that you are the most precious number one priority in the world to your sister.”
“Of course!”
I puffed out my chest and shouted confidently.
Then, my sister ruffled my hair with a grin.
After squeezing my hand once more, she walked gracefully toward Gillen.
‘Gillen, I'm watching you with both eyes open. If you mess up, I'll let the fish, the mouse, and the bird get you!’
It was just as I clenched my fist.
Gillen approached with a greasy smile and gripped my sister's hand tightly.
My sister's face distorted in disgust, and she shook his hand off.
“Ah, Chloe. You're acting quite sharp. Just like a cat.”
What do you mean, you guy who'd even hit a cat!
I gnashed my teeth.
However, cheers erupted from the naval officers around my sister.
‘Did those people forget all about the affair scandals?’
It looked as if they were rooting for the two of them to date.
Meanwhile, as if she didn't even find it disgusting, Chloe looked at Gillen calmly.
“Gillen, you said so in your letter. That you would do something ‘romantic.’”
“I did.”
“I don't want to.”
As soon as my sister finished speaking, several naval officers mentioned her rudeness, saying things like, “Even so, he prepared a gift; how can she refuse without even opening it?”
Since the rumors of what that 'romantic thing' was had spread all over the capital—even the friends of the Emperor of Mouse passing by would know—of course my sister would hate it!
Then.
Gillen pulled a box from his pocket.
As he held up the luxurious red velvet box, the cheers of the crowd grew louder.
With a click, he opened the velvet box and knelt on one knee.
“I, Gillen Amadeus, propose to you once again.”
...What a piece of trash public confession!
And what was inside that box...
“What is it, a jewel scrunchie?”
At those words, questioning voices spread, mainly among the ladies.
However, the atmosphere was such that everyone thought they had misheard my sister.
And right then, my sister gave a short glance toward Grand Duke Rivera.
Grand Duke Rivera, who had been playfully stroking Caligo's hair as if he had no interest in anything, quirked an eyebrow.
“What a shame, it won't work.”
He strode forward and stepped between Gillen and my sister.
Gillen froze awkwardly while still on one knee.
“Why are you suddenly intruding on a proposal scene...!”
“Why?”
Appearing very nonchalant, Grand Duke Rivera took my sister's hand.
And then...
He grinned, holding up a ring that looked expensive to anyone, embedded with sparkling jewels.
“Because she's my fiancée.”
...Where did that ring suddenly come from?
No, more importantly...
“Fi-fiancée?”
“Did I hear that correctly?”
People's mouths.
No...
My eyes and mouth flew open, wide as the biggest black holes in the world.
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