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IBP 117
Ruth grabbed Coco's hand abruptly.
“Coco! Want to play hide-and-seek? Do you want to be the seeker?”
“Huh? No. I'm not a child, so I don't play hide-and-seek.”
Ruth chuckled at the sight of Coco proudly holding her head high.
Meanwhile, Duke Ardos was carefully observing Coco's complexion.
“Is anything bothering you?”
“No! Why did you come? Did you come to see my face? Did you come to make chocolate cake?”
“Ahem, not exactly.”
“Then do you want some sweet potatoes? There are sweet potato vines over there on the walking path!”
“Ahem. Well, I suppose we could go together.”
Before they knew it, both Ruth and Duke Ardos forgot to closely monitor Coco's condition, melting away at her sweet charms.
However, there was one person.
Chloe alone did not fall for Coco's natural aegyo.
She stared intently at Coco and then placed her fingertips on the girl's round forehead.
“Coco, you have a fever.”
Coco's eyes widened as Chloe wiped away the cold sweat from her forehead.
“I don't have a fever at all!”
“No, you do. Coco, you're sick.”
Only then did Coco mutter, her eyes darting around as if she had been caught.
“Yeah. They said I have a very, very tiny fever. They said I'll get better if I sleep. The maid sister even called a doctor this morning. I'm perfectly fine!”
Was it really just a light fever?
'But it's too unnatural to be just a fever...'
Coco, glancing at Chloe while shifting her eyes, began to bounce her feet unnaturally.
“Ah! Sister, I have something important to do for a moment, so I have to go. Sorry I can't play with you, Ruth, Duke!”
At that moment, Ruth chimed in.
“Something important? Why does a five-year-old seem busier than I am?”
“Ruth, do you not consider the possibility that you are simply idle?”
Holding the hands of the skeptical Ruth and Duke Ardos, Coco suddenly pushed them into Chloe's arms.
“You three hold hands and play hide-and-seek well!”
Leaving the three adults standing in front of her annex, Coco trotted away quickly.
For a moment, the image of puppy Coco overlapped with the sight of her retreating back, causing Chloe to blink.
When she looked again, she saw only a silver-haired child with a round head running away.
* * *
Although she had diverted their attention with hide-and-seek, seeing that her sister had noticed, she needed to hide it more thoroughly.
'I guess it's obvious that I keep hearing bad things and feeling sick.'
Last night, she had suffered through a nightmare about parting from her sister.
That was why she kept running a fever.
'But I can't act this weak.'
She couldn't just leave the auditory hallucinations and her dwindling lifespan to chance.
Because she was the brave Coco.
'I'll ask my other animal friends if there's a way for me to live a long time!'
Humans might not know, but animals might.
Especially spirit beasts or intelligent animals!
And so, I convened an animal meeting.
The 1st Coco and Animal Friends Meeting Location.
The animal friends gathered at <Thunder's Ultra-Luxurious Stable>.
Thunder, Jjek-jjeki, Emperor of Mouse, and me, Coco!
The scale of this meeting was immense.
Since I thought I would need the power of a spirit beast, I had even sent an image sphere to Amius, the black tiger spirit creature by Caligo's side.
But...!
“Hing.”
...A big problem suddenly occurred.
The moment I stepped into the barn where all my animal friends were gathered, my body suddenly flopped down to the floor.
That's right.
“Why did I become a puppy again...?”
I didn't even use any life force, so why on earth...
As I stood on four legs atop the well-laid grass, pondering this, the mischievous Emperor of Mouse clung to my fluffy head hair and grinned.
“Whatever you become, I like you as a puppy too!”
“Aieee...”
Because of the mouse dangling there, it tickled so much that I burst into giggles.
While I was trying to shake off the mouse because it tickled, Jjek-jjeki flew in right on time and landed on the windowsill of the luxurious barn.
“So, when is the actual meeting starting?”
After giggling for a while, I caught my breath and told everyone everything that had happened so far.
Including the part about how I wouldn't be able to live long.
Then...
The Emperor of Mouse, who had been sitting on my head, plopped down to the floor.
The mane of a flustered Thunder trembled.
In the silence of everyone, Jjek-jjeki's hollow chirping echoed.
Still, I spoke bravely.
“But I want to live for a long, long time. So, Jjek-jjeki. You're a legendary information broker.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then, then... isn't there a way to extend one's lifespan? Does anyone know anything?”
“...You brat! Do you think such a thing exists? If it did, all the human Emperors would have lived for thousands of years!”
If that's the case, what should I do...
Just as I drooped my tail gloomily, Jjek-jjeki spoke.
“Arrr, straighten your tail! I didn't know you'd curl your tail like a weak puppy!”
“But you said there's no way...”
“Just defy fate!”
“Huh? How do I defy fate?”
“...”
“How?”
“...”
“Eh?”
“...”
Jjek-jjeki quickly averted his gaze and muttered.
“I don't know. But I'm the best information broker in the Empire, Arrr. You brat.”
“Mm...”
“I'll find a way for you to live, even if it's just a tiny clue. Until then, don't be scared, and don't die. Got it?”
“...”
“Don't die.”
Jjek-jjeki whispered, staring intently into my eyes.
“If you die, seriously...”
“Seriously?”
“...I'll kill you!”
With those words, Jjek-jjeki flew powerfully into the air as if taking off from a perch.
On the floor, the Emperor of Mouse muttered.
“How are you going to kill a dog that's already dead?”
“...I wonder.”
But it was strange.
The courage given by Jjek-jjeki, who said 'I'll kill you if you die,' kept seeping into my heart.
“Then I've decided what I need to do.”
“What is it?”
“Since Jjek-jjeki said he'd find a way to extend my life, I'll first pave a flower path for my sister's future.”
Let's start with what I can do right now.
In the first place, I came here to make my sister happy.
It's a shame I can't stay with my sister for long. But if my sister is happy, I'm happy too!
“But since I keep turning into a puppy, I need one assistant to help me.”
Then, the Emperor of Mouse spoke nonchalantly.
“An assistant to be your hands and feet? Why look far?”
“Huh? Not you. You're a mouse. I need a human.”
“Gosh, how frustrating! Not me. What are you going to use Caligo for if not this?”
At those words, my expression brightened and then instantly turned to disappointment.
But Caligo said he didn't want to be my family.
“...You know, I don't think Caligo likes me very much.”
At my gloomy remark, the Emperor of Mouse and Thunder looked at each other.
“Yeah, it does seem that way.”
“Right. Even we animals can see it.”
“Look at him; he knows Amius has an image sphere, yet he's still not showing up.”
I let out a deep sigh.
Then, who will be my assistant?
* * *
Meanwhile, beyond the image sphere.
Agent Jack and Amius, who were in Caligo's bedroom, were stomping their feet in frustration.
“Agh! Those clueless animals, seriously... Anyone can see that Caligo likes Coco right now...”
Watching Agent Jack flutter his wings over the image sphere, Amius also clicked his tongue in frustration.
'How much Caligo likes Coco! It's practically a one-sided love!'
As Caligo's imprinted spirit beast, Amius knew exactly what Caligo was thinking.
His imprinted one, whose self-esteem was far too low, seemed to be thinking things like, 'Would it be okay for me to meet Coco again?'
Sighing deeply while looking at the extinguished image sphere, Amius approached the sofa where Caligo was sitting.
“...What is it, Amius?”
Amius gripped a quill with his front paw.
Then, he wrote crookedly on the sketchbook spread out on the floor.
[Go to Coco Now]
However, Caligo could not fully understand the letters he had struggled to write in the sketchbook.
Still, he should be able to understand that the content was 'Go to Coco.'
“When we last parted, Coco misunderstood.”
“...”
“She thought I didn't like her...”
“...”
“So I don't know how to approach her. What should I do?”
Amius looked at the pile of gift boxes stacked in front of Caligo.
Can't you just clear up the misunderstanding?
Amius tapped Caligo's sleeve with his front paw.
Just as Caligo tilted his head at the encouraging gesture, Amius wrote one enormous letter in the sketchbook.
[GO!]
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