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IBP 94
It was a voice that sounded as sweet as a roasted sweet potato.
My eyes flew wide open.
“Huk. What’s this?”
...This is the voice my sister only uses when she talks to puppy Coco.
I barely managed to focus my vision.
“My baby, you’re finally awake.”
Come to think of it, this fluffy embrace...
‘It’s sister!’
Sister was hugging me tightly on the bed.
Looking at her, she seemed very tired, but her face also looked happy.
But that wasn't the important part.
‘Did sister just call me her baby...?’
I blinked my eyes repeatedly.
Then, I looked down at my hands.
‘Human hands....’
This is strange.
‘I’m not a puppy right now....’
But sister called me her baby.
“Hut, I must be dreaming again.”
Because I liked it so much, I snuggled back into her arms with a small giggle.
Just as I was tensing my body, determined not to be pushed away even if she told me to go away—
“It’s not a dream. My baby. Our Coco.”
Sister hugged me tight and brushed my hair behind my ear.
I looked up at her with wide eyes.
“Sister!”
“Yes, what is it, my baby?”
“Am, am I your baby?”
“Of course, you’re my baby puppy.”
Baby puppy...?
I felt like my eyes were going to pop out.
I barely managed to open my mouth.
“S-Sister.”
“Yes?”
“I’m your sister Coco! Your puppy sister, Coco!”
Huk, I can speak!
‘Which means....’
My eyes widened.
Sister whispered, kissing my forehead gently.
“Of course you are, my puppy sister Coco.”
“Wow, sister recognizes me!”
I really thought I was dreaming.
I was so, so worried that I would wake up from this incredibly happy dream!
“I guess it’s not a dream!”
“Yes, yes, Coco. Of course it’s not a dream.”
Sister hugged me tight and soothed me tenderly.
“I love you. I’m sorry I didn't recognize you sooner. I should have recognized my baby earlier and showered you with love.”
Judging by the hoarseness in her voice, sister must have cried.
I can always tell when my sister is crying.
Whenever she was having a hard time, she used to hug me tight and cry by my side.
In those moments, there was always something I wanted to tell her. Sister.
“Sister, smile like this. I’m right here with you.”
“Hmm?”
“I can protect you now!”
I beamed brightly, thrusting my soft, cotton-fist-like hand toward her.
“Look at this!”
Sister smiled as if she were about to cry.
She held me tight in her arms and whispered, as kind and warm as always.
“My baby, how did you spend your time before you came to see sister?”
“After crossing the rainbow bridge?”
“Yes, yes. I’m so curious. What did our Coco do while living there?”
“You know, I, um, played a whole lot with my puppy friends! I made many friends, and I ate sweet potatoes there, too....”
Actually, in the dog star, I spent every single day worrying about sister.
But I decided never to tell her that.
‘Sister would feel shy, and she’d worry, asking if Coco had a hard time in the dog star.’
I rubbed my face against her chest, grinning foolishly.
Now sister isn't prickly with me.
And she loves me so much, which makes me really excited.
As if reading my mind, sister gave my cheek a quick kiss and said,
“You’re so brave. Our Coco.”
“Sister, sister.”
“Yes?”
“I have a favor.”
I lunged into her embrace and murmured softly.
“Coco, kiss! Give me another one.”
Sister showered my forehead and cheeks with kisses.
I let out a little giggle and scrunched up my face as if it tickled.
But there was one thing that bothered me a bit.
“Sister, sister.”
“Yes?”
“Do you really remember everything? Like, what I like?”
“You like sweet potatoes. You loved chocolate so much, but sister never let you eat it... That’s why our Coco flipped over the plate. Because you were so angry.”
Sister chuckled softly, but I was flustered.
‘Huk, I’m remembered as a complete dummy dog...!’
I rolled my eyes and quickly changed the subject.
“But you know, I don’t have white fur anymore. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is. You’re our Coco.”
When sister spoke with such conviction, I became incredibly happy.
I felt like a puppy who owned every single bone in the world!
But in that moment, a hallucination echoed in my ears.
“You piece of trash stray dog.”
“I heard it was some stray that rolled around in a military camp. The way it just eats and eats, isn't it pathetic?”
...Did I exhaust too much of my life force when I tried to protect sister?
Or did I have an ability rampage?
The visions I saw back then kept digging into my heart like thorns, eating away at me.
The nasty hallucinations that had been seeping into my ears grew louder and louder.
I knew it wasn't real.
I knew for sure that sister loved me.
Yet, the bad memories and pain of the past seemed to double, piercing painfully into my heart.
Then, sister stroked my forehead and whispered softly.
“Coco, are you cold? You keep shivering, and you’re breaking out in a cold sweat....”
“Huh? I’m totally fine!”
I gave a wide grin, showing my teeth, but the worried look in sister’s eyes didn't change.
“You collapsed earlier, my baby. Are you really okay? Hmm? The doctor said there weren't any major problems....”
“No! I’m really okay. It’s just, I’m just a little cold. I’m fine.”
I smiled brightly and hugged sister tight.
If I stay close to her, the bad hallucinations will go away—shoo, shoo!
“You’ll die soon. And you’ll never be able to protect your sister.”
Bad Gillen’s voice!
Go away!
I shook my head side to side in sister’s arms as if plugging my ears.
Because my sister is the coolest person in the world.
I thought all my worries would vanish in her embrace, but I still couldn't stop my body from trembling.
But I couldn't be defeated by a mere hallucination.
Because I am the brave and wonderful puppy Coco who will protect sister.
‘I don’t hurt at all. So I’ll get up quickly and make sister happy!’
I bolted upright in bed.
“Sister!”
“Hmm?”
“I have something to tell you.”
“Hmm, what does our Coco want to say?”
* * *
Looking at Coco, who said she had something to tell her, Chloe was smiling softly.
But inside, she was sharpening her blade.
‘The bastard who killed our Coco.’
The trash who dared to torment Coco and killed her simply because she was a spirit beast.
And those who had put Coco in danger even now—she intended to clean them all out.
‘Of course, I must keep this a secret from my baby.’
She would get the blood on her own hands and let her baby spend every day happily, knowing nothing.
Just then, Coco gripped her hand tightly with her weak arm.
“I think we should go punish Marquis Gillen Amadeus and Lady Dahlia Melomande right now!”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s go kill the bad guys!”
Chloe was taken aback by Coco’s words.
She was so shocked that a cold sweat ran down her spine.
How on earth did Coco know that Gillen and Dahlia were bad people?
And where in the world did she learn the phrase ‘Let’s go kill the bad guys’...?
“Why, why? Is sister scared? Are you scared of the bad guys?”
...Yes, I am scared.
Bad guys or not....
“Our Coco, um, so, Gillen... Uh, how are you going to punish him?”
“Sister, you know, I’ve become super smart now.”
“T-That’s right. Our Coco is very smart.”
“So you have to listen to me.”
“Of course, of course. Sister will listen to everything our Coco says.”
Chloe smiled brightly, gently stroking Coco’s silver hair.
Then, Coco clenched both fists and shouted,
“Sister, sister, we have to punish that bad guy Gillen! First... um, um. I’ll bite him with my front teeth!”
“Right... But that piece of trash, sister was going to punish him instead, uh....”
While mumbling incoherently, Chloe felt sweat pouring down her forehead.
“Huh? Sister, why do you look so upset? Did I say something wrong?”
“Coco did nothing wrong. Sister is just... a little, a little bit flustered... I was wondering which bad person... I mean, which bad friend taught my baby such bad words....”
After finishing her sentence, Chloe saw Coco’s eyes rolling around.
‘My baby is walking on eggshells.’
Even when she was a puppy, she used to flinch at the slightest loud noise.
She used to shrink her body a lot, too....
‘Could she have heard bad words somewhere?’
...They say young children absorb bad words exactly as they hear them.
Did someone say something nasty to her?
As she looked at Coco with a worried expression, a thought suddenly occurred to Chloe.
‘I can ask her now.’
When she was a puppy, Chloe could only fret, unable to ask where it hurt or what painful thoughts she was having.
But now that she had become human and could speak, Chloe couldn't tell you how relieved she was.
Just as Chloe was about to ask while tenderly stroking Coco’s hair—
Coco asked cautiously.
“Um, sister.”
“Yes?”
“Um, you know. You know.”
“Yes, my baby.”
With a trembling gaze and a voice full of worry...
As if she couldn't bring herself to look forward.
With her eyes tightly shut, Coco murmured softly.
“Because I said bad words... do you hate me a little bit now...?”
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