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IBP 164
I let my tail droop, wearing a miserable expression.
‘...I love the idea of staying with Big Sister for a long, long time, but I don't want to be a child with a puppy tail.’
I wanted to meet people and brag, "Coco is a divine beast now!" I wanted to see Caligo and Grand Duke Rivera, meet my animal friends again, and see all the maid sisters...
Feeling suddenly depressed, I buried my face in a cushion on the sofa, and then I heard Big Sister's gentle voice. Behind her, I could hear the soft laughter of Ruth and Daddy.
“Is our world's most wonderful baby divine beast crying?”
“Hing...”
When I lifted my face from the cushion, I saw a mark in the shape of my eyes, nose, and mouth, darkened by tears, snot, and drool.
I quickly flipped the cushion over so Big Sister couldn't see.
“Big Sister, Coco isn't a baby, I'm a child. ...No, I'm an adult. So even if my tail doesn't disappear, I'm not upset at all. I didn't cry at all.”
With my ears still drooping sadly, I tilted my chin up, and Big Sister nodded with an expression that looked like she was holding back laughter.
“Ah, right. Of course. Our Coco is a child.”
“Ung...”
But even for a mature child, there are scary things.
Namely, the fact that puppy ears were poking up from the top of my head.
“It's okay, Coco. You can just tuck the puppy tail and ears back in slowly. It hasn't been long since you recovered your memories.”
After dozens of minutes of effort, I finally managed to tuck the puppy ears in. Then, Duke Ardos lifted me onto his lap and asked how I had lived on the puppy star.
When I told him I lived diligently every day and became a muscular puppy, he burst into laughter and spoke solemnly.
“Right, muscular puppy. From now on, you must not go anywhere.”
“Ung!”
After answering bravely, I stared at the spoon Daddy was holding.
“Meat!”
“Want some?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Daddy popped the spoon into my mouth.
Ruth let out a long sigh.
“Ah, seriously. I want to sit Coco on my lap too.”
“You must follow the orders of the head of the house.”
“Ah, seriously... It's sad not being a person of power.”
Regardless of Ruth's grumbling, Duke Ardos just stroked my head with a goofy grin.
Between fiercely indulging in the meat, receiving Duke Ardos's petting, and defending against Ruth poking my cheeks...
I was having a very, very busy mealtime, when a thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Everyone is weird. They're all staring at me like puppies with separation anxiety!’
I put down the spoon and spoke maturely.
“Isn't everyone eating the meat, ice cream, sweet potatoes, and Choco?”
“This father has eaten everything. So, our Coco, eat everything here.”
“Hup...!”
It felt like there were more than a hundred different kinds of food!
Watching my hands become greedily fast, Daddy spoke with a satisfied look.
“Pretty thing. You can't go anywhere from now on. You shall live in our family for the rest of your life.”
I nodded vaguely, continuously munching on strawberry-flavored ice cream in my mouth, and it was right then.
“Munch... munch?”
The atmosphere turned quiet.
Feeling something strange, I looked around.
“The door is open!”
Because Big Sister had given a strict warning, no one was supposed to be able to open the door and enter...
“It has been a while, Duke Ardos.”
Closing the open door neatly, a boy with brilliant blonde hair entered.
A neatly tailored tuxedo.
Flowers filling both hands.
And a bright, smiling face.
It was Caligo—no, he had grown significantly from the Caligo I knew, now clearly showing the traits of a teenager.
“Caligo!”
I sprang up from Duke Ardos's lap and dashed forward.
“It's been so long! I missed you! I remember everything!”
Then, I stood firmly in front of Caligo and beamed.
“Coco, it's good to see you.”
“M-my, my daughter...”
A hollow voice reached my ears, but I had no time to care about that voice.
It was because the bouquet of sweet-potato-shaped flowers Caligo brought was just too fascinating!
“What is it? What is it? What are these flowers?”
“I felt like I couldn't give them to you properly the last time we met. I brought them to commemorate our official meeting.”
“Last time? Ah!”
He was talking about when I was a puppy.
As I nodded, Caligo hugged the flowers into my arms and spoke.
“Coco, there's something I want to tell you. By any chance, are you finished with your meal?”
I tilted my head toward Caligo, who seemed somehow nervous.
‘Is it something really important? Sweet potatoes?’
Maybe it was a story about giving me bright yellow, sweet sweet potatoes.
I gulped and gripped Caligo's hand tightly.
“Ung ung, let's go!”
And so, holding the flowers in one hand and gripping Caligo's hand tightly with the other.
Just then, a sinister shadow loomed over our heads.
I tilted my head.
‘This shadow isn't Caligo's!’
Following the owner of the shadow cast over me, I slowly looked up...
“Hmm? You two are having a conversation alone? Our Coco hasn't even fully caught up with her father yet. How about the five of us all talk together?”
Caligo quietly shook his head and murmured.
“It is a conversation to be had with Coco alone, Duke.”
“Is that so? Then I want to talk with Caligo alone!”
“I-I-is that so. Uhuhu...”
Veins appeared in Duke Ardos's hand as he gripped me tightly.
He looked anxious, like a puppy that desperately needed to go to the bathroom.
“Daddy, why are you like that?”
“N-n-nothing.”
The corners of Ruth's mouth were also twitching.
“G-go on. Coco...”
* * *
“...So that's what happened.”
When I briefly explained everything that had happened until now, Caligo let out a short exclamation of admiration.
“Ung, ung! Big Sister and Coco are destiny.”
I proudly pushed out my belly as a habit, and Caligo made a slightly awkward expression.
“Hmm... I see.”
“Why? Caligo, why do you have a bad expression?”
“D-did I?”
Caligo smiled awkwardly. He then shifted his gaze to the flowers he had given me.
‘Caligo looks like he's in a bad mood.’
I observed Caligo, who had become quieter, his earlobes flushed red and his cheeks flushed, and soon reached a conclusion.
“You know, Caligo, you're in a bad mood, aren't you?”
“...Eh?”
“Actually, I think I know why Caligo is upset.”
“....”
Caligo's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
I looked at the nervous boy and whispered cautiously.
“...Are you really jealous that Coco and Big Sister are destiny?”
When I made an expression as if I understood everything, like a quick-witted puppy, Caligo's composure crumbled.
“Yes. You probably intuited it seeing the flowers, so, well...”
“I honestly understand that feeling of being jealous of Coco because Big Sister is so cool.”
“U-uh?”
“But Coco can't share Big Sister with Caligo. I like Caligo, but no matter how much I like you, some things are just not allowed. Big Sister Chloe is Coco's!”
If it had been anyone else, I would have bared my front teeth and hissed a threat.
But the opponent was none other than Caligo.
I bared my front teeth only very slightly, barely visible.
At that, Caligo laughed softly and wiped his face with his hand.
“That's not it. I mean, um...”
“It's not?”
Unlike me, who had instantly become docile, Caligo seemed frantic.
He clenched and unclenched his hands, touched his ear, and even tapped his feet. It was a restless side of Caligo I had never seen before.
I tilted my head and asked.
“If it's not that, then what is it?”
Then, Caligo suddenly spoke.
“Coco, we're still the best friends in the world, right?”
“Ung!”
“...Even if Coco became a divine beast, that doesn't change. Right?”
“Ung ung! As long as it's okay that Coco keeps turning into a puppy!”
I conveniently left out the fact that I couldn't control my ears and tail. Because then he might not want to be my friend.
While I was feeling anxious, Caligo came to a sudden halt.
Then, he closed his eyes tightly and muttered.
“Then, shall we get engaged?”
“Eung?”
Caligo opened his eyes, looked at me, and pulled a bright red box from his pocket.
He had an expression as if this was a tremendous secret weapon.
“...When you grow a bit more, will you engage with me?”
At the very moment the box was about to open grandly.
From the edge of the bushes along the promenade, rustling sounds were heard simultaneously.
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