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IBP 165
Ignoring the rustling sound of the bushes that tickled her ears, Coco tilted her head in confusion.
“Engagement?”
“Yes, engagement.”
After tilting her head, Coco soon stomped her foot as if she had understood.
“Engagement! That's what my sister and Brother Caligo did!”
“Yes, so...”
As he was choosing his words, the rustling sound from the bushes was heard again.
Coco didn't know, but Caligo knew the identity of the irritating noise.
The people of Ardos were hiding and eavesdropping on their conversation.
'But I don't care. The only things that matter are Coco and me.'
So, Caligo carefully chose his words.
“I want to be with Coco for a long, long time, too. Even if I can't become the divine beast's imprinter... I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”
Coco beamed a wide smile and spoke to Caligo.
“Me too, me too! I want to be with Caligo for the rest of my life!”
“Then, good.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Caligo discreetly pulled something out of his pocket.
Inside a red velvet box was a sparkling silver necklace.
As he placed the necklace around Coco's neck, Caligo quietly declared.
“This is a token of engagement.”
“Token?”
Seeing Coco tilt her head at the difficult word, Caligo smiled again.
“Yes, and besides the necklace, there's something else...”
“Hup? Wowwww!”
...It was chocolate!
With her mouth watering, Coco nodded her head with all her might.
“I love choco so, so much!”
Then, Caligo tightly held Coco's hand.
“I'm glad. I'm glad you like it.”
Coco opened her mouth wide.
Then, Caligo popped a piece of chocolate into Coco's mouth.
Just as the characteristic sweetness of the chocolate spread through her mouth, Caligo gently held Coco's hand.
Feeling the warmth of Caligo's hand holding hers, Coco thought.
'Coco feels all fluffy. Is it because I ate choco? My heart feels like it's pitter-pattering...'
Thinking that it felt even better because Caligo's hand was warm, Coco giggled.
And so, Caligo and Coco held hands tightly and walked for a long while.
With every step they took, the sound of the bushes moving continued to be heard.
'It really feels like there are humans in there!'
Coco glanced over, but Caligo looked peaceful. Looking at Coco, who was peeking toward the bushes, he murmured.
“Coco, I want you to give this time entirely to me.”
“Huh?”
Caligo gazed steadily at Coco.
Naturally, Coco didn't seem to know exactly what an engagement was. That was likely why she had nodded instantly at his sudden suggestion to 'get engaged.'
But it didn't matter.
'She accepted the engagement.'
For this moment, that was enough. He was confident that he could make Coco like him even more.
The corners of his lips curled up perfectly.
“The two of us are engaged, Coco.”
“Ung!”
“Since we've shared a token, you must never forget.”
He smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the necklace hanging around Coco's neck.
Just like that necklace...
“I want to be yours, for a very long time.”
* * *
After the walk ended.
Three people suddenly popped out of the bushes!
It was Duke Ardos, Ruth, and her sister!
Ruth's eyes flashed as she looked at Caligo, and she hoisted him up abruptly.
“Ugh, if Coco hadn't said she liked it, I would have protested and demanded a formal marriage proposal be sent to the Grand Duke's house...!”
Trembling, Father turned his back and walked away, looking distressed.
And then came this moment.
Confined in her sister's room, I plunged a spoon into the chocolate-flavored ice cream brought from the dining room.
“Hehe! Choco ice cream!”
I intended to spend a happy day munching on the ice cream my sister gave me...!
Surprisingly, my sister slid the ice cream away.
“If you eat too many cold things, Coco's tummy will hurt.”
“Ung? It's okay if Coco's tummy goes ouchie.”
I wiped the corners of my mouth while staring at the bowl of chocolate ice cream in my sister's hand.
Saliva almost dripped from my mouth, but my sister wouldn't give the ice cream back.
I sucked the remaining sweetness off the spoon and let out a little 'hing' sound.
However, my sister's expression looked very ominous.
“Coco, if you answer my question, I'll give you more.”
“Uuung...”
“Did you and Caligo say you'd get engaged?”
“Ung!”
My sister let out a deep sigh.
Then, she scanned the bookshelves in her room. The shelves were filled with worn-out fairy tale books she used to read to me.
My sister pulled out a book titled <The Little Fox's First Love> and read it to me.
<When the little fox first came out into the human world, he got lost. When the flustered fox collapsed onto the ground, someone reached out a hand. It was a handsome young boy.
The boy reached out to the little fox and asked kindly, “Why are you sitting here? Are you hurt anywhere?” The fox held the boy's hand and spoke primly, “I'm not hurt.” But then, something strange happened. It felt as if a part of the fox's chest had broken. There was a persistent throbbing sensation, as if someone were walking around in a corner of his heart.
It also felt as if the waves of the sea were surging violently inside his stomach. The little fox did not yet know. That a simple handshake was the beginning of the little fox's long-standing unrequited love.>
After reading the contents of the fairy tale, Chloe spoke firmly.
“This is what first love is like, Coco.”
“Ung? Me too!”
“Eh? What did you say?”
“Caligo held my hand tight and Coco's heart went pitter-patter.”
“...What?”
“Heehee. I guess this is that first love thing!”
Chloe sister put her hand to her forehead and thought. It was obvious she was thinking, 'This is troublesome. This is a disaster.' I tilted my head and then thought.
'Sister must be jealous. Because Coco got her first friend.'
I put down the spoon and ice cream and gave a kiss on sister's cheek.
“Even if I'm engaged to Caligo, sister is everything to Coco!”
Caligo is the first, but sister is the whole world.
At that, sister let out a crumbling smile.
“...Right, engagement or whatever, what does it matter. Our Coco is right here by my side.”
Sister wiped the ice cream off my mouth. Then, she brought me a whole container of chocolate cookies.
It was a very peaceful day.
* * *
Again, in Empress Hervezette's dark room.
Trapped in the darkness, she was staring at the crystal ball regardless of whether it was day or night.
The crystal ball.
A divine artifact possessing a powerful force capable of awakening the divine beast of the dragon.
She did not doubt for a moment that this ball could locate the divine beast.
However...
Her expression distorted as she tried to find the coordinates of the unawakened divine beast.
The surface of the crystal ball turned bright red and soon began to vibrate as if it were about to shatter.
'...Oh, has the divine beast already awakened?'
For the past few days, the crystal ball had been moving violently as if searching for something.
'It must have awakened recently.'
The Empress's usually elegant brow furrowed.
However, she could not determine the exact reason why the crystal ball was becoming so hot and vibrating so intensely.
'It's become difficult to analyze accurately because there is no priest.'
This was because her relationship with the temple had been completely severed due to the previous divine beast incident.
The Empress tentatively touched the crystal ball with her fingertips.
The crystal ball was gradually heating up. And upon it, unknown ancient language began to be drawn.
“If the ancient language is written on this crystal ball, it means the location of the divine beast has been identified.”
“Can it be summoned directly to this place?”
“If it is still in an unawakened stage, it can be brought here by exercising ancient magic.”
Recalling the conversation with the priest, the Empress's eyes flashed.
'Even if it has just awakened, wouldn't it still be possible to bring it here?'
As she smiled with sinister thoughts, Prince Gaisa opened the door to the dark room and entered.
“Mother, you must eat. You haven't eaten anything for two days now.”
But the Empress had no interest in her son's worries.
She stared at her son's limbs, which were as thin as twigs, with an uncomfortable look before finally speaking.
“Prince, a meal is not what is important right now.”
“Then...”
“Finally, you can become the divine beast's imprinter.”
The target was her foolish and frail son.
“Ah, are you still thinking that? Please, Mother...”
She roughly grabbed the hand of her son as he hesitated and stepped back. It didn't matter whether he looked pained from having his thin arm gripped or not.
Empress Hervezette spoke elegantly to Prince Gaisa.
“My son.”
“...”
“Since you must become the greatest Emperor, you naturally must imprint with the divine beast.”
To her, her son was nothing more and nothing less than a tool to make her shine. Therefore, whatever the tool said was merely an empty echo.
She touched the crystal ball.
Using the exact same method as when she awakened the divine beast of the dragon...
It was time to summon a new divine beast here.
The moment Prince Gaisa's expression was consumed by despair.
Finally, the crystal ball began to move as if it were about to shatter.
Her bloodshot eyes stared at the ball without blinking.
* * *
For a long time, I lay side-by-side with sister on the bed and practiced making my tail disappear.
Even while practicing the tail disappearance, sister sighed and stroked my ears.
“Our Coco needs to stay with sister for a long, long time.”
“I'm already staying with sister for a long, long time! But you know, sister, sister's puppy ears are moving! Isn't it amazing!”
“Uuung, it is amazing.”
Sister had an expression full of worry, but she gave a small smile nonetheless.
'I'll be able to transform into a proper human form soon, right?'
Then I'll meet the maid sisters, meet lots and lots of animal friends, and tell them that since Coco became a divine beast, I'll give them a piece of my mind if they touch my sister.
'I'm already looking forward to it!'
With a fluttering heart, I was happily nestled in sister's arms, touching my tail, when...
“Sister.”
“Yes?”
Sister didn't seem to feel it yet, but as a divine beast, I could tell.
At this moment, it felt as if something wicked was infiltrating our surroundings. The current of the air surrounding us had changed. I couldn't describe it precisely, but the peaceful and cozy atmosphere turned anxious in an instant.
So, all of this was...
“...Something is strange.”
Only then did sister open her eyes wide.
“Coco, it's dangerous!”
A magic circle I had never seen before completely enveloped sister and me.
Seeing flashing circles, triangles, and things like ancient language being drawn repeatedly around us, sister spoke as if lamenting.
“I think the Empress is preparing to summon the divine beast.”
The magic circle surrounding us disappeared for a moment.
And suddenly, a whirlwind-like wind began to blow.
The fox fairy tale book sister had read to me flew out the window, and the blankets fluttered wildly.
Trapped in the crazily blowing wind, sister looked at me.
“Sister should be the one summoned instead of Coco. Coco, give me your hand.”
“...Uuung?”
“Coco, hand. Give sister some of your strength.”
Sister gripped my hand tightly.
Just as I was about to giggle because I liked her soft hand, I felt my strength being slowly sucked into sister.
But that wasn't what was important to me.
“Sister, but why do I have to give you strength?”
“...So that the Empress cannot dare summon our Coco, sister will go in your place for a little while.”
But...
'There's no need for that.'
Blinking my eyes, I reached out and grabbed the whirlwind that was trying to envelop sister and me.
The whirlwind, which had been like a storm, was caught in my grip and vanished like a crumpled piece of paper.
I grinned and asked sister.
“Why should sister be in danger?”
Coco, who still has a tail but is super strong, is right here!
I shouted intelligently, as a divine beast should.
“Now it's our turn to give them a proper lesson!”
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