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IBP 168
<Divine Beast>.
An honorable existence beloved by the citizens of the Empire, a magnificent animal said to be even more great than the Emperor.
Thus, some might say that because she is a divine beast, she could easily depose someone like the Imperial Concubine.
But you can't just cast aside an Imperial Concubine who has given birth to an Imperial Prince that easily, can you?
That's why I deliberately plotted a scheme.
‘I have to make the Imperial Concubine attack me first.’
I'll make the Imperial Concubine the villain and bring about an ending where she is justly punished!
After revealing my plan, I smiled brightly and bumped my head—conk—into my sister's embrace.
“All that practice controlling my strength in your room paid off, right, Sis?”
I'll make sure she's stripped of her position as Imperial Concubine and becomes trash forever.
But it was right then.
My sister let out a deep sigh and hugged me tightly.
“But, Coco. A plan is a plan, but I just can't do it.”
“Huh?”
Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling?
As I tilted my head, my sister murmured gloomily.
“The whole world knows how amazing our Coco is, but only our Coco doesn't know how amazing she is.”
“Eh?”
“The nobles have already spread rumors throughout the capital that the divine beast has appeared.”
“Gasp, it's only been a few hours since we finished talking!”
“Yeah. I guess the rumors spread as fast as the people's anticipation for the divine beast. So, people are already making imaginary portraits of our Coco and imaginary divine beast dolls. Doesn't it seem like everyone loves Coco so much?”
“Gasp.”
People love me!
This was something I could never have imagined back in my stray puppy days!
My eyes widened instinctively, and my heart began to throb.
“Sissy! Wait a minute!”
I sprang up and dashed across the room. Then, I returned to my sister and asked.
“Do people really, really love Coco?”
“Yes! Coco, does it still not feel real?”
“Mm-hm!”
“Then do you want to go see your portrait? I heard they hung a huge one in the plaza.”
...T-that's a bit overwhelming.
However, my sister's eyes were already gleaming with madness.
“So Coco, hold my hand. Let's go see everyone praising our Coco.”
“Gasp.”
“Sissy has to raise our Coco's self-esteem way, way up!”
She scooped up my body, which had turned bright red from embarrassment.
* * *
Early evening that day, in front of the market near an ordinary plaza in the Imperial Capital.
The market street was crowded even though it wasn't a market day.
Airi, at the flower shop, was tending to flower stems while attending to customers.
“You're buying flowers to commemorate the appearance of the Divine Beast?”
The customer nodded excitedly.
“Yes. Finally, glory will shine upon our Empire. After all, isn't there a divine oracle? The one that says, <When the Divine Beast appears, light shall find our Empire>!”
Airi was well aware of that oracle.
Smiling brightly, she handed over a 'white' flower, which was one of the fur colors mentioned in the rumors about the divine beast.
“But when will the Divine Beast officially appear and look down upon the citizens of the Empire?”
“Well, there's no way to know yet! I just hope there's an official announcement soon. I'm itching to throw a festival.”
“Aren't you just itching to drink alcohol?”
“......Naughty girl, haha!”
Since there had been no official announcement on an Imperial level, nothing accurate was known about the divine beast yet.
Only stories about the existence of a 'Puppy Divine Beast' were spreading rapidly by word of mouth.
Passing through the crowd were an adult woman who looked noble at a glance and a ten-year-old child.
Though their faces were covered, people glanced at them because of their exceptionally extraordinary appearance.
However, the ten-year-old child walked with her head hanging low, holding the woman's hand.
“Sissy......”
“Yes, what is it, our Coco?”
The two were none other than Chloe and Coco.
Coco's face was flushed red, and her eyes rolled around.
“Are you shy?”
“Mm-hm......”
Since everything was about the divine beast, Coco, who hadn't actually done much yet, felt shy.
But Chloe wanted to let the whole world know how amazing Coco was.
She grinned and gripped Coco's hand more firmly.
“Coco. There's a big puppy portrait hanging over there. Shall we go see it?”
“Huh?”
“As rumors spread that the puppy divine beast appeared, a holy painter drew the divine beast from imagination. Sissy really wanted to see it.”
But don't people not know exactly what the divine beast looks like yet?
‘I wonder how they portrayed me?’
Nevertheless, Coco walked diligently as if on a stroll, her heart fluttering with anticipation.
It was when she finally scampered up to the portrait.
Because she was short, the first thing in Coco's view was a sign that read <The Great Divine Beast>.
‘Did I come out looking really cool?’
Filled with expectation, Coco smiled brightly and slowly lifted her head.
And.......
Coco blinked with a bewildered expression.
“Sissy.”
“Yes?”
Coco gripped the hem of her sister's clothes tightly and murmured softly.
“......That portrait, i-is that supposed to be Coco?”
In Coco's field of vision was a massive black puppy—no, a wolf—with a huge, protruding snout.
‘I look so terrifying and ugly!’
......It was a shock.
“Hing......”
Being so incredibly disappointed, she fell back into her habit of sticking out her tongue like a puppy.
Flustered, Chloe picked Coco up with a heave and said,
“Our Coco, were you surprised? I'll tell them to replace it with a cooler portrait. Sissy promises.”
“Mm-hm....... Coco is okay!”
Though she was very, very upset, Sister Chloe spoke warmly and stroked her head. So, Coco soon felt better and let out a hehe laugh. Quickly catching Coco's mood, Chloe asked kindly,
“Is our Coco feeling better? Is your self-esteem all the way up?”
“Yes, yes!”
“Then shall we go home now? We'll eat something delicious, and I'll listen to what future plans our Coco has made. Step by step.”
“Gasp, plans......!”
Coco's eyes sparkled as she thought.
‘Right, I shouldn't be upset over a mere portrait! I've already set a plan to deal with the Imperial Concubine.’
Coco narrowed her eyes, and for a few minutes, her eyes shone with intense focus.
“......Coco?”
Having barely heard Chloe's words, Coco, who had been concentrating, suddenly pointed her finger toward the thickets in the west.
“Sissy, over there!”
“Huh?”
“Can you make a small house for me next to that rock near the grass over thereeee?”
A place where a large rock sat solitary. However, the sunlight hit it in such a way that it almost looked like a mystical altar.
Anyone else would have called it a strange request, but.......
“Yes, I will do as our Coco commands.”
Chloe nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
After she left to build the small house, Coco summoned Caligo on her way back to the mansion.
Because Caligo's help was absolutely necessary to make the lasso that would tie up and punish the Imperial Concubine.
* * *
“......Father, I think the inevitable has happened.”
“What 'inevitable'? Your demeanor is so frivolous, honestly.”
Unlike Duke Ardos, who sat on the sofa leisurely holding a newspaper, Ruth stamped his foot in frustration.
“Our Coco......”
“What about her? What is it? Is there some problem with our cute baby divine beast?”
As if he couldn't even imagine something happening to Coco's well-being, the newspaper in the Duke's hand crumpled with a crack.
Ruth muttered while rubbing his face.
“It's not that, it's just that our Coco suddenly requested another meeting with Grand Prince Caligo Rivera......”
At that moment, the engagement scandal from a few days ago flashed through the minds of Duke Ardos and Ruth.
After Caligo's boisterous proposal, a great wave of turmoil had hit the hearts of Duke Ardos and Ruth.
However, while announcing Coco as the divine beast, they had been relieved, thinking the 'engagement' would just fizzle out.......
Duke Ardos murmured in a trembling voice.
“She probably just intends to meet him as a friend......”
“She said it was a very important matter....... And do you know what Grand Prince Caligo sent via messenger?”
“What.”
“A land deed.”
“......What?”
He bolted upright.
A land deed.
It was a concept similar to an engagement gift sent to the person one intends to formally betroth.
“T-to think the engagement is proceeding so smoothly......”
“Our child is still ten. A land deed is nothing; we can just send it back and say we won't accept it. But......”
Duke Ardos, who was about to explode in anger, suddenly took on a sorrowful expression.
“But, you see. If we oppose their relationship, Coco will hate us.”
“.......”
“Can you handle that?”
“Eh? What kind of question is that? Of course I can't handle it. I'll die immediately if Coco hates me.”
“......Good grief, tsk.”
Ruth was a weak man.
However, his mind was racing.
‘The messenger was sent to the Rivera Grand Duchy dozens of minutes ago. So it will take a bit more time for the Grand Prince to arrive at the mansion.’
Having reached a conclusion, he spoke to his father in a grave tone.
“Still, I will try to have a—a conversation with our Coco. We won't oppose it, but can't we just push the engagement back as far as possible?”
So, roughly, if we push it back by about 1,000 years......?
* * *
I was sitting in my room, wiggling around while waiting for Caligo.......
“Gasp. What is this?”
......I only peeked open the door because I heard a strange noise outside, but I saw bricks piled up so high there was no room to step.
As I looked blankly at the bricks piled higher than my own height, I heard a voice from above.
“It's a barricade, of course!”
Stretching my neck long like a giraffe to look up, my eyes widened.
“Ruth! What's a barricade?”
Moreover, 'The Father of Emperor of Mice' and Jjek-jjeki were with him on top!
He scrambled over the bricks and landed with a thud in front of me.
I stared with wide eyes and looked around.
“What? Why did everyone come suddenly? P-perhaps......!”
......Hide and seek?
Ruth's Adam's apple bobbed. The mouse and Jjek-jjeki also remained silent, looking flustered. I looked at them and spoke cautiously.
“But, I don't think I can play right now. Coco is a bit busy.”
“Why, why are you busy?”
“I, you see, with Caligo......”
I was about to say that I had to discuss catching the Imperial Concubine with Amius, but Ruth squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again.
“Coco! I oppose this engagement......! Why get engaged at ten? You should live in my arms for at least another hundred years!”
“S-suddenly?”
Just as I rolled my eyes in confusion.
Boom! Crash!
Along with a loud noise, the sound of the bricks in front of the door shattering echoed.
“Yes, this father also opposes it.”
......I can't believe it.
I stared wide-eyed at their surprising level of unity.
And then.......
“What exactly is being opposed, Duke?”
A sharply dressed Caligo appeared. Beside him was Amius, with a rose in his mouth.
As one beast and three humans converged, I tilted my head.
‘W-what? The atmosphere is super weird.’
I just set a plan to catch the Imperial Concubine.......
But the situation was a total mess.
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