Chapter 75

While doing so, we returned to the guest room.

Two knights were standing in front of the door just as they were when we left, but the members inside had changed.

Kicks, Tina, the queen, the royal guards, and the maids were gone, and in their place was an unfamiliar middle-aged man and the prince.

The prince! I was looking for him! To think he was in this room the whole time!

However, the five people in the room seemed to have been having a serious conversation until we entered. The atmosphere still lingered.

I wondered if it was okay for me to enter, when—

"Ah, we've been waiting for you."

The leader, who was sitting on the sofa to the right, said this without getting up. Next to him was the deputy leader, and across from them were the prince and the unfamiliar middle-aged man.

The king had moved to the sofa at the back.

The one-eyed knight, standing diagonally behind the leader, gently placed me on the floor, but I hid at his feet, feeling shy around the unfamiliar middle-aged man.

Kugal also stayed close, sniffing the air to gather information about the others.

The unfamiliar middle-aged man, despite being called middle-aged, was not a worn-out uncle. He was a handsome man with a slender build.

However, his demeanor seemed cold.

He was dressed in a tasteful outfit with a black base, and a stylish purple scarf around his neck. His long black hair, tied back, and his narrow, cold eyes made him look distant.

(...A bit scary)

I thought I shouldn't get involved with this person.

I felt like I would get a tongue-lashing if I tried to get close to him.

I was afraid I would be scolded if I made a fuss, so I stayed hidden behind the one-eyed knight's legs, but the black-haired handsome middle-aged man took an unexpected action.

He got up from the sofa and approached us, and in an instant, his cold expression turned into a relaxed, gentle face as he tried to touch Kugal and me.

"Oh! Finally, I've met you! I've been wanting to meet you for so long!"

His voice was deliberately high, as if he were talking to a baby.

"Come here, come here."

Kugal, apparently frightened by the sudden change in the handsome middle-aged man, quickly ran away, leaving me to be caught.

However, I was also terrified by his sudden transformation, so I wrapped my front paws around the one-eyed knight's legs and clung to them, trying not to be picked up.

"Aww, so cute."

Despite this, the handsome middle-aged man didn't give up and stroked me while I was still clinging to the one-eyed knight.

As I trembled, wondering what kind of person he was—

"Father."

The deputy leader called out to him, sounding exasperated.

(Father?)

When he said that, I noticed that the handsome middle-aged man and the deputy leader looked similar in both appearance and demeanor.

"…Is he the deputy leader's dad?"

I asked timidly, moving away from the one-eyed knight's legs. He smiled and answered, "Yes."

Then the prince also smiled and said,

"He may seem cold to people he meets for the first time, and he may seem hard to approach, but he's a kind person. He loves his children and animals too."

While the deputy leader wears an icy mask to maintain his dignity as a leader, the deputy leader's father seems to have a naturally cold appearance.

However, he is just as kind as his son and doesn't dislike animals.

Moreover, the deputy leader's father doesn't hide his love for animals at all. He is openly fond of them.

"Furry, so furry."

He was surprisingly cheerful.

The deputy leader's father seemed to like my chest fur and kept petting it.

I realized he wasn't scary, but I couldn't hide my confusion at the stark contrast between his appearance and behavior. A strict-looking handsome middle-aged man was saying "furry" and being playful.

"Father, please sit down. We were in the middle of a conversation."

The deputy leader, who seemed used to his father's relaxed demeanor, reminded him. The leader and the king were also smiling.

"No, I've been listening to the king talk about the spirit child, and I got excited. Why didn't Cromwell write more about how cute these children are in his letters? He always writes such dry content. Even when I ask, 'How are you doing?' he only replies, 'There are no problems.' Your mother and brother are always worried about you."

"...I'm glad it was just Father who came today."

The deputy leader muttered this in a tired voice. His mother and brother must be similar characters.

When the deputy leader's father sat back down, the leader began speaking in a calm tone.

"Let's put the discussion about whether to bring Cromwell back to the capital on hold. Cromwell doesn't want to return, and the princes want him to come back soon, so we're at an impasse."

Hearing this, I panicked.

The discussion had started while I was wandering around the castle!

Moreover, it didn't seem to be going in the deputy leader's favor. I needed to participate and somehow persuade them to let the deputy leader stay at the northern fortress.

However, just as I was getting motivated, the leader changed the subject and called me over.

"Before that—Myl."

Feeling a bit deflated, I trotted over to the leader's feet.

When I looked up, the leader called out to the king.

"Your Majesty, could you tell Myl about the contents of the letter you received earlier?"

"Now?"

The king looked puzzled for a moment, so the leader added,

"Myl is very fond of Cromwell."

The king immediately understood and smiled, saying, "Ah, I see."

He then beckoned me over, so I trotted to the king's feet.

"What is it?"

I asked out loud this time.

The king patted my head and began, "The letter from Snowlea... it says..."

"Mother's letter?"

"Yes, take a look."

The king showed me the letter, and I put my front paws on the sofa, stretching my neck to peek.

I thought the letter contained something important, but it only had a short sentence.

However, I couldn't read my mother's beautiful handwriting.

"What does it say?"

"Oh, you can't read yet?"

The king smiled, his golden eyelashes twinkling, and read the letter aloud.

"'Give some reward to the brave Myl who has safely reached the capital.'"

I perked up my ears and tail.

"To me...?"

A reward?

I couldn't believe my mother had written such a thing in the letter she had me carry.

My mother sent me to the capital to keep me away from the dangers of Hyrillis, so the letter was just a prop to send me on an errand. There was no real business for the king.

I sniffed the letter, smelling my mother's lingering scent, and my tail started wagging.

(Mother believed I could complete the errand.)

Thinking this, a warm feeling of happiness spread in my chest.

I wanted to be close to my mother, but she wasn't here, so I rubbed my cheek against the letter, which still carried her scent. It was rough.

"Come on, Myl. Child of the snow, what reward do you want? I'll give you anything."

"Really?"

I, a spirit child, was being offered "anything" by the king of a country.

I could almost see a mountain of gold and silver treasures behind the smiling king.

But what would I do with gold bars or jewels?

"Would you like a piece of jewelry? Or would you prefer a sweet? You used to like white cream, didn't you?"

The king's words made me imagine eating a cream-filled cake, and I licked my mouth happily.

"Then, I want a cream sweet—"

But before I could decide,

"Myl, are you sure you want a sweet?"

The leader interrupted from behind.

I looked back, licking my nose, and said,

"You said 'anything.' I can buy sweets whenever I want. Should I ask for something only the king can grant?"

From the leader's tone, I could tell he wanted me to ask the king for something specific.

But I didn't know what it was, so I tilted my head and looked at the leader, confused.

"Is there something else you want, Myl?"

As he said this, the leader subtly nodded toward the deputy leader.

"Huh?"

I answered with a weak voice, my head full of cake, but I looked at the deputy leader and thought for a moment.

—And then I realized.

My true wish and the leader's intention.

I opened my mouth, facing the king, who was smiling as if he knew what I was going to say.

"I don't really want a sweet. Instead, please. Let the deputy leader stay at the northern fortress a bit longer."

I placed my front paws on the king's knee and pleaded.

I could sense the prince and the deputy leader's father, as well as the deputy leader, being surprised by my sudden request.

"I know we can't be together forever, but it's sad to say goodbye. So, at least let the deputy leader stay at the northern fortress until he wants to return to the capital."

After saying what I wanted, I placed my chin on my front paws, which were already on the king's knee, and looked up at him with my best cute expression.

Come on, isn't this good? I'm begging so cutely, so you'll let the deputy leader stay at the northern fortress, right?

Is the puppy eyes not working? What else should I do? What cute pose should I take to get my request granted?

Thinking it might be the exposed belly, I quickly tried to do it on the floor, but the sofa blocked the king's view.

Despite my lack of finesse, the deputy leader seemed moved.

"Myl..."

I looked at him, still lying on the floor, and saw his eyes were slightly moist.

"Myl chose me over sweets..."

I don't want you to be so moved! I'm not that obsessed with food!

I would choose the deputy leader over sweets.

But buy me a cream cake later.

I got up and ran to the deputy leader, standing up and placing my front paws on his knee.

Seeing the happy deputy leader and me being petted by him, the king turned to the prince and the deputy leader's father.

"Well, I want to grant the child of the snow her wish... What do you think?"

The prince laughed and sighed first.

"If the spirit child wishes it, there's nothing we can do. Let Cromwell stay at the northern fortress for a while longer."

"Yes, that's right."

The deputy leader's father also nodded and ordered his distant son,

"Cromwell, don't forget to send a letter every month. The minimum is five pages per letter."

"There's nothing to write five pages about..."

The deputy leader said this while lifting me onto his lap, sounding exasperated.

But this meant the deputy leader would stay at the northern fortress.

The leader was smiling contentedly, and the one-eyed knight looked relieved. Kicks and Tina would be happy to know the deputy leader would remain in his position.

"I'm glad I don't have to say goodbye to the deputy leader!"

"Yes, I'm glad I don't have to be separated from you, Myl."

Perhaps because there were no subordinates younger than him here, the deputy leader didn't seem to care much about the others' gazes and smiled at me.