Chapter 40

The fluffy ball of fur, Mokomoko, suddenly opened its mouth wide and yawned. Its size was smaller than a human head.

"This is Tenro. So fluffy... so cute."

The red eyes that snapped open were very round and adorable. Tenro yawned again with a "kua" and stretched in the Duke's clothes. Its fangs were still small, and the wings on its ankles, which gave it the name "Tenro," were still unreliable.

"What happened to this one?"

To Galbraith, Tenro was a special magical creature. Perhaps he was raising it. When the Duke took Tenro out of his clothes and held it in his arms, Tenro sneezed.

"This one was attacked by a berserk Berginion."

"Really?"

"But even though it's so small, it's still a Tenro. It was using the 'Heaven Soaring' magic to escape, and I happened to find it during a hunt and temporarily took it in for protection."

"What about its parents?"

An adult Tenro grows as large as a Royal Moodler. Of course, being a magical beast, it can use magic, and it's hard to imagine it being attacked by magical birds. The Duke's expression became serious.

"We searched thoroughly, but couldn't find them anywhere. That's why I was late coming back. We're still having the guards at the defense line search for them..."

"I see."

The parents of this Tenro might have been eaten by the Berginion. But it could also be that they just got separated and couldn't be found because the area is too vast. The Duke said he was "temporarily protecting" it, so this baby Tenro will probably be released back into the Elsenyie Great Forest eventually. It would be nice if its parents are found before then.

"Is this one also a guardian of Galbraith?"

"Yes. There's a legend that the first Duke of Galbraith ruled this land with a Tenro. Since then, Tenro has become a symbol of the Galbraith family."

Tenro started to playfully nibble on the Duke's arm. Its tail, which extended from its plump bottom, moved busily, and I couldn't help but smile at its cuteness.

"What does this one eat?"

"For now, I've tried giving it finely chopped beef and goat's milk. It drank the goat's milk, but didn't eat much of the meat. I've never raised a baby Tenro before, so I'm not sure if that's the right approach."

"Does Tenro, you already eat meat?"

"Even though it's small, its teeth are fully grown. It probably ate meat that its parents chewed up for it."

When I tickled its throat, the baby Tenro rubbed its head against my hand, looking content.

"Kuu?"

"It's growing, so it must be hungry, right?"

"Kyau!"

Since it still has energy in its cries, I should find something it can eat while it's still young. If beef doesn't work, maybe goat's meat? Or, since it was raised in the wild, it might only eat the meat of magical creatures.

"Duke, can we give this one goat's milk and the meat of magical creatures?"

"Meat of magical creatures? Interesting, from the Elsenyie Great Forest?"

"Yes. It probably eats raw meat of magical creatures, like dragons, so we should give it meat with the magic still intact."

"That's a good idea. We can give it the same food as the drake riders. Blanche, go to the dragon stable and get some raw meat and goat's milk. Also, if Chaos is awake, bring him here."

The Duke gave instructions to Captain Blanche, who was waiting. Captain Blanche saluted sharply and said, "Understood," and then, for some reason, led Lillian away. Natalie also said, "I'll wake up Chaos," and left. Lillian's words as she left, "I wanted to see more," were puzzling. Maybe Lillian also wanted to touch the baby Tenro?

"Is there anything that's bothering you?"

"No, everyone has been very kind to me."

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone when you just arrived."

"I couldn't settle down in the library. And, thank you for your hard work."

"Yes, this time was quite tiring."

The Duke, still holding Tenro with one arm, led me to a long chair and sat down. I followed and sat next to him, peering at the baby Tenro, which was curled up quietly.

"There, there, don't be scared. I won't eat you."

"Umm, yes. There are many more delicious magical creatures around."

"If you're going to eat, start with herbivorous magical beasts. Carnivorous ones have a strong smell, which makes preparation difficult."

Since Tenro is a carnivore, if it eats, it will need herbs to mask the smell. But as a guardian, it won't eat.

Still, this fluffy ball of fur is so soft that I could pet it all day. It doesn't seem to mind, so I enjoyed petting Tenro's fur for a while. By the way, the Duke said he likes "soft and fluffy small animals." I can understand why. This Tenro is small, warm, and fluffy, with adorable movements and sounds.

However, the Duke started playing with my hair instead of Tenro. Maybe he's being considerate because I'm playing with Tenro.

"Duke, this one feels better to touch, doesn't it?"

"I prefer this. Touching your hair is soothing."

"Is that so?"

If the Duke feels that way, I have no problem with it. The duty of the Duchess of Galbraith is to soothe and support the Duke. It's a bit embarrassing, but I should let him enjoy it fully. I looked up at the Duke to check his condition. When he returned late last night, his eyes were dark and his face pale. Now, the dark circles under his eyes are lighter, and his complexion looks better. By the way, he's wearing something that looks like pajamas and said he was hungry.

"By the way, Duke. The preparation of the Scrimwood fruits is complete. Captain Blanche and the others and I just tasted them, and they were delicious. Would you like to try them?"

"This rich aroma is from the Scrimwood. It was even wafting into the other room."

"The red ones have a terrible smell and are still outside. I think the black ones are ripe."

I stood up from the long chair and washed my hands to serve the Duke the fruit. There are two types of soap: one with no scent and one with herbs. I chose the one with no scent.

Everything in this room is of the highest quality. It was brought by three very lively ladies, who explained that it was made in Midleague. For example, the soap contained rare herbs from the Elsenyie Great Forest. I can't use it for food because the scent might transfer, but it would be good for removing bad odors from my hands. I forgot to ask if they were magical herbs, so I should ask one of the three ladies when they come next.

"Does the Duke like sweet things?"

"Yes, I do. I really was hungry... I don't have good memories of Scrimwood, but this smell is promising."

"Hehe, it will surprise you. I was surprised when I took a bite. I understand why Mullan said it was better than nectar."

I removed the wooden board from the half-fruit I had saved for the Duke and scooped out bite-sized pieces, placing them on a slightly larger plate.

"Here, Duke."

"The flesh is very dark."

"Natalie said the same thing. The one she ate was yellow-green."

"Hmm... Even red ones that are not ripe are still magical creatures, after all."

The Duke carefully put a piece of fruit on a wooden spoon and hesitantly put it in his mouth. Tenro watched intently but didn't seem interested in the sweet fruit. It found the end of the Duke's sash and started to play with it.

"How is it?"

"...It's a taste that soothes my tired body."

The Duke started putting the fruit into his mouth one after another. It was disappearing so quickly that I prepared more and decided to serve the remaining half. The Duke would probably eat it all.

"It might not be very polite, but the skin is thick and can serve as a dish. Please, go ahead."

"It's perfect for an empty stomach! Here, Melfi, 'ahh.'"

The Duke offered me the wooden spoon, and I reflexively opened my mouth. The sweetness of the Scrimwood filled my mouth, and I enjoyed the aroma that escaped through my nose.

"Ah, such a sweet happiness..."

"This isn't because the magic was extracted, right?"

"The orange cloudy crystal you gave me had a good smell from the beginning, and the magic extracted from it was already like that."

I pointed to the orange cloudy crystal, and the Duke looked thoughtful. Now that you mention it, I hadn't considered that possibility. Since I know that the contained magic can cause trouble, I've only eaten it after extracting the magic. But to advance my research, should I try eating it as is?

"Melfi, you don't need to eat it as is, right?"

"W-Why did you know?"

"It was on your face."

Was it that obvious? I covered my cheeks with both hands, and the Duke let out a delighted laugh.

"Your enthusiasm for research is good, but don't overdo it and harm your body."

"...Yes."

"Here, there's still room. Eat it before Chaos arrives. He eats a lot despite his appearance. The dried meat of Skatsbit you gave me was mostly eaten by him."

We don't have Skatsbit in Galbraith, but I can make dried meat from other magical creatures. If I use spices from the Berber fruit, which I brought from Marshall Raid, I won't run out of ingredients for a while.

While the Duke fed me with 'ahh,' we ate quietly. The sweetness wasn't cloying, and it was scary how much we could eat.

"Ku... Kyau, kyau!"

Perhaps because we were so focused on eating, the Tenro, which had been playing with the sash, started to protest. I offered it a piece of Scrimwood fruit, but it wasn't interested.

"Hey, hey, there's a separate portion for you. Just wait a little longer."

When the Duke stroked Tenro's back, it made a dissatisfied "gyau" sound and bit his finger. The Duke gently scolded it and spoke to it. I secretly swooned at the sight of the handsome Duke, who had just woken up, playing with the fluffy small creature. It was a very picturesque scene... It was really good. Really, really good.