“Beep beep. Beep beep.” He’s crying like that. No matter how delicious snacks I give, it’s only at that time. Lately, he hasn’t even eaten that and has been waiting for you endlessly.”

A pitiful voice echoed in Cladd’s room in fragments.

“Oliver is trying to leave the mansion right now.”

At the accusing words, Cladd, who seemed to blame himself, finally got up from the rocking chair and stood next to her.

The sun, wet with the clouds, softly illuminated him.

His violet eyes, which sank low, were similar to the waves of the night that began to flood into the mansion.

Until Oliver reached the iron fence, Cladd, who had been staring at it, opened his mouth very slowly.

“He doesn’t want to show me that he’s dying.”

Dry and sinking voice.

It was quite the opposite of Yuvan’s somewhat exaggerated reaction.
“That other guy I brought along with him was the same. He always worried and took care of the sick, but one day, he was gone. The place we later found was inside my mother’s dressing room. He was lying there with his face buried in the hem of the dress my mother often wore.”

Unlike the eyes that sparkled beautifully even on a cloudy day, in his eyes, there was only a desolate desert.

He had a face like the morning sun, but inside, it seemed empty, dry, and filled with thorny bushes.

Yuvan felt as if it were piercing him as well.

“Such deaths exist.”

Claude replied to her in a low voice.

A voice that soaked into her ears so sweetly.

In contrast to the frozen expression, his voice was the opposite.

Surprisingly, the master comforted Yuvan with words that seemed to be for himself.

The roles had switched.

Claude should be the one grieving, and she should be the one comforting him with such words.

Yuvan wanted to respond with defiance rising in him.

Can’t you hug me once even with all this rebellion?

If you don’t like it, don’t keep me around, but if you do, can’t you hug me and act affectionately?

Even until the last moment. No matter how deep and painful the wounds are. He wanted to shout and ask if he had the confidence not to regret later.

Finally, when Oliver went out of the iron fence and Claude didn’t go out after all.

Yuvan finally prepared to leave this mansion to find Oliver.

Claude’s permission or anything like that was not necessary.

The road to the chapel seemed too long and cold today.

Oliver was nestled in Henna’s arms, shaking.

Throughout the way to the chapel, Henna tightly hugged Oliver.

“I made a special meal, .”

Ralph, who always wanted to feed Oliver the best in the absence of a household, had been firmly refusing to make a special meal for Oliver until a few days ago, saying there was no food for a puppy.

While Yuvan was cleaning, Ralph, who brought food, made a special meal for Oliver, who wagged his tail as soon as he saw him.

Before he knew it, this kind dog, along with Yuvan, Oliver, and even Henna who always hung around, had gathered together, including the portion from Hiller who came for potion research.

Even with last year’s dried meat, fruits sent regularly by Lord Lev, and the grain made with the meager taxes.

“I made a special meal, but why can’t he eat it…”

Ralph said sadly, and Magrarian Cissie, who brought the carriage, patted Ralph’s bear-like shoulder gently.

Yuvan spoke with a worried voice to the ones who followed him.

“It seems a bit too much. In fact, I came out without His Highness’s permission, so everyone might hear from the butler.”
“Sobbing. It doesn’t matter! I’ve seen the butler pretending not to know and closing his eyes!”

Ignoring the exclamation of the head chef Ralph, Marjarang turned toward Yuvan.

“More importantly, what will Madam do?”

“I think I’m right, so I don’t mind getting scolded.”

Yuvan replied with a blushing expression while soothing his reddened eyes.

Despite his sniffles, Chef Ralph looked pleased, as if looking at a daughter he had raised.

“But why did this guy, who never crossed the fence of the west wing, come out now?”

“Sobbing. Came to find a place to die.”

When the kind-looking Marjarang narrowed his eyes, Chef Ralph widened his eyes as if asking if he didn’t know.

“We used to raise a lot of dogs in our house. Among them, there were a few dogs who didn’t want to show themselves dying to their owners, so they hid and died. It was a tradition.”

“I will listen to Chef’s old stories. We might have a problem if the butler takes issue, so I’ll be fetching some water from the well.”

Yuvan wanted to hear more of Chef Ralph’s story, but he nodded quietly at Marjarang’s calm words.

“I hope you have no regrets, Madam, as you bid farewell.”

While Marjarang and Chef Ralph went to fetch water, Henna started to dig a small pit next to Yuvan.

As the ground was still frozen, Henna temporarily put Oliver, whom she had been holding tightly, on her knee and used a small shovel she had brought to dig the ground.

This place was right next to the chapel, a shared graveyard.

Next to Oliver’s resting place, Yuvan’s sister, Louise Feliesse, was buried.

Yuvan willingly gave a part of Louise’s place to Oliver.