The names were catchy and suited them well. I hoped they would grow up without hardships, just as their names were soft and gentle.

“Do you like the names?”

The large dog, Cream, nuzzled its head against my palm, seemingly approving the names.

Naming them myself made me feel more attached.

“Come on. I’ll show you around the castle.”

Holding Cream’s leash in one hand and carrying Cheese in the other, I felt fortunate that Cream, who usually growled whenever anyone approached Cheese, was calm with me.

It seemed like they trusted me, which made me even happier.

“You have to walk beside me, Cream. People might be surprised to see you. You got that?”

“Woof!”

Unlike the small Cheese, Cream responded with a loud, deep bark. I smiled and began walking.

Cream walked beside me as if it was trained, showing no sign of the usual hunting dog’s tendency to run ahead or go off on its own as Tom had warned.

“Cream, Cheese. Over there is where you came from. See it?”

I pointed towards the western entrance. Cream turned its head to look, while Cheese, uninterested, continued to fiddle around in my arms.

“Don’t go there. That’s where the den of demons was. It’s dangerous, so never go there, okay?”

“Woof!”

“Good response, Cream.”

I showed them around my bedroom area and places where they should not go due to the crowd.

“How long do I have to stay here?!”

Amidst our walk, a familiar angry shout reached my ears. Turning around, I saw Delia scolding a mechanic.

“Miss, I’m sorry. The repair of the carriage is taking longer than expected…”

“Useless! Your job is to repair the carriage, and you’re telling me it’s taking long? What if I get sick because of this northern cold?!”

“I’m sorry, Miss.”

“Do you think my brother, Lord Palo, will just let you off? He’ll burn you and your family alive!”

“Please spare me, Miss! My family is innocent!”

Despite the mechanic’s desperate pleas, Delia continued her tirade.

“Got a young daughter, right? It’s a pity she has a father like you!”

Her words were the kind that shouldn’t be uttered by someone wearing a human guise. She even tried to step on the back of the mechanic, who was prostrated on the ground.

My grip on Cream’s leash tightened.

And at that moment, sensing my anger, Cream reacted.

“Woof woof!”

Cream’s bark, much louder than when it responded to me, startled Delia, making her fall to the ground in surprise.
Delia, who had fallen, hastily turned her head towards the source of the sound.

“Aaah! What, what is that?!”

Delia’s gaze fell on me. I quickly bowed my head to prevent her from recognizing my face.

Fortunately, Delia seemed too preoccupied with Cream to notice me.

“It’s a demon! A demon! There’s a demon here! Aaah!”

Delia was focused solely on Cream. The hunting dog, significantly larger than ordinary ones, bared its teeth and growled menacingly, understandably frightening her.

However, Cream, despite baring its teeth and growling, showed no sign of leaving my side or charging forward.

“Someone! Help! There’s a demon here! A demon! Aaah!”

Hiding behind the carriage mechanic she had scolded earlier, Delia screamed loudly.

“Cream. Sit.”

I commanded softly, bending over to address Cream.

Surprisingly, Cream understood and obediently sat down, despite not being trained to do so.

“Miss Delia, I apologize for the rudeness. This dog is not a demon but a hunting dog of Violentus Castle. It seems there was a mistake as it is still being trained.”

“Have you lost your mind? That’s a hunting dog? How is that even a dog! I’ve never seen such a dog! Its teeth are as big as my forearm!”

“It’s a bit different from other dogs.”

“If it barks and shows its teeth, it doesn’t matter if it’s a dog, a demon, or a person! Anything should be killed! How dare it bark at me! What are you waiting for?! Kill it right now!”

Delia’s voice rose in agitation, and she stepped further back.

“It’s a dog brought by Lord Larches himself; without his permission, punishment is difficult.”

Hearing that Larches had personally brought the dog, Delia seemed unable to argue further and bit her lip tightly.

I noticed Delia’s dress was dirtied with dust from her fall. Finally, she turned her head and saw me next to Cream.

“Then, it’s your fault for not properly training this hunting dog!”

“…”

“If this hunting dog, brought by Larches himself, can’t be punished, then you, who failed to train it properly, can be held responsible!”

Delia pointed her finger straight at me. Even though my face wasn’t visible due to my bowed head, my figure was clear.

She should have recognized my voice too.

Yet, Delia failed to recognize who I was.

To Delia, I was merely that insignificant. If my face wasn’t seen, she easily forgot me, just like that.

“Growl.”

As Delia showed hostility towards me, Cream by my side bared its teeth again.

Thankfully, this kept Delia from approaching, forcing her to retreat while only raising her voice louder.

Ridiculously so.

“I am from a sacred guardian family! If I am severely injured because of your failure to train this dog, not only you, but the dog too, will be held accountable and killed!”

“You seem to be standing fine, which suggests you are not injured.”

“Do injuries only count if they are visible?!”

“And moreover, you fell because you lost your balance while trying to step on the back of the carriage mechanic.”

“If that dog hadn’t barked, I wouldn’t have lost my balance!”

She was the kind of person who would blame someone for not removing a stone if she tripped on it while passing by.

“Ah! Now that I think about it, you. You keep speaking to me in a lecturing tone. How dare you! …And now that I think about it, you, your way of speaking, and strangely, you resemble her…”

Delia stopped mid-sentence, her face turning pale as she bit her lip.

“No. That can’t be. She’s dead. Dead, so it can’t be.”

Muttering with a ghastly pale face, Delia glared at me with all her might.

From her mutterings, it seemed she had just realized that I resembled Lepherentia in stature and voice.
But she did not suspect. Or perhaps she didn’t even want to entertain the possibility that I was alive.

“Kneel in front of me right now. Kneel and beg pitifully for your life. Beg, I said!”

Delia yelled furiously.

I bowed my head and remained still, then subtly released Cream’s leash, pretending to make a move.

Understanding my intention without any words, Cream pretended to break free, lifting its sitting haunches.

“Aaah! Don’t move! Stay still, don’t you move!”

As the dog, resembling a huge demon, made a move, Delia was terrified and hastily retreated further back.

‘…Right, she was always a coward.’

I had forgotten how she was so fearful that even small insects scared her.

I continued to bow my head, maintaining an indifferent expression, while I subtly released and pulled back Cream’s leash, observing Delia.

Delia’s face turned deathly pale, to the point where tears began to well up in her eyes.