I’m The Brave Puppy That Will Save The Villainess - Chapter 17
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Episode 17
“Huh? What is it?”
The tiger told me about food that other tigers used to eat when they got ‘black soot’ on their paw pads.
[But I’ve never actually seen it before, so I don’t really know what it is…]
“Tell me. I’ll get it for you!”
[Blue rose gat]
…Something seems strange.
I blinked several times and muttered ‘blue rose gat’ under my breath, then soon let out an exclamation.
“Blue rose thorns, right?”
The tiger’s black pupils grew larger.
[If you eat the thorns…]
Then it wrote something small.
After reading all those words, I nodded my head.
“It should be fine. I’ll go get them!”
“Little Master, where are you going?”
To save the tiger!
I dashed out quickly.
* * *
After the social party ended, Theresia secretly called out Lady Lea.
“Duke Ardos has commanded it. Since it’s a spirit beast tiger he particularly cherishes, prepare to treat it.”
“Haa… Well, even if it’s aged, a spirit beast is still a spirit beast. And I heard it can use invisibility too. I thought it was just an ordinary tiger, but it had such a special ability.”
“Exactly.”
“But don’t worry, Theresia. I checked with the Council of Elders, and they said there’s no possibility that child is a blessed baby.”
“Really? Well then.”
But even as Theresia said this, she still had an uneasy expression.
That child had been going in and out of Chloe’s mansion several times.
There were even rumors going around that he was close with Ruth, who was her half-brother.
“…But Chloe’s condition is strange. If it were like before, she would have called the head maid to carefully check the situation, but it’s unfortunate.”
Chloe had fired the head maid who managed her annex after a year.
Because of that, they couldn’t properly grasp Chloe’s movements.
Theresia’s golden eyes filled with irritation.
“Anyway, that tiger is staying in Ruth’s barn?”
“Yes, when the tiger returns to its original cage, it goes wild, so I heard Veterinarian Dot is taking care of it until His Grace the Duke returns.”
“The tiger’s condition is still bad, is that it?”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s still a chance for us to make a contribution.”
To be more precise.
Before Duke Ardos returns. The opportunity to steal the credit for ‘saving the tiger.’
* * *
I came humming to look for blue roses.
Actually, I don’t know what blue roses are or what effects they have.
But blue roses must obviously be!
‘In the field where Sister and I always, always took walks!’
The field right next to my grave at Duke Ardos Estate.
That field is the best field in the world.
There’s no way there wouldn’t be blue roses!
‘So many wildflowers bloom there and I know almost all their names!’
Sometimes when I look, there are tasty ones too.
‘Though Sister absolutely wouldn’t let me pick and eat them!’
Still, that vast field where I always sniffed around during walks every single day!
…But.
At the bench in the middle of the field I ran to while humming, I ended up encountering an incredible person.
“Gasp, it’s Sister!”
“…Why are you here.”
Gasp, again again.
That sharp, mean expression she makes when looking at bad sisters!
“Stay home instead of wandering around.”
“Um…”
After pondering how much to tell her, I decided to just get to the point.
“Well, the tiger said he wanted to eat it, so I came to find blue roses! Um, do you know about blue roses, Chloe?”
“…What roses? Blue roses?”
“…?”
“Do you know what the flower language of blue roses is?”
“I don’t know!”
Sister tilted her head toward me.
“Impossible.”
I opened my eyes wide.
Sister spoke to me mischievously with a somewhat playful expression.
“There are no blue roses in this world.”
…What did she say?
That won’t do!
I ended up plopping down on the floor with a thud.
* * *
‘How innocent.’
Chloe chuckled softly and brushed her hair back.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed.
“Actually, there is.”
“Huh?!”
The feeling of watching a child cry and laugh at her every word was, well, quite…
“Follow me.”
…not bad at all.
After walking for about five minutes, she pointed with her chin toward a small garden covered in blue waves.
“That?”
“Yes.”
“But those aren’t roses, they’re hydrangeas…”
How could someone be so transparent?
It was a look that seemed to think Chloe was an idiot.
“That’s right. People call the stamens of blue hydrangeas ‘Blue Rose Thorns.’ It’s a metaphorical expression.”
…Now the look had changed to one of seeing a genius.
“Wow, how do you know so much?”
“Well.”
“Sister, no, Miss Chloe must be incredibly, incredibly smart!”
The child smiled brightly.
Chloe unconsciously thought to herself.
There was a reason she knew so much about this field.
Who had run around this vast field.
Who had laughed while covered in dust.
Whose black eyes had sparkled so adorably…
It was thanks to her beloved little Coco.
Her face showed an expression as if her throat was choking up.
Then she sat down carelessly at the edge of the field full of blue hydrangeas and spoke.
“Coco.”
Coco’s eyes sparkled.
“Coco!”
“I mean our Coco, not you.”
The child pouted and stuck out her lips.
Chloe turned her head and murmured.
“…Coco loved this place.”
“That’s right!”
“That’s why I keep this field exactly the same as it used to be.”
“Ah…”
“So don’t come here anymore.”
In front of the field, three circles were stamped clearly.
She whispered low.
“When you run around, you damage the grass field. I even carved out paw prints along the path where Coco used to walk.”
“Hup…”
“If human feet touch them, Coco’s footprints will wear away.”
“…Tch. Then can I avoid stepping on Coco’s footprints and pick some of these hydrangeas here?”
She, who had been watching Coco acting thoroughly sulky, broke off a blue hydrangea.
“Here.”
The child received the hydrangea she gave with both hands full and struggled to pluck out the stamens.
She thought.
That she was feeling shaken by a young child she had only just met.
Just like that day when she first made eye contact with Coco in the bedroom.
* * *
After plucking the hydrangea’s stamens for a while with my paw-like hands, I sniffed.
‘I smell sadness!’
I lifted my gaze, which had been focused intently on the hydrangea, toward Sister.
Then I could see that Sister’s eyes had become slightly red.
‘Is it because she talked about me? Did that make her sad?’
I asked carefully.
“You know, is it because you miss Coco?”
“I don’t miss her.”
“Tch. Too decisive.”
I let my shoulders droop.
‘I missed Sister so much that I worked hard to cross the Rainbow Bridge!’
Sister, who had been watching me silently, broke off another bright blue hydrangea called a blue rose.
Sister quietly selected only the stamens and handed them to me, saying.
“It’s not that I miss her, I want to meet her.”
“…”
“Just looking is too heartless. So just once…”
Sister turned her gaze away.
“Just once, I want to meet her and hold her. Our Coco’s heart beats twice as fast as humans. So she’s twice as warm.”
“…”
“That warm little one… I had her fur groomed before she died, and I wonder why I did that.”
Right. It felt really good though!
“She must have been cold.”
I wasn’t cold at all though.
Sister hugged me every day so I was really warm!
But my mouth was sealed shut and no words would come out.
‘I guess I still can’t say that I’m Coco yet.’
It must be because our intimacy level is low….
I was looking at Sister gloomily when it happened.
“Maybe it’s because I didn’t treat her well. She doesn’t even appear in my dreams.”
Sister quietly sat up.
“I guess she’s completely forgotten about me and having fun. That’s good.”
That’s not true. I’m right here next to you, Sister!
But since I couldn’t say these words, my lips could only pucker in and out.
“Never mind. I was just talking to myself. Well, since I got those Blue Rose Thorns, I guess that’s enough.”
“…Uh….”
“Figure it out yourself.”
Sister left so quickly I couldn’t even catch her.
With an expression so cold it could make the wind blow.
But as I watched Sister’s retreating figure, I habitually sniffed with my nose.
Again.
Again, there was that salty smell like salt.
So I suddenly had this thought.
‘Sister cried for a very long time. Because I wasn’t there….’
I watched Sister moving away, then looked again at the Blue Rose Thorns in my hand, no, the Blue Hydrangea Stamens.
It’s okay.
Because we have a future together.
‘I’ll work really hard so Sister can definitely recognize me.’
I won’t let you cry alone and lonely anymore.
The moment I thought this with all my heart.
A small shimmer of light like a heat haze sparkled and bloomed from my fingertips.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————