Chapter 37

“No.”

“But, Ben…”

“No means no, Young Lady.”

Ben, the gamekeeper of the Wintercrown estate, told Aethlyn firmly. Every single word sank heavily between the two of them.

Ben the gamekeeper.

He was a man shrouded in many veils. The only thing known for certain was that he was a war veteran who had fought shoulder-to-shoulder on the front lines with Arcan Wintercrown, the current Duke of Wintercrown and Aethlyn’s grandfather.

If he had been ordinary and featureless like the other servants, interest would have ended right there. What did an ambiguous background matter if he was a comrade of Arcan’s?

The real problem was the unique aura the man possessed. Ben was heavily cast in the gloomy shadow characteristic of a retired soldier. With a bear-like, massive build and bushy gray-brown beard, he didn’t bother having proper conversations with anyone and only muttered to himself. The fact that he lived alone with an old dog in a cabin far away from the servants’ quarters also added to his somewhat suspicious atmosphere.

Naturally, the servants began to whisper behind his back.

“Why on earth did the Duke bring such a scary person all the way to the mansion?”

“Rumor has it he saved the Duke in battle…”

“Eh. It was probably the other way around.”

“Anyway, nobody knows what he did before he was a soldier.”

“There’s no one to ask directly, is there! It’s just that I find him a bit unsettling. No matter if he was the Duke’s comrade…”

“Shh! The butler’s going to hear.”

The estate servants didn’t say anything to Ben’s face when he openly kept his distance from them, but they kept their distance and whispered among themselves. Fortunately or unfortunately, Ben didn’t seem to have any major complaints about failing to fit in with the others.

The people with whom this man, who enjoyed his solitude, ‘interacted’ at the mansion could be counted on one hand. To be precise, about three people. They were Duke Wintercrown, his son Young Duke Henry, and the Duke’s granddaughter Aethlyn.

With the most earnest expression she could muster, Aethlyn drooped her eyebrows and pleaded with the man once more.

“Ben, please. Have I ever asked you for a favor before?”

For a brief moment, Ben’s thick gray-brown eyebrows twitched and wriggled. But that was all. Keeping the barrel of the shotgun he gripped firmly planted against the ground, he spoke once more with emphasis.

“No. And step over here immediately, Young Lady.”

However, Aethlyn did not yield.

“If you’re planning to shoot this creature with that, forget it. I won’t budge.”

“Young Lady. Why on earth are you acting like this, so unlike yourself?”

Ben spoke again, putting weight behind his words. At his clear, though not loud, voice, Aethlyn hesitated this time.

‘This is the first time Ben’s ever been angry with me.’

That was only natural, as Aethlyn had been the model student supreme. She didn’t even have memories of ever being more than casually scolded by her tutors. That made the present situation feel utterly alien.

Yet she quickly steeled her heart. If she could help a poor beast, she was prepared to accept any kind of reprimand or lecture.

A razor-thin silence hung in the air for a moment. When Aethlyn still refused to budge from her spot, Ben let out a sigh and tried a much softer approach to persuade her.

“Young Lady. Even if that beast truly doesn’t attack you, there’s no telling what kind of vicious germs it might carry. I’m saying this because it’s genuinely dangerous, so please step aside two paces—no, five paces.”

“If I do that, you’ll kill it!”

In response to her protest, the dog let out a plaintive moan from behind her.

Whimper.

The ‘dog’ (she hadn’t given it a name yet) had been looking thoroughly dejected ever since a moment ago, as if it roughly understood the conversation passing between Aethlyn and Ben. Side-eyeing the gun Ben was holding, it drooped its tail and ears entirely, curling its body onto the ground and whining.

Stepping forward a single step in a more defensive posture, Aethlyn argued back.

“Just like Ben said, it might have germs. Can’t we bring a veterinarian in to check? Isn’t it about time we had the stable horses looked at anyway?”

“Young Lady!”

“Ben!”

Whimper.

The pitiful sound came again.

“Look. It’s an extremely gentle and smart dog. Someone from a nearby villa must have lost it. Until we find its owner, let’s at least take care of it.”

“What on earth is gentle about it? A beast this big can’t be used as a guard dog. And I even doubt whether it’s truly a dog…”

Before Ben could even finish his sentence, Aethlyn turned back toward the dog and said:

“Get up.”

At that, the dog instantly uncurled its body and stood up on all fours. Aethlyn commanded once more.

“Sit.”

Before the words could even finish falling, the creature sat down.

“Bang.”

When Aethlyn mimicked shooting a gun with her index finger, it even rolled over onto its back and lay flat.

“Good job.”

Just as Aethlyn smiled brightly and reached out her hand to stroke the dog’s head—

“Young Lady! You mustn’t touch it!”

“I said it’s fine.”

Whether Ben was shouting himself hoarse or not, Aethlyn stroked the crown of the dog’s head. Receiving her touch, the creature closed its eyes and wagged its tail from side to side. It was wagging so fast it was practically a blur.

“There. See? It’s definitely not a magic beast or a wild animal.”

“Even ordinary dogs carry germs and ticks. Have you never heard of rabies, Young Lady?”

“That’s why I said let’s call a veterinarian.”

For the first time, a look of distress appeared on Ben’s face.

“Hah… This isn’t a matter of whether I grant permission or not. If the Duke finds out about this situation, I’ll…”

It was then. A heavy voice, carrying a different kind of weight than Ben’s, washed over the two of them.

“If I find out, what happens?”

A stern voice descended like a sudden surprise ambush. Both of them turned their heads almost simultaneously.

“Grandfather!”

“Colonel, no, Your Grace.”

Arcan Wintercrown, Aethlyn’s grandfather and head of the House Wintercrown. He stood there with an absolute, flawless authority as sharp as frost. His hair, now completely silver-gray, was combed back with meticulous neatness, and his posture showed not the slightest hint of a stoop despite his age. His attire was the same. From head to toe, he was utterly immaculate.

The man’s eyes, bluer than the Belmoral Lake, slowly swept over the frozen Aethlyn, Ben, and the black dog. Before long, he clicked his tongue sharply.

“There is no need for you to explain. Just looking at this, I can tell what sort of situation this is.”

Arcan’s gaze locked squarely onto Aethlyn.

“Though I must admit, it’s rather unexpected. Aethlyn, for you to throw such a tantrum.”

“Th-that’s not it, Grandfather.”

Both of Aethlyn’s cheeks flared bright red.

‘Of all times to let grandfather see me looking like this.’

“I’m not throwing a tantrum. A dog that lost its owner wandered into the Wintercrown estate, so to take responsibility…!”

Yet the more she explained it, why did it sound more and more like a child’s whining?

‘I’m already fourteen years old, yet I’m acting like a six or seven-year-old kid.’

Unable to bear the mounting embarrassment, Aethlyn dropped her head, and Arcan spoke to her:

“Well, never mind. I didn’t say it to reprimand you.”

“…Grandfather.”

“Anyway, Aethlyn. Do you wish to raise that dirty, furry beast so badly?”

“……”

“……”

A dirty, furry beast. The words Ben hadn’t dared to utter had been spoken aloud by the Duke himself. As if it understood those words, the dog curled its body back up and let out a whimper.

Whimper.

Aethlyn was literally on pins and needles.

‘What should I do?’

In truth, the exemplary attitude for her to take in this situation was clear. She should have simply said, “No. I brought it because it looked pitiful, but I didn’t think it through. I’m sorry for acting like a child. Grandfather,” and then politely withdrawn. Yet for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do that. She couldn’t abandon this creature that was leaning on her with all its might.

Just as Aethlyn was stuck, unable to advance or retreat and only nibbling at her lips, Arcan suddenly chuckled softly.

He nodded.

“Very well.”

“…Pardon?”

Ben stared across at Arcan with a face that utterly failed to comprehend what he had just heard.

“Your Grace, that is a dog that wandered in from parts unknown. What will you do if it passes some foul disease onto the Young Lady?”

“We can simply call a veterinarian to check it. If they determine there are no issues, you may let Aethlyn have her way.”

Aethlyn let out a cry of delight.

“Grandfather! Thank you so much!!!”

An exceptionally bright smile blossomed across her face. The usual chilly atmosphere instantly vanished, replaced by an air as warm as spring flowers. Seeing the young lady like this for the first time, Ben was simply bewildered. For Arcan’s granddaughter, who was always accustomed to wearing a calculated smile, to laugh with such pure joy… and all over a miserable stray dog like that…

Arcan, too, seemed somewhat taken aback by his granddaughter’s reaction. The Duke’s lips relaxed just a fraction. Without realizing it, he spoke in a soft voice.

“Does it make you that happy, Aethlyn?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm… Very well. Anyway, it’s almost dinner time, so you ought to wash up first.”

“Ah, yes. Grandfather. I will do that.”

This time, Aethlyn’s entire face flushed crimson. That was only natural, as her current appearance was a complete mess.

From the hem of her skirt to her jacket and shoes, not a single thing was spared. Having romped around the lakeside in a frenzy with the dog, she was covered from head to toe in grass clippings and dirt.

Arcan silently watched his granddaughter’s unfamiliar face as she openly expressed her honest emotions in real time.