Chapter 89
Sionel arched one eyebrow slightly.
Theo realized he had unintentionally made her tense and quickly continued what he had been about to say.
“She’s incredibly cute.”
Sionel’s eyes, which had held a faint trace of tension, softened gently.
She let out a soft chuckle and said,
“She must be adorable. She’s just a little miss, but she’s already famous. The gossips have even given her a nickname.”
“A nickname?”
“Baby Fairy, I think it was.”
“That’s not a nickname… Because she really is like a fairy.”
Theo asserted earnestly.
His face showed not a hint of joking.
Sionel finally burst into laughter.
“If she’s that cute, I’ll have to meet her myself next time the opportunity arises.”
She laughed for a while longer, then her expression turned serious.
“Theo.”
“Yes, sister.”
“It’s true that the Basilian County is suspicious. We do need to keep an eye on them. This is for the empire’s sake, so think of it as an extension of your duties as captain of the guard and go check it out.”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And if possible, avoid speaking with Count Basilian. Don’t even go near him. That man…”
He’s cunning and sly, and he could strip you to the bone without a second thought, Theo.
Sionel wanted to say that, but she swallowed the words and instead offered a softened, rounded version.
“He’s someone you can’t handle, Theo.”
“There was quite the uproar while Dad was away.”
Kierne clicked his tongue, holding Cheshire in one arm.
Actually, that wasn’t a line Kierne should be saying.
Eager to return home early, Kierne had spent the entire night in the Black Forest hunting monsters without sleep.
He arrived back at dawn, earlier than planned, only to find Cheshire missing and throw a fit at the hotel.
It wasn’t just Kierne.
Ishuel and Belzeon had each caused a commotion over the vanished Cheshire as well.
Ishuel, upon hearing the news during his magic lesson at the duke’s residence, rushed straight to the guard station and turned it upside down.
Belzeon returned home unaware of anything, but unfortunately, he arrived just as Ishuel was wreaking havoc at the guard station, leaving no one to explain.
So Belzeon turned the hotel upside down.
He grilled all the hotel staff and swiftly used the Basilian eyes and ears spread throughout the capital to grasp the situation.
I heard he even drew his sword in the process, so while I don’t know the details, it certainly wasn’t peaceful.
All of this chaos started because Karha had caused a disturbance and ended up locked in the guard station jail.
Truly, yesterday could be called the ‘Day of Commotions.’
‘They all have such tempers.’
Cheshire looked up at Kierne, who was smoothly criticizing others as if he hadn’t caused any commotion himself.
He hugged Cheshire tightly and said,
“I’m glad you’re not hurt anywhere, Cheshire. But next time something like that happens, just leave your brother behind and run away.”
There was no need for a baby to go to a rough place like the guard station jail.
After all, the three Basilian brothers each knew how to protect themselves.
In comparison, Cheshire was still weak and young, so she needed to be the most careful—that was Kierne’s intent.
Cheshire nodded vigorously in agreement.
She had realized it when sending Itar to the heretical interrogation room.
In the past, she would have just ended it with a swift axe strike.
Being turned into a baby definitely made things more cumbersome in various ways.
‘This is weak and young enough!’
With her low standards for what counted as an ordinary baby, Cheshire decided to cherish her relatively young and inadequate self.
And upon hearing that Karha had decided to learn swordsmanship from Hailon, Kierne…
“Hmm.”
He simply gave a meaningful smile without saying much else.
He seemed to have judged that this was necessary for Karha, as he didn’t oppose it.
Of course, he didn’t actively support it either.
There was no other reason; he just disliked the idea of Cheshire sleeping over at Hailon’s private residence.
“How cunning, that inquisitor.”
With that one muttered remark, he said nothing more about the swordsmanship lessons.
Thus, Karha’s jail incident was wrapped up smoothly by Theo’s efficient handling and Kierne’s cleanup.
Until the day of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly, everyone in the Basilian household was busy.
The other Basilians were busy as usual, and Cheshire was occupied accompanying Karha to and from Hailon’s private residence.
In the midst of that, she made time to go fetch Hata again.
As expected, Hata was holed up in the lab behind the hat shop, brewing all sorts of potions.
The moment he saw Cheshire, he fed her every potion he had made.
Ridiculously enough, every potion worked perfectly—except for the ‘potion to become an adult.’
She shrank, grew, turned into a cat, sprouted wings on her back…
After feeding Cheshire every conceivable potion.
Hata accepted reality.
“There must be something wrong with your body, Lichesia…”
Dejectedly, he drank the puppy transformation potion and turned into a small dog, curling into Cheshire’s arms.
He stayed like that, silently held, for a while.
Then, suddenly, he placed his front paw gently on Cheshire’s arm and met her eyes.
She expected his usual tearful expression.
But Hata was calm.
In fact, he looked as if he had firmly resolved something.
“Hata will protect you.”
Cheshire stroked Hata’s head and promised in return.
“I’ll pwotect you too.”
Cheshire returned with Hata.
As expected, the Basilian men said nothing upon seeing Hata.
Only Karha grumbled that the puppy was back again, showing a bit of dislike, and that was it.
And finally, the day arrived to depart for the Holy Empire of Hilderd to attend the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.
They packed their luggage early in the morning and prepared for the carriage journey.
Each participant had a limit on the number of companions, so only a minimal number of servants would be brought along.
The rest would clean up the hotel afterward and either move to the new townhouse or return to the Serpent’s Castle.
“Is it okay to go to the Holy Empire in a carriage like this?”
Karha asked, looking at the Basilian carriage parked in front of the hotel.
“Don’t we look not very devout?”
The carriage, made of smooth black ebony wood with the Basilian family’s silver serpent crest, was elegant.
But it felt utterly out of place in the Holy Empire.
“If that’s the case, we’d be disqualified starting from our eye colors.”
Ishuel, holding Cheshire, retorted.
Cheshire was relieved her eyes were pink.
They were standing in front of the carriage, debating how to appear more devout, when an unexpected figure appeared.
It was none other than the capital’s guard captain, Theo.
The moment he saw Theo, Hata in Cheshire’s arms gaped wide.
The surprised puppy turned to look at Cheshire.
It was as if Hata’s eyes were asking, ‘Is that a bear shifter?!’
“He’s human.”
She whispered the explanation, and Hata rubbed his eyes with his front paw in disbelief.
Theo greeted Cheshire.
“You’ve got a puppy! It’s as cute as you are, Miss Cheshire.”
Cheshire nodded appropriately in response, but inwardly she wondered.
‘Why is he here?’
The reason for Theo’s appearance was explained by Kierne, who arrived late.
Draped in a deep blue coat and leaning on his cane, Kierne had sleepy eyes.
It was because he had woken up early in the morning.
Suppressing a yawn, he recognized Theo and greeted him.
“Ah, young Theo.”
“Count Basilian.”
After shaking hands with Theo, Kierne said languidly,
“Cheshire, the Marquis of Nemeia has sent him as an escort. He said it’s in reflection of the recent incident.”
Looking at Theo’s expression, that didn’t seem to be the case.
But Kierne continued on his own terms.
“What does the reason matter? The important thing is that he’s coming with us. Right, young Theo?”
“Ah, yes. I think so too.”
And Theo even agreed with Kierne’s words.
He really was a kind teddy bear.
‘The Marquis of Nemeia wouldn’t send him without a reason.’
The teddy bear was kind, but he needed watching.
It was then that Kierne, unable to suppress his drowsiness any longer, yawned.
The sound of horse hooves clattering on the paved road echoed.
Kierne made a displeased face and glared down the misty morning path.
The hazy fog cleared, and soon holy knights on white horses appeared.
At the front of the five holy knights was Cheshire’s knight.
The moment those blue eyes fixed on Cheshire, Kierne sneered.
“It seems the escort knight has arrived.”
It was Hailon.
