Chapter 31
The count added in an excited voice.
“Make sure Rianna wears her finest dress.”
“Understood.”
After the butler who’d received the order withdrew, the count sneered nastily.
“You dare try to crawl over my head? You’ll learn your place—look at real nobility and realize you’re no better than a pet. Heh heh.”
However…
When Ebi actually met Rianna, her eyes flashed.
Probing the count’s weakness wasn’t an easy task; the more someone tried to steer the conversation that way, the more defensive they would become. But there was no need to make the count speak his weakness in his own mouth.
‘Bingo!’
What if she shook the count’s one weakness—his daughter, Rianna—and saw what happened?
Rianna, having her nails tended by a maid, opened the eyes she’d kept shut when the butler spoke.
“You want me to meet Ebi? Who’s Ebi?”
“The sky-squirrel beastkin who’s been here.”
“Sky-squirrel… ah!”
The girl, as if she’d suddenly understood, burst into a clear, tinkling laugh.
“I was so used to being called a rat that I didn’t recognize his name.”
The blonde, green-eyed girl was exceptionally lovely. When she smiled, dimples carving her white cheeks, she looked like an angel in a painting. Rianna knew that better than anyone.
“I heard Father talking about it. So he went to the Black Wolf Duke’s household?”
“Yes.”
“They say he didn’t even realize he’d entered as a pet… Poor Ebi. Well, with that little head of his, he probably can’t handle complicated thoughts.”
Rianna sighed with apparent pity. It was sincere.
“For him, the butler could go meet him instead of me.”
“The master requested Miss Rianna to receive him. He also asked you to be careful about your dress.”
“Tch. Fine. As the Rusten family heir, I suppose I must endure this small annoyance.”
Rianna dressed herself exquisitely, put on her cherished pink diamond earrings, and headed to the best parlor in the mansion. It was decorated with mirrors of various sizes—one of her favorite places—because she could admire her beauty from every angle.
‘But he’ll hate it, won’t he?’
He would be forced to see how shabby a squirrel he was at every moment. In Rianna’s memory, Ebi was a scraggly, broom-worse coat of fur, a thin, pitiful body, and large eyes that seemed to pierce through people—just a dirty squirrel.
“Hmm. I should try to be considerate. I hope he isn’t too intimidated by me, hehe.”
Entering the parlor, Rianna looked around for Ebi with a leisurely air.
Dirty squirrel… dirty squirrel… hmm?
Her gaze stopped at one spot. A tall, slender, dignified, and obviously strong-looking knight stood before a mirror. Even another woman might fall for how striking he was. Meeting the knight’s eyes, Rianna blushed unconsciously.
‘Could he be an imperial knight? No, that can’t be. Still, if someone like that were my knight… most people wouldn’t earn his favor.’
Looking more closely, the knight held a small red cushion in both hands. And on it was…
‘…huh?’
Rianna’s eyes widened. The charismatic knight was courteously attending not to a human but to a snowy-white sky-squirrel! The pale brown-tinted fur shone and looked soft. Its big black eyes were as clear as a river reflecting the night sky. Around its neck, a tied red ribbon looked like an extremely luxurious item—Rianna, familiar with all sorts of jewels and precious metals, recognized fine craftsmanship. Her shock grew when Ebi turned and revealed the jewel.
‘That pink diamond…!’
It was at least twice the size of the one in her earrings, brighter too, and the elaborate setting seemed like something that could even have magical functions. Flush with embarrassment, Rianna quickly removed her earrings and hid them in her hand. Biting her lip, she glared sharply at Ebi.
‘A pet, huh!’
In truth, Ebi would rather not meet Rianna if he could avoid it. At one time he’d hoped they could be good sisters, but Rianna certainly did not think of Ebi as a sister. He realized that for the first time when he did his first transformation. When he turned into a sky-squirrel, the count flew into a rage. Ebi trembled, gripped tightly. Startled by the commotion, Rianna rushed to shield the count—not to protect Ebi who was gasping for air, but to protect the count.
“Father, is he lacking something new? Isn’t the beastkin’s ability enough? It’s a blessing, after all.”
“Yes, of course! That’s my Rianna.”
From that day on, Rianna oddly treated Ebi kindly, like someone pitying an inferior animal. At the memory, Ebi shivered. For these reasons, Rianna wasn’t someone he liked. Still, there was a reason he’d chosen her as the first person to meet. Before coming to the count’s mansion, he’d tested the duke’s blessing shadow-wolf he had in reserve… and then this appeared:
[The blessing’s grade is lower than the bound target’s, so its power is reduced.]
With that status-window message, something other than a wolf had manifested. Not so much terrifying as cute. So the plan to make the count soil himself needed some modification.
“You’re here at last.”
When Olga quietly informed him, Ebi turned. Standing before him was still the angelic Rianna. For some reason Rianna, glowering at Ebi, quickly changed her expression into an innocent smile.
“Hello, long time no see. How have you been?”
“Shy. (Yes.)”
“Oh my.”
Rianna opened her eyes wide and then laughed. “I must have forgotten you can’t speak! Father was right, hehe.” Her eyes brimmed with an unavoidable sense of superiority. “How can you speak to me when you can’t even take human form?”
“Don’t worry.”
“…!”
Rianna was startled. Had Ebi just answered? But the words weren’t from Ebi—they came from the cold-faced knight who held Ebi.
“W-were you speaking casually to me just now?”
“…that is what he said.”
“Huh?”
“Miss, did I convey it correctly?”
At Olga’s extremely polite question, Ebi raised one hand slightly. Olga snapped a crisp bow, and Ebi smoothed Olga’s head.
“Sssoot. (That was impressive.)”
Olga smiled at that. The natural hierarchy and obedience on display left Rianna gaping. Before visiting the count, Ebi had trained with Olga. It was Olga’s method.
“Ebi, shall we try this method so the count won’t look down on you?”
“Ssoo?”
“All beastkin have their own pheromones like fingerprints. Their vocal ability also uses pheromones. Using these two traits, you can convey basic intent through pheromones alone.”
Detecting the other’s pheromone movement, concentration, and felt emotion had to be done closely, so it was a method possible only between beastkin. Ebi trained to load his thoughts into his pheromones. Olga detected them and checked with Ebi to confirm what she understood. After repeating the process until both were exhausted, Olga had become a proper translator—or rather, an interpreter.
“Y-you mean she just conveyed his words for him? Impossible!”
“Shy shy ssoo? (Why impossible?)”
Once again Olga interpreted. “Why impossible? Even the pumpkin in front of me speaks.”
“What?!”
“…that is what he said.”
Wait, Olga—don’t say so much! Ebi panicked but pretended calm to avoid being discovered by Rianna. He even crossed his arms arrogantly to appear nonchalant. Hearing the word ‘pumpkin,’ Rianna flushed with rage, but remembering past favors to the count, she quickly recovered her expression.
“…what a pity. I think this just confirmed again why we couldn’t be close sisters.”
“Ssooot ssoot ssoo. (If we were sisters, I’d probably end up in prison soon.)”
Thanks to Olga’s natural interpretation, Ebi felt like he was speaking directly to Rianna.
“What? Prison?” Rianna’s expression flickered. She seemed to suspect something.
“Ssooouuut. (I know already. The illegal slave-trading tied to the count.)”
“Hmm?”
But Rianna’s reaction that followed wasn’t what Ebi expected. She snorted and regained her composure.
“What nonsense are you telling? Did you come all the way here to lay such a ridiculous accusation? We were once family, after all—how cruel you are, Happy!”
I wish he could at least remember my name properly before drying his tears… Anyway, judging by her ease, Rianna clearly didn’t know about the count’s slave-trafficking. Then what explained her earlier startled reaction?
‘Could there be something else, not the slave-traders?’
There’s no doubt.
‘Rianna knows some other weakness that could send the count to prison!’
Moreover, from Rianna’s current attitude one more inference was possible.
‘Rianna also doesn’t know everything the count does. She must know something, but not everything. Yet she shows no trace of concern.’
Even an innocent person would be anxious if they suddenly received a complaint or lawsuit—scammers prey on that psychology.
‘But Rianna is so relaxed she can even feign tears.’ That meant she had some ally or protection.
‘To get information from Rianna, I need to take away that composure.’
Ebi decided to shake Rianna. With too little actual information to win on facts, then—
‘Time to win by bold fabrication, fair and square!’
