The Duke’s Companion

As soon as I felt better, I waved my tail softly. The smell of smoke spread in my mouth and the texture of the meat brought out a heavenly taste.

However, there was one disappointment. It’s just that the pattern in which Mamela gives me treats was so random.

Besides, even if I was lucky enough to eat it like today, the meat was as small as my claws.

‘Mamela must be poor.’

I wanted to eat more, but I couldn’t get enough. Mamela always comes back from her meal quickly, but was it because she didn’t have anything to eat?

Deeply enlightened, I patted Mamela on the back of her hand, pitying her impoverished.

After the wound heals, I’ll have to ask Mamela for a lot of delicious food.

Sniff— 

The little meat disappeared from my mouth in an instant.

I felt regretful, but when the ball of yarn rolled in front of me, I forgot about the meat. I ran enchanted, hugged the ball and rolled over.

Mamela patted my back lightly and said.

“Aryl, I’ll be doing my homework, so just play by yourself.”

Mamela went to her desk, leaving me to play alone. Then I heard the sound of her scribbling something with her pen.

I had fun rolling the ball around, but I quickly became bored. I gently kicked the ball, threw away the finished wool ball, and went out to find a fish doll.

The fish was on a pile of cushions, my dragonfly.

“Here it is!’

I ran and bit the fish’s head and went to the sofa. I took a seat in the corner and began to wait by biting hard on the doll.

I even pressed the fish with my front paws to prevent the fish from escaping.

It felt like all the stress was gone.

Hehe~ It was time to change the target from the fish head and start to bite the tail.

“Hey, I’m glad you ate a lot last night.”

After muttering incomprehensible words, Mamela came to the seat beside me after a while with a bundle of things.

‘What? What did you bring?’

In curiosity, I raised my head with the fish’s tail in my mouth. Then suddenly, I heard something being ripped from somewhere.

‘What’s that sound?’

Soon, my mouth opened blankly, I looked down at the source of the sound without thinking. I blinked twice, grasping the situation.

In particular, the sound of the fish falling from my mouth was particularly loud.

Aryl then put her front paw into her mouth to the shock that followed.

“…!”

The fish’s tail was torn off and hung dangling from its body. 

‘Why did this rip? No, before that, is it okay to rip it off?’

I glanced quickly at Mamela, then changed my posture and sat hiding from her sight.

I looked down anxiously at the torn tail of the fish. It seems like I’ve broken something that I shouldn’t.

I thought it was durable because it didn’t tear even when I’ve been biting and scratching it earlier, but it went ripped in an instant!

‘What do I do? What do I do?’

I glanced nervously at Mamela. I must remain calm. I’ll think of a way first.

I cleared my mind and looked at the torn doll thinking, ‘How do I reattach this?’

Thinking about it, I just started licking the fish doll. 

‘If I do this, it might stick again. That foot!’

It was in the middle of a stormy situation, suddenly I heard someone’s voice asking from behind 

“…Aryl, what are you doing?”

I was startled and froze at Memela’s call.

“Aryl…?”

“Meow?“

I turned my head and looked at Mamela. And Mamela was looking at me in bewilderment.

As I was staring at her, I suddenly noticed her expression.

‘Didn’t you see the doll?’

I quickly pulled the doll into my arms and sat down. Then I pretended it was nothing and cried brightly.

“Meow!”

Mamela smiled and patted my head, as she also thought it was nothing to be worried about.

‘That’s a relief.’

I was relieved, but suddenly a piece of paper appeared in front of me. I was so surprised that my heart was about to fall.

‘What is that?’

Hearing the beat of my heart, I suddenly stared at the paper sticking out in front of my nose. 

Afraid to ask her a question, Mamela said, “I drew it.”

The flaw was that I couldn’t understand any of her words.

Desperately hugging the fish doll, I tilted my head. As I looked carefully at the drawing, Mamela shouted cheerfully, “It’s my brother.  Did I draw him well?

Mamela said pointing to the drawing with her finger, I was still confused but I looked at the drawing alternating with Mamela’s face once more.

“Meow…“

I’m sorry for Mamela, who must have worked very hard, but it was a terrible drawing… It appeared to have been drawn by her.

‘Could it be that this is not a picture but a kind of language to humans?’

It was a pretty plausible idea, as humans can hold a pencil with their hands and create various shapes on paper.

Mamela said with a smile, “Aryl, do you want to meet my older brother?”

“Meow…?“

“As you can see from the picture, my brother is much older than me, I’m younger. Everyone gets surprised when they hear the age difference between me and my brother.”

Mamela smiled bashfully and raised her thumb as she spoke.

“My brother is an amazing person. Even in the Empire, if there’s a person who doesn’t know my brother, then, that person must be a spy.”

I blinked my eyes. Does it make any sense to raise your hand like that?

As I watched Mamela’s thumb, I followed her by tilting my paws 

“Huh? Are you following me now?”

Mamela grabbed both of my front paws. I was surprised because I had no idea I’d be caught so quickly. I needed to get my front paws off her hand, so I pushed her, but she wouldn’t let me go.

Mamela said with a smile as if she was going to die because I was so cute.

“Aryl, my brother’s name is Idylos, and you must remember it because he will be your family, our family.”

Looking satisfied, Mamela let go of my front paws and took the colourful pencils back into her hands.

After a while, I glanced at Mamela. Mamela was completely absorbed in her painting.

‘I’m glad I didn’t get caught.’ I thought while looking down at the doll.

Even though I had been attaching the tail so hard earlier, it still won’t connect with its head.

‘Yes, it’s fine this way…’

Glancing gloomily at the torn doll thinking, ‘What if Mamela kicks me out because I tore the doll… What if she thinks I’m a naughty cat? I will definitely be hated.’

I thought, pressing down on the doll with my front paws.

‘Maybe I… should hide it?’