The Duke’s Companion

Finally, today, they took off all the tight bandages that are very bothering especially when I move around.

With the old bandages piled to one side, Mamela and Jonah looked intently at my stomach. Either way, I pawed hard with my belly exposed.

With her eyes round in doubt, Mamela said, “The wound looked so bad but it healed completely without a single scar. It seems like it’s only been a month.”

“Did it recover well because it’s still a baby?” Jonah asked.

“Well… I didn’t mean to say this, but I guess that doctor was a real quack.” Mamela answered.

“That’s right.”

After Mamela finished combing her fur, Aryl stared blankly at Mamela’s cute face and then started thinking.

‘Come to think of it, I felt a strange change in my body these days.’

It was probably around the time the wound healed completely, but strange energy began to circulate all over my body.

The energy was as clear and cool as the early morning air so all the bad thoughts in my head were completely washed away.

‘Is it because I’m healthy?’

Mamela patted me while I was in the middle of my thoughts.

“Aryl, you can go and play now.”

As Mamela nodded her head, I jumped up from my seat. How long have I been waiting for this moment?

Without hesitation, I jumped off the sofa and moved carefully.

‘Hey, this is a whole new world!’

When the bandages covering my stomach were removed, not only did the cramping stop, but my entire body felt lighter as well.

I started running around the room like an unbridled pony excitedly having the bandages removed.

“Meow!”

It’s so refreshing! I ran and played hunting without seeing anything. I feel so light that I thought I could fly like this.

“Aryl, wait a minute!”

Then Mamela grabbed me, I was suddenly caught and stopped while rolling my feet in the air. As I calmed down in excitement, I could see the bedroom was in a mess.

‘…When did it get so messy?’

I glanced at Jonah, who was always cleaning the room. She was just smiling at me. I always work hard, but I think I should work harder today. It was a pity.

“Oh, by the way, miss.”

Suddenly, Jonah clapped her hands and called Mamela, then Mamela looked down at me as she held me in her arms. 

“Yes?”

“By the way, Ansel said that he had something to tell you. I’ll talk to him and come back.”

“Yes, I got it.”

Jonah took the old bandage stacked on one table and left the room.

I sat down on the sofa with Mamela and started playing another game.

A cream-colored ball of wool brought by Mamela was prepared in front of me. I lifted my front paw as Mamela watched me nervously.

I took a deep breath as if I were gathering energy and… ‘Now!’

With a fierce gaze, I ran through the ball of yarn with great speed. If anyone can see my movements, it’s probably an afterimage!

Soon, a small box emerged from the neatly untied ball of yarn.

As I quickly lifted the top of the box, the lid swung and flew away. A piece of meat in the box appeared. I snapped at the snack that Mamela had planted.

Mamela, who was watching, applauded in admiration.

“Aryl, you seem energized when I give you a snack.”

She seemed to be praising me, I rubbed my nose with my front foot.

This is the power when the bandage was removed, they used to tie the bandage so tightly that it had the same training effect as if I had hung a sandbag all over my body.

‘Now if I looked in the mirror, I’ll look cool.’

I proudly descended from the sofa and climbed to the mirror. Let’s see how big I’ve become.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, full of anticipation.

I saw a bright expression on my face through the mirror, then in an instant, it turned sullen, like someone who had lost a country.

“…Meow.“

I looked in the mirror in disbelief. No matter what I did, nothing changed. It was still a small body and a sloppy-looking one. It felt like the world was falling apart.

‘…Why am I like this?’

I trembled and stared at the horrible mirror. With the bandages off, I must have been reborn, but why is it still the same!

I snorted hard in anger and punch the mirror with my front paw. Then, along with a crackling sound, incontinence like a spider’s web appeared in the mirror.

“…!”

Startled, I took a step back, ‘No, this, why is this…?’

Like the word ‘Bang—’ but was closer to a ‘Thud–’, No why did the mirror crack? How big are these adorable front paws…

I slowly looked back, I could see Mamela, who was sitting on the sofa, looking elsewhere.

Fortunately, I didn’t get caught. No one will know what I did.

Having made a complete crime different from the first time when I tore the doll’s tail, I hurriedly turned back.

That’s when I was just about to get off to the table.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside, and a strong wind blew from the open window.

The blue curtain fluttered and the papers on the desk flew into the air, also, my body trembled greatly.

Urgh, I swallowed my breath and grabbed the corner of the table in a hurry. I struggled to defend my body from being blown by the wind.

‘Is Mamela going to be okay?’

I turned my head to check if she was safe. But I happened to find a handkerchief flying up on one side of the table. I stared blankly at the handkerchief rising.

A handkerchief with purple flower embroidery… I think Mamela always carried it in her arms.

As soon as I thought about it, the floating handkerchief began to fly away as if it were caught by the wind and dragged away. My mouth gaped in surprise.

‘Oh, no! Come back handkerchief!’

I followed the handkerchief and ran to the window. The desire to hold on to it was so strong that it paralyzed my mind from thinking of my situation.

Mamela shouted behind, but the wind was too loud for me to hear properly.

The fluttering handkerchief finally arrived in front of me. In the relentless wind, I jumped up and fell, to snatch the handkerchief into my grasp.

‘I got it…!’

A moment of relief and pride came over me, and as I looked back. I saw Mamela’s hastily distorted face.

My body suddenly collapsed and fell, before I could even think about it.

“Aryl!”

A voice almost screaming was the last thing I heard.

Along with the gravity, a giddy feeling rose. I turned my stance, but in the meantime, my nose twitched involuntarily.

The ground was approaching at high speed with a smell similar to Mamela. I had a glimpse of the same blonde hair.

But the next moment, relentlessly I fell, I had no time to worry about it. I was dizzy and my vision was spinning and I couldn’t move.

I think I can see stars in my sight… Five? Seven?

At that moment, something immediately cleared my confused mind.

“Mamela?”

It was a low voice I heard approaching.