17 A Fool’s Realm

A loud clank announced the end of our journey. Cathrina had closed the large, double-winged gate, leaving behind only Myra, who would drive back the carriage to her parents' house and return later this day.

Even though I was now surrounded by sheer endless, silvern railings, I didn't feel trapped at all. The metal bars, sure enough, were too tight to let an intruder through, but that did only count for humans. My little body would have an easy time entering or leaving this place whenever I felt like it.

 

«I can use this!»

 

The garden wasn't especially vast, but it wasn't overloaded with flashy flowerbeds or statues either, giving it enough space to relax. Sure, there were some bushes of what looked like roses and trees, too, but they were nothing that would need a gardener working day in, day out to maintain. It was like the home of a rather well-off family. Maybe it was exactly that.

 

«This is his house?»

 

My gaze wandered over the mansion. It was built using red and orange sandstone, giving it a less noble, but far more welcoming look when compared to the mostly white facades I had seen in the inner city or the wood and grey stone the houses outside of the walls used.

The mansion was not only two-storied, there were two large bays in the pitched roof, too, indicating that there was a vast and well-lit room hidden under the dark brown tiles.

My eyes wandered down and onto the three wide stairs leading to a double-winged door crafted using dark-brown, almost black wood. The girls were already busy carrying their luggage into the house, all but Azu, who was kneeling down next to me, trying to grasp my attention.

 

"Come, Fluffy~"

«What?»

"Don't you want to see your new home?"

「Did you just call me Fluffy?」

"Such a cute fluffy Fluff you are~"

「WHAT?!」

 

Azu didn't give me the chance to protest against her ridiculous naming sense. She simply picked me up and embraced me, seemingly taking Myra's absence as a chance to win me over. I didn't hate her, I thought she was rather nice even, but that didn't change the fact that she treated me as a pet!

Biting her was no option, as I didn't feel really comfortable with the idea of being tossed away in surprise. Who knew what would happen to this tiny body of mine by just dropping from her arms? I wasn't even dreaming about being able to land on my feet like a cat.

It was more than possible that Azu could prove to be either an ally or at least a tool I could use to end the hero. She loved him, that much was for sure, but with all the girls swarming around her loved one it probably wouldn't take much to change those feelings of hers in ones of envy and hatred.

 

«... whatever.»

 

Both unable and unwilling to fight against her attention, I decided to stay put as Azu carried me through the garden and towards the wide door that would lead us to my new battlefield.

 

「So this is where he lives...」

"Are you hungry?" Azu asked, taking my monologue as some kind of protest or outcry. "Don't worry. I will prepare you something reeally~ nice."

「Who is hung-」 I swallowed my saliva. 「Something nice?」

"But first we will get you nice and clean again!"

「A bath...」

 

Taking a nice, hot bath sounded more than just tempting. My fur was still ruined thanks to that beast attacking me and sleeping in the dirty back alley didn't exactly help it, either.

Myra and the others did not have the heart to wash me after I had lost consciousness, fearing it would wake me up. Truth to be told, I probably was smelling little better than the stray that had attacked me.

 

«I can still think about what to do afterward...»

 

Azu's plan wasn't left unnoticed. We had just stepped out of the entrance hall with its staircase, paintings and flower pots, and into the washing area when I could hear the voices of the girls growing louder. The beastkin girl hadn't even started washing my fur when four silhouettes appeared in the door.

Faisa was the first one to enter. She just slipt past us without getting rid of her deep blue dress and entered the door on the opposite side of the room, leaving the wooden stools, the buckets and the sponges untouched.

"I will heat up the water," she explained before escaping my view.

"Don't exhaust your mana," Saenna warned her.

「She will use fire magic?!」

"Fluffy is so excited!"

「She really uses fire magic?!」

"Such a happy little fox you are~」

「There is a perfectly fine target running around outside! Why would you use it on water?! Burn him!」

"Let's wash her," Saenna decided. "She's dirty."

The brunette girl suddenly pulled me away from Azu. "Don't treat Rose like a dog!"

「WHYYY?!」