112 – Signs of a Cold
Before returning to Hamelo.
The lady and I were at a dog hotel on the outskirts of the capital, preparing to bring back our bear soup left in their care.
I never thought there would be a concept of a dog hotel in this world, but due to astute merchants realizing the profitability of the whims of nobles who loved extravagance, there were surprisingly many unique establishments in the capital.
Dog hotels and other leisure concepts like pet training centers were not uncommon in this world.
Perhaps because the world I transmigrated into was a romantic fantasy, these aspects were as well-formed as in my past life, especially in the fields of dating and travel.
As a result, we had no difficulty deciding on a capital trip and were able to enjoy a comfortable journey.
The dog hotel we were at now charged a somewhat shocking accommodation fee of 100 gold per day, but the corresponding services were substantial. I endured the painful expense and entrusted our bear soup to their care.
In front of me, after settling the bill, the sight of our bear soup wagging its tail was visible. It seemed content, and looking into its eyes, which had missed its owner for a while, I felt that the expenditure was worth it.
“Goooood!”
“Are you happy?”
“Goooood!”
Our bear soup, seen after a long time, looked joyful. Its fur was well-maintained, its sharp fangs neatly arranged, and even its claws were meticulously trimmed. Seeing our bear soup resembling a lord in its well-groomed state, I could momentarily forget the pain of the hefty expenditure.
In the time I hadn’t seen it, something seemed different.
Did it gain a bit of weight?
Not just sideways, but our bear soup seemed to have become sturdier overall. I briefly wondered if it had encountered a decent male here, but observing the tails-down, whimpering state of other staying dogs, it was evident that this wasn’t the case for our bear soup.
“Hey.”
Kyle, standing next to me, asked with a serious expression. Every time Kyle came to see the bear soup on his day off, he furrowed his brow.
Is he doing that because it’s too cute? I wondered, but the questions flowing from him corrected my mistaken impression.
“Is this a puppy…?”
“Yes.”
“Where do you see a puppy?”
Kyle raised his doubts as he watched the bear soup chewing on the heads of other lodgers like candy.
He asked, “Is it normal for a dog to play like that? Is what your puppy is doing spreading jam on emergency rations?”
-Gomom…
-Kkiing… Kkiing…
I shrugged my shoulders and responded to Kyle’s question with a counter-question.
“Don’t they seem friendly to you?”
“That…?”
“Yes.”
Kyle, who didn’t understand the charm of the bear soup, shook his head with a bewildered expression.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Indeed, our bear soup has larger front paws and a bigger face than other dogs, but isn’t it cute? The young lady likes it too.”
I looked at the young lady petting the bear soup next to me and asked,
“Hmm?”
Upon hearing the story about herself, the young lady raised a question mark above her head and tilted her head.
“Isn’t Gomtang adorable?”
“Mm.”
Nodding her head, the lady responded with an answer that gave strength to my lost confidence in my opinion.
“I think it’ll taste good once it’s fully grown.”
“…What?”
“Weren’t you raising it to eat?”
“I said I wasn’t going to eat it last time.”
“I thought you were lying.”
“I sincerely meant what I said.”
The disinterested lady stood next to me, pushing the wheelchair, and looked at Gomtang’s solid belly with a longing gaze.
Kyle let out a sigh.
“You worry too much.”
“I’m okay.”
“It’s not about you being okay, it’s about other people worrying.”
“That’s okay too. Our Gomtang doesn’t bite people.”
Kyle tilted his head and glanced at the lady next to him.
“I don’t think so.”
Suddenly, Gomtang was biting the lady’s head with a “nom” sound. Kyle sent me a suspicious look as he watched the intense battle between the lady and Gomtang.
“eeek! Let go of this! I’m not food!”
-Goooaaah!!!
“Watch out, it’s spitting! Ricardo! It’s trying to devour me! Slather it with chili sauce!”
I awkwardly smiled at Kyle and offered a warm excuse, “But this kid is friendly.”
“…I’ll believe it when I see it.”
With a stylish laugh, we exchanged farewells. Our urban life came to a halt with a brief goodbye, promising to meet again in good health.
*
Inside the carriage heading back to Hamelo.
The lady, watching the bear-like creature’s hindquarters jiggle along with the clattering of hooves, marveled with a curious expression.
“Ricardo.”
“Yes?”
“It looks like a bear.”
“…Indeed.”
I thought it had grown in size since the last time I saw it, but, well…
As time passed, my confidence in that past belief gradually waned.
Something…
– Ohhh!
I felt that I had picked up something very strange.
Despite being tamed, those front paws seemed capable of tearing a person apart.
The seasoned skill of chewing while only looking ahead at the running horse.
And the words spoken by the staff at the dog hotel.
-I’m really sorry, Lord Gomtang, but… what breed is Gomtang?
-Why do you ask?
-I don’t want to accept this breed anymore. Gomtang seems like it should be in the wild, not in a pet hotel.
-Are you suggesting that I release him?
-No…! It’s not that, it’s just… I think he would be more suited for the mountains.
At that time, I felt a little upset, but seeing him running like that, I began to understand the tired face of the employee. I should have given him a tip. Did I do that?
Indomitable stamina that doesn’t tire even after a walk.
It occurred to me belatedly that Gomtang didn’t seem like a dog even to me, with his bean-shaped eyes. Considering that he still had some growing to do, he would probably grow three times bigger than he is now. If he grows any bigger here, I decided I should give up on the idea of raising him in the room, just like the employee said.
With a trembling voice, I shyly asked the drowsy lady.
“Miss. I don’t think Gomtang… is a dog, right? Inherited luxurious blood…”
The lady gave me an expression of obviousness and confidently replied.
“It’s a bear.”
“…”
“I told you so.”
“…But it’s cute, right? Isn’t it okay?”
The lady shook her head and answered firmly.
“It looks like a bear.”
“…Not cute?”
“Well, it looks delicious.”
Well, that’s a relief.
It looked delicious, a kind of compliment in itself. With the wish for a long and healthy life, I praised the bear soup.
“Grow up healthy. Your stomach won’t go hungry, so don’t worry about humans.”
About an hour passed while talking about the bear soup.
As the carriage climbed the steep road, the lady’s head began to bounce around like a bouncy ball due to the vibration of the carriage.
“Ugh…! Gravity…!”
“Uwaaah!! It’s rejecting me!”
“The world is spinning… Ugh!”
The lady’s head, showing off extravagant gestures, was bouncing like a billiard ball on a billiard table. I was worried she might get motion sickness. I gently approached and extended my shoulder to her.
Leaning her head on my shoulder, the lady looked up at me with a satisfied smile.
“Oh… so soft.”
“It’s an expensive shoulder. Please use it sparingly.”
“Mm. It’s an expensive shoulder, so only I should use it.”
The lady smiled like a mischievous child.
Such a smile is unfair.
I blushed, holding my breath, feeling the lady’s delicate breath on my neck. And it seemed like my heart was pounding like crazy against the deep chest of the lady that subtly appeared.
Being the maid of an evil woman in exchange for this taste.
With a content smile for the employee benefits, I ran towards Hamel.
As the sun set and darkness approached, the familiar sight of our mansion in the distance came into view.
Not the mansion that seemed haunted.
But our mansion, newly remodeled.
The young lady slowly opened her eyes and widened them when she saw the newly renovated appearance of the mansion.
“Wow! Ricardo!”
The lady shook off her drowsiness and her eyes sparkled. Pointing her finger at the mansion that had turned pink, she blew out a breath and said in an excited voice.
“It looks like beef!”
“What do you mean by that metaphor?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“It’s a compliment. It looks really beautiful.”
“Oh, really? I put in quite a bit of effort this time, so I’m glad you think it’s pretty.”
Seeing the lady’s satisfied smile on her face as she looked at the mansion that had been extensively renovated at a considerable cost, I thought it was fortunate that I hadn’t just fixed the gaping hole in the wall.
The wall of the mansion, which had a hole caused by Perry’s first machine, was adorned with adorable patterns and painted pink, and the wall that had been covered in ivy was now full of pink.
The lady’s mansion, which was called Hamel’s disgrace, had transformed into a new appearance.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. I love it!”
I’m glad the lady likes it.
With a heart filled with anticipation, after getting off the carriage, I stretched and took a deep breath of the familiar air of Hamel.
The scent of rich manure filled the air.
The refreshing air of Hamel felt thick.
It was the air that could be felt in the capital as well, but the feeling was different because it was the welcoming air of the home I hadn’t returned to in a long time.
“Haah… Thank you for your hard work… Cough… Cough.”
Ah… It’s cold.
It must be winter.
Is Gomtang a magical beast? 🤔
Gomtang’s future sounds already decided