The Duke’s Villainous Daughter is Depressed - Chapter 6

Elle often went for a stroll in the garden to look for the dog and tried to interact with him. It was a slight deviation from her monotonous life of eating and sleeping.

Lari said it was a great development rather than to walk around alone without guards, and proposed why not keep the dog in the palace.

I didn’t have the confidence to take responsibility for something else. More than that, I was scared to give him affection.

“Hey, doggie.”

“……Grrrr.”

Besides, the dog was still cautious around me. How am I able to bring him up if he’s like this?

“Why aren’t you eating?”

Lari has been feeding this dog separately for several days, but he hasn’t eaten anything, not even once.

I wondered if he didn’t like the food because it was for human consumption? However, today, I brought some canary food, but he didn’t eat it either. He only looked at it with a bit of disgust.

I sighed helplessly when I saw how slim his stomach was and showed no signs of bloating. Is he going to starve to death?

“You should eat a little.”

Soon after Elle said that, she let out a dry laugh because she herself has little to eat.

Who am I to tell him off? I only got soup for breakfast today.

Thanks to this, the dress that fitted perfectly to my slender body before coming here from the Sahad Kingdom was now loose.

Still, I take comfort from the fact that I didn’t wholly abolish eating food and drinking like what this dog does, so I nagged him a little bit.

“You won’t eat because I’m bothering you?”

“……Grrrrr.”

“Oh, you don’t want me here?”

“Woof!”

“I won’t show up if you don’t want to. If you answer me right now, like perhaps a growl, then that means you want me to come here.”

“…….”

“Oh, the dog can’t speak, huh.”

“…….”

“I’m going, and I won’t be back again if you don’t growl….. But if I didn’t show up, that means I growled.”

Elle was like a dog in bed, growling all the time because she doesn’t want to get up.

Even the smartest dog would not have understood what I said. It’s quite funny looking at his perplexed expression after I said that.

Every time I woke up, I always ended up thinking that with a 99% chance I wouldn’t be here.

“I’m going now. Goodbye.”

But then, the dog made a growl, but it’s so low that it almost turned into a whine. She quickly swerved around.

“What? I didn’t hear it.”

Elle gazed at the dog like it’s a mystery box.

“Growl, won’t you?”

“…….”

“Why aren’t you doing it!”

“…….”

“Hah!”

Elle shouted in disbelief, looking like a deranged person because she felt defeated by a dog. You were growling so well just a few minutes ago, so you do get it? Why won’t you growl now?

“Hey, do you want me to visit you?”

“…….”

“Do you want me to come back here??”

There was still no response. The dog, which turned its head away, assuming a calm expression, didn’t even give Elle a single glance.

Hah, what a royal pain.

Elle said one more thing just in case.

“You’re ugly.”

“Woof!”

The reaction came at once. Lost in her bewilderment, Elle took a step closer towards the dog.

I thought he would open his mind to a certain extent even though he didn’t show it, but he got up quickly and strutted as far away as possible the second I approached him.

I wonder what he wants to do now.

“Do you understand me?”

“……..Grrrrrr!”

“Aha. If you really get it, growl a little longer. ‘Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!’ like this.”

Rather a growl for an answer, he only snorted at me like he’s mocking me.

You’re making me speechless.

A promise was a promise, so Elle went frequently to visit the dog.

The place where the dog was always found varied, but these days, he would be in a place where you could see him, which was a little close to the entrance of the garden.

Every time he was waiting for Elle, he would lay down on the grass with his head held up and his ears raised, but when Elle came, he yawned slowly or closed his eyes as if he wasn’t interested.

Elle, who didn’t know such a stoic dog would be anticipating her visit, complained about why she had to come here every time. Nevertheless, she still brought him food.

There was a reason why this dog didn’t eat the cold food Lari previously gave him: He was very particular about his food, a picky eater.

If you give him a steak or a sandwich which I ate, he will eat it.

But if you give him the whole thing which is different from mine, he won’t eat it. He won’t eat it if it’s dirty as well.

Elle would often divide the food into two, and only then would he eat the given half if she eats the other half first.

Sometimes I wondered if perhaps his owner lost him while still raising him. However, putting that aside, was it possible for a dog to enter the palace?

I think it would be impossible for him to enter this place without the permission of an important person, but when I asked Lari about this, she said she doesn’t have a clue.

“Where in Rennes did you come from?”

“……Woof.”

For the first time after coming here, Elle’s eyes light up when the dog was no longer growling at her.

You finally wagged your tail, does that mean you’re welcoming me? When I said that, he tucked his tail straight away, and he glared at it with a look of betrayal. Probably a reflex then.

“It’s hard to live here, do you want me to let you out?”

If there’s a servant who can commute to work instead of a life-long contract like Lari had, and if that person wants to raise a dog, he better go with that person.

The palace, in many ways, was not favorable for dogs to live in. Especially to wander around with food hard to get by, and what if you run into a guard or a knight? They would eventually take you away or, worse, put you down.

Oh, no. I should look for your new owner as soon as I can.

“……that would probably be for the best.”

I don’t have the assurance to take care of him, and it’s better to look for someone else.

I let go of the dog in the hands of a strong servant. But before that, I had a hard time catching him.

“This is all for your own good. Go and live well.”

I petted the struggling dog for the first and the last time. His fur was so soft as I expected.

It’s only been a few days, but he’s getting better at accepting the food that we served him, and the good news is he now has a plump belly.

I waved my hand until the dog was out of sight.

“Lari, you’re sure he’s a good person?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“……Okay, that would be plenty enough.”

“Aren’t you sad? I thought you’d say you’d take care of him.”

“……Well.”

I’m quite sad, but with the way I am right now, I don’t know if I could take care of him well.

I think I’ve been with you for a few days, but I’ll probably forget you over time… I hope.

A few days later, the servant came back.

“Mr. White has left the house! I have sinned! Please punish me, Your Highness!”

‘I even gave the dog a new name and treated it well. But on the first day, White left the house.‘

‘I searched the whole village for a few days, but I couldn’t find it.’

As a result, he kneeled in front of the princess and shuddered.

Although the princess across him was the wife of the fallen prince, the servants were all terrified of her because they knew that she’s a lady from a Ducal House in the Sahad Kingdom! If she eventually found out from someone else that he’d lost the dog, he might not only get a reprimand…..

He shuddered even more, thinking of worse possibilities.

“……My God.”

I can’t believe this. I already picked you a good owner, and yet you left the house.

“I understand.”

“P, pardon?”

“You are dismissed.”

“P, princess, are you letting me go?”

“You didn’t do it on purpose, and what else can I do but to let you go?”

“A, ah yes, thank you……… Heuuk!”

The servant, who was already kneeling, overly bowed to me to the point that his forehead touched the ground and then burst into tears before hurrying out.

The hell? What was he so afraid of?

Larry was even puzzled because she had never been afraid of me.

“Do I look scary?”

From an objective point of view, I know this face was quite a beauty.

It wouldn’t fit the beauty of the South who prefers white skin girls, but not once have I heard someone say that I’m ugly. Although the eyes slightly raised at the ends, there isn’t any issue other than that.

“What are you talking about, Lady Elle?! You’re such a beauty!”

“But why is he running away like that?”

“Well, I’ll ask next time we meet.”

“Okay.”

“What about the dog, by the way?”

“I should have just put him in the palace. Should I go out and find him?”

“…Lady Elle herself??”

If I had kept him here in the palace, I might end up taken care of by the dog instead. I felt sorry for the dog for no reason.

“……I don’t think I would survive outside the palace.”

Elle sighed heavily.