My Dear Grand Duke on a Leash - Chapter 19
Chapter 10.1 — The dog, the lark and the Princess (3)
…Was that the voice of Grand Duke Acheron?
Did the operator dial the wrong number? What should she do? Should she hang up? This was the first time the operator had made such a basic mistake since using the phone. What happened…?
‘No, no. Calm down. Calm down first, Lariette.’
Since she called His Highness Narkissis, if she hung up abruptly like this, he would know that she made a mistake by connecting to him because the annex palace phones were only in the bedroom and parlor. She would rather…
「 Princess? 」
“Ah, yes. I… I was a little surprised to hear a voice suddenly out of nowhere.”
「 I see. 」
He must have thought what kind of nonsense she was talking about when she was the one calling him. Riette’s palms became sweaty at the calmness of his voice.
Wrestling with her tangled thoughts, she eventually let out a deep sign in resignation.
“I’m sorry, Grand Duke. I actually asked to be connected to His Highness Narkissis, but the operator must have made a mistake.”
She was well aware of how incapable of lying she was, so she’d rather be honest and apologize than get caught up in her clumsy nonsense and only make him feel worse.
「 …I see. It was the operator’s mistake, so the Princess doesn’t have to apologize. Then. 」
“Oh. Wait a minute, Grand Duke…!”
There was a blank space as if the hand trying to pull the receiver down had paused. Still, it didn’t make his voice any easier to hear, so she hurriedly whispered, clutching the phone with both hands.
“What are you doing today?”
「 …. 」
“Well, I was wondering if we could have some tea, no, coffee together…”
「 I’m afraid I don’t have time for tea time in the afternoon. 」
“What are you doing today?”
「 …According to His Highness’ order, the dogs transported from Helios this afternoon will be shown to the nobles of Chalonné. I’ve been told that a fence needed to be installed on the grounds of the annex palace. 」
Riette’s hand came to a standstill as a light bulb flashed in her large green eyes.
“Do you have a dog? Right now? Here?”
「 Yes. It’s a… royal trained hound that freight from Helios. 」
Because of her sister’s allergy, furry animals were prohibited from entering the annex and the Princess’s Palace, but it would be a different story for the dog that Prince Helios brought with him. At the same time, the memory of going to the townhouse of another noble lady and seeing Maltese in a stroller, and at a loss for what to do, flashed through her mind like a kaleidoscope.
Until now, she had to be satisfied with her life by photos, portraits, or watching from a distance…
“Are you leaving right now? I’ll go, too. Can I go to the annex palace? Is the dog currently in the garden of the palace right now? Hm?”
「 Yes, I have an appointment with His Highness so I have to leave soon. 」
“Okay, go ahead and wait for me. I’ll be there soon!”
「 It’d be better if the Princess doesn’t come… 」
Didn’t even get to hear the last words, Riette slammed the receiver down with a loud bang before carefully holding the lark in her palm and scurrying to the window.
“Have a good time here. Sister has to go now since I have a very, very busy job.”
Finishing her words, she gently pushed the lark into the golden cage.
“Pprik! Pppriiik!”
As if it had grown accustomed to her, Shushu became increasingly reluctant to leave Riette’s hand. If she put it down on the perch, it would come back up again. Even if she put it down again, it would come again. It was like a little boy who was clinging to his mother’s dress on the way to the theater and whining not to leave.
Was Shushu the type who suffered from loneliness more than others among the lark? Perhaps that was why when the other bird flew away, it came back to her room instead.
“Just hang in there for a few days. When my sister’s wedding is over, I’ll play with you all day long. Okay?”
“Pprik…”
It was a strange bird indeed.
˚·: * ✧ * :·˚
The garden of the annex palace was close to a vacant space planted with garden trees as they were often used as tennis courts or Charvel courts for boring gentlemen.
The gentlemen were gathered in a circle as if they were watching something. Whether it was a dangerous or exciting object, they were excited by the nervous excitement while leaving a considerable distance from each other.
‘I’m sure there’s a puppy over there…!’
It was very easy to find Cain among the gentlemen.
Thanks to his tall stature, he was towering over everyone there by a head. He was in a stylish black three-piece suit, standing alone in the midst of the peacock-like gentlemen of Chalonné, who dressed like fashionable peacocks.
With him in the center, the gentlemen of Chalonné looked like a bunch of painted acorns.
[ T/N: OOF— the burnn LOL _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):_ ]
Cain turned his head toward her. It was a reflex reaction, like a dog instinctively recognizing its owner who appeared at a distance.
The icy blue eyes and docile green ones met in the air.
As she blinked once, the tightness in the air that had become viscous as if it were drawing her breath instantly eased.
“Have you come, Princess?”
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