Chapter 14
Kanna was being bullied by Evangelin and crying alone in the garden when she heard rustling sounds from the bushes. Startled, she went on alert, and an injured wolf appeared from there. You know, that kind of development is pretty common where someone runs away from family enemies targeting them or threats from slave traders.
Kind-hearted Kanna nurses the wolf with great care, and since she'd think it's just an animal, she'd probably get physically affectionate too, right? I also slobber all over Pudding like that. After living like that for a while, the wolf eventually fully recovers, and Kanna releases it back into the wild.
Then after forgetting about it for n years, a handsome man returns saying he'll repay the favor for saving him, and that's the end. What kind of line should it be? Something like "You said I was cute when you looked at me." Just things like that? Suddenly my romance novel instincts were surging uncontrollably.
I stared blankly at the wolf. Since it's completely a wolf right now, I don't know if the original form is handsome. If he's handsome, he's definitely a sub-male lead. Or maybe Gabriel is the sub-male lead and the wolf is the male lead? Since it's an old work, maybe it was a reverse harem. Confusion sets in from this unexpected appearance.
Wait. So does that mean Gabriel wasn't enough, and now I'm eating up the werewolf route too? Once was enough. Not twice?
"...Please save me."
The wolf spoke weakly. Its tail seemed curled inward as if frightened. Why does it need to say "save me" twice? I was a bit flustered, then remembered that I had been just watching without taking any action while an injured wolf lay there.
I do feel sorry. Honestly, I just considered pretending not to see it and calling Kanna over. I did hesitate for a moment.
But it wasn't like I was going to ignore an injured animal. I was going to call Kanna to treat it. I just thought since the original form is human, maybe they could endure it in a more human-like manner.
But somehow... since it even said "save me," if I just leave, that means there's something wrong with my morality.
"Then come with me."
When I reached out my hand, the wolf hesitated before sticking its front paw out. Soft, fluffy jelly wobbled.
I didn't ask for your hand! I knew you were human, so I meant for you to transform and grab my hand to stand up! I wasn't trying to trample on your human rights.
"Name?"
Still, I'll gratefully accept the front paw already given. While petting the wobbling front paw jelly, I asked for its name, but the wolf didn't answer. No name? That can't be right.
It seemed like it just didn't want to reveal its identity to me. Well, usually they only reveal their true identity to the female lead later on.
Then let's give it an approximate name to call it by. Let's see. Since it has such cute and cuddly jelly paws....
"I'll call you Jelly."
The wolf seemed dissatisfied but didn't resist. It doesn't matter if you don't like it. If you don't like it, reveal your real name.
***
I was wondering how to bring this heavy thing up, but in the blink of an eye, we were in the room. What? What is this?
"Did you do this?"
"Yes!"
Jelly answered with full spirit.
So beastmen use magic here too. To think the first magic user I'd see in this other world would be a different species. Ah. Are beastmen shamans?
But if it's a werewolf, aren't they usually tanks? Where are those sharp claws, and why are they using magic? I was a bit dissatisfied, but I reflected on it since this sounded like some kind of racial discrimination statement.
Anyway, glad we got up easily. Now I need to treat it, but with the fur covering it, I can't gauge how badly it's injured.
"Transform into human form since it's uncomfortable."
Before I could even blink, Jelly had transformed into a human. I thought it would look sharp, but surprisingly it looked kind-hearted. I was worried about what to do if it was naked, but the clothes were well-dressed as if fantasy laws applied. Although they were practically like rags, at least it wasn't naked.
After transforming into human form, the condition looked more serious than I thought. Hidden by the fur, there were cuts and stab wounds from sharp objects all over the body. Did it come from a sword fight somewhere?
I was only going to give first aid, but that doesn't seem like it'll be enough. I was wondering if I should call a doctor or priest, when Pudding appeared from somewhere and spit something out with a "ptui." The elaborately and delicately carved bottle looked familiar.
"Holy water?"
It's holy water. As if confirming that was correct, Pudding meowed.
Right. There was holy water! I thought it was all used up, but there must have been extras. It seemed like it was probably snuck out from the Count's room. Not even wary of the strange wolf, it brought holy water asking to treat its friend?
Our cat is so smart, aww. When I stroked its head, Pudding rubbed its face against my hand.
I was melting from Pudding's cuteness when suddenly an anxious thought occurred to me. Until now, I didn't know there were beastmen in the work's setting so I just let it slide, but... isn't our Pudding too smart for a cat...?
Surely not. Surely not. Right? Pudding, please don't tell me you're a beastman!
Getting anxious, I looked at Pudding, and it meowed cutely. That can't be right. Come to think of it, our Pudding has never spoken human language. Right. If it were a beastman, wouldn't it have struggled this whole time due to communication difficulties?
But my heart was already leaning toward Pudding being a beastman. Damn! If I knew it was a world with beastmen, I should have been more modest.
Just in case, let's ask Jelly later. For now, put that aside and figure out what to do with the patient in front of me.
Jelly had been cowering in fear ever since Pudding appeared. Despite its size, is it scared of a cat? Shouldn't a cat be scared of a wolf?
On the contrary, Pudding looked triumphant. Is there some kind of hierarchy between them that I don't know about?
Or maybe it's scared because it's so small. Usually, kids who can't control their strength are afraid they might crush small things like chicks when they see them. Thinking of it that way, I understood.
"Drink."
"This?"
One bottle seemed insufficient to apply to all the external wounds on the body, so drinking it seemed more effective.
Jelly had never seen holy water before and kept refusing like a kid at the dentist for the first time, so eventually I used force to open its mouth. Maybe because it had tested me once, it didn't push my hand away.
"...It's too salty."
After feeding it holy water and letting go, Jelly puffed its cheeks and chewed. Where is it acting cute with that short tongue?
Such a drama queen. I fed it holy water and only get resentment. I'm doing all this for you. I was about to lecture like some old nag but held back.
***
Night fell on the Rohanson mansion. Except for those on night duty, all the employees had left work.
The night shift staff's work ended only after drawing curtains and turning off lights in all places except Count Rohanson's study and the third floor.
The assigned areas rotated, and today was Olive's turn for the fourth floor. A colleague who had been to the fourth floor in advance encouraged him, saying it wasn't as scary as he worried and that Lady Evangelin doesn't come out of her room, so he could just focus on his work.
Why did his colleagues lie to Olive?
For a while now, the groans of someone in pain had been lingering in his ears. Olive tried hard to ignore the sound and focus on his assigned task.
He walked down the corridor relying on the lantern light. As he advanced, extinguishing the lights one by one, the sound grew closer. The groans harmonized with the squelching sound of something liquid and clumped writhing. When the sound came right near his left ear, Olive casually turned his head.
The left side where Olive stopped was precisely Lady Evangelin's room.
Olive tried not to guess the identity of this sound as he moved his feet again. Taking one step forward, he heard a splashing sound beneath his feet.
When he shone the lantern light, liquid that had seeped out from under the door had pooled into a puddle. Considering its particularly dark red color was due to the lantern light, Olive hurried his feet again.
All the lights on the fourth floor were now extinguished, so all the work was done. Olive breathed a sigh of relief as he went down the stairs. The surroundings were excessively dark, so if he misstepped, he could be badly hurt.
Shoes came into Olive's view as he walked looking only at the floor. Startled as if his heart had dropped, Olive swayed and barely maintained his balance by grabbing the stair handrail.
"Are you alright?"
Startled by the following voice, he raised the lantern. In the dim light, the mansion's uniform was visible. The other person seemed to be a maid on night duty like Olive. Olive breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry. I was surprised."
"That's what happens when you walk looking only at the floor. Be careful walking around since it's dangerous at night."
The maid covered her mouth with both hands and smiled shyly. At the sound of her laughter, Olive's tension melted away. He hadn't expected to meet anyone, so he had been too tense. Calming down and looking around, he saw that where Olive was standing was the landing with the first floor right in front. He really had been out of it.
The maid seemed to have business upstairs and brushed past Olive to climb the stairs. Surely she's not going to the fourth floor? Olive thought about going together but then remembered the groans that still seemed to ring in his ears and swallowed his words. That couldn't be. She must be going up to the second floor.
When Olive entered the office on the first floor, Rantana, who had been keeping the seat, came over angrily and snatched the lantern. Then she placed the lantern in its spot and glared at Olive with fierce eyes.
"Why are you so late? I just had to wait for you to return it, and I'm exhausted from waiting. I wanted to leave work early!"
That can't be right. There should be others who haven't returned their lanterns yet. Olive recalled the nametag on the uniform's chest. Though the embroidery was messy, it definitely said Kanna.
"Kanna hasn't come yet?"
"What nonsense is that? You're the last one, and there's no such name on today's night shift."
There isn't? Olive clearly remembered the maid covering her mouth with both hands and smiling.
Both hands? Come to think of it, when passing by that maid, he didn't think he saw the lantern she was holding....
"Did you dream that? Don't say such things because it's scary."
A dream? Olive checked the soles of his shoes, wondering if he had really been standing and dreaming. On the bottom of his shoes, traces of having stepped on something remained clearly.
If only it had really been a dream. Rantana led Olive, who looked like he had lost his soul, out of the office. Waiting for Olive had delayed leaving work by 30 minutes later than usual.
"Why does the butler make us do such annoying things."
Rantana grumbled, cursing the butler. Though Olive felt sorry to Rantana who had waited all this time because of the lantern, he realized that the instruction to carry the lantern around was the butler's consideration.
At night, those who are not human and roam the Rohanson mansion do not carry lanterns.