“Oh my goodness!”
“Isn’t it great?”
I smiled with satisfaction. Finally, the time had come to show off Ludwin’s stylish new look to the world!
I placed my hand on his neck, but for some reason, Ludwin didn’t move from behind me.
“Lu?”
When I called his name, he flinched and tried to hide himself as much as possible in my shadow.
Hmmm.
He blinked his large amber eyes, glancing up at me nervously, before letting out a short sigh and reluctantly shuffling to stand by my side.
‘What’s wrong? You look adorable.’
No matter how you looked at it, Ludwin, dressed in a charming checkered ‘dog outfit’ with a cute hat, was irresistibly adorable.
“It looks wonderful!”
Lilian beamed, her blue eyes sparkling as if she wanted to hug Ludwin right there. In contrast, Pedro and Boris had more mixed expressions.
The delighted exclamation must have been loud enough to draw attention, as people nearby started to notice and exclaim as well.
“Oh, look over there! That dog is wearing clothes!”
“My goodness, how cute!”
“Maybe because of his size? The outfit looks so charming on him.”
The reaction from the crowd was explosive, causing my pride to swell.
In this world, the concept of dog clothes didn’t exist yet. While collars came in various designs, the idea of dressing a dog in clothes was unheard of.
So, naturally, Ludwin in his outfit was a shocking sight.
People began to gather around us.
Since it was a hunting tournament, the theme was hunting attire.
Ludwin’s outfit, with its khaki and crimson checkered pattern, perfectly complemented his majestic black fur and jewel-like amber eyes.
The outfit was designed by a top-class professional, ensuring it was both stylish and durable enough to withstand the rough movements of hunting.
‘And that outfit can even be worn in human form.’
It was designed so that with a few adjustments, it could be worn by a person, just in case Ludwin suddenly transformed.
‘I had to come up with quite the story to get Madam Mimon to make it.’
Now, even if Ludwin suddenly turned back into a human, there would be no risk of him being labeled a perverted young master.
As people surrounded him with adoring eyes, Ludwin quickly scurried behind me, pushing his nose against my shoulder.
“It’s very cute.”
“Isn’t it?”
Boris, who had been trembling, managed to compliment Ludwin.
I was glad I had taken the time to have the outfit made.
Grrr.
Ludwin let out a low growl, clearly displeased with Boris’s laughter.
While Ludwin was receiving all the attention, I noticed Lady Sherina Ferumwell standing alone in the distance.
She was staring right at me.
‘Oh no, is she going to start something again?’
But instead of approaching, she simply smirked and mouthed some words.
I watched her carefully, and my face immediately soured.
‘Dressing up that already ridiculous-looking dog in such a silly outfit. How’s he supposed to catch even a field mouse like that?’
That’s what she said.
I tightened my grip on Ludwin’s leash.
I usually prided myself on my patience.
But the combination of insulting Madam Mimon’s clothes, Ludwin, and me all at once made that patience evaporate in an instant.
Sherina smirked at me, then turned her back and walked away as if nothing happened.
‘So, that’s how you want to play it?’
Apparently, what I did yesterday wasn’t enough.
As I reminded myself that I always made sure to settle scores, someone asked me a question.
“Um, where did you get that outfit? Did you make it yourself?”
“Pardon?”
It was one of the noblewomen I met yesterday. Her eyes sparkled with interest, clearly impressed by Ludwin’s outfit.
I quickly regained my composure and answered her.
“Oh no, I’m not that skilled. I, of course, left it to an expert.”
“And who might that be?”
Now, not just the lady who asked, but several other noblewomen, young ladies, and even young men were looking at me eagerly.
“This is a creation by Madam Mimon.”
“Madam Mimon? You mean the Madam Mimon of Mimon Salon, where even royals must make reservations half a year in advance to get their dresses made?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
One of the young ladies, who had been pretending not to be interested, suddenly let out a loud cry.
“That’s impossible! Madam Mimon is so busy, why would she waste her time making dog clothes? That’s an insult to Madam Mimon!”
She must have been a passionate fan of Madam Mimon.
I felt a strange sense of pride knowing that someone adored Madam Mimon so much, who was part of our Dilucia talent support group.
“Miss, why don’t you come over and take a look at this?”
I called her by waving my hand. The young lady hesitated, suspicion evident on her face, but she still slowly approached me.
“What is it?”
“Do you see Madam Mimon’s mark here?”
I showed her the label on Ludwin’s outfit. There, embroidered in golden thread, was the distinctive M that marked all of Madam Mimon’s creations.
The young lady’s face went pale as she recognized it.
“No way! She really made this?”
“Madam Mimon has three dogs of her own. Her hobby is making clothes for pets, and I was fortunate enough to benefit from that. She was kind enough to take on my request despite her busy schedule, for which I’m truly grateful.”
“Now that you mention it, the outfit does seem quite nice.”
The young lady, flustered, glanced at Ludwin’s outfit and quickly changed her tone.
She only now realized that I not only knew about Madam Mimon’s hobby but also had enough of a connection to have her take on my commission during the hectic social season.
She also realized that she just insulted Madam Mimon’s hobby.
I gently comforted the young lady, who was now looking pale, with a bright smile.
“I’m so glad you like it, Miss. I’ll be sure to tell Madam Mimon how much you appreciated it.”
“Th-thank you!”
The young lady, now relieved, looked much happier, and I was thankful to her as well.
Her passionate reaction made a strong impression on everyone. It seemed like Madam Mimon would soon be busy with a new line of pet clothing.
‘Great. Now I’ll be able to dress Ludwin in all sorts of different outfits.’
I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Ludwin looking dashing in various designs.
Ludwin keeps his pride, I get to enjoy the sight, and Madam Mimon’s business prospers. Isn’t that killing three birds with one stone?
Ludwin, sensing something, suddenly shivered.
At that moment, the voice of Marquis Leon rang out.
“Everyone.”
The crowd quieted as the Marquis spoke through a rod-shaped amplification device, and all eyes turned to him.
It seemed the event was about to begin.
“We’ve brought the hunting animals you entrusted to us. Owners, please come and retrieve your animals.”
Behind the Marquis, who stood on a low platform, servants carrying cages or holding leashes began to approach.
Most of the animals were dogs or birds. There were at least twenty of them.
‘Uh-oh!’
I suddenly realized my mistake.
I had been too preoccupied with showing off Ludwin and let my guard down. I hurried to move away, but it was already too late.
“What?”
The servants, who were leading the animals toward their owners, began to look flustered.
Growl!
Screech! Screech!
Woof! Woof!
The animals, who had been calmly following their handlers, suddenly became agitated.
Some tried to break free and run in different directions, others looked around warily, flapping their wings, causing a commotion.
Startled owners rushed to check on their animals’ sudden change in behavior.
“Oh my, what’s gotten into them?”
“Whoa, calm down!”
“What’s going on?”
The Marquis and Pedro, who were hosting the event, looked around in confusion.
The Marquis seemed to realize something and looked at me with urgency.
“Tyria.”
Lilian, who also knew the reason, turned to me with concern.
‘I knew it.’
I quickly scanned my surroundings, looking for somewhere to hide, whether it was a carriage or a tent.
Fortunately, I saw several large tents that had been prepared in advance. Among them, the one furthest from the entrance to the hunting grounds caught my eye.
‘I’ll hide in there.’
This was precisely why I had been reluctant to attend the hunting tournament. For some reason, animals in this world would become extremely excited whenever they saw me.
It’s not that they consider me an enemy and are wary of me, but they are so happy to see me that they don’t know what to do.
‘Am I some kind of dogwood or catnip?’
The original Tyria didn’t have this characteristic, is this a special perk for being a transmigrator? I don’t need this kind of thing!
Five years ago, during the spring hunting tournament at the Leon estate, a hunting dog had gotten so excited that it charged at me, breaking one of my ribs.
That dog was promptly executed on the spot, and its owner had to pay an enormous compensation to Dilucia.
‘I’d almost forgotten about this since I’ve been living in the city.’
It seemed like a repeat of that incident was about to happen.
‘I should have brought Sir Dalden with me!’
I regretted not listening to my father and not keeping my bodyguard close.
But Sir Dalden had stayed behind in the Leon territory to keep an eye on Duke Rivolte’s movements, so he wasn’t here.
I quickly tried to move away.
But it seemed I was too late.
“Ah! Poi, no!”
Woof! Woof!
A fierce-looking, agile dog finally broke free from its leash and charged toward me.
Screams filled the air.
“Ahhh!”
“Watch out!”
“Tyria!”
Everyone screamed in fear as they turned to look at me.
The dog, which looked like a Doberman, was panting heavily, its tongue lolling out as it ran at me with its eyes glazed over in excitement.
