“Oh, no. It’s just that I got so used to calling you that over the past few days…”
As I stuttered like a buffering video, Ludwin covered his flushed face with his hand and turned his head.
It seemed like he was sighing deeply into his hand.
‘He’s not mad at me for calling him like a dog, is he?’
When I cautiously glanced at him again, Ludwin looked at me and smiled lightly.
“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with, Tia.”
Call him whatever I’m comfortable with? Really? He’s not angry?
Looking at his face, he didn’t seem angry at the moment.
Come to think of it, Ludwin had also been calling me Tia instead of Lady for a while now.
“Then, is it okay if I stay here for a while?”
“Yes, please do.”
But was Ludwin always this stubborn? Or was he always this talkative?
I was still puzzled, but nodded for now.
As long as he wasn’t going to kill me, I didn’t really care what he did.
“As I mentioned earlier, those guys will come back. So, even though it might be inconvenient, please take me with you for the time being. I will guard you.”
‘Ah, guard me.’
So that’s what he meant. I realized I had greatly misunderstood Ludwin’s intentions and felt incredibly embarrassed.
It wasn’t that he wanted to watch me die or push me in front of the beastmen; he wanted to protect me.
Having just been betrayed by Loren yesterday, I had momentarily doubted Ludwin as well.
He even suffered and endured that drug to protect me.
Remembering Ludwin’s clear amber eyes, my face suddenly grew hot, and I wanted to write a self-reflection letter.
‘I was the shameless one. Haha.’
I added another entry to the list of embarrassing moments in front of Ludwin.
Indeed, if dealing with beastmen, there was no better guard than Ludwin.
“Well, my family’s knights are quite skilled too. So there’s no need for the… ahem, Lord’s… I mean, Ludwin’s… I mean, Lu’s personal protection.”
The more I tried to call him something else, the more Ludwin’s eyes seemed to droop, so I ended up calling him Lu. Did he like that name?
“It’s not troublesome. Aren’t you a close friend of Pedro and Lady Biod?
I flinched slightly as I fidgeted with my still-damp hair out of embarrassment.
“…That’s true.”
‘What’s this? Am I disappointed with something?’
There was nothing wrong with what Ludwin said.
Originally, Ludwin went to capture the beastmen on Pedro’s orders.
Since those beastmen were targeting me for some unknown reason, it was clear they would come looking for me if he guarded me. I was perfect bait.
Moreover, if I got involved and hurt in the beastmen’s problem, the crown prince and his wife would raise a ruckus, so he wanted to prevent that in advance.
I was happy to receive the legitimate protection of a sword master.
It was a win-win situation.
‘I really have no shame.’
A part of me briefly hoped that Ludwin might be protecting me out of concern.
It’s ridiculous to expect that kind of mental leeway from someone who was struggling with a broken heart.
The fact that the fearsome supporting male lead from the original story promised not to kill me was already like a reward for my ten years of effort.
Understanding the situation, I nodded at him.
“Okay. So, it’s until we catch the beastmen.”
“Yes. Oh, and…”
He added as if something had suddenly come to mind.
“For the time being, I’ll be switching between dog and human forms, but I’ll mostly be in dog form. However, I will occasionally return to human form, so please don’t be too surprised.”
“Is it because of that strange drug?”
Remembering how Ludwin forcibly transformed, I shuddered slightly.
“It seems to be a drug that reacts to the beastmen’s blood and forcibly reverts them to the beast form. It completely overrides the transformation control.”
“…Were you in animal form all along because of that drug, even before the ambush?”
“…Yes.”
Ludwin answered, seeming somewhat troubled.
That meant the beastmen had used the same drug on the Drew territory border as well.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ve gotten used to it, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
His answer was calm, but he had seemed in significant pain during the transformation.
“I’ll have a reliable apothecary make an antidote. So, please bear with it a little longer.”
“I don’t intend to trouble you that much…”
“Think of it as a thank you for protecting me.”
“…Thank you, Tia.”
Ludwin, momentarily taken aback by my firm words, soon smiled brightly. For a moment, I was mesmerized by his smile.
‘He still smiles beautifully.’
It was the first time since childhood that I had seen him smile like that.
Feeling a bit ticklish, I scratched my cheek.
But it seemed that Ludwin still had something to say.
“Actually… I have one more request.”
“Feel free to tell me.”
“If you don’t want to, you can decline. Um…”
He paused for a moment, seeming embarrassed and looked around.
‘What kind of request is he going to make?’
He closed his eyes tightly and spoke with difficulty.
“If possible, could you pet me often when I’m in dog form?”
“…What?”
For a moment, I wondered if I heard him correctly.
Ludwin seemed somewhat embarrassed but didn’t change his request.
“When I’m in dog form, could you please pet me often, anywhere is fine.”
“You mean, pet you, anywhere?”
Are you serious?
Seeing my suspicious look, Ludwin coughed and explained his reason.
“Though it’s not certain yet, every time I touch you, the transformation period shortens. Just being near you seems to have some effect, but direct contact appears to be most effective.”
‘Really?’
I was surprised by this unexpected fact.
It wasn’t bad news for me.
Actually, I wanted to help as much as I could.
“W-well, if that’s the reason, then I have no reason not to help.”
I was so excited that I stammered without realizing it.
I tried to suppress the twitching of my lips, but my voice came out weird.
Oh my gosh! I can legally(?) touch Ludwin’s soft fur!
Oh my god! Is this the reward given to me for successfully completing the ending?
I wanted to spread my arms wide and pray to God to give thanks.
To avoid actually shouting for joy, I clenched my hands and trembled slightly, smiling broadly.
Suddenly, Ludwin spoke in a dejected voice.
“…If it’s too hard, I don’t intend to force you.”
I was afraid that there might be some misunderstanding, so I quickly stopped him, fearing that Ludwin might withdraw his offer.
“No, not at all. It’s not hard at all. I can do it all night if needed. Haha.”
I was so excited that I didn’t notice Ludwin’s face flushing again and laughed merrily.
“Then, I will ask you to take good care of me.”
“Me too… Please take good care of me, Tia.”
Thus, a secret agreement was made between us.
***
After chatting about various things, Ludwin placed the sleepy Tyria on her bed and returned to his adjacent room.
Since they had decided to continue pretending he was an ordinary dog for now, his quarters remained next to Tyria’s.
Click.
Leaning against the closed door, Ludwin covered his mouth with his hand and exhaled a long sigh after a while.
“Phew.”
He succeeded.
His face, from his cheeks to his neck, was flushed red.
“Tia.”
He had officially received permission to stay by her side.
He had doubted she would accept his offer, given how she kept avoiding him.
He had even imagined being kicked out immediately in the worst-case scenario.
But she allowed him to stay and even agreed to pet him.
Even though it was under the guise of guarding her, with a limited time frame, he was overjoyed.
‘Good thing I’m human.’
If he were in dog form, he wouldn’t have been able to hide his joy, and his tail would have wagged until it fell off.
Despite there being no one to see his bright red face, Ludwin raised his arms to cover it.
He felt like someone would take this happiness away if it was discovered.
Just knowing that Tyria didn’t hate him and avoided him for another reason made this bold move worth it.
‘No, if you’re not going to kill me, I don’t mind you staying.’
Ludwin’s eyebrows rose at the memory of their earlier conversation.
‘Why did she think that?’
Why did she think he would kill her?
Had he ever done anything threatening? Or did something about his surroundings make her feel threatened?
That really bothered Ludwin.
To him, Tyria was more precious than anyone, and knowing she felt threatened by him was shocking and even infuriating.
‘Could it be…’
Ludwin thought of the most plausible possibility.
‘Andre Rivolte.’
His father and the man desperate to kill him.
He couldn’t count how many times his biological father tried to assassinate him, both in the tower and after leaving it.
‘Because I know your secret!’
Tyria knew at the time that he was imprisoned in that dark tower.
Of course, she would have known that anyone outside the Rivolte family who knew his true identity would be dealt with without exception.
But she might not have known whether Andre Rivolte or he himself had carried out the execution.
Hence, she thought she would be killed if her identity was revealed, which was why she avoided him so desperately.
‘So that’s why.’
The reason he couldn’t approach Tyria for the past ten years was because she was so close.
He let out a low hum.
Although he felt no familial bond with his father, he hadn’t thought of eliminating him. But now…
‘If he threatens Tia’s safety…’
Ludwin’s amber eyes turned cold, like those of a wild beast.
Andre Rivolte had overlooked an essential fact about the loyalty of dogs.
They would do anything to protect those they cared for.
“Ugh.”
He felt a chill run through his body again.
It was a sign he was about to transform into a dog again.
In a good mood from getting a step closer to Tyria, Ludwin didn’t resist and accepted the transformation.
Soon, wrapped in golden light, his body changed form.
Fully transformed into a dog, Ludwin wagged his tail and approached his sleeping spot.
Squeak─!
Startled awake by Ludwin’s approach, the white rabbit backed away.
When Ludwin took another step forward, Loren trembled and then fainted.
Watching this, Ludwin snorted and, satisfied, lay down in his usual spot by the window, falling into a peaceful sleep.
