The Villainess’ Kindergarten

“Chantz, is there a veterinary hospital nearby?”

 

He tilted his head at my question.

 

“If you are talking about a place that specializes in treating animals… no. There is no place like that.”

 

What should I do then? I chewed my lip. Should I ask Baridas? No. Obviously, I asked him to tell me in advance. At that time, Lorna and Lena came into the living room late. After seeing what they looked like, I opened my mouth.

 

“Lorna, get the bandages and towels. Lena, tell the Duke that I have a favor to ask you, and also call the doctor to check on Ren’s condition.”

 

At this time, he would definitely be working in the office. After the girls left the room, I checked the dogs’ condition again. Fortunately, neither of the children’s wounds were extremely deep. It seemed like this was caused by dehydration and starvation rather than injury. At that time, Lorna came into the room with a bandage. I took her bandage from her and I opened my mouth.

 

“A small syringe and water… And can I boil the chicken breast and then grind it finely?”

 

“All right.”

 

Lorna left the room and turned her attention back to the puppies. No matter how small the wound was, it seemed like it would be a good idea to disinfect it. I wiped the dogs’ bodies with a towel and then slowly wiped them with the remaining disinfectant. He didn’t protest, perhaps because he was already exhausted, but the disinfectant began to squeak as if it were in pain. I felt sorry for him, but I couldn’t help it. After bandaging the wound, I breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Then Lorna came back with the things I asked for. After taking the things from her, I removed the needle from her syringe, filled her water, and fed it to her puppies. Lorna and Chantz looked at me like that with wonder. One animal that came to its senses after drinking water ate all the boiled chicken breast and fell asleep. But I still couldn’t come to my senses and looked anxiously at the remaining panting animal.

 

The answer should come quickly.

 

* * *

 

“What’s going on?”

 

The low voice was cold. Baridas was very tired now. This was because the employees who tolerated the children being neglected despite knowing they were being neglected were collectively fired. He looked down at Lena, who had not been fired because she was Fiora’s exclusive maid. Lena flinched slightly at his coldly shining red eyes. Although he had met her a few times before, today Lena’s eyes were even more red and shining brighter, so it was difficult for the young Lena to meet him.

 

“…The princess has a favor to ask… she said…”

 

Baridas’ expression subtly relaxed at her words. He took off his glasses and placed them on the desk.

 

“Okay, what’s going on?”

 

His eyes sank further. Lena must have sensed that fact, and was able to continue her conversation more comfortably than before.

 

“She said to call the vet.”

 

Veterinarian? Baridas tilted his head. The duchy did not raise any animals other than horses, but the horses had a veterinarian hired by the duchy. But when she asked him to call a vet, did she at least pick up a rabbit from the forest? The kids said the same thing, and it looks like they like small things. Baridas, on his own, concluded that Fiora had picked up a rabbit in the forest.

 

“Okay, I’ll send the vet to her.”

 

At his words, Lena thanked him and left her office. Baridas called one of his servants and told him to call a veterinarian as quickly as possible, then walked towards Fiora’s room. At the same time, he recalled a rumor he had heard before Fiora came. The story was that the princess of the Damon Empire was a rare evil woman who committed evil deeds and did not hesitate to inflict evil on her subordinates. He didn’t judge people based on rumors, so he didn’t think it was important, but he thought there must be a reason why the rumors spread so much. But no matter how much he thought about it, it seemed like it was all nonsense. He hadn’t seen her much, but from what he had seen, she didn’t seem like a bad person. Also, Baridas still could not forget the first words she said to him.

 

‘Can I talk to her children?’ These were not words that would come out of the mouth of a princess who was raised beautifully, or rather preciously. If she really was a bad person, she wouldn’t have asked that question and would have done as she pleased. But she didn’t even touch the money from the duchy, and she looked after the children all day. Even now she was simply asking permission to call a veterinarian. Was it because she was different from the noble ladies he had seen before? Or was he grateful that she took care of the children for him?

 

He didn’t know when it started, but Baridas couldn’t figure out why he was so worried about Fiora. Baridas, who was heading to Fiora’s room, ran into Lena who was just coming out.

 

“Is the princess here?”

 

At that time, Ren and Fiora’s voices were heard from inside the living room. After confirming that Fiora was there, Baridas knocked on the living room door without hesitation.

 

* * *

 

A knock was heard outside the door. Was the vet here? I looked at the door with anticipation. However, the person who came in differently than I expected was Baridas. Baridas’ eyebrows furrowed slightly at the momentary look of disappointment in my eyes, but I didn’t have time to pay attention.

 

“Hello. Duke.”

 

Baridas responded to my greeting by nodding his head and then turned his gaze to the puppies wrapped in blankets. He thought it was a rabbit, but it turned out to be a puppy. He remembered hearing from the knights who were scouting the forest that there were wild dogs in the forest. He lifted the blanket and checked the dogs’ condition. One dog had serious wounds and needed veterinary treatment, but the other dog seemed to recover quickly. He reached out his hand and looked at the dogs’ wounds. Then their expressions became a little more relaxed.

 

“How did you do it?”

 

“I used the same method as I did with you last time.”

 

I remembered Baridas’ almighty hand that saved me from a crisis a few days ago, and nodded my head. He could have just called the vet, but I was grateful that he came down himself.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Baridas nodded his head at my words.

 

“The vet will be here soon.”

 

He turned his gaze back to the puppies. Baridas scanned the puppies as if observing them and widened his eyes as if he had discovered something.

 

“By any chance, were there any other dogs nearby when you found those puppies?”

 

Why was he asking that now? I tilted my head. At that moment, one thing I had forgotten came to mind. That was the question Baridas asked the children who found the puppy in the original work. He was asking about the whereabouts of Ellie, the Siberian Husky he raised as a child. Just like the original, he noticed. That those children are the offspring of the puppies he raised. From what I remember, Ellie never gave birth to two puppies. However, only two survived. It was a wolf that lived in Dukega Forest that killed her and Ellie’s other cubs. If the children were found in the Duke’s garden, wouldn’t that mean that it hadn’t been long since the wolf attacked them?

 

Wouldn’t Ellie and the other dogs be alive the moment they realize that fact? A thought passed through my head. And on the other hand, I felt fortunate that the wolves did not attack Ren and Jasmine. I knew where the puppies were attacked by wolves in the original. 

It occurred to me that it might not be too late. It could have been suspected. But that didn’t mean I wanted to give up a life that could be saved.

 

“I thought I heard dogs barking near a large rock in the forest.”

 

It was a lie, but it was clear that Ellie and the remaining puppies were there. Fortunately, I remembered that part exactly. Baridas stood up at my words.

 

“I will search near the rock and come back.”

 

But the place where the dogs were was hidden. Because there was a wolf habitat near a large rock in the forest, the author called it Wolf Rock. Under the rock, there was a tunnel so small that even those who knew its location would find it difficult to find, and the children were probably hiding there. But if I knew the exact location, I could find it.

 

I stood up and quickly grabbed Baridas’ arm.

 

“I want to go too.”

 

Baridas shook his head at my words. The Duke’s forest was dangerous. Although they did not come near the mansion, there were quite dangerous wild animals living not far away.

 

“The forest is dangerous.”

 

But I couldn’t give up. Because no one can find that space other than me.

 

“It’s fine. So, please take me with you.”

 

In the end, Baridas could not overcome my stubbornness and headed to Wolf Rock with me. It was a long way to the forest, so he had to ride a horse, but I didn’t know how to ride a horse, so I rode with him. It was my first time riding a horse, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought.

 

Baridas opened his mouth as he lowered me from the horse.

 

“This place is dangerous, so it is safer to go together than alone.”

 

I nodded and started looking around. Chantz and other knights were already scattered in all directions looking for the puppies, and the wolves were watching us from afar, probably scared by their appearance. I thought it wouldn’t be scary, but the wolves’ glowing yellow eyes were much more intimidating than I thought. I slowly walked towards the rock. The large rock had the shape of a wolf, just like I read in the book. This place was called Wolf Rock.

 

I let out a low exclamation at the majestic appearance. If Wolf Rock were on Earth, it would likely be a fairly famous tourist attraction. I approached Wolf Rock and looked around. Around the rock, fragrant flowers and weeds were in full bloom. Thanks to this, the puppies were able to escape from the wolves, which have a strong sense of smell. I moved a little closer. Baridas was following me without saying a word, perhaps because he had given up trying to stop me or because he believed me. It must be around here. I went down to what appeared to be the tail of Wolf Rock.

 

Then I saw blood stains. Following it, there was a small tunnel. A moaning sound came from a small gap barely large enough for an adult male to fit through. Baridas’ eyes widened as if he heard the sound. When I looked into the tunnel, I saw a large husky lying down, bleeding. And something was stirring in her arms. The puppies were still alive.

 

‘Thank goodness’, I breathed a sigh of relief. We had to quickly rescue Ellie and the puppies and treat them. The moment I looked into the hole to see the children’s condition, I heard a growling threat.

 

“Be careful.”

 

Baridas approached me. But I had already gone inside to check on their condition. I saw a large dog holding puppies in its arms in a dark den. I could see it at a glance. The dog in front was Ellie. It had a very dignified and elegant appearance to have grown in the wild. But Ellie was hostile toward me, and she was glaring at me.

 

The wound was deep. Ellie had cuts all over her body, and her floor was covered in blood. It was a serious injury that could be seen at a glance. To the point where it seems like a miracle that he is still alive and sane. As I relaxed and looked at them out of worry, Ellie jumped up to me in an instant. It was a clear attack. No matter how injured she was, Ellie was a large dog and she was a wild animal who had spent many years in the wild. I closed her eyes tightly, blaming myself for my complacency.

 

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