The Duke’s Companion

It was early in the morning. The window was filled with transparent raindrops perhaps because it was raining all night.

As the sun shines, the surface of the water drops sparkles, and it was fun to watch. I sat down by the window and yawned languidly.

Mamela’s cheeks blushed as she sat on the sofa and read a pink-covered book without playing with me.

‘Why is she so focused on that book?’

I stared blankly at the green trees and the birds chirping outside the window. The world was greener than usual, probably because of the heavy rain.

It was such a refreshing feeling that something good was going to happen.

At a time, I was looking at the outside world peacefully for a long time. Someone came out from the entrance to the mansion, overlooking from here.

I stared down at the portrait and opened my eyes wide.

Just by looking from above, I could tell who it was.

“Mamela…”

I turned my head to the back. Mamela was sitting on the sofa, her brows raised, and her focus on her reading.

It’s not Mamela. It wasn’t Mamela in anyone’s eyes.

I looked down at the person below. Blonde hair with the same color as Mamela, and naturally curved hair…

Maybe, up to this point, it’s considered similar to Mamela. However, he was clearly different from Mamela.

Firstly, he was a tall man and had shorter hair than Mamela. Unlike little Mamela, his steps were wide and large.

‘It’s Mamela’s family. I’m sure.’

I clung to it with the force to break through the tightly closed window. Likewise, I was curious about Mamela’s family, who I had never seen properly.

‘If he looks back, I can see his face better.’

It was difficult to see his appearance in this position. I began to imagine his appearance as if I were smacking my lips with regret.

‘You must look like Mamela, don’t you? You must have eyes, nose, and mouth that resemble Mamela.’

I looked at him with all my expectations inflated. His walk was very neat and unkempt. Strangely, his back seemed to be endlessly noble, even though he looked tired.

The man wondered if he was going to walk out the gate, but he suddenly stopped.

He turned his head slightly. Where his gaze reached, there was a thicket of flowers decorating both sides of the road.

Watching it, he stretched out his gloved hand. The white gloves were filled with large pink flowers resembling shyness.

I never even wondered what he was doing. I just put it in his side profile, which I can see at a glance.

It was an obvious mistake to think that he looked cute like Mamela. The shock of the anticipation that had been inflated by that vain delusion was shattered.

Shocked? Yes, it must have been the shock that made me unable to take my eyes off him like this.

I examined him in detail as if I was tearing him apart with a sight that could see far away.

As well as his handsome and clear appearance, he also had a very different atmosphere from Mamela.

Perhaps because of his sharp jawline and nose, or because his mouth and eyes were not smiling at all, he had such a cold impression that contrasted with his warm-colored hair.

‘What is he thinking?’

Looking closely, he seemed to have a strange light in his eyes.

This was after imagining his face arbitrarily.

Suddenly, the man looked this way. I was startled and hid. I stumbled and fell behind the dither on the way, and it felt like my eyes were spinning.

“Aryl, are you okay?” Mamela asked in amazement as I fell.

But for the first time, I couldn’t hear Mamela’s voice. The other person had caught the whole view right now.

‘Why did you suddenly look this way?’

Did he see me? My heart was pounding rapidly in shock. It would be like this if a hot stream of water poured over my body. I felt a tingling and tickling sensation.

What the hell? I felt like having a fever.

After a while, I peeked out of the window again, trembling.

However, the man was nowhere to be seen, and there was no carriage standing in front of the gate.

‘He must have gone…’

I looked foolishly at the flower bushes with regret. Coming down from the window, I went back to Mamela’s side. Leaning against her legs, I stared up at her.

‘Certainly, it is not that there are no similarities.’

They both looked like sunshine with dazzling hair and eye color.

Mamela is the warm sunshine of a spring day, and in his case, the cold sunshine of a winter day.

Although it was cold outside, it must have been warm inside. Because of the sunlight.

In the afternoon, Mamela left the room as usual and returned a few hours later. Now that I’m not used to it, it’s become a routine.

But this time, Mamela came with a flower in her arms. Mamela’s expression was also more lively than usual. I thought it would wither.

I was hovering around Mamela. Then I felt that the flowers in her arms were familiar to me.

Pink compound petals…

“That’s the flower that Mamela’s family I saw earlier.”

I looked carefully at the flowers to see what they were like. Was it a present for Mamela?

Mamela smiled as she arranged her blooming flowers in a glass bottle. Mamela’s smile was unusually bright at this time.

I approached Mamela who was putting the glass bottle on the desk. Mamela lifted me as I toddled along.

I could see Mamela’s cheeks were pleasantly glowing.

“Look, Aryl. My brother gave me a present.”

“Meow?”

“She said she was going on a business trip for a few days. Actually, I was very disappointed.”

Mamela shoved me close to the glass bottle.

Something clear and sacred was felt in the pink flowers that got closer unannounced. Just being nearby felt like the fog in my head was clearing.

“How is it, Aryl? This is a special flower grown by drinking holy water. It is said to help you relax when placed next to it. It’s very rare, but my brother and I have a special relationship with the shrine.”

I blinked and touched the petals with my front paws out of curiosity. Then, my head felt numb, and a strange energy rushed in from my front feet.

A blue light flashed in front of me. I was startled and raised my front paws.

‘What, what?’

As the petals moved away, the strange energy was scattered.

Feeling guilty, I hurriedly dug into Mamela’s arms. I looked up at Mamela, but she was smiling as if she felt nothing.

I looked at Mamela’s smiling face and thought, ‘Are you so happy to receive a gift from your family?’

Glancing at the flowers again, I remembered his resemblance to Mamela.

I feel a little weird. It must be because of Mamela’s family that makes me so curious.