The Duke's Villainous Daughter is Depressed

Chapter 8

It didn’t take me long enough to find Tofu. I found him hiding under the desk in another room, still drenched.

He was a big hairy dog, so there’s so much water dripping on his body and left a watery path on the floor, which easily led me to where he was.

The minute l started to approach the desk where Tofu was hiding, he began whining. I paused in some confusion as to why he’s doing this all of a sudden. What’s wrong with him?

I thought I might catch a cold if I’m going to delay this any further, so I quickly cleared the gap and caught him. However, Tofu was putting weight on his body and did not want to be dragged out.

“You don’t want to continue bathing?”

When Elle asked, Tofu answered her with a bark.

“You’re already clean anyway, so it should be enough. Let’s just towel you dry, okay?”

He immediately agreed with a nod of his head, but he sneaked out of the desk a bit guarded. I chuckled at his reaction. Was he thinking I’m going to trick him?

Tofu’s actions from the beginning were quite suspicious even more so as time passes. I’m definitely convinced that he seems to understand human language. Is he a genius?

Come to think of it, his poses in the bathtub were strangely human-like as if he was scrubbing his body……

“Are you a person?”

“……Woof!”

“No way. No matter how amazing it is, it can’t be, right?”

Elle was shaking her head as she couldn’t believe the ridiculous thought. She put it aside for now because she needed to change clothes as soon as possible, but before that, she wrapped Tofu with a big towel to dry him up.

Shortly after that, Lari burst inside the room, making haste while carrying cleaning tools and my share of towels.

“Achoo!”

But then I sneezed.

When Tofu was scurrying out of the bathtub earlier, he splashed a lot of water onto my dress. All the time, I was walking around, wearing a wet dress, and the dampness began to soak my skin.

I haven’t noticed it because the Southern Empire was warm all year round, so I wasn’t feeling cold at all.

“Lady Elle! Are you coming down with a cold?”

“It’s just a sneeze. Nothing to worry about.”

Lari quickly led me back to my chambers for a change of clothes, making a fuss. Then Tofu looked up at me with drooping ears and started whining again.

Perhaps he thinks I’m going to catch a cold because of him, so I gave him a reassuring smile that I’ll be fine.

* * *

The next day, I thought it would be okay, but l really had caught a cold.

Thanks to this, Elle was forced to listen to Lari’s nagging and fussing that seemed had no end.

On the other hand, Tofu was at the foot of the bed and keeping a bedside vigil even though I only got a mild fever.

I was going to let him go out because I was afraid he might catch my cold, but he was very stubborn, so I let him be. Besides, I don’t think dogs can easily catch a cold.

“Cough.”

“……”

“Tofu…”

“Wooo~”

“It’s not your fault, okay?”

I murmured for Tofu as soon as I pried my heavy eyes open and beckoned him to come. Then I tapped the space next to me.

It was a gesture that meant he should lie beside me and rest instead of just standing guard.

Then Tofu, which seemed to hesitate for a long time, slowly took a step forward.

“Whine—”

He holed up into Elle’s arms with a whining sound, and soon Elle felt the warmth emitting from his body.

It is said that dogs’ temperature was higher than that of humans, and she had proved it today.

* * *

I couldn’t tell if the medicine was strong or if my body had become much weaker.

I vaguely remembered Lari changing my towel and feeding me the soup and medicine.

Still, thanks to her nursing, I was able to open my eyes at last, unlike before, as if my eyelids had been glued together. However, there was no Tofu that I thought would be by my side, but a handsome man with long blonde hair.

The man instantly opened his eyes at the sound of my gasp. His eyes met mine, and I stopped breathing.

“……”

I was so shocked that I couldn’t utter a single word, and the man in front of me just blinks his eyes blankly.

Both of us just lay there, hugging each other, in complete silence for a minute or two, and soon after, the man sprang to his feet and ran away.

Only then could Elle let out a shout loud enough to wake up the dead, “AAAAAHHHHH!”

With the distant sound of footsteps, the man completely penetrated the darkness, and Elle sank to the ground breathing hard.

“What the hell?”

I’m sure Tofu laid beside me, but…

“Where’s Tofu?”

My pounding heart didn’t calm down for a long time, and I wasn’t able to get back to sleep after that.

* * *

“What?! There’s a molester in your bed yesterday?”

“Woof!”

Tofu hurriedly came first thing in the morning and went next to me. I was so relieved that nothing was done to him, but then he began to bark frantically as soon as Lari and I talked about the intruder.

I thought perhaps he was worried about me.

“Yes. A man was sleeping next to me.”

“Oh! A good-for-nothing—!”

“Woof! Woof!”

“You’re all right now, so stop barking, Tofu. By the way, Lari, what should we do?”

“Woof, woof, woof!”

“What’s wrong with you? Stop barking.”

The cold wasn’t a bother to me and had completely gone away in a day. Instead, the one’s that’s bothering me was the man from last night.

At first glance, the man’s appearance in the moonlight was far superior to any man I saw in this world. Though I haven’t seen the male lead in person, only read about him in the novel, I think that the man last night would rival the lead in terms of looks.

Of course, I shouldn’t forget that he was a pervert who sneaked into a sleeping woman’s bedroom at night.

When I told Lari about the incident, she’s eager to do something right away. But what can a maid, and a city girl, who’s nothing but a princess with no foundation, do in the Empire?

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll stand by you all night.”

“Lari, you’re already tired from all the work. I can’t let you do that.”

“It’s okay. Me staying up all night is not worth worrying about.”

“Also, Lari is a woman, and if he shows up again, the difference in strength—”

“I’m strong.”

Ah, yes, of course. I totally forgot you used to break the door with your bare hands. But still, it’s dangerous.

“By the way, who manages the budget of this palace? I would like to have a word with him.”

I’ve thought about giving it a try before, about managing this palace, but I quickly dismiss the thought because it was too bothersome. But now, I couldn’t just leave it like this with what occurred last night.

The Second Prince’s Palace, which was equivalent to abandoned, should have had at least passing knights and guards, but I’ve never seen them before. Those knights who have helped me last time weren’t even from this palace.

I just let it go because I didn’t want to care about anything, but with the intruder coming in and out of here without a hitch, I couldn’t just stay here and do nothing. It’s like I’m handing myself to the pervert in a silver platter.

Now that I think about it, Tofu had gone outside the palace last night.

“……It was probably the Chamberlain who’s in charge.”

“Chamberlain? I’ve never seen him before.”

“Well, that’s…”

After we talk about the chamberlain, Lari was looking a little troubled. I might have known the reason.

“Woof! Woof!”

Tofu was at it again, but now that I’ve observed him strictly, why does it seem like he was interrupting our conversation?

Eventually, I sent him out to stay outside for a while.

* * *

Lari was not a maid who volunteered to come here from the beginning, but a newcomer.

No one wants to work for the Second Prince’s Palace, so they sent Lari, who recently came from the countryside and didn’t know anything.

Well, who would want to come here? Even I didn’t want to go here. Still, even on her first day, Lari was pretty good at her job.

The day I came to this palace was also her first day of work.

I don’t know what other court life is like, but I’m quite satisfied with it.

“Like Prince Shuert’s case, it seems like Lady Elle wasn’t worried about the rumors circulating this time as well.”

“Rumors? What rumors?”

You’ve never told me that before. And how should I know any rumors spreading around when no one talks to me, much less come here except you.

“……Tha, that the people in the Sahad Kingdom……I didn’t believe it at all!”

I sighed inwardly. I thought it was me.

“Oh? That we’re barbarians?”

Because the Sahad Kingdom loved to wage war and conquer lands after lands, other neighboring countries deemed the Sahad Kingdom as barbaric.

“Lady Elle! Not at all! Who spread such rumors….!”

Lari hurriedly appeased her, but Elle wasn’t bothered one bit. It’s not her rumor as a wicked woman that’s been spreading anyway.

Of course, it was the real Elle who used to be the bully, but it didn’t matter to me what others thought at this point.

I didn’t want to solve the misunderstanding nor look good in other people’s eyes who only see me as nothing more than an unwanted princess.

“It was nothing, really.”

“……Lady Elle.”

“More than that, I’d rather meet the Chamberlain.”

“As you wish, I’ll tell the Chamberlain right away.”

I think I’m going to fix it a little bit from now on because it seems that the chamberlain isn’t managing this palace properly.

* * *

After I finished talking to Lari and opened the door, I found Tofu sitting still and facing away with his back towards me. I knew then that Tofu was very upset.

He didn’t even look at me when I was approaching him, and even when I lie on his back or rubbing his ears. It was as if he was protesting.

“Tofu…”

“……”

“Do you want me to tell you what we talked about inside?”

I could see Tofu’s ears twitching. I needed to hold back my laughter.

“That intruder was dangerous, so I decided to meet the Chamberlain that manages this Palace.”

“Woof!”

“Are you upset, too?”

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“Woof!”

“What is it, Tofu?”

“Woof!”