The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 14: Hara

‘No. That’s not it, I just wanted to make sure…….’

Eristella tilted her head to the side and looked at the puppy again, but the puppy did not move, it kept its line of vision on Leighton.

While Heinricion saw Leighton off, Eristella sat on his shoulder, watching.

“Please be careful till you come back.”

“Yes. I will study hard and show you how much I have improved next time.”

“I’m looking forward to it. If there’s anything you need, please tell me at any time. Visit if possible during vacation.”

“Yes. Grandmother gave me permission.”

After the last incident, Sophia Haveling had opened her heart, allowing Leighton to interact with Heinricion.

“Great.”

Heinricion smiled, ruffling Leighton’s hair.

The young boy burst into a bashful laughter, then he turned to the fox.

“Fluffy, hope you’ll do well. I’ll come see you again.”

Leighton reached for the fox with lingering affection.

Eristella slid down from Heinricion shoulder and fell into Leighton’s arms.

It was in the place of saying goodbye.

Keuk. Keu-euk.

Leighton’s hugging power grew stronger.

‘……Let go of me.’

Right at the moment where Eristella was struggling. Her tiny body floated in the air.

The nape of her neck was caught, she dangled in the air.

Heinricion pulled the fox out of Leighton’s arms.

“Now is the time to really go.”

“Yes. I’ll be on my way. It’s so nice to be able to come here before I leave.”

“This is a place where you can come whenever you want. Never forget that.”

“Yes! Then I will grow up and come back! Meanwhile, take care!”

“Okay.”

Leighton’s carriage departed.

“See that the carriage gets to the academy well. At least that much protection.”

Heinricion gave Rowen instructions as he watched the carriage move further and further away. The knights of the Grand Duchy of Adelasia had already finished preparing and were waiting.

They were to escort Leighton to the academy, keeping a reasonable distance from his carriage.

It was his own way of greeting.

Eristella looked at him, holding back her laughter before turning her head in the direction Leighton was leaving.

‘From now on, you will have to adapt to a completely different environment.’

‘Goodbye. Take care. Learn hard and build strength. Let’s meet with a more handsome figure next time.”

Eristella bid Leighton farewell as she watched his carriage move away from Heinricion’s shoulder.

And when she turned around.

“Hara.”

Eristella continued her strides down.

“Hara.”

‘Who are you calling?’

Wait a minute.

Eristella stopped her steps.

‘Is it me?’

‘No, I don’t think so.’

‘Why do you call me ‘Hara’?’

She ignored it and tried to move forward again, but it felt strange. A clear gaze from behind stung.

There was an ominous conviction that he was definitely calling her

“Hara.”

The third call that drove the wedge.

All the surrounding eyes had already turned to the fox.

The fox shook its head.

Standing with its eyes wide open.

Why the hell did he call her that? She strongly expressed her protest.

Then, the corners of Heinricion’s lips curled significantly. It was kind of embarrassing.

‘What, what?’

The fox took a step back at the instinctive signal of danger. Heinricion’s mouth opened slowly and meaningfully.

“How about it? Do you like the name?”

Dun dun.

A shock came like a thunderbolt.

‘No way, not it. It’s really…… No, you’re catching a fox!’

‘Why is that my name!’

Heinricion came closer and uttered in a whisper.

“You seem to like it.”

‘Nope! I don’t like it! No!”

Heinricion’s eyes narrowed as if he had understood Eristella’s strong refusal.

“But I can’t call you ‘Eristella’, can I?”

‘……!’

Eristella’s pupils shook.

Of course not. It was a name that could never be called in the form of a fox.

Then, Heinricion’s lips curved slyly.

“If you want to stay here from now on, you need a name, right? A fox’s name, that is.”

‘Oh my!’

The strength that had entered Eristella’s sharply raised eyes escaped.

“Hara.”

In the end, she resigned herself to the name Heinricion called her.

There wasn’t much of a choice. The low laughter of Heinricion was heard.

“Does the fox finally have a name? Young Lord Leighton will be disappointed later.”

“It’s my fox, I’ll name it.”

Heinricion shrugged his shoulders triumphantly.

“……Yes.”

Rowen looked at Heinricion with a puzzled gaze, then turned his head away.

That was how Eristella got a fox’s name.

Whenever the name was called, the fox with glossy white fur seemed to turn red.

Whenever that happened, Heinricion had to suppress his laughter.

‘I think it got its nose stuck.’

Maybe it was the mood. The fox’s mouth jutted out.

*******

Eristella didn’t know, but ‘Hara’ was a name Heinrcion had selected for a long time.

The day the young Heinricion first met the fox.

After the fox left, Heinricion regretted it.

“I should’ve given you a name.”

He just kept calling it ‘fox’. With regret, he secretly named it.

“Hara.”

It’s a pretty name. That was what little Heinricion thought as he smiled shyly.

Now, even if someone asks if the name has any meaning, he should never say it.

Heinricion made such a promise.

*******

From the moment the fox’s name was decided, everyone in the mansion started calling it.

“The name suits you so well. I will call you a lot in the future.”

‘It’s okay. You don’t have to use it a lot.’

“Do you like the name? I heard it was a name His Excellency gave himself?”

“His Excellency’s fox— no. I think he really cares about Hara.”

‘This isn’t about liking, it’s to poke me.’

“Actually, I was also thinking of a name, it’s a pity. But I think the name Hara fits well too!”

Among them, Anessa was secretly devising a clever plan to name the fox.

“Hara. Hara.”

The name ‘Hara’ kept ringing in her ears. Like a choir singing.

Each time, Eristella covered her ears with her front paws and closed her eyes.

“Hara. Come to me whenever His Excellency is not here.”

Anessa, who had been hovering around for no reason, suddenly raised her hand and said so.

She seemed to want the fox to find her all the time.

‘Being close to Anessa would be good in many ways.’

Eristella raised her front paws and clapped hands with Anessa.

“Oh……!”

Anessa toes curled, her ears burning red.

“I like Hara so much!”

She cried out how happy she was, wrapping her hands around her face.

Anessa responded so enthusiastically that Eristella reflexively stepped back.

“What’s wrong with your expression?”

Suddenly, Heinricion looked at her with a puzzled gaze.

‘How did my face look?’

“You laugh to yourself, even making strange noises. Are you in a good mood? Or are you in a bad mood?”

‘……Did I put on that much of a strange expression?’

She felt awkward for no reason.

She certainly didn’t have any thoughts. That’s weird.

“I think it must be dirty.”

Heinricion muttered while staring at Eristella’s expression.

In fact, Eristella didn’t know why either. But the edges of her mouth kept tickling.

……Hehehe.

‘What. Why am I laughing?’

Even her lips were curving. Why did it keep moving as it pleases?

‘Actually…… I think I’m in a good mood.’

What should she say? 

Things were very different from what she had thought when she decided to come to the grand ducal residence.

At that time, she was only thinking of hiding her identity and avoiding people’s attention in moderation…….

Now, Eristella was in a completely different situation from her time as a princess.

When she was a princess, she was liked by no one, but currently, the employees of the Grand Duchy of Adelasia all liked her.

It was entirely possible because she was a fox.

‘Actually…… I don’t think this is bad either.’

Besides, Heinricion, who she was most worried about, didn’t seem to hate her as much as she had thought.

At this time, Eristella’s heart was shaken.

But unexpectedly, there was one person who didn’t like the situation.

Heinricion’s eyes were wide. For some reason, his lips seemed to protrude a little.

“It would be better for everyone to call it ‘Fox’ from now on.”

Watching the friendly faces of the fox and the employees, Heinricion said abruptly.

“Yes? Why? I want to call it Hara…”

“That’s right. How can you do that…”

It was around the time when the employers objected and refused. Those who made eye contact with Heinricion shut up one by one.

“Because it’s my fox. Let me call it by name.”

However, among them, only Anessa had the courage to carefully speak up.

“Then, if we use a different name…”

“Fox.”

Heinricion’s decisive reply fell.

No. No nicknames allowed.

‘How mean.’ Eristella looked at Heinricion in confusion, but she did not move.

‘I think it’s fine.’

Eristella glanced at Heinricion and sneaked an opinion out, but she was quickly dismissed.

Thus, Heinricion became the only person who could call the fox by name.

Credits goes to Kushi for raw providing, Lara Tia for raw typing, Ame for translating, and AP for proofreading.