TNBTW | Episode 38

Inside a large iron cage, shaped like a birdcage, was a group of dogs the likes of which she had never seen before. No, calling them dogs seemed excessive, they were far too small. Puppies would be the more appropriate term.

 

“Oh my, they’re absolutely adorable! Just look at those pointed ears. How could anything be this adorable?”

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“Truly! I’ve never seen such beautiful puppies before. They look just like dolls!”

“Miss Hayes, what kind of puppies are these?”

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The tiny creatures, resembling both fox cubs and exquisitely crafted dolls, immediately captured the attention of the gathered ladies.

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“These are a newly imported breed from the Grand Duchy of Latium. The Grand Duchess of Radium is particularly fond of them. This is the first time they’re being presented to anyone.”

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“The Grand Duchy of Radium! Do you have some special connection to that place?”

“My father spent some time there as a student in his youth. The friendships he made back then have remained strong to this day.”

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Vivianne suppressed the sneer threatening to escape.

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As far as she knew, the reason Count Darc had gone to the Grand Duchy of Radium had nothing to do with studies. In his younger years, he had been a notorious libertine, causing such endless trouble that the late Count Darc had practically banished him there, hoping he would come to his senses.

Even though she was much younger, Vivianne already knew the truth and yet his naïve daughter seemed utterly oblivious. And the young ladies who sincerely marveled at the story were just as laughable. Still, she chose to feign ignorance. After all, it was a scene of her own making, so she had no choice but to let it play out.

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Vivianne had entered high society as the representative of her mother, the Grand Duchess, but no matter how high her status, the social world was not a place that yielded easily to a young girl.

In truth, she was far too young to properly debut in society.

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The children of noble families typically received etiquette training before their teenage years, after which they would make their first appearances at balls, accompanied by their parents.

Over time, they would establish familiarity, form friendships, and begin attending gatherings independently. Once they reached the appropriate age, they would make their official debut into society, marked by another grand ball.

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But Vivianne had been attending balls and parties alone since the age of ten. At first, her father, the Grand Duke, had accompanied her, but by the time she turned eleven, she had been left to navigate them on her own.

The seasoned noblewomen, refined by years of social experience, naturally did not treat her as an equal. Even the married ladies, who were only slightly older, did not truly accept her into their circle.

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Of course, as the Grand Duke’s daughter, she was never outright dismissed, but she was still too young to be fully included in their world.

Thus, she built her social connections among young ladies who had only recently debuted or those she had known since childhood.

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The party she was attending today was one such gathering, so, in the end, it couldn’t be helped.

 

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“Would anyone be interested in taking one of these puppies home? My father has generously suggested that I gift a couple to my friends”

“Oh, please let me have one, Lady Hayes!”

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“Me too!”

 

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Lady Hayes, the second daughter of Count Darc, was, to put it kindly, decent. To be blunt, she was utterly ordinary.

It was likely because of this that Count Darc had given her these rare puppies to distribute. Without some means of currying favor, it wouldn’t be surprising if she were eventually pushed out of her social circle entirely.

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“What about you, Lady Vivianne? If you’d like, I’ll pick the prettiest one for you.”

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“I appreciate the thought, Hayes, but I’ll have to decline. My mother isn’t fond of animals with fur.”

 

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Vivianne turned down Hayes’ transparent offer with a polite smile.

Her mother, Grand Duchess Valesia, truly disliked animals. She claimed that shedding fur made it difficult for her to breathe.

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Such a condition did exist, but Vivianne knew it didn’t apply to her mother. It was simply that, at some point, her temperament had grown so impossibly delicate that she came to despise even the presence of animals.

 

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“How can puppies be so elegant?”

“I’ve heard they’re an exceptionally intelligent breed. They certainly look the part, don’t they?”

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As Hayes’ wistful gaze lingered on the puppies, Vivianne turned her own attention to them as well.

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Elegance in a puppy? It sounded absurd, but looking at them now, it wasn’t entirely untrue.

Pure white, as if sculpted from fresh snow, their fluffy fur made them resemble soft tufts of cotton. And despite being mere puppies, they sat obediently, as if they had been trained.

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Indeed, it was easy to see why the Grand Duchess of Radium held them so dear.

…All except for one.

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“That one seems a little more energetic.”

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A particular puppy, the only one persistently scratching at the bars of the cage while wagging its tail, drew their eyes.

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Among its siblings, who lay neatly on the plush carpet with their bellies pressed against the ground, it stood out rather starkly. And not in a good way.

 

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“…Perhaps it’s still too young and brimming with energy. It was calm this morning, but… Ah, speaking of which, I completely forgot to bring out the new tea we received.”

 

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As if eager to change the subject, Hayes tugged on the bell pull while eyeing the panting puppy with a displeased frown. Vivianne caught sight of her discreetly signaling a servant.

The back door of the cage opened, and a servant stepped in, lifting the lively pup off the ground.

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It wasn’t hard to guess what would happen to it next.

If it was lucky, it would be sent back to the Grand Duchy. If not…

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“Pant, pant!”

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Even as it was carried away, the puppy continued to wag its tail. It was blissfully ignorant of its fate, simply delighted to receive attention. How foolish.

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That was the last time the puppy was mentioned at the party. And as far as Vivianne could tell, she would never see it again.

 

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“Woof!”

“I told you not to bark.”

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Or so she had thought.

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Vivianne let out a sigh as she looked down at the foolish little creature excitedly rolling across the ground.

That very puppy, the one that was meant to be “disposed of”, was now in the labyrinth garden of the Grand Duchy of Valesia.

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And it was entirely because of Vivianne’s impulse.

She had used a maid with ties to the Darc household to smuggle the puppy away. Not only from Hayes, but also from her own parents.

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‘What in the world was I thinking?’

Watching the pup rolling mindlessly across the grass, regret swelled within her. But it was too late now. Vivianne sighed again.

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To say she had done it for no reason would be a lie.

She had pitied the puppy.

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Born with a prestigious lineage, burdened with unwanted expectations, its fate decided by the whims of others. How could she turn a blind eye to that?

So she had taken it.

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For the first time in her life, she had defied her parents.

And yet… it had been for something as trivial as rescuing a puppy.

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Lick.

She scoffed at the absurdity of it all, but then the puppy began to lick the back of her hand. She should pull away as it was dirty. And yet, the tiny tongue was warm, ticklish.

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Hesitantly, she opened her palm. The puppy nuzzled its head into it at once. Its fur was even softer than it looked.

Frozen in place at the unfamiliar sensation, she watched as the puppy flopped onto its back, exposing its belly. Its perky ears and round black eyes stared up at her.

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Hesitantly, Viviannee began to gently pet the puppy. Its tail wagged in time with her slow strokes, as if that was a sign of approval, and she couldn’t take her hands off it.

 

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“Becky, your sister is here!”

 

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Before she realized it, she had given it a name.

And Becky, even after gaining a name, remained as foolish as ever.

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“Becky, I’m here!”

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When Vivianne came to her senses, she had already given the puppy a name.

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“If I throw the ball, you need to bring it back!”

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Even after receiving a name, Becky was still as foolish as ever. She hadn’t learned any of the usual tricks that well-trained dogs performed, and whenever they played ball, she simply ran around for her own enjoyment, with no sense of purpose.

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Even now, Becky was chewing on the ball in place. Her teeth hadn’t grown enough to even begin teething, but she was still grunting and enthusiastically biting into it.

 

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“You’re such a fool…”

 

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Still, she was lovable. Watching Becky, Vivianne smiled comfortably for the first time.

Hidden in the deepest part of the maze garden, where her parents would never set foot, the puppy Becky had slowly become Vivianne’s refuge.

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Even as she crouched on a handkerchief spread out to avoid staining her dress, the time spent playing with Becky was the most anticipated part of her day.

On the outside, she smiled as though calm, but inside, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake, if she’d somehow brought shame to her father’s dignity. The longer she lived like this, the more these thoughts occupied her mind.

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In her suffocating life, this brief moment, like an oasis, was something she wished would last forever. She swore that she would make it last.

 

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“Lady Valesia… and this child…”

 

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It was on that day, when she had never known happiness before, that she realized how easily it could be shattered. Back then, she had thought of it so simply.