“Such an important mission was given to you, onii-sama!?”

“Yeah, I must meet his excellency, the Frontier Count’s expectations.”

Albert onii-sama said, then left the room.

Please…….be safe…….

According to onii-sama, this is a mission he must do together with the black knights’ commander.

Why did they give him, a rookie knight, such an important mission?

We grew up neglected for being part of the kemonobito race.

Even though discrimination is not accepted, the kemonobito were always treated rather poorly even among nobles.

Compared to humans, we can’t be promoted and almost none of us is a noble.

The truth is, we got expelled from our home and barely managed to reach this place.

“Suu, are you here? His excellency, the Frontier Count wishes to see you.”

A senior maid entered my room.

The people from the Frontier Count’s Household treat us normally, even though we’re kemonobito.

………No one will tell us that we’re filthy.

“Yes, ma’am. Where is his excellency?”

“In his office. He seemed to be in a hurry!”

I made an agile bow to my senior and hurried to the office.

I hurried to see his excellency the Frontier Count, the man who employed me as a maid.

“Your excellency, this is Suu.”

“Yes, come in quickly.”

As I knocked the door and announced my presence, this was the reply I received.

He really must be in a hurry.

I rushed inside the room.

“I’m sorry to have made you wait. Is there anything I can do?”

“After this, I’m going to meet with a stranger who came from a different world. I’ll have you serve us in that room.”

“!?……..As you wish!”

A stranger?……So it wasn’t only a fairy-tale!?

They do exist!

I tried my best to hide my disturbance as I lowered my head.

“You don’t have to be afraid, Sonia and I will be there too. As well as Albert and Galef, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Forgive me. I will do as you wish.”

Sigh……He’s right……

Since the Count’s strongest forces are gathered together, there’s really nothing to worry about.

…….Still, I’m a little concerned about onii-sama.

However, the stranger was even more frightening than I expected.

I was extremely nervous about seeing a stranger for the first time, as I entered the room.

With trembling hands, I finished preparing the tea and was about to leave when it happened.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me-nya!”

Damn it! Stupid me! What was that ‘nya’!?

A kemonobito using a feline race word…….This could mean that I am courting the stranger……..

I shouldn’t have read that book last night.

But it was so interesting……’The Nyan-nyan Great Strategy’

“So you’re a cat!” 1

The stranger replied to me and I froze in place.

That single line he said…….Isn’t this how they proposed in ’The Nyan-nyan Great Strategy’?!

Still, there’s a certain order to things…….But even so, if I look closer at him, this stranger is rather cool…….

I was a little confused at that time and I don’t remember much of what happened after.

When I came to my sense, Albert onii-sama was shaking my shoulders.

“Suu! Get a hold of yourself!”

“Onii-sama, it hurts. Please realize your own physical strength.”

“Thanks goodness…….You dazed off and I was worried.”

“…….I’m sorry. Urm, what happened to the stranger?”

“You don’t remember? If that’s the case, then let it be. That’s for the best.”

“But, that person……..he……..urm………”

He just proposed to me by imitating ’The Nyan-nyan Great Strategy’ mature way of doing it.

Such a proposal that made my kemonobito heart tickle was not that unpleasant.

“Suu, he’s a stranger from a different world, you know? Think about it.”

“…….A stranger………….Even so, how comes he made such a wonderful proposal?”

That’s right. The stranger said that without knowing anything about ’The Nyan-nyan Great Strategy’.

“Right. He said that without knowing what it meant.”

“…….I see. Understood.”

I understand, onii-sama.

He really did propose to me, right?

He didn’t imitate the book; he said it naturally ‘So you’re a cat!’…..Such a frightening person!

He already got a tight hold of my kemonobito heart.

“I will do my best to work as a maid!”

“It seems you understood. I’m counting on you.”

Onii-sama smiled happily then left the room.

Right, I did understand.

In order to become a suitable woman for that person, I must first do my best to become a first-class lady!

After that, that person…….Zest-sama, got promoted steadily.

He became young lady Beatrice’s fiancé…….

…………….Fufu, that’s Zest-sama for you.

He can easily deal with that young lady, with a smile on his face!

This person, he’s almost like the sun.

When I stay close to the young lady, my feet start to tremble; she’s a terrific person.

I do understand this, you know, Zest-sama?

A marriage with a noble is all about politics.

You only have deep feelings towards me, and no one else, right?

Ufufu, I already know it.

Zest-sama was promoted to the duke rank.

He even got engaged to her highness, the princess…….He’s such a resourceful person.

That’s how a man is supposed to be.

Ufufu, I already know it.

Zest-sama participated in the war and founded a domain of his own.

He still didn’t call for me.

This is irritating! Come on already!

Ufufu, I already know it, though.

Zest-sama is having a child with young lady Beatrice.

………This is wonderful.

This way, his duty as a noble is safely fulfilled.

Did he do it so that he could come for me?

Ufufu, I already know it.

No matter how long I waited, Zest-sama never came for me.

……….Whatever the circumstances, he’s just too late!!

I know! He’s being considerate of young lady Beatrice, right?

It’s okay, Zest-sama.

I will talk to her myself!

Young lady Beatrice returned home after a very long time…….Or I should say, I was finally able to meet his excellency the duke.

I must tell her about it.

“Young lady Beatrice, I have something to tell you about Zest-sama.”

“Zest…….sama? Suu, what’s this all about?”

If a mere servant in another household would dare to address him with ‘Zest-sama’ instead of ‘his excellency Zest’, she would obviously get angry.

I already felt a sense of intimidation……..But even so!

“Madam, please allow Zest-sama and I to get married already.”

“…………….What?”

“Now that you’ve been blessed with a child, there must be some inconveniences. Having me around would be quite helpful, besides, he already proposed.”

She treated me like a low-class concubine……Or, maybe like a mistress?

Still, if I can be by Zest-sama’s side…….

“Suu? When did he propose to you I wonder?”

“Hii!?”

The young lady was clad in a pitch black overwhelming magical power.

………Scary………Awfully scary! I don’t want to die!

Was she always like this? Did the madam always have this outrageous kind of magical power!?

There was nothing I could do but tremble.

I got teary eyes as I continued to tremble when Sonia-sama and Albert onii-sama jumped into the room.

“What’s with this magical power!?”

“Madam! Are you all right!?”

“You two. Do you know the story about Zest-sama’s marriage proposal to Suu?”

“?……Ah, about that? I know…………..”

“Yes ma’am, he used a dreadful pick-up line…………..”

“So you did know……….didn’t you, you two!? For the time being, go sit down there!”

“Wait, Bea? Urm………”

“Madam, this is a misun…….”

“Sit down!”

“ “Yes ma’am!” “

This is hopeless…….Madam’s magical power is getting bigger and bigger.

It’s impossible to go against it…….No matter how many lives you have, you’ll die anyway.

My kemonobito instincts are shouting ‘Don’t oppose this!’

“You don’t say…….that Zest-sama really proposed to you?”

“Yes, young lady Beatrice………I mean, your excellency the duchess. That is right.”

Because of fear and confusion, I didn’t really think about the right answers to give.

……..I will die here soon.

The one who saved me from this desperate situation was Zest-sama.

“Bea, what happened? This is bad for the child! Come now, tell me what happened.”

“Zest-sama, you proposed to Suu, right? When did it happen?”

Amazing! He sat there, bathing in that magical power, shaking his knees in a dance of great affection! He’s now approaching the young lady!

He truly is the hero’s vessel…….Someone like me is not suitable for him……………..

“I haven’t! What are you talking about, Bea? Come on, calm down.”

“………But, father and Albert said you did.”

“Master?”

“It’s true that something happened which could be interpreted as a marriage proposal, but the Frontier Count instructed Albert to forget about it since it was a mistake…….”

“Yes ma’am! His excellency, the Frontier Count instructed me to do so!’

………………Eh? A mistake?

Was that a mistake!? Why didn’t you properly tell me these were the Frontier Count’s words!?

“Then why did it come to this? Suu, didn’t you hear about it from Albert?”

“Yes, your excellency Zest. I haven’t heard about it.”

What’s this all about? Onii-sama?

All our eyes gathered on Albert onii-sama.

“Albert……Did you properly……….accurately………correctly explain to Suu……..leaving no space for interpretations?”

“………..Your excellency Zest. We are siblings! We understand each other even without enough words!”

“Onii-sama, do you understand what I’m feeling right now?”

Onii-sama turned around to face me.

Maybe because his feet got numb, he walked to me unsteadily.

“I do understand. You’re worried for your big brother, right?”

“No, I feel ashamed for my foolish big brother.”

“………………”

“Didn’t you hear me? I am too embarrassed to even call you my big brother.”

Stupid aniki 2……………..You brought me such unthinkable shame!

Your feelings got to me? As if you could ever do that! Stupid aniki!

This…….means death penalty for both of us……….

He didn’t correctly transmit an order, and because of a misunderstanding, a vassal caused an uproar about a wedding proposal…….

No matter how you look at it, this means capital punishment…….Mine sure was a short life.

“You see? In the end, it was nothing but Albert’s communication error……..Bea, will you please understand?”

“Urm…….Forgive me, Zest-sama.”

“Fufu, you wanted to monopolize me that badly? You’re so greedy, Bea.”

“Uuuugh, please forgive me…….”

“Of course I do! There’s no reason for me not to forgive you. But I do have to punish you. I know! Tonight, you’ll be my lap pillow.”

“Zest-sama? This won’t really be punishment, you know? I want to do it too.”

………Woaa, such a sugary flirt.

Sonia-sama’s eye are blank.

It’s true that this was an atmosphere you didn’t want to be any part of…….It makes you want to die.

I emptied my mind trying to resist when the Frontier Count called out.

“Suu, I want to drink some tea. Do the preparations.”

“Is it all right for someone like me to prepare it?”

“Grandson-in-law-dono bowed to us and said, didn’t he? That Albert’s responsibilities are his responsibilities. In this case, we can’t say anything about it.”

“………His excellency Zest did…….”

His excellency the duke……..A hero who didn’t budge an inch in front of that magical power………

Lowered his head for us?

He lowered his head for the kemonobito who made ruckus about a false marriage proposal?

“Onii-sama, do it! The loyalty dance!”

Onii-sama nodded to my words……My feelings reached him.

Please offer him the loyalty dance.

This is a dance native to the dog kemonobito.

It is a ritual through which the person who dances it, and all his descendants swear to devote their lives to the one they offered it to.

I have to make children soon.

For the sake of being helpful to his excellency Zest.

As long as this person is alive, the kemonobito people’s future is protected.

We can’t let this person die.

This person cares for us, a couple of kemonobito blockheads.

I want him to have a long life.

I hope his child will inherit his nature.

I pray that the child will inherit his excellency the duke’s kind nature and his strong will.

For this reason, I will protect this person and his children.

I will always…….always be by their side to protect them.

I will do everything I can to protect them! Your excellency, this is my resolution!

Still………….

“Your excellency, duke Zest, this can’t happen. It’s madam’s first childbirth. Please take all possible measures to prevent acting rashly.”

Really now, men are such………… As I thought, he might need a mistress!

His excellency was about to remove madam’s clothes. He looked at me with a lamenting expression…………

You are not allowed to! Not even a little!

1. If you don’t remember what happened, go back to chapter 3 (and the following chapters). This chapter here is Suu’s interpretation of the events.

2. Another way of saying big brother in Japanese; it’s less polite than onii-sama though. It’s also used to refer to seniors in various organizations, like yakuza par exemple.