Eric and Philly

  I wasn’t about to apologize.

  Eric should feel all the embarrassment and then some.

  “Ah, Eric. I’m glad to see you here.”


  “Uh, yes.”


  “So, Milka. The really amazing thing about Eric is……”


  “Now-now-now. Ruck, wait a minute……”


  “What is it, Eric? I’m just getting to the good part. Please don’t interrupt.”


  “I’m right here you know? This is getting awkward.”


  “Oh, don’t worry. Milka didn’t even know about you before, so I have to tell her. Don’t I? It’s common knowledge.”


  “Bah, I wouldn’t say that, and there is no need for people to know.”


  What was he going on about? He was the king and a Hero.

  Of course, people should know.

  “In any case, not in front of me. Please.”


  “Fine. You really do complain a lot, Eric.”


  And with that, Eric sighed with relief.

  “Are you finished talking now?”


  Philly said as she appeared from behind Eric.

  She was the fifth child of Marquis Mastafon and a genius alchemist.

  Her parents had been taken hostage and she was forced to create the Fool’s Stone.

  “Ah, Philly. It’s been a while.”


  “I was allowed to stay in the palace until things settled down.”


  Philly’s tone seemed to have softened since I last met her.

  Maybe her parents had scolded her while they lived in the palace.

  “Well, I’m glad to see you. Am I right to assume that you’ll be living here from now on?”


  “I’m afraid I will have to impose on you.”


  “Don’t worry.”


  It seemed like she and Eric had used the secret passage to come here from the palace.

  It was best that the dark ones did not know where Philly was living.

  Her whereabouts was just as much an important secret as Lord Gerbera’s address.

  Still, the way she talked now bothered me.

  Perhaps it was how all highborn ladies talked.

  It wasn’t something I knew much about.

  “By the way, where’s Tama?”


  Tama was Philly’s loyal and beloved dog.

  He was a big dog, but still smaller than Grulf.

  “Tama is……at the palace.”


  “Is there a reason why?”


  Eric answered this question.

  “I told her that she should bring Tama. But the Marquis and his wife were hesitant. They didn’t want to inconvenience you too much.”


  I understood how they felt.

  It was one thing to send your daughter to live with someone, but sending the dog as well seemed like a lot.

  “No, they really don’t need to worry about that.”


  “Do you really mean it?”


  “I do.”


  “Then I shall bring him with me.”


  Philly was about to run out of the room.

  “Hey, wait. Philly, you haven’t been registered at the door yet, have you?”


  “N-no, I have not.”


  And so I headed to the secret passage with her and had her registered.

  “Now you can enter the passage. However, you will need a different key to enter the palace……”


  “Then I will go with her.”


  “Alright. Thank you.”


  “Oh, I couldn’t. You must not waste your time on my behalf, Your Majesty.”


  Philly said modestly, but Eric brushed this aside and they both headed back to the palace.

  And I returned to the dining room.

  “Grulf, do you want some cookies?”


  Groof.”


  Grulf gladly ate the cookies that Milka offered him.

  Grulf had disliked Milka at first, but they were friends now.

  And that was a very good thing.

  Lord Gerberga was also pecking at a cookie.

  And so I sat down and chewed on a piece myself.

  The tea that Milka had poured was delicious.

  “Luchila. Is there anything that Lord Gerberga cannot eat?”


  “Lord Gerberga is not a chicken, but the God Fowl. And he can eat anything that humans can.”


  “I see. I would expect no less from the great Lord Gerberga.”


  “Cluck-cluck.”


  “So what food is Lord Gerberga especially fond of?”


  “Cluck-cluck.”


  “Lord Gerberga likes food that normal chickens like.”


  “.……I see.”


  “But he also likes sweets.”


  “That’s good.”


  Gerberga finished his cookie and then jumped on my lap.

  He was very cute, so I petted him.

  “Do you want more, Lord Gerberga?”


  “Cluck-cluck.”


  Lord Gerberga ate a cookie from my hand.

  Then Grulf came over and lay his jaw on my knee.

  “You want to be fed too?”


  “Grrr.”


  And so I fed them both cookies.

  It was oddly entertaining.

  Eric and Philly returned after a while. And they were accompanied by Tama.

  However, to my surprise, Eric’s daughters, Charlotte and Marie were with them.

  “Grand Duke. How do you do?”


  “Grand Duke. It’s nice to see you again.”


  The ten-year-old Charlotte gave a graceful bow.

  The four-year-old Marie tried her best to follow her sister.

  “Your Highnesses. Welcome.”


  “Cluck-cluck.”


  Gerberga ran on top of the table and towards the princesses.

  “Lord Gerberga!”


  “Lord Gerbie! Hello!”


  “Cluck-cluck!”


  Gerberga pressed into them fondly.

  The princesses were overjoyed as they petted him.

  Serulis patted the girls on the head.

  “Charlotte, Marie. I hope you’ve been doing well?”


  “Yes, Miss Serulis!”


  “I’ve been very well!”


  And then Serulis said, “Do you know about Grulfie?”


  “Oh, yes. I heard that he is the spirit beast that the Grand Duke saved from the vampires.”


  Charlotte was very smart for her age.

  I had gone to the palace with Grulf after defeating the Vampire High Lord.

  But as I was very busy, I hadn’t introduced Grulf to the princesses.

  “Grulf. Come here.”


  “Groof.”


  Grulf came as Serulis called him.

  “Here he is. Isn’t he big?”


  “Yes. Can I pet him?”


  “So fluffy!”


  Charlotte asked politely, but Marie just jumped onto him.

  But Grulf looked happy, and licked her face.