Since there were quite a few servants who gave snacks to Sihael behind my back, I thought they liked him. But it was a little shocking to know that they saw him as a man-eating puppy.
âShasha only eats the finest meat. Do you think he would eat something like you?â
Hannahâs face turned red as I gruffly snapped at her.
âOf course, he wouldnât, My Lady!â
âEat.â
Hannah politely received the plate with both hands and put a piece of the meat in her mouth while looking at me. Hannahâs eyes welled with tears after taking a bite of meat. Seriously, Iâm not kidding. She cried as soon as she ate it.
âItâs so good.â
âDo you want more?â
When she nodded her head, I grilled more meat and put it on a plate, which made her cry more, with snot streaming from her nose.
âWhatâs your brotherâs illness?â
âI donât know. The doctor said itâs an incurable disease of unknown cause.â
âWhat about your family?â
âMy parents died a long time ago, and now itâs just my brother and I.â
Of all the things, why was this similar? Feeling homesick from a stranger, I stood up bitterly.
âOkay, clean up after you eat.â
âYes! Good night, My Lady!â
I replied by nodding my head. Back in my room, I laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The commotion of the dawn had completely woken me up.
âIs it bothering you?â
âA little bit.â
When I answered honestly, Sihael tapped my hand.
âYou are nice.â
âNot really.â
âThatâs what makes you kind.â
I didnât know why he was saying this. I hadnât been exactly nice to him. I always made him lie down on the cold floor and keep threatening and scaring him.
âAh, I canât get it out of my head.â
There was no reason for me to be so bothered by it. The maid too had black hair and black eyes, and funnily enough, our family situation was also similar.
* * *
My reflection in the mirror looked like someone who had trouble sleeping all night. When I rubbed my swollen eyes, Marina, who was combing my hair, hurriedly grabbed my hand.
âThatâs bad for your eyes.â
I calmly lowered my hand at Marinaâs insistence and then she gently pulled her hand away from mine.
âMarina, do you know Hannahâ?
âYes.â
âI heard that the kidâs brother is sick.â
âYes, I think itâs been around a year or so.â
The quick-witted Marina figured out what information I was looking for and came up with an answer.
âNo one knows the exact name of the disease. The butler took pity on Hannah and sent a doctor to them, but eventually the doctor couldnât find the cause.â
âI see.â
The doctor sent by the butler must have been a competent person, but not knowing the cause meant that it was a disease that could not be cured by medicine.
âIs it bothering you?â
âThat kid is so skinny that she comes frequently to my mind.â
âShe doesnât look like her age.â
âHow old is she?â
âSeventeen.â
âWhat?â
I thought she was 15. She was just a year younger than me? My face in the mirror was blank with shock. I rubbed my face roughly with both hands.
âAh, itâs bugging me more.â
I tried to erase Hannahâs thoughts from my mind. I had decided not to worry about other peopleâs affairs, but when I came back to my senses, I was already in Nanabiâs room.
âNanabi, there is a patient with an incurable disease of unknown cause. Would you like to take a look?â
âSure. Iâll do it.â
âThanks. Then letâs meet after dinner.â
Just like that, we quickly made up an appointment. Sihael, who watched the whole process, cocked his eyebrow and smiled brightly. I grunted at his gaze that seemed to scream he knew everything about my heart.
âDonât say anything.â
âI wasnât going to.â
Sihael responded lightly and wagged his tail.
âYouâre going to take me with you, right?â
âArenât you comfortable staying at home?â
âWhat? What if something happens while youâre away? You have to protect me. Iâm weak.â
My hand that was combing Sihaelâs fur stopped. If I didnât hear it wrong, he definitely said he was weakâ¦
With a whole body that was like a weapon, he unusually pretended to be weak.
âYouâre not weak at all. Not too long ago, you chased me frantically to catch me.â
âDonât bring that time. My injured pride has still not recovered.â
Sihael grumbled, recalling his forced experience of a dogâs life.
âGet up quickly. You were supposed to run two rounds.â
âI feel tired all of a sudden.â
I knew he would be like this. As he pretended to be sick again today, I picked him up, opened the door and went outside.
* * *
Knock, knock, knock.
âMy Lady, you called me⦠â
Hannah bowed her head. She didnât forget her promise to stop by my room before work. I got up from my seat, fastened the leash around Shashaâs neck, and approached her.
âLetâs go.â
âWhere?â
âYour house. Didnât you say your brother was sick? So, letâs see if we can treat him. This person here is a great wizard.â
When I introduced Nanabi to Hannah, Nanabi waved her hand gently. She was the first to arrive here and had been waiting for Hannah.
âHello.â
âAh, hello!â
Hannahâs bewildered face changed from surprise to joy and then brightened up in an instant. Her eyes glistened with rays of hope.
âDo you have anything to prepare?â
âOh, no. Thereâs none! We can just leave right away!â
* * *