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Around 1:00 PM on December 26th, I revised the story.
The change involves moving up the puppy’s introduction.
The puppy that first appeared in Episode 10 now makes its debut in Episode 4.
The story added at noon on the 26th is Episode 6: The Spirit King and the Puppy.
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I am a baby. My name is Luria.
When I woke up, I tried saying,
“Daa-oo?”
Immediately, I felt a presence right next to me.
“Ha-ha.”
It was a puppy my sister calls Leonardo. Its tail wagged happily.
It had stuck its face through the bars of the cradle and clung to the bedding with its front claws.
“Daa-oo.”
“Pee.”
When I spoke to it, the puppy let out a soft whimper, as if seeking affection.
“Daa-oo? (Did the nanny bring you here?)”
“Ha-ha-ha.”
That’s when I realized something.
The bed was relatively high off the ground.
With the puppy’s size, it shouldn’t have been able to reach.
“Daa-oo? (No way, are you hanging on?)”
“Kyuuun.”
The next moment, there was a thud as the puppy fell and disappeared from sight.
Sure enough, it had been clinging on with its front claws. I couldn’t see it from my angle, but its hind legs must have been dangling.
“Da-daa-oo? (A-are you okay?)”
“Aw! Aw!”
The puppy’s face peeked out intermittently as it jumped around.
It seemed fine, which was a relief. And very cute.
Whoever brought the puppy into the room should have been considerate enough to put it inside the cradle.
If the puppy stayed near me, I’d be happier and have more fun.
“Daa-oo~ (Someone, please!)”
“Woof!”
The puppy, still hopping around, gripped the bedding with its front paws.
Then, wriggling, it managed to climb into the cradle.
Even though it was small, the puppy had impressive jumping power and strong front legs.
“Daa-oo! (Such promise for the future!)”
“Woof.”
Despite being a puppy, it was already so strong.
And its paws were surprisingly thick for its small body.
It was bound to grow into a magnificent dog.
“Sniff sniff.”
Now on the bed, the puppy came over to sniff me.
In return, I sniffed the puppy too.
It smelled nice.
When we first met, it had smelled like a typical dog, but someone must have bathed it thoroughly.
“Daa-oo? (You’re so clean!)”
The puppy’s previously scruffy brown fur now shone a beautiful golden color.
Its coat was long and fluffy.
I grabbed a handful of that delightful fluff.
The puppy licked my hand in response.
It was fun.
“Daa-oo~ (As I thought, the spirits adore you.)”
Spirits gathered around the puppy, glowing brightly.
The puppy playfully batted at the spirits with its paws, then rolled onto its back.
“Oh my, when did this happen?”
My mother, who had been away briefly, returned and noticed the puppy.
Lately, with her strength restored, she had been spending as much time as possible by my side.
“You mustn’t come in here on your own, Leonardo.”
“Daa-oo? (Leonardo?)”
Perhaps it was my mother, not my sister, who named the puppy Leonardo.
The puppy didn’t quite give off a “Leonardo” vibe.
But maybe it would suit him when he grew up.
“Ku~un.”
“No amount of begging will work.”
My mother picked up the puppy and handed it to a maid, who took it out of the room.
The nanny would usually let the puppy stay, but my mother often had it taken to a different room without hesitation.
“Waaah!”
I tried crying to protest, but it didn’t work.
“Luria, are you hungry? Such a lively baby.”
My mother picked me up. She smelled nice, soft, and warm, making me feel secure.
In my previous life, I hadn’t felt this peaceful since my parents had passed away.
“Daa-oo!”
“You’re such a good girl, Luria.”
She offered me her breast.
“Munch munch.”
Suddenly, protesting about the puppy didn’t seem so important.
I was hungry, so I drank my fill.
“It seems the young lady was crying because she was hungry,” the nanny said with a smile.
“She probably was. I’d been worried because she cries far less than Gilberto and Lydia.”
“She drinks much more milk than the young master and Lydia do, so I don’t think there’s any need to worry.”
“You’re probably right.”
Apparently, not crying often had worried my mother.
Maybe I should cry a little more from now on.
After drinking plenty, I started to feel sleepy.
I burped and then fell asleep.
