Chapter 17

Three Days After the Attack.

I woke up and called out:
“Da-u?”

Immediately, the puppy lying beside me eagerly sniffed at me with great enthusiasm.

“Da-u~ (Good morning).”
“Kyun!”

The puppy rolled onto its back, trying to slide its body under my hand. It seemed to want to be petted.

“Da-u (Well, I guess I have no choice).”

Since I’m just a baby, I can’t move my arms and legs freely. However, if someone places themselves under my hand, I have no choice but to try my best.

“Da-u, da-u, da-u!”
“Piii!”

I moved my hand to pet the puppy. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say I was lightly slapping it. But since the puppy was overjoyed, I figured it was fine.

While I was playing with the puppy, someone spoke up:
“Oh my, Da-u. Lady Luria is awake, isn’t she?”
“Woof.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”

The nanny said this as she gently stroked my head.

“Da-u? (Da-u?)”
“Auu.”

The puppy wagged its tail happily. For some reason, the puppy, who was once called Leonardo, was now referred to as Da-u.

I thought Da-u suited the puppy better anyway.

Apparently, Da-u had earned the right to stay in my crib. Since the day of the attack, every time I woke up, Da-u was in the crib with me. Neither my mother nor the nanny seemed inclined to remove him anymore.

It must have been because he protected me from the attackers.

My parents must be the type to reward loyalty.

“Da-u~ (Thank you, Father).”

I expressed my gratitude to my father, who wasn’t here at the moment.

“Da-u (Thank you too, Da-u).”
“Kyun.”

Da-u licked my hand happily.

Even as a baby, Da-u had risked his life to protect me. He was a remarkable and loyal pup.

Just then, my older sister entered the room.

“Luria, you’re awake. You’re as adorable as ever today.”
“Kyah kyah (You’re adorable too, Sister).”
“Shall I read you a book?”

My sister always read me stories and sang lullabies. Her singing always made me sleepy, and I’d drift off to sleep with Da-u by my side.

Sleeping, waking up, drinking milk, and playing with Da-u. Watching Da-u was quite entertaining.

Although Da-u mostly stayed in the crib with me, he sometimes ran outside. He needed the exercise, so I thought he should run more often.

When my father was in the room, Da-u would sometimes leave and not return for a while. He was probably running around the mansion. Perhaps he trusted my father to guard me in his place.

One day, after playing outside, Da-u returned with my mother.

“What’s the matter, Amalia?”
“We need to discipline him.”

With that, my mother said,
“Da-u.”
“Woof?!”

She made Da-u sit in my room and stared him straight in the eye.

“Da-u, your toilet is here.”
“Woof?”
“You mustn’t pee anywhere else.”
“Waa-ooh?”

Da-u tilted his head, seemingly unsure why he was being scolded.

My father chuckled at this.
“Did he do it again?”
“Yes, he seems to have wanted to mark his territory.”

It appeared Da-u had peed in various places around the mansion. What a troublesome pup.

“I tried placing a toilet in my room, but he never used it. So I had to put one in Luria’s room, where he spends the most time.”
“And it’s still not working?”
“Exactly. I’m starting to wonder if we’ll have to keep him outside.”

That would be cruel.

Da-u was smart enough not to do his business in my room.

Or wait… Could it be that instead of using the toilet in my room, he was going around marking spots elsewhere in the mansion?

“Da-u!”
“Woof?”
“Da-a-u, da-u! (Da-u, use the toilet properly!)”
“Wah-ooh.”

Perhaps Da-u was trying to protect me by marking his territory to ward off intruders.

But marking territory didn’t mean much to humans. It was just meaningless peeing.

“Da-u! (If you keep this up, they’ll make you live outside!)”
“Woof?!”

Though I could only say “Da-u,” I tried my best to persuade him. Maybe, just maybe, he’d understand.

Eventually, after some scolding and training, Da-u learned to use the designated toilet. He even barked to notify the maids after he was done.

Thanks to Da-u, my room stayed clean and odor-free.

“Da-u is such a clever puppy.”
“Woof~.”

Pleased by the praise, Da-u even started alerting people when I soiled my diaper.

“Hmm? Da-u, did Lady Luria need a diaper change?”
“Woof~.”

As the nanny changed me, Da-u watched with a smug expression.

“Lady Luria is such a calm baby. Thank goodness for Da-u. You’re such a good boy.”
“Woof~.”

After receiving lots of praise, Da-u would gently pat my head with his paw.

“Da-u?”
“Woof!”

Then he’d wag his tail vigorously.

I was sure Da-u was trying to praise me in return. Just as he was praised for doing the right thing, he must’ve thought I deserved the same for doing mine.

“Da-u! (Thank you!)”

I lightly patted Da-u’s head with both hands. He wagged his tail happily, then hopped off the crib and dashed towards the door.

“Da-u is full of energy today,” my brother said as Da-u excitedly jumped up to greet him.