Chapter 15
III.
While Hermie was encouraging herself, Froy headed to the estate of the animal enthusiast, Jobern.
His estate garden housed a large greenhouse filled with rare plants not easily seen, and birds that mimicked human speech or flaunted colorful plumage flitted about. Inside the mansion lived dangerous wild animals, with tamed black wolves and white tigers leisurely strolling around.
Since he was a man who raised all sorts of peculiar beasts, he would surely know how to properly care for a sensitive creature.
Following the butler’s guidance into the greenhouse, he was greeted by Jobern, who was feeding the birds.
“Well, well, to what do I owe the honor of the noble Marquis Froy visiting this filthy, smelly beast’s den?”
“What kind of a welcome is that?”
“What elegance can one expect in a beast’s den?”
Marquis Froy had once snidely remarked that Count Jobern, who kept animals in his home, lived in a beast’s den.
“You’re still bringing up old grievances? How petty.”
“Comes from living in a beast’s den.”
“Fine. I came because there’s some advice I need from a human living in a beast’s den.”
“What advice could the esteemed Marquis Froy possibly need from a beast?”
“Have you actually become a beast yourself from living with them?”
Count Jobern snorted and spoke to his parrot.
“Candy, this gentleman here called me a beast. What kind of person do you think he is? Hmm?”
The parrot bobbed its neck up and down as if dancing and shrieked.
“Sucker! Sucker! A gullible idiot who gets scammed!”
“Ahahaha! That’s my clever Candy for you. You immediately saw right through Marquis Froy overpaying for rarities and lining merchants’ pockets!”
The space between Marquis Froy’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. He had undoubtedly taught that phrase to the parrot on purpose.
Froy couldn’t understand Jobern’s love for beasts, and Jobern couldn’t understand Froy’s collector’s greed.
Still, the two had something in common: their hobbies and tastes were far from ordinary.
Whenever they met, they belittled each other and acted like enemies, but despite appearances, they were friends of ten years.
“Fine. Just sit down already.”
When Froy spoke, suppressing his anger, Jobern finally approached with an interested face. He was curious what could possibly make this ill-tempered man hold back his rage.
“What is it?”
“Ahem. I acquired an adorable little hamster, you see.”
“A hamster? Did you just say hamster?”
Jobern rubbed his ear as if he had misheard.
“Yes.”
“You’re raising a hamster?”
“Is that so strange?”
“Isn’t it? Coming from the man who detested animals. A haaamster?”
“……”
“You flat-out refused and sent back the precious white tiger I gave you as a gift! And now, the thing you’re raising is just a hamster?!”
The reason Froy avoided beasts was because he disliked shedding fur. And he was worried that keeping animals inside might damage the artworks he had decorated all around—not that he disliked animals themselves.
“A white tiger is too large, isn’t it?”
“So you bought a hamster instead?”
“Yes.”
“…Well, starting small is good too, I suppose. So, what about the hamster?”
“I came to ask you because no one knows as much about animals as you do.”
“Can’t you just raise a hamster any old way?”
Jobern said with a bored face, sipping his tea. The parrot perched on his shoulder squawked loudly.
“Moron! Moron! Sucker! Sucker!”
Froy clenched his eyes shut and then opened them.
“Can’t you get rid of that noisy thing?”
“How dare you speak so rudely to my Candy? He understands almost everything, I tell you! Apologize!”
“Apologize!! Apologize!!”
“……”
Damn it. Froy cursed inwardly. Barely holding back his anger, he asked again.
“So, you’re saying you don’t know how to properly care for small animals?”
“You make it sound so hurtful when you put it that way.”
For Jobern, anything related to animals was a matter of pride. The animal books he had read alone easily numbered over a hundred.
Jobern, who prided himself on being a self-proclaimed animal expert, cleared his throat and straightened his posture.
“What breed of hamster is it?”
“A hamster is a hamster. What ‘breeds’ are there?”
“You bought it without even knowing the breed? You?”
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