Chapter 27
The next day. The morning lark’s song was fresh and cheerful, but no one paid attention to it. Everyone was exhausted from searching for Desi until dawn.
They released all the hunting dogs into the forest but couldn’t find any trace of Desi.
Father returned to the mansion at dawn, trembling with fatigue and anxiety. His leather boots were a mess of mud, and his face had become gaunt overnight. Mother, who rarely left her room, greeted him with a pale face. My eldest brother also came out. I watched the scene from my room window. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but from their large gestures, it seemed like they were fighting.
Father, crossing the garden after getting off the carriage, threw his sword to the ground and kicked the butler in the shin. He yelled at Mother who followed him and pointed angrily at my brother. Mother staggered in place, and my brother supported her. Father didn’t care about them and turned around with an irritated gait.
Since Father was the one who brought Desi here, Mother must have blamed him. And the most frightened Father probably lashed out in anger as usual.
“What do you think Father said?”
“He’s saying, ‘What are you all doing? I’m the only one working for this mansion. You’re all just useless loafers.’”
Desi was still sitting under the bed. Even though they were far away, he seemed to hear the conversation clearly. I looked at him in surprise.
“That’s amazing, Desi.”
“It’s kind of noisy.”
Desi scratched his ear as if it was itchy. His black ears, covered in fur, flapped slightly.
“Desi, get under the bed quickly. Ellie will be here soon.”
“Okay.”
Desi slowly crawled under the bed. The space wasn’t big, so he filled it completely, unable to move. I lay down and looked under the bed where Desi was, then said,
“What if you grow more? The space under the bed will be too small.”
Desi sighed, unable to move.
“Ask for a new bed. Preferably one that’s higher.”
“I’ll insist on taking the bed from my sister’s room.”
I let down the bedspread to completely hide Desi. The maids usually didn’t clean under the bed, so it should be fine, as long as Desi stayed quiet.
“Desi, are you very uncomfortable? Come out when the maids aren’t here.”
I paced around the bed, worried that Desi might be uncomfortable.
Once the hunter leaves, Desi could go out at night again. If he hunted wild animals instead of village livestock, there wouldn’t be any trouble. Father would be irritable for a while, but eventually, he’d relax. When he felt assured that the werewolves wouldn’t attack the mansion, everything would return to normal.
Except that I’d be raising Desi under my bed.
Ellie came in with a tired face, carrying a washbasin and breakfast.
“What happened yesterday?”
I asked, pretending not to know.
“Don’t even ask, Miss. The beast in the dungeon escaped last night. We were worried it might cause trouble, so no one got any sleep. Someone untied all its chains. The master is questioning all the servants to find out who did it.”
“Did they catch the culprit?”
“No. Everyone is denying it. They all say they didn’t go near the dungeon.”
I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart, hiding the secret only I knew.
“But if the beast has already escaped, what’s the point of catching the culprit? They’ve already lost it.”
“The hunter says it’s not just an ordinary beast.”
“What is it then?”
“It’s a very cruel species. They never forget a grudge and always pay it back. That’s why the master is desperate to catch it. He’s afraid it will find its kind and come back for revenge.”
“Hmm.”
I wiggled my feet while washing my face on the bed. The terrifying beast was right under my feet. Ellie would be shocked if she knew. I looked at Ellie, smiling inwardly.
“Ellie, bring me some steak please.”
“You never eat that in the morning.”
“I really want it now.”
“There might not be any. And why are you craving meat in the morning?”
Ellie looked troubled. Normally, I wouldn’t bother Ellie, but today I felt different.
“Bring a lot. It’s okay if it’s slightly undercooked.”
“…Alright.”
After Ellie left, I turned upside down like doing a handstand to check under the bed.
“Desi, are you alright?”
I constantly wanted to check on Desi. I felt anxious if I took my eyes off him for even a moment. Even though I brought Desi to my safe room, I still felt he was in danger.
“I’m fine, so stop it.”
Desi closed his eyes under the bed. He answered irritably and yanked the bedspread back down.
I immediately felt impatient when I couldn’t see Desi. I quietly lifted the bedspread again to check on him and sighed in relief when I saw he was okay.
My Desi. My precious Desi.
I just couldn’t help but think like this.
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