“This guy, hey, you!”
The old woman lingering in front of the cottage hobbled over, panting. The hands enveloping Leon’s face felt as cold as ice—as if he had been outside all along.
“Grandma, why are you running with your bad knees? Don’t stay outside; wait inside. Take this for now.”
Leon extended a small cloth pouch. There was a jingling sound of coins coming from the cloth pouch as he pulled the string to tighten the opening. Leon narrowed his eyes.
“I guess the merchant was impressed by Grandma’s sewing skills. He bought it for 60 aels instead of 50.”
He thought this would please her but Grandma slapped Leon’s biceps hard. Due to this, the puppy nestled in his arms also shook.
“You collapsed yesterday, didn’t you? Is money the problem now, you punk? Money’s the problem, huh?”
“Yeah, money is the problem. If something happens to me, Grandma will have to live alone, but at least with some money…”
“Shut your mouth, you bastard!”
“Okay, okay. That was a bit much just now.”
She must have heard the whole story, but Grandma didn’t inquire further about the dog. She merely led the way, opening the door to the cottage.
“Hurry up and come in.”
“Grandma, about the puppy… It got harmed yesterday, so I was planning to let it recuperate at home for a while.”
“Quit the nonsense and just come in!”
Bang! She bellowed for him to enter the cottage and then closed the door. Leon chuckled while properly cradling the warm body of the puppy.
“Shall we go in for now?”
Although the time of parting lies impetuously above our heads, for now, let’s head home.
***
A yellow butterfly fluttered aimlessly, eventually landing on the fence. Basking in the warm sunlight, it spread its wings. Startled by a gust of wind, the butterfly stuttered, disappearing into the forest right across the grassy field.
“Huuhhh.”
Leon, holding a bowl, walked out unsteadily.
“The weather feels languid, doesn’t it?”
Woof!
Leon placed the bowl in front of the dog, who barked and wagged its tail vigorously. The flat dish contained creamy white milk.
“Come on, eat quickly.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The puppy dipped its snout into the bowl, gulping down the milk. Milk sprayed in all directions, and the dish shook carelessly, giving the impression that it would tip over any second. The puppy looked to have starved for three days, sating the hunger by fervently licking the bowl, as if doing the dishes.
“…You just had milk an hour ago, you know?”
The puppy haughtily snorted, lifting its head from the empty bowl. Nevertheless, it lingered for a moment, savoring the last bits with a long lick. Leon patted the puppy’s head.
“Are you hungry? Growing up, huh? Grandma, doesn’t it seem like it has grown a bit since then?”
Heading towards the house from the garden, the old lady heaved over with a sack. Soon, a sack brimming with cabbage found itself to Leon and the puppy.
“Look at this, Grandma. Its paws seem a bit bigger, same for its size.”
“It’s just a puppy. They grow similarly in a day or two.”
Three days ago, Leon had rescued the puppy from Winderton Castle. In those three days, the puppy had grown 1.5 times its original size.
It wasn’t a matter of rapid growth for a puppy; there was something… a mysterious aspect to it. However, Leon, who found himself jaded to the aspect of raising animals, just nodded, thinking that younger ones have a quicker development rate.
“It might be time for something other than milk. I should go get some meat.”
“Meat?”
“Oh, it’s a wolf, isn’t it? It might get full if it eats meat.”
“I’ll go get some, then.”
Leon dashed towards the house. He was genuinely worried about the puppy, who was emptying the bowl like a possessed beast.
In the sunlit yard, only Grandma and the puppy remained. The buzz of bees scatting about made the surroundings feel quieter.
“Why did it have to be discovered by Leon of all people? I thought the connection would sever itself the minute we send it away, but it miraculously returned again.”
The puppy blinked its blue eyes, unresponsive. If it were Leon, he would have indulged in it, but Grandma remained motionless, sitting with her hands on her knees.
“If it’s fate, then it’s fate…”
“Grandma, I brought it!”
Leon brought a piece of meat wrapped in cloth and placed it into the puppy’s bowl. The puppy wagged its tail, nuzzling its nose into the meat, sniffing inquisitively with flared nostrils. Leon held the bloodstained cloth, watching the puppy with expectant eyes.
Pffff.
The puppy, having let out a sneeze, turned its head and coughed violently. Its pink tongue popped out, swiftly licking the milk-stained corners of its mouth.
“Maybe it’s not time for meat yet.”
Leon sheepishly cleared the bowl. At that moment, the puppy, limping on its hind legs, trudged toward Grandma. Leon froze momentarily, recalling Demis’s warning, but the puppy showed interest in the sack next to her, not Grandma herself.
Sniff, sniff.
The fluffy paw lightly grazed the cabbage on top. After struggling for a while, the puppy knocked the cabbage to the ground and anchored it with its two paws, tearing off the leaves with its outermost teeth.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Silence lingered between Leon and Grandma. The puppy, putting up a dignified front, ripped off a fresh cabbage leaf with a triumphant sound and munched on it. The refreshing sound of chewing on juicy, fresh leaves pervaded the yard.
“No need to worry about it eating people.”
Grandma burst into a wry laugh, tapped her knee, and got up with a creaking sound. The puppy briefly lifted its head to glance at the sack, but it remained fastened to the ground, perhaps as there was still a huge patch of cabbage left in front of it.
“Seems like it’s a vegetarian.”
“Even animals have different tastes.”
“But can a wolf be a vegetarian?”
“This wolf is a weird one. Come and help me make pickled cabbage.”
“Alright.”
Leon patted the puppy’s head and took the sack from Grandma.
“I’ll carry it, Grandma. Let me handle this.”
“Why trust a guy who faints so easily? Give it to me, you rascal.”
“Grandma is really making a big deal out of fainting just once or twice. I’ll go in first!”
With the sack in hand, Leon dashed away. Grandma, muttering something about her knees being her enemy, followed along. The puppy, wagging its tail, watched them, not bothering to prop itself from the ground.
It was a peaceful scene. A butterfly lightly landed on the puppy’s nose and then flew away. The puppy had finished eating an entire cabbage that day and Grandma grumbled that it would be better if it had eaten the meat.
***
The puppy stayed in the yard during the day and entered the house in the evening. When Leon was eating, the puppy leaned its chin on his calf, snoring softly, and wagged its tail eagerly when its own food was ready.
“Here. It’s your favorite cabbage.”
The dish is piled high with finely sliced cabbage. While the puppy joyfully wagged its bottom, Leon and Grandma also began their meal. Today’s menu included pickled cabbage and roasted beans.
“Grandma.”
“What?”
The sound of wooden utensils clinking against the dish echoed. Leon swallowed a mouthful of roasted beans.
“We’ll release the wolf and send it back to the forest. Don’t worry too much.”
The puppy, previously engrossed in its cabbage, lifted its head abruptly.
“To the forest?”
“I heard it from Mr. Demis. He said that even though we deem it currently docile, it might cause trouble someday. That’s within a wolf’s nature. Right now, it might just eat cabbage, but… we’re unsure of the future. I’ll be fine, but what if something happens to you, Grandma?”
Grandma chuckled, her snorting laughter resembling the puppy’s. Leon was slightly shocked by how much they bore a resemblance to one another.
“Even if I get eaten, you’ll be just fine. Don’t listen to others; decide for yourself. I regret letting that guy outside… I know you’re still worried about him.”
“Why would I be worried?”
“Do you think I don’t know about you bringing him to bed every night? The bed is covered in fur!”
Pretending not to have heard anything, Leon just chewed on the cabbage. The pickled cabbage crunched pleasantly in his mouth. Suddenly, he realized there was no sound coming from the area around his feet.
The puppy had stretched out its ears and tail, only looking at Leon. The cabbage in the dish had hardly diminished.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Whimper.
“Huh? You don’t like cabbage anymore? Should I give you meat again?”
The puppy tilted its head as if understanding the words. Using its front paws, it gently tapped Leon’s calf, emitting a whining sound whilst nuzzling its small head into his thigh.
“You understood what I said, didn’t you, you rascal.”
“I’m not saying I’ll abandon him… How does he understand human words?”
Even as he answered, Leon felt a bit uneasy. He always felt that the puppy understood his words. Guilty, Leon cupped the puppy’s face in both hands and kissed it right on its moist lips.
“Quickly eat. Huh? You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
The pink tongue protruded, licking Leon’s lips in return. Leon burst into laughter, standing up.
“It tickles.”
Clang!
The puppy, relieved after a single kiss, turned its attention back to the cabbage. Leon looked at Grandma with a smile on his face then flinched. Grandma’s gaze seemed…
“Damn it.”
“Oh, Grandma! He really does understand!”
“He’s a cunning little fox, that one.”
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Grandma clicked his tongue, lifted the empty bowl, and stood up.
Though she complained about the bed being covered in fur, Grandma didn’t forbid the puppy from entering Leon’s room.
Leon turned his gaze to the puppy, who was happily finishing the cabbage. The puppy still lifted the protected hind leg. Every time he saw that, Demis’s words came to mind.
“I’ll put a splint on it, but I’m not sure if he can ever walk like before…”
grandma doesn’t seem like a normal old woman either!!
That’s hilarious, the dog eating simple cabbage so happily 😂😂😂😂