Chapter 9

Guided by two maids, Leo and I made our way to the guest room.

The guest room we were led to was spacious, probably large enough for over ten people to comfortably spend time in.

That chandelier hanging from the ceiling... I've never seen one before.

It must be quite a hassle to light the candles in such a high place.

"Please wait a moment while I prepare the tea. ...What would you like, Master Leo...?"

"Ah, just water or milk, please."

"Understood. Then..."

"Please wait a moment!"

"Don't worry about it."

The maid bowed and left the room, but I wonder if saying "don't worry about it" in such a situation is a Japanese trait.

Before the door closed, I saw Gerda smiling a little.

...I guess it's good that the tension was relieved since I was so nervous.

Thinking that, I decided to move to the table in the middle of the room and sit down.

Leo came to sit beside me, lying down.

It seems he's relaxed, which is a relief. If Leo isn't on guard, it probably means there's no danger.

The orcs must have sensed it too.

Still, I don't think Claire would do anything dangerous to someone she invited, but just in case.

I'm a bit cautious since I'm in an unknown place, possibly even another world.

...I haven't completely ruled out the possibility that this is a dream yet.

"Wau?"

"Maybe it's not a dream. I still can't believe Leo has grown so big."

"Waf Waf"

"Leo, do you want to play?"

"Waf!"

While petting Leo, who seemed eager to play, I looked around the guest room.

"...I guess we can't play here."

"...Waf"

Leo is so big that several people could ride on his back.

Even lying down, his head is at my eye level when I'm sitting.

I'm glad this mansion is so large.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been enough space for Leo to come inside.

Still, even with the spacious guest room, there's no place to play with Leo.

...Maybe we can go out to the garden later.

But I need to be careful not to break anything, as the garden I saw from the gate to the entrance was quite impressive.

While thinking about this and petting Leo's head, there was a knock on the guest room door, and it opened.

"Excuse me, I've brought the tea."

"Here it is!"

Laila, skillfully pouring the tea into white cups, bowed while still holding the tray.

Gerda still seemed nervous.

"Please."

"Thank you."

She came to where I was sitting and quietly placed the cups on the table in front of me.

Gerda had brought a large container, probably the size of a bucket, filled with milk.

She placed it in front of Leo hesitantly.

...Leo does look like a scary wolf just by appearance.

I can understand why women might be afraid.

"Leo, say 'itadakimasu' and drink it properly."

"Wau! ...Waf Waf"

Leo barked once to acknowledge me, then turned to Gerda and barked lightly.

It must be Leo's way of saying "itadakimasu."

Gerda flinched when Leo barked at her, but she seemed to realize it was Leo's greeting and said "please" in a small voice.

Since Leo started drinking the milk enthusiastically, I decided to drink my tea too.

"...Hmm. It's delicious."

"Thank you."

"Waf!"

"...Thank you."

Leo also seemed to give his honest opinion to Gerda.

I drank the tea almost all at once because it was so delicious.

Leo drank it quickly too, and it seems we're quite similar.

They say the owner and the dog resemble each other, and it might be true.

...I feel a bit embarrassed.

"Would you like a refill?"

"...Yes, please."

"Understood."

She refilled my cup from the pot she had brought with the cups.

The pleasant aroma of tea filled the air again.

By the way, is this tea?

I'm not very knowledgeable, but I've had tea from cans and bottles before.

It has a fresher taste and aroma than those.

Enjoying the tea is nice, but I'm a bit concerned that Gerda is still afraid of Leo.

It might be inevitable given his appearance, but maybe talking to her will ease her fear a bit.

"...Miss Gerda, right?"

"Yes!"

"Leo doesn't attack people, so you don't need to be afraid."

"...I'm sorry."

"I apologize, Takumi-sama. Gerda, it's not appropriate to show such behavior to guests!"

"...Yes."

"Ah, no, no. I'm not angry. Leo's appearance is indeed scary. I understand why women might be afraid."

"I found Master Leo to be quite adorable."

"Really?"

"Yes. He stays close to you, Takumi-sama, and seems to be protecting his master. Also, he made small sounds to avoid scaring Gerda. Despite his large size, he seems somewhat cute."

"Hehe. That's true, Leo is a girl, so she's more cute than scary."

"...She's a girl?"

Laila seemed to find Leo's gestures cute.

Gerda was surprised to learn that Leo is a female.

"Like Miss Gerda, Leo is a cute girl. If possible, please try not to be afraid."

"...I'm cute... Ah... Yes, I understand!"

"Hehe, Takumi-sama, you're quite good with words."

"No, I just said what I thought."

Gerda seemed nervous all the time, and I thought she looked cute as a new maid trying her best.

Not just the atmosphere, but she actually looks cute too... Since I came here, I've only seen beautiful people, like Claire, the maids, Sebastian, who is an elegant gentleman despite his age, and the other butlers I've seen...

...I feel a bit out of place with my ordinary face.

"Wau... Waf Waf"

"What is it, Leo? Are you comforting me?"

"Wau Wau"

Leo, noticing that I was a bit down, came close to comfort me.

Thanks, Leo.

But if you lick my face right after drinking milk, it will get all over me, so let's stop that... I wiped my face with a handkerchief from my pocket.

It's a bit embarrassing to be seen by Laila and Gerda with such a smile.

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