CH 21

Words : 1121 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

I Decided to go Shopping “Guff!” “Ahh! Leo is amazing!” Tilura seemed to be enjoying the speed at which Leo ran. While the branch I had thrown was drawing an arch in the air as it fell, Leo ran like the wind and caught it in her mouth. And with her jaw clamped tightly around the tree branch, she came running back to me. “Woah. Good job, Leo!” “Wou! Wou!” “Leo is amazing!” I took the branch from Leo’s mouth, and since she lowered her head so that I could reach it, I patted her affectionately. Perhaps Tilura was copying me, as she too began to gently pat Leo on the back. Ah, the branch was broken… Well, it should be expected, given her momentum when grabbing it. Next…let’s see… I wasn’t able to throw it very far, so it was too easy for her. In that case… “Alright. Leo, I’m going to throw multiple branches at the same time! Can you catch them?” “You can do it, Leo!” “Wou!” I sensed that Leo was saying that she would catch them all. And so I held the remaining branches and threw four of them together in the same direction as the first, but kept one. Leo jumped out at the same time and caught the first one in the air. And then she moved on to the next branch. And as I watched, I turned in a different direction… If Leo’s direction was 12 o’clock, then I was at 3 o’clock as I threw the last remaining branch. This one went farther and faster. Would Leo be able to catch it? …Perhaps I was being a little mean…I would apologize to Leo about it later. But as I was thinking this, Leo turned around on paws that moved too fast for my eyes to follow, and then she caught the other branch. Uh, there were five branches in her mouth… Ah, so she had caught all of them…that’s amazing, Leo. Even I was surprised. However, Tilura did look like she was about to fall off. Things could get a little dangerous, so I would stop it here. “Wou…wuff!” Leo returned and offered me the branches with a proud look on her face. “That was incredible, Leo! You moved so quickly and caught all of them!” Tilura was also very excited as she rode on Leo’s back. “Leo, I really didn’t think you would be able to catch them all. That was amazing.” Leo looked a little smug as I praised her and patted her on the head. “How was it, Tilura?” “Yes, it was fun! I’ve never had so much fun in my life!” “That’s good to hear.” Ah, I realized that I wasn’t using formal language with Tilura. But perhaps it wasn’t necessary with children. Children seem to prefer it if you talk from their level. Regardless, I continued to play with Leo and Tilura in the back garden for some time after that. “Mr. Takumi, it’s nearly time for lunch.” “Mr. Takumi, the food has been prepared, so please come to the drawing room.” We seemed to have forgotten the time as we played until Ms. Claire and Sebastian called out to us. And so we all returned to the mansion in order to eat. As Tilura had been playing since finishing breakfast, she looked a little tired now. Well, she had been ill until recently. So we should probably not play anymore today…it would not be good for her. Besides, I also felt rather tired after being made to play with Leo and Tilura. But in spite of all that running, Leo did not look tired at all. And she wagged her tail with great expectation as she headed towards the drawing room. Just like during the morning, we sat around the table and ate some delicious food. Once Tilura had eaten enough, she began to rub her eyes, as if tired after all the excitement. Perhaps she took naps after lunch? Children should eat and sleep well so that they can grow. Ms. Claire smiled as she watched her sister. And then she suddenly opened her mouth as if remembering something. “By the way, Mr. Takumi. We will have to do something about your lack of personal effects.” Ah… It’s true that I did come here empty handed. The only thing I had were my clothes and a handkerchief. I didn’t even have my phone or pocket book… “Ah, but… I don’t have any money with me…” “There’s no need to worry about that. This house will pay for whatever it is that you need. After all, we owe you a debt for saving Tilura and myself. This is nothing in comparison.” Hmm. She had kept speaking of gratitude and debts since yesterday, and had prepared a room and meals for me. But I didn’t want to continue to rely on their hospitality…that being said, the fact was that I was dead broke. So for now, I would have to accept their help. Besides, being too modest could look rude. I would just borrow the money and repay it when I could. Yes, I would tell that to Sebastian. …Because I had a feeling that Ms. Claire would hear nothing of repaying them. “…Well, then. I will be grateful for your help. I really don’t have anything with me…” “Yes. Please don’t hesitate to accept it. Now, I think we should head out to town after lunch so that we can go shopping.” “To the town? After lunch?” “These sorts of things should be taken care of quickly. Besides, it is a short trip if you go by horse. We will be able to return on the same day.” “I see. Very well. Thank you.” “Good.” The town, huh… I hadn’t seen any other buildings on my way to this mansion while riding Leo, but I suppose it was a few kilometers away from here. If we could return on the same day, then it wouldn’t be too far. But more importantly, I didn’t know how to ride on a horse… “Must I ride horseback? I’ve never done that before…” “Don’t worry. We have a carriage here that you can use. Then it won’t matter if you’ve ridden one before or not.” “If you are to go by carriage, then I will drive you.” “Wou! Wuff! Wuff!” Oh, what is it? Leo? Up until a second ago she had been preoccupied with eating her sausages. But she suddenly interrupted my conversation with Ms. Claire and Sebastian. Could it be that she…

CH 21

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