SVPW 06

Chapter 6

“Hmm… In my limited opinion, I don’t think it’s that kind of illness.”

“Then why is it vomiting like that and causing such a commotion?”

The puppy looked weak, and it did feel like something foreign had been swallowed and was lingering inside its body—but it didn’t seem like a disease.

Normally, when something festers inside the body, I can sense the pain along with a burning sensation, like being scorched by fire. But I wasn’t feeling anything like that right now.

“It looks like it simply swallowed something it shouldn’t have.”

“What? It swallowed something wrong? Then hurry and get it out!”

“We can’t force it out. It’s not right after it swallowed it, so it can’t throw it up anymore… The best option right now is…”

“What?”

“Give it plenty of water and wait until it comes out with its stool.”

“…Stool?”

“Yes. Poop.”

I nodded. If it had already passed into the digestive system, the only option was to wait for it to come out that way.

At my answer, the Third Prince’s face twisted in disgust. He must have imagined something coming out in poop.

“…What did it swallow?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to see when it comes out. But it doesn’t seem sharp or dangerous. There was no blood in the vomit.”

At my explanation, the Third Prince nodded and let out a relieved sigh. But then he quickly hardened his gaze again and spoke to me.

“You’re not some quack, are you?”

Oh, come on. This brat.

Calling me—a beastkin—a fraud!

If nothing else, when it comes to animals, my senses are far more developed than those of humans!

“…You can trust me.”

“Hmph. Even the palace physicians can’t guarantee anything, yet a mere maid like you—”

“They’re doctors who treat people…?”

Do I really have to explain every little thing?

“…Well. If you were chosen by the Crown Prince, you can’t be completely useless…”

Suddenly, a faint blush appeared on the young prince’s face.

What was that reaction?

Calling his own brother “Your Highness” was already strange enough—but why was he blushing?

“Anyway! Since you examined him, you’re responsible!”

“…Excuse me?”

Responsible for what? I blinked in confusion.

“You’re responsible until Ludwig Spencer Verdi the Third gets whatever he swallowed out—whether it’s in poop or whatever!”

…This brat.

The Third Prince had started throwing a tantrum.

And here I was, someone who needed to run away from the imperial palace today.

“Whine…”

At that moment, as if it understood the situation, the puppy whimpered softly while looking at me.

‘Oh dear.’

Even in its weak state, the puppy’s eyes sparkled as it wagged its tail.

This is why I’m weak against animals.

Maybe it’s because I’m beastkin—or maybe animals are simply warm toward anyone—but when they wag their tails like that, how can you not grow attached?

‘Sigh.’

And if what the puppy swallowed was actually a jewel…

‘No wonder there’s a joke that whenever something goes wrong in the palace, they start by looking for the Third Prince.’

The words the maids had been gossiping about suddenly came to mind.

‘Maybe I’ll just check the poop before leaving.’

And while I’m at it, I can make sure the puppy recovers safely.

“…Alright.”

Impulsively, I accepted the Third Prince’s proposal.

His face brightened instantly. His eyes sparkled, and he looked like he might start clapping his hands.

“Hmm! Good! You’ll come here until Ludwig Spencer Verdi the Third recovers!”

Looking at him now, he seemed a bit cute. Just earlier he had looked like a screeching little demon.

“Don’t force it to eat anything, and make sure it gets plenty of water. I’ll come check on it again tomorrow.”

At my words, the Third Prince nodded vigorously.

“My name is Michael. What’s yours?”

“Ah… I’m…”

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Please call me Rosha.”

I really didn’t want to reveal my real name to people in the palace.

“Alright. Rosha.”

How did things end up like this?

“Thank goodness. If that puppy had really been terminally ill, we might have been kicked out of the palace.”

On the way back from the Third Prince’s palace.

In my hands was a basket filled with bread they had given me as thanks.

Ella, who seemed to think we had become close, hooked her arm around mine and chattered nonstop about the Third Prince’s palace.

“The Third Prince isn’t usually difficult, but when he gets angry sometimes no one can stop him.”

“Does he have a bad temper?”

“Not really. It’s more like a child’s mood swings. He has a tendency to snap suddenly.”

“Hmm.”

Thinking about it, that matched the image of Prince Michael I had just seen.

“But he’s not stingy with rewards. If Ludwig Spencer Verdi the Third recovers safely, he might give you a reward too.”

“A reward?”

I wasn’t exactly hoping for one… but if they offered, there was no reason to refuse.

“Usually what kind of reward…?”

“Hmm. Usually money or jewels.”

Je… jewels?

At that beautiful, touching word, my eyes widened.

“Just for doing a good job?”

“He’s very impulsive. A maid in the sewing room who made clothes for him once received fifty gold coins because he liked the outfit.”

Gulp.

Suddenly the image of that little brat from earlier appeared in my memory—with a halo behind him.

I almost failed to recognize a good person!

“He cares a lot about Ludwig Spencer Verdi the Third, so you might have something to look forward to.”

For some reason, the corners of my mouth kept rising.

I didn’t want to act so materialistic… but given the situation…

I must see that poop!

I strengthened my determination.

“Ah!”

Suddenly Ella stopped and shouted. Startled, I looked at her.

“We greet the little sun of the Empire, His Highness the Crown Prince!”

What?

At her words, I looked ahead in shock.

There stood a blond man in a neat white uniform, just like before.

“Lively as always.”

The Crown Prince greeted Ella, who seemed familiar with him.

“And the one beside you?”

He asked, looking at me.

“Ah…”

Why was I suddenly stammering? For some reason, meeting the man’s blue eyes made my body and mouth freeze.

“This is Rosha. She’s the maid Your Highness recently brought in to take care of the weasel! She just arrived today, so this must be your first time seeing her!”

“Ah. I see.”

The Crown Prince nodded.

Somehow the lie I had made earlier seemed to be turning into an established fact.

Soon the Crown Prince smiled faintly and said to me,

“I look forward to working with you.”

A gentle voice. A formal smile.

For some reason, everything about his actions felt artificial—like they were carefully constructed.

‘When he looked at me in my weasel form… his emotions seemed more natural.’

Why was I judging the Crown Prince when I had only seen him a few times? I found myself strange.

“P-Please take care of me!”

Since it seemed I’d have to stay here for a few more days, I should make a good impression.

While bowing at a perfect ninety degrees, the bread in my basket almost fell out—but I quickly caught it with nimble reflexes.

“Have you met the weasel?”

The Crown Prince asked.

“Ah… yes!”

Well, it was me, so there wasn’t much to meet.

“How was it?”

“What… oh. Um… it seemed healthy.”

“I gave it a snake as food yesterday, but it fainted. Is that common?”

Of course it wasn’t. Yesterday’s embarrassing memory flashed through my mind.

“…Some of them can be picky eaters.”

“Picky? Have you figured out what it likes?”

“Yes. Apparently it doesn’t eat raw food.”

“…?”

Both the Crown Prince and Ella looked puzzled.

“An animal that doesn’t eat raw food?”

“Yes. Animals have diverse tastes.”

“Interesting.”

“Actually, it prefers fruit!”

“…Isn’t a weasel a carnivore?”

“It’s an omnivore. An omnivore.”

Because I like it! Don’t bring weird stuff!

“…You talk as if you’ve had a conversation with the animal.”

Oops. I got too immersed in discussing the menu.

“…I’m simply very competent.”

“Hmm.”

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“If you’d like to test it, it’ll eat this very well.”

I held out the bread basket to him. His gaze fell on it, disbelief written across his face.

“Especially the one with strawberry jam…”

Because that’s what I want to eat right now.

The Crown Prince looked hesitant for a moment—but only for a moment.

“…Very well. Let’s test it.”

Fortunately, he wasn’t a rigid person.

I politely handed him the basket and bowed again.

“Then I’ll be going!”

At this rate, I had to return to my room as quickly as possible!

I quickly grabbed Ella’s wrist and ran down the corridor—then suddenly stopped.

“Oh! Your Highness! Weasels are nocturnal, so please cover its house with cloth during the day. And absolutely—absolutely do not lift it! It becomes extremely vicious!”

Just in case the Crown Prince tried to find me during the day, I laid the groundwork in advance.

Just for a few days—let’s keep the deception going.

Then I ran down the corridor.

“….”

After the new maid Rosha stormed away down the hallway like a gust of wind, Shavelian looked at the bread basket now in his hands.

He briefly wondered how he had ended up holding it.

“No matter how omnivorous it is…”

Sweet bread for a weasel?

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been scammed. Still, she was a maid specially selected as an expert, so she couldn’t be completely wrong.

“Hmm.”

Though he remained slightly doubtful, doing something was better than letting the weasel starve.

So Shavelian carried the bread basket—covered with a towel embroidered with cute little strawberries that didn’t suit him at all—and headed toward his room.