Chapter 19
19
Chapter 5. I've Decided on My Future Dream (1)
"Kkiing, kkiing!"
Evelyn, held in my arms, made a cute sound, unable to bear the stuffiness.
'Puppies are the best…'
I felt like my nose would bleed.
I could understand why Maria sometimes tormented me, saying, "Cry for me, Shana!" in a perverted voice.
'Cute! So freaking cute!'
Everything was cute, but if I had to pick, the cutest things were the drool falling from her mouth as she slept soundly, the whimpers she made when she belatedly realized she was uncomfortable, and the way her round belly, full from eating, rose and fell with her breath.
'No. I can't say that's all.'
The insignificant teeth visible between her black lips were cute, the shape of her moist, cracked nose was cute, the black eyes that checked me when I stroked her were cute, and the short limbs that drooped as she closed her eyes again after seeing me were cute…
'Isn't everything cute? This is difficult. I can't choose.'
Her limbs were short and chubby, and there were jelly pads on the bottom of her feet. What was this? Was this some kind of ultimate weapon? Was this a structure designed to explode my heart?
"Shana, your expression is very serious," Maria said.
"Did the puppy do something wrong?" Ella asked.
"Should we punish her?"
Maria and Ella asked. What, punish my baby?
"No. I'm adoring her."
Just try to punish her.
"Weren't you glaring?"
"No! I'm wondering what she ate to be so cute…"
What does she have to eat and poop out for such a cute creature to be completed? Maria burst into laughter at my confession filled with curiosity.
"What are you talking about? We think Shana is much cuter."
"We were wondering how she could be so cute when she grew up drinking Bailey's milk."
Ella said something amazing as if it were nothing. So Bailey wasn't here. Bailey had gone to the kitchen to get my lunch.
"Bailey's son isn't as cute as Shana, either."
"So we concluded that what you eat has no effect on a creature's cuteness."
"You're both being too harsh on Bailey…"
It was funny how they seemed to respect Bailey, but were openly ruthless.
"Kkiing."
"Yes, Evelyn. Evelyn is cute."
"Is Shana going to say that all day?"
Maria asked in a somewhat sulky voice.
'Was I being a bit much?'
I had slept in relatively late today. I was short on sleep because of the commotion in the middle of the night.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I checked the seat next to me. Evelyn was curled up and sleeping on the cushion as if it were a lie, and I felt relieved.
Mother and Father came to me before breakfast, as they did every day, and gave me a good morning kiss.
'We're weak for you after all, Shana.'
And they gave Evelyn a necklace as a gift. It was a gold necklace with a red jewel that matched her black fur.
'Honestly, since it's Mom, I feel like she's done something to it.'
I wanted to take it off because I didn't know what kind of magic she might have put on it, but I couldn't undo the metal clasp with my hands.
My short, chubby fingers were not yet capable of delicate work. Shiiik.
'Mom must have known this and deliberately made it a gold necklace, for sure…'
But on the other hand, I didn't think my parents would have given Evelyn a harmful necklace. If it were a dog collar or something, I would have cried and taken it off, but it was gold… and the jewel looked expensive…
Evelyn, I'll definitely take it off for you when I grow up. Just bear with it a little longer.
Accepting a Shifter and allowing her to stay by my side must have been a big concession for my parents.
"You need to eat, so put the puppy down now. Evelyn, come here."
Evelyn, held in my arms, glanced at me.
What was that? Was she only going to listen to me? What was that? She was already cute, but if she did this, if she did this…
"Cute! I'm going to kiss you!"
"Sh, Shana!"
I kissed Evelyn's head with a smack, and she transformed into her human form, startled and stepping back.
Unlike yesterday, when she was wearing rags, she looked quite neat today. She was wearing this last night, too.
Evelyn was wearing a maid uniform made of navy and white, like Maria and Ella, but it was smaller than theirs, so it looked like a school uniform to me.
"Evelyn looks cool! Awesome! She even has clothes!"
This was a fascinating sight no matter how many times I saw it. I unknowingly sparkled my eyes and clapped my hands until they hurt.
Evelyn grabbed my clapping hands and said, "Your palms hurt."
"No. More than that, Evelyn, how did you do that with the clothes? Do they just appear when you transform?"
"The clothes I was wearing return. I don't really know the principle. I'll ask Renat later and let you know."
"Abilities? More?"
"Ah, you mean something like this?"
Evelyn raised her hand above her head. Dog ears popped out from her hair.
"Heok…"
"Shana?!"
My heart…
"Too, too cute…"
"Yes?"
"Evelyn, ca, can I touch them just once?"
Evelyn's eyes widened. Was I being too rude after all…? I clasped my hands together with a nervous feeling. Evelyn soon smiled and offered me her head.
"You can touch me as much as you want, Shana. I like it."
"Hheuk…"
"Shana? A, are you crying?"
"No……"
I'm just…… too happy……
I reached out and gently touched her soft ears. The soft texture and warm body temperature seemed to stick to my fingertips. Even if Evelyn wasn't next to me for a while, the feeling on my hands would surely not disappear.
'Mina, your sister's wish has come true…'
Raising a dog was a long-cherished wish of our sisters, who had to move often because we were passed around to relatives' houses when we were young.
When our family finally lived together, Mom was in the hospital, and the family situation was so bad that we felt guilty even mentioning our hope of raising a dog, so we both pretended to forget about it…
"Okay, Shana. I know you're happy, but it's time to eat now."
"Ah, okay!"
Bailey said, pushing the cart in. Ella and Maria, who had been whispering to each other, were now quiet, as if they had always been quiet. How sneaky. They should have told me, too.
"Evelyn. Come here, too. You need to eat."
"Yes?"
"What do you mean, 'Yes?' Come here and sit down. You only drank a glass of milk this morning. Aren't you getting hungry?"
Maria muttered, as if for Bailey to hear, "You've become very benevolent, Bailey, as if you've become a mother." Bailey's expression hardened slightly.
I secretly wished Maria good luck. She does that even though she knows she'll get scolded.
"No, I'm not hungry…"
"Just come here, Evelyn, before your stomach growls."
"……"
That's all my experience.
Evelyn hesitated but carefully lowered her butt.
She must have been very hungry. Bailey took a plate out of the bottom of the cart and gave it to Evelyn.
Evelyn's meal was meat, meat, meat.
"Wow…"
There was a mountain of meat…
The luscious texture, the glossy sauce, and the fragrant smell stimulated my nose. It was an adult's food that I had never eaten in my life!
"Here, eat."
"……Um, Bailey…"
"Yes, Shana."
"Me, too……"
"No."
She was like a knife.
"Hey! You know what I was going to say!"
"You were going to say you wanted to eat what Evelyn was eating, right?"
"……"
"No. Evelyn is a Shifter, so she needs to eat a lot of meat, but…"
"I like meat, too! And Evelyn is a puppy! She needs to eat vegetables, too!"
"Of course, I'll take care of that. I've prepared it."
"Why can't I have it?"
Why…… can't I have it……? I suddenly felt like I was possessed by a tragic heroine and teared up. Bailey flinched.
Give me seasoned food, too. Salt! Pepper!
My long-suppressed desire for salty and sweet food was about to explode in the face of the feast of glossy steaks before me.
"I've prepared meat for Shana, too. Look, here."
"No! Not that!"
Meat! Glossy meat! Seasoned meat!
Peppered meat! Salted meat!
I'm not even asking for seasoned chicken…… Fried chicken, too…… I'll make it myself later since it's fried……
But I'm already three years old, isn't it too much to not season my food yet? Isn't that too much……? It's not like I asked you to make kimchi……
'Even if you're an overprotective mom! In modern times! There are unavoidable situations when you eat out!'
I had never been outside the house garden except when I was kidnapped, so I didn't even have the chance to eat out.
Even though the house is so big! The garden is like an amusement park, and I haven't even seen it all yet! So it's not stuffy at all!
What I want is! Salt!
Honestly, meat without salt was hard to chew and I didn't even want to eat it. I had been steadily eating meat just because it was meat.
I could feel the original taste of the food, but that didn't mean I could enjoy it.
My brain may not remember, but my soul does. The thrilling saltiness and the secret greasiness are engraved in my soul, not my brain.
'Even when we were struggling and had no money, Mina and I would order delivery once a month and eat that depraved taste…… We knew it was bad for us, but we paid a lot of money to buy it.'
The longing exploded.
"I don't want it! I won't eat it if you don't give me meat!"
"You've never been picky before, but suddenly…"
"It's not good!"
"The chef will cry if he hears that."
"……Huu……. It's not that it doesn't taste good, it's just bland……"
"……"
"It's bland…"
I pretended to sob, and a tear actually fell. I wiped away a tear and……
Chomp.
"Ah, Shana! What are you doing!"
"I'll give it to you, I'll give you seasoned food, so don't do this!"
Bailey said almost crying. The joy of succeeding was short-lived. Bailey, Ella, Maria, and even Evelyn looked embarrassed.
'I'm a picky eater right now……'
I was strongly struck by reality.
