2
Chapter 2
Chapter 2. Crossing the Rainbow Bridge.
I pressed down on the fluffy clouds with my tiny feet.
Right after I struggled across the rainbow bridge, my toenails completely worn down!
The fluffy puppy's body and soul separated.
"Even if it's not your sister's daughter, I'll make you your sister's younger sibling."
I blinked my eyes, and when I opened them again.
Finally, my soul slipped into a child's body.
"Wow! This is so amazing!"
I waved my hands, which replaced my white tail, enthusiastically.
Then, information about this body flooded into my head.
A brand-new body freshly made by the Puppy God.
And perhaps thanks to the God's blessing?
Humans would recognize me as 'having lived with my family in a rural village until the age of five, then being adopted into my sister's family.'
"My name is Coco, just like before. I'm five years old!"
Plump hands like well-risen sweet potato bread.
Short, stubby arms and legs like turnips.
Even round and white feet!
A child with silver hair and purple eyes, very cool.
"I'm really my sister's sibling now!"
I jumped up from the bed where I had been lying quietly.
"I need to go see my sister quickly!"
But then.
As soon as I stood up, my arms and legs flailed around…
Thump, thud!
My tiny body fell to the floor with a thump.
"Ah…"
I encountered my first obstacle.
"Using a human body is not easy to get used to."
Walking on two legs after walking on four was incredibly difficult.
It felt like my body had become a huge log!
But I, Coco.
I will definitely succeed in this tremendous first step.
Because that's how I can go to see my sister.
"I came to save my sister, so this is nothing…!"
I lifted one leg with a determined grunt.
And so, I managed to stand up, albeit clumsily, on two feet.
"Success!"
I magnificently crushed the first danger!
I was wearing a proud expression when it happened.
A maid with brown hair, dressed in a maid's uniform, opened the door and came in.
"Young Miss, I heard a noise and came in. Are you alright?"
"Ah… Yes! I'm fine!"
"Then, shall we prepare to pack your things? You will have to leave the mansion soon…"
The meaning of leaving is…!
"Coco, walkies!"
"Yeah, yeah, walkies are so fun!"
I nodded vigorously, remembering my sister's voice.
Then the maid gave me a pitiful look.
"Not walkies… It means you have to leave the family."
"Huh…?"
I could see the paper in the maid's hand.
[Request for Eviction and Disownment]
"W-What kind of disownment is that…?"
"That means… that you will have to leave this mansion soon."
I opened my round mouth as wide as a dry sweet potato.
Five minutes after being happy that I had become my sister's sibling.
I was about to be kicked out of this house.
Not long ago, an Oracle descended upon the Ardos Duchy.
In short, <Adopt a baby blessed by God. The family will prosper thanks to this baby's Special Ability.>
The family quickly found a child who met the conditions of the Oracle.
A girl born to commoners.
Residing in a village near the southern sea.
Five years old.
Most importantly, a child who showed Stigmata when a sacred object was brought near!
That child was none other than me, Coco!
But…
"When we bring the 'sacred object' to the so-called <Blessed Baby>, Stigmata is supposed to appear. When we brought the sacred object to the Young Miss's body, Stigmata, the evidence of God's blessing, clearly appeared, so we brought her and registered her into the family…"
"…Th-Then?!"
"A month ago, the Stigmata suddenly disappeared… This is an unprecedented event, so many priests came to investigate, but don't you remember? It wasn't that long ago."
"Uh…"
…Puppy God, why is my setting like this!
It's a thorny path!
The maid looked very sorry.
I didn't understand half of it, but I replied bravely.
"But, um, if you examine me now, it might be different, you know? It might reappear!"
But she just shook her head.
"Duke Ardos has gone to the Northern Expedition. Even if we request a re-examination right away, it will be difficult to carry it out."
"Then do I have to leave now…?"
"Still, there was a time when the Stigmata appeared, and it's such an unprecedented event."
"…"
"For the time being, the disownment is on hold. Isn't that fortunate?"
The maid listed the disownment procedures.
First, Duke Ardos would confirm my Special Ability after returning.
After that, the priests would come again to check if there was no Stigmata. If I was not the blessed baby after that procedure, I would be disowned…
It was fortunate that I wasn't leaving the mansion right away, but I felt a little gloomy.
After all, it meant that I couldn't become 'real siblings' with my sister.
'But it's okay! There are usually many trials on the way to saving my sister.'
I came back to the human world to make my sister happy.
That's all I need to think about.
"And lastly… Intelligence that sparkles and rises in matters related to your sister."
It seemed like I couldn't do anything about the disownment right away.
Let's meet my sister first!
"Then, how can I meet Chloe Ardos?"
"Ch-Chloe? You want to meet a direct relative?"
"Yes!"
"Unless there is a special occasion, it will be difficult to meet the direct relatives separately. Especially Chloe. Even if you are adopted, it will probably be very difficult to meet her."
Thud.
It felt like a stone had fallen on my head.
The maid muttered sadly.
"Ah! But there is an exception."
"Huh!"
"It's possible if you make a great contribution. There was a child among our servants who made a great contribution and was granted an audience with the direct relatives."
As soon as I heard the words 'great contribution,' my confidence soared.
I stuck out my plump belly and said confidently.
"Making a great contribution is easy!"
"Yes? Young Miss, what do you mean…"
"It's my specialty!"
Regardless, I craned my neck and looked around.
'To make a contribution…'
Unfortunately, this was not a place to make a contribution.
'Then, I'll just walk to a place where I can make a contribution!'
I took a clumsy and magnificent step.
I will somehow meet my sister!
"Young Miss, where are you going?"
"…Huh?"
"You need to… potty. Potty."
…Droop.
My round, soft body was lifted up helplessly.
And so, I was forcibly laid back on the bed.
The first way to make a contribution.
Move alone!
But the maid was always by my side.
I pretended to be taking a nap, snoring softly.
Fortunately, I was originally a body that slept 20 hours a day.
So the maid was easily fooled.
The second way to make a contribution.
Sneak out of the annex around dusk.
'Puppies are very good at sneaking around!'
My sister used to praise me, saying, 'Our Coco is the best in the world at sneaking around and causing trouble.'
And it was easy to get out.
Sadly, I had already been judged as 'fake,' so there were hardly any people guarding me.
'Even if I walk for more than 10 minutes with my small, round feet, I can't go far…'
But fortunately, there was progress.
"Found it!"
I stared intently at the door of the fancy barn.
'Based on my experience of taking walks with my sister, the lawn in front of this barn is the best place to make a contribution!'
I'm glad this barn is nearby!
I opened the barn door with clumsy hands.
A trough full of fodder.
And, over there in the distance, the thing I'm looking for!
I was smiling excitedly when it happened.
A small noise leaked through the slightly opened door.
"Thunder is dying, this is a big problem. Ruth will be furious if she finds out."
He was the veterinarian I saw before I died, Dot.
"Chloe, we need to let him go. If we hold on any longer, Coco will be in too much pain…"
I shook my head to forget that voice that sounded like a hallucination.
Then I heard another veterinarian's voice.
"To report on his current condition, Thunder is very weak. He doesn't eat much food."
Come to think of it, I could see a horse through the crack in the barn door.
It was a horse with a dignified black mane.
'Is his name Thunder?'
Looking again, Thunder looked weak.
Even with a delicious carrot in front of him, there was no light in his eyes.
"I want to observe what's going on, but… he kicks the servants if they get close. Because of that, several servants have broken ribs…"
Perhaps that's why everyone was standing far away from the horse.
The veterinarian sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"We can't even tie him up and observe him. Ruth cherishes Thunder so much."
Ruth? If it's Ruth Ardos!
He's our sister's older brother.
He's very prickly and wind rushes from his hands.
My sister told me not to go near him even if I see him later because he's scary, and she showed me his portrait!
'Ruth must have cherished Thunder as much as our sister cherishes me.'
It must be so hard when you're sick. Poor thing…
But I didn't have time to feel sorry for Thunder.
What's important to me is making a contribution to meet my sister.
I secretly hid in the blind spot outside the barn.
And waited with bated breath until Dot and his friends left.
Finally, inside the barn alone.
I carefully looked around and then tiptoed to the corner of the barn.
And finally.
"A ball!"
I found an old ball that I used to play with my sister and hid!
It's been a year, but it's still here, so the servants must not be cleaning well!
Anyway, it was incredibly good for me.
"Hehe!"
Next to Thunder, who was lying as still as a mouse.
I very carefully set up the ball.
"I-Is it done?"
I resisted the urge to ask someone to throw the ball for me, and after setting up the ball on the floor for 10 minutes.
The ball that was rolling stopped.
"I finally set up the ball!"
I bounced up and down and smiled brightly.
"Now I can meet our sister!"
But right then.
The horse next to me, Thunder, yawned widely.
Then he muttered as if looking at an idiot.
"You're really an idiot. Usually, setting up a ball doesn't mean that."
"Huh? Then what does it mean?"
When I looked at the horse and asked, the ball rolled away on the floor.
'Another failure!'
I drooped my shoulders and picked up the ball again.
But Thunder didn't seem to care about my ball rolling away and suddenly stood up.
"Wh-Wh-What, what is it? Did you answer me?"