Promise Me a Life With Three Meals and a Nap, Duke

It’s Not My Fault

“Risha, wake up!”

　With a shake on my shoulder, I was forcibly called back from the depths of sleep.

　I rubbed my sleepy eyes and woke up grumpily, only to see my husband in front of me.

　It’s too much to be greeted by such attractiveness.

“…What…Why are you here?”

　I complained vaguely with a groan, and then my husband picked me up without warning.

　All of a sudden, I couldn’t comprehend what was going on and was left to his mercy.

“We have a problem. It seems they were an unexpectedly strange species.”

　What?

　They? Unexpectedly strange?

　Without any idea of what was going on, Husband scooped me up from the bed and held me in his arms.

“Gasp!”

　What the hell’s going on?!

　Before I could complain, he opened the door to the balcony of the room and stepped outside.

“Look down.”

　After he brought me to the balcony of the room, he urged me to look down.

　My thinking ability has yet to catch up, so I did as I was told and looked down the balcony.

　A crowd was beginning to form there, watching something in the distance.

“…Big…he has grown, has he?”

　…Un, he’s gotten bigger. I’m pretty sure he’s quite small before I went to bed, wasn’t he? Huh? Am I dre-dreaming? 

　I can see a big, grayish creature.

　Will he look like that when he grows?…

“Woof!”

　Down my husband’s feet, a small fur ball barked as it peered out through the gap in the balcony railing.

　Ah, it’s so cute!

　But is it my imagination, or is the chain around his neck chewed off?

“Don’t try to escape reality, wake up.”

“I’m awake.”

　My husband let out a sigh because of my childish rejoinder.

“I can’t help it.”

　When I mumbled this, Husband hugged me back with one hand.

“Hya!”

　I almost lost my balance and clung to my husband’s neck.

　Hyaah, don’t carry me weirdly!

　What’s more, don’t catch me by surprise when changing positions!

　Before I could protest, Husband picked up the wuffling, tail-wagging little pup at his feet with his free hand and put his foot directly on the balcony.

“Eh?”

“Hold on tight.”

　After this brief instruction, he jumped down from my room on the second floor.

　I felt a soft floating sensation.

　I was held tightly but somehow unsteadily, so I clung to him in fright and wonder.

“Ahhhhhh!”

　Why are you jumping down?

　I almost bit my tongue!

　I mean, we could have just gotten out the front door! Why are you being so reckless? Do you know that normal people don’t think of jumping down?

　He is a very lawless man who sometimes moves very roughly.

　A fall from the second floor may not kill you, but it can seriously injure you.

　My heart is pounding like a clanging bell, and it’s not because my husband’s giving me the butterflies!

　In response to my cry, my husband approached the scene of the commotion with his long strides.

　Along the way, since I was wearing thin indoor nightclothes, and was barefoot, my husband did not put me down, but kept me in his arms.

　My husband, not caring about my weight, walked between the servants on either side.

“Ah, Risha-sama…”

　Michel was at the very front, and his eyes widened when he saw me and my husband.

　No, don’t say anything!

　That grin on your face! It’s nothing, you know? Really!

“So, what can I do to help? You’re in for a bit of trouble, Risha-sama.”

　Why are you dumping things on me?

　I don’t even know what’s going on!

　I don’t know why a big beast is just sitting there!

　There is a large beast lying on the ground, which can be seen from the second floor.

　It was lounging comfortably on the grass, as if to say that this was its place ―― its own territory.

　It was completely unconcerned, its head resting on its paws so naturally.

“Er…it came to pick…pick it up, right?”

“You’re pretty out of it. Look, it’s not usually that easy to locate someone. First off, it’s clearly unusual to follow a scent so far across the border.”

　I know.

　I was awakened from my comfort, so my head was suddenly stuck in a lot of places.

“Woof, woof-woof!”

　The pup that my husband lowered to the ground moved closer to the large beast that was happily relaxing.

　As they touched each other, perhaps they were greeting each other with the tip of their noses or perhaps checking each other out, the larger one was now gently licking the pup.

　The furball rolled about in delight and warmth.

　But this wasn’t the time for warmth!

“Um, is it here to pick him up?”

“I hope so.”

　Ah, yeah.

　Did I get what you’re implying?

　You mean he might stay, right?

　But they are wild animals, right? How can they prefer to live with people?

　If there were, they would have been domesticated long ago.

“At any rate, it’s not posing any threat to us, but…you can expect, it’ll be unfavorable if we’re told that a beast of this size was brought into the Imperial Capital without permission.”

　Michel said.

　He’s right.

　There are certain large beasts that can be brought into the Imperial Capital.

　Aside from that, you have to go through complicated processes, and if something happens, the owner is required to fully compensate. But in this case ――…there’s nothing we can do, right?

“Um…is it my fault?”

“I suppose you’re in charge for now. It was you who brought him back, Risha.”

　Who’s in charge?

　Hold there!

　It’s true that I’m the one who brought the pup back home, but I’m not the one who brought him to the Imperial Capital.

　And, what’s more, that large beast-sama came here on its own!

　I don’t know where it came from.

　For now, let’s ask for details from the first person to discover it, Husband!

　Of course, we’ll do it together, right?!