Jasper's New Family
The journey by carriage had taken considerable time, and Bayul and his party did not reach the main estate until nearly evening. Tempesta had returned partway through the trip, which had lightened the atmosphere inside the carriage somewhat, but Death's expression remained as sour as ever. Bayul found himself wondering anew just what could have happened between him and the High Spirit of Water to put him in such a state.
The carriage carrying Derrick went straight to his residence. The knowledge that he would have to confine his own cousin weighed on Bayul with a quiet guilt, but there was nothing to be done until his father returned home.
"Young Master Bayul! Young Master Bayul!"
Just as she had in Carrington, Rita came sprinting up the moment the carriage rolled to a stop. The other servants emerged to greet him as well, but none of them could match Rita's fervor.
"Are you hurt anywhere? Did everything with the mine go smoothly? Oh, thank goodness you came back safe!"
The ice mine lay in such a treacherous region that her worry had been beyond measure. Rita circled around Bayul, scanning him carefully for even the slightest injury.
"Rita, everyone's watching. Easy now."
"…Why? Am I embarrassing you?"
"That's not it. You remember I was on my way back from rescuing the workers trapped in the mine. You should have been worrying about them first, not me."
"Well, yes, but……"
You matter more to me than they do, Young Master!
Bayul didn't need to hear the rest to know what she would say. How could he not understand the feeling?
With a look of quiet gratitude, he gently patted Rita's head and asked, "Nothing strange happened here while I was away?"
"No, nothing. Same as always. Have you eaten yet?"
"Young Master Bayul, you've returned?"
Just as Rita was fussing over his dinner, Butler Cunning, who had been at work in his office, hurried out belatedly and bowed to Bayul.
"Yes, Butler Cunning. I'm back safe and sound. And all the mine workers made it through unharmed, so there's no need to worry."
Bayul delivered the news before the old man could even ask.
"Ah! Thank goodness!"
It had been weighing on his mind all along, in fact. The moment Butler Cunning sighed in relief, the gathered servants finally let out their own exclamations of relief as well.
"Good heavens! What blessed fortune is this!"
"Aigoo, the gods must have been watching over them! What a mercy!"
"That's one weight off my heart!"
For a mine to collapse with not a single death—it truly was the sort of thing that could only happen with divine aid. Praise for Duke Randert poured out in one voice after another, everyone declaring it was all thanks to His Grace.
"I'd like to explain everything once we're inside, but… there are some things I need to discuss as well."
"…Things you need to discuss?"
"Yes."
With his father away, the only person Bayul could rely on was Butler Cunning. He wanted to tell him about Derrick first and hear his counsel.
"Oh, wait—where's Jasper?"
Just as he was about to head inside, Bayul paused with a sudden sense that something was off. Usually, by now, Jasper would have come bounding over to throw himself at Bayul, but the dog was nowhere to be seen.
"Did he go out for a walk on his own?"
"Ah, well, you see……"
"Arf! Arf!"
The very moment Rita opened her mouth to explain, Jasper came tearing toward them from the distance, running with all his might. Whatever he'd been up to, his entire body was caked in mud.
"Arf! Arf-arf!"
Overjoyed at seeing his master for the first time in days, the dog bounced around and barked his head off.
"Hey there, Jasper. Been keeping well?"
"Arf!"
"But what's gotten into you? Why are you so worked up?"
It went beyond simply being happy to see Bayul. There was clearly something more to it.
"He's fallen head over heels for someone lately."
"Head over heels? For what?"
"You'll be surprised when you see. Right, Jasper?"
"Arf! Arf!"
"What is it, then? Why do you two get to know and not me?"
"Come see for yourself."
Rita walked ahead, beckoning him to follow. And the moment Bayul arrived at the spot, he understood at once why Jasper had been romping about in such delight.
Waiting to greet him were puppies that looked exactly like Jasper. When had the rascal gotten married, exactly? A lovely wife and four adorable pups stood before him.
For a long while, Bayul couldn't take his eyes off them as he gazed down at the miracle of new life. The way the little ones squirmed and wriggled, searching for their mother's milk, was so endearing that his throat tightened for a moment.
"You rascal, you're that happy?"
Jasper rolled gleefully in the dirt at the sight of his brood. It was easy to guess why the dog was in such a state.
"How did this happen?"
"I only found out yesterday. He was gone for ages and wouldn't show up no matter how I searched, so I combed the entire estate. And there he was, doing this."
There was something curiously wounded in Rita's voice.
"While you and I were away in Carrington, he was off having a romance, apparently. And here I was, missing him so much I cried some nights. How could he?"
"Arf! Arf!"
"Quiet! What exactly did you do so right?"
When Rita made a show of thumping her fist against her palm, Jasper hastily backed away, tail low. For all his faults, the rascal was still quick on his feet.
"Where did the mother come from? I've never seen her before."
"I'm not sure either. This is just my guess, but I think he ran into her while out on his walks."
"On his walks?"
"Yes. He brought his lady home, so to speak."
"A lady who was already pregnant, no less."
"The scoundrel really pulled off quite the mischief, didn't he?"
Rita shot Jasper a resentful glare.
"Make sure she's fed properly, first of all. Nursing four pups will take a lot out of her."
"I've been boiling up meat broth for her since this morning as it is. See that empty bowl over there?"
Where Rita pointed sat a single bowl, cleaned so thoroughly it had clearly already been washed. The fact that not a scrap had been left was a good sign that the mother dog's health was holding up well.
"I suppose we should start with names, shouldn't we? What should we call them?"
Jasper had found a mate. New members had joined the household. Coming up with names for the mother and all four pups would take some real thought.
"I've been calling her Ruby for now."
"Ruby?"
"Yes, well, Jasper's a gemstone name too, isn't it? So I was thinking about which gem would suit her, and among the ones I know, Ruby felt like the prettiest."
"Ruby works for me. I like it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I do. Jasper, what about you? I'm thinking we'll call her Ruby from now on. Is that all right?"
"Arf! Arf-arf-arf!"
The dog worked himself up into another excited frenzy of barking. It meant only one thing: absolutely, wholeheartedly yes.
"He's completely smitten with Ruby, isn't he."
"Tell me about it. Aren't you a little hurt by that?"
"I won't pretend I'm not a bit wistful, but we've got five lovely new members of the family. That's a wonderful thing, isn't it?"
"Well, they are cute, I suppose……"
Gruff though her words were, Rita's gaze as she watched Ruby and her pups was endlessly warm. She was, after all, a hopeless animal lover herself.
"Jasper, can you raise your pups well as guard dogs too?"
"Arf! Arf!"
"You really think you're up to it?"
"Arf!"
As if to say just trust him, Jasper lifted his head high and answered. Bayul, struck by the proud bearing of the animal, decided to give him a pass—for now.
"All right, then. I'll be watching to see how splendidly you raise them, so you'd better do it right."
"Arf! Arf!"
Was it because he'd become a father? In just a few days, Jasper somehow seemed far more dependable. Bayul had raised him from a puppy, and now here he was, all grown up with pups of his own. It struck Bayul as both wondrous and strangely moving.
"I'll come see you again later. I've got some things I need to take care of right now."
After playfully ruffling Jasper's fur, Bayul said his farewells to Ruby and the pups and took his leave. His destination was Butler Cunning's office, as he had mentioned just before.
"Is… is it all really true, my lord?"
Having heard the full account of what happened at the ice mine, Butler Cunning found himself at a loss for words. The stunned look on his face spoke volumes about just how shocked he was.
"I could hardly believe it myself, but it's all true. Mr. Belgovsky, the mine's overseer, and the workers who helped smuggle out the ore have all confessed."
"But—how could Young Master Derrick do such a thing!"
"Stealing ore is a serious crime, as I understand it. I couldn't very well sweep it under the rug just because we're cousins."
"Quite right, quite right! The ice mine's ore is one of Hamilton's greatest sources of income. There are minor variations in quality, but most of it is renowned for being fine enough to trade at premium prices. Just how long has Young Master Derrick been smuggling out the ore?"
"I don't know that either, I'm afraid. He stonewalled me completely, so I had no way to investigate further."
Had there been no evidence and no witnesses—no, had it not been for Tempesta—Bayul would have swallowed Derrick's words without question. Even now, with everything laid bare, his cousin's two-faced nature astonished him. This was certainly not the person Bayul had always thought he knew.
"So Sir Ian is watching over the residence at present?"
"Yes. I'll likely need to send a few more of the Full Moon Knights here, which is why I'm telling you now, Butler Cunning."
"Phew, yes, that is the proper course. I shall carry out your instructions until His Lordship returns."
"I understand it's an uncomfortable position I'm putting you in. To be honest, I find myself wondering if this is even the right thing to do."
"Not at all. When His Lordship returns, I'm certain he will praise you for handling it well. Thanks to your swift judgment and decisive action, you saved the mine workers and uncovered Young Master Derrick's crimes besides. Admirably done, my lord."
Butler Cunning's praise was entirely sincere.
He has changed—changed so much it's almost hard to believe. When the young master had first set out to deal with the ice mine affair, the old butler had never imagined an outcome like this. He had expected it to end with little more than consoling the workers and smoothing things over. It seemed Bayul had grown into someone far greater than even Cunning had envisioned. And that made him all the prouder.
"You must be exhausted from your long journey. Please go up and rest now. I will see to the rest myself."
"I'll leave it in your hands, then."
Butler Cunning would tie up every loose end flawlessly. Trusting the old man completely, Bayul resolved to get some rest.
"Butler Cunning! You had better come out here at once!"
It was the very moment Bayul had just finished his greetings and was about to step out of the butler's office. An urgent voice suddenly called from outside.
"What is it?"
A strange foreboding washed over Bayul.
And sure enough.
When he stepped outside behind Butler Cunning, the figure waiting before him was none other than his aunt—whom he had not laid eyes on once in the past two years. Lady Lameris, Derrick's mother, had come all the way to the main estate in person to see Bayul.
"…Aunt Lameris. Have you been well, all this time?"
Flustered as he was by her unexpected visit, Bayul quickly composed himself and offered her a courteous bow.
"Do you imagine I could be well?"
His aunt's voice was sharp as an awl. He could more than guess why she had come all this way. It was going to be a long conversation.
"Allow me to show you inside."
Under Butler Cunning's guidance, Bayul and Lameris quietly moved to another room.