The Shaky Belly
“Shaky is the belly…”
Emperor Karsion stroked his beard while looking down at the little one wriggling behind Blanc’s back.
He examined the cub’s eyes closely.
“They’re truly captivating. Like the moon in the night sky, or perhaps the stars themselves.”
The emperor pondered for a moment, then patted the cub’s head.
“Lumia suits you best, doesn’t it?”
“Lu… mia?”
The cub tilted its head, rolling the unfamiliar word around in its mouth.
“It means a child carrying light. Growing brightly like light beside Blanc.”
“Kyaa.”
My butler has surprising naming sense?
I sighed in admiration at the butler’s clever choice, nuzzled my cheek against the emperor’s knee, and looked up with gleaming eyes.
“Kyung.”
I love it, Grandpa.
Emperor Karsion chuckled warmly and stroked my head in response to my coquettish plea.
“Yes, Blanc. If Big Brother likes it, then that’s that.”
“Lumia? Is that my name…?”
The cub tilted its head in confusion.
Well, he’s still young, so he probably doesn’t know if it’s good or not. And the emperor chose it himself, so who knows?
I sighed, wagging my tail side to side. Because it’s good, I like it.
The cub’s face lit up instantly.
“Hehe! Big Brother is wagging his tail! It must be a good name!”
Lumia bounded over to the emperor with a deep bow.
“Hehe, go ahead! I’ll be Lumia! Lumia!”
“Kyung…”
So pure… it’s a bit worrying, though.
The cub sang “Lumia, Lumia” while chasing after me, looking adorably cute.
The name had been chosen, and the emperor’s permission had been granted.
Formally, Lumia had officially joined our family.
“Now, Lumia. You’re part of the imperial household too, so you need to learn manners. Like Blanc—elegant… refined… well, manners nonetheless.”
“Kyaa!”
Hey, what did I do?
I gnawed at Kailian’s ankle and whimpered.
Kailian plucked me off her lap, hugged me close, and summoned the head maid to teach Lumia proper human etiquette.
But reality was harsh.
“Lumia, that’s not how you hold a fork. Don’t grip it like a fist—hold it gently with your index finger extended in a refined manner…”
“Ugh… my fingers hurt…”
Mealtime arrived. Lumia clutched a fork and knife in her tiny hands, pouting.
Her hands were still small and clumsy.
To a creature who had lived her entire life in the wild using paws and teeth, slippery silverware felt like heavy, cumbersome metal.
Clang!
“Ah, dropped it again…”
Lumia let the fork clatter to the floor, ears drooping, face crestfallen.
The meat usually slid off the plate or flew off entirely. The head maid sighed and tried to fetch another fork, but Lumia’s patience had reached its limit.
“Tch… fine! I’ll just eat!”
Poof!
White smoke billowed as the little child vanished from the chair, replaced by a white fox that leaped onto the table.
“Hey! I told you not to climb on the table!”
Kailian yelped in shock, but Lumia ignored her completely.
The cub padded straight to my bowl, poked its nose into the plate, and lunged at the meat.
Chomp.
I pressed my paw down on Lumia’s forehead.
“Kying?”
Lumia paused, glancing at me. I glared at her with stern eyes.
“Kyaa.”
Wait.
I slowly chewed the meat so she could see.
If learning human manners is hard, at least learn beast manners.
Lumia watched intently.
“Kyaa.”
Go ahead.
Once I moved my paw away, Lumia carefully touched her mouth to the meat.
She didn’t wolf it down like before, but chewed one bite at a time, following my lead. Good job.
“Chop, chop…”
Of course, she was still a fox eating on the table, but at least she had stopped flinging meat everywhere.
Kailian pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Haa… we’ve been teaching her for ages, but Blanc’s way is faster… Well, at least she’s not dropping anything now.”
Kailian’s sigh grew heavier.
After the meal, we returned to the room.
Kailian sprawled across the sofa, clearly drained by Lumia.
That’s a bit sorry.
I clicked my tongue and approached Kailian. After all, I was the one who insisted on bringing the cub along.
Service is mandatory.
Leap.
I jumped onto the sofa and settled on Kailian’s lap. The heavy weight of my body made her squint.
“Blanc…?”
Instead of answering, I stretched my front paw to display the jelly.
Claws fully concealed, I kneaded Kailian’s thigh with the soft pink jelly.
“Ah… feels good…”
Kailian’s lips curved into a smile as a moan slipped out. My firm pressure relaxed her tense muscles.
“Kyaa.”
Big Brother worked hard today, so this is my service.
I climbed onto her chest and rubbed my cheek against hers.
Rub rub.
My soft cheek brushed her skin, sending warm body heat. My whiskers gently tickled her cheek.
“Kyung.”
You’re doing great, butler.
“Haaang… Blanc…”
Kailian hugged me tightly in emotion.
“Only Blanc is for me… I really love it…”
At that moment, Lumia, watching jealously from the side, dashed over.
The cub had shifted into human form.
Lumia stared enviously at Kailian’s paws kneading my head.
“I want to get my paws kneaded too!”
Kailian rolled her eyes.
“Go away, you little brat. Blanc wants to play with me right now.”
“Eek! Play with me too! I worked hard today not using forks!”
Lumia wagged her tail and bounced.
What to do with this little one?
Still kneading, I lifted my tail and gently tickled Lumia’s nose with the fur.
Rub rub.
“Eek!”
“Waaah? My nose is tickling!”
The cub flailed to grab my tail. I swung it teasingly, and Lumia’s attention fixed on it.
“Kyung.”
I’ll do it later.
Despite pouting, Lumia hugged my tail tightly and calmed down. Kailian smiled victoriously, savoring the paw kneading.
Evening arrived, and it was time for Lina to comb my fur.
“Blanc-nim~ Time for brushing.”
Lina grinned and held up the comb. I knew exactly how much she loved this moment.
I lay obediently on her lap. Lina brushed my back fur with an ecstatic expression.
“Haa… Blanc-nim’s fur… truly blessed by the gods. This sacred touch…”
With every stroke, Lina carefully gathered the loose white fur that floated from the comb, handling it as delicately as collecting gold dust.
“Kyaa?”
“Ah… it’s nothing.”
Lina reached behind me and pulled something from her sleeve, tucking it into the fur.
“Kyaa…”
You’re collecting my fur again?
Avoiding my gaze, she massaged my head with practiced hands.
“Rumble…”
Even this… feels… good…
“Hehe, my touch must please you.”
While Lina happily collected the fur, her comb suddenly stopped.
A long, thin strand of fur caught on the end.
“……”
Lina’s brows furrowed slightly. She turned away, pretending not to be seen, and plucked the caught hair with her fingers.
It’s mixed in…
Lina muttered to herself.
Haa… another fur mixed into the sacred fur of Blanc-nim.
Lina methodically removed the impurity, the long strand. Even though it wasn’t Lumia’s, to her it was just foreign matter in Blanc’s fur.
“Huu.”
Lina shook Lumia’s fur off the floor quietly, then smiled kindly as if nothing had happened and resumed brushing Blanc’s fur.
“Blanc-nim, I will always keep it perfectly clean.”
Her fanatical words made my ears twitch slightly behind me.
Lina’s affection was always heavy.
Still, it crossed no line… so what could I say?
While receiving Lina’s strokes and purring, a strange unfamiliar sensation rose in my mouth.
“Kyaa?”
I flicked my tongue against my gums.
The lower right canine.
The tooth that should have been firmly planted was wobbling ever so slightly.
Why is this happening? Did I chew too many dragon bones lately?
It didn’t hurt. If anything, it felt… tingly?
I tapped the corner of my mouth with my paw. It definitely felt wobbly.
I tilted my head and pushed the tooth again with my tongue.
“Kyaaah…”
It’s… nothing, right?
I dismissed it nonchalantly, closed my eyes, and resumed purring.
