The Key
"Hmm hmm hmm~♪"
Frey's fiancée, for some reason brimming with excitement, was humming a tune as she strolled through the mansion with her hands clasped behind her back.
"......"
And trailing behind her were her pet and me.
"...What are you staring at, human?"
"I'm a pet too, you know?"
"What?"
"Just like you, I'm a pet. Not a person."
".....?"
From the looks of it, what Master had said was true—'human pets' were apparently all the rage among the nobility.
I'd been a bit puzzled since I hadn't seen anyone walking 'human pets' on the streets, but it seemed like it was a hobby reserved for great nobles on the level of dukes.
"So you're... a beastkin too?"
"Pardon? I'm Master's bitch, though?"
"I see. I'm a fox beastkin. From the way you act, you seemed like a dog beastkin—looks like my deductive skills have sharpened a bit."
The fox girl puffed up proudly after hearing my response.
—Perk, perk.
Her ears perked up, and her tail swished back and forth. On closer inspection, they weren't the fake ears and tail made by some shady black-hearted mage—they were the real deal.
"Did you get surgery? I want some too."
"What? How dare you say such a thing! Do you think I'd subject myself to that barbaric, ignorant procedure of slicing open my body during treatment?"
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. I don't want to talk to someone ignorant of medicine. I'm... sulking now."
She said this in her clumsy imperial tongue, then scampered ahead to chat with her owner.
'That kid... found a good owner too.'
She seemed skittish, but there were no signs of abuse. From that, I could tell her owner wasn't the type to torment her like Master's old friends—instead, she probably only gave minimal punishments when necessary.
I wonder how those kids Master assigned to me as maids are doing? I heard they'd been studying at the academy lately. I should visit once they hit second year.
"Next up... Frey's room! Wanna check out Frey's room?"
"...Sure."
As I walked along lost in thought, Master's fiancée approached me with an excited voice, asking for directions.
"Miho... pinch me. This isn't a dream, right? Going into Frey's room—it's been years... Ow! Why'd you bite?!"
"Grrr..."
When I first met her, an image of a wicked villainess had flashed in my mind, honestly.
Her sharp gaze, the way she hid her mouth behind her fan, her cold demeanor... She looked straight out of a romance novel's antagonist.
But seeing her like this, she actually seemed like a pretty good person.
Anyone who treated Master so kindly couldn't possibly be bad by my new standards—hurting Master made you evil.
Well, the world doesn't revolve like a romance novel, after all.
Back in those desperate days when I had no parents, no teachers, no friends—when no one could love me—romance novels were my only escape.
Stories of poor commoner girls with nothing, hated girls meeting troubled nobles and sharing forbidden love.
They were perfect tools to forget reality and drown in delusions.
But soon even that felt hollow, and I tossed all the novels away.
Because they were just stories, after all. Things that would never happen.
Unlike the novel protagonists who overcame any adversity to reap the fruits of love, I'd live unhappy to the end.
That's what I'd believed...
Now, the reason I didn't read novels had changed a little.
No novel heroine or hero could be as happy as me, or as wonderful as Master.
I was already living the happiest story every single day.
But.
—Grit...
Suddenly, worry gnawed at me. An insane worry that made me clench my fists until they wouldn't bleed.
'Can I... save Master?'
Novels are just novels. Romance novel heroines overcome illness, enemies, curses with the power of love—but this is reality.
Just moments ago, Master had that strained look on his face. Was it because he didn't want to show it to me or his fiancée?
Nothing is more terrifying than knowing you're dying.
I'd felt it desperately just a few months ago. Even if he denied it, in that fear and dread...
"Um... where are you going?"
"Ah, sorry."
Lost too deep in thought, I'd nearly walked past Master's room to the end of the hall.
"It's right there."
"Hehe..."
I pointed it out, and she grinned ear to ear before slipping inside.
"......."
Come to think of it, every time she entered a new room in the mansion, she had that same reaction.
"This is the mansion's kitchen."
"Yeah, got it. Hold on."
"...What are you doing?"
"Memorizing the placements and utensils. Once I marry in, I'll personally prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day."
She darted around the kitchen like a fish in water, eagerly committing everything to memory.
Or,
"Ah, ow!"
"...Not great at cooking, huh?"
"N-no! I'm good at it!"
She borrowed the kitchen to make Master's favorite sandwich, only to slice her finger and make a teary face.
"At least... my subordinates said it was tasty..."
Or stare blankly at the finished product—a mystery mush of sandwich and veggies—muttering to herself.
Whenever it involved Master, she reacted with that cute, clueless enthusiasm.
But still, she was a scary person.
"Starlight Mansion's basement... This is where Frey commits his crimes, right?"
"What are you doing?"
"Erasing traces of people. Planting moon mana while I'm at it. This should neutralize any bloodstink, so you can commit crimes here worry-free."
"......."
She'd say terrifying things so casually.
Or,
"Dust, huh...? Frey's lungs are bad enough already... Who's on duty today...?"
"Sorry, we only have four servants right now."
"What? Where'd the originals go?"
After hearing the full story of how all the servants had left,
"I see...? Right..."
She'd mutter with a chilling expression.
'Yeah, she's a good person.'
And that's why I liked her.
Moral concepts meant nothing to me anymore.
My only moral compass was Master, who owned me completely.
He defined everything—justice, law, rules, discipline.
Those who defied him were evil; those who didn't were good. That was all.
"Hehe, hehehe..."
Lost in such thoughts, I suddenly heard a silly sound from somewhere.
"Yay, so good, Frey..."
What was going on? Serena was rolling around on Master's bed, buried under the covers.
"Wanna get married soon... Wanna sleep in your bed... Wanna be happy..."
Grinning like an idiot, she flopped around like a fish for a good while.
"...Hm?"
Then she suddenly scowled and froze in place.
"This smell..."
And just like that, she went limp on the bed like fish left in the sun for days, face like she'd lost the world.
".......Ugh."
"Smells like another woman..."
I'd been wondering about it earlier—how could she distinguish things by smell?
What an enviable ability. Essential for a pet.
"Professor Isolet... perfume... body odor... sweat... and this... ugh."
As I thought that,
"Spinster... know your place... shameless..."
She wrinkled her nose, muttering, then bit her lip and started rolling on the bed again.
"What are you doing?"
"...Covering Frey's bed with my scent."
"......."
I silently watched her do something that almost seemed dumb.
Then I casually asked,
"Why... go that far?"
"Huh?"
"Why do you like Master so much?"
She fell silent at my words.
"Hmm..."
She tilted her head, deep in thought.
"...There's a reason."
Then, with a serious expression, she said,
"He... showed me I'm not just a tool. He taught me I could love someone. He gave me a debt of gratitude I couldn't repay in a lifetime."
"A debt...?"
"Yes. His subjugation... ugh."
Suddenly clutching her head in pain.
"Urk... uh...?"
Confused for a moment, she then composed herself.
"...Anyway, that's why I have no choice but to love him."
"He's everything to me."
She took a deep breath, then
"...Do you get it?"
Suddenly wore a terrifying expression and approached me.
"Don't invade my place. Last warning."
Serena glanced at me sidelong as she stood beside me.
"...Be content with yours."
With that, she left the room.
"Owl, surveil Professor Isolet's house. The vibe's off."
"Hoot."
She whispered lowly to the owl on her shoulder.
"........."
I quietly followed her out, lost in thought.
'Be content with this spot?'
A few days ago, I would have. Being Master's pet made me so happy.
But why? Ever since that incident, since learning Master's feelings, nothing felt the same.
When I licked him, I wanted my tongue in his mouth. When I rubbed against him, I craved skin on skin.
When he looked at me tenderly, I yearned to gaze at him from beside or above, not below.
When he petted me, I wished he'd stroke deeper places.
Had I become a bad girl? An ungrateful pet craving more?
"......."
Suddenly, childhood dreams resurfaced. Sneaking into the neighborhood bookstore, reading childish tales, desperately wishing.
'I wanna be the heroine.'
Always unhappy, so dreaming that once shouldn't be so bad, right?
I shot a slight glare at Serena walking lightly ahead, then headed back downstairs.
"Wh-what's wrong, Frey?"
"...Hm."
"D-does it hurt? Where?"
Seeing Master's pale face, I froze on the spot.
"N-no."
I wasn't the heroine.
Just a fool who devoured her beloved's lifespan.
.
.
.
.
.
"R-really okay, Frey?"
"...I said I'm fine."
Serena shook Frey anxiously.
"Enough, just go already. Spend time with Lulu..."
"We haven't even started forging the documents. Without me, you'll be arrested in a week."
Frey, trying to shoo Serena away quickly, started breaking into a cold sweat as she stubbornly refused.
"Th-then... make lunch."
"Pardon?"
"Make lunch. I'm hungry."
Serena stared down at Frey blankly upon hearing that.
".....!!!"
Unable to fully express her emotions, she twitched like she'd been shocked.
"Th-th-th-then... right now—"
"Buy ingredients first. Fresh ones."
"Y-yes, yes!"
Though she'd already checked the freshness of every ingredient in the kitchen, making her efforts pointless, Serena bolted for the mansion's entrance.
"Wh-what do I do? Didn't expect real combat so soon... Ah, I haven't mastered cooking yet..."
She muttered anxiously to herself.
—Bam...!
"H-human! Wait..."
As soon as Serena vanished from the mansion in a blink, the flustered Miho tried to follow, but
"Kuhk...!"
At that moment, Frey—who'd been holding back—finally squeezed his eyes shut and doubled over.
".....?"
Miho halted in shock, eyes wide.
"M-Master...!"
Lulu rushed to him in horror.
"Cough, cough... ugh..."
Frey, vomiting blood while covering his mouth, looked at her with dim eyes as she supported him and muttered,
"Good thing I sent Serena away... That fox won't worry anyway... Lulu might... have a way... If that ability is... a superior version of the Domination Stone..."
"N-no! Don't die!!"
Thinking these were his last words, Lulu shook him desperately.
"Y-you! You're a doctor, right?!"
"M-me? The dog beastkin?"
"Yes, you! Hurry!!"
She urgently called over the dazed Miho watching Frey.
"Examine him! Now!"
"Hm..."
At Lulu's furious urging, she placed her hands on him and began the check-up.
"...My god."
A moment later, Miho withdrew her hands from Frey's body, murmuring in a trembling voice.
"No hope."
"......!"
Short but heavy words.
But enough to shatter Lulu's heart.
"At best a year? Two years. Unless a miracle happens."
"Ah..."
"And it's worsened lately. He was terminal before, but something... made it fatal."
"......."
Miho drove the final nail into her heart.
"Anyway, impressive he didn't scream once. Just breathing must've been agony..."
'How's he not dead yet?'
As Miho earnestly analyzed Frey's condition like a proper doctor, Lulu muttered inwardly with dead eyes.
'Might as well die with Master at the same time. Or do I even deserve that? Better to die alone somewhere remote.'
No reason to live without Frey, her shattered heart pondered emptily.
"Ah."
"What."
Suddenly, she stared at Miho like possessed.
"Master... said you're the key."
"What?"
"Y-you can save him. You can! Save him! Save Master!"
"Wh-why are you—stop!"
She lost it, grabbing Miho and screaming.
"Even the clan chief... even gods couldn't! It's a fundamental issue from the root..."
"Heal him."
"Ugh, urk!"
Lulu commanded Miho—who was grimacing mid-explanation—with her Demon Eyes.
"...Urk, blegh."
Miho suddenly dry-heaved.
"Blergh..."
Soon, a white-glowing orb appeared in her mouth.
"E-even this won't work. The energy in his body blocks treatment at the source..."
"Heal him."
"Urgh..."
Miho hesitated with the orb in her mouth, but at Lulu's firm command,
"M-my vital essence... gathered from morning dew for ten years... Without it, my nine tails... urk."
She finally forced a kiss onto Frey.
—Shaaa...
Thus, a long, long time passed for both Miho and Lulu.
"...Pha."
Miho, exhausted after pouring all her vital essence into Frey, collapsed.
"M-Master!"
Lulu rushed to Frey, whose complexion had slightly improved.
"Huh?"
Miho, watching them tearfully,
"Why... did it work?"
muttered in confusion.
"........."
Meanwhile, Lulu inspected Frey thoroughly, then turned to Miho.
"You. What was your name again?"
"M-Miho... Miho, but..."
"No."
To the trembling Miho, sensing her ominous gaze,
"From now on, your name is..."
Lulu's eyes gleamed as she whispered,
"...Servant No. 3."
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
"...How far are we?"
"Almost there, milady."
A carriage bearing the imperial seal was heading toward Starlight Mansion.
"Lady Rifael, why the sudden visit to Starlight Mansion..."
"...There's a good reason."
Not Clana's, but her older sister's carriage.