A letter arrived from the remote island. It was from Yoshimune von Kishu-sama.
In the letter, he told me about the progress of Dashibaās diet program.
āDear Your Highness Liselotte-sama
Dashiba-samaās diet is going well.
He still ate plenty amount of food (but not too much). But donāt worry as we carefully feed him (we pried open his mouth and shove the food in) with food specially made with his diet program in mind every day (itās military ration). The taste is slightly peculiar (itās bad), but it has a great nutritional balance.
In regards to his exercise routine, he made some friends among the islandās large-sized animals (man-eating monsters) and he enjoyed running around the island with them (because if he ever stopped running, heād be eaten).
Also, he is a āmy paceā kind of dog (Iāve been tempted to yank his tail out of his butt because of this), weāve been having trouble with this personality of his.
We will do our best to return him safely (with all his limbs intact, of course) before the coronation begins, so please wait a little bit longer.
Sincerely, you faithful waken, Kishu.ā
ā¦I felt that there are some hidden meanings between his words.
But, regardless, the Wakens are reliable indeed!
Feeling relieved, I folded the letter, though for some reason Leonhardt-sama was giving a thumb-up toward the east direction.
The coronation ceremony was scheduled to be next month.
The invitations we sent to the countries and other major powers of the world have been received well by them.
In particular, the Grand Kingdom of Liselotte (temporary name) located in the Liselotte Continent (temporary name) said that they would gather every influential person in the continent. Words going around that they were having a hard time securing enough high-speed ships for transportation.
Mameta von Shiba-sama, the Shiba Inu in charge of the continent, gave us his report on how smooth the countryās internal affairs were. Of course, he also sent his personal message to meā¦
āI donāt need your praise, okay?! Iām just doing what Iām supposed to be doing! I donāt need you to brush me, be nice to me or mind me! Iām just doing what Iām supposed to be doing!ā
ā¦Of course, Iāll be thanking you at the very least.
By the way, as expected, the Empire will also attend the coronation.
With the annexation of the Humanist Kingdom, the borders with the Empire had increased in size and signs of geopolitical tensions had started to rise within our country.
However, that country had population and food problems.
Leonhardt-sama reminded me regarding the Empire āAfter the coronation, they would most likely force us to colonize the Liselotte Continent, please donāt make any careless remarks about the continent, especially any remarks about its borders.ā I kept his words in mind.
But among the replies, there was one particular reply that was a little bitā¦. disturbingā¦
Archbishop Gortonās replyā¦
He is the current leader of the Purist Sect, a person who is able to influence a lot of the sectās radical believers.
If he hadnāt fallen in love with my dog back then, a massacre that will definitely remain in history would have occurred.
The survivors of the massacre would spend their days fighting for their ācrusadeā and our kingdom would turn into a land covered in blood and corpses.
That same Archbishop sent me a letter.
āReligion is something that people believe in. Therefore, it is not uncommon to have more than one interpretation of it.
Whenever there is a major change, people would split into groups, those groups are often radical, yet they are also fragile.
Such radicality and fragility are the reason why many of their views ended in vain as they prefer to solve things with violence rather than conversation.
O Future Queen, Iāve done everything I could do to protect my believers, so I shall be watching for you from now on.
When all the fires have been extinguished, I will be the first Archbishop of the Purist Sect to attend a coronation in another countryās land.
In the worst-case scenario where something terrible were to befall you, I will volunteer to take care of Dashiba-sama during that period, you can leave him in my care, you can trust me with this. I will prepare the best food for him.ā
āIs this a terrorism attack notice? Are the Purist Sect going to move? Also, it seems like the Archbishop wanted to wash his hands off their actions.ā
āDo we even have enough troops to take care of them?ā
Leonhardt-sama and Darius sama started to discuss the content of the letter.
Dashiba is trying his best to lose some of his weight, Iām definitely not going to let you spoil his efforts.
I was thinking about that while struggling with another matter inside another room.
Like many girls, I like beautiful and cute things.
Especially nice dresses and accessories, they made my heart skip a beat just by looking at them.
But, I never expected a day where I cursed a dress would ever come.
āOh my, Liselotte-sama, you shouldnāt cower at this kind of light dress. The previous queens wore it with ease, you know?ā
āSomething ālightā wouldnāt crushā¦ my whole body like thisā¦ā
Talking with me with dismay in her voice was Grace Cory von Pitbull-sama.
Seeing this, Theresa-san, who was watching from behind me, spoke out to help me, āLiselotte-sama is still a child, canāt you tailor it to make it lighter for her?ā
The dress Iām currently wearing is a gorgeous dress made of layers of thick fabric and decorated with a lot of gems and jewels.
It was the idea of the previous kings for the occasions where a queen would be crowned, the dressā whole purpose was to show off the monetary power of the Kingdom to the other countries.
Thatās whyā¦ the dress is soā¦ heavyā¦!!
Fancy jewelry? Embroidery made by silver threads? I donāt need them!!
The moment I put it on, I was shocked because my knees immediately gave in.
My little legs werenāt able to support the dressās weight.
āWhat a shame, even though I purposely made it look majestic so that the empire wouldnāt dare to look down on youā¦ā
With a rueful frown on her beautiful face, Grace-sama supported me by my sides and lifted me up effortlessly.
āHmm, your head could use a little bit more accessories..ā She muttered as she lifted me up.
This woman is at the forefront of fashion in the Kennel Kingdom.
The one who is called the āFashion Leaderā and the āFashion Designer.ā
She had been struggling to find a suitable dress for me to wear on the coronation day next month.
Iām sick of being dolled up.
But Iām still too small to work as a proper government for the country, so dolling up is the best thing I could do for now.
Ohā¦ why canāt I just deal with the paperwork instead..?
Iāve consulted Leonhardt-sama about this plenty of times and he agreed to gradually share his work with me after I was successfully crowned as a queen.
My stepbrother said to me āYou should spend more time studying whatever you want first.ā but, he already got a job, he wouldnāt understand my feelings.
I want to do what I can for this country.
Otherwiseā¦ I wonāt feel like I belong in this countryā¦
Everyone said that they needed me.
My stepbrother and Dashiba were always there for me.
But Iā¦ didnāt have any confidence in myself.
They called me a queen, but for me, Liselotte was just a clumsy girl that couldnāt even properly express her emotions.
I mean, if I could express my joy, sorrow or at the very least be able to show a little bit of my affection, I might have been able to get along with my stepmother.
What if I didnāt have this āsmellā?
What if the Dog-Kin hadnāt told me that I was their royalty?
Thatās why I wanted to be able to understand my emotions better.
I wanted to at least be able to feel that itās okay for me to be hereā¦
āWell, itās a shame, but there are no more dresses to pick. Well, pack them all into the box and move them away.ā
Grace-sama handed the heavy dresses to the maids and they reverently carried them to a sturdy and antique-looking treasure chest.
āThe dress that Liselotte-sama wore is now in the chest ~ā
āThe dress that Liselotte-sama wore will be moved into the treasury ~ā
āThe dress that Liselotte-sama wore will be temporarily dubbed as exhibit number 666 ~ā
What āthe things I can doā? Iāve had enough!!
They moved the clothes I wore in treasure chests, itās embarrassing!
The other day Duke Hainuwele came from the empire and sent me a pitying gaze that I couldnāt forget even if I wanted to when he saw me like this!
All of them are too honest to their desiresā¦
In my underwear, I gulped and crashed into the sofa.
The older nobles (especially the men) and the Mad Dog Knights are all too honest to their desires.
I wish that they would at least restrain themselves when they are in their human form, but they wouldnāt listen to me at all.
Their pride as a āmad dogā that blindly loved their king.
Their pride is to be the dog of the queen.
Iāve tried to read the monthly issues of āInudoā (published by Greyhound) that had been scattered around the royal palace to try to understand their feelings a little, butā¦ the contents were simply out of this world!
For example, in one of the back issues, I found some dog philosophy likeā¦
āWhile being a dog is about following your instinct and gaining your freedom, a wonderful bondage will make you feel where you belong.ā
Though some of them were about more realistic issues likeā¦
āTodayās recommended brushes!ā
āA word from the Fashionista, Grace Cory-sama!ā
āCould pork bone sales serve as an indicator for the economy?ā
That was what the magazine used to look like
But as soon as I came hereā¦
āFor a dog, his queen is his love, his dream, his romance. In other words, Liselotte-sama is our everything!ā
The contents suddenly became unfathomable.
āLiselotte-samaās worn-out fashion!ā
āA novel for those of you who agonized over your daily fantasies of being a good dog for Liselotte-sama.ā
āOn sale! āLiselotte-samaā flavored pork bone!ā
Clearly, there was something wrong with thisā¦
There was even more ridiculous stuff in the Q&A sectionā¦
āQ: Iāve been missing the smell of the dog-run courts, but the Pitbullās security is so tight lately, please do something about it. And while we are at it, why donāt we replace all the guards in the royal palace with the people of my family? (by someone from the Doberman Family).ā
āA: If you die right here and now, you wonāt miss the smell ever again. (by someone from the Pitbull Family).ā
āQ: Iām wondering whether or not Iām cut out to be a soldier. My nose is always stuffy, Iām squishy and the terrorist stole my tank. Should I go back to the countryside? (by someone from the Pug Family).ā
āA: Before you decide that, return the money you borrowed from me for buying Liselotte-sama flavored gum! 800 wan, no less! (by someone from the Chihuahua Family).ā
Grace-sama started to design her next piece.
Because of that, she told me to have a break, while Theresa-san started preparing tea for me.
Leonhardt-sama and Darius-sama had just left the neighboring room to discuss things about the castleās security.
Dashiba isnāt here, itās so boringā¦
As I lazily threw my body into the sofa and kicked my legs to the air, I suddenly heard the voice of the Paparazzi Dog.
[Master ~ arenāt you getting bored with all this fuss about the dress? Letās go outside and play! The Prime Minister and the Commander arenāt here right now, letās get some nice things outside ~]
Theresa-san warned me about something, but I ignored her and rushed out of the room.
[Whoa, wait, Iām going with you], said Mars-sama who had been waiting outside the room in his small white dog form while running towards my feet.
I opened the door to find my stepbrother on the sofa in the luxurious guest room slumped over with his arms behind his back.
His appearance changed from him wearing the usual apprentice uniform into him wearing the regular civil servantās uniform, but I see that his attitude remained unchanged.
Next to him was Yoch von Greyhound-sama, sitting on the sofa in his dog form with a note under his collar. In one of his long ears, there was a pen hooked on a string.
Even though when they return to their human form, their clothes and accessories that had somehow magically disappeared would appear again, Yoch-sama insisted on going around with this fashion because he claimed that paper and pens are the keys to journalism or something.
That aside, those two were actually good friends.
āWell, Greyhound-sama and I have always been on the same page.ā
[Bud is a very promising young man, if it were possible, I would like him to get a job at the Greyhound Publishing co, but he refused, saying that āRight now, I need to find a way to get more money first], ahahaha.]
[We had dinner together sometimes too.]
āIn the cafeteria, with Chow Chow, the commoner, Greyhound-sama, and Maltese-sama, we four ate together often.ā
To me, it sounded more like Yoch-sama, who was ten years older than the rest of the group, took the other three into suspicious places and played with them.
Mars-sama got on the sofa and started to play with Yoch-samaās long and thin tail.
As I was looking at him with envy, my stepbrother casually dropped a bomb.
āHaving friendsā¦ is niceā¦ā
āWell, Liselotte doesnāt have any friends aside from Dashiba after all.ā
āStepbrother?! T-thatās not true! Donāt say something like that!ā
I just donāt have many friends!
Iām an elite after all!
I didnāt want to admit that I didnāt make any human friends because I always had this expressionless face and I was always too headstrong and stiff.
But the more I denied it, the more the three men looked at me with lukewarm eyes.
My heart canāt take this anymore!
After all that fuss, Yoch-sama brought me somewhere in the corner of the palace where he said he would show me something nice.
It was a room where portraits of the royal family were displayed.
Starting with the first king, King Ayer, and ending with my blood-related father, the portraits were all on display.
I opened the door that could only be opened by royalty and the dukes, the amazing sight of 125 portraits lined up orderly entered my view.
The portrait of the 125th king was displayed right in front of me.
The kingās name was Abel Budgerigar.
As I got closer and stared at his portrait, I noticed his silver hair and purple eyes.
Yes, the same color as mine.
His stiff, well-formed face was also similar to mine, another proof that he and I were father and daughter.
ā..as expected, I still think of Heidegger-sama as my real fatherā¦ Iām sorryā¦ā
I looked up at my own fatherās portrait and muttered.
All the familial love and memories I received were all given to me by my father, Cain.
I heard from Darius-sama that the late king was a great dog lover, but to me, heās only a stranger. My feeling for him is merely a form of respect towards an older member of the royal family. I canāt love him as my own father.
As I looked at his portrait while having this thought in mind, I heard the white dog, Mars-sama cooing pitifully at my feet.
I lifted him up and said āSorryā¦ā
[Take a look at the back of the portrait! I found it earlier this morning! The previous head of the Wolfhound Family probably hid it there!]
Said Yoch-sama as he slid into my feet.
Wait, I thought only royalty and the dukes were allowed in here? ā¦well, letās not think about it too muchā¦
I asked Mars-sama to carry me there and when I looked behind the portrait, I found a journalā¦
It seemed dusty, but it also didnāt seem old.
āIs it okay if I take it?ā
[Yes, itās fine, Abel-sama wrote in his sickbed, it was for Lieselotte-sama.]
[I heard that he wrote a lot of things when he was in his sickbed.]
I removed the journal from the wooden frame and placed it down on the floor.
It was a thin journal, I held it with both my hands.
I flipped the journal open and was immediately greeted by the words āTo you, whom I will meet someday ā on the very first page.
By āyouāā¦ did he meanā¦ meā¦?
āTo you, whom I will meet someday
Currently, Iām suffering from an illness that has killed many members of the royal family.
I feel like my soul might be summoned to the heavens at this very moment.
But, I will never give up hope.
Because I believe that you, my child, are somewhere in this world.
In that dream, I was able to talk with you, laugh with you and look around the world with you.
I held you in my arms and enjoyed our life together alongside Darius and the other dogs.
I always wished that those days would eventually come.
Itās that feeble wish that keeps me goingā¦
I canāt wait to meet with you.
I wonder what I should say when we finally meet?
Is āHello, Iām your fatherā enough?
Or should I start with āNice to meet youā?
ā¦though I probably wouldnāt be able to say anything
I would probably end up hugging you so hard that Iād be unable to say anything even if I wanted to..ā
The sentences that were written in the journal were addressed to me.
In the journal, there were stories about himself, his parents, siblings, and his other relatives.
His days with the Dog-Kins, Darius-sama, and his friends in their childhood.
Then he wrote about the epidemic, the royal family that fell one by one to the illness, how he felt when he was among the last ones to survive and was forced to ascend the throne.
He wrote about mother and his broken heart.
His feelings for his child, whom he couldnāt see and touch seemed to ooze out of him as he wrote the journal.
Lastly, at the end of the book, he calmly described his condition with his illness and his neat writing slowly became blurred as time passed.
āI have faith that you will return one day.
I and Mona might never see each other again.
But I firmly believe that one day, I can hear you calling me father while hugging meā¦ā
The next page was a blank.
ā-after reading this, far, I feel upset.
In truth, he probably never expected to meet his child.
He said, his belief in my survival was the hope that made him cling to his life.
Unable to read again, I close the book with trembling hands.
As I held the journal to my chest, I looked up to find Yoch-sama, Mars-sama, and my stepbrother all watching me with warm eyes.
[This journal is a great discovery! Well, it seems like the Prime Minister was planning to give it to you after the coronation. But, you see, if you are going to be crowned anyway, I think itās better that you are aware of this first, preparation of the heart they said! Besides, Iām sure Iām not the only one who wishes for you to read this journal. Also doing this follows my principle as the Paparazzi Dog, āspread information quickly, spread scandals even quicker!ā]
Said Yoch-sama in a good mood as he shook the note on his collar
I appreciated his concern.
āThank you very much. Also, my fatherā¦ whom Iāve never metā¦ I love you tooā¦ā
āGood for you, Lize. Iām glad, both of your fathers cared so much about you..ā
My footsteps that were always sluggish finally became firm.
Finally, I felt like I belonged in this country.
I reached out to grab my handkerchief to wipe my blurred vision.
ā¦and thatās when it happened.
Suddenly Mars-sama locked the door, took me in his arms, and made me get down on the floor.
There were a series of explosions in the distance and I could see something that looked like a white smoke screen through the window.
āYoch, this is badā¦ this smell isā¦ā
āPepper bomb, the fanaticās trump card against the Dog-Kins..ā
āIs the castle being attacked?!ā
I let out a muffled scream as Mars-sama held me.
Could it beā¦ Is this the āfireā that Archbishop Golton talked about?
As Yoch-sama reported to his men and Mars-sama reported to Leonhardt-sama about this situation on the transceiver, I heard footsteps heading towards the room.
āThank God, the guards areāā
āNo, itās the enemy! They wiretapped the transceivers! We are going through the window!ā
Mars-sama took me in his arms and jumped out the window! You know we were on the fifth floor, right?!
Yoch-sama with stepbrother on his back followed behind us.
āThe enemy stole the latest equipment from the Fourth Division again, Iāll make this a front-page complaint in the next issue. āTake care of your things better, meka-ota[1], monkey-brained Malamutes!ā would be a good title.ā
āSome people need to get fired first.ā
I nodded frantically while still being princess carried.
[1] ć”ć«ćŖćæ, short for mecha otaku, if you donāt know, itās a slang for the people who are really into machines to an unhealthy degree.