My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 132
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 132
"I don't appreciate the sentiment, mostly because I don't want your hair."
"Oh, uh, eh, no, wait, I didn't mean it that way, Princess!" Viscountess Artisina flails his arms in a panic. His face contorts. "I meant, I'll turn into an animal and give you my fur!"
He thinks to himself, ‘Why do I always fumble in front of the Princess? She must think I'm rubbish now!’
"You do realise that rubbish was once something useful, don't you, Prince?"
Hearing his inner thoughts, I try to comfort him. Then he blushes.
"Ah, Princess, don't read other people's minds!"
‘Aah, I feel so ashamed!’
"Prince, I don't read, I hear. And what's there to be ashamed of?" Crossing my arms, I let out a shallow sigh. "So, you're going to turn into an animal and get brushed by Phoebe?"
"Hmph!" He huffs proudly.
"Aren't you going to turn into a squirrel anyway?"
"No, I'll turn into something bigger than a squirrel, like a cat."
"How many times have I already told you that Phoebe is allergic to cats?"
He scratches the back of his head. "Oh, really? I'm sorry, I'm not good at remembering things that aren't important..."
Hmm, that's going to hurt Phoebe a little if she hears that. But I guess it doesn't matter since she hates him too.
"Then I'll turn into a dog," the viscount muses after pondering.
I frown slightly at that. "Isn't there an option to just not turn into an animal?" Honestly, I don't really want to wear a fur coat made from his fur either.
He shrugs. "But my ability is turning into an animal, so I'd like to score points with you that way, Princess"
"Score points for what?"
"To get your affection, of course." With that, he flashes me a wink, and then sprints off into the bushes without giving me anytime to stop him.
I run back alone to where the servants are waiting. They're all curious about the viscount's sudden disappearance, but none of them dare to ask me where he's gone.
'Yes, nobles are human beings, we don't need to know what they're doing every second....'
'I wonder if he took any tissues.’
Well, everyone seems to assume that he's gone to the toilet. I wanna tell him that a foreign prince like him has quite ridiculous prestige in other countries.
"My lady." It's then that Phoebe approaches me. She doesn't look tired at all, even though she must have been running around everywhere.
"Hunting…, no, how's the fur gathering going?" I ask, holding out a water bottle to her.
She takes it and nods. "Fine, I've already collected this much fur." As she says this, a handful of fur lay at her feet. That's… insufficient to make a coat. Even to me, who has no knowledge of the foundation of coats, it's too little.
"There must not be many animals in the hunting grounds this time because of the winter."
"It's as you say, they've all gone for a cosy winter's sleep." She says as she drains all the water in the bottle. Her tone is calm as always, but her inner thoughts say otherwise.
‘I thought I could brush at least three or four hundred! At this rate, I'll never collect enough fur!'
So you were thinking the same thing as I was, Phoebe.
"If we don't collect all the fur today, we'll have to buy the rest at the market," I say to comfort her. They're meant to ease her worries. But she doesn't seem to take it that way.
"No, I can do it."
"Oh?"
"It's the fur that will touch your body. How can I cover you with the fur of some unknown beast rolling around in the market? If I do, I am unqualified as a maid!" With that, she springs to her feet, a comb in her hand.
Why is she so full of energy? At this rate, she's going to catch all the animals in the hunting grounds.
"Phoebe, calm down."
"I am calm. No one can stop me now, I'm the strongest. I'm the strongest in this area."
"What's wrong with your tone all of a sudden!"
"It's just the way I am. Oh, look, there's a nice furry one over there."
Moving her gaze, she turns to look in the distance. As I glance up to follow her line of view, something catches my eye.
“...A welsh corgi?”
A medium-sized dog appears out of nowhere in the middle of a hunting field of rabbits, squirrels, and other small animals.
"Woof!"
A Welsh corgi with a coat as golden as ripe barley strutted across the field, tail wagging. Its fur had grown to a full winter's length, and its breath heated the chilly air as it stuck out his tongue and huffed.
My eyes widen in disbelief. The dog must have been too, because it's now trotting in front of us. It doesn't look like a wild animal at all.
"Where did that dog come from?"
"Doesn't it look like a dog with an owner?"
The servants discuss among themselves.
That's….
I swallow dryly.
Prince Cade… did he really turn into a dog?
Phoebe has a different reaction.
"Aww...."
"...Phoebe?" Is she alright?
"Cough… excuse me, I'm going to comb every hair on that dog's body right now and use it to keep you warm!" With that, she sprints towards the Welsh corgi. It stands in the middle of the hunting grounds, its tail wagging like it's waiting for her.
"Ah...." I stand frozen in place, helpless, watching the friendship blossom between Phoebe and the corgi.
Phoebe…. the dog you're brushing is actually Viscount Artisina, whom you detest with a passion….
But, oblivious to this, she eagerly brushes the dog's fur.
Only after a long while does she stop.
"Whew, thank you, Dog." She pats it on the head. Why does it sound so much like an insult when it's clearly just calling its being?
The welsh corgi wags its tail at her before disappearing into the bushes. The servants clutch their chests as their eyes follow it.
"How can the dog be so calm? It's so cute."
"I want to pet its fluffy fur."
Ignoring the envious stares, Phoebe bravely sets off into brushing the animals once more.
"Your maid is very eager." I hear a voice beside me, and at the same time feel a warm hand on my shoulder. I turn to see Viscount Artisina has returned.
"Oh...."
"Ah...."
The servants’ expressions contort when they see him back by my side.
He tilts his head. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, no, nothing."
"Well, a cute little dog showed up earlier, so they were disappointed that you couldn't see it."
Oh, no. The servants' thoughts are now going in a different direction.
‘Viscount… did you wash your hands before touching the lady?’
‘Ew, I don't want to think about it. Gross.’
‘I don't even want to know. I'm disgusted.’
I try my best to ignore their thoughts and chat with the Viscount. For some reason, I want to be as nonchalant as possible to their concerns regarding his hygiene.
About an hour later, when it's time for a break, Phoebe returns.
"I think this much fur should be enough."
She shows me the sack. I stare into it without saying a word.
"...."
To be honest, it doesn't look that great. Despite her mad chase through the hunting grounds, holding and brushing the animals everywhere, there's not as much fur. I'm wondering if she thinks the same.
‘No. Tomorrow, before my lady wakes up, I'll sneak out to the hunting grounds again and….’
Sneaking out? At dawn in this cold? Worried that she might get sick, I stopped her without another thought. "Phoebe, I think I don't need a coat, just a shawl. Can you make a shawl out of this sack of fur?"
It seems like my response relieves her. "Of course. I can do anything you want, my lady."
"Good. Then why don't you go and see the tailor now and make a request? We're leaving in a few days, so I want to be ready as soon as possible."
"Alright." Nodding, she grabs her sack and mounts her horse. She waves me off, saying she'd meet me back at the mansion, and heads straight to see the tailor.
"Viscount, will you be returning to the palace?" I ask, turning back to Viscount Artisina.
"Um, no. I'm calling it a day and heading to my place."
‘I wish I could stop seeing Dandelion's face, I don't want to work anymore.’
For once, I pity him.
"I see. Shall I escort you to my carriage?"
His eyes light up.
"Wow, you're being so kind to me, Princess! Did something happen?"
"Do you think I'm some kind of heartless monster?" I say sarcastically, but his words sting a little. Although yes, it is something I'm doing to curry favour out of him. There's something I need to talk about, after all. But it's not a conversation to be held in the parlour of a mansion. I want to keep him in the carriage for as long as possible.
"Hehe, of course I know you aren't! I would love to join you in your carriage, but my coachman is waiting for me at your residence." He sighs.
