Chapter 56: Irresistible Reward (3)


    "Growl…!"


    -Whiiine…


    "Growl!! Woof! Woof!"


    Today, the youngdy''s room was peaceful as ever.


    The youngdy seated on the bed was engaged in a stare-down with the puppy.


    Asserting her position in the hierarchy, she was sprawled across the bed in a feline pose, facing off with the puppy.


    With sharp eyes, she watched the ck puppy that was hiding behind me, whimpering and trembling in fear.


    In the youngdy''s battles of will, there was no mercy.


    The reason she could reign as a queen within the maniptive and deceitful social circles was precisely because of her prowess in these early confrontations of will.


    The youngdy always used to say to me,


    "Make sure to leave a strong first impression."


    If one is remembered as fluffy and soft like cotton candy, it''s better to crush their spirit from the get-go to avoid any lingering resentment, which is just easier. That was the sage advice uttered by the youngdy as she plucked a chunk of hair from Olivia''s head.


    The youngdy was demonstrating to the dog just what kind of person she was.


    The crazy one of the neighborhood… no, the one whose screws hade loose.


    "Growl! Woof!"


    The youngdy, speaking in thenguage of animals, came off as nothing but adorable.


    When she first saw the puppy, she didn''t seem to care for it, saying that there''s nothing cute about a shedding animal while furtively stealing nces and fiddling with her fingers, but being in her service for 13 years, I could identify her lie instantly.


    -Bear!


    -It''s a puppy.


    -…Is it?


    -Yes.


    -Not a bear?


    -It has four legs, so probably a puppy, don’t you think?


    -Is that how it is?


    The youngdy quickly agreed to the idea of raising it as a cockroach vacuum cleaner.


    Because a cockroach vacuum cleaner that outdoes even a robot vacuum was necessary for her.


    Before weing this new family member, the youngdy expressed concern to me.


    -But what if it takes my job?


    -Your job?


    -Yeah. I have one, you know.


    It was puzzling for me to hear her talk about a job since I thought she was unemployed, but I nodded in agreement with thedy''s objective assessment.


    -Protecting the house. That''s my job, right?


    -You’ve seeded then. You''re employed.


    -Of course. Can''t live as an unemployed.


    I felt like a wicked employer who forgot to pay wages upon realizing that the youngdy, whom I thought to be unemployed, actually had a job.


    Anyway, the youngdy was bing familiar with the new family. It may have been the traditional way, but sometimes such means are the best.


    Even the President of the Dogs had said so.


    -It''s extremely important to establish a hierarchy between an owner and their dog. You might get bitten if you seem too lenient.


    I prayed that the youngdy and the puppy woulde to a pleasant agreement.


    "Rrrrrr…"


    The youngdy, ring at the dog with eyes that seemed ready to unleash a ‘nyang'' punch, made the puppy whimper and press its stubby tail, shorter than a pinky finger, onto the floor.


    The puppy resigned itself to thew of the survival of the fittest, much to the youngdy''s satisfaction.


    The youngdy proudly squared her shoulders after winning the lengthy fight.


    The youngdy, confidently presenting her ample chest, made me feel purified, and I was in good spirits.


    "Ricardo. I won."


    "Well done."


    "It was a tough fight. Felt like I was battling a bear."


    "It''s a puppy."


    "…"


    The youngdy let out a deep sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead.


    Although she had been sulky about not being able to bathe, I could tell that her mood had improved with the refreshing fight after a long time.


    It looked like she was going to be sulky all day. Thankfully, I was grateful for the dejected puppy sitting on the floor.


    I crouched down and stroked the puppy''s head, sneakily tossing it some jerky behind the youngdy''s back.


    My mood lifted seeing the puppy wag its plush behind as it moved toward the jerky.


    It ate well.


    And it seemed to be healing nicely as well.


    Though it limped slightly, it was a significant improvementpared to when it couldn''t use its hind legs at all.


    It could be the dramatic effect on an animal or perhaps my inability to control my strength well.


    One thing was certain: the effect was definitely substantial.


    Feeling strangely proud yet also filled with mncholy.


    My ability, dubbed the ‘Healing Touch,'' wasn''t something I could use frequently.


    It was only possible to use once a month.


    Given the strain it put on my bodypared to the benefits it provided, the burden was too great.


    Intense dizziness and nosebleeds.


    Diminished physical stamina.


    And the chilling feeling of deteriorating health to top it off.


    Not entirely sure, but it was pretty clear that it was not beneficial for my body.


    The question arose whether it was worth using my ability on just a mere puppy, but on the other hand, it was somewhat a relief.


    Because I learned about the side effects.


    Had I recklessly used it on the youngdy, I might have copsed in front of her.


    Knowing my personality, I would have pushed past my limits to dedicate all my efforts to the youngdy''s rehabilitation.


    If I had hemorrhaged in front of the youngdy while using the ability, she might never allow me to touch her body again.


    So, I resolved to use the ability only in moderation for the youngdy''s recovery and to seal it away.


    I felt impatient, but I had to consider my well-being as well.


    After deciding to gradually use and then seal away my ability, I looked on with pride as the puppy joyfully gobbled up the jerky.


    A pup abandoned by its mother due to a disability.


    Even after waiting an hour in the same spot, not so much as a mouse crossed its path, let alone its mother.


    Somehow, both the maid and the pet dog were orphans – the sense of kinship tugged at my heartstrings.


    The youngdy reached out her hand to the jerky-eating, sniffling puppy.


    "Give."


    At themand from the highest-ranking person in the mansion, I grabbed the puppy''s side to check its condition.


    I had bathed it once, but I meticulously checked for fleas or ticks and, most importantly, determined its gender.


    Even for an animal that couldn''t speak, the thought of a male dog with male genitalia snuggled in the youngdy''s arms panting seemed like it would be tossed into the yard. For the dog’s sake, this was an issue that had to be addressed specifically.


    Beneath the ck fur was a clean belly.


    A female.


    ‘Approved.''


    Now that the worry about having to keep it outside was gone, I handed the puppy over to the youngdy''s arms.


    "Heh."


    As the fluffy fur touched her embrace, the youngdy smiled with maidenly sweetness.


    Seeing her innocent smile after such a long time, I too found myself smiling.


    It seemed like I made a good decision to bring it home.


    The youngdy held the puppy tightly in her arms, her eyes firmly indicating she would never let go. I felt a slight pang of jealousy seeing her look at the puppy with such affection.


    I worried that I might be pushed down the priority list.


    Because women simply can’t resist cute things.


    With a bitter feeling, I looked at the youngdy,


    but she said somethingpletely contrary to what I thought.


    "From today, your name is Sagol."


    Did I hear that wrong?


    I cleaned my ears and focused on the youngdy''s words again.


    "Come on, try saying it. Sagol."


    It didn''t seem like I misheard.


    Carefully, I asked the youngdy the origin of the name, hoping it wasn''t for the reason I was thinking.


    "Lady?"


    "Yes?"


    "Why did you name it Sagol? Why not something pretty like Elizabeth I or Flower girl?"


    The youngdy frowned.


    "It''s ugly."


    It seemed I had no talent for naming. Nevertheless, I asked the youngdy once more about the origin of the name.


    The name Sagol seemed to foretell this creature’s future.


    "Sagol is a bit… isn’t it inappropriate?"


    The youngdy nodded as if it were obvious.


    "Ricardo, you are ill, so we need to make nourishing soup."


    Gulp. The youngdy swallowed her saliva.


    "Excuse me?"


    Only now did I, an inadequate servant, understand the youngdy''s affectionate gaze.


    I wanted to apud the youngdy''s intention to raise puppies for nourishment, but unfortunately, this fellow was not meant to be food.


    A pet dog is family, not provisions.


    I calmly exined to the youngdy the purpose of the puppy.


    "We are not going to eat it."


    "Huh?"


    "That, it''s meant to be for ornamental purposes."


    The youngdy''s eyes turned cold.


    "Not going to eat it?"


    "No."


    "You''re not raising it fat to eat it?"


    "This is a puppy."


    "It really doesn''t seem like a puppy to me."


    "It is."


    The youngdy showed me the puppy''s bulky forepaws in an attempt to persuade me.


    "Look at this, the paws are huge."


    "Perhaps it''s a breed that grows big."


    "…Really?"


    The paws were indeed big,


    as if it could tear apart a person when it grew up.


    The ck paws with sharply grown ws were impressive, but could it not also be something a puppy could have?


    It was an opinion of someone who, in a previous life, had only ever given canned food to stray cats and was an avid fan of animal YouTube channels.


    The youngdy was convinced. She never raised an animal herself after all.


    Although she seemed convinced, she still eyed the puppy suspiciously and said, "You''re not a dog, are you?" Yet the puppy just responded with cute whimpering eyes, making a "whine" sound.


    "Ugh."


    The youngdy, her interest faded, put down the puppy.


    Her interest waned when she realized it wasn’t emergency rations or food.


    Brushing off the fur stuck on herself, the youngdy suggested a proper name.


    "Then how about Tangsuyuk?"


    Like owner, like servant, the youngdy had a despairing sense of naming.


    We looked at the ck puppy squatting in the corner and pondered. We were united in finding a name fitting for the viiness Olivia''s status.


    We concentrated and concentrated.


    "How about Maximus."


    "No, that''s not good."


    "Then, Lambxorghini."


    "What''s that supposed to be?"


    "Forter… when it starts pulling a sled…"


    "Vetoed."


    We brainstormed for about 10 minutes.


    Names like Ho-shik, Flounder, and Halibut, which didn''t make any sense, were tossed around, but when the youngdy mentioned a decent name, the puppy, hiding in the corner, pricked up its ears and looked at us.


    "Gomtang."


    Despite being the most ominous name that hade up, the puppy, with a tail as small as a pinky finger, wagged it as if it liked the name.


    The youngdy and I smiled at each other.


    "That seems good."


    "Yeah."


    The youngdy tapped the bed.


    "Sagol,e here."


    "It''s not Sagol, it''s Gomtang."


    "…"


    Whether it''s that or this, it seemed simr,


    but Gomtang felt a bit more valiant.


    The youngdy called the puppy''s name again, albeit reluctantly.


    "Gomtang,e here."


    -Goooong!


    With a robust cry, Gomtang nestled into the youngdy''s arms. It seemed to like its name.


    I smiled slightly as I watched Gomtang cuddle in thedy''s embrace.


    "Oh, it''s rustic."


    Bringing it home was the right decision.


    *


    "Hey, you dog! That''s mine; your food’s on the floor!"


    The youngdy was ying well with Gomtang.


    Gomtang, plotting a rebellion to covet each other''s snacks, and the youngdy, who was giving up a bloody fight, came up onto the bed to steal her snacks. She fiercely cursed while pushing Gomtang''s head away who was struggling to take them.


    -Gooong!!


    "Eek!! Go away!"


    -Gooong!!


    "Eek!! I said go away! I''ll make you into a soybean paste stew!"


    Humiliated by the fierce threat, Gomtang, with its short legs, climbed off the bed and buried its face into the food bowl.


    Huff… Huff… The youngdy sighed in relief, having defended her snack, and said with trembling eyes as she looked at Gomtang.


    "Ricardo. The more I look at it, that doesn''t seem to be a puppy."


    "It is definitely a puppy."


    "Look at that."


    Chomp!


    The youngdy pointed with her finger at Gomtang, avidly crunching its kibble.


    "What kind of puppy eats like that!"


    "Maybe it could happen. That''s discrimination against puppies."


    "…Really?"


    The youngdy acquiesced, nodding her head.


    "I will make sure it doesn’t climb onto the bed again."


    "Please do."


    The fact was, the youngdy didn’t care whether it was a bear or something else. She was only upset that it had stolen her snack.


    I organized in my head what I needed to teach Gomtang and fed thedy a piece of steak.


    "Mmm… delicious."


    Slowly, the darkness of night was approaching.


    A lot had happened. It was a busy day with the arrival of a new family member.


    And.


    It was the day when I acquired the most needed ability.


    I left Gomtang in an empty room and quietly brought up a subject to the youngdy.


    "Lady."


    "Yes?"


    "Ta-da!"


    I pulled out a small tube of ointment from my pocket.


    A cheap ointmentmonly avable in the market. It was a means to naturallye into contact with the youngdy''s leg.


    Holding the ointment with an awkward smile, I said,


    "I have discovered a panacea…"


    The youngdy firmly responded,


    "That’s part of a pyramid scheme."


    The youngdy was savvy about the ways of the world.