“Buddy! Buddy! Buddy! Don’t run too far!”
Buddy barked and continued to run, as if deliberately ignoring young Vione’s commands. He darted into the bushes, startling Vione for a moment
“Buddy,” Vione murmured with an amused look on her face. She approached Buddy with her hands raised as if to catch him. “Looks like it’s time for you to return to the gazebo. Your playtime is over.”
Buddy barked again, then bounded happily. He seemed to understand that Vione was only joking. They chased each other until a scene caught Vione’s attention.
The young Usher and Graham were walking in the outer corridor of the palace. They seemed to be engaged in conversation, and Vione watched them from a distance, a faint smile creeping across her face.
“See that handsome man, Buddy?” Vione asked as she crouched down and reached out to hug Buddy. “Not the old one, the young one. Uh, he’s the one who called you Buddy.”
Buddy might not understand human language, including Vione’s words, but he barked with enthusiasm, as if to signal that he liked the name he had been given. His four legs moved nimbly, almost as if to break free of Vione’s embrace and approach the young usher.
Vione tightened her hold on Buddy. “No. It looks like he’s busy right now. We shouldn’t disturb him.”
There was a chance that Buddy understood human language, at least Vione’s words. That’s why Buddy’s enthusiasm faded for a moment. He looked downcast, and Vione noticed it with surprise-could it be that Buddy really wanted to meet Usher?
“You don’t have to be sad, Buddy,” Vione continued, gently stroking Buddy’s head. She took a long breath and smiled as her eyes returned to young Usher. “I promise we’ll see him later when he has some free time. How about that?”
Buddy’s bark was the answer that made Vione laugh. She released Buddy from her embrace and let him run free in the spacious yard.
Vione continued to watch Buddy, occasionally glancing at the young Usher. She couldn’t suppress the desire in her heart to take advantage of this opportunity. She knew that young Usher had been very busy lately, so they rarely saw each other.
At least seeing young Usher from a distance was something Vione was grateful for. After all, she was self-aware enough to realize who she was and to hope to meet young Usher. She was nobody, while young Usher was the future Alpha.
Unfortunately, young Vione’s self-doubt was contradicted by a fleeting memory that flashed through her mind. She remembered all the attention young Usher had given her all this time.
Young Vione closed her eyes quickly. She pushed aside the budding feelings in her heart. She didn’t want to fall into unfounded fantasies.
“Vione.”
A voice shook young Vione. Her eyes opened and she turned around. “Lewis.”
Lewis approached the young Vione with a smile. He glanced at Buddy, who was hopping between the plants, before returning his gaze to young Vione. “Looks like you’re having fun.”
Young Vione chuckled and smiled back. She felt relieved in her heart. Lewis’ arrival might distract her from young Usher. “Yes, indeed. Besides, we won’t have much time to play soon.”
“The coming-of-age ceremony,” Lewis said to a nod from young Vione. “So, I’ve been wondering. I haven’t seen you and Zeus lately. Did you take Zeus home?”
A momentary pause in the smile on young Vione’s face. She seemed embarrassed and unconsciously rubbed her neck. “Actually, he got food poisoning about a week ago.”
“Food poisoning?” Lewis’ eyes widened. His expression showed shock. “Zeus?”
Young Vione nodded. “Yes, he had food poisoning, but he’s completely recovered now. The vet treated him and as you can see, he’s happy again.”
Lewis could see that. “Thank God for that. I’m relieved to hear that.”
On the other hand, something was making young Vione uneasy instead. She clasped her hands. “Actually, I changed his name.”
“His name?”
“Yes,” young Vione nodded uncomfortably. “I noticed he didn’t react when I called him Zeus.”
Lewis furrowed his brow. “Really?”
Young Vione didn’t answer the question directly; she called Buddy instead. “Zeus!”
Buddy continued to run around, trying to chase the butterflies that fluttered among the flowers. He seemed to hear nothing when young Vione kept calling him ‘Zeus’.
“I’m going to call him Buddy now,” young Vione said a moment later. She raised her hands to her mouth. “Buddy.”
Buddy’s steps stopped. Instead of chasing butterflies, he barked and immediately ran toward young Vione. Lewis was startled and young Vione laughed.
“Isn’t that right?”
Lewis was at a loss for words. “It seems he has his own preferences,” he said, shaking his head with a look of amazement. “He must really like that name.”
Young Vione’s laughter grew louder. She greeted Buddy’s arrival with a thought in her head. Of course he liked it. It was the name Usher had given him.
A sudden shout pierced the air, bringing the laughter of young Vione and Lewis to an abrupt halt. They turned to find young Usher calling out Vione’s name.
Time passed, and here was young Vione now, in the old palace pavilion with Usher. There were only the two of them, and young Usher asked for something that made young Vione’s mind uncertain.
Vione tried to calm herself amidst the pounding of her heart. “What do you mean, Usher?”
Young Vione realized that what she needed now was an explanation for young Usher’s recent request. Strangely enough, the explanation she received only led to more confusion. She found herself stunned again, her face betraying a lack of understanding of what the young Usher was saying. Nevertheless, one thing was immediately clear to her: don’t fantasize.
The budding feelings began to resurface, filling young Vione’s heart with various emotions she had never felt before. She held her breath in her chest, trying to keep her imagination from running wild, trying to avoid the typical daydreams that girls caught up in their emotions might have. “Usher,” she whispered softly, her voice almost like a gentle breeze. “Is there something wrong with me being close to Lewis? And why don’t you like us being close?”
“I…”
Young Vione waited for an answer, but young Usher couldn’t continue. She could see that he was struggling with himself. She could feel it in the expression of his dark eyes. She took a long breath, as if trying to dispel a glimmer of a dream that had grown without permission.
Feeling defeated, the young Vione forced a faint smile. She said, “It’s all right, Usher. You shouldn’t worry about trivial things.”
“Vione.” Young Usher moved reflexively when he saw young Vione showing signs of leaving. He grabbed young Vione’s hand. “I-”
“You must be very busy, so I’d better be going. Besides, I still have some work to do.”
This time the young usher couldn’t do anything. Young Vione cut him off and took her hand from his grasp. Then she walked away as if nothing had happened.
Young Usher dramatically closed his eyes. His mouth was tightly shut, and a growl made his chest tremble with indescribable frustration. Ironically, the object of his current irritation was himself.
*