𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒' 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐃𝐎𝐆 | 𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘵𝘥 𝘹 𝘔.𝘺/𝘯 |

(19) A Duke In Disguise.

"........," 

The days passed in a whirlwind.

I found myself captivated by every little detail of my new companion – the way his nose twitched in his sleep, the rhythmic thump of his tiny heart, the way sunlight turned his fur into a halo at dawn.

Right now, I was hunched over paperwork, Bun-Bun (yes, Bun-Bun, thanks to Hans) perched contentedly on my lap.

Speaking of Hans, the orange-haired firecracker of a servant assigned to me, he'd nearly blown a gasket upon seeing Bun-Bun.

After a dramatic scolding about keeping secrets and a surprisingly affectionate naming ceremony ("Bun-Bun!"), he'd finally calmed down.

Still, the man could be terrifying.

Strange rules in this place, indeed.

You're asking what happened exactly?

Well, I'll give away most of what happened.

"........," 

A frantic Hans burst through the fancy study's doors, strands of hair ruffled and squawking like a worried bird. 

"Your Grace!"

He squawked, his voice almost a screech.

"Have you seen it? The cutest, most amazing creature ever?"

He stopped in front of me, his orange hair all messed up and eyes wide.

I, ever calm, raised an eyebrow.

"What in the world are you talking about, Hans?"

Hans, however, didn't hear me. 

He practically spun in a circle, his voice getting louder. 

"A tiny ball of fluff, with eyes like violet jewels and a sweeter temper than candy! And you, the meanie, kept this adorable thing hidden from me all this time?"

I couldn't help but smile a little.

"Are you talking about... the white creature that was hopping around earlier?"

Hans whipped his head towards me, practically shaking with excitement. 

"Creature? Creature?! That, my dear Duke, is a work of art, the cutest thing ever!"

He hopped towards the fluffy white being nestled comfortably on my lap, cooing in delight. 

"Oh, you precious little thing! You must have a name, right? A name worthy of such amazing cuteness!"

I cleared my throat. 

"Actually, Hans, he doesn't have a name yet."

Hans looked like the world was ending. 

He clutched his chest dramatically, his voice pretending to be sad. 

"No name?! But Your Grace, how can such a cute and fluffy thing exist without a name? What a terrible thing to do! What a lack of manners!"

I tried not to laugh. 

"Well, Hans, maybe you could fix this problem. What name do you think this... super cute creature should have?"

Hans thought for a moment, gently stroking the soft fur with respect.

"Hmm... something special for his magical look... maybe Starshine? Or Moonbeam? Or maybe..."

His voice trailed off as he looked into the creature's smart eyes. 

They seemed to understand each other, and a playful look appeared in Hans's eyes.