Vol 3 Chapter 33 – Would It Be… a Bother If I Stayed by Your Side?【Vol 3: Torte the Dog-Eared Girl Ar】

After causing quite the commotion, we finally settled down and took seats around the hospital bed.

“I know things got a bit out of order, but… let me introduce you. This is Torte. She’s the companion I told you about before.”

“Nice to meet you! Woof!”

As Milfy-san introduced her, Torte energetically raised her hand from the bed. The sheer enthusiasm made me chuckle despite myself.

“By the way, she’s a year younger than you, Theo-kun.”

“Wait, really? I thought she was much younger…”

Her features were youthful, and she was at least a head shorter than me. Hard to believe we were practically the same age.

“I get that a lot! Torte’s super tiny, tee-hee!”

“Dog-eared beastkin mature slowly, so even as adults they stay around this size. But don’t let her small frame fool you—she’s a skilled adventurer. Her scouting abilities have saved us countless times.”

“Wow, you’re praising me! Ehehe!”

Torte beamed with that infectious smile of hers. She had this innocent, almost magical charm that made you want to smile right back.

When I first met Éclair, she nearly killed me…

“Hm? What’s with that wistful look, Theo?”

“N-Nothing… Anyway, why is she in the hospital?”

“Milfy-sis mentioned it yesterday, remember? To stop the curse from progressing.”

At Éclair’s words, Milfy-san nodded and took over.

“Right after she was cursed, we asked at the church. They told us the curse wouldn’t advance while she was asleep. So we asked an acquaintance who’s a mage to cast a sleep spell on her.”

“A sleep spell?”

“It suppresses all bodily functions to the bare minimum, so it’s more like hibernation, really. She doesn’t even need to eat.”

“But if such a convenient spell exists, couldn’t you and Éclair have used it too, Milfy-san?”

“Don’t be stupid. Who would search for the cure then?”

“Ah…”

Éclair’s words made perfect sense. Of course they did. And even if they wanted to ask someone else for help, given the… nature of the curse, they couldn’t exactly discuss it openly.

“Exactly. So we put Torte to sleep while we searched for a way to break the curse.”

“I see.”

“Besides—the sleep spell had a side effect.”

“A side effect?”

“Yes…”

Milfy-san paused before continuing.

“I know it sounds ridiculous, but… the first man she sees when she wakes up, she’ll fall in love with.”

“Huh. Kind of like a baby bird imprinting.”

I answered absentmindedly before it hit me.

“Wait, what?! Y-You mean she fell for me?!”

I jumped to my feet, pointing at myself. Milfy-san and Éclair both nodded in unison with pained expressions.

When I looked at Torte, the dog-eared girl was gazing at me with sparkling emerald eyes and an innocent smile.

“Master! Torte loves you so much! ♪”

“O-Oh boy…”

The direct affection made my face twitch involuntarily. So that’s why she’d tackled me the moment she woke up.

“B-But ‘Master’…?”

“I don’t really understand it myself, but dog-eared beastkin have strong loyalty instincts. I think she can’t distinguish between ‘love’ and ‘servitude.'”

Milfy-san looked troubled.

“I-I’m sorry. This happened because I woke her…”

“No, it’s fine. We were planning to have you treat Torte anyway. It’s just the timing that’s…”

“Timing?”

“My treatment isn’t finished yet either. You think your body can handle taking care of Torte too?”

Éclair cut in with an annoyed tone.

“Y-Yeah, true…”

Just treating Éclair alone wore me out as much as fighting monsters all night…

“Oh! What if we cast the spell again and put her back to sleep?”

“That won’t work. Once it’s cast, you build up resistance—there needs to be at least a year between uses.”

“Oh no…”

“And now that she’s awake, the curse will keep progressing. We can’t just leave her like this… Plus I’ll be away on my expedition starting tomorrow. I’m not sure what to do.”

Milfy-san let out a small sigh. Right before an important expedition, and I’m causing her extra worry…

“Um, Master…”

Suddenly, Torte spoke up quietly. Her earlier innocent smile had vanished, replaced by pale green eyes trembling with anxiety.

“Would it be… a bother if I stayed by your side?”

The three of us exchanged startled glances.

“N-No way! You’re not a bother at all! Right, Éclair?”

“Huh, me? W-Well, of course! You haven’t done anything wrong! Right, Milfy-sis?”

“Y-Yes. Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out… right, Theo-kun?”

“R-Right! Right, Éclair?”

“Yeah… wait, we’re going in circles here!”

But even as we spoke, Torte’s eyes were welling up with tears. Even Milfy-san looked utterly lost.

…This won’t do. I need to commit.

“Milfy-san!”

I shot to my feet and looked her straight in the eye.

“It’s okay! I’ll handle this, so please go on your expedition without worry!”

“Theo-kun, but—”

“I’ll break the curse on both Éclair and Torte! Leave it to me!”

I threw down the gauntlet with dramatic flair. Milfy-san and Éclair both stared at me with their mouths hanging open. Only Torte clasped her hands tightly to her chest with a moved expression—

“Master…!”

—her eyes glistening with emotion.

That single word made my chest swell with warmth. Right. I have to see this through to meet her expectations.

I can do this! I know I can!

…Probably.