Chapter 1

~… ♪

C’mere, King! It’s such a nice day out~ Perfect for a walk ♪

Wah?! Hang on—King!

Don’t jump on me~! You weigh just as much as I do, remember? You’ll knock me over, so don’t play so rough!

There we go, good boy ♪ You’re always so hyper~ Keep it up and live a long life, okay?

W–wait… No, don’t eat the shrubs around here!

The gardener will get super upset~ And if you eat the roses and stuff, the thorns will get stuck in your mouth and make you bleed, y’know?

I never expected you to be so playful.

Is it ‘cause I spoiled you too much~? If you don’t behave, you’re gonna be our dinner tonight, got it? I’ll make you into doggy stew!

Ehehe, I’m just kidding~ Did I scare you?

Basically, just do what I say! If you behave, I’ll give you the happiest life you can imagine ♪

Ahaha, you’re all covered in mud, aren’t you? C’mon, let’s go take a shower before breakfast. If you don’t keep clean, Yuzuru’s gonna get mad.

“The master’s mornings are early.”

“Perhaps it may come as a surprise, but he leads a well-adjusted life. Yes, this is the result of my instruction ♪”

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise—so they say.”

“Well, the master is just as much a child as he looks, so it’s likely that he simply gets tired early in the evening.”

“Fufu. Still, he has a hard time waking up, so I make sure to get him out of bed.”

“He has plenty of time to spare in the mornings, and recently he’s even been dressing himself.”

“And as you can see, he takes his dog… King, out for a walk every morning.”

“There are countless dangers outside, though, so his typical route remains within the safety of the Himemiya estate’s garden.”

“In the occasional event that he leaves the estate, I secretly keep watch over him.”

“Perhaps one might think I’m overprotective, but the Himemiyas are new money—Pardon me, that was a slip of the tongue. They have their fair share of enemies, so it’s best to prepare for any circumstances.”

“Fufu, even though it may simply be a walk… He struggles with it due to that dog’s poor discipline; he’s just as impertinent as his own master.”

“Well, it is said that a child acts selfishly because he doesn’t understand his parents’ love…”

“If he could catch a glimpse of my own hardships from being tossed around and toyed with by King, that would be most favorable.”

“You learn more every day. Every experience the master has will nurture him as the future head of the Himemiya household… Yuzuru believes they will all help him to shine brightly.”

…What are you even doing, Yuzuru?

Oh my, you noticed me?

How could I not notice you? Don’t underestimate me so much.

You’ve been tailing me from a distance ever since I woke up this morning.

So? What is it? If I’m being honest, it’s not so much that you’re bothering me than I’m just curious.

You have a job, y’know—You’re a butler. Y’know, cleaning and stuff? Are you sure you should be here right now?

No need to worry. I woke up early and quietly took care of all of the chores so as not to wake anyone up.

There were many other things I needed to do, you see.

Like what…? Whatever, have you been filming me for a while now? It sounded like you were speaking into a mic and narrating something?

Are you planning to record how cute I am and show it to everyone in the country so I get more fans?

Fufun, that’s a pretty good strategy, if I do say so myself… ☆

But don’t film me when I’ve just woken up! I look like a mess~!

If you’re gonna do it, at least tell me beforehand so I can get ready?

Fufu, there’s no need to dress yourself up; you’re already the most adorable person in the world.

Come on~ Smile ♪ Say cheese~ ☆

Ugh~? Aren’t you just trying to dodge the question by praising me? Quit beating around the bush every single time~ I’m not gonna be fooled so easily!

I don’t really get it, but it’s sooo~ annoying! I’m used to being in front of the camera ‘cause I’m an idol, but I have no idea what you’re trying to do here. It’s creeping me out!

Fufu, there’s no need to worry so much. I have a primary objective, and a secondary one…

But as of right now, it has nothing to do with you, Sir ♪

No way, I already said I’m curious. What’re you up to? Stop being so vague with your answers~ It’s putting me on edge.

I’m your master, you know. You’re supposed to tell me everything.

If you keep weirding me out, I’m gonna sic King on you. You don’t like dogs, right? Here, King~ You can have slave for breakfast~… ♪

It was only a joke… Please forgive me.

…Oh, it seems we have a visitor. I’ll attend to them.

If you’ll excuse me~ I’ll see you at breakfast, then ♪

Ngh~… What’s for breakfast, anyway?

I’m sick of bagel sandwiches, so whip up something else this time. I know you keep trying to put things I don’t like in bagels to try and get me to eat it, y’know~?

……

Huh? Heyyy, Yuzuru~? Oh, c’mon, you should at least answer me!

…Aaand he’s gone. What the heck is up with him? I’ve known him for forever, but sometimes I still can’t figure out what’s going on inside that head of his.

Even though he’s like family to me… He always feels so distant, right King?