I want to train a puppy.
A small but undeniable desire has arisen.
However, both Judas and Eliya have no idea how to achieve that desire.
Eliya skimmed through Judas’s stored memories.
There was no helpful information.
She had only pleasant memories of well-behaved puppies, but not a single clue on how to conduct the training.
“Hmm.”
She hit a snag right from the start.
It didn’t take long to think of a method to gather the running puppies.
There was no need to forcefully gather them.
When it’s time to rest, they would automatically return to the barn together.
In the meantime, Judas and Eliya decided to raid the kitchen.
To find some treats that would entice the puppies.
“What do you think they like?”
“Hmm, I wonder?”
Unlike the world Judas lived in, there are no prepared snacks or dog food here.
Currently, the spots’ meals are provided from the kitchen.
While most dogs living with humans in this world get leftovers, the palace dogs are treated extravagantly.
They get fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.
Of course, the puppies haven’t fully weaned yet, so they’re not eating solid food yet.
“Although they’re not fully weaned yet…”
“They do share a few bites of food from their mother occasionally, though.”
“Then it’s not like we can’t give them anything…”
Judas and Eliya exchanged opinions and picked out the food they would take.
The chosen food was as follows:
Boiled chicken breast without salt.
Cooked sweet potatoes. A bit of fruit and vegetables.
“This should be enough.”
“They might learn by watching us train Wangjeom, so it won’t be a big deal if the puppies can’t eat.”
Just thinking about the puppies following their commands, giving their paws or sitting down made their hearts warm.
The couple moved with slightly mischievous yet proud smiles, gathering the food.
*
When Judas and Eliya returned, the spotted puppies had just come back to the barn after their walk.
Although they’re not that spotted, Judas kept calling them that, and it caught on with Eliya.
Yuel, who had played with them, was also busy with his head in the water bowl.
“Having just come back from a walk, feeling thirsty and a little hungry right now…”
“It’s the perfect time to use the treats.”
They crouched down next to the drinking dog.
The big mother dog and four puppies like glutinous rice cakes on either side.
The ones that haven’t even grown their fur properly yet are drinking water while wagging their short tails.
For a moment, they forgot the purpose of being there and just stared at the scene, entranced.
They snapped back to reality when the mother dog lifted her head and cocked it.
Tilting her head, she soon started wagging her tail and smiling.
Judas gently stroked her head.
“Speaking of which, Wangjeom probably isn’t trained yet. Back then, it was going from house to house, so I never checked.”
Having walked with him a few times, he vaguely remembered Wangjeom understood at least the command to follow.
“Let’s check it out.”
At Eliya’s suggestion, Judas nodded.
“Alright, paw.”
Judas held out his palm.
Wangjeom just stared blankly at Judas.
“……”
When Judas stayed silent, the dog only sniffed his hand without doing the expected action.
“Hmm. I guess I have no choice but to teach him directly.”
Judas’s attitude was firm, as if he was confident.
Eliya squatted next to him and decided to watch how he would do it.
*
A few minutes after Judas’s confident remark.
The two were rolling around on the barn floor with the puppies.
Training or not, they couldn’t resist their cuteness.
Playing with and touching the adorably squirming puppies took priority over training.
Eliya picked up a wriggling puppy and sniffed it.
“So fragrant…”
The soft and warm puppy had a uniquely nutty scent.
It was quite addictive.
Judas sniffed one of the puppy’s paws.
There was a mix of earthy and nutty smells.
In any case, he didn’t dislike it.
Plus, the jelly-like soft paws.
Touching them was soothing.
He also gently touched Wangjeom’s paws, which felt rather rough and solid. It seemed like calluses were built up.
Anyway, it was delightful.
The feeling of laying down with the soft puppies on top of him, fiddling and sniffing them.
It simply felt endlessly good.
The scene resembled two people blissfully sprawled out, as if on drugs.
Although they had never even touched real drugs.
“This is nice…”
Judas said dreamily, and Eliya agreed with a “mhm…”
Suddenly, she rolled over and crawled toward Judas.
Then she rested her head on his arm.
Judas chuckled and stroked Eliya’s cheek.
“What’s with you all of a sudden? Acting cute to try and look adorable?”
“I’m not!”
Eliya buried her face into his embrace.
“I’m just happy, and I thought it would make me even happier if I cuddled like this…”
She mumbled, flustered.
Judas shook his head with a smile.
There’s no way to counter this cuteness.
No matter how cute the puppies were, they couldn’t compare to Eliya.
In the end, he had no choice but to kiss her forehead.
With Eliya nestled in his arms and warm puppies bustling around him.
Yuel was curled up at the head of the pile, and Wangjeom was comfortably lying nearby.
It was an exceptionally peaceful afternoon.
Their breathing gradually calmed.
In that moment, where they were about to doze off…
– Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the barn door.
– “Your Majesty, are you inside? It’s Mei. May I come in?”
Eliya jumped to her feet.
In front of Judas, she was always so laid-back, but she wasn’t like that around others.
“Sure, come in.”
Eliya spoke calmly as if she hadn’t almost fallen asleep.
Judas got up a little late and let the puppy bite his finger.
Still, they didn’t hurt him since they were teething.
Mei entered with Bradley, the barn manager.
“I came to measure the puppies’ size and weight.”
“I came to check the water bowl and hay.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
Mei sat down on the floor, measuring the puppies with a tape measure, and lifted them with her hands too.
“Oh wow, how much have you grown… hmm? But what’s in that basket?”
“Oh.”
It was the basket of treats they had brought for training.
They had placed it on a shelf to keep it out of reach of the dogs, but Mei found it.
Eliya averted her gaze, pretending not to notice.
For some reason, the embarrassing explanation fell to Judas.
“Uh… it’s nothing special. I just brought it to try training them.”
“Training?”
“Yeah, well… I intended to, but it didn’t work out.”
It’s not that it hadn’t worked out, but he had just gotten hopelessly enamored with their cuteness and gave up.
It was embarrassing to say that.
After all, there was Eliya’s dignity as the Empress to consider.
“Do you need help?”
Judas and Eliya remembered a moment too late.
That Mei was quite knowledgeable about animals.
*
“These little ones are still too young for training. They might pick up something, but just showing them a familiar environment they’re supposed to follow commands in should be enough for now.”
Thus, the training subject was Wangjeom.
Judas and Eliya listened to Mei’s words with serious expressions.
Mei couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Eliya.
“Uh, um! I’m sorry. Well then, let’s give it a try. These treats you brought are quite excellent, so let’s use them.”
The treat Mei chose was the boiled chicken breast.
“Please tear it into small pieces and place it on your palm. Then hold it in front of the dog; it will sniff it and eat it on its own.”
Mei extended her palm with the chicken in front of Wangjeom.
Immediately, the dog took the chicken breast.
“Now comes the important part. This time, we won’t give it right away.”
Hiding the treat in her fist, she held it out, and the puppy eagerly sniffed for a way to get to it.
“You have to wait until the desired action is performed. You can’t just give it to them because they’re cute.”
That part was an invaluable piece of advice for both of them, so they took it to heart.
Finally, Wangjeom tapped Judas’s hand with his paw.
“Now you can open your fist to let him eat.”
Mei unfolded her hand to reveal the treat.
“You’ll repeat this action a few times, combining it with the command ‘paw’ which will result in Wangjeom giving his paw when you say ‘paw.’ Easy, right?”
Mei finished explaining while petting the dog.
“Would you like to try it yourself?”
Eliya and Judas exchanged glances.
Eliya seemed a little hesitant.
Judas stepped forward first.
“I’ll give it a try.”
“You don’t have to be that serious about it.”
Mei took a step back, and Judas stood in front of the puppy.
He carefully retraced and imitated the actions Mei had taken.
He tore the chicken breast into small pieces and held it in his hand.
He cautiously held his fist out in front of the dog.
“Paw.”
The sniffing dog placed his front paw on his hand.
It was more of a gentle push than placing it.
However, it was enough for Judas and Eliya to be overjoyed.
“Oh!”
“Wow!”
Judas quickly opened his hand to give the treat.
He repeated the same action several times.
Whenever Wangjeom nudged his paw against his hand, he would give a treat.
“Good, good, nice job.”
“Smart one.”
A smile wouldn’t leave their faces in those moments of joy.
From a short distance away, Mei watched Eliya.
The pure childlike expression of amazement lit up her face.
It was a face that would never show when she was with Judas.
‘…Eight years.’
After Eliya boldly gained independence from her family, Mei was assigned as her physician.
Since then, it had been around eight years of service.
They weren’t that close nor particularly well-acquainted.
Although they regularly had health check-ups, they didn’t have a bond worth speaking of.
In the first place, interaction was impossible.
Back then, Eliya lived behind tall, thick walls all around her.
Mei could never forget the deep resentment that lingered in that young child’s eyes.
She felt pity for Eliya.
Life was far too harsh for someone so young to bear.
Yet, she stood by and watched.
There was no other choice.
The other party was Bevel.
Only a madman could stand up against Bevel.
And, to be somewhat rude, that madman beside her right now.
If it weren’t for Judas, Eliya wouldn’t be able to smile like this.
He was a madman ready to risk it all, and paradoxically, he was capable of staying by Eliya’s side and transforming her.
Five years ago, when both Eliya and Judas were still children.
Judas was a celebrity in the mansion.
Rumors spread about how a madman had entered.
When she heard that news, she was taken aback.
She thought he would die soon or collapse on his own.
But he turned out to be stronger and crazier than she had imagined.
Thank goodness.
That Eliya could at least still be innocent like a child now.
That she could be that happy.
Though she knew she was being a bystander, she still felt a sense of relief.
“Paw.”
Before she knew it, the dog was perfectly obeying the command “paw”.
It was no longer necessary to follow Mei’s instructions.
Now, merely extending his empty hand would suffice.
“I want to try too!”
Eliya exclaimed cheerfully like a child.
“Paw!”
And the puppy promptly places its front paw carefully on her hand.
“Well done.”
Eliya gave it a treat, and Judas stroked the dog from the side.
Back when they first brought Yuel, Eliya was reluctant to give him food directly, fearing the slobber.
However, now she was not only giving Yuel food directly but also accepting it when the puppy licked her face while smiling.
Judas found it fascinating how Eliya had changed so much, watching her smile dreamily at the puppies.
Soon, their eyes met.
As Eliya sniffed the puppy smell, she turned to him and gave her usual bright and pure smile.
*
“Mom?”
Eliya opened the barn door.
“Hmm? Eliya.”
Maria, who was taking care of the spotted puppies and Yuel inside, turned her head.
“So, you were here.”
“What’s up? Are you here without Judas?”
Judas and Eliya are each other’s shadows.
Wherever they go, they always stick together.
They rarely act separately, but it does happen occasionally.
“He’s exercising.”
“Oh, I see.”
“You’ve gotten friendly with the animals.”
Normally, Eliya went straight to the point if she had something to say.
She didn’t have a knack for stalling with small talk or casual greetings; that’s not her style of speech.
If she were to stall or bring up a topic unrelated to the main point, it would be to disarm the other party with some preparation.
Maria thought.
There’s no way Eliya would do that to her, so she must have brought up something difficult to discuss.
She decided to wait, wanting her daughter to speak comfortably and safely.
“Yeah. While you were away, I’ve been coming here often to take care of them. They’re so cute that just watching them brightens my mood.”
Especially with Yuel, who they shared memories with in the afterlife.
Thanks to that, they quickly became friends.
Before, Eliya had no interactions with Yuel at all.
“And the puppies seem to understand human words too. It’s fascinating. You and Judas trained them, right?”
“Yes, we did get help from Mei.”
“How clever they must be to resemble their two owners. Just like Yuel.”
“Thanks to you taking good care of them, I believe therefore, Judas and I can feel comfortable going out for a bit.”
“I’m grateful if you feel that way, my precious Eli.”
With a gentle smile, Eliya carefully opened up.
“Mom, you know….”
“Sure, anything you want to say.”
What Eliya brought up was a topic that Maria had never expected to hear from her.
“I want to learn to cook… Can you help me?”
“…Huh?”
*
Eliya and Judas sometimes.
Actually, they frequently spend time in the cage.
Due to external schedules, they may not stay for days at a time, but they visit often.
It’s their only space.
Thus, unlike in the palace, there’s no one to handle the chores.
For example, cooking.
Eliya cannot cook.
She has never laid a hand on it in her life.
Therefore, preparing food rests solely on Judas’s shoulders.
Sometimes she feels a little guilty about that.
When Eliya shows signs of being embarrassed, Judas chuckles and kisses her forehead, saying:
“You don’t have to feel guilty; I do this because I like it.”
He doesn’t say that just to comfort her.
She knows that.
So, she feels even more grateful and joyful.
But because of that, she also wants to cook for him at least once.
She remembers the words he had said to her long ago.
When he asked if she wanted him to cook for her, she had replied like this:
“I wouldn’t mind it, but if you did, I think I’d feel good about it.”
It was a thoughtful yet honest answer.
That’s what she loves about him.
The way he doesn’t hide or downplay his desires just because he’s being considerate.
Anyway.
She wanted to see him enjoying something she made.
She wanted to see him happy over the food she prepared for him.
If she could bring him happiness, Eliya could do anything.
…Though she wasn’t sure if she’d do it well.
For the reasons above, Eliya had come to Maria asking for cooking lessons.
And now mother and daughter had come to the kitchen.
Maria spoke a bit sternly and firmly.
“Cooking is more dangerous than you think, Eli. You’ll be handling sharp knives and working with hot water, oil, and fire, so you have to be careful. Do you understand?”
Even though she was her daughter, Eliya was objectively extraordinary, even transcendent.
The Great Mage.
Empress of the New Order and Pope. And a saint. And countless other titles.
Nevertheless, it was her first time cooking, so she needed a strict warning about the necessary precautions.
“Yeah, I understand.”
Maria nodded with a smile.
“Okay, then shall we give it a try?”
Eliya nodded solemnly.
Imagining Judas happily enjoying the food she’s going to make.
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