Chapter 261 Susie's New Friend
"Father is truly—"
Audrey felt a little disappointed not getting the answer she wanted from her father.
She planned to subtly inquire about stock market news from her other noble friends the next time she attended a salon.
"I hope—it really was just Mr. World making a mistake."
She lifted her skirt and walked briskly up the stairs, preparing to return to her room. However, just as she reached the door, she heard a strange sound coming from inside the room.
"Susie, are you back from your walk?"
"Woof! Audrey! I brought a friend back!"
Seeing Audrey push the door open, Susie, who had been lying on the carpet, immediately ran towards her, tongue out and tail wagging.
"A friend?" Audrey was a little confused. What kind of friend could Susie have? Another noble family's dog?
"It's her!" Susie lifted a front paw and pointed to the Orange Cat perched on the windowsill nearby, "My new friend!"
"Meow~"
Lachi also noticed the commotion, turned her head, and let out an elegant and lazy meow at Audrey.
"A cat?" Audrey was surprised, "Susie, your friend—is a cat?"
"Is there a problem with my friend being a cat?" Susie shook her fluffy head, a little puzzled.
"But—but aren't you a dog?" Audrey subconsciously pointed out this 'problem' that seemed obvious to ordinary people.
"Can't dogs and cats be friends?" Susie blinked her clear, big eyes.
"Uh—"
It seems—there's no rule saying they can't.
"How long have you known it?" Audrey changed the question, trying to clarify the situation.
"Just met today!" Susie happily stuck out her tongue.
Just met and brought it directly home?
"Ahem—Susie, that's not allowed." Audrey cleared her throat, her tone becoming a little more serious, "How can you bring a suspicious stray cat back?"
"Suspicious stray cat?" Susie tilted her head, a hint of displeasure in her tone, "Audrey, how can you call my friend a suspicious stray cat? That's so rude, not ladylike at all."
"Uh—" Audrey was choked, her cheeks slightly flushed. She—she actually had a day where Susie called her 'not ladylike'?
She, the eldest daughter of the Hall family, the most dazzling jewel in Backlund, was actually criticized for being 'not ladylike' by her own dog.
"Susie, what I mean is, if you bring a friend back, you should tell me beforehand."
"Meow~"
Just then, Lachi meowed again at the opportune moment, successfully attracting Audrey's attention.
Audrey carefully observed the Orange Cat and found that it seemed a little different. It looked very clean, its fur smooth and with a healthy sheen, as if it wasn't just a simple stray cat.
Susie probably wouldn't make friends with ordinary animals, right?
Could it be—it's also a Beyonder animal?
Audrey's curiosity was piqued. She lightened her steps, slowly walked forward, a friendly smile on her face, and extended her hand, wanting to pet this rather extraordinary Orange Cat as a gesture of friendliness.
But—
"Meow woof—"
The Orange Cat's face showed a very human-like expression of disdain. It twisted its body, deftly dodged Audrey's outstretched hand, then turned and darted behind Susie, only showing a pair of eyes, feigning a frightened expression.
"This—" Audrey's hand froze in mid-air, feeling a little awkward. She—was she being disliked by a cat?
"Audrey! You scared my friend!" Susie immediately turned her head, glanced at the 'presumably' frightened Orange Cat, then shielded it behind her, staring at Audrey with a wary expression.
"Meow woof—" The Orange Cat let out another pitiful meow, shrinking into Susie's warm, thick fur.
Audrey looked at Susie in front of her and suddenly felt that the other party was a bit unfamiliar.
She extended her finger and said in a slightly lecturing tone, "No, Susie."
"Even if it's your friend, how can you bring it back without permission? If Anne and the other maids see it, it will be very troublesome."
"So, please ask it to leave quickly."
"Meow—" Lachi let out another soft meow. Susie heard her, lowered her head, letting the Orange Cat press against her ear, and whispered something.
A moment later, Susie raised her head and said to Audrey, "Audrey, my friend says she likes it here and wants to stay a little longer."
"Susie, you can communicate directly with that cat?" Audrey asked in surprise.
"Yes." Susie nodded as if it were obvious.
"Don't you think this is strange?"
"What's so strange about it?" Susie's eyes were full of bewilderment, "Can't I communicate with you too?"
Uh—but I'm neither a cat nor a dog, I'm a human—Audrey muttered to herself.
Wait a minute! She suddenly realized something was wrong.
A cat that can communicate with dogs without hindrance, and possibly even understand human speech, is definitely not an ordinary cat! Letting it stay here might bring unknown dangers.
"Susie, you still need to let your friend leave."
"Why?"
"Because—because this is my room!" Audrey quickly found an excuse.
"But isn't this also my home?" Susie tilted her head and retorted.
"But—but, Susie, you're my pet!"
As soon as these words left her mouth, Audrey regretted them.
She saw that Susie's body visibly stiffened when she heard the word 'pet'.
"Pet—I—am I just a pet—" Susie lowered her head, her ears drooping listlessly. In an instant, the lively and cheerful aura around her vanished without a trace.
"Meow!" Lachi, seeing this, immediately meowed discontentedly at Audrey, then came to Susie's front, extended her paw with a paw pad, and gently stroked Susie's bowed forehead as if comforting her.
"No! Susie! I didn't mean that!"
"Audrey, so—you never truly considered me family, just treated me as a—pet."
"A pet that can be discarded at any time. Just like it said just now—"
Susie lowered her head, her voice clearly choked with emotion.
"No! Susie! I've always considered you my most important family member!" Audrey quickly explained, filled with regret.
"I'm just a dog—a clever, perhaps somewhat useful—dog that you keep." Susie suddenly recalled the look of disdain Audrey had given her last time after she successfully escaped from that dangerous man.
"I want to—go for a stroll."
Susie ignored Audrey, who was trying to stop her, and walked towards the room door on her own.
"Susie, come back, it's almost dinner time!"
Dinner?!
"Meow." Lachi, who had been watching the show from the side, suddenly perked up her ears.
What is dinner like in a noble's house?
She leaped up, landing steadily on Susie's back, and went out the door with her.
Unbeknownst to them, the sky had already completely darkened.
"Susie—why aren't you back yet?"
After several hours, seeing that Susie still hadn't returned, Audrey began to worry.
Susie—she wouldn't do anything rash, would she—
She shouldn't—I only said those words because I was angry—
"Susie—" Just as Audrey, full of worry, was about to go out and look for her.
"Woof~" A clear bark came from outside the door.
"Susie! You're back!" Audrey joyfully opened the door and saw the golden retriever sitting in front of it.
"I'm sorry, Susie, I really didn't mean that—"
Susie, however, proudly turned her head away, not looking at her: "Audrey, I won't forgive you."
"Good Susie, then what do you want so I can be forgiven?" Audrey squatted down and asked pitifully.
"Unless—"
"Unless what?"
"Unless—you prepare double portions of food for me every day from now on!"
"Huh?"
In the shadows not far away.
"Meow—inciting is so troublesome, humans and dogs are also so troublesome."
"Finally managed to persuade her, meow."
Lachi, who had just used her Assassin invisibility ability to 'inspect' the Hall family's kitchen and returned, was looking at the reconciled human and dog in front of her with a speechless expression.