Civil Servant in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 983



983 – Fourteen and Nine More – 2

I pride myself on being one of the most knowledgeable about dogs among the imperial nobility.

Titi became my family not because I adopted her willingly, but because I was (forced) to adopt her by the situation. That’s why I was immature and if Titi got hurt or did something wrong, it would be rude to the situation, so I really gritted my teeth and accumulated knowledge about dogs. Of course, the same goes for the butler and other servants.

Since then, I have been trying to do it on my own, fascinated by Titi’s wisdom and cuteness. Although it may be a gift from the situation at first, it is not right to treat it as a gift forever. Titi is our family in name and reality, and accumulating knowledge for the family is not a duty but common sense.

So, I also had the knowledge that if a dog gives birth, it would have an average of 5 to 8 puppies, and larger dogs could have more.

‘Nine.’

I never thought I would break 8 twice in a row.

There is a huge difference between what is possible and what actually happens. In theory, there is a possibility that ‘a civil servant can resign by submitting a letter of resignation to the emperor and having it accepted,’ but in reality, there is no case where that possibility actually happens.

‘That’s amazing.’

I looked at Jenny and the nine mini Injeolmi puppies while petting Titi, who was wagging her tail fiercely.

That’s amazing, Jenny. Who would have thought that you would have 23 puppies in just two births? Isn’t FC Retriever a prestigious team with a full lineup of regular and substitute players?

It’s a wonder that animals can give birth faster, more frequently, and in greater numbers than humans. I wonder if the fertility of our pet rabbits, Mane and Mine, has been transferred to Titi and Jenny.

“It’s long.”

When I spoke with admiration, Jenny stared straight into my eyes, then responded with silence, wagging her tail very faintly.

I felt bad because it seemed like it didn’t even have the strength to bark. It wasn’t a dog that barked often, but it did respond when I spoke to it.

‘I have to be careful with my mouth this time.’

Anyway, after nodding to Jenny, I kept my mouth shut as much as possible and paid attention.

When Jenny gave birth to her first child, I was banned from approaching Titi for a while because I made a mistake with my mouth in front of Titi. It was a huge disaster because Titi was wary of me for the first time and even growled at me.

One mistake is enough. If you make the same mistake again, you could be separated from Titi forever. Even the merciful Titi would want to bite if the master kept targeting her pups.

‘There was no need to aim for it in the first place.’

In addition, Titi is making her pups independent by her own determination. Some of the 14 pups born in the first batch have become independent, so I think the second batch will also become independent as time goes by.

“It’s going to be tough for a while. We already have a lot of energetic pups, and now we have nine more that can’t move.”

However, it was obvious that Luciano and his wife would have a hard time until the time came to ‘figure it out’.

Unless you are possessed by a second prince and are raising a retriever, the retriever breed is generally bred to have a gentle and cheerful temperament.

But unfortunately, this gentle nature is not something that can be obtained for free. Only those who endure the wailing period, commonly called the two years of the devil or the two years of the damned, can obtain a gentle retriever. Even our Titi used to pick up things in the garden when he was young. The two years of the devil are what make even Titi cause accidents.

‘How many are there?’

So I ended up offering my condolences to Luciano’s wife.

Even if you exclude the ones that were adopted, there are still a considerable number of mini Injeolmi (less than 2 years old) that are holding on. Perhaps, the Luciano couple will have even more hectic days than when they were raising Helen.

“It’s okay. I’ve been looking for temporary employees since Jenny was pregnant. They specialize in caring for pets, so there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“what?”

And the answer that came back was quite unexpected.

Hiring a large number of servants all of a sudden? It might be a bit too much for Luciano, who is still a mere knight, but it is more advantageous than handling the mini-Injeolmi army with the existing manpower. Hiring temporarily for a certain period of time rather than full-time employment? It is not a common case, but on the other hand, it is not a rare case either.

“There were such servants?”

But someone who specializes in pet care? Why on earth do they have such servants? Even in the 21st century, such personnel are rare─

“Yes. His Majesty the Golden Duke established a guild a few years ago, and these are the servants belonging to that guild. Around that time, the number of cases of raising pets among the imperial nobility increased, so they selected people without distinction between nobles and commoners…”

‘ah.’

I was immediately convinced by the universal word ‘golden ball’.

A few years ago, the fame of Titi and the existence of the holy beasts would have spread throughout the empire. It would also have been a time when the situation’s Dudukri Online would have spread among those with access to the palace.

He set up a pet care business just in time for that moment. He really is a money monster. The title of gold is not something that is earned for nothing.

“I will pay for the cost, so hire me generously. I was worried about how I could help, and I think I have the answer.”

“Oh, no! Our family’s budget is enough─”

“It’s not that I’m ignoring the Niden family. I’m deeply involved in this, so I take responsibility.”

He shook his head at his wife, who was hastily waving her hand.

Jenny would not have gotten pregnant on her own without any signs. It was all through our Titi’s intervention that she gave birth to the baby. So I will pay the cost, and the best place to do it is for the Luciano couple to provide it.

“…Now that I think about it, where is Helen? If Jenny had given birth, she would have come running before anyone else.”

After completing the postpartum follow-up, I felt uneasy.

Luciano, I’m sure you’re at work, but where is Helen? If Jenny had given birth, I thought she’d be right there cheering you on.

“My parents wanted to see Helen, so I sent her to my parents’ house for a while.”

“I see.”

I nodded immediately because it was an answer that I could not help but accept. If the maternal grandparents want to see their granddaughter, there is nothing they can do.

‘I’ll have to bring up the palace story next time.’

In fact, while I was at Luciano’s mansion, I was planning to sneak in a favor from the Crown Princess. It was an outrageous request, to invite Helen to the palace.

The Crown Princess has now turned 7, so she has a strong desire to invite her friends to her house and play with them. I wonder if this has anything to do with age, but since it wasn’t like this until last year, I think it’s because of her age. The 6-year-old Crown Princess and the 7-year-old Crown Princess are different people.

‘It’s not urgent.’

Well, I guess we can talk leisurely sometime around the end of January or beginning of February.

But before that, I have to calm Luciano down so he doesn’t die of a heart attack.

Jenny’s second birth was big news that even the winners who had already received their allotments were interested in.

“Nine this time?”

“Yes. They were all born healthy.”

“There are probably more kids in Titi’s life than my brother and I will ever see in our entire lives.”

There was a brief silence at those words.

At this point, Erich’s words are correct. Our 12 children and Erich’s 2 children combined make 14. The overwhelming wall of 23 is unsurpassed.

At least for now. Honestly, I think Erich will have a few more children, but won’t we turn things around in terms of the future?

– Woof!

What broke this brief reverie was not Erich, but Injeolmi’s crying.

Injeolmi proudly inherited Titi’s bloodline and became part of Erich’s family.

‘You’ve grown a lot.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

This one was definitely a mini injeolmi when I first gave it away. What on earth happened to turn it into a giant injeolmi that rivals Titi? It looks like it ate very well and was doing well.

“What on earth did you feed it to make it grow so big?”

“I feel wronged. I’m at an age where it wouldn’t be strange for me to grow up at any time.”

It was a logically perfect statement, so I kept my mouth shut.

That’s true. In fact, before I sent them out for adoption, I was worried and thought, ‘Why are they so small?’

“And there are some good things about growing up. Even when Robert and Eduard cling to him, he plays well by himself.”

“okay?”

I glanced at Big Injeolmi because it was positive news.

I expected it to be like this, since he’s descended from Titi, but he’s already playing with children. He’s a really special guy.

“Brother. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Uh. Tell me.”

“By any chance, when the kids born now grow up… are you thinking of sending them to another country?”

The hand that was about to grab the teacup suddenly stopped in its tracks at the rather unconventional question.

“That’s not under my jurisdiction. Please ask the person in charge directly.”

After a while, I avoided the question by speaking in a businesslike voice and tone.

I think I know why he said that. Since Titi’s child went to this guy and Tanian, I guess the rumor spread to other guys. For example, to the swordsmen in the north of the continent and the magicians in the east.

No. There is no need to go all the way to the north of the continent; there are strong candidates in the north of the empire.

“Would a kid who doesn’t even listen to his brother listen to me?”

“I’ve already made a mistake once, so I don’t have a chance. If I make a mistake twice, I might really get bitten.”

“Even if I ask, my teeth will just fall out.”

I was left feeling upset by the attitude of asking why I was worrying about such things.

Do you think I’m doing this because I’m afraid of physical pain? I’m reluctant because of emotional wounds.

“Anyway, I don’t have the authority, so keep that in mind. It’s up to Titi to decide where to send her children. If she allows, she can send them to the Three Kingdoms of Winter, but if she refuses, even if it’s right next door, it won’t be allowed.”

Erich only clicked his tongue slightly at my firm attitude and didn’t beg any further.

“Then, can we ask the kids who were born now when they grow up a bit?”

“It’s your freedom.”

I just made a promise for the future. When the 2nd generation juniors grow to the same level as the 1st generation juniors, I will talk to TI directly.

‘How can the subject of negotiation be a pet dog?’

I almost burst out laughing at this amazing situation.

Are there people on the continent who negotiate directly with the dog and not the owner to adopt it? Are there adoptions that cannot be made even if the owner gives permission if the dog does not give permission?

This is a strange happening that occurred because Titi was an unprecedented dog in the history of the continent.