The Emerald estate had seen many strange things in its history—banquets that lasted until dawn, duels that ended with broken fountains, even the occasional explosion from the alchemy wing. But nothing compared to the sight that greeted the household that evening.
Shellia Emerald, dutiful daughter, healer of demons, Spirit Beloved extraordinaire… walked through the front gates carrying what looked suspiciously like a glowing stuffed animal.
Except the "stuffed animal" wiggled. And bleated. And attempted to chew on her hair.
The butler froze mid-step, the tray of wine glasses trembling. Maids peeked out from behind pillars. Guards blinked rapidly, unsure if they were hallucinating.
Giovina Emerald was the first to react. Her lips curved into a smile so radiant it could have been weaponized. "Oh, Shellia, dear—you've brought home another one."
"Mother," Shellia deadpanned, "this isn't what it looks like."
"It looks," Giovina said warmly, "like my daughter has acquired a very adorable deer."
The stag in question, Orryn, bleated proudly and rubbed his glowing chibi-sized head against Shellia's chin, as though confirming the accusation.
Shellia groaned. "He's not a pet. He's a… a Frost Stag. A dangerous beast. A legendary one, even!"
Giovina clasped her hands dramatically. "And now he's our guest. How delightful!"
From the stairwell, Gerald Emerald, Duke of the house, appeared with the commanding air of a man who had seen too many strange events to be surprised anymore. He eyed the glowing creature in his daughter's arms, then let out a long sigh.
"Quick work, even by your standards," Gerald muttered. "First three spirits, now a stag." He rubbed his temples. "Shellia, our household budget is not equipped for this."
"Father," Shellia protested, "it's not like I went shopping for him at the market!"
Before Gerald could retort, Alex and Alecia came thundering down the stairs.
"Big Sister!" Alex cried. "Is that a deer?"
"Can we keep it?!" Alecia squealed, already reaching for Orryn with grabby hands.
"No," Shellia said firmly, taking a step back. "Absolutely not. This is not a toy. This is not a pet. This is a—hey, stop pulling his tail!"
Orryn bleated indignantly as Alecia managed to pinch the tiny tail and wiggle it. He retaliated by sticking his glowing nose into her hair, making static sparks fly. Alecia laughed so hard she fell backward into Alex, who was equally enchanted.
Gerald sighed again, muttering something about needing more wine. Giovina clapped her hands, already calling for tea and cake.
Shellia, surrounded by chaos, dropped into the nearest chair and buried her face in her hands.
---
Dinner that night was chaos incarnate. Giovina insisted on making space at the long dining table for all of Shellia's companions—spirits included.
The result? Yuki perched neatly by the teapot, Orielle swirled flames to toast bread, and Sylas sat like a refined noble with an aura of superiority that somehow made the silverware shine brighter. Orryn, naturally, plopped himself right in Shellia's lap and demanded to be hand-fed carrots.
Gerald stared at the tableau, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This table used to seat dukes and kings."
"Now it seats family," Giovina said serenely, spooning soup into Orryn's bowl as though he were a toddler.
"Family?" Gerald repeated, horrified.
"Yes, Father," Alecia said through a mouthful of bread. "He's so cute!"
"He's glowing," Gerald muttered.
Shellia, chewing silently, considered sinking under the table and never resurfacing. But of course, Yuki noticed her despair.
[Shellia, don't look so gloomy,] Yuki piped up, wings fluttering. [Orryn is just trying to fit in.]
"He's trying to fit his entire nose into the soup tureen," Shellia grumbled, pushing Orryn back as he bleated pitifully.
Orielle, sipping tea with elegance, chuckled. [Honestly, Shellia, this is good for you. A bigger family means more support.]
"I already had a family," Shellia muttered, stabbing her vegetables.
[Now you have two,] Orielle shot back cheerfully.
Sylas added with maddening calmness, [Adapt. You'll survive.]
Shellia groaned. "You sound like Reinhard."
Gerald perked up. "The commander approves of this madness?"
"No, Father. He just… doesn't disapprove. Which, in Reinhard-speak, means he's secretly amused."
Giovina clasped her hands again, her eyes sparkling. "Splendid! Even the commander approves. Then Orryn stays."
Shellia slammed her forehead against the table. "That's not what I said."
But no one listened. The Frost Stag bleated happily, having successfully slurped half the soup with a glowing straw of frost magic.
---
After dinner, when Shellia finally retreated to her room, she hoped for peace. Instead, the moment she sat on her bed—ping!
The dreaded window appeared again.
---
[Status Update: Shellia Emerald]
Guild Rank: B → Still B (but don't relax)
Job: Spirit Beloved – Rank A
New Title: Beast Tamer – Rank C
Tamed Beast List Updated:
Kaelin – Body Enchantment
Frost Stag (Orryn) – "Likes soup. Chews cloaks. Refuses to walk."
---
Shellia flopped backward onto her bed. "I swear, if this thing keeps showing up like an uninvited ghost, I'm going to start charging it rent."
Yuki floated beside her with wide eyes. [Shellia, don't be mad. It's just keeping track for you.]
"Track what? That my life has turned into a menagerie?"
Orielle chuckled, conjuring a little flame that shaped itself into a deer's silhouette. [You'll thank it one day. Imagine introducing yourself without forgetting half your titles.]
Sylas nodded solemnly. [She's right. At this rate, your résumé will need a second page.]
Shellia groaned into her pillow.
Orryn, in chibi form, hopped onto the bed and curled against her stomach like a smug cat. The glow of his antlers filled the room with gentle light, and he bleated once, softly.
And despite her protests, Shellia's hand reached out automatically to pet him. His fur was cold but comforting, like touching fresh snow on a sunny day.
"…Fine," Shellia whispered. "But only because you're warm."
The stag bleated again, victorious.
---
Meanwhile in the Hallway…
Giovina peeked through the crack of the door, smiling at the sight of her daughter snuggling an ancient legendary beast like it was a stuffed toy.
"She'll make a wonderful duchess one day," Giovina whispered.
Gerald, behind her, groaned. "She'll make a terrible accountant. Do you know how much feed a glowing stag consumes?"
"Then we'll expand the budget," Giovina said matter-of-factly.
"Expand the—!" Gerald sputtered, but Giovina silenced him with a single look.
Inside, Shellia sneezed, then muttered into her pillow: "I can feel them plotting again."
---
By the next morning, the Emerald estate had fully adjusted to Orryn's presence. Maids left out carrots on silver trays. Guards saluted the chibi stag as he waddled past. One even claimed his nightmares had vanished after Orryn bleated at him.
Shellia walked through the halls in disbelief. "This is insane. Everyone's treating him like a sacred relic."
[He is a sacred relic,] Yuki pointed out gently.
"He's also currently chewing on Father's favorite tapestry."
Orielle laughed so hard she nearly dropped her teacup. [Sacred or not, that's hilarious.]
Sylas, of course, remained calm. [At least he has good taste.]
Shellia buried her face in her hands again.
---
That evening, as the family gathered again, Gerald finally relented with a long sigh. "Fine. He stays."
Alecia squealed, Alex cheered, Giovina smiled smugly, and Orryn bleated with triumph.
Shellia, utterly defeated, muttered under her breath: "Next time, I'm naming him Dinner."
The stag bleated indignantly, as though he understood perfectly.
The table roared with laughter. And though Shellia groaned once more, even she couldn't hide the tiny smile tugging at her lips.
Because maybe, just maybe… her strange, ever-growing family wasn't such a bad thing after all.
---