Translated by Jyzciel

The man was in the middle of the garden, bending his waist at a 90-degree angle and lowering his head. On his head, there was a hump... and his face had a bruise. He had taken Rinsakura's attack head-on.

"I'm truly sorry. You were the young lady's father and mother, weren't you? For me to beg her for one of you so I can eat... I was very rude."

"No, it's not like that. What I mean by family doesn't mean that!"

"Huh?" The man opened his eyes wide and froze.

"How on earth could you make such a mistake?"

"Aren't you a family of dog-human hybrids?" Saying that, the man tilted his head.

"No, I'm a human!! Kinako and Kuro-mame are just regular Shiba Inu dogs!"

"Is that so? I apologize again." The man was clearly averting his gaze.

And then, a loud growl echoed through the surroundings. "I'm so hungry..." The man collapsed on the spot with a pitiful voice.

The sushi was forcibly stuffed into the man's mouth at an astonishing speed. As for the miso soup with clams, it's already the fifth serving.

"This sushi is delicious... it's my first time trying it, and I can't stop. This brown soup is tasty too." While saying that, now he's savoring inarizushi. I felt so sorry for him, so I hastily offered him yesterday's leftover rice.

"This seafood fry is delicious. It's probably shrimp, right? It's amazing how you managed to get this in the middle of the forest..." He says this while almost finishing off the tempura.

"I really like shrimp tempura. There's still some left, would you like some?"

"Is it okay?" His eyes sparkle, and he happily wags his tail.

What I serve to him was enough for three people, and he neatly finished it all. Now he looks satisfied as he drinks barley tea. Having settled down, he gazes at Rinsakura once again.

"But you know, it's quite unusual for a genuinely pure person like you to be here. Why are you living alone in a forest like this?"

"..."

As for that matter, that's the question I'm most curious about.

"In our country, there should be very few human... Even if there are any, it would be just a few dozen in the capital city." The man had a puzzled look on his face.

"Huh? Could it be..." Are people being persecuted or something?

Seeing Rin Sakura's expression, the man seemed to realize and hastily corrected himself. "It's not like that. Our country is a kingdom of beastfolk... We haven't had much interaction with human countries yet. Human lands are in a distant place."

"I see."

"So, I was surprised to learn that you're human... Is there a specific reason?" He peered into Rinsakura's face with a worried expression. Special reason? Well, there is a special reason...

I was struggling to think of how to respond. Perhaps this man isn't a dangerous one, probably...

Even Kinako and Kuro-mame have become completely attached to him now. They say animals are sensitive to such things, so it's safe to feel reassured. After all, these two dogs have saved Grandpa from trouble many times.

The first time was when they caught a burglar trying to break into the house. The second time was when they caught a vegetable thief. These dogs have quite a few heroic deeds under their collars, but I won't go into too much detail.

Because Rinsakura remained silent with a difficult expression he continued, "Well, there are many challenges in life. If you ever encounter any difficulties, feel free to come to us. We are the guardians of this forest, after all." Saying that, he scratched his head and smiled with a bashful expression.

"Thank you."

"Yeah..."

The two of them continued to sit on the veranda and enjoyed the dorayaki. After a while, the man got up.

"Thanks to you, I narrowly escaped death. I've set up a simple barrier around the house, just to make sure no more magical beasts get in. I'll come back around when it needs renewing." Huh? A barrier!? And he's coming back again!?

Rinsakura was honestly getting tired of this situation, but she nodded quietly. She just wanted to live quietly... NO to magical beasts! NO to People from another world!

"Well then, make sure to lock up properly. Don't let any strangers into the house." Don't you dare say that! It's you! You should do it!

"Doggos, take care of the young lady." He said this while gently petting Kinako and Kuro-mame.

「Woof woof!!」Kinako and Kuro-mame were happily barking and jumping around.

The man was about to head back into the garden, but Rinsakura called out to him. "Hey, wait a moment."

"Hmm?"

"It's not much, but here's a bento. If you get hungry on the way, feel free to eat it. The container is woven from bamboo, so you can safely dispose of it and it will return to nature."

She handed the container with three Onigiri (tuna, plum, and bonito), along with tamagoyaki, karaage, salmon, cherry tomatoes, and two dorayaki for dessert. She also handed him a thermos with barley tea.

"Is it really okay!?" The man's eyes sparkled, and his animal ears twitched with excitement.

"Yeah, take care on your way back." With that farewell, she waved her hand. For some reason, the man's face turned bright red and he froze in place.

"So, this is what it feels like to have a wife... This is just as my subordinates describe it." He mumbled to himself.

"Huh?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Really, thank you." Saying that, the man quickly disappeared into the bushes.

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