A long, bony hand reached out from behind the curtain and parted it down the middle.
As the curtain opened, the figure within was revealed.
He was a tall, stern-looking man with a lean, elongated frame. He wore a tailcoat similar in cut to those of the staff outside, except his was white. It looked understated at first glance, but a closer look revealed dense, dark-silver embroidery woven into the cold-white fabric.
So it only appeared understated. In truth, it was anything but.
Paired with his handsome features and neatly combed short silver hair, he gave off an air of elegance.
Of course, that was only if one ignored the drooping dog ears atop his head and the fluffy tail hanging behind him.
After lifting the curtain, he instinctively lowered his head to look at Little Red first. Only after confirming that she was unharmed did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief, then raise his head to look at the figures behind her.
The instant he saw who stood behind Little Red, he froze.
During those few seconds of stunned silence, Angel clearly saw his gaze shift from appraisal to surprise, eagerness, delight, and grievance.
It was not until Laplace softly spoke, "Long time no see... Meatball," that he abruptly came back to himself and nodded at Laplace in flustered haste. "I-I didn't expect you to come, my lord... L-long time no see."
At the sight of Laplace, even his words became jumbled and stuttered.
Little Red also looked curiously toward Laplace.
Earlier, she had vaguely sensed that Laplace carried an aura similar to Doggie Brother's, as though they shared some kind of connection. That was also why she had been willing to bring Laplace and the others here. It seemed her judgment had been right.
Yet Doggie Brother's