TLAM CH 09

Posted by bed0zx_, Released on July 13, 2026

Episode 9 – Please Gently Blow on Your Napolitan Pasta (4)
Just a moment ago, the puppy had been quiet, but now it suddenly started barking like it saw something.

Sasha wondered what the dog was looking at, but there was nothing in the direction of its gaze.

A cool breeze blew through the open window and brushed past her shoulder. At that moment, she remembered something her neighbor once said when she was a child:

“Animals can see things people can’t.”

She had always thought maybe it meant fairies or something like that. But the lady had said something different:

“When a dog barks at nothing… it’s because it sees a ghost.”

The memory gave her chills.

Sasha told herself ghosts didn’t exist… but what if this cute little Welsh Corgi had actually seen one?

“Corgi,” she whispered, petting the dog’s neck to calm him down. But it didn’t work. With its ears perked up, the dog suddenly ran out of the kitchen.

“C-Corgi!”

Despite its short legs, the little shepherd dog was fast. Sasha couldn’t stop it and watched helplessly as it barked and ran into the hallway, seeming unafraid of even ghosts.

But in that moment, Sasha wasn’t scared of ghosts either.

Actually, something else scared her even more—

“What if the master wakes up because of all this noise?”

Alfred had said it would take 2 or 3 days for the master to fully recover. That meant he needed deep, undisturbed rest.

But what if he was forced awake by the dog’s barking? His health would surely get worse.

Thinking this, Sasha jumped up from her seat.

“Corgi, come here!”

She ran after the dog, leaving her pasta behind.

Alfred, who was eating his pasta calmly with a fork, mumbled,
“I take back what I said about being happy together. Totally take it back.”

Sasha grabbed a lantern and chased after Corgi. The flickering light from the lantern danced with each step, casting shadows of the dog ahead of her.

‘Where’s he going?’

She saw the small dog’s shadow climbing the stairs.

‘Of all places… why is it going toward the master’s room on the second floor?!’

Pale with worry, Sasha carefully followed.

Luckily, the dog didn’t go into the bedroom—it climbed up another flight of stairs.

‘Phew. At least he didn’t go inside.’

She was relieved, but it wasn’t over until she caught him.

“Corgi, come here,” she whispered.

But the dog wagged its chubby little backside and disappeared into the hallway on the third floor.

Sasha held up her lantern to light the dark hallway.

Far away, she saw a shadow heading toward a corner.

“Corgi, all the doors are closed there.”

She remembered checking all the rooms the night before. Only the bedroom door on the second floor had been open. The third floor was completely closed.

“If you come quietly, I’ll make you something yummy tomorrow.”

She regretted not bringing the pasta with her—it could’ve helped lure the dog back.

Still, hoping her promise would work, she moved toward the shadow.

“Woof!”

Suddenly, Corgi jumped out from behind a statue on the left side of the hallway.

“Uh…?”

The dog looked proud, like it wanted to be praised, and leaned into Sasha’s hand.

But Sasha couldn’t relax.

She had clearly seen the dog’s shadow going forward—so who or what had cast that shadow?

“What… was that shadow then?”

Just as she mumbled to herself in confusion—

Creeeak—

A door opened in the distance.

She quickly raised her lantern and saw a once-closed door now slowly swinging open.

‘It wasn’t Corgi.’

The shadow she had chased belonged to someone—or something—else.

A cold shiver ran down her back.

Corgi must have sensed something strange. Maybe someone really had broken in, and he had tried to chase them off.

‘Stay calm. I need to call Alfred.’

If there really was an intruder, she couldn’t handle it alone—especially not in the dark, where the intruder had the advantage.

“Corgi, let’s go call Alfred.”

She tried to carry the dog and head downstairs.

“Woof!”

But Corgi wriggled free and dashed into the open room.

‘W-What do I do?!’

Sasha stopped in her tracks.

If she left now to get Alfred, Corgi might be in danger in the meantime.

Stuck between choices, Sasha made up her mind.

‘I’ll save Corgi, then run together.’

She grabbed the sword from a knight-shaped statue nearby. It wasn’t real, but it might still scare someone.

‘Stay calm. Just follow the plan.’

Her thoughts quickly formed a plan:

First, she would hold the sword and sneak into the room silently. Then she’d find the intruder and Corgi. If needed, she’d threaten the intruder with the fake sword and grab Corgi. After that, they’d run downstairs and alert Alfred.

‘If it’s dark enough, maybe the intruder won’t realize the sword is fake.’

Feeling slightly more confident, Sasha carefully opened the door.

There was no creaking sound—success for step one.

But just as she sighed in relief—

“You’re quite bold.”

A deep voice growled through the darkness, and a strong hand grabbed her.

The fake sword slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor. She was now trapped in a stranger’s arms.

She had underestimated the intruder!

Sasha struggled, but it was no use.

“You dare enter here?”

His tone made it sound like she was the intruder.

She wanted to shout, “Isn’t it you who broke in?” but his hand covered her mouth tightly.