The big bell in the main hall rang five times. Its echo traveled through the ceiling with its beautiful carvings, the walls covered in paintings, and the fancy decorations around them. Outside, raindrops slowly began to fall, mixing with Oakhaven's thick fog and creating a blurry layer of mist on the large windows.
Evelyn had just finished the household budget report when she heard the sound of horse hooves from her father's private carriage entering the front gate. It was a familiar sound—heavy, powerful, and steady.
"His Grace the Duke has arrived," Martha announced.
Evelyn stood up and smoothed her skirt. From the inner balcony, she saw the double doors slowly open wide. Duke Maximilian von Valerius walked in. He was the image of Oakhaven itself: stiff, firm, and smelling of masculine perfume mixed with tobacco smoke and machine steam.
But Evelyn's attention was distracted by something moving beside her father. A servant looked overwhelmed, holding a thick leather leash. At the end of that leash, a fluffy creature with striking golden fur was sniffing the marble pillars with uncontrollable excitement.
"Evelyn," the Duke's deep voice echoed.
Evelyn walked down the stairs gracefully. "Welcome back, Father."
"Bureaucratic affairs are always tiring, but the new railway will be finished on time," the Duke replied, glancing at the creature now trying to lick his boots. "I brought this for you. A colleague on the coast is breeding this type. They call it a Golden Retriever."
Evelyn blinked. In a house where everything was arranged neatly, politely, and quietly, the presence of something so... energetic felt very strange. The dog was big, with fur like tangled golden silk threads, and its brown eyes looked at Evelyn with a simple, excited sparkle.
"A gift... for me, Father?"
"This house is too quiet," the Duke said shortly, a logical reason for his decision. "And I hear you spend too much time in the library. A pet might make you go to the garden more often."
As Evelyn knelt down, ignoring Martha's disapproving look, her hand touched the dog's head. She felt real warmth. Not the warmth of a room heater, but the heat of something that breathed and had a beating heart. The dog licked her palm—a wet, rough feeling that made Evelyn let out a small laugh. A sound rarely heard in this hall.
"What is his name?"
"He doesn't have a name yet. That's your job," the Duke answered before walking toward his study.
Left alone with her new 'guest,' Evelyn watched the dog sit quietly, tilting its head as if hearing something human ears could not hear—a sound.
"Gukk.... Gukkk"
Full of energy, it echoed through the house.
"Come on," Evelyn whispered with a smile. "Let's see how much trouble we can make in the backyard."
"Gukk.. Gukk.."
Outside, Evelyn watched the golden creature chase its own shadow. "Golden Retriever," she murmured. She needed a name that didn't sound strange or like a noble title. Something that felt alive.
For the first time in years, Evelyn's schedule was interrupted. She missed her afternoon reading time just to watch the dog dig a small hole in the corner of the garden. That night, when she touched a small dirt stain on her dress, she didn't feel annoyed. She felt the texture of the soil—something real, something not from the city.
When she put out her oil lamp, Evelyn fell asleep very quickly. Even though the machines in Oakhaven were still pulsing in the distance, tonight, that sound felt a little farther away and calmer.