CHAPTER 02
Aslan turned into a human.
A cat becoming human brought more problems than I had imagined.
First of all, I didn’t live alone in this house.
And as if on cue, right after I had that thought, came a sharp knock and the voice of Mary Jane—my former personal maid, now a housemaid.
“My lady. It’s time to get up.”
“Oh? It’s Jane!”
Aslan suddenly turned his head, then jumped off the bed like he was going to open the door himself. I frantically grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and yanked him back.
“No!”
“Huh-uhhh?”
Startled, I held the squirming Aslan tightly and shouted toward the door.
“Just a minute, Jane! Don’t come in!”
“Waaah, Mom, what’s going—mmph!”
Aslan’s protest was muffled under the thick blanket.
I’m screwed. How am I supposed to explain Aslan?
People in this house are extremely sensitive about my safety. If they find a strange child in my bedroom, I can’t even imagine the chaos that would follow.
The knocking grew louder and more urgent, and Jane’s voice became sharper.
“My lady? Is something wrong?”
At this rate, she was going to burst in any second.
I turned to Aslan under the blanket and warned him sternly.
“Aslan, listen carefully. You need to stay hidden under this blanket, okay?”
Aslan’s eyes sparkled.
“Is this hide-and-seek?”
“Yes. So don’t come out until I say you can. Got it?”
“That’s weird… That’s not the hide-and-seek I know…”
“No more talking!”
“Wahh.”
How could he argue so much? It was just like the old Aslan.
Well, he’s the real Aslan, after all. This much makes sense.
The knocking was getting louder, and Jane kept calling for me.
Just as I barely managed to seal Aslan under the blanket, the door burst open and Jane stormed in.
“My lady!”
In one hand, she held a silver tray with a teacup; in the other, a knife.
Prepared for a possible bloodbath, she was ready to take someone out.
I awkwardly sat on the bed and waved at her, trying to act nonchalant.
“G-Good morning.”
Jane’s hawk-like eyes scanned every corner of the room, unwilling to overlook the earlier commotion.
“I thought I heard a noise coming from your room just now.”
“I-It’s nothing.”
“Your bed looks a bit more ruffled than usual today…?”
“I tossed and turned. Didn’t sleep well. Can you put the knife away now?”
Feeling guilty, I snatched the teacup off her tray and took a big sip. After everything that had happened this morning, I was parched.
She clearly found something suspicious, but since I appeared unharmed, she reluctantly put the knife back into her apron pocket.
“How would you like your breakfast?”
If I left Aslan here and went out, who knows what disaster would occur.
“I’ll eat here. I don’t need help—just set the table, please.”
“Very well. I’ll prepare it—”
Just then—
“Pffft!”
“Eek!”
Aslan burst out from under the blanket. Jane shrieked like a bird, and I choked on my tea.
Only Aslan remained calm, frowning and grumbling.
“Mom, this game’s not fun. It’s hard to breathe. Let’s play something else—”
“Jane, listen, I can explain!”
I tossed the teacup aside and slapped my hand over Aslan’s mouth, desperate to explain. But how was I supposed to explain this?
I half-wished I could just faint. But instead, Jane let out a relieved sigh.
“Oh… it’s just young Lady Aslan.”
“…Huh?”
“Flora said she put the young miss to bed in her own room last night… Did she pretend to sleep again and sneak into yours, my lady?”
“Yup, that’s right!”
Aslan replied cheerfully while I stared in shock. Jane and Aslan were talking like they were old friends.
I was the only one out of the loop here.
“Jane, do you… know who this is?”
She looked at me like I was still half-asleep.
“Of course…? That’s Lady Aslan. Your daughter.”
“M-My daughter?!”
My voice rose without meaning to.
Jane started giving me strange looks, while Aslan leaned over to whisper to her knowingly.
“Jane, Mom’s acting weird today, right?”
Jane, clearly not wanting to agree outright, just watched me warily.
Since I already looked like a lunatic, I decided to go all in and asked:
“Jane, do you remember how I met Aslan?”
She leaned in, whispering low enough that only I could hear:
“Of course. When you first arrived at this estate, you found her at the front gate. You said you couldn’t leave a newborn wrapped in cloth all alone, so you brought her inside.”
“…”
That was exactly how I brought in cat-Aslan.
Wait… Do people think I picked up human Aslan, not the cat version?!
Some kind of memory-altering magic must’ve occurred. And clearly, I was the only one who didn’t get brainwashed.
Great. If I had, at least I wouldn’t be the only idiot here.
I let out a hollow laugh, blaming the nonexistent gods.
Aslan, perhaps feeling ignored, started tugging on my pajama sleeve with urgency.
“Mommm! What about our hunting game?”
“Then I’ll head downstairs now. I’ll have breakfast ready for when the young lady finishes playing.”
“Wait! Jane!”
Why didn’t she question the idea of a hunting game? That’s something cats do!
But Jane simply slipped out of the room as if she hadn’t heard me.
“….”
“Mom! Hurry!”
As soon as Jane left, Aslan became even more persistent.
When I still didn’t move, she puffed out her cheeks.
Then she jumped off the bed, opened the drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out a soft, feathered wand.
It was Aslan-the-cat’s favorite toy.
Human-Aslan held it up to me with a beaming smile.
“Mom! Let’s play!”
I let out a dry laugh and took the toy, more or less forced into it.
* * *
“My lady, young miss. Good morning.”
“Breakfast is ready.”
After 20 minutes of play, I came downstairs with Aslan.
She sat beside me naturally and smiled brightly.
“I’m hungry after the morning hunt. Right, Mom?”
I couldn’t help but think,
“Is this okay…?”
I had just waved a feather toy in front of a human child.
Aslan, even as a human, played just like she did as a cat. She pounced, flailed with clawed fingers, did somersaults—even ran on all fours.
She looked absolutely delighted.
But the more satisfied she was, the more uneasy I became.
I couldn’t shake the thought that I had protected her feline instincts while completely trampling on her humanity.
Oblivious to my turmoil, Aslan swung her legs under the table and chirped,
“I can’t wait for the lunch hunt!”
Wait. Right!
Before every meal—breakfast, lunch, dinner—and before bed, Aslan did four hunting games every day.
Which meant I’d have to trample her humanity three more times today.
If anyone saw this, I’d be reported for child abuse in an instant.
And the imperial palace still kept tabs on me.
If word of this reached them…
“No way!”
“Mom?”
I didn’t know what kind of magic had done this, but somehow none of the house staff found it strange that I waved a cat toy at a child.
But if anyone else saw it?
Our estate doesn’t allow outsiders, but you never know!
I’d been exiled because of a trumped-up charge of attempted regicide.
If they now accused me of child abuse too?
That’s it. Death penalty.
The Arta Empire was severe when it came to crimes against children.
The only reason I’d received a lighter punishment was because the Emperor favored me. Add child abuse to the mix? No room for leniency.
I have to find a way to turn Aslan back into a cat!
