Chapter 11
Wow, I slept incredibly well.
My head felt so clear it was hard to believe yesterday’s nightmare had even happened—like it had been a misunderstanding, or something from a very distant past.
My body felt light enough that I could run laps around the outer garden right away if I wanted.
I must’ve passed out after overusing my ability and fallen into a deep sleep. I’d slept so soundly that the sun was already high in the sky.
Tionis hadn’t woken me, even though I was sprawled right in the middle of the bed.
He’d seemed busy with paperwork for a long time, then only noticed me after I opened my eyes.
He stared straight at me, so I generously accepted the silent staring contest.
And then—
“Mar i. You look especially like cotton candy today.”
…He casually tossed out such a ridiculous comment.
I pricked up my ears and glanced sideways at the full-length mirror.
I immediately understood what he meant.
My fur was so tangled and fluffed up that it looked swollen—easily twice my usual size.
…Did I roll all over Tionis in my sleep?
Well, judging by the fact that he wasn’t saying anything strange, it seemed he hadn’t noticed me turning human.
And I’d also realized something important: I really could untangle Tionis’s mana with my ability.
It was still early stages, so he probably just thought he felt a bit more comfortable and chalked it up to his imagination—but after some time passed, I’d be able to prove it clearly.
Which meant the real question was when I should transform back into a human and say:
“I’m actually human, and I can fix Your Grace’s mana!”
…No. That wasn’t even the biggest problem.
If things went well, I could probably continue staying at the Grand Duke’s estate in exchange for helping him with his mana.
But I wouldn’t receive this same gentle tone or touch anymore.
He only treated me this way because he thought I was a cat.
…Flan, and the other maids too.
Thinking about that made my chest ache for some reason.
No. Still—this is about survival.
Let’s think positively.
I was already holding things I was never meant to have in the first place. But still…
I was afraid they’d turn away from me. Afraid they’d look at me coldly.
I guess the more you gain, the greedier you become.
I’d thought that as long as I survived, I could endure anything.
Now I was afraid of being rejected.
How ridiculous, Marianne.
It really was ridiculous.
For twenty years in the Fontine household, I’d been ignored every single day.
And now, after receiving excessive kindness for less than a month here, I was already becoming this weak.
I was glaring at Tionis with those thoughts swirling in my head—but he was completely absorbed in reading from the morning.
…Wait. What are you looking at instead of me?
After calling me cotton candy and all. I narrowed my eyes.
Unlike usual, he wasn’t even glancing my way, and for some reason that really bothered me.
Just as I was about to sulk, I caught sight of something like a cat illustration reflected in his pupils as he stared at the book.
A bad feeling struck me, and I immediately stepped onto Tionis’s knee and climbed onto the desk.
I shoved my face into the book and checked the pages.
As expected—cats everywhere, with explanations written underneath.
[When a cat suddenly licks its own body, it means it’s embarrassed. In that case, pretend you didn’t notice.]
[They may seem to enjoy being petted, then suddenly slap your hand away. That’s normal for cats. Don’t be hurt.]
What… is this?
My eyebrow twitched.
“Oh, this? I was reading it because of this. Mari did that yesterday, so I got confused.”
I hadn’t asked, but Tionis pointed somewhere like a guilty man blurting out excuses.
Following his long, battle-hardened finger, my gaze dropped.
[When a cat arches its back and folds its ears, it means it wants to play. Don’t be alarmed—just shake a toy.]
……
“Nyyaaak!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I furiously scratched at the page.
Out of courtesy, I kept my claws sheathed, so the book wasn’t damaged.
But to read this so seriously, with that expression—this was what it was?!
Fuming, I backed away and finally saw the title.
“100 Cat Behaviors.”
I smacked the desk repeatedly with my tail and glared at Tionis. Ever since transforming into a cat, my anger control had noticeably worsened.
After throwing a proper tantrum, a strange emptiness washed over me.
I really felt like I’d become a cat.
Sooner or later, I’d have to return to human form and face Tionis.
I was already worrying about how I’d look at him then. It felt like my karmic debt was piling up.
For now, let’s go back to the warm, fluffy bed, stretch out, and make plans.
Just as I was about to hop down from the desk—
Instead of the stairs, I stepped onto Tionis’s knee with my front paw.
At that exact moment, an irresistibly powerful scent hit my nose.
Sniff, sniff. My nose moved uncontrollably.
As if possessed, I lifted my head and turned toward the source of that overwhelming smell.
…That is!
In Tionis’s hand—raised with a playful smirk—was a catnip ball, the thing cats supposedly loved more than anything.
“Mari. Do you want this?”
“…Meow!”
I want it. I want it!
Human dignity? Who cares. I’m a cat right now—what are you going to do about it?
I decided to accept it cleanly.
In this form, I was a cat.
My pupils expanded until they nearly filled my eyes, and I stood up on two legs on Tionis’s knee.
“You’re crying like a real cat for the first time.”
He murmured in surprise.
Then give it to me already. I’m even acting cute like this.
I shamelessly showed him my secret weapon—my pink jelly paws—while standing upright.
Tionis obediently handed over the catnip ball.
As expected, he was weak to cute things.
Having gotten what I wanted, I clamped the ball in my mouth and turned away without hesitation.
I flopped onto the desk and kicked the catnip ball furiously with my hind legs.
…This is amazing!
The serious worries I’d been drowning in just moments ago were utterly crushed by the catnip ball.
* * *
Tionis had been especially busy lately.
In the mornings, he worked through documents. During the day, he dealt with monsters that crossed the mountain range or handled affairs of the Grand Duchy.
By the time he returned, it was almost dawn, and he’d collapse face-first onto the bed, looking utterly exhausted.
He fell asleep without me needing to bother him at all. Seeing him sleep without even twitching made my chest ache.
At this rate, when will I ever tell him I’m human…
On the bright side, it meant I could sing freely and straighten out his mana flow without worrying.
I’d already imagined dozens of times how he might treat me coldly once he knew the truth—and prepared myself for it.
Still…
I’m already wide awake.
When Tionis was gone during mornings and afternoons, all I did was get brushed, eat, play, stare out the window, bask in the sunlight, and nap.
Even if you told me to flop over and sleep right now, my eyes would probably stay wide open.
Since it’s come to this… should I take a look around?
It felt wrong to just watch Tionis sleeping like this.
He’d once carried me around gently, like holding a baby, showing me the estate—but he’d gone so slowly that the entire layout of the Grand Duke’s residence was still vividly etched in my mind.
Maybe the library has books about dragons.
Every book I’d read at the Fontine estate had firmly stated:
“Dragons are sacred beasts unique to the imperial family.”
But that massive form with black scales. Those golden eyes.
I wasn’t even sure what I’d seen in my dream was truly a dragon—or whether it was even a real memory—yet it kept resurfacing.
Probably because it resembled Tionis far too much.
…Honestly, that was only part of the reason.
I’d spent most of my life in libraries, so I missed the smell of books.
The Grand Duke’s library was enormous, befitting its name. Even standing on my tiptoes, I couldn’t reach the books on the topmost shelves.
Despite housing such a vast collection, the library was rarely visited unless Tionis himself went there.
That was exactly why I’d first gone to the library at the Fontine estate.
It was where I fled to avoid being seen by the family.
Thanks to that, I’d naturally read countless books—most of them strangely abundant volumes praising the imperial family.
Come to think of it, when a “distinguished guest” had once visited and I’d been locked in my room, I’d secretly glimpsed them through the window.
Blond hair. Golden eyes.
The Fontine count’s family must have been closely tied to the imperial family.
That explained why they stocked so many books glorifying the empire.
Alright. Let’s go.
Shaking off my fur along with unwanted thoughts of the past, I left the room.
Thinking about it, aside from the time I’d tried to escape the estate entirely, this was my first time leaving on my own.
Now that stairs had been installed both inside and outside Tionis’s room so I could move freely, slipping out wasn’t difficult at all.
