Chapter 18
The Villainess Is a Real Munchkin
Ever since Thionis realized I was human, a lot of things…
Hadn’t happened.
I went through my daily life exactly as usual.
Thionis was still busy, making it hard to see him during the day, and Hyden continued to handle everything perfectly.
The Hyden I saw that day seemed so calm and composed that I wondered if he had been a fantasy.
Of course.
“Lady Mari, I’ve been granted five minutes of rest. That means, for the next five minutes, no one else will come here except the two of us.”
“……?”
“This is the perfect time for me to touch your tail……”
“Nyah!”
When the other servants weren’t around, he shamelessly pawed at my tail like that.
I vowed that next time, I would claw that wicked servant’s hand with my sharp claws.
But that was a minor issue.
The biggest problem in such a peaceful daily life was that… although I had made a contract to release Thionis’ magic, I hadn’t been able to actually do so even once since that day.
In a way, it was natural.
When I was a cat, Thionis would come for me every night to cuddle, so I could just use my powers after confirming he was asleep.
But now, I had to face him in human form to use my powers.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one troubled by this fact—Thionis didn’t make a point of calling me either.
‘Soon he’ll return to his original state.’
If tangled magic isn’t fully released, it returns to its original state unless you release it periodically.
All the effort I had made, enduring the vicious rumors around the Grand Duke’s mansion—like “a woman’s singing is heard every night”—would go to waste.
“Lady Mari, what are you thinking about? You look terrifying.”
“You look like a beast. Even monsters from across the mountains would run away in fear!”
The maid who was feeding me giggled at how clearly my expression showed.
But… isn’t that giving me too much credit?
If I faced a real monster, I’d probably be crushed before I even had a chance to run.
Just thinking about a monster I’d never seen made my whole body shiver.
Unlike the other maids, Flan, who was quietly brushing my tail today, finally spoke.
“Ah, Lady Mari, the Grand Duke asked to take a walk in the garden together after a long time. Unfortunately, I have work to do, so I can’t join.”
My ears perked up.
Compliments like, “He understands you instantly!” and “Truly a genius cat!” continued to drift from nearby, but I ignored them.
A rare walk in the garden with Thionis.
I couldn’t put it off any longer. Tonight, I had to go and use my powers. Absolutely.
My tail swayed from side to side in agreement with my determination.
But then…
“Cute, Mari.”
Thionis, resting his chin on the table, looked down at me and made a shameless remark.
He was usually shy when he was human and wouldn’t look straight at me.
Why did he even put that pink polka-dot bib on me?
Feeling defeated, I glared up at Thionis, who loomed impossibly above me.
“……Agh.”
A low, furious growl escaped my mouth. But no matter how much I hit his thick forearms with my soft paws, they didn’t budge.
Meanwhile, the servants busily placed food on the table.
Annoyingly, Thionis hummed cheerfully, clearly enjoying himself, then quietly whispered something just for me while cutting the steak into pieces.
“You said you didn’t want to show it to the other servants.”
I stopped my pawing. Yeah, I had said that, but why did he take it in his favor like that?
“Oh.”
Apparently, the steak he had been cutting was for me.
Even though he knew I was human, Thionis calmly offered me the meat.
‘No, no matter what…!’
He knew I was human!
Ah! I leaned back, bumping against his broad chest. It was so firm it hurt my back.
“Oh, I have to. Everyone’s watching.”
Finally, I noticed the surroundings: the servants carrying food, the knights standing guard at the front gate.
Everyone was glancing at us.
…Really!
I closed my eyes tightly and stuck out my tongue.
The act was so humiliating that a growl escaped from deep inside me.
“Um-nom-nom…”
Unfortunately, it came out overlapping with the sound of me eating, sounding unintentionally vocal.
‘Huh?’
Before the food even reached my throat, I pricked my ears and widened my eyes in surprise at my own voice.
But Thionis didn’t react at all. He didn’t even blink.
After a few seconds of silence,
Clink—The fork in his hand fell to the garden floor.
“Sigh… really…”
Thionis rubbed his face with both hands. Around us, the maids were murmuring, clutching their hearts, saying, “So cute…”
This wasn’t right…
I had wanted to look like a calm, obedient cat eating in front of the servants.
And to quietly let out a beastly growl that only Thionis could hear.
I didn’t want this cute reaction at all! My ears drooped in disappointment.
No, no.
There was no time to be disappointed.
I had to act while everyone was off guard.
‘Thionis’ forearms are gone anyway.’
He was still covering his face. The obstacle that had blocked me was finally gone.
‘Let’s see.’
I gauged the table’s height, stretched my front legs, and leapt.
I had learned from trial and error that if you don’t act boldly, you’ll fall.
The table was taller than expected, and my hind legs nearly slipped, but…
Thanks to my paw pads gripping the tablecloth, I safely landed.
Thionis, realizing his lap was empty, removed his hands and looked at me.
“……Mari?”
Just by looking at his eyes, I could tell he was wondering why I had climbed up there.
…For now, let’s ignore my flushed cheeks.
It’s obvious he secretly likes cute things.
I used my claws to pull out the neatly folded napkin under the spoon.
Then, hmm. I needed to write something.
Ah! Thionis always carried a pen in his uniform pocket.
He’d been so busy lately, often stopped by a servant to sign papers even while passing by.
I raised my paw, pointing at Thionis’ chest.
“Hm?”
But he didn’t understand at all.
His golden eyes trembled in confusion, and all I saw was a small, ridiculous-looking cat exposing its white belly.
“Aww!”
Annoyed, I tapped the napkin several times with my paw, thinking, ‘Give me that, give me that!’
Then I placed my paw on Thionis’ chest.
I fumbled, and my paw pad finally grasped the pen—but Thionis suddenly leaned back.
Because of that, my body, which had been barely supported by the table and him, wobbled.
“Nyah!”
I closed my eyes, bracing for a fall… but luckily, I didn’t fall.
Thionis caught me mid-fall.
‘But could you let go now?’
This is way too cozy.
I tapped his forearm with my tail to signal that, but Thionis just stared blankly.
It was only much later that he slowly set me down on the table.
Still, he seemed to have understood my intention.
“Could this be…?”
He pulled a pen out of his pocket.
‘Yes, that’s it!’
I nodded vigorously. My pupils dilated with excitement, and soon the pen was beside me.
Now I just had to write on the napkin. The note saying I would use my powers tonight.
Since I couldn’t hold it with my paws, I bit the pen with my fangs.
It would be hard, but I had to write it somehow.
Just as I was about to start writing with the pen on the napkin,
“Oh my, you wanted to play with the pen, didn’t you?”
“How adorable!”
Voices whispered nearby, and I felt an intense gaze.
I guessed… everyone in the garden was probably watching me.
