Chapter 20
I left the room and joined Suleiman, after which I was dragged around all day long.
The first event of the day was the inauguration ceremony.
It felt like the entire capital had poured out into the streets—hundreds of people crowded into the square, and the ceremony was less solemn and more like a festival.
I endured the deafening cheers, only to be followed by an overwhelming silence.
At the Grand Shrine of Ashtar, where I went with Suleiman, I had to sit still and listen to the endless, boring speech of an old man whose beard reached down to his knees.
Then, after a brief recess, we moved to the place where a congratulatory banquet would be held from evening until late into the night.
Seated next to Suleiman, the star of the day, I had to sit through more than two hours of people crowding in to offer congratulations.
“Congratulations on your appointment as Governor, Prince Suleiman!”
“What a glorious day. May the blessed grace of Ashtar be upon you!”
“…Thank you.”
With a stiff, expressionless face, Suleiman mechanically repeated the same curt responses.
Watching from the side, I couldn’t help thinking being a prince wasn’t exactly an easy job either.
But I didn’t have the luxury of thinking about it for long.
Because I, too, drew almost as much attention as Suleiman himself.
“So this is the famous Cat, is it! Such dignity and beauty!”
“It must be true, then, that you’re the Cat of Prophecy! No wonder such mysterious energy radiates from you.”
At first, I brushed the words off, but hearing the same things repeated over and over again made my ears feel like they were bleeding.
Beneath an enormous chandelier, surrounded by finely dressed people, with soft music flowing, dresses swayed like flowers in the breeze as people danced.
It was dazzling and glamorous—yet at the same time, unbearably dull.
Sigh, this is suffocating.
I really needed some air.
As I looked around, my eyes met Arin’s. I lifted my paw and pointed toward the balcony.
“Shall we step outside for a moment, Cat?”
“Meow!” (Yes!)
Arin carefully picked me up and carried me to the balcony. Seeing the open view instantly made me feel better.
“You must be exhausted today. Please rest here.”
“Meow.” (Thanks.)
She brought me a cushion perfectly my size, and I sprawled out flat.
“They said you don’t have to return to the banquet hall. I’ll take off your clothes and ornaments so you can rest more comfortably.”
I gave a small nod, and Arin gently removed the dress and silver crown I was wearing.
They had been specially made for a cat, so they weren’t too tight or uncomfortable, but it was much nicer to be free of them.
Listening to the soft music drifting from inside, I closed my eyes.
The breeze from the garden carried the fresh scent of grass, washing away the weariness of the day.
“Meow.” (Feels nice.)
Smiling at the comfort of the air and music, I purred happily as Arin stroked my forehead.
“Cat, I’ll bring you something to drink. Please wait here a moment.”
She closed the balcony window and left, so it was just me and a maid.
The maid, who had been accompanying me since early morning, looked tired herself. She dozed off in a chair on the balcony.
That was when I sensed a strange energy carried on the wind from the garden.
“Meow…?” (What’s this…?)
It was the same water energy I had felt when I met Ashtar in a dream.
Drawn as if in a trance, I followed the source until I stood before a fountain.
Water gushed upward, and a statue of a goddess stood at its center.
I instantly realized—it was a statue of Ashtar.
As I approached, a blissful feeling washed over me.
The “water’s energy” the goddess spoke of poured from the fountain in abundance.
My body filled with clean energy, as if I could wield magic at will.
Just as I was about to dip my paw into the rippling surface of the fountain—
SPLASH!
Because of the slippery ground, I lost my footing and tumbled right into the fountain.
“Meowww!” (Help!)
As a kitten, my body was poorly suited for swimming.
I flailed desperately, trying to stay afloat with my tiny legs.
Then suddenly, someone grabbed me and hauled me out of the water.
Before I could adjust to the sudden change in height, I heard a low, familiar voice.
“Water play is dangerous at this hour, Cat.”
I looked up—and met the smiling eyes of Theron.
His golden hair shimmered under the moonlight, cutting through the darkness.
Embarrassed at being caught falling into a fountain all by myself, I turned my head away.
“If you don’t dry off, you’ll catch a cold, Cat.”
Theron pulled out a handkerchief and carefully dabbed at me.
But one little handkerchief couldn’t deal with all the water in my fur.
Without hesitation, he took off his jacket and wrapped me in it.
Blinking at the sudden warmth, I looked up at him.
“So I wasn’t the only one who ran away from the party.”
I hadn’t run away at all, though.
When I shook my head, Theron’s eyes crinkled in amusement.
“You really do understand people. You’re truly extraordinary.”
He chuckled softly, brushing the damp fur on my forehead.
“The banquet hall felt too stifling, so I slipped out. But I suppose that was the right choice—being alone in a place like this can be dangerous, little Cat.”
He added teasingly, “A bad person might carry you away.”
Silence followed.
Theron tilted his head back to gaze at the night sky.
The sound of the fountain and the chirping of insects filled the night like music.
A golden-haired prince and a soaked kitten sitting by the fountain—it was strangely beautiful.
He seemed deep in thought. For a while, he only stared at the sky.
Why is this handsome prince wearing such a sad expression…?
Though smiling, his eyes looked sorrowful.
Was it because his beloved cat had crossed the rainbow bridge?
“Meow.” (Cheer up.)
I patted his thigh with my paw to encourage him. He flinched at the touch.
“…I can’t hide anything from you, can I? It feels as though you can see right through my thoughts.”
Not true at all—but he seemed convinced.
Even if I could shift between human and cat, I definitely couldn’t read minds.
“Do you like this palace, Cat?”
The sudden question made me pause. Should I pretend not to understand, or answer as though I were a spirit beast?
Well, he’s already guessed anyway.
Since he was Suleiman’s younger brother, I figured there was no real harm. I shook my head.
“Meowww.” (Not really.)
I hadn’t had many good experiences in the palace so far—aside from meeting Arin.
As for sharing a room with Suleiman… I still didn’t know how I felt.
Being around him, and even not being around him, made me restless. Sometimes my heart pounded for no reason—but I didn’t know if that was a good thing.
The feelings were closer to uncomfortable than pleasant.
“I feel the same. The palace is a cage. There is no freedom here—only a struggle between those chosen and those not.”
I stared at him blankly. He continued with a faint smile:
“If you don’t fly higher, you’ll fall. That’s what this place is.”
The breathtakingly beautiful prince smiled with sorrow.
Why did he look so sad, as if he were the bird trapped in the cage himself?
He looks like he has everything, but life must be difficult for him too.
I was about to say something comforting when—
Rustling from the bushes. A dark figure appeared.
“…Found you.”
Suleiman stepped into the garden, and the atmosphere instantly turned heavy.
Unlike Theron, who shone brilliantly, Suleiman seemed to draw in all the surrounding light.
“Looks like you were having fun.”
His dark eyes swept over the two of us. He seemed displeased to find me with Theron, glaring at me like a jealous lover.
What? Why’s he glaring at me like that? I didn’t even do anything.
Okay, maybe sneaking out of the banquet was a little wrong. But meeting Theron wasn’t my plan.
Annoyed, I turned my head away, making Suleiman’s glare shift to Theron.
“Funny how we keep meeting in strange places, Theron.”
“There’s a banquet in your honor tonight, brother. As your younger sibling, isn’t it only right for me to attend?”
“…Did you bring the Cat out here? Bold of you to touch what is mine.”
No, no! That’s not it at all! He saved me!
I shook my head frantically, but the two men were already bristling.
“I merely went for a walk and happened to find the Cat in the fountain. Fortunate timing, or it might have been dangerous.”
Suleiman’s sharp gaze turned on me. He was clearly furious I had come out alone.
“…Is that true?”
Despite his anger, his voice carried concern.
Wait… was he worried about me?
I would’ve thought Arin would be the one to come looking. But judging by his sweaty forehead, Suleiman hadn’t just been out for a stroll—he’d been searching for me.
“Meow.” (Yes.)
I lifted my paw in an O shape to affirm it. Suleiman’s expression softened slightly in relief.
Why worry that much…?
Did he think Theron pushed me into the fountain or something?
“You’re still as suspicious as ever, brother.”
“I don’t see much reason to trust you, Theron.”
Theron only smiled serenely at his words.
Tch, here we go again.
The tension between them felt like an invisible thread drawn tight.
“Still, you should be more careful, brother.”
“…What do you mean?”
“If you were to lose this precious Cat, wouldn’t that be most troublesome? Especially such a lovable one.”
