Chapter 48
A silent scream echoed through the quiet office.
“Chuut!”
Oops. My mistake.
I slapped my tiny paw over my mouth and peeked at Gerard, who stood frozen like stone.
“L-Lady Cherry, w-what have you done…”
“Chut.”
What do you think?
Unlike Gerard, who was tearing his hair out, I wore a very satisfied smile.
Because—
“You ruined the count’s daughter’s portrait… completely!”
Maria’s portrait, neatly enclosed with her invitation, was now a black smear.
The ink bottle I had “accidentally” tipped over had spilled across her pretty little face, drowning her elegant smile in pitch black.
“……!”
Gerard gaped, lips flapping uselessly as he stared at the ruined picture. He kept sneaking horrified glances at König, clearly panicking over how to explain this disaster.
“Chut-chut.”
Sorry, Gerard. But I couldn’t help the triumphant grin spreading across my face.
Compared to what Maria and her clique did to me back at the Academy, this was nothing. A drop in the bucket. A sparrow’s claw scratch on a mountain.
Still—it was the sweetest revenge I could manage in this form.
Because—
“When I graduate from the Academy, I’ll make my debut in high society. I’ll marry a noble as powerful as my own family. My life will be flawless. Unlike you, Muriel.”
***
Maria’s smug words still rang in my ears. To her, marriage was everything.
But today, it was my turn to smirk.
“Chut-chut…”
I couldn’t stop the sly little laugh.
After all, König Kreutz wasn’t just any man. He was every noble girl’s dream—impossibly handsome, powerful, wealthy beyond reason.
And Maria would have to face him for the first time with a ruined, ink-stained portrait.
“Chut!”
The thought alone was delicious.
Go ahead, Maria. Make your grand impression now.
I was just about to add mustaches to the other portraits when—
“What are you two whispering about?”
König’s voice rumbled above us.
“L-Lord Duke, this is…”
Gerard scrambled, throwing himself over the table to block König’s view.
But teamwork requires coordination. And with Gerard out of place, my own ink-stained paws and feet were left in full view.
“Chuuut?”
I tried to slip sideways, but it was too late.
König’s lips pressed thin. Silence fell like a blade.
I darted my eyes from König… to the desk.
‘Wait—when did it get this messy?!’
Gerard must have tried to clean, but the table was still smeared with black—complete with my little paw prints stamped across it.
“Chut…”
Uh-oh.
I shuffled backwards… into Gerard’s jacket.
But of course—
“Cherry.”
That deep voice cut through the cloth.
‘Who’s Cherry? Never heard of her.’
I sucked in my belly to make myself smaller, but escape was a dream.
“I beg forgiveness, Lady Cherry,” Gerard whispered—then promptly opened his jacket and handed it to me over.
Traitor!
Light flooded back in as König’s shadow fell over me.
“Cherry. Did you really think you could run from me?”
“Chuuut…”
Ugh, that line—so much like an obsessive male lead!
Before I could even protest, my body was lifted into the air.
“Cherry.”
König’s hard, beautiful face loomed close. His golden eyes reflected my tiny form, pulling me in. I looked away quickly.
“Chut, chut-chut!”
Okay yes, I made a mess, but I had my reasons!
I babbled nervously, trying to explain—but instead—
“Your fur’s covered in ink. Do you want to be a sewer rat?”
He brushed a finger against my cheek. Apparently ink had smudged there too.
“Chuuu?!”
Excuse me?! Sewer rat?!
That’s insulting to a delicate young lady!
I squeaked furiously, but he ignored me. More likely—he didn’t understand a word.
Instead, he flipped me upside down and began gently wiping my back with a handkerchief.
“If you’re jealous, you should just say so.”
“Chuuut!”
Jealous?! Who, me?!
Ridiculous. I’d never stoop so low!
I flicked my tail sharply in protest.
“…So it’s not jealousy?”
Of course not!
I puffed out my fur and glared at him.
Just then—
“Ahem.”
Gerard cleared his throat, dragging our attention back.
“Duke, it seems this portrait is unsalvageable. Perhaps we should request another copy from House Lawrence?”
So that was what he’d been brooding over? Foolish snake.
Go ahead—bring me a hundred more. I’ll drown every single one in ink!
“Chut!”
I grinned wickedly.
Above me came a faint hiss of air—like laughter escaping.
I froze.
‘Did he… just laugh?’
I tilted my head up. König’s face was as blank as ever, but his voice was flat when he spoke:
“If Gerard brings another portrait, I’ll pickle him in snake wine.”
“Wh-what?! Who said that?”
“Who do you think?”
König’s eyes dropped to me.
Gerard gaped. “Lady Cherry… with that adorable face… said something that cruel?”
Of course, I hadn’t actually said that.
König was just using me as an excuse to cut corners.
Still… I didn’t hate it.
My mood soared higher than the flames that had burned me earlier.
“…I suppose I’ll let it pass. Then what do we do with this one?” Gerard gingerly held the half-ruined portrait.
“Burn it.”
“…S-sir?”
“Burn them all.”
“Surely not the portrait of a count’s daughter—”
Before Gerard could finish—snap!
Black fire roared across the table, swallowing Maria’s ruined picture and the entire pile of letters.
In less than a second, they were ash.
König’s mana.
“Chuuu…”
I hadn’t even felt the mana move.
The black fire had consumed only the letters, leaving everything else untouched.
As always—precise, flawless.
I gazed at him with sparkling eyes.
‘Every time I think about it… I’m glad König Kreutz is on our side.’
