CHAPTER 06
Clang!
Not a single day had been peaceful since Aslan turned into a human, but today was especially chaotic. I stared blankly at the shattered flower pot and slowly called Aslan’s name.
“Aslan…?”
“Whiiistle~”
Aslan whistled while avoiding my gaze. That only made the shattered pot and the golden osmanthus sapling I’d lovingly raised for four years look even more pitiful.
I glared at him, my eyes blazing.
“I can’t live like this! Didn’t I tell you not to jump off the window ledge?!”
“Waaaah!”
I tried to catch him, but he was unbelievably quick—every time I thought I had him, he slipped away like liquid. Aslan darted around to avoid me, and in the end, I was the one who collapsed from exhaustion.
Panting, I slumped to the floor.
“Huff, huff…”
Seriously, isn’t it cheating that he kept the same physical abilities he had as a cat?
Even though I’d toughened up working part-time at a kids’ café, and I had great stamina back when I lived in the imperial palace, five years of a lazy life had turned me into a weakling.
‘No, honestly, it’s just that Aslan has gotten even more energetic.’
He had become calmer with age as a cat, but now that he was human, he had the energy of a five-year-old.
It felt like we were going through the wild “cat-child” phase all over again.
Meanwhile, Aslan kept a safe distance in the corner, watching me closely in case I moved again to chase him.
‘Ugh, so annoying!’
Whose child is this anyway?
…Mine.
‘Sigh. What’s done is done. I should just clean it up.’
Too tired to chase him anymore, I called the gardener. Jack, who also did odd jobs, looked at the broken pot and the pitiful sapling and let out a sigh of admiration.
“Wow, Miss, you really smashed this one beautifully.”
“Do we have a spare pot to replant it in?”
Jack replied with a troubled look.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have any spare pots right now. Even if we order from Green Village, it’ll take at least a week to arrive.”
“Haa…”
I pressed my forehead. By then, the roots would completely dry up and die.
I wanted to go buy one myself, but since I was under house arrest, I couldn’t leave the village of Fran.
The same restriction applied to the other workers too.
Because of that, we always had to go through Fran Village’s shops for everything we needed—such a hassle.
What do I do now? As I struggled to figure it out, Jack made a suggestion.
“Since it’s already out of the soil, why not plant it in the garden?”
I blinked.
“In the garden?”
“Yes. At this point, it should be fine to move it there. It might even grow better than in a pot.”
The garden, huh? That’s not a bad idea.
I had planned to transplant it into the garden eventually anyway.
Feeling relieved, I told Jack,
“Alright. In that case, plant it somewhere where Aslan and I can see it well from our bedroom.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jack bowed and lifted the heavy sapling effortlessly before leaving.
After Jack left, Aslan cautiously approached, keeping an eye on me the whole time. Then, he timidly tugged at the hem of my dress and spoke.
“Mom… I’m sorry…”
“…Hm?”
“I broke the thing you cherished…”
Aslan could apologize?
‘When he was a cat, he’d just pretend nothing happened after causing trouble. Unbelievable.’
He ran away earlier, but maybe he really did feel bad? I looked at him with teary-eyed admiration.
Honestly, I was heartbroken at the thought of losing the sapling I cherished the most, but Aslan was far more important.
Above all, he hadn’t gotten hurt. And seeing how flustered he looked, what else could I say?
I patted his head and asked,
“Are you hurt?”
“No…”
“Then it’s fine.”
Everyone makes mistakes. Especially little kids.
It was partly my fault for not realizing a child who can’t even hold a fork properly might slip off the window ledge and knock over the pot.
Cats might not fall from ledges—but kids do.
‘He still seems like he hasn’t fully adjusted to his new body.’
Sometimes, he’d try to jump onto my stomach while I was lying down and scare the daylights out of me.
I tickled his chubby cheeks with my fingers, like I used to when he was a cat.
Aslan gave a little laugh but kept watching me warily.
“You’re really okay?”
“Really, I’m okay.”
“Really really really?”
“Really really really. Actually, Jack said the timing is perfect to move it to the garden.”
Even then, Aslan still looked unsure.
Well, since the day he came to live here, he’d seen how much I loved that sapling.
But to me, what mattered most wasn’t a plant—it was Aslan.
I crouched down and gently asked,
“Aslan, do you want to go on a picnic? We can check if the sapling was planted properly.”
“Picnic?”
As soon as I said the word, Aslan’s face lit up like the sun, as if he hadn’t been about to cry just moments ago.
“I want to go! Can we go now?!”
“Not now. Let’s go tomorrow.”
“Yay! I’m so excited, Mom!”
Aslan bounced around, unable to contain his excitement.
How could a child like this ever become a villainess?
Even if she had lost her mother, I couldn’t imagine a child who smiled this brightly ever becoming that cruel.
I couldn’t stop Aslan from turning human.
But I could still change the original story.
Leona became a villainess because she lost her mother.
‘I’ll never die.’
I wouldn’t die before her. I wouldn’t leave this child alone.
I’d survive—no matter what—and never teach this pure child the meaning of hatred.
* * *
The next day, I looked at Aslan all dressed up for the picnic and let out a gasp.
“You’re adorable!”
“I’m cute?”
“Yes!”
I nodded enthusiastically, all sense of adult dignity forgotten.
He looked just like a doll.
With the bonnet tied on, Aslan truly looked like a little doll. His plump cheeks were slightly flushed, and his delicate features matched perfectly with the outfit—making him especially cute. Giddy with praise, he twirled in place and asked again.
“Mom, am I cute?”
“So cute, so cute!”
“How cute?”
“My daughter is the cutest in the whole world.”
“Hehe.”
Aslan smiled, his cheeks glowing red. I couldn’t help myself—I smothered his cheeks with kisses.
“Oh my gosh, my baby. Who’s baby is this? So cute!”
“Euuugh!”
He let out a dramatic groan, clamped his tiny hands over my mouth, and squirmed out of my arms.
So even as a human, he still hated kisses… I should probably hold back.
He must’ve really hated it because he covered his cheeks with both hands and looked at me suspiciously.
“Mom, I’ve always wondered… Why do you do that?”
“Hmm?”
“This. The eating-my-cheek thing.”
Did he think I was trying to eat him?
I explained what kisses meant.
“It’s a way to say that Mommy loves Aslan very, very much. Like how you bump your head against me. It’s not quite as formal, but it’s similar.”
“Ahh…”
Aslan seemed to ponder it, then slowly approached me, as if he’d come to a decision.
Had his suspicions been cleared?
Then—
Smooch.
“I love you very, very much too, Mom.”
“…Huh?”
I blankly touched the cheek where a tiny warmth had landed.
Aslan had kissed my cheek!
I could feel the muscles in my face melt with joy. I hugged Aslan tightly and showered him with kisses.
“Oh gosh, so precious! Who taught you to be this sweet?”
“Aaaaah!”
Smooch smooch smooch smooch.
I only came back to my senses when Aslan’s cheeks were drenched in spit.
“Oops.”
“…”
Aslan glared at me with narrow eyes. I quickly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his face while apologizing.
“I’m sorry~ You’re just too cute, I couldn’t help it.”
“…”
Aslan kept glaring.
This couldn’t be fixed with words. The only solution was to leave the house immediately.
I hurriedly grabbed his hand.
“Mommy’s ready! Let’s go!”
His pout didn’t last long—Aslan’s face quickly blossomed into a smile.
“Picnic!”
“Yes, let’s really go now!”
“Wheee!”
Aslan skipped happily, bouncing as he ran ahead.
At last, it was time for Aslan and my very first picnic.
