Chapter 12

Now that I looked, the room was freezing cold without even a single fireplace.

Even the blanket under my feet felt like it was stuffed with nothing but straw.

Lydia wiped her tears with the back of her hand, then rubbed both hands against her nightclothes to dry them.

“M-May I dare to touch you just once, sacred creature?”

When I nodded, her small hand slowly reached out toward me.

I rubbed my head against her tear damp palm, then turned and licked it.

Hoping to share even a bit of my warmth with her cold bed, I burrowed into Lydia’s arms.

The poor child eventually fell asleep, exhausted from crying, even while holding me.

* * *

I thought it would be fine to return at dawn when Lydia woke up, since the Emperor wouldn’t be awake yet.

But before the night had even fully passed, I heard a knock.

Knock knock.

For a moment, I wondered if someone had come looking for me again.

Lydia startled awake and quickly hid both me and the silver coin under the bed.

When she opened the door, I heard a man’s voice that was disturbingly familiar.

“I came to confirm one thing. What exactly was the errand I gave you?”

Oh no, that snake of a chamberlain was testing Lydia.

If that kind child answered honestly, both of us might be done for right here.

I trembled under the bed as I waited for Lydia’s reply.

“Th-that… you told me to grind dried fruit into powder, then boil milk and add sugar and spices. At the end, you said to add wine and boil it further.”

“And did you do everything exactly as instructed.”

“Yes, without mistake. Both times, I followed it precisely.”

Her voice shook terribly as she answered.

But she was standing before a high ranking noble like the chamberlain.

Even if there were no secrets, a child would still tremble like that.

The chamberlain sneered.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves someone who can’t die.”

Hey, isn’t that basically insulting the imperial family?

I glared fiercely at him from the darkness.

“Did anyone see you carrying out my errand.”

“N-no.”

Lydia skillfully left out both my involvement and the fact that the maid leader had noticed the errand.

A child barely ten years old had already learned how to survive like this.

After a brief silence, the chamberlain spoke again.

“Can you do it one more time.”

“Th-that is…”

When Lydia couldn’t answer easily, there was a sharp clink of coins, as if staged on purpose.

It was no longer temptation. It was a threat.

Even from a distance, I could see her trembling, but she forced out an answer.

“I-I can do it.”

“I will pay you more for your silence. No one must find out. If you are caught, it has nothing to do with me. I have never even seen a kitchen girl like you.”

“Y-yes… sir.”

“Tomorrow night.”

Then the sound of the door closing followed.

Lydia approached the bed, holding two silver coins and a small pouch.

“You must’ve been cold, sacred creature. I’m sorry.”

She placed me back on the bed.

Her swollen eyes filled with tears again.

The child was afraid.

The errand had doubled in price now that silence was included.

And on top of that, she had already switched out the fruit. How could she not be terrified.

But she couldn’t even refuse.

She wasn’t foolish enough to think that was an option.

Lydia wiped her tears and shoved the three silver coins into a gap between the bricks under the bed.

Then she looked down at me and whispered softly.

“Sacred creature, am I doing something wrong?”

I was relieved that she could at least suspect it now.

I nodded deeply at her.

With frightened eyes, she asked again.

“I-is this fruit something so bad that it mustn’t be discovered by others?”

I nodded again.

She bit her lower lip, unable to hold back her tears any longer.

“But the chamberlain wouldn’t give something harmful to His Majesty…! He serves the Emperor!”

That was exactly the problem. Everyone thought that way.

If this was exposed, Lydia wouldn’t even get the chance to point a finger at the chamberlain before being punished.

Just then, she set the pouch down while wiping her tears, and I didn’t miss that moment.

I quickly grabbed the pouch and jumped off the bed.

Slipping through the broken gap in the door, I rushed out.

“No, sacred creature!”

Lydia cried out, her voice breaking.

But I didn’t look back.

I couldn’t let that child handle poison again.

“Sacred creature!”

Her small voice echoed behind me as I hurried up the stairs.

But where should I go?

I couldn’t possibly go to the Emperor while carrying a pouch that likely contained deadly poison.

After wandering up and down the stairs, I finally made up my mind.

I went to a large door I had never visited before and scratched lightly with my claws.

I could only make a faint sound so I wouldn’t wake others, but the person inside noticed me immediately.

“Who is it.”

The voice was low, but just as arrogant as the Emperor’s.

Well, if the Emperor was the sun of Kella, then Prime Minister Lucas Walter would be the moon.

I let out a sweet cry so he wouldn’t sense hostility.

“Ya-ong.”

The door opened, and Lucas appeared.

He was in loose sleepwear, but surprisingly, he held a drawn longsword.

“Kitty?”

Only after confirming I was alone did he lower the blade.

Even the ever smiling Prime Minister must have been living under constant tension.

I slipped through the door and hopped onto the bed.

Ever since he switched the rune piece on the first day, Lucas had earned a place in my trust.

Someone reliable and powerful.

So I had to give this pouch to him.

Lucas looked down at me with sleepy, puzzled eyes.

“Little kitty, what did you bring?”

I walked forward a few steps and placed the pouch down.

Then I immediately stepped back to make it clear I was offering it to him.

“Is this for me?”

I didn’t nod.

I couldn’t let him misunderstand this as a gift.

“Can I open it?”

When I finally nodded, Lucas opened the pouch.

He checked what was inside and brought it closer to smell.

Then he frowned.

“The smell is strange. What is this?”

I tilted my head as if I didn’t know.

Lucas opened the pouch wider and picked up one of the fruits with his fingers.

Honestly, I was worried since I didn’t even know if it was safe to touch.

“Do you want to eat this? Did you come here to ask me to open it?”

Absolutely not.

I shook my head fiercely.

“Then you want me to eat it?”

I shook my head again and again.

Lucas must never eat this.

Not even a grain of its powder.

“Hmm.”

He placed the fruit back into the pouch and looked at me quietly.

Then he asked one last question.

“But you wanted to bring this to me, even at this hour.”

Nod, nod.

“And no one should eat it.”

Nod.

Lucas’s long eyes curved with delight.

“What a clever kitty. You did very well. You’re our little angel.”

Then he petted me a lot.

Ugh… the Prime Minister of Kella really knew how to handle animals.

Under his long fingers, I relaxed completely, enjoying the massage, and even fell asleep on his bed.

If Klaus found out, he’d explode!

When I woke up, the surroundings were bright.

I thought dawn had come and was startled, but outside the window it was still dark.

The room was bright because of the many candles lit throughout.

Lucas was buried in a mountain of books, and when he noticed I was awake, he smiled.

“I don’t want to anger His Majesty by keeping you here overnight. You should return now.”

Then he came closer and kissed my forehead.

Ah, what a gentle and lovely man…

Thanks to Lucas, my worries eased, and I returned to the Emperor.

I quietly slipped over the window frame and through the door gap.

Even though I climbed onto the bed as silently as possible, Klaus immediately spoke.

“I thought you’d at least catch a mouse, but you return empty handed.”

His voice was drowsy, but it seemed he had noticed my absence long ago.

Well, I had spent quite a while sleeping in the Prime Minister’s room.

I only worried for a moment about being questioned further.

As soon as his large hand covered me, exhaustion and relief washed over me at once.

I fell asleep as if fainting.

In Kella, being by the Emperor’s side really is the safest.

* * *

I woke up because the bedroom attendant came to change the sheets.

Klaus was already gone, but I was too tired to get up.

I moved to the audience chamber and slept the whole morning, when I heard Michaela’s voice outside the door.

“Is the sacred creature inside.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

With lively chatter, numerous boxes and rolls of luxurious fabric were brought into the audience chamber.

Behind the servants, Michaela and Emma entered along with two middle aged women.

“Mari, did you sleep well? Today we’re going to tailor your cloak.”

I glanced around, my eyes darting.

Your Highness, please tell me it doesn’t take this many fabrics and servants to make a cloak for a palm sized cat…

As if she heard my silent protest, Michaela added.

“And while we’re at it, I’ll make a few dresses for myself too.”

She burst into laughter.

Still, there was something about the Queen that made her impossible to dislike.

Michaela winked playfully at her friend.

“Kella’s fashion really is more refined.”

She soon stood with her arms outstretched to have her measurements taken.

Then she began choosing fabrics.

“What’s this white one?”

“It’s a newly imported fabric from the East, called calico.”

“How about making a dress with this, and a cloak with white sable fur?”

“An excellent choice, Your Highness. However, I hear Grayhin is colder. Perhaps we could decorate the neckline with this thick fustian.”

“Yes, I like that.”

“Shall I show you the sable fur here?”

The tailor moved busily from place to place.

As I followed her with my gaze, I spotted fur that still clearly showed the shape of the animal.

I shut my eyes tightly.

Where I used to live, fur wasn’t used so openly like that.

Just then, Michaela’s voice rang out.

“Oh right, I’m also planning to make a cloak for our sacred creature. Since it’s still a baby, it might grow, so make it roomy enough to double as a blanket.”

“Shall we use the same fur?”

At the tailor’s question, I jumped up and walked into the display of fabrics.

I didn’t want to wear another animal’s skin.

Seeing me move, Michaela’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh my, wait. Our little sacred one is choosing fabric.”