Chapter 13

I picked a piece of fabric that looked reasonably thick and tapped it with my front paw.

“That one? Fur would be much warmer.”

When I shook my head at Michaela’s suggestion, the tailor made a fuss.

“Oh my! Did the sacred creature choose the fabric itself? You picked kersey made of wool. My, what excellent taste!”

What taste.

I just picked something thick.

At least wool doesn’t require killing sheep.

More importantly, it doesn’t even look like a sheep.

Even though she didn’t seem fully satisfied, Michaela respected my choice.

“Then make it with what the sacred creature chose.”

Next was Emma’s turn.

She stood like Michaela to have her measurements taken, then chose a reddish velvet.

It suited her red hair well.

Unlike the Queen, she didn’t order the entire cloak in fur, but she did ask for fur trimming along the edges.

“I wish you could stay in Kella at least until the clothes are finished.”

When Emma said that, I agreed with all my heart, but Michaela shook her head.

“I can’t leave His Highness Argyle alone any longer than this. For a Queen to be absent for a whole month would damage his authority.”

Whenever a sixteen year old Queen says things like that, it really hits me that I’ve fallen into another world.

Well, that and every morning when I wake up and see my soft white paws.

* * *

After the commotion, the tailors left.

At lunch in the banquet hall, Lucas was nowhere to be seen for once.

“Where is Lucas?”

When Michaela asked, Klaus let out a sigh.

“It seems his wandering habit has flared up again. He left early this morning, saying he had something to look into.”

Wait, don’t tell me he went to investigate the fruit? Personally?

Michaela frowned.

“How could you allow that? Who knows when he’ll return.”

Is this guy a repeat offender or what?

Did I give him too perfect an excuse?

“I have not appointed a successor. And he pledged the life of the sacred creature as collateral for returning within a few days.”

What did you just say?

As I fumed inwardly, Michaela raised her voice.

“What do you mean? How could the Prime Minister dare to use Your Majesty’s protection pledge as collateral!”

Klaus smirked.

“That is why he will return. Do not worry.”

Michaela pouted.

“Your Majesty is far too lenient with the Prime Minister. Try treating your own blood relatives like that.”

“I will if they work as well as the Prime Minister.”

Michaela fell silent, and I sat there dozing off without even eating.

Lydia had to make the drink tonight as ordered by the chamberlain.

I planned to go to the kitchen at night, so I wanted to sleep as much as possible during the day.

The Emperor’s voice sounded like a dream.

“What important matter does this little lump have to be so tired.”

It’s all because of you. I’m your lifesaver. It’s such a shame I can’t say it.

* * *

That night, after the Emperor fell asleep, I got off the bed.

I headed straight to the small kitchen, where Lydia was pacing near the doorway.

“Sacred creature!”

Was she waiting for me?

“I knew you would come! You’ll help me, right? You did last time too.”

Ugh, I sighed inwardly and climbed onto the table.

There were dried fruits everywhere. She could just pick any one…

I chose the same fruit as before, and Lydia happily took it.

After that, it was the same as before.

Grinding it into powder, boiling milk, crushing walnuts, adding sugar and spices, pouring in wine.

The only difference was that Lydia kept chatting quietly while working.

Mostly about her mother and younger brother.

“…If I work hard and prove myself, when my little brother is old enough, I can bring him to the palace. Even for the same chores, the palace pays much better.”

I see.

I couldn’t help but think maybe I shouldn’t have gotten Tobias kicked out.

After finishing, I followed Lydia to her room.

Her light brown eyes sparkled with happiness.

“Are you going to sleep in my room again? I thought you liked warm places.”

Of course I do, but if I stay with you, I can be your little heater.

So I stayed in her bed again until dawn.

When I returned to the Emperor’s bedroom, Klaus didn’t react like he had the previous night.

Luckily, he seemed to be in a deep sleep.

After that, I kept sneaking into Lydia’s room at night.

I liked how her tense, timid face would light up like a lamp whenever she saw me.

* * *

It was the last day Michaela would stay at Herera Palace.

At lunch, the banquet hall was filled with people who wanted to spend one last day with the Queen.

The chamberlain wouldn’t miss this day either.

With even the Prime Minister gone, there was nothing to hold him back.

“Emma, a letter has arrived from your mother. Go to your quarters and check it.”

After skillfully sending Emma away like that, Britta, unaware of anything, came forward with the milk liquor.

“This is the same milk liquor you had a few days ago.”

The nobles seated at the head table, including Klaus, received and drank the liquor one by one.

Of course, nothing happened.

The chamberlain began to grow anxious.

He subtly stood up and called over a kitchen maid, whispering something in her ear.

As I watched closely, another maid appeared shortly after and quietly swapped the remaining bottle with another.

Is he planning to test the leftover liquor?

I quietly got up and followed the maid.

She went down the stairs for quite a while before finally stopping at a storage room.

A sigh escaped her even outside the door.

“Why am I supposed to leave this here? The sweet smell will attract rats and cause a mess. What are they thinking?”

After she clicked her tongue and left, I panicked.

What should I do? If the rats don’t die after drinking this, Lydia will be suspected.

If I had known, I should have given all the fruit to the Prime Minister.

But he had already left with it, and now I somehow had to make sure the rats died…

I sat on the stairs leading to the storage room for a long time, thinking of a plan.

Every time I heard squeaking, I got chills.

Ugh, I must be a disgrace to cats…

Hey, Im Mari.

You’re a cat right now.

Then catch the rats!

But I was a useless kitty who had never even killed a bug.

R-rats… damn it, I can’t catch them. What do I do?

Should I grab one and drop it from the second floor?

If it dies, I could drag the body next to the bottle…

Lord, please forgive me…

Just thinking about it made me want to repent.

Hey, you Emperor.

I’m going through all this because of you… sob.

As I hesitated endlessly, a noise came from the storage room.

Crash!

What was that?

I rushed inside and saw the rats had knocked over the bottle and were licking it up eagerly.

Hey, stop that…

You can’t drink all of that.

“Nya-ong!”

Terrified, I cried out like a scream and chased the rats away.

I was still so small that if several big rats attacked me, I wouldn’t stand a chance, but they instinctively ran at the sound of a cat’s cry.

Thank goodness they were as dumb as I was.

But if I guarded the bottle and the rats couldn’t drink the milk liquor, the chamberlain might test it on a male servant instead.

No, that can’t happen.

As I circled the bottle anxiously, I noticed rat poison placed around the storage room.

Ah, if only I could mix that into the liquor…

But how could a palm sized cat possibly do something like that?

And if I accidentally got it in my mouth, I’d die instead of the rats.

After thinking it through, I ran up to the kitchen.

Then I searched for something light that could carry powder.

If I could find even a small sack…

After searching for a long time, I finally found a dropped headscarf.

Yes, I’ll use this to carry the poison and drag it over.

Then dump it onto the spilled liquor.

…Actually doing it was much harder than planning.

At last, I managed to mix the rat poison into the liquor.

My whole body was covered in dust and poison, and I felt like I would collapse any second.

At this rate, I might die before the rats do.

Praying that the rats would drink the poisoned liquor, I returned to the banquet hall.

The long table was empty.

A lot of time must have passed while I struggled with the poison.

I barely managed to move and went to find Michaela.

The Queen was busy receiving guests in her quarters, but when she saw me, she screamed.

“Oh my goodness, Mari! What happened to you?”

I couldn’t even groom myself because I couldn’t risk licking the poison, so I was now a dangerously grayish brown cat.

Michaela shouted in panic.

“Prepare a bath, bring bathwater immediately!”

After hearing that, I collapsed into sleep.

Ah, being a palace cat is truly… exhausting.

* * *

When I came to, I saw a round basin in front of me.

It was as extravagantly golden as the one the Emperor used to wash his face, and it was filled with clear water.

“Mari, what on earth were you doing?”

Michaela scolded me while generously pouring expensive oil into the water.

Oh right, now that I think about it, I haven’t had a bath even once since becoming a cat.

Am I finally getting a bath…?

I looked at the bathwater with anticipation when Emma interrupted.

“I asked a servant from my family and studied this. Cats dislike water and absolutely do not bathe.”

Hey, don’t say nonsense.

I really want to wash right now.

I scoffed at Emma inwardly, but Michaela looked at me with surprise.

“Oh really? Mari, don’t you want a bath?”

I shook my head firmly.

Then she gathered her courage and lifted me.

As I was gently placed into the water, a pleasant warmth spread through my whole body.

I purred in satisfaction.

“It seems she likes it.”

Michaela said happily, and Emma looked a bit embarrassed.

The Queen poured water over me with sparkling blue eyes.

As my fluffy white fur got soaked and clung to my body, my already small size looked even smaller and more pitiful.

Michaela giggled.

“Mari, you look so funny right now. Even a mouse would be bigger than you. I should show this to His Majesty.”