Chapter 14

No, no!

Why are you turning a lady’s bath into a public event?

I shook my head wildly, and the droplets clinging to my fur splashed everywhere onto her.

Even so, the Queen only laughed, clearly enjoying herself.

I soaked in the fragrant bathwater for quite a while.

As the two girls lathered my fur and brushed it, I became a white cat again.

After the bath, Michaela placed me on her lap and covered me with a towel.

Then she carefully dried me until not a single drop of water remained.

Feeling refreshed, I fell asleep by the fireplace.

To others, it might look like a carefree cat’s life… but ugh, I’m seriously exhausted.

* * *

Emma and the other girls joined in, chatting late into the night.

Michaela’s room stayed lively for a long time, but I just lay on her lap, dozing.

Emma was the last to leave and only returned to her room when it was time to sleep.

Michaela gently stroked me and asked.

“Mari, shall we go show His Majesty how pretty you look after your bath?”

Even if we go, Klaus will probably just glance at me.

When I didn’t respond, the Queen spoke as if soothing me.

“Get along well with His Majesty. He can be frightening at times, but that’s what it means to be Emperor.”

The young Queen spoke with a face like a princess from a fairy tale.

I only laughed inwardly.

I’ve lived much longer than you siblings.

Even if only through books, I’ve seen plenty of emperors…

Still, I ended up going to the Emperor’s residence with Michaela.

Klaus had loosely tied his long blond hair and was focused on documents.

Even as his only sister entered, he didn’t spare her a glance.

In the end, Michaela knocked firmly on the thick wooden door to make her presence known.

Klaus lifted his eyes from the papers and glanced at his sister.

Michaela raised the hand holding me into his line of sight.

“Your Majesty, do you notice anything different about Mari?”

“I’m not sure.”

As he answered, his gaze had already returned to the documents.

Of course he wouldn’t notice.

Michaela shot him a look on my behalf.

“At least pretend to look before answering.”

Only then did Klaus’s blue gaze briefly land on me.

But his answer was the same.

“I still don’t see anything.”

…Of course you don’t.

Michaela replied cheerfully without showing disappointment.

“She had a bath, Your Majesty. She’s fragrant and soft now. She’ll be even nicer to keep by your side.”

Does he really not mind that his sister is leaving tomorrow?

The Emperor still couldn’t take his eyes off the stack of documents.

Michaela stepped closer.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

“State secrets.”

At his blunt reply, Michaela stopped and pouted.

“Even from your own sister?”

“You are the Queen of another nation.”

“An allied nation in name, but we’re practically paying tribute in defense funds to you.”

Only then did Klaus fully lift his gaze from the papers.

He let out a short sigh.

His long fingers loosened his neatly tied blond hair.

The tied hair came undone and flowed down smoothly.

Wow, seeing him like this from afar, he’s really handsome.

Watching our Emperor really is the best, it’s thrilling…

As I admired him, Klaus explained reluctantly.

“It’s nothing special. Requests for marriage approval, reports of severe winter drought, things like that. Even without the Prime Minister, reports still come in.”

Michaela suddenly asked.

“How long do you plan to leave the Empress’s residence empty?”

The Emperor’s tone immediately turned firm.

“The Empire is not in such danger that I must sell myself.”

Michaela cast him a playful glare.

“You say that after sending your only sister off so easily like breeding stock.”

Klaus seemed to choose his words carefully for once.

“There is no land safer than Grayhin. In some ways, it is even safer than Kella.”

The Queen let out an exaggerated sigh.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Then she stepped closer and placed me on the desk.

As I purred at the warmth of her small hand, she smiled softly.

“Still, at least you have Mari by your side. It’s better than being completely alone.”

Klaus looked at his sister and, for once, lifted the corners of his lips.

The bright smile that resembled Michaela’s disappeared quickly, though.

“Animals don’t speak. That makes them better than women.”

The Queen added once more.

“But you will need an heir from a woman.”

“Concern yourself with your own matters, Hael.”

Michaela smiled brightly.

“It’s been a while since you called me that, Your Majesty.”

It seemed to be a childhood nickname.

Hael.

It suited my little Queen well.

I quietly repeated the name in my mind.

Michaela lifted the hem of her dress and gave a formal bow.

“Stay well, Your Majesty.”

Klaus nodded.

“I will see you off tomorrow.”

Not long after the Queen left, the lights in the residence were extinguished.

As I took my usual place on one side of the bed, Klaus suddenly sneered.

“You’ve brought back a useless scent of women.”

Hmph, even if I’m a cat, I’m still a girl.

Come to think of it, I had the privilege of occupying the Emperor’s bed because I was a cat.

For a moment, living as a cat didn’t seem so bad.

But if I actually became human like I wanted, what would happen then?

Klaus clearly disliked women.

…I don’t know.

I’ll think about it after I figure out how to become human.

His heavy hand rested over me, and I was still too tired.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

At dawn, I woke up with a start and ran to Lydia.

Fortunately, she was sleeping peacefully.

It seemed the rats had eaten the poison and died.

Rats, I’m sorry anyway…

* * *

Morning came.

If I were human, I would have cried my eyes out, but as a cat, I couldn’t.

Instead, I followed Michaela all the way to her carriage, meowing.

Seeing how I clearly didn’t want to leave her arms, Michaela cried for me.

“Brother, please cherish Mari.”

As she boarded the carriage, Emma approached and took me.

“Please take care, Your Highness.”

“Take good care of Mari, Emma.”

“It’s a pity I couldn’t see Lucas before leaving. Please send him my regards, Your Majesty.”

Klaus nodded indifferently, but perhaps feeling a bit regretful, he sent the carriage off filled with gifts.

He said they were for Argyle, but there was no way King Argyle needed that much silk.

And just like that, my Queen left, and the Empress’s residence became empty again.

Emma was assigned the best quarters next to the Empress’s residence.

Compared to the place Tobias had used, it was unbelievably luxurious, but it was probably suitable for a lady from the ducal Schmidt Family, who governed the largest territory in the south.

But the moment Emma Schmidt entered her room, she set me down and said this.

“You must take good care of it. Now that the childish Queen has left, this is the only thing keeping me in this palace until His Majesty takes notice of me.”

The only “thing”?

Even Klaus had stopped calling me things like this and that lately.

Well, he still called me lump or furball…

As I was dumbfounded, two maids who had been hiding in the room stepped forward and bowed.

“Yes, my lady.”

What?

She brought two personal maids into the palace?

She has no intention of taking care of me at all!

Lucas, why would you leave me with this girl!

When are you coming back!

Panicking, I paced around the room.

Then one of the maids grabbed me and placed me into a basket lined with thin cotton cloth.

Hey, I don’t like hard places like this…

Then they brought me a bowl of pumpkin porridge.

To make things worse, Emma said.

“Don’t keep changing its food unnecessarily. It would be troublesome if it gets sick.”

Hey, I need to try all kinds of things!

Of course, she couldn’t know what I was thinking.

The two maids bowed obediently.

“Yes, my lady.”

What is this!

This is a disaster!

Lucas, please come back soon!

There’s no one I can trust anymore!

* * *

A day without Michaela felt long.

Since I suspected the chamberlain was trying to poison the Emperor, I didn’t want to stay close to his niece, and I didn’t like Emma’s two faced nature either.

So I tried my best to stay by Klaus’s side.

All through the time he met nobles, received reports, and endured meaningless flattery without the Prime Minister.

“Is there another.”

Klaus sounded as if he desperately hoped there wasn’t anyone else waiting, but the chamberlain, acting in place of the Prime Minister, did not back down.

“It is an envoy from the Elso Empire.”

However, upon hearing that, Klaus stood up without hesitation and strode toward his residence.

The chamberlain hurried after him and added.

“Your Majesty, the envoy has already been waiting for two days.”

“Tell them I cannot meet them while the Prime Minister is absent.”

“However…”

Klaus ignored the pleading chamberlain completely and quickened his pace.

The guards standing before the residence opened the doors in unison, and I quickly followed him inside.

Imagining Emma’s disappointed expression left behind made my whole day feel lighter.

Klaus entered as if to rest, but his steps naturally carried him to his desk.

A servant slipped in like a shadow and lit several candles at once, filling the room with layered light.

After the servant left, Klaus finally let out a comfortable breath.

“How long do you think it will take for the Prime Minister to return.”