Chapter 2

A few days later, Tobias tilted his head.

“Sacred creature, do you not like anchovies anymore?”

Yeah, I don’t!

I’m sick of these rinsed dried anchovies!

No matter how much I eat them, I don’t turn human!

…Even if I thought that, my answer stayed the same.

“Ya-ong.”

Then I turned away.

Step by step, I walked down the hallway and lightly jumped onto the windowsill.

I was about to sit elegantly and pick a fight with the birds outside, but then I heard footsteps I really didn’t want to hear.

Lucas, the black haired lunatic who stayed with the Emperor.

Later, I overheard servants talking to Tobias. They said he was the Emperor’s only friend, his former teacher, and also the Prime Minister of the vast Kella Empire.

And right now, he was the person I wanted to avoid second most in this palace, right after the Emperor.

“Your Excellency.”

But Tobias bowed first, so I couldn’t jump into his arms.

With nothing else to do, I sat on the windowsill and accepted the large hand reaching toward me.

That wasn’t all.

When Lucas stroked my head, I instinctively rubbed my cheek against him.

Ugh, how humiliating…

I don’t like this handsome lunatic, but my face felt too itchy to resist…

Why are cats so itchy in the face, sob.

He leaned in close and greeted me.

“Hello. Fake sacred kitty.”

His pitch black gaze felt like it could see right through everything.

For a moment, a chill ran down my spine, but this was exactly when I had to act!

“Nya…”

I tilted my head as if I didn’t understand a thing, and he let out a small laugh.

Then he pulled something out from inside his black velvet doublet and placed it at my feet.

I couldn’t read, but it looked like one of those rune pieces from before.

“Isaz.”

What did that mean?

“That’s the piece you picked yesterday. You didn’t pick ‘Fehu’, you picked ‘Isaz’.”

What kind of nonsense was that?

You’re the one who said I picked ‘Fehu’, Lucas!

But the next moment, he lowered himself and whispered like he was sharing a dangerous secret.

“Little one, do you know what ‘Isaz’ means? It means ice. Picking ice in the middle of winter is the worst possible draw.”

Then he even winked at me.

No way… so this villain looking guy with those dark eyes actually saved me?

Don’t tell me you swapped the rune piece for me? Seriously?

“Useless kitty, next time His Majesty asks you something, make sure you don’t mess up.”

He teased me like that, his eyes curving into a beautiful smile.

Now that I took off the lens of thinking he was crazy, he was even more ridiculously handsome!

When his large hand stroked my head again, I was so moved that I lifted my head and licked his finger.

“Ack!”

A cat’s tongue is a bit rough, but Lucas was overreacting.

Beside him, Tobias bowed so deeply his eyes even welled up with tears.

“I will never forget this kindness, Your Excellency. I truly believed the sacred creature had read the divination correctly.”

Lucas quickly hid the softened expression he had shown me and turned back to Tobias with a blank face.

“Tobias, was it? Are you having any difficulties adjusting to life in the palace?”

“I-I’m gradually getting used to it, Your Excellency.”

“And the cat’s meals?”

“The kitchen has kindly allowed me access whenever needed, so I can go in and out of the kitchen and dining hall.”

Lucas nodded and then disappeared toward the audience chamber.

My tiny chest pounded with everything I had just learned.

One, my life as a cat had almost ended already.

Two, Lucas, whom I thought was just insane, had actually saved my life.

Ah, seriously…

That’s so touching, Lucas Walter!

* * *

Forward rolls, backward rolls, even acrobatic flips didn’t turn me into a human.

Just like that, evening came.

I curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace in the audience chamber, soaking in the warmth as I dozed off.

This body of a mere kitten kept falling asleep whenever it wanted, no matter how much I tried to become human.

The Emperor’s residence, which had been empty during dinner time, started to fill with presence again.

If I had been in my right mind, I would have hidden immediately, but I was too drowsy and warm, so I stayed glued to the rug.

Since he only had one friend, I heard Lucas’s low voice.

“Your Majesty, one of my pigeons brought a letter. It says another illegitimate child of the late Emperor has appeared in a remote part of the Viche Territory.”

This was the Empire, after all. Even to me, it sounded like a sensitive topic.

That alone woke me up.

I perked up my ears and wondered if I should leave now.

But it seemed I was already too late.

Sharp footsteps approached, and I had no choice but to stay still.

Klaus spoke coldly.

“If there is an accomplice, no matter who it is, I will charge them with treason and confiscate their wealth and title.”

“Without even checking who it is?”

“What would it matter who. It would be convenient if a younger sister suitable for marriage to Herzen just appeared out of nowhere.”

Lucas laughed.

Seriously? The Emperor is that irritated and you’re laughing?

This guy had some nerve. Swapping rune pieces right in front of that terrifying Emperor and now this.

…He might die young. I should be a bit nicer to him.

But somehow, the spark flew toward me.

“Why is this lump here?”

“It must be cold.”

“So this sacred creature or whatever has no sense at all.”

Then Klaus’s stiff boots stopped right in front of my nose.

Eek, only then did I flinch and pretend to wake up.

U-um, Your Majesty.

You’re not going to kick me or anything, right?

“Ya-ong.”

I made a cheerful sound like I had no awareness at all, while secretly looking for Tobias.

I’m scared to death, where did that kid go!

Then Klaus made a horrifying joke.

“Shall we have it guess the dinner menu today?”

Oh my god.

I was just about to run away somewhere, when Lucas grabbed the back of my neck again.

“Where did the caretaker go?”

As soon as he asked, Tobias came running in, out of breath.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I stepped out briefly to send a letter to the temple…”

Klaus gave a slight nod.

It seemed like he was forgiving Tobias, but Lucas still didn’t let me go.

He asked Tobias.

“Does the cat stay in the audience chamber all the time?”

“W-well… perhaps because it’s warm, or because it’s the first place it stayed, the sacred creature keeps coming back here…”

What?

I wasn’t supposed to live here?

I thought that was the case this whole time!

Tobi, you should have told me!

“Well, it’s empty at night, so it’s not a big issue. But doesn’t the fire go out around dawn? Should I take it to my quarters instead?”

At Lucas’s words, Klaus frowned.

“Filthy. Bringing an animal into your quarters.”

What? Filthy?

Me? An animal?

Then unexpectedly, the Emperor continued.

“Tobias Meyer, the sacred creature must not enter beyond this door into my residence or private quarters.”

What a surprise.

His attitude was awful, but it seemed he wasn’t going to kick me out of the audience chamber.

Thank goodness.

No matter where I went in the palace, nowhere was as warm as this place.

Even when the fire went out at dawn.

You guys don’t get it, but kittens get cold!

* * *

And just like that, I officially became the Emperor’s cat.

After that, I tried eating salmon, sweet potatoes, and broccoli for several days, but I still didn’t turn human.

Rolling around didn’t help either, and whenever Klaus or Lucas spotted me, they just laughed.

Still just a palm sized kitten, I was sitting on the windowsill, swiping uselessly at birds.

Then I saw a procession of carriages outside.

Tobias kindly explained.

“Ah, sacred creature. It seems Princess Michaela is arriving.”

Ah, my lovely Tobi.

He always treated me gently and respectfully, like I was a goddess.

“Princess Michaela is His Majesty’s only sister. She is now also the Queen of our allied nation, Grayhin.”

In other words, that cold blooded Klaus had basically married off his only sister to another country.

And yet he wished for a new sister to just fall from the sky?

What a jerk.

Outside the window, a luxurious carriage approached the imperial palace.

The small window of the carriage opened, and bright blonde hair fluttered out, just as radiant as Klaus’s.

Then I caught a glimpse of the girl’s face and couldn’t help but be shocked.

Seriously, how old was this sister that heartless guy married off?

Then again, I heard he ascended the throne at just sixteen.

Maybe the age of adulthood in this world is different from what I think.

The Emperor duo had been missing for a while, and now I saw Klaus standing in the garden, opening his arms toward his sister.

He wore a fur cloak over a gold embroidered coat, along with a flamboyant feathered hat.

Honestly, even from a distance, he looked dazzling.

Even if his personality was a disaster… his fantasy level visuals were undeniable.

When Lucas approached the carriage and held out his hand, a pale gloved hand reached out.

Then the blonde girl stepped down gracefully.

“Prime Minister.”

At her clear voice, Lucas smiled brightly and nodded.

“Your Majesty.”

She wore a sable fur trimmed cloak and a small crown on her head.

From afar, she looked like a living doll.

“Brother!”

Even the way she ran toward Klaus felt unreal, like both siblings didn’t belong to reality.

She threw herself into his arms and spoke with emotion.

“You came out to greet me like this. It makes being married far away worth it.”

Klaus quickly pulled her out of his embrace, though he kept a picture perfect smile.

“Welcome, Michaela.”

Then the allied king, who seemed to be her husband, appeared and greeted politely.

“It is an honor to be invited, Your Majesty.”

“It has been a while, Argyle. The Queen kept sending letters saying she missed the weather here in Herera.”