They say crises bring people closer—and Ries and Justyn had become practically inseparable. Like honey dripping from a spoon, the air between them was nothing but sweet.
And the one stuck between them, suffering in silence, was Ketir.
What the hell happened while I was gone for just one day…?
No—no point wondering. Ketir promptly shoved the thought aside and straightened his expression.
He chose just one thing to say from the mountain of complaints swirling in his head.
“Your Grace.”
“Mhm.”
“You already know what I’m about to say, don’t you?”
“…Roughly.”
“Please focus on work tomorrow. Seriously. At this rate, I’m going to drop dead.”
“…I’ll make sure of it.”
The fact that Justyn had been glued to Ries all day meant he hadn’t been doing any work. And sure enough, the mountain of untouched paperwork on his desk backed that up.
With a heavy sigh, Ketir started gathering the documents.
“I’m only covering for you this once. Think of it as payback for all you’ve done. Don’t count on me next time.”
“Thanks.”
“Haah…”
With another deep sigh, Ketir finally left.
Ries watched him open the door, then turned his gaze toward the window.
The sky was gradually darkening at the edges, and a full, round moon hung in the sky.
Tonight was the night—his meeting with Sefiut. Once the night was fully settled and Justyn fell asleep, Ries planned to slip out himself, using the escape techniques he’d practiced over and over again.
Only one obstacle stood in the way.
“……”
“Hmm? Want me to brush a little more?”
That man—so focused on brushing fur he didn’t notice a thing.
Ries recalled the way Justyn wielded a sword. That level of agility and precision was far beyond even his feline eyes.
With skills like that, there was no way he wasn’t sensitive to movement. Even the slightest misstep would probably wake him.
Ries frowned in thought, then gave his face a shake.
I’ll figure something out.
He hadn’t come this far just to freeze up now. Letting fear of waking Justyn stop him would be ridiculous.
This was about his master’s future. If Justyn wasn’t at peace, then Ries—his companion cat—would never know peace either.
Watching Justyn suffer a seizure every three days, forced to take medication each time…
I hate it.
He hated it more than anything.
This man found happiness in the smallest things—like brushing a cat’s fur. Someone like that didn’t deserve to suffer for sins he never committed.
Justyn was family now. Ries couldn’t even imagine life without him anymore.
So he had to break the curse—no matter what. And the key was right here, in his own paws.
***
His heart was racing.
The sun had long since set, and Justyn’s body heat had turned the bed warm and cozy. It was as soft as ever. Normally, he’d be out cold by now—but sleep just wouldn’t come.
He squeezed his eyes shut. With his vision blocked, every sense tuned in to the sound of his own heartbeat.
But instead of fading, the noise only grew louder—like someone had pulled his heart out of his chest and set it right next to his ear.
He cracked one eye open—and met Justyn’s gaze, perfectly aligned.
“Can’t sleep, huh.”
“…Mrow.”
He must’ve been watching the whole time. Had he been tossing and turning that much? Embarrassed, Ries rubbed his head against Justyn’s chest.
Justyn gently scratched between his brows. Instantly, Ries felt his tension melt. With his eyes closed and that soothing touch, he felt like he could drift off at any moment.
“……”
But he didn’t fall asleep. He hadn’t planned to—he had a promise to keep tonight.
Still, he couldn’t let Justyn realize he was wide awake. His gentle master was the kind of man who’d stay up all night with him rather than fall asleep alone.
So Ries kept his eyes closed and imagined. One sheep leaping over the fence. Then two. Then three…
As more and more sheep jumped over—too many to count—he quietly opened his eyes. The hand stroking his head had stopped some time ago.
Ries gently pulled his head back and studied Justyn. …No reaction.
This time, he crept closer to the man’s head. Justyn’s eyes were fully shut, not the slightest flicker beneath his lids. Holding his breath, Ries focused, ears twitching.
One, two… one, two…
His breathing was slow and steady. Even after minutes of watching, nothing changed.
That was all Ries needed to be sure.
He’s asleep.
First objective: complete. He carefully shifted his paws, making no sound, and sprang down from the bed.
A thick carpet softened his landing. Not a single creak. Now for the real challenge: the door.
He’d watched Justyn and Ketir open it countless times—and besides, Ries had once been human. Opening a door was child’s play.
He tiptoed up to the doorknob, crouched, and jumped. His front paws hooked the handle.
Click.
The knob turned under his weight and unlocked with a quiet clack.
His heart now pounded for a different reason. Ries swallowed nervously and looked back.
…He didn’t wake up, right?
Holding his breath, he stared at the sleeping figure on the bed. Thankfully, not even a twitch. Stifling a sigh of relief, he nudged the door open with his shoulder. He couldn’t bring himself to close it all the way—too risky.
Still… can’t let him catch a cold.
So he left it barely cracked. If cold air got in and Justyn came down with something—what then?
Ketir would’ve rolled his eyes and called it a pointless worry, but Ries couldn’t help it.
He tiptoed into the hallway, paws making only the faintest sound. Aside from that, the mansion was dead silent. Eerily so.
Tonight, the air in the dim hallway felt heavier than usual…
“……”
His pace quickened. A part of him desperately wanted to turn back and drag Justyn along.
Ugh. This atmosphere…
The place was so creepy he wouldn’t be surprised if a ghost suddenly popped out.
He shook his head hard.
Snap out of it. If a ghost shows up, I’ll either scream and bolt, or faint like last time.
He squeezed his eyes shut. Of all the times to meet Sefiut and confirm ghosts were real—why now? And of course, his imagination had to run wild at the worst moment, painting vivid horror scenes in his mind.
Each one worse than the last.
There was only one solution: move before anything actually shows up. Once he’d gotten far enough from Justyn’s room, Ries broke into a sprint.
He tore down the hallway, sped down the stairs—
And then suddenly.
“…Meow?”
The darkness began to lift.
But no lights had turned on. Ries came to a stop, drawn like a moth to a flame, and turned toward the source of the glow.
At the far end of the second floor hallway—just around the corner—was a window. Its curtain was slightly parted.
That’s where the light was coming from. Ries reached up and tugged the curtain with both paws.
After a brief struggle, the fabric gave way—and the world was flooded with—
Ah.
Moonlight.
Brilliant, silver moonlight.
After spending so long in the dark, it was almost blinding. Ries blinked, vision momentarily blurred by the intensity, then stood still, soaking in the light.
Thump. Thump. Thump. His heart started pounding again, louder than ever. His chest tightened. His ears throbbed.
He wanted to run.
No… didn’t he not want to?
What if Justyn wakes up?
Knowing him, the moment he noticed his companion cat was missing, he’d drop everything and tear through the mansion looking for him.
He needed to move—but it was like someone had nailed his paws to the floor. His legs wouldn’t budge.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
His heart thundered so loud now it felt like his ears would burst…
And still, his gaze stayed fixed ahead. The moonlight poured down in waves—blinding, endless.
Until everything turned white.
Then—
Bzzt. A strange static buzzed at his ears. Again—bzzzt.
Then, a faint woman’s voice filtered through, blurred and distant like a ghost.
—I bless you…
—Repenting for your ■… ■■ shall ■■ and grant you ■■…
He couldn’t make it out. He opened his mouth to call out, to respond—but like sinking beneath deep ocean water, not a single sound escaped.
Ries slowly closed his eyes. Most of the voice was broken and distorted—but that woman’s tone… that alone rang clear as a bell.
