Ries held his own even against a trained knight. Meaning—he’d managed to escape without getting caught.
Maybe I’ve got a knack for running away.
And luck was on his side, too.
Who would’ve thought she’d trip like that?
Melissa, who had rushed after him, got tangled up with a servant and took a spectacular fall. That gave him more than enough time to make his getaway.
Not far behind, her voice rang out, thick with frustration and panic.
“Lord Rieeeees! Where are youuu…!”
She even sounded like she was trembling. Maybe she could already sense the scolding in her future. Guilt slowly began to swell inside him. Ries silently offered an apology she’d never hear.
Sorry, Melissa.
He quickly steeled himself. The most important thing was the task right in front of him: to locate the meeting room where the family’s key figures were gathered.
Only… that part wasn’t really up to him.
“Mweeh?”
I can count on you, right?
—Well now, you think I’ve been fooled all my life? Take a left here!
Sefiut whispered confidently in his ear. Ries turned as instructed.
Thank God.
If it weren’t for Sefiut, he’d be hopelessly lost by now. Finding a place he’d never been to before, inside a mansion with hallways that twisted and tangled like spiderwebs, was nearly impossible.
—Good thing this place has the same layout as the old mansion. Otherwise, I’d be lost too.
His voice dipped, as though he were caught in a quiet reverie. Ries couldn’t see his face, but he could sense that Sefiut wasn’t in the best mood.
Can’t blame him.
The old mansion.
That was from back when Sefiut had been the head of House Laufe—before the disaster had swept across the Astot Empire.
He called the god-given disaster the Wave. And it wasn’t just a metaphor.
A literal wave—one that devoured everything on land, swelled with mass to drag it all down to the seabed. It wasn’t just a storm; tsunami would be a better word for it.
Sefiut saved the Empire from that catastrophe, but that didn’t mean the Empire was left whole. The Duke’s estate—House Laufe—was one of the places he hadn’t been able to save.
The castle, proud with its long history, was reduced to rubble on the night the god’s wrath swept in with the Wave.
When Sefiut returned to the duchy after averting the disaster and saw the ruin that had once been his home—how must he have felt?
“……”
Ries didn’t dare imagine.
The current castle was rebuilt from the salvaged blueprints of the original, miraculously preserved. No wonder Sefiut knew the layout so well.
Somber as the mood was, there was no time to dwell in silence. Sefiut stayed true to his role as guide.
After descending a couple staircases, Ries finally made it close to where he suspected the meeting room was located.
—This won’t be easy.
Sefiut, poking his head out beside Ries to assess the scene, offered a blunt verdict.
Ries felt the same. Tension crept up his spine.
Two burly knights stood guard outside the meeting room. There weren’t many, but they looked focused and alert—getting close would almost certainly get him caught.
He ducked behind a large planter placed some distance from the door.
—So, what’s the plan?
The question carried a tone that almost said, You got anything clever in mind? Ries snorted.
…Of course not.
I only planned to make it this far…
He’d thought all he had to do was shake off Melissa. But now a tougher obstacle stood in his way.
If there had been just one guard, he might’ve tried something—like using Sefiut as bait to make noise on the opposite side. When the knight went to investigate, he could slip in.
But there were two of them. Even if one left, the other would stay behind. Ries bit his lip, fretting.
…Do I have to turn back?
He’d thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The frustration welled up in his throat.
If only one of them had a stomachache or something…
And just as he was internally muttering vicious little curses, drained of energy and hope—
Grrrrrrrgle.
A miracle.
“Hey, you alright?”
“Ugh… Y-yeah, I’m fine…”
One of the knights had let out a monstrous sound from his stomach—loud enough for it to echo around them. The other knight looked at him in alarm.
Anyone could tell. That wasn’t just a stomach rumble. That was a full-blown gastrointestinal emergency. At first, the knight tried to tough it out, taking a deep breath.
Grrgle. GRRRRRGLE!
But his body had no intention of cooperating. The second time was louder. He doubled over in pain, unable to even groan.
Another minute and he was going to lose control. The second knight sighed heavily and waved him off.
“What the hell did you eat yesterday? I’ll keep watch—just go hit the restroom.”
“Th-th-there’s no need, I—I can…”
“What, so it’s fine if you crap yourself here?”
The protest fizzled out. The knight’s eyes darted between the hallway and the firmly shut meeting room door.
He couldn’t even promise he’d make it.
Grgle. GRRRGGRRGLL!
Another thunderous rumble. Sweating profusely, the knight came to a decision.
“…Ghh. I-I’ll be right back…!”
He entrusted his post to the other knight and vanished in a flash—choosing human dignity over duty.
Now there was only one guard left. He seemed unfazed, shaking his head calmly like it was no big deal. Must’ve thought it was fine holding down the fort solo.
Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t alone. Not really.
There’d been a certain cat lying in wait, eyes gleaming with anticipation, tail twitching for its moment.
…Is this too lucky?
Everything was falling into place like magic. It didn’t even feel like good fortune anymore—it felt divine. And it made the memory of Sefiut’s past sting a little sharper.
Still, sentimental as it was, Ries had work to do. He snorted, breath huffing from his nostrils like an engine revving to life.
Time to set the plan in motion.
—Good grief.
Sefiut must’ve sensed it. He let out a deep sigh, but didn’t resist. That meant he agreed—this was the fastest and simplest way.
Ries circled around to the opposite hallway. With some effort, he peeled Sefiut’s form off his back and placed him on the floor. After a brief wait to give himself time to return—
CRASH!
A tremendous racket.
Ries didn’t know what exactly got destroyed, but it was enough to draw attention. A sharp noise echoed down the hallway, and the knight reacted instantly.
“Who’s there?!”
There was no way a decorative piece had just toppled over on its own. Sensing something was off, the knight hesitated—then finally moved. The clanking of his armor faded down the corridor.
Now.
Ries poked his head out, eyes scanning the now-vacant area near the meeting room.
Clear.
The knight was far enough away. Ries sprinted toward the firmly shut doors.
The handle height was just as he’d anticipated. Perfect. He stuck out his tongue, licked his front paw, and made his final prep.
Then—spring!—he launched himself upward with all the strength in his hind legs.
***
Clatter, clatter.
A sudden noise shattered the stiff, formal atmosphere of the meeting room. A man seated near the far end of the table spoke up with a sharp, irritated tone.
“What is the meaning of this commotion?!”
His outburst was directed at the knight stationed outside—but the one who’d actually heard it was already long gone.
The noise didn’t stop. It continued unabated until finally—thunk—the door creaked open.
“…?”
Everyone, unconsciously attuned to the disturbance, turned their attention toward the door.
But there was no one there.
Perplexity flickered in the eyes of every onlooker, and then—
“Meow.”
A tiny, incongruous sound echoed from the floor of the grim and dreary room. Everyone’s gaze was drawn as if by enchantment.
It was a cat that had come through the open door. A soft bundle of white and yellow fur with mysterious gray eyes.
“Well now, it opened the door by itself.”
“Could that be the spirit beast we’ve been hearing about? Seems pretty clever.”
“What about the knight outside? Don’t tell me both of them left their posts?”
While the retainers voiced their assorted reactions, one man felt as if his heart had dropped straight into his stomach.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
The moment he saw the open door with no one in sight, Ketir had started to suspect. And when that all-too-familiar meow followed, he nearly tripped over himself.
He rushed to the door in a panic, determined to catch Ries. He didn’t know how the cat had gotten here, but he had every intention of sending him right back. It was far too soon for him to draw this kind of attention.
“How in the world did you get here? And where’s Dame Melissa? This is dangerous—go back immediately.”
Ketir rattled off a string of stern scolding, reaching out to grab him.
But—
Boing! Ries leapt straight up on the spot, effortlessly evading Ketir’s grasp and dashing right into the room.
In the blink of an eye, he was already at Justyn’s side.
“…Ries.”
Justyn called his name in a low, heavy voice. Though the guard had returned and the hallway behind them grew noisy again, he didn’t so much as glance toward the door.
His eyes brimmed with unspoken words. Ries, already flinching in guilt, nervously rolled his eyes around, avoiding that gaze. Justyn leaned in close and whispered.
“I’ll send Ketir with you. It’s not too late—go back now…”
But Justyn never got to finish.
“Well, well! A familiar guest, I see!”
It was Count Averitt Barmark, seated nearby, who suddenly raised his voice.
Just as the lingering ruckus outside was settling, the last of the scattered attention in the room instantly converged on one spot—Ries.
Interest. Curiosity. And faint, flickering greed.
Justyn could read it all in their eyes without effort.
It’s already too late.
Once something caught their attention, it couldn’t simply be returned or dismissed. Their curiosity would not die out.
And of all times, the topic of the meeting had just begun veering in that very direction. Count Averitt seized the moment without hesitation.
“Hmm, I believe that sufficiently proves my point. A regular cat wouldn’t be able to find this place on its own, let alone slip past a knight and sneak in here unnoticed. Are there still those among us who think this is all nonsense?”
Ahem…
A couple of awkward coughs echoed in response.
Averitt smirked quietly, hiding his satisfaction as the situation unfolded exactly the way he wanted.
