My name is K. I am a cat.
An alphabet letter—are you asking if that’s really my name? No. I do, in fact, have a proper name. However, I ask that you refrain from being curious about it. K alone is more than sufficient.
As I said before, I am a cat.
From the tips of my ears to the end of my tail, I am wrapped in luxuriant black fur. Unlike ordinary mixed-breed cats, there is not a single fleck of any other color mixed into my coat. That pure hue of fur is proof of my noble birth.
My superiority does not end with the color of my fur.
My perked ears, forming perfect symmetry on either side, and my tail that moves in elegant, flowing curves—both are flawless beyond reproach. So too are my thick, soft, marshmallow-like paw pads, which allow me to land without a sound even after falling from great heights.
And what of the gracefully arched whiskers extending from my snout? Their excellence, satisfying both function and beauty at once, is unparalleled! Of course, my large, round eyes and my beautiful yet powerful claws are equally indispensable features.
Perfect no matter how you look at me, I am a cold city cat with a lonely soul. But only to my woman would I be warm. Hmph.
Right now, I’m looking down at the creatures below who are making an absolute ruckus. They’re humans who work in the imperial palace where I live. Each of them has a name, but for convenience’s sake, I divide them into two types: maids and attendants. Sometimes I split them further into pretty maids and ugly maids—but let’s skip that for now. I could also sort them into big-chested maids and flat-chested maids, but we’ll skip that too.
Anyway, they’re all looking up at me in the tree and making a huge fuss. The way they stamp their feet and break out in cold sweat isn’t exactly pleasant to watch. Still, I can’t tear my eyes away from them—because right now, they’re desperately shouting at me.
“Nabi~! Good boy! Come here~.”
My name is K.
“You have to come down now, Nabi!”
My name is K.
“Nabi!!”
My name is K.
“Nabi! Come down already!”
My name is K… let’s just stop.
Teaching ignorant humans my real name is no easy task. Well, it’s not entirely their fault—they can’t understand my words to begin with. Even so, there’s absolutely no way I’m changing my name to “Nabi.” My name is K.
I turned my head away, ignoring the humans calling me by some ridiculous word. The view from high up in the tree is quite something. The beautiful garden spreading out below and the magnificent imperial palace nestled within it are a feast for the eyes. This dazzling, grand palace is my home.
Looking down again, I see the humans bringing over a long ladder. At a glance, it’s clearly far too short to reach where I am. But the panicked humans seem determined to try anyway. The type who won’t know whether it’s shit or soybean paste until they taste it. I gave their pitiful display a cold, scornful grin and lifted my head to admire the evening glow.
It’s already been several hours since I climbed this tree.
I’d been taking a leisurely stroll through the garden when I found a tree I quite liked and climbed up—it was this one. The tree was incredibly tall, and no matter how much I climbed, there seemed to be no end. When I finally reached the spot where I’m sitting now, I was once again reminded of my own superiority.
“Sir Licht!”
All of a sudden, it went quiet below. I narrowed my eyes as I watched the maids swarm toward one person. The maids and attendants who had been craning their necks to look at me just moments ago were now all gathered around a single man, their expressions like they’d just found a savior.
“What’s going on?”
The man asking as he surveyed the people around him looked very familiar. Of course he did. He was Simon Licht, a knight who followed Crown Prince Calyx around. After listening to the maids’ and attendants’ complaints, Simon tilted his head back and looked up at me. I sat gracefully and looked down at him. Watching his expression subtly twist was immensely entertaining.
“It’s too high—we can’t possibly get him down on our own.”
One maid pleaded in an exhausted voice. Judging by Simon’s gaze, it seemed he agreed.
Simon hesitated briefly, then shouted up at me.
“Come down!”
How ridiculous.
I snorted and remained seated. A maid standing beside him whispered something.
“You have to call him by name.”
At that whisper, Simon’s face twisted even more dramatically.
I looked down at Simon with narrowed eyes, watching his lips twitch. It wasn’t just because the situation was amusing. As a knight, Simon has pretty good eyesight, so he can clearly see my face even now—and whenever he sees me narrow my eyes and smile, it drives him up the wall. Despite his huge, muscular build, Simon doesn’t lose his temper easily, since he’s a knight. Instead, when he gets irritated, his lips start twitching. Push him a little further, and he starts snorting through his nose. Calling that sight cute would probably make me a pervert… but honestly, it kind of is.
“N—”
Simon barely managed to shout a single syllable before clamping his mouth shut. I saw very clearly as the tops of his ears flushed bright red. Being surrounded by maids and saying, “Nabi, you should come down now,” would never be easy for a grown man with a build like his.
Simon stammered “N, n, n—” a few more times before finally snapping and yelling at the top of his lungs.
“Get down here right now!”
My ears almost burst. What an idiot.
I shot Simon an annoyed look and then turned my gaze away. From the other side, I could see my patron—the Crown Prince—approaching. He must’ve heard Simon shouting.
“Your Highness.”
Simon and the maids and attendants hurriedly bowed. Even though I wasn’t the one being greeted, I felt inexplicably smug. That’s just how a cat’s lot in life works. If a Crown Prince raises you, you’re a Crown Prince’s cat. If a count raises you, you’re a count’s cat. If a beggar raises you, you’re a beggar’s cat. Live on the streets, and you’re treated as a stray. There’s no need to be swayed by the arbitrary hierarchy humans assign, but still—I’m a Crown Prince’s cat, no less.
As he drew closer, the Crown Prince looked up at me.
Meeting his golden eyes, I flicked my tail once or twice out of courtesy. I don’t particularly think of him as my owner, but since I am indebted to him, it’s only right to show some manners. Don’t misunderstand this politeness as loyalty or anything of the sort.
As I sat elegantly and looked down at him, the Crown Prince extended his hand.
Well? What about it? Want me to come down?
When I tilted my head, he beckoned with his fingers. It seemed he was telling me to come down. When I just kept watching him, he finally opened his mouth.
“Come down.”
I thought it over for a moment. Of course, even while doing so, I didn’t let my elegant, dignified posture falter. The Crown Prince continued holding out his hand toward me, clearly intending not to withdraw it until I came down. Considering the sincerity he was showing, it might be best to humor him. After all, he’s the one who takes care of me—shouldn’t I preserve at least a bit of his dignity?
Having finally made up my mind, I opened my mouth.
Nyaaa—
At my pitiful cry, I could see the humans’ expressions shift slightly. To drive the point home, I cried out long and loud once more.
Nyaaa—
It’s too high—I can’t get down. Come get me.
“Other than being a little startled, he seems fine.”
I wasn’t startled at all, you know? Not even a little. I wasn’t scared one bit. Not at all.
The knight, who had no way of knowing my thoughts, handed me over to the Crown Prince. After taking a long time—far too long, really—to finally get me down from the tree, the knight looked thoroughly pleased with himself. The fact that it took over two hours just to rescue me and he’s still showing off annoys me, but I’ll let it slide. I’m a cool cat, after all. And it goes without saying that I don’t thank him. I’m a precious cat.
The Crown Prince cradled me in his arms and stroked my head. Nestled in his familiar embrace, my tension melted away, and my body grew pleasantly heavy. When I yawned, I felt a faint vibration in his chest. He definitely laughed quietly to himself. I lifted my head and looked at his face. His expression was the same as always—blank. But I know. He definitely smiled just now.
Nyaa—
Hey. You laughed, didn’t you?
When I placed a paw against his chest and accused him, the Crown Prince’s golden eyes narrowed slightly. Moments like this make it feel as though he can really understand my words.
“Prepare warm water.”
My patron ordered the attendant following behind him. One attendant ran off ahead to make the preparations. Watching the retreating figure, I began to anticipate a nice, steaming bath.
It’s already been three days since I followed the Crown Prince into this imperial palace.
It may be a short time, but it’s long enough to get a rough grasp of what kind of person the Crown Prince is.
My patron, the Crown Prince, is named Calyx. It’s not as good as my name, K, but it’s a fairly decent name. Other humans call him “Your Highness” or “Crown Prince,” but I call him “my patron.” Not that there’s much chance he understands what I’m calling him.
My patron, Crown Prince Calyx, is an exceptionally kind fellow.
He’s a grown man who talks far too little and always wears a blank expression, but there’s no doubt his heart is soft and gentle. You can tell just from how devotedly he serves me.
It’s not just his heart—he’s quite handsome as well. Since I’m a cat, I can’t accurately judge his height, but I’m certain he’s taller than the average adult man around here.
