I quickly pulled my pinned-down front paw free and placed it on top of his finger instead. Then I lifted my chin toward him defiantly.
But what’s this? He smoothly slid his finger out from under my paw—and then placed it right back on top of my paw again. Hah. Is this guy trying to pick a fight with me?
For a moment, I seriously considered delivering my signature midair 180-degree spinning high kick straight to his face. But I’m the kind of cat who’s warm and gentle to my woman—no, my man—no, my… thing. We’ve already done everything there is to do. I can’t very well throw a high kick at him now, no matter how cheeky he’s being.
Left with no choice, I once again lifted my front paw and set it on top of his finger. Then I pressed down hard.
The finger I pressed with all my might slipped out like a loach, and then—thump—was placed right back on top of my paw. I could no longer let this slide. I got up from my spot and tapped his hand twice with my paw as I spoke.
Nyaa—
Hey. Bring it on.
I was just about to settle for slapping him once with my paw, since I couldn’t throw a high kick, when my patron suddenly scooped me up into his arms. Then he stood up from the chair and strode toward the door. Wondering what he was doing, I looked up—only for him to press his lips firmly to the top of my head.
“You must be tired. Let’s go sleep in the bedroom.”
He whispered softly. By “bedroom,” he probably meant he’d let me sleep in his warm, comfortable bed. I looked at him, wondering if it was really okay to leave when he’d barely gotten any work done, but he didn’t look worried at all. I decided to forgive his earlier insolence and settled quietly into his arms. If he’s willing to abandon his work and offer me his chest-bed, what choice do I have but to forgive him? Besides, he’s my woman—no, my man—no, my… thing… whom I even sucked lips with. Hmph.
***
“It’s definitely the witch of the eastern forest.”
Hearing Simon’s report, Calyx tapped the armrest of his chair lightly.
Knight Simon’s face was slightly stiff. It was probably because he’d heard about what happened at dawn. Thinking something might be the case and seeing it with one’s own eyes are entirely different matters. Likewise, vaguely suspecting something and having the truth confirmed are not the same. Even if he’d already been inwardly convinced that the cat and the boy were one and the same, actually confirming it must have startled him all over again.
“The witch of the eastern forest.”
Calyx murmured, withdrawing his attention from Simon.
Since he’d heard the word “witch” from the boy’s own mouth, there weren’t many places to investigate. There were only a handful of true witches left in existence. Among them, finding the witch who kept a small black cat wasn’t particularly difficult—it just took a bit of time. And since the place they met had been the eastern forest, he’d already suspected it was that witch.
He knew the witch of the eastern forest well. She was the one he’d commissioned to make the medicine to put the Emperor to sleep. Due to some mishap, the potion had been botched, forcing them to endure the inconvenience of administering one of the ingredients regularly. That the boy had been cursed by that very witch was an amusing coincidence. It almost felt as though the boy had been fated to meet him.
“So. The curse?”
At the short question, Simon slowly opened his mouth.
“She said that calling his true name would be enough.”
“…True name?”
“Yes.”
An unexpected answer. A true name, of all things.
Calyx rolled the name K around in his mouth. Apparently, that wasn’t the boy’s true name. What could possibly be going through that small head of his? A sly little thing who never gives anything up easily, that one.
“She said they met deep within the eastern forest. He encountered her while she was gathering ingredients to make ‘that medicine.’”
Simon paused, then added,
“She mentioned that strange phenomena occur there often, making it a place no one approaches unless they’re a witch.”
Calyx dismissed Simon with a gesture.
Once Simon left, heavy silence filled the room. With a face devoid of any expression, Calyx looked at the figure sleeping in the bed.
It was the Emperor’s bedroom. Naturally, the one lying in the bed was the Emperor himself.
Every time he came to pay what was essentially a courtesy visit, he did the same thing: sit beside the bed and silently stare. The reason he stayed for hours despite that was simple—this was a deep, secure place beyond the reach of prying eyes and ears. A place where one could relax while calmly confirming the face of a deeply sleeping enemy was not common. That was why Calyx liked this place. At least, he had—before meeting the boy.
Now, it was different. Leaving the boy alone for hours just to come here weighed heavily on him. The very fact that the boy was somewhere beyond his sight irritated him.
Calyx looked coldly at the Emperor’s face.
The Emperor lay motionless, deeply asleep, yet despite devoted care, his body was withering away. His complexion had darkened, and he looked nothing more than a sick old man. There was no trace left of the man who had sent his young nephew to the battlefield time and time again, seeking his death.
Calyx stood up from the chair and turned away without hesitation.
There would be no more visits under the pretense of concern. The place he should be—the place he wanted to be—was not here, but by the boy’s side. There was no longer any reason to waste time here.
As Calyx walked away with a cold expression, his face softened at the sight of the Crown Prince’s palace in the distance. Thinking of the boy sleeping soundly, unaware that he’d been gone at all, filled him with delight.
Still, a true name…
Calling it would completely lift the curse. If the name the boy had taught him were his true name, the curse would already be broken. Why had he taught him the name K? There was no way to know without asking directly. In truth, the boy’s name itself wasn’t important. What mattered was the boy’s very existence. If the boy didn’t want it, he didn’t need to know his true name.
What should I do—?
Calyx pondered as the bedroom door drew closer.
Not knowing wouldn’t matter, but he was undeniably curious. If it was the boy’s true name, it would surely suit him perfectly. If the boy ever decided to reveal how to lift the curse, he’d likely tell him on his own. Still, not being able to see the little cat form anymore would be a bit of a shame.
Let’s think about it a bit more. That was the conclusion Calyx reached for now.
As he approached the bed, he saw the boy curled up asleep inside the yarn basket. Beside the sleeping boy was the red ball of yarn he adored so much, pressed right up against him.
For someone who loved expensive necklaces and clothes so much, he also found himself utterly enamored with a simple basket and a ball of yarn. A proud, cunning little thing who would bristle just from having a finger placed on his paw, yet at times so foolishly naive it made one laugh. Even when he was clearly in the wrong, he’d flare up in anger—then sneak glances to see if the other person might actually be upset.
Obvious yet utterly unpredictable. Perhaps that was what made him so captivating.
Calyx carefully lifted the boy out of the basket. As if waking briefly, the boy cracked his eyes open, confirmed who it was, then opened his mouth wide in a yawn. Letting out a small, cute “nya,” he closed his eyes again and fell back asleep.
Chuckling softly, Calyx lay down on the bed with the boy still in his arms. As he placed the small body atop his chest, drowsiness crept in. He’d barely slept before attending the morning meeting and the Emperor’s chambers. Taking a nap together with the boy, who’d been fighting sleep all day, didn’t sound like a bad idea.
“K.”
As he stroked the boy’s back and called his name before closing his eyes, the boy’s tail fluttered in his sleep. Had he been awake, he surely would’ve bitten his own tail again. Smiling faintly at the memory of the office earlier, Calyx closed his eyes.
***
My patron calls out, “K.” I look at him and greet the morning by opening my mouth wide in a yawn. He looks like he’s about to die of happiness as he rubs my head and back. I keep yawning while enjoying his touch. This continues until the maids flood in.
Once the maids arrive, we have to part for a while.
My patron receives his own attendants’ care, and I receive mine from Julia.
Even so, we’re still sitting side by side, so we can look at each other whenever we feel like it. Still, I make a point of not looking at my patron. The maids might misunderstand if they catch me constantly sneaking glances at him. Being branded as a pet cat hopelessly in love with its owner would be a nightmare.
So instead of looking at my patron, I admire Julia’s firm, bouncy chest.
