Hmm. Come to think of it, I’m kind of cool. At this point, I could just switch my code name to 00K. A black cat named 00K who prowls the imperial palace like it’s his own home, resolving all sorts of conspiracies and betrayals. His drink of choice? Organic goat’s milk.
One glass of goat’s milk… shaken—not stirred. Nyaong.
Seriously. That’s actually pretty cool, isn’t it?
Clinging to the wall, I snickered to myself.
After laughing for a while, I started moving again, when a familiar voice drifted from the far end of the corridor. I crept toward the door the voice was leaking out of.
The door was slightly ajar.
I checked to make sure no humans were passing by, then poked my head through the crack. I slowly scanned the inside of the room—and huh. That’s Princess Rosemary.
Shit. I’ve wandered into a terrifying elementary gremlin nest instead of a conspiracy.
I immediately turned around to leave—then froze.
“……”
“……”
That brat is staring straight at me. Locking eyes with her, I curled my lips into a grin. In response, the orc cat flattened its ears back and started trembling violently. When I made a show of taking one step toward it, it panicked and dove under the bed. Puffing my chest out proudly, I stood taller.
“You look absolutely splendid.”
I waved my front paw threateningly through the air at the cat under the bed when Uncle Bondre’s voice rang out. Turning my head, I saw him carefully arranging the ornate fabric draped over Rosemary’s shoulders, showering her with endless praise. But Rosemary clearly wasn’t pleased. Her pouty lips said it all.
“It’s too plain. You need to add way more lace if you want it to stand out.”
Rosemary complained. I clicked my tongue internally.
She’s tiny, but she sure has a lot to say—guess a girl’s still a girl, always going on about lace… Yeah, no. Stop. If you add any more lace, your face is going to get buried in it.
“Then how about this, Your Highness? With this, no one at the banquet will be able to take their eyes off you.”
Uncle Bondre—one of the few masters I acknowledge—gently coaxed Rosemary. To me, it didn’t look much different from the one before, but whether it was his silver tongue or something else, Rosemary’s expression brightened instantly.
“Then I’ll go with this one.”
She lifted her chin haughtily as she spoke. I really wanted to tell her that she’s still just a grade-schooler, but I held it in. There’s nothing to be gained from getting involved with elementary gremlins.
Thinking I should escape this gremlin den as fast as possible, I quietly turned around—only to stop short again.
“Is Crown Prince Calyx’s banquet attire finished?”
Huh? Our Lyx?
Hearing my patron’s name, I looked back to see Rosemary’s eyes glittering. What the hell—this little gremlin is aiming for my Lyx?
“It’s nearly complete.”
“…Is that so?”
Rosemary spoke in a prim voice, hesitated for a moment, then asked again.
“Make sure it pairs well with my brother’s outfit.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Uncle Bondre smoothly accepted her demand. I glared daggers at Rosemary while scratching the door with my sharp claws. That little gremlin dares set her sights on my Lyx—unforgivable. I’ll get my revenge someday. Brat.
Honestly, I wanted to shred Rosemary’s dress to ribbons and give her orc cat a good smack or two as well. But adhering to my personal creed—I do not involve myself with grade-schoolers unless my life is on the line—I quietly left the scene. Just learning that she’s targeting my Lyx is a gain in itself. Consoling myself with the thought that I’d successfully completed 00K’s first mission, I followed Bondre’s group.
Where are they heading this time?
Bondre’s group was hurrying along again.
Since they’d just visited Princess Rosemary, maybe they were heading to another royal next. And this time, there was a good chance that true enemy territory—rife with conspiracy and betrayal—awaited. I cautiously tailed them.
Then, after walking for quite a while, Bondre stopped in a quiet area and looked around. I hid myself behind a statue and watched.
Bondre whispered something to the humans who had been following him, then headed off alone in a different direction. Once he left, the humans briskly resumed their original path.
What the hell?
I alternated my gaze between the two split groups, then chose to follow Bondre.
Unlike before, Bondre deliberately picked narrow, secluded paths. He seemed to be avoiding human eyes. The friendly smile that usually plastered his face was gone, replaced with a blank expression, and his leisurely stride had turned into a cautious, sneaking gait. From this suspiciously changed Bondre, I sensed danger.
He clearly knew the imperial palace well—despite walking for a long time, we didn’t run into a single person. He even slipped effortlessly into spaces that looked like no one could possibly pass through. This is bad. Really bad. It seems I’ve hit the mark—Bondre himself is the dangerous enemy.
I think being 00K really suits me. Otherwise, how could I identify the enemy so quickly? Then again, it makes sense that being a cool spy suits me better than being a thieving Phantom Cat K. Hmph.
The place Bondre finally stopped was behind an enormous building.
I tilted my head up at the massive structure. It looked like the biggest building I’d seen so far. If someone’s using a building this huge, it has to be someone extremely high-ranking. Who could possibly outrank my patron?
While I was thinking, a person approached Bondre after carefully checking their surroundings. Holding my breath, I watched as Bondre pulled something out from his clothes and handed it over. I stared intently at the object passing from hand to hand. What is it? What could it be that they’re exchanging so secretly? I strained my eyes, but I couldn’t identify it—Bondre was far too careful. I clicked my tongue as the item vanished into the human’s clothes.
Once their business was done, Bondre retraced his steps and left. Instead of following him, I tailed the human who entered the building. But the human went inside and slammed the door shut. I looked up at a small side door used by servants. Normally, soldiers would open it for me, but this time there was nothing like that… and judging by the door itself, it wasn’t the kind I could open.
Hmm. What now?
I paced back and forth in front of the door.
Even if I circled around and entered through the front, finding that human inside this massive building would be difficult. And it’d be kind of ridiculous for 00K—the secret information-gathering spy—to stroll casually through the main entrance.
Hmm… Hmm. Hmm. Hmm…
As I spun in place, thinking, huh—this is…
Catching a faint but familiar scent, I sniffed the air. It was an unpleasant smell that made my brow furrow instinctively.
What was this smell again?
I wrinkled my nose, thinking. I’ve definitely smelled it somewhere before. Where…
Ah! This is the smell that used to linger on my patron’s hands whenever he returned from visiting the Emperor. That strangely unpleasant scent.
…But why is that smell coming from where that human just passed?
Several thoughts flashed through my mind, and I narrowed my eyes.
This feels like there’s some huge conspiracy going on.
***
“Lyx!”
The boy, sitting on a chair and swinging his feet, called out with a bright expression. Calyx wrapped the boy snugly in the coat he’d brought. Once he’d bundled him up without a single gap, his own heart felt more at ease—but the boy clearly felt uncomfortable. The way the boy squirmed, his eyes turned sulky. Still, this was one thing Calyx had no intention of compromising on, so he tightened the coat even more.
“Did you find the book?”
The squirming boy’s eyes sparkled as he asked. He looked up with wide eyes, tilting his head slightly to the side. He knew instinctively—he knew exactly what kind of posture people were weak to.
With his head tilted and eyes blinking slowly, the boy looked irresistibly adorable. His clear, eager gaze silently urged him on.
Aren’t you going to give it to me? Really not? Huh?
Calyx suppressed the urge to immediately reach out and pat the boy’s head. Feeling the boy’s warmth was enjoyable, but watching him plead like this was just as delightful.
“It’s going to take a little time.”
