His belly was full, he’d just had a bath, and the body he was using as a cushion was perfectly warm. And best of all—this was a human’s home, where he didn’t have to be on edge or wary of anyone! With the lingering tension finally melting away, it became the ideal setting for a naturally sleepy cat to completely knock out.
Strawberry didn’t bother resisting the growing heaviness in his eyelids and let himself drift off.
And so, left alone with only his blinking eyes still awake—
“……”
Justyn quietly gazed down at the cat curled up and fast asleep on his lap. Minutes passed. Then tens of minutes. And still, he hadn’t moved.
The stack of documents on his desk remained mostly untouched. He was worried that even the slightest motion might wake the cat.
He should move him. He knew that. And yet… strangely, he didn’t want to.
Knock knock. A neat, polite knock jolted him out of his daze. Justyn flinched and turned his head.
“Your Grace?”
“…Come in.”
Only then did it hit him—this wasn’t just a matter of minutes. Hours had passed. The sky outside the window had long since turned dark.
Ketir entered the room and blinked in surprise. Despite the time that had passed, the documents on the desk hadn’t budged.
He asked carefully, “Are you feeling unwell, Your Grace?”
“…No.”
The reply was a short, firm denial. But Justyn looked almost embarrassed, his eyes squeezed shut.
Ketir then noticed something else—the new addition to the household was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s the cat?”
“……”
No answer. Instead, Justyn simply lowered his head. Following his gaze, Ketir stepped closer—and there it was. A cat, sound asleep on his master’s lap, blissfully unaware of the world.
“……”
He fell silent.
Animals only sleep in places where they feel safe. That cat must’ve followed that instinct when picking his spot.
And yet… of all places, he’d chosen the lap of a man he’d just met. How ironic. And not just anyone—Justyn Laufe.
Most creatures could sense the cursed aura Justyn carried and avoided him entirely. But here was an animal acting affectionately and curling up on him like it was nothing. It was so unexpected, Ketir didn’t know what to make of it.
Still, if he set aside that strange detail, it wasn’t a bad sight. For the first time in a long while, his master’s eyes looked… alive.
“I’ll take him.”
The night was fast approaching. Taking over for Justyn, Ketir gently lifted the cat from his lap.
The sudden motion roused Strawberry. Still half-asleep, he stretched his hind legs and squirmed, protesting the interruption.
I need to stay glued to him all day so he gets used to me…
But no matter how much he cried or wriggled in defiance, the hands holding him didn’t budge. His mind gradually cleared.
“You’re awake.”
“Mrowww.”
The cozy bedroom was gone. In its place was a long, dim corridor. Whether it was just the atmosphere or not, it felt like the temperature had dropped several degrees.
A sense of unease crept in.
He’s not gonna lock me in some storage room, is he?
Even if he did, there was no way Strawberry was going back to being a stray. Still… he definitely preferred someplace bright and warm.
Thankfully, his fears didn’t come true.
They passed a few doors before arriving at a modestly sized bedroom. Neat and orderly, but clearly lived-in.
Tap. Strawberry jumped out of Ketir’s arms and curiously explored his new surroundings. It was smaller than the previous room, and the furniture wasn’t as luxurious, but as long as it wasn’t some dingy old storage room, it would do.
While he inspected the room, he heard the rustling of fabric beside him. Turning his head, he saw Ketir changing clothes. This must’ve been his room.
Strawberry’s eyes immediately narrowed into sharp slits.
“Mrowr! MROWWWRR!”
Put me back this instant! he yowled, claws digging into the floor in protest. Ketir, looking more annoyed than surprised, let out a deep sigh.
“I’ll take you back to His Grace in the morning. Stop scratching.”
No matter how much he cried after that, Ketir stayed silent. Eventually, worn out from the tantrum, Strawberry gave up on scratching. Let’s just ignore the fresh claw marks left behind.
Even though it was late, Ketir didn’t seem ready for bed. Bathed in the warm glow of candlelight, he quietly shuffled papers, the gentle rustle filling the room.
Strawberry climbed onto a green cushion—clearly placed there just for him—and stared at Ketir’s back for a while before finally closing his eyes.
It wasn’t his owner’s room, but for a temporary shelter, it wasn’t bad at all.
Tomorrow, I’m definitely sleeping next to my human.
That was the promise he made, even as sleep pulled him under—never imagining for a second that he’d end up dragged back to this room night after night.
***
A few days passed.
The food was great, the atmosphere was pleasant, and the people he lived with were all tolerable—but the sleeping arrangements? That was the one thing he couldn’t get behind.
Why?!
During the day, the human didn’t care no matter how much he hovered nearby. But the moment night fell, he was booted out without fail.
For the past few nights, Strawberry had been captured like clockwork by Ketir, who would appear the moment the sun dipped below the horizon and haul him off to his bedroom.
It was starting to make him anxious. They weren’t really planning to toss him back on the streets… were they?
His leg was almost fully healed now. At this rate, that “once you’re all better” day Justyn had mentioned would come any minute.
Even as that uneasy feeling crept in, Strawberry’s routine remained unchanged. If he couldn’t stick to Justyn at night, then he had to be extra clingy during the day.
When Justyn ate, he ate beside him. When he went to the bathroom, Strawberry waited faithfully outside the door. When Justyn worked, Strawberry either curled up in his lap or claimed a spot on the desk to watch him work.
Today’s chosen seat was the desk. He’d gone with that instead of the lap—he knew Justyn had a harder time concentrating when his legs were occupied.
It’s working. Definitely working.
Just look. He’d barely rubbed his head against Justyn’s hand, and the man flinched.
Just a little flinch—but it counted as a pet. Two stiff fingers had brushed over the top of his head. Technically, it qualified.
Of course, Justyn never reached out first. But when Strawberry made the move? The ten-minute statue phase had now dropped to five. And sometimes, like today, he even got a hesitant brush that almost resembled a proper pat.
He’s adjusting to me.
That was progress. And progress meant growing attached—and attachment could blossom into affection, right?
Please, let him get attached before the leg fully heals. Even Strawberry was getting sick of limping around all day.
He curled up into a perfect loaf on the desk’s wide surface. The elegant movements of Justyn’s pen soon caught his eye. Below the pen trailed a mess of worm-like handwriting…
Hmph.
His interest vanished instantly. He could kind of read it, but the sea of numbers beside the writing made his head spin.
Might as well sleep. And in a true feat of feline magic, he was out not long after the thought crossed his mind.
What woke him was the sound of rustling paper. His ears twitched as he slowly opened his eyes. Strawberry glanced toward the window, blinking blearily.
The curtains were drawn, but he could tell—it was still daytime. He stretched out his body and stood.
Was Justyn already done with his work? The desk was empty. Judging by the noise, the man was probably still in the room.
“Mrow.”
He let out a soft cry and went to look for his human. Not that he had to go far—he was still in the same room.
“…?”
Still dressed in black. But something looked different. Strawberry tilted his head, puzzled.
Amazingly, the man had worn nothing but black the entire time they’d lived together. But by now, Strawberry had developed an eye for these things—even if it was the same color, there were subtle differences in style.
This outfit looked especially easy to move in—looser, more comfortable. Almost like he was getting ready to work out or something.
Going out?
His ears perked up. He had to follow. Without hesitation, Strawberry started trailing behind Justyn.
There was no way Justyn hadn’t noticed. The moment he realized a tiny cat was shadowing his every step, his whole body stiffened unnaturally.
Strawberry knew the drill. This weird silent standoff had happened enough times that he could guess how long it would last. Probably around ten minutes.
“…Wait here.”
Unexpectedly, Justyn thawed much faster this time. He turned and walked over to the side table, rummaging through a drawer.
Strawberry’s eyes grew wide.
That’s… a collar!
A smooth, red leather collar. At its center, a shiny silver bell dangled, and beside it, something had been engraved in elegant cursive.
