He flopped right over, belly up.
A soft, snowy-white belly was laid bare. Thanks to pestering Ketir for a bath every time they met, his fluffy fur was spotless—not a speck of dirt in sight.
“……”
Justyn didn’t say a word. He didn’t even lift a hand to pet him.
On the surface, his reaction looked completely indifferent. But Ries, who’d been quietly observing him all this time, could read his feelings without even trying.
That’s him being fond.
Back when Ries first decided to seduce Justyn, he’d mistaken that stone-faced attitude for someone who hated animals.
But the more time they spent together, the more cracks he noticed in that cold exterior.
The way his body would stiffen when their fur brushed against him. The way his gaze never left. The hesitant hand that would slowly reach out—only to retreat the moment their eyes met.
Just like now. Maybe it was because this belly display was a first—but the impact seemed to have doubled.
Encouraged by the stunned silence, Ries wiggled on his back, rubbing himself back and forth. He kept it up the whole time, right until Ketir returned with the documents, face slightly flushed.
“Duke?”
“…Ah. You’re back.”
Only then did Justyn finally relax his stiff body. His voice was oddly distant, as if his mind had been somewhere else entirely. Ketir narrowed his eyes at the awkward reply.
And sure enough, he spotted Ries sprawled out on the Duke’s lap, belly on full display.
Look at that pose—front paws primly together, back legs stretched out. Ketir was seriously starting to suspect there was a person trapped in that cat. Not that that made any sense… but still.
Even so, Justyn couldn’t take his eyes off the cat. So Ketir offered a casual explanation.
“Cats only show their bellies to those they trust. Looks like he’s taken a liking to you, Your Grace.”
“…Is that so.”
That was it. Just one dry response. But Ketir had served this man long enough to know exactly what that meant.
He’s in a good mood. No need to jinx it by pointing it out.
Meanwhile, Justyn carefully fastened the collar around Ries’ neck. The cat gave his head a little shake, licked the Duke’s gloved hand once, then leapt gracefully to the floor.
Ries darted toward the door, sniffing around curiously. Ketir picked him up and took him outside.
Left alone in the room, Justyn lowered his gaze. It took a long while before his hand finally began to move again, fingers slowly curling around the pen.
For some reason, his chest felt strangely hollow.
***
Taking a walk with a cat for the first time in his life, Ketir found himself in unfamiliar territory.
Where should I even take him?
They didn’t have much time to wander. There wasn’t much to see either, so circling the estate would have to do.
But before he could even start, that plan went out the window—Ries didn’t seem the least bit interested in leaving the estate grounds.
“You want to look around inside instead?”
“Meow.”
The response came so promptly, it almost felt like he understood the question.
Already, Ries was trotting down the stairs on light feet. Ketir followed, reluctant but resigned.
Fine. A cat that flops over like a person, enjoys baths, begs for walks… What’s one that responds to questions, too?
He shook off the weird feeling.
But the day’s trials weren’t over yet.
“…Ha.”
Ketir let out a low sigh. A cold sweat slid down his back.
He lost him.
…Where did he go?
Ries turned to look behind him, eyes wide.
Empty.
Ketir, who had been following just moments ago, was nowhere to be seen.
Maybe he’d gotten too comfortable in this eerie mansion. That unfamiliar presence earlier had startled him enough to bolt ahead—and now he’d lost the only person with him. He could already picture how panicked Ketir must be right now.
Still, he remembered the way back. He could apologize later.
“Hey, kitty?”
Right now, he had someone new to deal with. Ries turned his attention to the young woman in front of him, curiosity sparking in his eyes.
Judging by her clothes and the laundry in her arms, she was probably a maid working at the estate.
Her eyes were gentle, and her cheeks were dotted with faint freckles. Flustered, she set the laundry basket down and hurried over.
“Did you sneak in? No… You’ve got a collar. You must belong to someone.”
Her worried expression eased as soon as she spotted the collar. Maybe it was her youthful look, but she gave off an even more innocent impression than expected.
“Let’s see, your name is…”
Her face crumpled. She went from cheerful to crestfallen in an instant.
“Sorry… I can’t read. Oh! One of the older maids can—do you want to come with me? If we can read your name, we’ll be able to find your owner in no time.”
One thing was certain—she had a good heart.
The fact that she was trying to return a cat she’d never seen before to its owner said enough. Ries liked that.
“Meow~.”
He gave a soft, grateful mewl and rubbed up against her hand in thanks.
“Oh my gosh, you’re so cute…”
A faint blush bloomed across her round cheeks. She couldn’t help herself—her hand reached out, petting his head hesitantly at first, then with growing affection. Ries found her touch pleasant… and her reactions entertaining.
If only my master would pet me like this too.
Leaving behind that hopeless wish, he focused on playing with the maid instead.
He meowed affectionately, spun circles around her feet, stole a piece of laundry and darted away like they were playing tag…
At some point, though, it hit him—like a drop of sweat trickling down his spine.
…Did I play too hard?
He could almost hear a long, weary sigh from someone out there, still searching for him.
Maybe he’d gotten a little too into being pampered. Feeling a creeping sense of guilt, Ries let go of the laundry in his mouth and dropped it with a soft thunk.
“Meow.”
Thanks for the fun. I’m heading off now.
He’d satisfied his curiosity and played to his heart’s content. It was time to head back. He hadn’t explored the entire mansion, but for today, the walk was over.
Turning around, he started trotting down the hall—only to hear the sound of footsteps quickly gaining on him.
“Kitty, wait! Where are you going?!”
He looked back. The maid had abandoned her laundry basket and was now full-on sprinting after him, clearly out of breath.
“You’ll get lost if you wander around alone! Let me help you find your owner!”
It was a sweet offer… but completely unnecessary.
Ries hadn’t lost his owner—he lived in this mansion. He knew every hallway, every stair, every turn.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of getting caught. What worried him was how loud things were getting.
At this rate, Ketir might hear the commotion and come find them first—before he had the chance to sneak back quietly.
Now that would be annoying.
He felt a little bad for the kind maid, but there was no helping it—he picked up speed.
What he hadn’t counted on were two things: first, the maid had way more stamina than expected. Second, she was relentlessly determined.
In the end, she chased him all the way back to the floor he originally came from.
“Ah—!”
And ran straight into the mansion’s master.
The moment she saw him, she froze like a deer in headlights. Her expression crumpled with panic, and guilt twisted in Ries’ chest.
I told you not to follow me…
He looked at her with quiet sympathy, but her reaction took a strange turn. Her face drained of all color, going ghostly pale.
Then, she collapsed to her knees.
No—she knelt. Like someone begging for her life.
“I-I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry…”
“……”
“I’ll never come here again, I swear! Please, please… just spare my life!”
She dropped her head to the floor with a loud thud. The reaction was so extreme that even Ries flinched—his tail bristling with shock.
Spare her life?
Who the hell kills someone for going up the wrong flight of stairs?
Sure, maybe lunatics like that existed somewhere in the world, but Justyn wasn’t one of them.
Ries turned his head and looked up at him—specifically, at the only visible part of Justyn’s face behind the mask: his eyes.
They were empty. Cold, blank, detached—as if he weren’t part of this world at all.
Ries moved without thinking. He stepped forward, hooked a tiny claw into the hem of Justyn’s pants, and tugged hard.
Only then did Justyn’s gaze shift toward him.
“Ah.”
Little by little, a flicker of emotion returned to those cold, steel-gray eyes. That was better.
Unfortunately, the maid didn’t seem to take it the same way.
Already trembling, she now shook like a live alarm bell, vibrating with terror.
Yeah… any hope of a calm conversation was dead. If Ries could speak, he might’ve soothed her, explained things—but the only sound he could make was meow.
Still, no matter how hopeless things seemed, there was always a way out.
And right on cue, their salvation arrived.
