Did you really think I wouldn’t know how to play dirty like this? Master… you’ve grown.
If Diana had heard that, she probably would’ve exploded on the spot—so furious, she might’ve screamed just to let the rage out.
“How could you do this to me? I thought… we were family…”
And yet, the one responsible for it all was now playing the victim, acting like his heart had been shattered. Maybe this was the true difference between humans and animals.
Diana jerked upright again. Her clenched fists trembled, and her pink eyes welled up—not with sorrow this time, but a different kind of emotion entirely.
Of course, it wasn’t Diana’s tears that moved Ries.
It’s gone.
He inspected her upper body carefully. The black mist he’d struck with his paw was already gone—vanished like it had never been there.
This thing actually works.
He’d succeeded once before, but it had never felt real until now. Ries licked the paw he’d used to smack her and looked up at Justyn.
He narrowed his eyes, scrunching his face into a strange expression. He knew he probably looked ridiculous, but that didn’t matter right now.
Dark, smoky mist swirled around Justyn’s face—dense and suffocating, just like always. It was the same ominous curse. Normally, just seeing it weighed heavily on Ries’s mood… but not this time.
It’s weaker.
The curse had definitely diminished. The oppressive force that tormented Justyn… it was receding. It felt like a destination he’d never imagined was finally coming into view. Ries couldn’t contain the swell of emotion rising inside him.
His expression changed without him even trying. Justyn stared blankly at his cat, watching.
A faint light flickered in his silver-gray eyes. It wasn’t a bold or brilliant color, yet it drew you in—impossible to look away. It felt like witnessing a miracle, the birth of something entirely new.
The emotion in his eyes was radiant. So much so that Ries could hardly believe it was meant for him. And just like that, the two of them fell into a world of their own.
Time stretched out as they gazed at each other.
Seeing them so completely lost in their little bubble, Diana trembled with rage and humiliation.
“……”
Even the most clueless idiot would’ve noticed—something was going on between that man and that cat. Diana bit down hard on her lip, overwhelmed by the shame of it.
This mansion was always like this. Filled with things she couldn’t understand… no, didn’t want to understand. It was all wrong. Dreary. Suffocating. Creepy. A place that didn’t suit her at all.
Neither did Duke Laufe.
He should’ve been on his knees, begging for mercy. That was how it should have been. And yet this pitch-black man remained eerily composed—so proud, even though he’d been forsaken by the gods who embraced all life.
Why? I’m the one healing him. I’m saving his life. Shouldn’t that mean something to him? Shouldn’t he be treating me like I matter? Like I’m special?
She hated it. Hated it to her core. That grotesque curse eating away half his face. Those arrogant eyes that refused to flinch. That clueless attitude, like he didn’t even realize whose hands his life depended on.
Her shoulders trembled, unable to suppress the flood of loathing. She didn’t deserve to be treated like this. Like some forgotten sack of barley left in the corner of a barn…
Diana thought of a certain someone. She wanted to see him—right now.
She shot up to her feet.
“I’ve always put up with being overlooked—for the sake of your recovery, Your Grace! I’ve held it in all this time! But I never imagined you’d humiliate me like this. Is this how you treat the person saving your life?”
Only after she shouted did both the man and the cat finally turn to look at her. And somehow, that only made it worse. Her face flushed with shame.
“…I’ll reconsider whether or not to continue your treatment, Duke Laufe.”
That was her final threat. Without even trying to hide the rage bubbling over, she stomped out of the room.
And then, silence.
The two were finally alone when the door burst open and Ketir entered. Judging by the expression on his face, he’d heard everything—and he had thoughts. Lots of them.
Confusion was the clearest among them.
“…I honestly can’t tell if that woman’s incredibly bold or just fragile. She says whatever she wants, with zero filter.”
“Meow.”
Ries voiced his agreement. All that drama just because she got smacked by a cat—how petty.
Justyn gently stroked Ries’s fur along the grain as the feline let out a grumpy little whine. Ries was still perched on his thigh, firmly balanced on his hind legs.
He was simply overwhelmed—staggered, even—by the visible progress in the curse. But to Ketir, walking in on the scene, it looked like an emotional storm had just passed.
Like he’d walked into a private world where he didn’t belong… and for the briefest moment, he almost understood why Diana had left in such a rage.
Justyn kept his eyes on his beloved cat as he replied, calm and indifferent:
“I don’t particularly care.”
His voice was so emotionless it could make even the listener feel awkward. But the words that followed weren’t nearly as indifferent.
“Ries. There’s a lot I want to ask you. I figured you might’ve had contact with humans before you met me… but I didn’t expect her to be one of them.”
Justyn looked lost in thought, brows furrowed. Ries stiffened.
Ah… crap.
It hit him. There were so many things he hadn’t been able to explain, and now all of it was clearly swirling around inside Justyn’s head.
But what could he do? He was just a cat. A cat who couldn’t speak.
He was about to start sulking when Justyn, after sifting through his thoughts, finally asked:
“…Did you want to go with her?”
“…?”
“…?”
Even Ketir, who had decided to remain respectfully silent, couldn’t hide his shock. He stared at Justyn, completely dumbfounded. Same with Ries. His ears, which had started drooping, shot back up.
It’s nice that he’s gotten better at expressing himself, sure… but seriously?
When Justyn had first arrived at the mansion, he’d barely spoken. A single word, maybe two. Short, blunt answers. That was it.
But the more time they spent together, the more he began to open up.
The problem? That openness also extended to his bizarre thought patterns.
Every so often, Justyn would jump to the most ridiculously self-deprecating conclusions, leaving Ries absolutely speechless.
Ketir clearly had the same thought. He’d just been faster to realize one important truth:
He had no place in this conversation.
They’re off in their own little world, he thought, quietly backing away. He opened the door and slipped out with practiced ease.
Maybe it was all the time he’d spent by Justyn’s side. Either way, Ketir’s retreat was swift—and wise.
Now alone again, Justyn remained oblivious to the fact that his loyal steward had made a quick exit. He was still waiting—genuinely—like his cat might actually answer him.
Go with her? Who would?
Ries couldn’t begin to understand what was going through his master’s head. If he could, he’d dig around in there just to figure out what ridiculous assumptions were bouncing around.
“Meow.”
He hadn’t just said no—he’d smacked her! And yet Justyn still looked uncertain, like he hadn’t shaken off his doubt.
How the hell did your thoughts even end up there? Ries wondered.
In exasperation, he lifted a paw and pressed it firmly against Justyn’s mask—right where his mouth should be.
Even if you let me go, I wouldn’t. From the moment I stepped into this mansion, I had no intention of leaving.
If Ries could talk, he would’ve said:
You gave me a name. Now you’re stuck with me.
Of course, the man in front of him had the most anxious expression—and the kind of eyes that would never actually let him go.
So Ries decided to end the act. Enough teasing.
He slowly pulled back his paw. Justyn, who had been frozen like he was bracing for punishment, finally moved. His crimson eyes curved into a soft smile—the one Ries liked best.
“…Thank you. For staying.”
Justyn gently caught Ries’s retreating paw and guided it back to where it had been—right over the mouth area of his mask.
Ries’s tail shot straight up. He couldn’t see it, but he was absolutely sure it had puffed up like a firecracker. No doubt about it.
He stared at Justyn, too stunned to even blink. That one line—it hit weirdly hard. It made him want to squirm, roll over, scratch at something, anything…
Wait… was that a pick-up line?
Even with most of his face hidden, the man still had that presence. If Ries could rate that line, he’d give it a perfect 100 out of 100.
Of course, he was just a cat. That wasn’t going to happen.
His scrambled thoughts slowly got back on track. And by then—somehow—Justyn had already scooped him up and was carrying him off somewhere.
When did we even leave the room?
