―Y-You little bastard…! How dare you shove me into this pathetic excuse of a body?! Who just randomly turns someone human like that?! This is totally cheating!
Sefiut, who had been silent until now, suddenly snapped and shouted. Maybe being stuffed into a doll had messed with his mental age, because his way of talking had gotten absurdly childish.
Hmph. Ries let out an exaggerated snort.
“How is that cheating? I used my power fair and square.”
He grinned and started to say more, but then—
“?”
He flinched.
Wait. Did I just talk?
With trembling hands, he touched his throat. Smooth, hairless skin met his palm.
“……”
Shit. Heat rushed to his face. He quickly swapped back into his cat form. It took longer than usual thanks to his drained stamina, but he managed to shift without issue.
Should’ve switched back sooner…
He’d been so thrown off by the sudden exhaustion, he completely forgot. His face burned with embarrassment. Fortunately, the only witness was too busy throwing a tantrum to notice.
I guess putting Sefiut inside used up more energy than I thought.
There was no other explanation.
Still, it wasn’t all bad. He now knew how to trap a soul in a doll, and that it cost him stamina. If he ever had to do it again, he’d be better prepared.
Not that I want to do it again…
But life’s unpredictable. Best to be ready.
He gave a small shake and looked forward. The floating fish doll drifted lazily in the air, like it was swimming through a transparent ocean.
―Goddamn it. I can’t get out.
Oh. So he had been trying to escape. Ries hadn’t noticed at all.
Pheeeeeew. A long sigh escaped from the doll. His tone was drenched in misery, but the doll itself looked so ridiculously cute and harmless it was almost funny.
―You little brat. Do you even realize what you’ve done? I, who once ruled the Empire with my stunning looks, reduced to this pathetic… half-finished-looking thing… ugh…
“Mweh~…”
Ries made a vague sound, a little put off by the overwhelming narcissism, but then reconsidered.
He really is good-looking, though.
Even with that unnatural bluish tinge, his features were sharp enough to make anyone pause. Ries thought back to Justyn’s face—if you removed the curse and added a splash of brightness, it’d look exactly like this.
It was the kind of face that didn’t care about personal taste—it just overwhelmed you. It stung, but Ries grudgingly decided to accept the claim that he’d once ruled the Empire with his beauty.
“Nyaang~”
Still, you should be grateful you’ve got a way to go outside now. Want me to take you out if you hate it that much?
He threw the question out casually, pretending not to notice anything. Sefiut, who’d been full of complaints just moments ago, went suspiciously quiet.
Yeah. He definitely didn’t want to be taken out.
Not that I knew how to do it anyway.
That could’ve been a mess.
―Ugh… How did I end up like this…
The doll sagged midair. More precisely, its little fins drooped like wet paper. Looked like he’d finally accepted his fate.
He expresses his mood with his tail.
Kind of cute, actually. This body might suit him better. Ries figured Sefiut would bite his head off if he said that, so he wisely kept quiet.
It had been a wild ride, but the mission was a success. Sefiut had a functioning body now—and more importantly, he could finally leave the mansion.
Ries hadn’t tested it yet, but he was sure it’d work. The next time they traveled to the duchy, Sefiut could come along.
“Mwooong. Nyan nyan~”
There were just a few rules to follow.
―Fine, lay it on me. I’ve already been turned into a damn fish. What’s a few more humiliations?
Ries decided to ignore the self-pity and rattled off the essentials: Don’t fly unless absolutely necessary. Don’t talk. Especially around Justyn, stay still and act like a regular doll.
Sefiut didn’t object. He simply bobbed up and down in midair—nodding, in his own way. Yeah. It was kind of cute.
Without thinking, Ries blurted out:
“UwAAeeEE~?”
Can I call you Sefi?
Two round eyes turned toward him. Impossible to read, they darted left and right for a while before Sefiut finally responded.
―…Do whatever you want.
His voice was surprisingly soft. Ries grinned wide. Somehow, it felt like they’d grown a bit closer.
Ahem. Ahem. An awkward throat-clearing followed. Then came a quick subject change.
―So, how exactly am I supposed to move around? You said I can’t fly.
“Myaang. Myak.”
Ah, about that…
***
Just like that.
―…….
Clunk. Right before the door opened, Sefiut muttered in a voice heavy with shame.
―Unbelievable. After everything, I actually ended up getting carried around by a cat… I never imagined I’d fall this low. No one’s ever humiliated me like this before. You should be honored—
“Meowk.”
Shh.
―Tch.
Sefiut clicked his tongue in open frustration, but thankfully, he kept quiet and did as Ries asked. Slipping easily through the cracked-open door, Ries squeezed inside like he’d done it a hundred times.
“You’ve done well.”
A voice greeted him as soon as he landed. It was Justyn.
Normally, this was the part where he’d reach out and give Ries a good head pat. But today, for some reason, he hesitated. Curious, Ries glanced up at him.
Justyn’s red eyes were staring—not at him, but at something hanging from his mouth.
At the fish doll.
“……”
Sweat prickled under Ries’s fur.
“You seem to be enjoying your new toy.”
Justyn finally reached out and gently stroked his head, fingers moving with that familiar, soothing rhythm. As the tension melted away, Ries’s jaw slackened. The doll dangling from his mouth dropped to the floor with a soft thud.
―Guh!
“Hm?”
At the same time, a muffled grunt slipped out. It was barely audible, but there was no way someone with Justyn’s sharp hearing missed it.
“NYAaaANG~!”
Ries jumped up with an exaggerated meow. Then he flopped onto the carpet and began rolling around like a maniac, belly up and tail flicking dramatically. His not-so-subtle performance worked—Justyn’s attention snapped back to him.
Ries pressed his head into Justyn’s hand, purring for all he was worth.
It was the perfect distraction. When it came to charming Justyn, Ries was undefeated.
Only then did Sefiut finally let out the softest sigh of relief.
What a terrifying little descendant.
***
Before going to bed, Ries gently placed the fish doll—still housing Sefiut—by the pillow. He knew exactly who was inside. Dumping him on the floor or tossing him in a toy box just felt wrong.
Maybe it was all the excitement, but he drifted off quickly. His thoughts blurred as sleep pulled him under…
―…Thanks.
A faint whisper.
His eyes flew open.
“You’re awake.”
He blinked, still foggy. Golden sunlight streamed between the curtains in tight, radiant lines.
…It was morning.
Justyn’s heartbeat pulsed steadily beneath him, his chest rising and falling in a comforting rhythm that almost lulled Ries back to sleep. But instead, he pushed himself up groggily.
“…You could’ve stayed a little longer.”
A soft voice, tinged with regret, brushed his ears. But as always, Justyn didn’t stop him. This was their routine.
At dawn, right when Justyn began his day, they always woke together. Ries would rise from his perch on Justyn’s chest and quietly move aside, making room.
Freed from his clingy cat companion, the Duke would then wash up, get dressed, and begin his day. Meanwhile, Ries had two options—either watch him with wide, curious eyes, or sprawl across the bed and doze off again.
Today, he chose the first.
He’d gone to bed early, so he wasn’t tired anymore. To shake off the lingering drowsiness, he let out a big yawn and stretched, rolling across the soft blankets.
Thud. His front paw bumped into something.
“Eh?”
He blinked, then remembered.
Right. Sefiut.
Instead of watching Justyn, Ries turned his gaze on the fish doll. He could’ve sworn he heard Sefiut’s voice last night. But it had been right as he was falling asleep, so everything was a bit hazy.
Well… if it was something important, he’ll say it again.
But what caught his attention more right now was something else.
With Justyn in the room, Sefiut couldn’t speak. Maybe that’s why his expressions looked especially intense this morning. His round eyes practically screamed:
This mattress is amazing.
Maybe the doll body heightened his senses, because the moment Justyn turned away, Sefiut flipped himself over in a flash.
