He really seemed to like the bed. Ries had to bury his face into it to keep from laughing out loud.
It was a strange morning—odd in more ways than one. A polite knock at the door, and then Ketir showed up earlier than usual. That, paired with a rumbling stomach, sealed the deal.
“Good morning… I’m sorry to bother you so early, but we need to take care of these payments. No, this one too. And this. Please handle them all together.”
Ries gaped in disbelief. The look Ketir had wasn’t ‘Let’s be friends, like a panda’—it was more like ‘Run for your life.’ He looked absolutely terrifying, like he hadn’t slept in days.
How many nights has he been up? Ries didn’t even want to know…
“Ah, and I think we’ll be ready to leave in about five days.”
That was fast. Ries swallowed hard. Was this the result of all those sleepless nights?
Even Justyn, for once, seemed to pity him. After wrapping up the payments, he casually offered:
“You’ll get some time off once we reach the duchy. You’ve earned it.”
“R-Really?”
It was a surreal moment in its own right. Without exaggeration, this was the most alive Ketir had ever looked.
—Tsk. Poor guy.
Sefiut muttered under his breath, quiet enough that only Ries and those nearby could hear him.
Not that it mattered. Even if Ketir had heard, he was still swamped with work. As he finished packing up and turned to leave, he suddenly spun back around.
“It’s been a while since you were up at this hour.”
“I went to bed early.”
“That checks out.”
Ketir glanced around, then cautiously reached out his hand. Ries sniffed at the approaching fingers. Yep—definitely Ketir’s scent.
Alright, I’ll be nice just this once.
He gave the finger a small lick. Just one. But it was enough to make Ketir visibly brighten.
Was he leaving now? He smiled and started to turn—until his eyes locked onto the fish plushie Ries had tucked under his arm.
“?”
Ketir froze, shuddering.
“Why… do I have goosebumps all of a sudden…”
Wow. Ries was genuinely impressed.
Like master, like servant—Ketir’s sixth sense was just as sharp as Justyn’s.
He actually picked up on it.
***
Five days.
Ketir’s estimate had been right on the mark. In that time, he’d been worked to the bone, and the mansion had grown lively with servants coming and going, hauling luggage for the big move.
Not everyone was leaving, though. They couldn’t just abandon the townhouse in the capital. Only a small number of staff would stay behind to maintain it—the rest were heading out together.
And then there was one ghost, finally allowed to leave the estate for the first time since death.
Sefiut, trying (and failing) to hide his excitement, eyed the carriages lined up outside.
—Smaller operation than I expected.
Yeah, definitely.
Ries narrowed his eyes. For a duke’s household, the carriages were surprisingly unimpressive. Even though there weren’t many eyes around to judge, they were still… underwhelming.
No family crest. No fancy decorations. At best, they were “practical.” At worst, they were plain and old-fashioned.
Still, they look sturdy. That’s what matters.
People started climbing aboard one by one. As the procession began to form, a small voice called out to him.
“Um… Lord Ries.”
He turned—and immediately recognized the face. Impossible to forget. It was the servant he’d unexpectedly run into in the library.
The one who fell asleep while cleaning. Even now, it felt ridiculous. That whole ordeal had left Ries seriously on edge.
He’d been avoiding the guy ever since, but not today. The servant rushed over, teary-eyed and sniffling.
“Sniff… Lord Ries, thank you for everything. I’ll miss you so much. Huuuuaaa…”
Ries could barely remember what he’d even helped with, but he let it slide. The apple slice offered to him was delicious.
He licked his paw clean, then gently tapped the servant’s hand twice with it. The man’s face lit up with emotion as he looked around.
Hmm, not a bad atmosphere.
The send-off had a nice vibe. Sure, they were still a little wary of Justyn—but no one seemed paralyzed with fear.
For now, that was enough.
More importantly…
None of them…
Not one person here carried even a trace of the curse clinging to Justyn.
That meant no one here bore any ill will toward Justyn. The realization put Ries in a surprisingly good mood.
After a few more casual farewells, he hopped up into the carriage.
“…Mya?”
And just like that, Ries learned something new: even reckless spending could be done tastefully.
A soft floral scent drifted in the air—not too strong, even for a cat’s nose. Rich emerald silk curtains flowed along the windows, and across from him sat a massive leather sofa so plush it practically begged you to lie down.
Even the overhead light fixture screamed luxury. Ries was pretty sure he saw tiny gemstones studded across it.
Wow… my master’s loaded.
He’d suspected as much after finding out Justyn owned not one, but two houses—but this? This was next-level wealth. Ries immediately claimed the seat beside Justyn and gave his past self a mental high-five for picking the right human to stick with.
The carriage started moving, and just as he’d expected, the ride was divine. He could’ve sworn they weren’t moving at all—it was that smooth.
Across from him, however, Ketir seemed to appreciate a different feature of this luxurious ride.
“You promised.”
“I did. Don’t worry about me.”
Thud. Ketir collapsed.
No—that wasn’t a collapse. His arms and legs were positioned just right, with the perfect distance between his head and the wall. That man had expertly flopped.
Three seconds. Exactly three seconds later, Ketir was out cold. The man had a god-tier sleep reflex.
Wait, what promise?
Curious, Ries glanced at Justyn. As if he’d been expecting it, Justyn offered a calm explanation.
“He asked to skip the vacation and instead be allowed to sleep in the carriage. I agreed.”
“Aewrk…?”
Seriously? His disbelief could’ve flown out the window.
Sure, he got it. The sofa did look heavenly enough to tempt anyone into a nap. But from Ketir’s perspective, Justyn was his boss—the Duke himself. No matter how close they were, sprawling out like that in front of him took serious guts.
Giving up time off just to sleep in a moving carriage? Ketir wasn’t just quirky—he was a whole different breed of odd.
…Still, he slept like a rock. Just watching him made Ries yawn.
He lazily shifted his gaze to the window. The Duke’s territory. Justyn’s homeland. His home.
What kind of place is it?
A little flutter stirred in his chest. The kind of excitement you feel when you’re right on the edge of an adventure.
“Looking forward to it?”
“!”
Ries snapped his head toward Justyn. How did he know? Justyn simply motioned downward with a tilt of his chin.
There it was—his tail, swishing away like crazy. Now that he noticed, even his ears were twitching. The damn thing was being way too honest.
Betraying body. He cursed his overly expressive tail and ears.
“…My homeland’s south of the capital. It borders the Orphe Port to the west, so there’s lots of trade. You can see the ocean every day. Though the weather’s… moody.”
And then—
He trailed off.
Ries looked up at him. Justyn’s eyes had taken on that faraway look, as if he were searching for the right words. But none came. After a long pause, he simply closed his eyes and said no more.
A soft silence settled between them. Justyn had always been the quiet type, so moments like this weren’t rare.
Usually, Ries didn’t mind.
But this time felt different. With his eyes shut and expression unreadable, Justyn looked lonely. Like a cloud adrift, floating through the sky with nothing to anchor it.
Ries had seen that look before. Felt that feeling before—back when they first met.
I hate that look.
And just like last time, he felt the urge to pull Justyn down. To ground him. To make him feel here.
So he did. He leapt straight into his lap.
“…Ries?”
That alone shattered the fragile air around Justyn. Ries wiggled his tail and tickled his hand, then rolled across his lap and flopped onto his back, belly exposed.
Gulp. He could hear Justyn swallow.
And then—he gave in.
Justyn reached out, stroking his fur with slow, careful hands. Then he gave his soft belly a gentle squish, letting his fingers sink into the warm fluff.
