Ries, who had been staring down at his hands the entire time, finally lifted his gaze. When his eyes met Justyn’s, he could already sense what the man was about to say.
“I’ve always lived with only the end of my life in sight. The curse that’s been eating away at me since the moment I was born, the pain that torments me every second… it made me that way. I think I just… wanted to die.”
“……”
“But after you came to me… everything changed. I started wanting to see tomorrow’s sunrise. I started wanting that sunrise… to be with you.”
“……”
“So I prayed. Every single night. That this curse would take my life just a little slower. That I could live long enough… to see your life through to the end.”
Justyn smiled. With his mask off, the grotesque veins covering his face were fully exposed. Yet the smile he wore—filled with light and warmth—was more beautiful than anything Ries had ever seen.
A smile like that, born from someone so close to death yet filled with such an unshakable will to live, struck Ries deep in his chest.
“You even made that wish come true.”
Ries didn’t want to look away. He wanted to keep watching Justyn—wanted to see his face gradually shed the shadows of death and finally blossom into life.
It would be brilliant. Radiant. He was sure of it, especially as he felt Justyn’s hand gently stroke his face.
“Right now, I have no way to repay you… so I’ll reclaim what should’ve always been mine, and offer it to you in return. And you…”
“Myaaang?”
“I’ll protect you. Always. By your side.”
Ries said nothing as he leaned in and pressed his forehead against Justyn’s. For some reason, he was overwhelmed by the urge to speak—not in meows, but in words Justyn could understand.
“…Nya.”
Don’t forget.
That promise.
Ries whispered words he knew would never reach him. A quiet hope, sent gently into the night.
If I ever become human, if I could speak with this voice, with these feelings… I’d ask to stay by your side.
***
The rain didn’t let up, continuing deep into the night.
A new bed, the noisy patter of rainfall, the looming uncertainty of the days ahead—all of it left Ries wide awake, thoughts tangled in a mess of fear and anticipation.
But this was still Ries.
No matter how much was on his mind, no matter how many worries threatened to bury him alive—even after running into a ghost—he could still sleep like a rock.
“Koooong…”
It just took him a little longer than usual. Before long, he was sound asleep.
Justyn, too, didn’t allow himself to close his eyes until he’d made sure Ries was truly asleep. Wrapped in each other’s warmth, the two of them sank into a peaceful slumber.
And then, long after midnight, one being finally stirred.
—Ugh. I thought I was gonna die of boredom.
Sefiut, who had been silent all this time, finally broke the silence. His round little body floated gently into the air.
He hovered over to the tightly shut door, and his doll-like mouth stretched into a sly grin.
Ries had once called it his “dumb smirk right before he causes trouble,” and honestly, it was a perfect description. But since Ries was fast asleep, there was no one to stop him.
That night, not a single soul witnessed the fish that went on a midnight stroll.
***
Woooow…
Ries looked around, clearly impressed.
Justyn must’ve scared the staff half to death, because in a single day, they’d completely erased any trace of the Count from both the bedroom and the study.
Even so, compared to the house in the capital, this place was twice as big—and at least five times more extravagant. Even the living and working areas were perfectly separated.
Ketir, who had accompanied them, also seemed pleased with the new setup. He gave the room a slow once-over, eyes full of satisfaction.
“Not bad. A little over the top, though.”
Oh, right—he’d officially been rehired as Justyn’s assistant. Back in the capital, due to a staff shortage, it looked like he’d even had to handle the duties of a chief steward.
“So I’m being told to bury myself in paperwork. Got it.”
That was his response. Though judging by his expression, he didn’t seem to hate it. In fact, he looked almost pleased that his workload had lightened.
After a quick glance around the office, Ketir rolled up his sleeves and began checking over the finer details. Before long, his face twisted in horror.
“I didn’t think the document organization could be this bad… What kind of logic is this? Why is this even here? It’s not even related. Are their eyes broken? Or their brain? Maybe both? They should’ve studied instead of wasting time picking out luxury items. Tsk.”
The muttering turned downright savage. If the Count had been here to hear it, he probably would’ve been indignant—but also unable to argue. He would’ve just clamped his mouth shut and trembled in silent fury.
Ries, curled up in Justyn’s arms, quietly watched Ketir grumble his way through the mess. Even as he muttered complaints, his hands worked swiftly and efficiently.
Is this why he refused time off?
It seemed Ketir just couldn’t stand seeing things go wrong right in front of him. Maybe he knew himself too well—and that’s why he never took vacations.
The more Ries watched him, the more he thought—he’s oddly fascinating in his own way. As he continued observing in silence, a question suddenly popped into his head.
When did those two even meet?
Justyn and Ketir.
After watching them for some time now, Ries had to admit—they worked remarkably well together. Neither had abrasive personalities, so while their conversations weren’t long, they flowed naturally. There was no awkwardness, no tension.
It felt like they’d known each other for a long time, and that only made Ries more curious about how their story began.
He glanced up at Justyn.
Guess I’ll hear it someday.
Whenever that might be.
Right around then, Ketir, who was still laser-focused on the mountain of paperwork, broke the silence.
“Ah. That reminds me. I heard some of the Count’s people have been poking around, trying to get updates on the Duke’s condition from our staff.”
“Is that so?”
That… didn’t sound good.
Ries perked up, ears twitching as he focused in on the conversation.
“Your uncle always kept a lot of eyes and ears in the capital. I’m sure it’s driving him mad not knowing what’s going on.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re the only one still polite enough to call that man my uncle.”
And then—
Ries froze, certain he’d misheard.
Wait. Did he just say… spies?
Yup. He definitely said it.
Figures. The guy was unpleasant. Ries made a mental note to add Count Averitt Barmark to his official Do Not Engage list.
That’s when his eyes met Justyn’s.
There was something heavy in his gaze, like he was weighing a serious decision.
“I’m assigning a bodyguard.”
“A bodyguard? Isn’t that going to be a bit… inconvenient?”
“Not for me. For Ries.”
The room fell dead silent.
Ries reflexively scratched behind his ear with a hind paw, blinked slowly, then opened his eyes again—hoping he’d misheard.
But Justyn still looked completely serious.
A bodyguard… for a cat?
This wasn’t just over-the-top—it was an entirely new level of absurdity. Ries turned to Ketir with pleading eyes, silently begging him to knock some sense into the Duke.
“Hmm…”
But even Ketir—his last hope—looked like someone who’d just heard a reasonable suggestion.
Ries’ faith in him shattered on the spot.
He glanced back and forth between the two, swallowed hard, and prayed—This has to be a joke. It has to be.
***
It wasn’t.
They were dead serious—and terrifyingly fast.
Not even a full day had passed before a crowd had already gathered outside the office. Ries stared at them, completely horrified.
The upright posture, razor-sharp discipline, swords at their hips, pristine uniforms—any way you looked at them, they were knights. Even if they did a somersault, they’d still look like knights.
The real problem? There wasn’t just one or two. There were a lot.
With tense eyes scanning the line of hopefuls, Ketir leaned down and murmured,
“Looks like the Count heard about it.”
Heard what? Ries turned to him, bewildered. Justyn answered for him.
“The rumor that you’re a Spirit Beast.”
Ah. That…
Ries glanced back at the knights. So they were here because of that rumor?
“Just to clarify—these people aren’t here to become my bodyguards. They’re applying to guard Ries. Or rather… Sir Cat. If that’s not what you signed up for, feel free to leave.”
“…Excuse me?”
“A… a cat?”
One of them was so stunned he forgot he was standing in front of the notoriously cold Duke—and just blurted it out.
Apparently, most of them hadn’t known what kind of ‘guard duty’ they were being recruited for. A few quickly apologized and made their exits.
And yet… that many still stayed.
Even after the others left, about five or six people remained.
And who knew? Maybe one of them was secretly working for the Count, sticking around to keep an eye on things.
As Ries stood there, torn between confusion and dread, Justyn suddenly rose to his feet.
Without hesitation, he scooped Ries up in his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.
