The Duke’s estate was massive.
The distance from the front gate to the main entrance was so great you practically needed a carriage just to cross it—and that wasn’t even the most staggering part. The sheer size of the mansion itself defied belief. You had to wonder if there’d ever be a reason to use all those rooms.
So even a quick tour would easily take up an entire day. That’s what he’d thought at first—
—He doesn’t know a damn thing, does he?
Sefiut muttered with a sour face, and Ries gave a little shake, trying to stop him. What if Justyn heard that?
Still, he couldn’t exactly disagree. Justyn genuinely didn’t know his way around. And he was terrible at giving introductions.
Ries had gotten a bad feeling the moment they started walking around. But he hadn’t expected they’d end up wandering around so aimlessly.
Well… at least something good came out of it.
Given how large the estate was, there were plenty of servants moving about. They ran into a few—only for the servants to recoil in shock at the sight of Justyn, and then freeze completely when they noticed Ries.
Apparently, “the terrifying Duke who takes walks with a cat” was a jarring enough image to send people running.
Still, Justyn was human—curse or no curse. Ries wanted them to understand that. That Justyn was just a man suffering through it, not some monster.
Maybe one day, these little efforts would mean something.
Unfortunately, they didn’t help Justyn get his bearings. Before long, even the occasional passing servant disappeared, and silence swallowed the halls.
“…Sorry.”
He mumbled, voice low.
“Meow~.”
It was fine. Ries didn’t mind. He could just pretend it was a stroll with his owner.
Was it time to head back now? Ries blinked up at him. Just then, Justyn’s expression shifted—his gaze carrying something tangled and quiet.
“…There’s somewhere else I’d like to show you. If that’s okay.”
It was an unexpected offer.
This time, his steps were steady. He walked down a long corridor, climbed a seemingly endless staircase, and finally led them to the very top of the mansion.
…This place.
Ries glanced around with unfamiliar eyes.
The door was so small they had to duck just to enter. It creaked open with a brittle groan, and dust exploded into the air.
“Achoo!”
The dust tickled his nose, drawing out a sneeze. Justyn quickly pulled out a handkerchief and gently covered his nose and mouth.
Still, the stale stink of mold and rot clung to the air like a stubborn stain.
A child-sized bed with a broken leg. A battered old wardrobe. Wooden floors, splintered and rough. A tiny window that looked like a child could barely peek through it.
It didn’t even feel like a room someone could’ve lived in. It was more like a damp, miserable prison.
“This was my room when I was a kid. Back then, I thought it was big enough… but looking at it now, it’s so small.”
And just like that, this cramped little place turned out to be Justyn’s childhood room.
Ries jerked his head to look at him. Through the mask, Justyn’s eyes were calm—like the memories didn’t hurt anymore.
“I used to clean it myself. But after I left, I guess it was just left to rot. I didn’t expect it to be this filthy…”
But Ries knew. Maybe it didn’t hurt him now—but the boy he once was must’ve been wounded, over and over again.
Maybe he’d been hurt so many times he’d gone numb.
Ries’s chest ached.
“This can’t be good for your lungs.”
The worries that had been quietly building up inside him suddenly slipped free. He really was too softhearted.
But those words were sincere—free of any hesitation or doubt.
Without looking back, Justyn turned and stepped out of the attic. Ries, still cradled in his arms, followed without a word.
The door thudded shut behind them.
I wanted to see more.
It wasn’t that the room had been pleasant. He just wanted to find something—anything—that still remained of Justyn.
Maybe then this restless, heavy feeling in his chest would ease up.
He didn’t know why. Maybe it wouldn’t help at all. Maybe it would just make things worse. But the regret clung to him all the same, like dead leaves sticking to his feet.
Justyn rubbed at his nose, then quietly tucked the handkerchief away.
He didn’t spare the room a single glance.
“I didn’t bring you there to make you feel bad.”
“…Meow.”
His voice was low and steady.
“I mean it. It’s been too long to let a place like that get to me. I just… wanted to show you the pieces of who I used to be. Because you…”
He paused, searching for the right words, then let out a soft sigh.
“Because you said… you’d stay by my side.”
“……”
“…Do you… not like it?”
He’d spoken so easily when recalling the past, yet now his voice trembled faintly. He looked nervous—afraid of being rejected.
Instead of nodding or shaking his head, Ries leaned forward and gently licked the gloved hand.
Justyn already knew what that meant. He’d known for a long time. Ries wasn’t upset.
“…There’s another place I want to show you.”
“Meowrk.”
Alright, let’s go.
His chest still ached a little, but Ries followed without complaint. Because now… he thought he understood Justyn’s feelings—just a little.
He must not want to keep it all hidden anymore.
Or maybe… he wanted to bury painful memories beneath new, better ones.
For some reason, Ries’s heart stung. Maybe it was because he’d hidden so much himself—without meaning to.
It really was strange.
His mind wandered back to a few days ago— To the night Justyn’s curse had finally started to break.
That night, Justyn had thanked him. Said it was because of him that his wish had come true. It was the heaviest “thank you” Ries had ever received.
Justyn truly believed his pet cat had lifted the curse. And not just that night—Even when he’d made the decision to return to the duchy, Justyn had already been so sure.
But why hasn’t he asked anything?
Even if he was a Spirit Beast, breaking a centuries-old curse shouldn’t have been that easy. Even if it somehow was, wouldn’t that seem suspicious?
But Justyn never questioned it. He acted like someone who didn’t know better. Ries was grateful… and yet, sometimes, that trust tightened like a fist around his chest.
He didn’t want to disappoint him. But he had no idea where that line was— What would count as a disappointment, and what wouldn’t.
While those thoughts turned over in his mind, Justyn continued showing him around.
An old storage room drenched in warm sunlight. A hidden passage leading to the kitchen. A wine cellar with a broken back door, perfect for sneaking in and out. Even a window ledge ideal for secretly watching the ballroom.
“…There’s one more place outside. Want to go?”
“Meow.”
Apparently, even as a child, Justyn had his own secret spots beyond the mansion walls.
The two of them left the estate.
The garden—one they’d only glimpsed from a distance during the carriage ride—now opened up right before them.
“The weather’s so unpredictable here in the duchy. There’s a limit to what flowers we can grow. But if we go to the greenhouse, you’ll see a bit more variety. I’ve never been inside, but I know where it is. I’ll take you later.”
Sunlight streamed softly through green leaves, casting a golden glow over the garden.
Here and there, flowers hung like little gems. There weren’t many kinds, but they were beautiful. And that alone made the walk feel worth it.
“Go on. Run as much as you want. I’ll be able to find you.”
“Meowww! Mrowk!”
Ries’s paws twitched with excitement.
Smiling, Justyn set him down on the grass.
Ries handed him the plush—Sefiut—then darted into the greenery, relishing the freedom. The fresh scent of grass lifted the spirit, whether you were human or cat. And the final place Justyn brought him was no different.
“This was my favorite place.”
A grand old tree filled the view, its leafy canopy spreading wide. The ground was cool and soft, thick with moss where sunlight didn’t reach.
It was the perfect secret hideout.
The rustling leaves and branches danced in the breeze, adding a touch of mystery to the air.
It looked like something straight out of a fairy tale— The kind of place where forest spirits or fairies might live.
Ries could easily understand why young Justyn had loved it so much.
“It’s a good place to hide from the sun… and from the rain. I used to come here a lot in the summer. The attic was always too hot.”
The way he quietly spoke about the past was soothing, easy to listen to.
This tree—strong and silent, rooted deep in the shadows—felt just like him. Then suddenly, Justyn shrugged off his coat and spread it out across the mossy ground. It wasn’t until he gently patted the spot that Ries realized—
This is for me? Okay, now that’s a bit much…
