After visiting the sickroom, Ries stayed in his cat form. It wasn’t uncomfortable—nothing had really changed. Even before his identity was exposed—or rather, before he realized it had been—he’d gotten by just fine pretending to be a cat.
So, no worries at all then? …Not exactly.
―Hmm. Has this gotten sweeter? Shame. Back in my day, that sharp tang was the real treat.
That was Sefiut, sitting nearby, critiquing fruit like a food connoisseur.
How are you even eating that?
A ripe raspberry disappeared into the fish’s mouth, then it closed and chewed. Ries half expected the juice to seep out and stain the doll, but no—it looked perfectly fine.
According to Sefiut, now that he had a tangible form, he could eat and even taste food. But what happened to it afterward was anyone’s guess. Did he digest it somehow? Ghosts only grew stranger the more you tried to understand them.
In any case, there was a reason Sefiut had suddenly taken to eating, something he’d never bothered with before.
Because his cover was blown.
No one mentioned it outright, but even the knights they’d met on that hospital visit had said:
“Where’s that doll we saw before?”
“Didn’t come along this time, huh?”
Voices brimming with curiosity.
Of course. Sefiut had been talking openly even while they were wide awake. No way they hadn’t heard.
Unsurprisingly, the rumors spread through the fortress in no time. Even Ketir, busy as he was, made sure to pass along the news whenever he dropped by the office.
That nonsense about him being a fairy—laughable. But the knights’ testimony—“It warned us of danger”—gave the nonsense weight.
That’s… probably a good thing?
At least no one suspected a ghost was inside.
Servants who crossed paths with him, and even retainers who came to report to Justyn, all stared at Sefiut in fascination. One nearly fainted after seeing him eat fruit.
It was the same treatment you’d give a zoo animal, but Sefiut claimed he was satisfied.
―Hah! No need to pretend to be a mute doll anymore!
Clearly, all that pretending had stifled him. Ries felt just a flicker of pity.
Honestly, he would’ve let Sefiut enjoy his “luxury lifestyle” in peace—but there was one question Ries still needed to ask, even as the fish happily devoured raspberries.
A few days ago, Justyn had told him something.
“How did you find me?”
“After you nearly got lost in the townhouse, I imbued your collar’s bell with my aura. Thanks to that, I could sense your general location. When that presence suddenly vanished, I assumed something had happened.”
“I see.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“?”
That was the gist of it.
He even apologized for tracking Ries’s location without permission. Ries hadn’t really minded.
He must’ve been worried. And because of that, Ries had avoided danger just in time. Really, he was the one who owed thanks.
But that conversation had sparked a nagging doubt.
“Meow. Mnyaa.”
Ries padded up to Sefiut, flicking his tail so the tip brushed against the fish’s head.
―You little rascal! Interrupting an elder’s meal—what kind of manners is that? Honestly…
Annoyed, Sefiut scolded him, though his fins kept moving as he carefully picked the ripest berries.
―Ah, got a hair on it. Here, I picked a good one for you. Eat this, and stop fussing just because you’re hungry.
“…Aeng?”
Somehow Ries had become the greedy cat pestering for treats. He was stunned.
Still, he wasn’t about to refuse. He snapped up the two berries Sefiut offered.
Sweet juice burst across his tongue. Now he understood why Sefiut kept grumbling about the lost tang yet still kept eating.
When he was done, Ries nudged him again.
“Waaaoong.”
Thwap-thwap-thwap. This time his tail smacked the doll’s face. Finally, Sefiut snapped.
―Why, you greedy little brat! Be satisfied with two! If you want more, beg my descendant to fetch them for you!
…Wait. He’s the one mad?
Ries turned his sore cheek, only to spot Justyn nearby, looking ready to bring more fruit. That only made Ries bristle further.
“Eeeowrk! Myaak!”
Not that, you fool! Didn’t I just say I have something to ask, old man?!
Sefiut didn’t even flinch at “old man” anymore. Instead, he rolled his eyes, embarrassed.
―F-fine, fine, out with it already.
About time, Ries thought, glaring.
Still, Sefiut seemed willing to answer sincerely, so that was good enough. Time to ask the question that had been gnawing at him.
The moment Justyn spoke, a memory had surfaced.
That blinding white mass that lunged at him right before he turned back into a person. If he hadn’t imagined it, that was what shattered the bell.
Almost like it aimed for it.
And once the bell broke, it vanished instantly, as if it had no intention of harm. Maybe its goal had been to summon Justyn.
Just speculation?
“Waaaoong. Myaa. Myaoong.”
He described the light—round, dazzling, about the size of a man’s fist, and so on.
―Didn’t see it.
Sefiut shook his head. After swallowing another berry, he added:
―Munch. But I can guess.
“Mya?”
Really?
―Yeah. Didn’t I say? A force that distorts the laws of the world—it’s either magic or a ghost. Clearly, something else interfered.
But he frowned.
―I was using a different type of power at the time, but my senses shouldn’t be fooled so easily… and I’ve never seen anyone bold enough to intrude like that.
He hummed deeply, fin flapping harder with thought.
―Looks like there’s another one lurking, like that bastard Edler.
His round doll-face scrunched up, like he’d just stumbled onto another headache.
But Ries didn’t feel threatened.
Didn’t seem like a bad ghost.
For some reason, he was sure. If possible, he even wanted to see its face.
Anyone agree? No. Justyn might’ve nodded at anything Ries said, but he couldn’t join the conversation.
“……”
His eyes, heavy with longing, lingered on them.
A cat and a fish doll—already adorable alone, now huddled together whispering.
Anyone passing by would have grinned so hard their gums would dry out. An unbearably cute sight.
But Justyn couldn’t smile. Not just because the fish wasn’t inhabited by a fairy, but by his own distant ancestor.
The bigger reason was simpler.
“Meow-meow-meow. Keheng.”
He couldn’t understand Ries.
Naturally—it was just meowing. Unless he left his body, there was no way to talk to cat-form Ries.
It wasn’t strange. Just days ago, he wouldn’t even have dreamed of having a conversation with him.
He’d relied on cues—habits, expressions, tones of meowing—to interpret Ries’s intent.
But now…
Circumstances had forced Ries to confess. No more hiding, no more pretending.
Justyn had endured more than Ries knew for his sake. For the first time, he’d felt such fierce affection. And yet all he got in return was a distance that wouldn’t shrink. He couldn’t even voice his disappointment, let alone ask why.
…At least, that’s what he believed.
―Hmph.
Of course sharp-eyed Sefiut noticed.
Look at him now—eyes shimmering like he might burst into tears at any moment. Ries was the only one oblivious.
At this point, Sefiut pitied his descendant. Poor man, saddled with such a clueless brat. Watching silently was one thing, but he decided to help.
―Keep this up and he’ll cry.
“Nyak?”
He coughed and said it casually, right as their talk about the light ended. Perfect timing.
Ries blinked, confused—until he realized who “he” was.
“Eh… eh… eowrk.”
He turned, cautiously, and the moment he saw his master’s face, he flinched, jumping five centimeters off the ground.
H-he really might cry!
Sefiut hadn’t been exaggerating. Justyn’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and with Ries’s keen feline vision, even his damp lashes were clear.
A pang of guilt stabbed his chest. It felt like he’d done something unforgivable. His throat went dry as he swallowed again and again, not knowing how to fix it.
If he felt left out…
No. Ries squeezed his eyes shut. He already knew.
This strange distance had begun days ago—on the day his Myo tribe identity was revealed.
Since then, Ries had pulled away from Justyn. More precisely, he’d stopped snuggling, stopped being cutesy, stopped flinging himself into his arms first.
Sure, when they went to the sickroom he’d let himself be carried. But letting his master pick him up and begging to be hugged were two very different things.
And the cause of this change was one thing only.
God… this is humiliating.
Ries had begun to feel shame. Now that their relationship was redefined—human to human—the dignity of being human resurfaced, shackling him.
In other words, it was embarrassing.
Rolling on his back, panting for belly rubs. Climbing onto Justyn’s thighs to demand grooming. Nestling on his chest like it was a bed, purring away.
Every bit of it.
