Chapter 28
28
“Haaah!”
The man’s hand, gripping the small creature’s neck, exerted a brutal force.
Jet-black eyes, contrasting with his red hair, gleamed mercilessly before the dying animal.
He growled.
“If you understand, just get lost, Yev.”
It was a predetermined order the moment he borrowed the body of a mere cat.
‘A cat, huh…’
It might have been decent enough to deal with me so far, but even so, it’s an animal with only one life.
Just as he was about to rise, holding the barely breathing creature,
A knight, whom he couldn’t possibly claim not to recognize, suddenly appeared before him and bowed.
“Cleric.”
The man in obvious Clerical robes frowned.
“I am Icarus Chenelli, First Knight of His Majesty the King, belonging to the Royal Guard. Forgive me, but may I ask which Temple you belong to?”
“I am…”
It was a moment of hesitation.
The cat, with the last of its strength, bit his hand and escaped his grasp.
Then, it began to run away with fierce momentum.
“Oh, excuse me.”
Icarus followed after it so quickly that Yan had no choice but to step back.
‘Damn it.’
He acted relaxed for show, but in reality, each day was his limit.
‘It’s a newly acquired body, but it’s already too damaged.’
Of course, it was all because of that cat.
His barely moving body throbbed again.
As his sigh subsided, the young cleric vanished like a mirage.
At the same time, a red baby bird appeared on the fence.
– Cheep, cheep, cheep…
No one listened to its mournful cry.
The baby bird flapped its wings and soared.
Now, it had to stop and perch after every couple of flaps, but it still couldn’t give up.
‘The little one will be worried.’
The western sky was turning reddish.
‘Shamash, watch over me.’
The baby bird continued its pitiful flapping, praying earnestly.
Fortunately, the north annex where the princess was located was nearby.
But it felt so far away.
* * *
It had already been four days since Yan began his dangerous solo outings.
‘He was even groaning in pain last night…’
I was determined to put an end to this perilous adventure today.
However, my little friend hadn’t returned even as one side of the sky turned red.
‘He’s so late today…’
As I stood on tiptoe, glancing out the window, Gabriella sighed.
“Please wait while you eat, Your Highness. The Magical creature won’t return any faster just because Your Highness is waiting without doing anything.”
I know that, but…
With an uneasy, pounding heart, I reluctantly finished my meal when—
Thump—something fell onto the windowsill with a small thud.
“Yan!”
Gabriella approached the window faster than I did.
She carefully lifted Yan up, her palms spread wide.
Blood stained the flapping wings of the small bird.
“Yan…!”
I quickly held out my palm, but Gabriella hesitated.
Probably because of the bloodstains.
“Give, give here, quick.”
Only after being urged several times by me did Gabriella finally hand Yan over.
Then, she asked urgently.
“Shall I, shall I call the Royal physician?”
Yan seemed to understand the words and slowly, but clearly, shook his head.
This time, I asked.
“Th-, then… put medicine on it? Why hurt? Met kitty?”
I asked too many things at once in front of Gabriella, didn’t I?
Yan just kept shaking his head.
“Blow? Yan, blow?”
When I asked with tears welling up in my eyes, Yan finally cheeped softly and nodded.
“Sniff, blow…”
It wasn’t easy because tears were streaming down my face, but I did as Yan wished.
“Don’t die, sniff…”
Even though he seemed less hurt than when I first found him, I couldn’t stop the tears.
‘Why am I crying so much?’
I wasn’t usually this prone to tears.
As I rubbed my wet cheek against him and cried, Gabriella rose from her seat.
“I’ll get a damp towel, Your Highness.”
Only then did Yan murmur softly.
“…Won’t die.”
“Sniff… medicine?”
He nodded faintly.
I nodded frantically along with Yan, making a promise.
“No talk, hurt.”
Then, I left the tears streaming down my face and blew on his wounds.
Until the night deepened and Yan’s breathing became calm again.
* * *
The same night.
Icarus Chenelli, the King’s knight known as Ruelle’s loyal dog, appeared in the audience chamber with a somewhat weary face.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I saw the cat, but…”
King Oblin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“But?”
“…I lost it. I have no excuse.”
Instead of replying, the King tapped his fingers on the armrest.
“…Where did you see it?”
“It wasn’t far. After circling the city once and almost reaching the Royal Palace, I saw it near the northern rose garden fence.”
“The rose garden fence?”
The north side of Ruelle Palace had a fence instead of an outer wall, but the fence where beautiful roses grew was actually surrounded by barbed wire.
‘Beyond the fence is Sei Palace…’
The fact that the small cat had bothered to stay there bothered the King in a strange way.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Meanwhile, Icarus was thinking about the red-haired cleric he had seen earlier.
‘He seemed to be… trying to harm the cat.’
But if he were to say the absurd thing that the cleric was trying to harm a life, it would look like he was making excuses for a failed mission.
Moreover, the order to retrieve the cat was among the easiest of the royal commands he had carried out so far.
‘It took some time, though.’
It was a time when many clerics were coming and going from the Royal Palace in preparation for the Thanksgiving Festival.
‘That cleric also knew the situation of the garden where cats were forbidden and was trying to chase it away, perhaps…’
In the end, Icarus omitted the explanation about the cleric.
“It was climbing a tree in the coniferous forest path leading to the plaza. It seemed unwell, but I regrettably lost it. I apologize.”
“…Have you gotten any sleep?”
He hesitated at the unexpected question.
The King was like a mother to him, but it was rare for him to ask about such trivial matters.
The King continued with an uneasy expression.
“It’s been several days already. You’ve worked hard. Tell the guard to capture any cat they see. Set traps, or whatever.”
“I will see it through to the end…”
The King looked down at Icarus, who was trying to protest, with a cold gaze.
“You are one of the few who can protect my daughters in case of emergency. This is enough, so leave.”
Icarus swallowed his groan.
He was distressed to leave without properly fulfilling the order, but as the King said, he had a reason to take care of himself.
“As you command.”
Soon it would be time for the princess to go to bed.
After sending Icarus out, the King rose to his feet as well.
Since he couldn’t find the cat anyway, he had to settle things with Rosa today.
* * *
Meanwhile, Rosa’s maid, Chelsea, was in trouble.
It was time for bed, but the princess had started to whine.
“Me no hurt anymore? Quick, cookie!”
“But Your Highness, you said you were fine a few days ago, and then you vomited after eating the cookie…”
“No! That… that…!”
Fortunately for Chelsea, there was a knock, and the King appeared.
“…Your Majesty.”
As she hurriedly bowed, the King said with cold eyes.
“You’ve done well, Chelsea. You may leave now.”
King Oblin was not one to make idle remarks.
It was better to just obey if he told her to leave.
Chelsea was worried that she might seem inadequate for not taking care of the princess properly, but she left without complaint for now.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The princess was sitting alone on the bed with tears in her eyes, but she pretended not to see her with a heavy heart.
After Chelsea left and he was finally alone with his daughter, King Oblin asked gently.
“Are you hungry…?”
Even the gentle Lilin was unusually stubborn, so the King had been shaking his head at his young daughters’ tricks for the past few days.
‘She was obviously pestering the maid for food until just now…’
Rosa had her mouth tightly shut as if she had eaten honey.
It was already time for Icarus to be on guard outside, but the King carefully lowered his voice.
“Icarus has been searching inside and outside the palace for days without sleep to find the kitty you want so much.”
He deliberately mentioned the name of Icarus, whom he kept close, but Rosa showed no interest.
“So? Kitty, find?”
The King silently shook his head.
It was the moment Rosa was about to raise her voice, her eyes reddening.
King Oblin’s low voice stopped her.
“You probably can’t imagine how hard your mother… works to protect you two without your father even knowing.”
There was no mistake in those words, but Rosa only said what she wanted to say.
“If find kitty…!”
“No, Rosa.”
The King cut off his daughter’s words.
“We can’t find the kitty. And if both of you don’t fulfill your duties as princesses like this, it will be difficult for all of you to stay in the Royal Palace.”
