Chapter 12
“Kitty, you really do seem as special as the prophecy says. These days I really think it was such a good thing that I came into the palace.”
After rubbing my nose and planting a quick kiss on me, Arin set me back down on the ground.
The feeling of being showered with kisses every day from a girl much younger than me was… peculiar, to say the least.
Still, perhaps because the instincts of a cat had seeped into my body, I felt a sense of calm every time she stroked places like my forehead or the nape of my neck.
I could finally understand why cats rub their faces on their humans’ legs and meow to be petted.
“Shall we go this way today, kitty?”
Leaving the main path, Arin beckoned me toward a more secluded trail.
“There’s a beautiful flower field over there. When I was little, whenever the senior maids scolded me, I used to sneak off and hide there. It was so pretty that it always made me feel better.”
How hard it must’ve been for her to endure the harsh palace life from such a young age.
And where was her older brother while this sweet, gentle little sister of his went through all that?
Muttering a bit in my head, I padded after her.
After about ten minutes of leisurely walking cat-paced along a shaded path beneath tall trees, the flower field she had spoken of finally came into view.
‘Wow…’
I couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of a wide-open field covered in flowers of every color.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? I wanted to show this scenery to you, kitty.”
Before I could even nod, I was drawn forward as if enchanted, gazing at a small hill that looked as if someone had scattered star candy all across it.
White and greenish petals shimmered in the wind.
A sweet candy-like fragrance rode the breeze and tickled my nose.
‘It’s so beautiful… I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.’
In my past life, I had always been too busy, too hunted, to enjoy such things—I hadn’t even once gone on the common trip to Jeju Island that everyone else did.
The only flower fields I’d ever seen were in amusement parks. But this—this was beyond beautiful. It was overwhelming, dazzling to the eyes.
“There’s a patch over there full of clover. Today I’ll make you a clover bracelet, kitty. Just wait here while I go pick some!”
Before I could even make a gesture of agreement, Arin dashed into the grass.
Feeling restless just standing still, I began to wander slowly toward the flower-covered hill.
Anyway, as a kitten my walking pace was slow enough that Arin would catch up to me easily.
‘The weather’s nice, I feel nice.’
The events of yesterday were cleanly forgotten, and I even started humming to myself.
Of course, what I called humming was just the rumbling purr of a happy cat—but what did it matter?
I was just about to pull a yellow flower toward me with my paw and sniff at it when—
A large human hand suddenly appeared and snapped the stem.
“You mustn’t eat this, kitty. It’s harmful to you.”
“Meow, mia…ow?” (I wasn’t planning on eating it… huh?)
I turned around to see who it was—and nearly choked on my breath from the shock.
‘What the—who is this idol-like handsome guy…?!’
Frozen like a statue, I looked up blankly at the blond man.
Hair that gleamed like molten gold, eyes as clear and cool as the sea, features chiseled like a work of art, and a mouth curved into a gentle smile.
And, on top of it all, a tall, perfectly proportioned body.
Yes.
The gorgeous man standing before me looked every bit like the archetypal prince who should be riding a white horse.
“Meeow…” (I can’t believe my eyes…)
While I stood there with my jaw dropped, the man seemed to misunderstand and scratched his cheek.
“Hmm. Do you want this flower that badly? That’s a problem.”
No, please don’t worry!
The flower suits you far better than it does me!
As I shook my head desperately, the bell on my collar jingled brightly.
At that, his eyes widened slightly for the first time.
“That bell… You must be a cat from the Sultan’s harem.”
Excuse me, the what now? A harem for cats?
I shook my head vigorously as if to say no, and he looked at me curiously.
‘Why does my whiskers feel all tingly like this…?’
This morning my heart nearly dropped from fear, and now in the afternoon it was racing wildly.
What a life, being a cat.
Sighing heavily, I looked up at him—only to see him smiling with narrowed eyes.
“You’re quite an unusual cat.”
Silently, I agreed.
‘A cat that understands human speech? Yeah, that’s unusual.’
That’s why I’d kept my communication with Arin simple.
Partly because I didn’t want to give her a heart attack, and partly because I didn’t want to draw unwanted attention.
‘But exceptions can be made in front of a guy this handsome.’
As long as it’s just a little slip, it’ll be fine. It’s only for a moment, anyway.
“How about something other than yellow? Pick one.”
After a short pause, I stretched out my paw toward a purple flower.
He plucked it and tucked it behind my ear. Against my fur, it looked just like a hairpin.
“Cute. I’ve never seen a cat wear a flower so well.”
“Meow.” (Hah, you’ve got a decent eye at least.)
“There are many legends about this flower. Its meaning changes with its color.”
I tilted my head, curious, but he changed the subject.
“But why did you run away? If you don’t return to the Sultan’s palace, you might starve.”
I considered showing him that I wasn’t alone—but if I revealed I could understand too much, he might try to take me. So I deliberately played dumb.
As he gently plucked bits of grass from my fur, he spoke again.
“I guess I’m not the only one who feels suffocated inside the palace.”
His tone carried a faint sadness.
When I glanced up at his expression, I saw a sorrowful smile on his lips.
‘Ugh, that’s cheating. You can’t look that handsome and that sad at the same time.’
An urge rose within me to do anything—absolutely anything—to erase the sadness from his face.
We had barely known each other for five minutes, yet here I was, worked up over him already. That in itself was a talent.
“Where are you, kitty? I made your bracelet—oh…?”
Arin, running up with her eyes fixed downward to keep from dropping the clover bracelet she had woven, suddenly froze, her face turning pale.
“P-P-Prince Teron…!!”
Thud.
Startled, she dropped the clover.
In her fluster, she even tripped and fell to the ground.
‘He really is a prince…?’
Well, no wonder he looked so much like one.
If Süleyman’s fearsome appearance suited a tyrant more than a prince, Teron radiated the very aura of the prince girls dreamed of—shining as if haloed.
“Are you all right? Take my hand.”
“Y-Yes, thank you so much!”
With Teron’s help, Arin stood up, then quickly bent down to gather the scattered clovers.
Seeing this, the prince himself knelt to help pick them up.
“My apologies, I seem to have startled you. You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I-I’m fine! Truly, thank you…”
Blushing, Arin fidgeted with her skirt and bowed her head deeply, unable to meet his eyes.
‘Yeah, who wouldn’t be flustered?’
From afar one might wonder why she was acting that way, but having witnessed Teron’s beauty up close, I understood completely.
“Were these bracelets meant for the kitty?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Ah, then it wasn’t a stray after all.”
“We just wandered a little far on a walk… I never imagined we’d run into you here, Prince Teron. Thank you so much.”
Arin bowed over and over in gratitude.
“I shouldn’t intrude on your outing, then. I’ll be on my way. Enjoy yourselves.”
“Y-Yes, please take care!”
The sight of the impossibly handsome prince walking away through the dazzling flower field was like something straight from a fairy tale.
When he was finally gone from sight, Arin clutched her chest and let out a breath of relief.
“Whew, that was a shock. I never thought Prince Teron would come all the way out here. This area’s usually deserted.”
I tilted my head in agreement, and she started chattering again.
“Prince Teron is kind to every servant in the palace, so he’s very popular. Gentle, warm-hearted—and the most handsome of all the royals.”
“Meow.” (I can’t argue with that.)
“To be honest, at first I hoped to be assigned to his palace… but the competition was so fierce I didn’t make it. They choose people very strictly over there.”
Hmm. For some reason I suddenly felt a little sorry for Süleyman.
With his stern face and… well, not exactly warm personality, I doubted he was very popular.
“All done! You look adorable.”
Now decked out with clover rings around my neck, ears, and even ankles, I let out a dry chuckle.
But for Arin’s sake, clapping happily, I struck a pose.
“Huh? What’s this flower?”
Arin noticed the purple bloom tucked in my fur and her face darkened.
“Did Prince Teron give you this flower?”
“Meow.” (Yeah.)
“Hmm. That’s… actually not such a good flower.”
I tilted my head, demanding an explanation.
“The flower’s meaning is ‘sorrow.’ It’s beautiful to look at, but its stories are tied to death and sadness.”
“Meow…?” (Really…?)
“Yes. It’s better to leave it behind. People think of it as an ill omen, even if it does grow naturally.”
As she buried the purple flower back into the earth, I couldn’t help but feel reluctant.
‘But it’s just a flower.’
Wasn’t it sadder that people made up gloomy tales and turned flowers into symbols of misfortune?
In a way, that purple flower seemed to share the same fate as me—ensnared by the arbitrary weight of a so-called “prophecy.”
“Let’s head back, shall we? We’ve had a nice long walk today. I’ll give you a spa treatment when we return.”
Smiling brightly, Arin scooped me up, my clover decorations jingling.
As she carried me away, I gazed for a long time at the flower field, glowing in all its many colors.
