Chapter 21
“It’s none of your business. That cat is—”
“I heard, brother, that you still haven’t even given the cat a proper name.”
It wasn’t only Suleiman who was surprised by Teron’s words.
‘Did Arin tell him…?’
No wonder he was so friendly toward Arin—it seems he had an ulterior motive.
“…You have a knack for eavesdropping on things you shouldn’t.”
“With such coldness, do you think you’ll ever win the cat’s heart? Perhaps it was that very side of you that made the cat run off today.”
Grinding his teeth, Suleiman glared at Teron.
‘I don’t need a name anyway… At least not until I regain my human form. Right now, if he gave me one, it would probably be something like “Fluffy,” and that’s not appealing at all.’
‘If you’re going to argue over my name, at least ask for my permission.’
Caught between these strange brothers, I could only sigh heavily.
At that moment, Suleiman strode forward with his long legs toward the fountain.
He saw the jacket I was wrapped in—Teron’s—and scowled again.
If I were in human form, I’d have snapped back with, “Keep making that scary face all the time and you’ll get wrinkles.”
But as a kitten, all I could do was stick out my little tongue and think, What! Why!
Suleiman threw the jacket back to its owner and unfastened the cloak he was wearing.
With a flutter, the large cloak wrapped around my small body.
Feeling like I’d been rolled up in blackout curtains, I was lifted into Suleiman’s arms.
Looking up, I saw his jaw clench tight.
“…This is a warning. Stay out of my sight, Teron.”
“We’ve only run into each other twice since arriving in the capital, brother.”
“That’s not what I mean. You’re clever—you know what I’m saying. Tread wisely.”
Teron only laughed heartily at his words.
‘Why laugh at something so unpleasant?’
While I tilted my head in confusion, Teron picked up his soaking wet jacket and stood.
“Then I’ll take my leave. Brother seems uncomfortable with my presence.”
With unnecessary politeness, he bowed formally to Suleiman, then gave me a small nod before disappearing.
When their argument ended, only the trickle of the fountain broke the silence.
Left alone with Suleiman, I cautiously glanced up at him.
“…What? Do you have something to say?”
I quickly shook my head, and Suleiman flicked my forehead with a snap.
“Mew!” (Ow! Why hit me!)
The blow was pretty painful for a kitten, and my eyes welled with tears.
‘Seriously, why hit me?! Just say it in words!’
I glared at him resentfully, and he nervously ran a hand through his hair.
“Why did you suddenly disappear? I was worried.”
Surprised by the unexpectedly gentle words, my eyes widened.
“Was it really because you dislike me, like Teron said?”
That wasn’t true at all…
But unable to explain in this cat body, I could only shrug.
Apparently dissatisfied with my lukewarm response, he pressed on.
“Or was it because I haven’t given you a name? What is it?”
No, that’s not it either…
Frustrated at being unable to explain, I pounded my tiny chest with my paw. He scooped me up and began walking.
Where is he going, mid-conversation?
Annoyed, I even considered biting him.
Meanwhile, he carried me deeper into a shadowy forest.
I thought we’d return to the party hall, but instead he headed somewhere dark and deserted, and unease crept over me.
He’s not planning to punish me for running away… is he?!
I remembered when my pet cat once ran away from home—I’d cried all day until I found it, then smacked its bottom hard. The silly cat actually enjoyed it, wagging its tail as if asking for more.
If Suleiman had been worried about me as his pet, maybe he too planned to scold me.
Sensing danger, I wriggled in his arms. He suddenly lifted me higher, right before his face.
Wrapped in the cloak, I was now eye to eye with my kitten reflection mirrored in his eyes.
In the moonlit grove, his crimson eyes glowed beautifully.
Suleiman exuded a strange allure—too enchanting, almost dangerous. He drew you in, captivated you… made you feel you’d never escape him.
That was Suleiman.
“To tell the truth, I’ve been pondering all day.”
“Mew…?” (About what…?)
He gently stroked the choker around my neck.
His hot fingers tickled me, making my shoulders twitch.
“You, and that vanished woman. The heterochromatic eyes. The mark of the Mother… What could all of it mean?”
Gulp.
Nervous, I swallowed dryly as he brushed so close to my secret.
“If my guess is right, I might even hear your name from your own lips.”
While I frowned, uncertain of his intentions, his hand softly caressed my forehead.
“Just a moment. Don’t resist.”
Smooch.
His lips suddenly pressed against mine.
Warm, soft, unexpected—my eyes squeezed shut as my heart pounded.
Why am I trembling like this, not even in human form?!
Unprepared, my heartbeat thundered, as if it might leap from my chest.
Through my closed eyelids, something sparkled.
Fireflies…?
Opening my eyes, I saw purple lights shimmering around me, like shattered stars scattered across the night.
Entranced, I gaped at the sight.
Whoosh.
The magical glow faded, revealing Suleiman’s face.
Strangely, he didn’t look as large as before.
“You are who I thought you were.”
What? What does that mean?
But the next moment, realization struck.
“Huh…?”
Wrapped in Suleiman’s dark cloak, cradled in his arms, I was no longer a cat.
My hair flowed freely, and when I looked down, my chest and thighs peeked through the cloak—I was human again.
Even in the dark, my skin gleamed pale and smooth as silk.
Flushed red with embarrassment, I clutched the cloak tightly.
Thankfully, it was large enough to cover me completely.
But one problem remained: Suleiman showed no sign of letting me go.
“L-let me down.”
“…You’ve got more to say than that.”
Well, yes, but how could I explain like this!
His warmth against me made me burn with shame, and I bit my lip.
The moonlight spilled across the grass as a breeze rustled past.
Between the man holding protectively and the woman squirming in embarrassment, silence hung heavy.
“So then.”
“…Eh? What?”
“What is your name?”
What, again with the name talk?
I suddenly realized he still cared about Teron’s earlier jab.
“You can’t just call a person ‘cat,’ can you? Tell me your name.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Why not?”
“My name has lost its meaning. And here, it’s not one I can easily use.”
I did have a name—the one the orphanage director gave me—but using it here would only make me seem strange, just as their names were unfamiliar to me.
“Then from now on, I’ll call you Ishtar. Is that acceptable?”
“Ishtar…?”
“Yes. It means ‘Daughter of the goddess Ashtar.’ If, as Iblan said, you are the goddess’s incarnation, it suits you well.”
“…If that’s a name people here can use easily, then fine.”
Nodding, he stepped back and tied the cloak securely around my shoulders.
Still blushing furiously, I bit my lip.
“I don’t even know where to begin explaining.”
“I admit, I feel the same.”
“Why didn’t you reveal your true identity sooner? I didn’t know you were sent by the Mother, and I doubted you.”
“How could I explain, trapped in a cat’s body?”
“That’s no excuse. You could’ve asked Aziz to deliver a message.”
After a pause, I confessed.
“I couldn’t fully trust him. Honestly, Aziz is suspicious in more ways than one.”
“Wise of you. Aziz is certainly a strange one. But…”
“But…?”
He chose his words carefully.
“He won’t harm you. Before being a servant of the royal house, he is a devoted priest of Ashtar. If sides must be chosen, he would stand with you over us. That’s the kind of man he is.”
