Chapter 17
Ian looked at the cat in front of him with a cold, lingering smile.
As if doused with ice water, his mind cooled sharply, and the murmuring subordinates around him no longer registered.
He slowly stroked the kitten he was holding with his index finger.
Despite his icy composure, a strange heat bubbled within him. The blood that had chilled at his fingertips ran through his entire body.
“Where were you trying to go?”
Recalling the recent events as calmly as possible, he murmured softly.
Until just a moment ago, Ian had been conversing with the people approaching him while keeping all his attention on the basket he held.
Even while talking to others, he couldn’t have failed to notice how the kitten moved, what positions it took, or what it was doing inside the basket.
“Something wrong? Or should I have made the cushion softer?”
A subtle unease clung to the slightly swaying basket.
“Greetings to the head of the Kadelion family…”
“…Head of the Kadelion family, in such a room…”
Yet, as if mocking the unease he felt, an unusually large number of people clung to him today.
“Ah! Head of the Kadelion family, I think I misstepped and fell… perhaps…”
“I should call a servant.”
“No need. I can’t trouble busy servants over something like that. Just take her to the lounge—”
“Luckily, a servant is walking right beside you.”
“Ah…”
“Since this young lady seems to have sore feet, take her to the lounge.”
“Head of the Kadelion family, about support for the monster eradication forces…”
“If you send the matter in writing, I will review it favorably.”
“Yes, sir!”
Wearing the usual gentle smile, he quickly handled the bothersome situations.
At that moment, the basket that had been only slightly swaying suddenly began to shake in a way that seemed purposeful.
Noticing the small furball moving inside, he stepped away.
Though disappointed glances followed from behind, he didn’t care and moved quickly.
The moment he left the crowd, timing perfect, the black furball burst from the basket lid and leapt into the air. It jumped so high that one might have believed it was a frog, not a cat.
If anyone else had seen it, they might have thought a bat had flown into the banquet hall—it jumped to a staggering height.
At that instant, his heart plummeted.
‘So you wanted to escape that badly.’
Though he had never felt cold in his life, the blood in his body chilled from his fingertips, and he felt his heart twist painfully.
Indeed, in this crowded banquet hall, it would have been impossible for it to move freely, making this the perfect chance to escape.
She had been his responsibility from the start.
Though he had brought her to Kadelion on his own terms, he hadn’t expected her to attempt escape so quickly.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
‘Why are you trying to escape? Should I have hidden you in the house?’
Or perhaps he should have tied her up, so she could not take a single step out, only able to look at him.
‘I’d even like the way those eyes look at me blindly.’
Whatever emotions were contained in those blind eyes.
A dense, uneasy energy wrapped around him like a snake. Guilt, anxiety, anger, obsession—chaotic feelings rose from the depths of his chest.
Like a small snowball rapidly swelling, the emotions grew terrifyingly large, consuming everything around them.
A massive void, formed from dark and murky feelings, opened its mouth toward him.
His mind, which had tried to appear clear, was now tainted murkily like darkness.
Even if it was a different kind of emotion than before,
A violent, unruly feeling ran rampant, unlike anything in the past.
A possessive gaze flickered in his pale eyes.
He squinted to hide the pitch-black heart within.
“I told you, you can’t escape.”
In his dark, bluish eyes, a strange and ominous obsession surged.
“Explain.”
Ariel looked at him, bewildered.
Ah, this could really mess up my life.
Her survival instinct, which had kept her alive for 19 years in harsh circumstances, screamed inside her.
Who knew jumping down just because she wanted a drink would become such a big deal?
Seeing his deranged blue eyes, she realized she had to tell the truth.
She sighed, then pointed her front paw at the table with finger foods.
‘See that finger food?’
Then she lightly flicked her paw, pretending to drink from a glass.
‘I wanted the drink next to the finger food…’
Embarrassment surged, and her face flamed. Finishing her explanation, she buried her face in Ian’s hand to hide it.
She lamented that the only thing shielding her view was Ian’s palm.
‘I didn’t expect this to happen.’
She wanted to hide in a mouse hole immediately. She needed time alone.
‘So embarrassing.’
“…You wanted a drink?”
He said slowly.
Seeing the kitten nod vigorously, Ian felt a strange, absurd sensation.
The reason for trying to escape was just for the drink—he had essentially lost to alcohol.
A strange sense of defeat washed over him, and a wave of immense relief spread through his body.
His gaze softened.
‘Let’s go.’
Ariel, having abandoned all shame, tapped Ian’s shoulder and gestured toward the table with finger foods, urging him forward.
Then Ian, suddenly lowering his eyes, looked mournful.
“Who else are you going to share love with, Ariel?”
‘…?’
“How could you leave me for someone else…”
‘This mouth of yours!’
Ariel quickly covered Ian’s mouth. Ian’s eyes went wide, staring at the cotton ball covering his mouth.
‘When did I do that!’
As if asking if she really didn’t know, he smiled faintly and tried to pry the cotton into his mouth. Ariel recoiled in shock.
‘T-Tiger…?’
Part of her paw had gotten caught in his mouth, preventing her from moving, and she stared at Ian in panic.
Satisfied by Ariel’s panicked gaze, he finally dropped the cotton from his mouth, tilting his eyes slightly.
“…You were going to go share love. I was left behind, staring only at Ariel.”
Ian whispered into Ariel’s ear.
‘Covering my mouth makes the middle part sound weird.’
“It’s about the drink. About me.”
‘You… you!’
Ariel hit him several times, and only then did he start to move.
‘Life is hard.’
Ariel flopped down on Ian’s palm.
With Ariel in one hand and the basket in the other, Ian walked toward the table with finger foods.
‘This, this.’
She pointed at a wine glass on the table, shining with a deep purple hue, as if waiting for her. Her earlier embarrassment had long vanished. Thinking back, a moment of embarrassment was cheap at the cost of just one paw.
“This one’s no good.”
Ian said softly but firmly.
Tch.
She chose the wine next to it, cold droplets clinging to the glass.
The wine’s pinkish brilliance and fresh scent were alluring.
“This one’s no good either.”
‘Then the one in front.’
A golden wine with a luxurious tropical fruit scent. She wanted to try it once for its smooth finish.
“This one?”
He pointed to the wine she indicated.
‘Yes!’
She nodded vigorously.
He picked up the orange juice placed beside the wine she had been staring at. Then he tapped her nose playfully.
“You drunken cat. Can a kitten drink alcohol?”
‘I already did. Besides, I’m 19. An adult!’
Unlike her previous life, here one was considered an adult at 18.
Ariel, unwilling to give up her desire for alcohol, looked at Ian like a wet, dejected cat.
“Even if you look at me like that, no wine for you.”
He firmly blocked her eyes.
Tch. Heartless.
Because Ian carried her in his palm, all the gazes that had ignored her in the basket now focused on her.
Thanks to Ian’s status, the stares weren’t crude, but the curious glances were palpable.
Some even frowned at her and turned away.
The attention was overwhelming, making her whole body tingle.
“The head of Kadelion, greetings.”
A man approached, hair dark as night whipping behind him.
“Greetings to the head of Ashila.”
The Ashila of the west.
A family that had seized the western seat from Idas of the Leopard a few years ago.
In the book, Ashila had actively helped the heroine escape.
“So you’re the cat, huh?”
Until meeting him, her impression of him had been quite favorable.
He smiled slightly as he approached, and Ariel raised her head from Ian’s palm to meet his gaze.
The Ashila head’s jet-black eyes momentarily constricted.
But just for a moment. He closed his eyes kindly and spoke in a gentle voice.
“You have a truly adorable cat. I would like to take her and raise her myself.”
…But why did it feel so unsettling?
‘Did I see something wrong?’
“Unfortunately, I discovered her first.”
“Oh, if I had found her first, could I have taken her?”
His voice dripped with disappointment, his gaze still fixed on her.
“If you plan to bring that cat to your western estate, please let me know.”
He smiled warmly.
“I’ll have everything prepared carefully for you.”
With that, the head of Ashila departed.
He came just to say that?
‘Who is that person?’
Why did she feel like he already knew her? She had never heard his voice or seen his face before. A subtle discomfort swept over her.
