CHAPTER 01
Today was the day I was kicked out of the imperial palace.
My luggage was sparse, and there was no one to see me off. Just before getting into the carriage, I looked back at the palace one last time.
There would be no reason to return. This was the last time I would ever see it.
“Your Highness, the Princess. It’s time to go.”
The coachman spoke quietly, glancing at me.
The carriage I was riding in trudged along as if mourning the fall of its master.
Naturally, I should have been lamenting my misfortune too, but instead…
‘Heck yes! I finally got kicked out!’
With my eyes closed, I let out a triumphant cheer in my heart.
‘I never have to see those damn palace people again! This is the best!’
It had already been a year since I possessed this body.
Living as a princess, constantly forced into power struggles I didn’t want—I’d had more than enough of it.
That’s why I had been looking forward to this day. Possessing this body at such an awkward point in the timeline meant I had to wait forever for that damn prince to poison himself and frame me for it. The wait had been agony.
‘No more studying. No more political games. It’s time for the ultimate shut-in life!’
Surviving the Academy—the novel I had entered.
The character I possessed was Princess Minerva, the mother of Leona, the villainess who tormented the female lead Ayla.
‘I’m not having a kid, so I’m already free from the original plot.’
Even though I was being exiled, I had no worries about survival.
‘Sure, it’s in the sticks, but I get my own mansion!’
Minerva had been quite favored by the emperor and owned a decent amount of property. Thankfully, as long as I stayed in exile, none of it would be confiscated.
‘No work and enough money to last a lifetime? This is paradise.’
Just fantasizing about how I’d enjoy life made the week-long journey fly by.
“Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”
After traveling for a week, we arrived at the Mente Viscounty.
A tiny domain with only two villages: Green and Fran.
The place I would now live for the rest of my life was a mansion on a hill above Fran Village.
Old but sturdy, it was the perfect retreat for a slow country life.
I would live out a dream retirement here.
‘First things first—catch up on sleep.’
I’d been so sleep-deprived.
I was ready to dive into bed and knock out for hours. But just as I reached the front gate, something caught my eye.
It was a tiny ball of scraggly fur, no bigger than one hand. I immediately recognized it.
“…A cat?”
A kitten was curled up in the corner by the gate. One of the servants, noticing me approach it, stepped in hastily.
“Your Highness, it might be diseased. I’ll take care of it.”
“Take care of it? What do you mean, it?”
“Ah—yes, I mean…”
The servant looked confused and nervous, but nodded.
Take care of it, like it was trash? I sighed quietly and stepped closer to the kitten.
The others tried to stop me, but I ignored them.
I knelt down carefully and observed the kitten.
It was filthy, covered in dust and soot, with crusty eyes. It even looked sick.
Startled by the sudden presence, the kitten opened its eyes wide, but it only trembled weakly—too exhausted to flee.
I didn’t hesitate. I reached out and touched its nose.
“Hello.”
The kitten sniffed me curiously, clearly confused.
Its dry little nose brushed my fingertip. I took off my shawl, wrapped the kitten up gently, and lifted it into my arms.
The kitten looked increasingly bewildered.
What a face. So expressive.
I looked at the tiny life in my arms and smiled.
“Do you want to live with me?”
The kitten stared at me for a long moment, then blinked slowly in response.
My former assistant, Louisa, hovered nervously nearby, unsure if she should be more worried about me or the cat.
“Your Highness… are you sure about this?”
“I’m not going to eat it. Just finish unloading.”
“…Yes, understood.”
Louisa knew well that Minerva hated repeating herself, so she quickly shut up.
I was going to sleep right away, but I’d have to feed and clean this little one first.
What should I name it?
‘Looks too fragile. Needs a name with strength.’
Lions are part of the feline family, right?
The name came to me instantly.
“Aslan.”
A name that meant “lion” and evoked strength.
There were two words for lion in this world: Aslan and Leona. I preferred the softer sound of Leona, but since that was the villainess’s name—the daughter I was supposed to have—it creeped me out. So Aslan it was.
Meep.
For the first time, the kitten meowed as if it recognized its name.
I must’ve picked the right one.
“Grow up strong and brave, Aslan.”
I stroked Aslan between the eyes as I stepped into my mansion for the first time.
Maybe… this exile life was about to become even better thanks to this little one.
Five Years Later
Just as I had hoped, I was living a peaceful, secluded life.
Bringing Aslan home had been one of my best decisions.
I’d always wanted a cat, but more than that, watching a living creature grow up healthy filled me with awe and joy.
“Aslan, where are you?”
Sometimes I had to search the huge mansion for him when he disappeared,
“Meow.”
But he always answered right away when I called.
This time, the sound came from the dressing room. As usual, Aslan was lying on his back between my clothes.
“There you are.”
“Meow~.”
Despite his large size, he still had a soft, high-pitched meow.
His fur was silky cream, and his gem-like green eyes sparkled.
The trembling, sickly kitten from five years ago was long gone. Aslan had grown into a healthy adult cat with a luxurious coat.
He no longer caused as much trouble as he used to, which made me a little sad, but to me, he would always be my adorable five-year-old baby.
I scooped him up and nuzzled our foreheads together.
“Let’s go eat.”
“Mrrrow.”
Aslan answered like a person and snuggled into my arms as I carried him to the dining room.
Peaceful, quiet, and comfortable days with my cat.
It was the life I had always dreamed of.
‘Escaping the original plot is just that easy.’
As long as I didn’t have a child, I could completely avoid the original storyline. The difficulty level was ridiculously low.
‘If there are other transmigrators, I must’ve gotten the best deal.’
But easy gains are easily lost.
That’s why, every night before bed, I prayed the same wish:
‘Please, let me stay uninvolved with the original plot until the day I die.’
Whenever I looked up at the bright moon outside my window and made my wish, Aslan would always hop into bed beside me, leaving his ribbon toy behind.
I pulled the covers up as I finished my prayer. Aslan curled up beside my shoulder.
Purr purr. He rumbled like a motorcycle, kneading the blanket and sending gentle waves through the sheets.
I giggled and scratched his forehead.
“Good night, Aslan. Let’s have more fun tomorrow, just the two of us.”
“Meow.”
With half-lidded eyes, he responded softly and nuzzled into my chin.
This happy daily life felt like a blessing.
‘I hope it lasts forever…’
Just like that, I fell asleep beside Aslan once again.
The Next Morning
Lick, lick.
“Mm…?”
Something wet brushed against my cheek, waking me up.
Time to get up?
Aslan always licked my face to wake me up, but…
‘Why is it so wet?’
Cat tongues are rough and don’t leave much moisture. This felt too… human.
And something was way too heavy on my chest.
Was Aslan always this heavy?
Before I could think further, a voice called out.
“…Ma!”
A voice I didn’t recognize. Strange. We didn’t have any servants with a voice like that.
Normally, my personal maid would wake me, but this wasn’t her.
“…Ma!”
Again, the unfamiliar voice.
I didn’t feel afraid, though. Somehow, I could sense affection from it.
‘But hold on. No one in this mansion would lick my face to wake me!’
My eyes flew open—and I froze.
A girl around five years old was sitting on my chest, looking down at me.
She had soft cream-colored hair and jewel-bright green eyes.
“Mommy, wake up! It’s time for hunting game!”
“…?”
Wait… what?
Mommy?!
What the hell did she just call me?
I was too shocked to speak, but the girl kept pestering me.
“Mommy, come on~! Shake the fishing pole for me!”
“What—what are you saying?! Who are you calling mommy?! And get off me!”
I sat bolt upright, sending the girl rolling off my chest and onto the bed.
And then I panicked.
Aslan—my fluffy little cat—was nowhere to be seen.
He always greeted me when I woke up, but there was no sign of him.
“Wh-Where’s my baby?! Aslan!”
I called out for him, but unlike always, there was no reply from anywhere in the room.
Instead, the strange girl responded.
“Mommy, what are you talking about? I’m right here.”
“…Excuse me?!”
Then I saw it. The red ribbon around her neck.
‘Wait—that’s…!’
That was the ID tag I made for Aslan with my own hands!
“You! What did you do to my Aslan?! Where is my baby?!”
The girl’s eyes welled up.
“Why are you being weird, Mommy? I’m Aslan. I’m your daughter…”
“…What?”
What did I just hear?
My brain shut down. I blinked rapidly.
The girl’s face crumpled with tears.
“You’re being weird today… why won’t you call me your pretty baby like always? Did I do something wrong?”
…That expression. That was the exact look Aslan gave me whenever he was scolded.
Could it be?
“Is it because I turned into a person and you didn’t recognize me?”
Her sharp little canines and clear green eyes. The slight tilt of her eyes.
She looked exactly like Aslan.
And exactly like the original novel’s villainess, Leona.
Just to be sure, I asked one last question.
“…Are you really Aslan?”
“Yep!”
“How old are you?”
“Five!”
“When’s your birthday?”
“May fifth!”
……
That was the day I found her—Aslan’s birthday.
The self-proclaimed Aslan pulled me by the hand.
“Let’s go play the hunting game, Mommy!”
And with that innocent voice, I screamed internally.
Wasn’t I safe as long as I didn’t have a daughter?!
No one ever said the villainess used to be a cat!
