Chapter 9
“Princess, it’s time for you to depart now.”
At Alice’s words, I closed the picture book I had been reading.
Right then, a breeze swept through, causing my light pink hair—tied into low twin tails—to flutter softly.
“Already?”
“You were reading a picture book again?”
This was a picture book my nanny had bought for me not long ago, to celebrate my fourth birthday. It contained the founding myth of the feline kingdom.
“Where is Count British?”
“He’s waiting in the study downstairs.”
Today was the first day I would begin my formal education as a princess of the Persian royal family.
Up until now, I had been repeating basic reading and writing lessons, and I had grown quite bored of them.
But finally, I would be learning about the history of the feline people—my heart began to pound with excitement.
‘I hope there’s something about prophecies or a messiah too.’
I took a deep breath. Every time the wind blew, a sweet floral scent filled the terrace, and for some reason, a wave of emotion washed over me.
‘Has it already been four years?’
At four years old, I could now walk, talk, eat, and run freely without anyone’s help.
Most satisfying of all, my once-slurred pronunciation had improved considerably.
‘Though I still sound a bit babyish.’
During the time my body had grown, Licht—who had left the feline realm—had never once sent word of himself.
I hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the guards he supposedly assigned to me.
“What about nanny? Not see today?”
(“What about nanny? Haven’t seen her today?”)
Having grown used to a childlike tone over these past four years, I asked innocently. Alice, who was helping me get ready, lowered her brows.
“No… Since the head is away, she’s been very busy helping the chief attendant with various duties.”
After Licht left, Mir—who oversaw the main palace—and my nanny had both been extremely busy.
They were responsible for caring for the direct royal family members, including me, and even managing the budgets of the main palace and the annexes.
From what I’d heard, the council of elders was handling the overall administration of the feline realm in Licht’s absence.
‘And I think I heard the Second Prince—next in rank after Licht—is also absent.’
In the four years I had stayed in the main palace, I had never once encountered the Second Prince.
Even so, rumors among the maids were quite noisy.
‘They say he’s incredibly good at charming beastfolk, even at a young age.’
If possible, he was someone I preferred not to get involved with.
Misinterpreting my slightly pouty expression, Alice adjusted my clothes and asked:
“Are you upset because you haven’t seen the head maid lately? I think she still comes by sometimes while you’re asleep.”
“I’m okay! I like you too, Alice!”
Another maid assigned to me, Roen, was currently absent, assisting my nanny, who was on the verge of collapsing from overwork.
Now that I was no longer a helpless baby, having just Alice was more than enough for my daily life.
“Our princess speaks so sweetly.”
As Alice’s affection for me had grown over the past four years, a yellow tail popped out behind her.
Unable to hold back, she trembled slightly before hugging me tightly and then letting go.
If my nanny or Roen had seen that, they would have scolded her severely—but I simply smiled as if it didn’t matter.
‘The more people on my side, the better.’
Besides, it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Though hugging someone still felt a bit unfamiliar, the soft warmth in my chest wasn’t bad at all.
“More importantly, the Fourth Prince will be attending lessons with you starting today. Will you be alright?”
At the mention of the Fourth Prince, a deep sigh escaped my lips.
‘They said I’d follow the same curriculum as the other direct royals…’
As soon as I turned four, Licht had assigned me various tutors. The Fourth Prince—whose education had been delayed due to a severe illness last year—would be joining as well.
“Mm. I’m okay.”
I gently patted Alice’s shoulder with my small hand as she fidgeted nervously.
“If His Highness the Fourth Prince gives you trouble, you must tell me right away.”
Holding Alice’s hand, I stepped out of the bedroom and forced a vague smile before changing the subject.
“What about the afternoon?”
“In the afternoon, the Marchioness of Scottish will come to teach etiquette.”
“…Do I have to attend that with the Fourth Prince too?”
When I asked hesitantly, Alice shook her head.
“It seems etiquette lessons will be separate. A different tutor from another family will be teaching the Fourth Prince.”
That was welcome news.
During the past three years of Licht’s absence, the Fourth Prince, Askari, had behaved like a beastman eager to devour me.
I thought it might pass, but his behavior only grew worse over time.
Noticing the shadow on my face, Alice spoke in a bright, reassuring voice.
“Don’t worry too much! The head will return soon, so the Fourth Prince won’t be able to treat you carelessly anymore.”
Will that really happen?
I pressed my lips together, thinking of the Fourth Prince who harbored an unusually strong hostility toward me.
‘It doesn’t seem like he hates me just because I suddenly appeared…’
While it was true he treated me like a thorn in his side, sometimes it felt as though he was harshly pushing me away to suppress something within himself.
‘Or does he really just hate me because I’m human?’
There had once been a war between humans and beastfolk that lasted over a hundred years.
Although it ended in humanity’s victory, weakening the beastfolk, the feline clan living here was a different matter.
Sighing, I descended the spiral staircase while holding Alice’s hand.
After crossing a long corridor decorated with antique tapestries, I saw a door guarded by two soldiers.
“I’ll be back, Alice!”
“…I’ll make your favorite sweet pumpkin soup and wait for you.”
I waved cheerfully at Alice, who kept looking back, then stared straight at the guards.
They glanced at me from the corners of their eyes, then stiffened.
“We will open the door, Your Highness.”
“Mm. Thank you.”
After exchanging awkward glances, the guards opened the door.
With the clinking of armor, the door bearing the Persian family crest swung open.
‘I hope today goes smoothly…’
Unable to hide my irritation, I looked at the scene beyond the door.
Inside the study filled with bookshelves, I saw the back of a beastman waiting for me.
Just as I thought the figure looked familiar, he turned around at the sound of the door opening.
Backlit by sunlight streaming through the arched window, his face came into view—and my eyes widened.
“…Huh? Mir?”
“You’re early, Your Highness.”
Mir, who had been organizing what seemed to be lesson materials, greeted me with a bright smile.
“Why are you here?”
“My, my. They say the water above must be clear for the water below to be clear… Serving such an indifferent ruler for so long must have made me indifferent as well.”
…Had Mir finally gone mad?
I looked at him with concern—his eyes as sunken as my nanny’s.
“Though it’s late, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Miren British, head of the British family—one of the nineteen great families of the feline realm. Ha ha.”
He smiled awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
Blinking at this unexpected turn, I tilted my head.
“Even Alice didn’t know you were Count British?”
“That’s right! Among the palace staff, only your nanny, Mary, knows my true identity.”
My nanny, the head maid of the main palace, and Mir were longtime childhood friends.
The tension in my shoulders eased.
“So you’re my teacher?”
“It seems that way, somehow. Ha ha ha.”
Sighing, Mir added:
“As you know, His Majesty isn’t particularly concerned about the well-being of his subordinates. He strongly insisted that I personally teach both you and the prince.”
My eyes widened.
“Licht did?”
“Yes. The Fourth Prince is still at an age where he struggles with emotional control.”
In other words, Mir was placed here as a safeguard in case something happened between me and Askari.
‘So he didn’t just put us together without thinking.’
Relieved, I was about to ask about Licht—
“That thing… why is it here?”
A sharp voice cut through the air.
Swallowing a sigh, I turned toward the sound.
The Fourth Prince—now slightly bigger than the last time I saw him—was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.
‘How is he only one year older than me?’
Now five years old, Askari was larger in build and about half a head taller than me. He looked more like a child than a toddler.
His pale blue eyes burned with hostility.
“I said, why is that here?!”
With a twisted expression, he strode toward me threateningly. A red tail had appeared, bristling.
Startled, Mir subtly stepped between us.
“Ha ha. Your Highness, you are ten minutes late. His Majesty is very interested in this joint lesson. I wonder how disappointed he would be to hear this.”
At the deliberate mention of Licht’s name, Askari’s raised tail slowly lowered.
Breathing heavily, he shot me another glare.
“Brother told me to study with this thing?”
“There is no need for you two to learn separately. He has particularly high expectations for you.”
At that, Askari’s sharp eyes softened as if nothing had happened.
“Then I guess it can’t be helped.”
Taking a deep breath, he brushed past me.
Watching this sudden change, I realized something shocking.
‘Could it be… the reason he hated me all this time…’
…was because of Licht?
Considering how sensitive he was to Licht’s name, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Now then, let’s begin the lesson.”
In an atmosphere as tense as thin ice, my first class as a princess of the Persian royal family began.
