Chapter 35
―Father!
Would there be a daughter who would run toward a carriage, just to see a father who hated her, even a moment earlier?
―Someone will be coming from the Imperial Palace.
Even just remembering the faint smile Duke Raymond showed when he unexpectedly found Christina holding her was enough proof.
As long as his daughter was beside Noah, Duke Raymond would never dare to lay a finger on Noah, no matter how much Noah refused to listen to him.
‘I thought everything was ruined…’
Somehow, things turned out all right in the end.
‘Well, except it feels like my own life got tangled up again.’
Tangling was an understatement. Because she had suddenly become human, Roze could no longer expect to enjoy her carefree cat life while guarding Noah’s side.
And yet, she still thought about protecting Noah…
‘Maybe he’ll build me a house or something…?’
After all, her future still depended on Noah’s fate.
‘Noah would do that, wouldn’t he?’
Once again, she had nothing to her name but a healthy body. Still, Roze was certain that, when the time came for Noah to leave the palace, he would continue to shelter her to the very end—and support her as well.
‘If I want to live, I need to shatter this whole “cursed red eyes” idea.’
Only if Noah proved that red eyes weren’t a curse would Roze be able to find a place for herself in the world.
That was why Noah’s safety was still the most important task in her life.
‘Guess I’d better start thinking about what I’ll do for a living.’
Perhaps it looked strange to be pondering that right after crying tears of gratitude.
‘Now that I’m human, I can’t stay by Noah’s side forever.’
It was only natural to get a grip and plan for her own future. The reason didn’t matter—her determination to protect Noah to the very end would never change.
‘Ha… I thought I’d get to lick, taste, and enjoy this face until the day I died.’
Still, the thought that she would one day have to part from Noah made her chest ache. But there was no helping it. A shady woman like her clinging to Noah forever could hardly do him any good.
She would bring Christina and Noah together, then disappear. No matter how she tried to spin it, there was no better path.
So Roze decided to treat this as a blessing in disguise.
The dream of spending her life with a wealthy, affectionate, handsome butler had drifted far away. Still, she was used to enduring life on her own.
‘Maybe I should learn baking—something I always wanted to try in my past life.’
With Noah at her back, there was nothing to fear.
Roze had longed and longed for the day she could become fully human…
But unlike Roze, who accepted her transformation rather lightly, Noah couldn’t be wholly glad about it.
There was a reason he had gone to such trouble to set up a secret refuge beforehand. If Roze ever turned human, he had planned to hide her away there so that only he would know.
But far too many people had now learned her true identity.
Noah couldn’t trust vows of secrecy—not even from Christina, and certainly not from the maids who had tended his chambers for years.
The only one he could rely on was Jonathan, who kept silent without ever swearing oaths.
In the end, Noah ordered Jonathan to place watchers on everyone.
―If it seems the secret might leak, kill them—even the young lady.
For the first time since becoming Emperor, Noah issued an order that horrified even himself—one that spoke of taking the life of an innocent.
That was how absolute Roze’s safety was to him.
And then there were other troubles…
“This outfit’s too tight.”
“There’s nothing else you can wear for now. Lady Christina said she’d bring some of her old clothes tomorrow, so we’ll alter them then.”
Loving Roze meant nothing more complicated than cherishing her existence itself.
And yet, somehow, his gaze kept burning with an unbidden heat.
Whenever Roze, wearing Evelyn’s maid uniform, grumbled that the bodice was too constricting, his eyes kept straying there.
No matter how he forced himself to look away, he would always find his gaze drifting to the base of her throat.
The fact that he couldn’t even control his own eyes filled him with shame.
“Can’t you turn back into a cat?”
“I tried, but it didn’t—ah… it didn’t work.”
But what truly kept Noah from smiling was Roze’s demeanor.
She pressed herself against the wall, her large eyes darting nervously as she gauged his mood.
“So… where am I supposed to sleep tonight?”
“In the bed.”
“Shouldn’t Your Majesty be the one to sleep in the bed?”
To make matters worse, she even tried to speak formally, like others did. She still called him “Your Majesty” instead of “Noah,” though she didn’t really know how to be polite properly. Even so, that alone displeased him.
She was his Roze, no matter her form. But her words and actions made it feel like something had been wrong from the very beginning.
“Why…?”
“Why what?”
“Why should we sleep separately?”
“Oh, that’s… well…”
Don’t treat me like a stranger. Aren’t I your Emperor?
Frustrated, he reached out instinctively—and Roze immediately leaned into his touch, closing the gap. She pressed her cheek into his palm, eyes closing with pleasure, rubbing her face against his hand.
She couldn’t purr like a cat, but Noah could almost hear it anyway.
She was saying it was the same. Nothing had changed.
Just like when he used to hold her in his arms as a cat, Noah felt peace slowly return to him.
“Ah!”
But then Roze startled and pulled back, as if realizing that her behavior had been pure instinct.
“Uh… Noah. I, um… hmm…”
As if to say, didn’t I act way too much like a cat just now? She gave him a sheepish smile, and Noah finally let out a laugh that felt like a breath of relief.
She was just not used to it yet. Once she grew accustomed to her new form, she would surely curl up in his arms again.
“Then I’ll just sleep on the sofa.”
“Sleep in the bed.”
“But, Your Majesty—”
“You. In the bed.”
And yet she kept bringing up the bed again, making his chest burn with impatience at not knowing how long it would take.
So in the end, how did the two of them sleep?
―Why are you putting the pillows there like that?
―Just in case… you know?
They finally agreed to share the bed. Neither could win the argument, and if they kept insisting “You sleep here,” “No, you sleep there,” they would be up all night.
So, as usual, Roze lay down beside him—but this time she built a wall of cushions and pillows between them.
It wasn’t for Noah’s sake. It was for her own.
Because every time she had come back to Noah’s side, she had fallen asleep on his chest. And every time she awoke, there she was again.
It had been so comfortable and sweet that she worried she might crawl back into his arms in her sleep. The barricade was her safeguard.
‘Ha… what kind of person am I…’
And yet, when she opened her eyes, the pillows were gone, and there she was—face and half her body sprawled over Noah’s bare chest, fast asleep.
She hadn’t even noticed when she drifted off.
Everyone else seemed to think her transformation was nothing unusual, Noah included. Roze herself had thought life was always this messy, full of chaos and change—so why not take it in stride?
But perhaps not.
She had adapted so well to her cat’s body that even having proper limbs now felt strange. No wonder she couldn’t fall asleep easily.
What really kept her awake, though, was the fact that the original story never mentioned “beastfolk” at all.
‘Why does it feel like things keep happening that I don’t know about…?’
Count Kelliphon could have been passed off as something just left out of the original. But twice? That was too much.
So Roze tried to recall the story from start to finish, combing it for overlooked details. But somewhere along the way, she drifted off—and burrowed into Noah’s arms once again.
Into Noah’s arms, bare as always.
‘Why are you acting like a cat again? Get off him, now!’
The fireplace was blazing so hot it was almost uncomfortable. She couldn’t even use the excuse of needing warmth. And now that she was human, she ought to be more careful…
‘No! Stop!’
And yet, once more, her hand moved on its own.
