Chapter 53
“That means you’re glad to see me, right? Yeah, I’m glad too.”
Miri pouted her lips, grabbed both of my hands, and shook them up and down with force.
It was a rather intense handshake.
“Uh, yeah, glad to see you. I was going to ask why you’re here first and then greet you properly.”
“Next time, let’s switch the order. It sounds better that way.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. I’ll do that from now on.”
Miri’s words were quite convincing.
I nodded obediently and asked her the question in the proper order.
“Glad to see you, Miri. Can I ask why you’re here now?”
“I got kicked out.”
“Kicked out?”
“I wanted to repay my benefactor, for a long time.”
“…Could it be that the benefactor is me?”
“Who else could it be?”
“If you mean being saved from the slave trader, there’s really no need for repayment.”
I didn’t help Miri with my own strength.
If anyone deserved repayment, it would be the Mist Knights who sent her back to the Catfolk territory, right?
“Yeah, I thought you’d say that.”
Miri let out a deep sigh, and her large ears drooped down.
“But my mother thinks differently. Our people value repayment.”
I knew that too.
Whether it was a favor or a grudge, all beastfolk were inclined to return what they had received.
“The Catfolk also helped with the beast extermination. Thanks to them, even though we faced seven, the damage was minimal.”
‘So the unexpected allies Blanche mentioned were the Catfolk.’
Beastfolk had physical abilities far superior to humans.
If it came down to pure strength, humans could never win against beastfolk.
‘Of course, humans have swordsmanship and magic.’
Either way, it was a big help.
“But if they helped with the beast extermination, isn’t that already repayment?”
“It was repayment to the knights. But you haven’t been repaid.”
“Beastfolk’s repayment is thorough.”
“Exactly. I can’t return until I’ve repaid you.”
“How are you going to repay that favor?”
Miri, who had been answering my questions smoothly, suddenly closed her mouth. She seemed unsure herself.
“How about becoming the young lady’s friend?”
Hedin spoke to us, who were staring blankly at each other, unable to find an answer.
“Friend?”
“Yes. Miri will stay here and enjoy herself until her mother says that’s enough. You, young lady, have no peers at all…”
Hedin, who had nonchalantly pointed out my weakness, quickly closed her mouth as if realizing her mistake.
“…So.”
Of course, I couldn’t take back what had been said.
“What? You don’t have friends?”
Miri asked me with innocent eyes. The Grand Duke glared at Hedin, and Hedin’s face turned pale.
And me?
“Yeah. I don’t.”
I admitted it plainly.
‘Yeah, I don’t have friends my age.’
That was true.
I had gotten a little close to Roaz, but it was too subtle to call him a friend. Iella seemed to like me, but she wasn’t a friend either.
Kana? She wasn’t even a candidate.
“I see. Then I’ll be your friend. Not too hard, huh.”
Miri sighed with relief as if she had survived and smiled brightly.
“I honestly thought I’d end up plowing fields, cleaning, or something like that! But being told to be your friend is perfect.”
“What? Plow fields?”
“My cousin had to do that. But you need a friend, not a worker, right?”
Perhaps worried I might change my mind, Miri poured out her words in a rush.
“What should we do first? Chat? Sleep together?”
“Huh?”
“Oh, gossiping about someone is fun too. Eating delicious things together is good. Just say anything!”
“Uh….”
When making friends, what do you usually do first? Do you just do what you like together?
“Then, first, do you want to eat chocolate cookies together?”
Thus, Miri stayed at the winter mansion as my “friend.”
‘I’m not sure if a friend like this really counts as a friend.’
In any case, Miri’s official position within the winter mansion was the friend of the young Grand Duke.
Whether because of one more person in the household or because some members who had left had returned, the winter mansion became lively again as if it had never been quiet.
Princess Iella and Prince Roaz often sent letters.
It was hard to believe they were siblings—their letters were polar opposites.
Princess Iella would list everything she did that day, while Prince Roaz filled his letters with questions about whether I was doing well in the North.
<Your Majesty.>
While I was writing replies to them, Blanche suddenly flew over and called me with a dissatisfied tone.
“Why?”
<When is that cat leaving?>
“Cat? You mean Miri?”
<Yes, that cat.>
“I’m not sure either.”
Miri herself didn’t seem to know when she could return to the village.
“Why? You don’t like cats?”
<Beastfolk have sensitive senses, so it’s uncomfortable being too close. They might sense my energy.>
All beastfolk possessed animalistic senses capable of detecting threats.
It was an instinct engraved in their bodies for survival.
<Not long ago, when facing the beasts, I almost got caught by the Catfolk who came as reinforcements.>
‘Ah, so that’s why Blanche was so exhausted after dealing with the beasts.’
Blanche was no ordinary demon; she was even a former Demon Lord.
A being like her easily stimulated the sensitive senses of beastfolk.
“But Miri is just an unawakened young Catfolk. She shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
<Even unawakened, a cat is still a cat. The sense doesn’t go away. It’s better not to cross paths if possible.>
“Hmmm…”
She was right.
If Blanche’s identity was discovered, I’d be in trouble too, so being careful couldn’t hurt.
“Then Blanche, go play somewhere else for a while. Miri will return home in a few months, so you can come back then.”
<What?>
Blanche jumped as if she didn’t like my neat solution.
<Are you trying to kick me out now? Not the cat, but your loyal subordinate?>
“Miri is a guest permitted by the Grand Duke. You’re the uninvited one. Who should leave?”
Obviously, she was the uninvited one.
But Blanche didn’t seem to think so.
<I’m not an uninvited guest! I won’t leave the king’s side! I even fought the beasts hard!>
Blanche flapped her wings wildly and squeaked loudly in excitement.
Judging by her reaction, it seemed she wouldn’t calm down easily.
‘You said you’d obey the king’s orders no matter what.’
Wasn’t that a complete lie?
If Blanche acted like this, I had no choice but to use force.
<Kyuek!>
I grabbed Blanche’s beak to forcibly silence her.
Blanche flapped her wings in frustration, her eyes full of injustice.
“I’ll give you a reward instead.”
At the mention of a reward, Blanche’s expression changed.
She stopped flapping and stared at me with eyes asking, “What reward?”
I released her beak and shrugged.
“You wanted my blood, right? I’ll give it to you. Not too much, just a small teacup worth?”
That amount wouldn’t harm her much.
<Really?>
“Why would I lie? But drink that and play somewhere else for a few months. Deal?”
Blanche rolled her eyes, weighing the two options: drinking my blood or staying by my side.
Her decision wasn’t long.
<I’ll drink the king’s blood and hide until the cat leaves.>
“Good, deal.”
Now, how should I give the blood?
I stared blankly at Blanche, unsure how to proceed, when she transformed into a human form in front of me.
Perhaps from using too much power against the beasts, she looked like a young child of about five or six.
‘Does she get younger every time she uses her power?’
How am I supposed to train her and send her beyond the barrier like this?
Unaware of my thoughts, Blanche smiled and settled on my lap.
Her sharp fangs glinted at the corners of her mouth.
“Don’t worry, my king. Leave it all to me, it’ll be over quickly.”
Blanche reached out and gently stroked my cheek, like handling a precious treasure.
“Blanche.”
“I’m listening, my king.”
“Can you stop pretending to be deadly while looking like a five-year-old…?”
“Ugh.”
At my remark, Blanche’s face contorted amusingly.
